First, let's debunk a few common myths about weed, before we get into why it's such a good idea to legalize it.

1. "Marijuana is a 'gateway drug'"
No.
To claim that using marijuana leads to the use of heavier, more dangerous drugs, such as cocaine or heroin is ridiculous.
Like claiming that riding bicycles leads to motorcycle accidents.
Marijuana doesn't make you go to hard drugs.
And, despite what you may have been told, it's rarely a 'need for something stronger' that does it either.
Because marijuana is currently illegal, the only ways to get some are through drug dealers.
The guys you get your weed from often do other drugs.
Connections made through marijuana make hard drugs available.
That's not to say that using marijuana leads to hard drugs, but rather that it leads to the availability of hard drugs. It's still a choice that the user makes.

2. "Marijuana makes you stupid" or "Only stupid people smoke weed"
Sweeping generalizations accomplish nothing.
To claim that all users of marijuana are fundamentally stupid is, for lack of a better term, the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
Marijuana doesn't kill braincells, and, if it does, it doesn't kill anymore than a night of binge-drinking does.
And nobody claims that people who drink are stupid, or that only stupid people drink alcohol.
In fact, it's quite socially acceptable, even encouraged to consume alcohol, once you reach the legal age.
If you meet a pot-smoker who is stupid, by your definition, (IE, their english is very poor, despite it being their first language), does that mean that marijuana is the cause for their lack of intelligence?
By the same logic, if you meet a pot-smoker who is extremely intelligent, does it mean that marijuana made them smarter?
No.
Intelligence is not affected by marijuana.
People who smoke marijuana do not suddenly become mentally retarded upon use or consumption.
That's just a stupid theory.

3. "Research shows _______" or "X% of potsmokers are X times more likely to develop cancer"
The research you quote, (generally parroted from your DARE program or what-have-you) is extremely biased.
Research and results can be twisted to support any hypothesis.
Most of the statistics you quote are from organizations like 'Truth' or 'Above the Influence' which are well-known anti-drug lobby organizations.
Sure, they do research, but to blindly accept their results as truths, to think that their research is conducted from an objective, bias-free point-of-view, (As scientific research ought to be performed) is a naive belief to say the least.
Just because a guy in a labcoat says it's so, doesn't make it so.

4. Addiction.
It's true, that a person can become addicted to marijuana.
But not in the same manner as one becomes addicted to heroin, or tobacco.
Those are physiological addictions. Your brain and body are tricked into believing that you need these chemicals, while we know that isn't so.
Marijuana has been known to produce a psychological addiction.
This is different from a physiological dependence in that your body doesn't 'need' it, but your brain becomes addicted to the pleasurable feelings associated with drug use.

Now that that's out of the way, on to why we should legalize.

Take a look around you, at an American economy, preparing for a belly-flop of massive proportions.
The government just approved a $700 BILLION bailout plan.
Where's that money going to come from? Will it just grow on a tree somewhere?

What if we could create a new industry, from the ground up, that would create thousands upon thousands of jobs in various economic sectors.
Imagine a hundred thousand struggling farmers, given a new wonder-crop, that grows in nearly any climate, under nearly any conditions.
Imagine a transportation sector reborn, as truckloads of this new wonder-crop are delivered to new retail outlets across the country.
Think of the bureaucracies that would be created, thousands of new jobs in the regulatory sector.

Imagine a nation where Justice is swift.
Where an accused murderer doesn't have to wait a year or more to get a trial, because the court system is no longer filled with criminal charges being laid for possession of small amounts of Marijuana.
Where Drug Enforcement Agencies have more manpower and resources to hunt down Meth Labs and Heroin suppliers, because they're not sniffing around for Grow-Ops.

Whats your opinion on this?

I agree with you completely, in fact, I wanted to do a paper on the subject for school but it was not permitted. I have a similar theory about gay marriage. If weed were legal and taxed it would stimulate the economy like nobody's business. I know that just because of taxes pot smokers would not stop smoking weed. Also I agree that many people would have to be let out of jail. I really wish our country was not so stubborn.

I too am a supporter of Gay Marriage. My sister is a big supporter too, she runs the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) at our school. I think at the very least they should legalize it but make it illegal to grow. (If that was the only option)

at least. If they were regulating it then it would stimulate the economy, some people who smoke it to be rebels would stop, and loads of people would stop being arrested for possession.

Gay marriage rocks

I'd smoke 3 pounds a day. :ninja:

I don't smoke, but I know a few people who would love it if it were legal, I think the price would go down a little actually. Not here though, it grows wild here

Where? And it's not like that expensive to start out with. But I guess it depends what kind, and who you're getting it from.

Small town in north caro. Okay not wild per say, but it just grows in the woods where people have puked, or under this one bridge.

Something that stimulates your nervous system and doesn't produce chemical addiction must be better than tar-filled nicotine cigarettes.

... you got my vote, man. That, as long as the production would be controlled by companies instead of grown in your backyard x__x

I totally agree with your argument and wanted to add that in the original 13 colonies were required to grow it. (As it is so versatile, you can make paper, clothes, food, etc, etc, etc. from the plant).

And it was banned because of Racism, basically. Jazz players (the then equivalent of rappers now) were commonly associated with marijuana and they wanted a reason to arrest them.

