Up in Smoke: Most Americans Support Legalizing Marijuana

[Harry Dresden]

Opposition to the legalization of marijuana has no rational basis. Claims of "wasted potential" and "danger" become inane and laughable when examined in the light of our policies surrounding more dangerous drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco.

My experiences with marijuana have been almost exclusively positive, even spiritually enlightening. Astaghfir Allah (SWT) if I've erred.

agreed....until they make Tobacco,proven to be a killer in the long run and highly addictive,and alcohol,the proven killer of all drugs,including many innocent people....ill be for the legalization of Pot....the drug laws in this country are incredibly hypocritical...

 

[Harry Dresden]

I'm of the same sentiment and I do believe it's a gateway drug. If it's legalized then we have just legitimized several criminal organizations that are not only selling pot but otherhardcore drugs like cocaine and heroin.

and for those who say alcohol is legal, cigs are legal, why not pot...I submit this to you...when alcohol was illegal there was a huge clamor from the public to repeal Prohibition...I don't recall hearing that same clamor after marijuana was made illegal.

because there may have been about 100 million people already drinking compared to how many pot smokers there were back then....duh....

 

[noose4]

Although I am in favor of its legalization, because it makes sense; I am not an outspoken advocate for it. Smoking weed makes folks seriously stupid, IMO, and we have too many stupid persons already. If it is legalized, fine. If not, the most I can do is say legalization makes sense and leave it at that.

I'm of the same sentiment and I do believe it's a gateway drug. If it's legalized then we have just legitimized several criminal organizations that are not only selling pot but otherhardcore drugs like cocaine and heroin.

and for those who say alcohol is legal, cigs are legal, why not pot...I submit this to you...when alcohol was illegal there was a huge clamor from the public to repeal Prohibition...I don't recall hearing that same clamor after marijuana was made illegal.

cigarettes and alcohol are also gateway drugs, 99% of all heroin users tried cigarettes and alcohol first.

 

[Samson]

Although I am in favor of its legalization, because it makes sense; I am not an outspoken advocate for it. Smoking weed makes folks seriously stupid, IMO, and we have too many stupid persons already. If it is legalized, fine. If not, the most I can do is say legalization makes sense and leave it at that.

I'm of the same sentiment and I do believe it's a gateway drug. If it's legalized then we have just legitimized several criminal organizations that are not only selling pot but otherhardcore drugs like cocaine and heroin.

and for those who say alcohol is legal, cigs are legal, why not pot...I submit this to you...when alcohol was illegal there was a huge clamor from the public to repeal Prohibition...I don't recall hearing that same clamor after marijuana was made illegal.

cigarettes and alcohol are also gateway drugs, 99% of all heroin users tried cigarettes and alcohol first.

I wonder how many people were able to have a beer, a cig, and NOT use heroin?

At any rate, My position is not to say alcohol and tobacco are good. In fact, they are vices.

But do we really need to legalize MORE vices because we justify these?

Plus, if Americans really need more legal vices, then I wish they would forgetabout more drugs, and concentrate on something that would solve unemployment: Legalized Prostitution.

Where are our priorities?

 

[noose4]

I'm of the same sentiment and I do believe it's a gateway drug. If it's legalized then we have just legitimized several criminal organizations that are not only selling pot but otherhardcore drugs like cocaine and heroin.

and for those who say alcohol is legal, cigs are legal, why not pot...I submit this to you...when alcohol was illegal there was a huge clamor from the public to repeal Prohibition...I don't recall hearing that same clamor after marijuana was made illegal.

cigarettes and alcohol are also gateway drugs, 99% of all heroin users tried cigarettes and alcohol first.

I wonder how many people were able to have a beer, a cig, and NOT use heroin?

At any rate, My position is not to say alcohol and tobacco are good. In fact, they are vices.

But do we really need to legalize MORE vices because we justify these?

Plus, if Americans really need more legal vices, then I wish they would forgetabout more drugs, and concentrate on something that would solve unemployment: Legalized Prostitution.

Where are our priorities?

By the same token how many have used marijuana and not moved on to harder stuff? Freedom is a wonderful thing, limiting freedom is not, Marijuana, gambling, and prostitution should all be legal but with certain restrictions, like the ones on alcohol and tobacco.

