Should "Pot" Be Legalized?

The fact it is illegal is a deterrent for many people. I don't see any upside in making it legal other than taxes could be collected on it. I have always felt the increase in usage and subsequent social problems from legalization would far outweigh the amount of tax collected. Overall, legalization is a terrible idea and would only lead the Us further down the path of a broken down social structure and closer to anarchy.

I am guessing that by the end of the day the poll will show a majority of PC favors legalization.

 

I voted yes with conditions:

Hemp is a most-versatile plant, hardy, very easy to grow with minimal toxic pesticides/pollutants. Everything we know of can be made using hemp. Our constitution is written on hemp. Sails of the ships that sailed from Europe were made from hemp. Ropes, clothes, yes, even medicines...not just the 'pot' medicine. Big Cotton has somehow got the better deals and hemp has been sidelined. I know farmers in my state would love a crop of hemp that is easier to grow thru all conditions.

 

one one hand, for the correct age group it does provide analgesia and some studies have been investigating the benefits of it as therapy in multiple sclerosis and it appears to be very good in posttraumatic stress disorder. the degree of beneficial analgesia and/or health benefits in specific conditions are questionable.

however, it does have permanent negative effects if used during adolescence. excessive use during adulthood, while in whole not good for you, does not do long term damage.

but children get mostly beneficial effects (antiemetic, analgesic) without the psychotropic side effects.

distributing it as a prescription drug would not deter people from continuing to illegally distribute it, as there's a black market for prescription drugs anyway. making it legal would probably encourage recreational use which we do not need. so there's a delicate balance that needs to be achieved.

i'd say overall we don't need to legalize pot. should THC be proven without a doubt to be the best treatment for a disease, sure. legalize it for the express purpose of that disease. but it's going to take a lot to prove to anyone that THC is the best treatment for anything. there are always other effective drugs, and many people will just be looking for an excuse to smoke pot legally anyway.

 

Poll is missing options for decriminalization.

 

Idiotic poll for priuschat!

 

All Cannabis is contaminated with Aspergillus fungi. With all the known problems with tobacco, seems bizarre to authorize Cannabis for smoking. No rational person will knowingly innoculate their lungs with fungus. However, Cannabis, with standard amounts of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) should be available by prescription through the local pharmacy.

There are three species: C. sativa (cultivated for THC), C. indica (primarily used for hemp, paper and cloth) and C. ruderalis (small, highly resinous, used to make hash oil). Hibiscus canabinum is also used to make hemp. There are several alternatives that don't involve using the plants for psychoactive purposes. These alternatives have been discussed in detail in the Journal of Economic Botany.

 

Oh wow, man. Hey Squidley, want some of my tots? They're really good after copin' a buzz. B)

 

FHOP is not required reading. Did you vote?

 

tater tots. Watch Napoleon Dynamite. "Hey Napoleon, give me some of your tots."

 

Believe it or not....I vote yes w/ conditions...condityions are no selling, personal growth and use only

 

I don't believe that I've ever had them. My parents didn't believe is feeding us crap like tater tots.

 

I have a hard time understanding why marijuana isn't legal when cigarettes and alcohol are. I think that marijuana would be / is no more destructive to society than either of our popular legal drugs. I don't actually think we should have any laws against so-called 'victimless crimes' - I'd rather 'sin-tax' the hell out of all of it. Make it a luxury - I like the idea =)

 

Make tobacco and alcohol illegal first and see how fast those chuckleheads in D.C. suddenly make them all legal.