It was grown in the first colonies? So that's why it grows in the woods here. Cool.

i believe in legalizing pot because as soon as you do its less tempting and less people will actually consume it.
Its what they did in the Netherlands and now most of the people smoking there brains out are Tourists.
that and im dutch so w00t.
i dont really care about legalizing it in the states i just really think it would help a lot.

-Tells my social studies teacher about the 13 colony thing- xD Thanks for the information. I learn something new everyday.

that would make sense though, hemp is very useful

I am a fountain of random information, so now you know. :)
My boyfriend smokes marijuana quite often and I've found out a lot of random information about it. Some o it true, some of it not. I like sorting through the facts.

Cannabis is the weirdest drug ever existing ever ever. xD Some say its healthy, some say its harmful. So far I'm only convinced Cannabis vaporizing helps, only as a medicine though, not as a pleasure. >__>;; Cannabis has both psychoactive and physiological effects. Besides that, cannabis is essentially the same as tobacco, but "healthier." xD Starting a Cannabis industry would help the economy, but then we could never take it down, like the tobacco company. So... no. And just because it looks better than disgusting black-tar cigerette stuff doesn't mean thats its healthier, tobacco starts out as a plant too.

Ironically that all the people that smoke cannabis that I've met, in real life are stupid.. -_- And I've found out that most people that support legalization of cannabis only want to smoke it for pleasure. notice how i said most people.. XD

I'm gonna be honest and say I smoke pot a lot.
I'm a university student, and I'm in my final year, so I consider it to be a part of the university experience. I live in Belgium (next to Holland - where it's legalized) and we have a Policy of Tolerance here. This means it's not completely allowed by law, but they don't prosecute private users. Only big dealers get the attention of the police here.
I'd like grow some plants one day, we are allowed two plants for private use.

Ironically that all the people that smoke cannabis that I've met, in real life are stupid.. -_- And I've found out that most people that support legalization of cannabis only want to smoke it for pleasure. notice how i said most people..

Ah, well I'm glad you said 'most' because I smoke cannabis purely for pleasure. On the other hand, I almost never drink alcohol (which should be also considered a 'drug' in my opinion)

KitKat said:
"Ironically that all the people that smoke cannabis that I've met, in real life are stupid.. -_-"

My sister's boyfriend smokes pot and he's the smartest person I know. He's actually told teachers they were wrong and proved it. His IQ is probably not extremely high, but He's the same smart I am as we know how shit works, he knows a lot more that a lot of people and you'd never suspect him as a stereotype smoker.

I think it's safe to say that plenty of people who don't smoke pot are stupid too. XP It's just society, unfortunately. Most people that I know who smoke are really intelligent. :D Sure, there are some who aren't, but isn't that true of pretty much everything?

Smart people drink alcohol. So do dumb people. Same is true for just about any activity one can participate in. XP It's just a sweeping generalization.

Originally Posted by *Hime*

Ah, well I'm glad you said 'most' because I smoke cannabis purely for pleasure. On the other hand, I almost never drink alcohol (which should be also considered a 'drug' in my opinion)

I'd be lying if I didn't say most :) The ethanol, which creates the effect, in alcoholic beverages are considered a drug and depressant.

Alcohol is considered a drug, like kitkat said as well as caffeine, another legalized drug, which is a stimulant. But I would never want my precious energy source outlawed!!!!!

Originally Posted by *Hime*

I'm gonna be honest and say I smoke pot a lot.
I'm a university student, and I'm in my final year, so I consider it to be a part of the university experience. I live in Belgium (next to Holland - where it's legalized) and we have a Policy of Tolerance here. This means it's not completely allowed by law, but they don't prosecute private users. Only big dealers get the attention of the police here.
I'd like grow some plants one day, we are allowed two plants for private use.


Ah, well I'm glad you said 'most' because I smoke cannabis purely for pleasure. On the other hand, I almost never drink alcohol (which should be also considered a 'drug' in my opinion)

Alcohol is considered a drug. Any Drug Substance Abuse class you attend will talk about the effects of alcohol on the body and mind.

First off, I'm not really pro-drug use to begin with. My main addiction used to be tobacco. I've tried a number of drugs in the past, and marijuana was, by far, my least favorite. For me, it had the same mind-numbing effect that alcohol tends to for me - and I don't care for that sensation at all. I don't drink, other than for special occasions, and usually not even a full drink at that. Even before I had kids, I wasn't too keen about losing control with alcohol or drugs.

That being said, I think that pot should be legalized and taxed in order to aid California's failing economy.

Our economy isn't that bad, Elmira.. okay maybe a little. But the media just exaggerates everything.

Originally Posted by PennieLain

If weed were legal and taxed it would stimulate the economy like nobody's business.

Ironically, both my boyfriend and I were watching a special on Marijuana and that is literally what came out of his mouth too. He use to smoke it on a regular basis, but not in large quantities or anything. He can't now as he values his job too much and if he gets hurt at work they can make him take a drugs test. He'd loose his job if it came back positive.

Personally, I don't really have any beef with it. It's naturally grown, and I would rather our tax money go towards better things than trying to crack down on pot growers and sellers.