 

[Samson]

cigarettes and alcohol are also gateway drugs, 99% of all heroin users tried cigarettes and alcohol first.

I wonder how many people were able to have a beer, a cig, and NOT use heroin?

At any rate, My position is not to say alcohol and tobacco are good. In fact, they are vices.

But do we really need to legalize MORE vices because we justify these?

Plus, if Americans really need more legal vices, then I wish they would forgetabout more drugs, and concentrate on something that would solve unemployment: Legalized Prostitution.

Where are our priorities?

By the same token how many have used marijuana and not moved on to harder stuff? Freedom is a wonderful thing, limiting freedom is not, Marijuana, gambling, and prostitution should all be legal but with certain restrictions, like the ones on alcohol and tobacco.

Realistically, how do you limit Marijuana?

I've never grown the stuff, and I'm not asking how to grow it. But it seems to me that almost anyone could have a potted plant of this, and have enough production to satisfy their individual need.

I have tried making Ethanol, and so far, Professionals have me beat. Its a hell of a lot cheaper and certainly easier for me to buy a bottle of McCormick Whiskey for about $10/gallon, than to make my own. And, when I buy it, I pay tax. This is something one wouldn't need to do with one's Personal Plant.

Lets face it: if we're going to add a vice to the existing ones, then let's at least add something that could be taxed.

Prostitution>>>Pot!!!!

 

[noose4]

I wonder how many people were able to have a beer, a cig, and NOT use heroin?

At any rate, My position is not to say alcohol and tobacco are good. In fact, they are vices.

But do we really need to legalize MORE vices because we justify these?

Plus, if Americans really need more legal vices, then I wish they would forgetabout more drugs, and concentrate on something that would solve unemployment: Legalized Prostitution.

Where are our priorities?

By the same token how many have used marijuana and not moved on to harder stuff? Freedom is a wonderful thing, limiting freedom is not, Marijuana, gambling, and prostitution should all be legal but with certain restrictions, like the ones on alcohol and tobacco.

Realistically, how do you limit Marijuana?

I've never grown the stuff, and I'm not asking how to grow it. But it seems to me that almost anyone could have a potted plant of this, and have enough production to satisfy their individual need.

I have tried making Ethanol, and so far, Professionals have me beat. Its a hell of a lot cheaper and certainly easier for me to buy a bottle of McCormick Whiskey for about $10/gallon, than to make my own. And, when I buy it, I pay tax. This is something one wouldn't need to do with one's Personal Plant.

Lets face it: if we're going to add a vice to the existing ones, then let's at least add something that could be taxed.

Prostitution>>>Pot!!!!

And anyone could grow tobacco or brew their own beer, doesnt mean it would equal the quality of the legally mass produced product.

 

[Samson]

By the same token how many have used marijuana and not moved on to harder stuff? Freedom is a wonderful thing, limiting freedom is not, Marijuana, gambling, and prostitution should all be legal but with certain restrictions, like the ones on alcohol and tobacco.

Realistically, how do you limit Marijuana?

I've never grown the stuff, and I'm not asking how to grow it. But it seems to me that almost anyone could have a potted plant of this, and have enough production to satisfy their individual need.

I have tried making Ethanol, and so far, Professionals have me beat. Its a hell of a lot cheaper and certainly easier for me to buy a bottle of McCormick Whiskey for about $10/gallon, than to make my own. And, when I buy it, I pay tax. This is something one wouldn't need to do with one's Personal Plant.

Lets face it: if we're going to add a vice to the existing ones, then let's at least add something that could be taxed.

Prostitution>>>Pot!!!!

And anyone could grow tobacco or brew their own beer, doesnt mean it would equal the quality of the legally mass produced product.

So, you think mass produced marijuana would be that much cheaper, and better a product if it was mass produced?

I thought it was called "Weed" for a reason.

Like I said: no expert on the growing of tobacco vs weed. But you gotta be damned determine to go through the trouble of brewing your own beer before you pass up going down to get a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon for $4. So I don't think there's and comparison between growing a weed, and making your own beer.

 

[Article 15]

Realistically, how do you limit Marijuana?

I've never grown the stuff, and I'm not asking how to grow it. But it seems to me that almost anyone could have a potted plant of this, and have enough production to satisfy their individual need.

I have tried making Ethanol, and so far, Professionals have me beat. Its a hell of a lot cheaper and certainly easier for me to buy a bottle of McCormick Whiskey for about $10/gallon, than to make my own. And, when I buy it, I pay tax. This is something one wouldn't need to do with one's Personal Plant.

Lets face it: if we're going to add a vice to the existing ones, then let's at least add something that could be taxed.

Prostitution>>>Pot!!!!

And anyone could grow tobacco or brew their own beer, doesnt mean it would equal the quality of the legally mass produced product.

So, you think mass produced marijuana would be that much cheaper, and better a product if it was mass produced?

I thought it was called "Weed" for a reason.

Like I said: no expert on the growing of tobacco vs weed. But you gotta be damned determine to go through the trouble of brewing your own beer before you pass up going down to get a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon for $4. So I don't think there's and comparison between growing a weed, and making your own beer.

You don't just grow high quality marijuana.

 

[Samson]

And anyone could grow tobacco or brew their own beer, doesnt mean it would equal the quality of the legally mass produced product.

So, you think mass produced marijuana would be that much cheaper, and better a product if it was mass produced?

I thought it was called "Weed" for a reason.

Like I said: no expert on the growing of tobacco vs weed. But you gotta be damned determine to go through the trouble of brewing your own beer before you pass up going down to get a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon for $4. So I don't think there's and comparison between growing a weed, and making your own beer.

You don't just grow high quality marijuana.

No, I admittedly do not.

Is it difficult or expensive? I mean, compared with, say, brewing 6 X 12 oz of Beer?

 

[noose4]

Realistically, how do you limit Marijuana?

I've never grown the stuff, and I'm not asking how to grow it. But it seems to me that almost anyone could have a potted plant of this, and have enough production to satisfy their individual need.

I have tried making Ethanol, and so far, Professionals have me beat. Its a hell of a lot cheaper and certainly easier for me to buy a bottle of McCormick Whiskey for about $10/gallon, than to make my own. And, when I buy it, I pay tax. This is something one wouldn't need to do with one's Personal Plant.

Lets face it: if we're going to add a vice to the existing ones, then let's at least add something that could be taxed.

Prostitution>>>Pot!!!!

And anyone could grow tobacco or brew their own beer, doesnt mean it would equal the quality of the legally mass produced product.

So, you think mass produced marijuana would be that much cheaper, and better a product if it was mass produced?

I thought it was called "Weed" for a reason.

Like I said: no expert on the growing of tobacco vs weed. But you gotta be damned determine to go through the trouble of brewing your own beer before you pass up going down to get a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon for $4. So I don't think there's and comparison between growing a weed, and making your own beer.

I dont know whether a marijuana plant is actually classified as a weed or if that is just another nickname for it like how they call it grass even though its not actually grass, and as far as I know growing decent Marijuana outside of a tropical or sunny environment can be pretty tricky.

 

[Samson]

And anyone could grow tobacco or brew their own beer, doesnt mean it would equal the quality of the legally mass produced product.

So, you think mass produced marijuana would be that much cheaper, and better a product if it was mass produced?

I thought it was called "Weed" for a reason.

Like I said: no expert on the growing of tobacco vs weed. But you gotta be damned determine to go through the trouble of brewing your own beer before you pass up going down to get a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon for $4. So I don't think there's and comparison between growing a weed, and making your own beer.

I dont know whether a marijuana plant is actually classified as a weed or if that is just another nickname for it like how they call it grass even though its not actually grass, and as far as I know growing decent Marijuana outside of a tropical or sunny environment can be pretty tricky.

I was actually pretty curious about this, so I looked it up

It really seems more simple than tricky to grow Marijuana in your basement. You need a few lights, and a source of electricity, which is of course, an added cost over simply gardening your backyard, but it still doesn't sound beyond the reach of the average Canadian Toker.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

I voted with the majority on this one.

Make it legal, i mean damn the stuff grows from the ground.

And for those Christian/Catholic religious types read genesis 1:29 and genesis 1:30 if you are for making it illegal, your holy book says god gave us marijuana to use as food.

 

[PatekPhilippe]

How do you all feel about legitimizing criminal organizations?

How do you feel about funding criminal organizations? That is what you are doing by criminalizing demand. The biggest source of funds for criminal organizations around the world is illegal narcotics. It is a source of corruption and destabilizes entire countries. Had we not criminalized demand for narcotics, we would never have transferred literally trillions of dollars into the hands of criminal organizations.

You cannot legislate away the iron laws of supply and demand. If the government drives the price up by criminalizing a product, it will increase the profit margins to the point that criminal organizations will fill the market to supply the need, with the profits from the illegal trade going to the criminals, increasing their power and their capacity to corrupt civil society and fund criminal activity elsewhere.

Are you kidding me? Blaming the user for making the supplier a criminal? You gotta be shitting me!!!! Are you stoned right now?

 

[PatekPhilippe]

And anyone could grow tobacco or brew their own beer, doesnt mean it would equal the quality of the legally mass produced product.

So, you think mass produced marijuana would be that much cheaper, and better a product if it was mass produced?

I thought it was called "Weed" for a reason.

Like I said: no expert on the growing of tobacco vs weed. But you gotta be damned determine to go through the trouble of brewing your own beer before you pass up going down to get a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon for $4. So I don't think there's and comparison between growing a weed, and making your own beer.

I dont know whether a marijuana plant is actually classified as a weed or if that is just another nickname for it like how they call it grass even though its not actually grass, and as far as I know growing decent Marijuana outside of a tropical or sunny environment can be pretty tricky.

It's classified as a weed....when I was in Cochin India the stuff grew wild all over the place...some plants exceeding 15 feet in height.

 

[Samson]

How do you all feel about legitimizing criminal organizations?

How do you feel about funding criminal organizations? That is what you are doing by criminalizing demand. The biggest source of funds for criminal organizations around the world is illegal narcotics. It is a source of corruption and destabilizes entire countries. Had we not criminalized demand for narcotics, we would never have transferred literally trillions of dollars into the hands of criminal organizations.

You cannot legislate away the iron laws of supply and demand. If the government drives the price up by criminalizing a product, it will increase the profit margins to the point that criminal organizations will fill the market to supply the need, with the profits from the illegal trade going to the criminals, increasing their power and their capacity to corrupt civil society and fund criminal activity elsewhere.

Are you kidding me? Blaming the user for making the supplier a criminal? You gotta be shitting me!!!! Are you stoned right now?

I see toro's point, but agree with Patek.

If we follow toro's logic, then any product that costs more because the government criminalizes it should be legalized.

Should we be able to buy anything?

 

[ABikerSailor]

Several things here about cannabis.............

First, my qualifications. I was a Navy Drug and Alcohol Program Advisor (DAPA) from 1994 until 2002. During that time, I was required to know the signs of use, what happened to people, as well as many other things concerning various substances that Sailors would take or drink.

I never smoked cannabis until 6 months after I retired, as well as researched it very well prior to doing so, because all the research I'd done in the Navy had pointed towards it being beneficial.

A couple of years back, there was a documentary called "Grass" which is narrated by Woody Harrelson. It starts off with Henry P. Anslinger in El Paso in 1939, and why he made cannabis illegal. It seems Anslinger was a racist who was looking for a legal way to lock up all the Blacks and Hispanics. Since they were the primary consumers of cannabis, they decided to make it illegal, and, the way they did that was via the Marijuana Tax Stamp. In order to get one, you had to bring in a harvest, but, if you showed up in the courthouse with your product prior to having a tax stamp, they would arrest you because you had pot but no stamp.

Kind of a Catch-22.

And, because there was a publisher who had lots of timber fields who didn't want to make paper out of hemp, as well as the fact that DuPont had just created plastic and wanted to pursue that rather than hemp, well.....that's how it started.

Anslinger then went to Hollywood and asked them to make a propaganda film to scare people away from pot. The film that resulted was called "Reefer Madness", and used not only the stereotypes for cannabis users (blown way out of proportion), but also every other drug stereotype was attached as well........cannabis doesn't make you violent or commit murder. Matter of fact, it kinda sparks creativity, why else do you think musicians and software developers smoke it? Add to the fact that in addition to the fear mongering via films, they made the penalties for pot possession VERY steep.

Then, in the 1960's, scientists started to research cannabis hot and heavy, and used the military as their test subjects. Matter of fact, they did quite a bit of research on it, and, in the 1970's, Nixon heard of some of it, and decided to commission a study on pot, as he wanted to use the study to denounce it. Interestingly enough, the LaGuardia Report spoke very favorably about cannabis.

Nixon threw the report in the trash.

Recently, like since the 1990's, Harvard Medical School, the Royal British Medical Society, as well as several other noted medical societies have spoken out about cannabis and it's beneficial use for things like Alzheimer's disease (Reagan had that, too bad he pursued a "just say no" program, might have made his last years a lot better), autism, helping with cancer patients undergoing chemo, as well as a lot of other things.

Incidentally, the Royal British Medical Society discovered a couple of years back that if you smoke cigarettes, you are 21 more times likely to get cancer than someone who doesn't smoke anything at all. If you smoke cannabis only? You are only 0.93 to 0.73 percent likely to get cancer, which means your chances are LESS than someone who doesn't smoke at all.

You cannot become addicted to cannabis.

You cannot overdose on cannabis, as you will fall asleep long before you could even get close to that point.

Harvard Medical School has done much research on this, and they say that a light user of cannabis is 1-10 joints/day, a moderate user is 15-25 joints/day, and a heavy user is 50 or more.

Oh yeah.......for those that state that cannabis is an instrument of the Devil? Well....according to the Old Testament and the Torah, one of the ingredients of the Holy Anointing Oil for the Kings of Israel was cannabis oil. Additionally, there is archaeological evidence in Israel that the Jews (of which Yeshua was one) smoked cannabis both medicinally as well as recreationally.

Yep..........I'm pretty sure that Yeshua (Jesus) smokes pot.

Oh yeah, it also helps with glaucoma too.

 

[Diuretic]

I hate to see hypocritical politicians make criminals out of fellow citizens simply because they choose to use certain substances. Having said that, I couldn't support legalisation across the board. I voted against crystal meth and crack on the basis of physical harm to the user. The rest of the stuff I seem to be okay with. That's not approval - people should be educated and make their own decisions - but putting people in prison for using stuff is uncivilised.

 

[Modbert]

I hate to see hypocritical politicians make criminals out of fellow citizens simply because they choose to use certain substances. Having said that, I couldn't support legalisation across the board. I voted against crystal meth and crack on the basis of physical harm to the user. The rest of the stuff I seem to be okay with. That's not approval - people should be educated and make their own decisions - but putting people in prison for using stuff is uncivilised.

Agreed. I wonder how the poll would go if I posed the same question but instead of legalization, it would be decriminalization. The poll numbers seem to reflect the other poll quite well.

 

[Toro]

How do you all feel about legitimizing criminal organizations?

How do you feel about funding criminal organizations? That is what you are doing by criminalizing demand. The biggest source of funds for criminal organizations around the world is illegal narcotics. It is a source of corruption and destabilizes entire countries. Had we not criminalized demand for narcotics, we would never have transferred literally trillions of dollars into the hands of criminal organizations.

You cannot legislate away the iron laws of supply and demand. If the government drives the price up by criminalizing a product, it will increase the profit margins to the point that criminal organizations will fill the market to supply the need, with the profits from the illegal trade going to the criminals, increasing their power and their capacity to corrupt civil society and fund criminal activity elsewhere.

Are you kidding me? Blaming the user for making the supplier a criminal? You gotta be shitting me!!!! Are you stoned right now?

No, I am blaming the government for making the supplier a criminal, and transferring enormous amounts of money from users to criminal gangs, empowering criminals who corrupt and destabilize whole countries, which may lead to a security threat to the United States.

I see no reason to ban marijuana. I am not a user but the costs to society for criminalizing it are enormous.