cannabisnews.com: Should Marijuana be Legalized? Yes or No





Should Marijuana be Legalized? Yes or No
Posted by CN Staff on September 19, 2008 at 10:16:31 PT
Opinions
Source: Murray State News
USA -- Why is marijuana illegal? Once upon a time, there were several "facts" that made it seem obvious why it should be, but many of those "facts" are simply myths, and ridiculous ones at that.Myth 1: Marijuana can cause dangerous, psychotic behavior.
Perhaps the most ridiculous of the myths; it is possibly the main reason for its prohibition. Marijuana was demonized and portrayed as a dangerous substance that would make you lose your mind. In fact, marijuana has some medicinal benefits and is less harmful than most of the side effects caused by prescription drugs.Myth 2: "The War on Drugs" has been incredibly successful in putting away those terrible marijuana users. Really? If you see successful as spending billions in tax dollars to incarcerate 37 million non-violent drug offenders, then sure. But, Jeffrey Miron, professor of economics at Harvard, says the legalization of marijuana would generate a tax revenue of $6.2 billion annually if taxed similar to alcohol and tobacco. We would also save $7.7 billion in government expenditure.Some drug offenders serve more time than child molesters, and it costs between $20,000 and $30,000 per person per year to keep them in prison. I believe our tax dollars and our law enforcement would serve better purposes elsewhere and considering the state of our economy, that tax revenue might be a much-needed boost.Myth 3: If legalized, there would be an increase in marijuana use, especially among youth. Use of most substances, including alcohol, is more prevalent among teenagers and 20-somethings. These are the people that are prone to experimentation, legal or not. Getting in trouble for underage use of legalized marijuana would be much less detrimental to teenagers' futures than sticking them with a misdemeanor or felony offense for the rest of their life. Also, advertising would undoubtedly be restricted just as it is for cigarettes and alcohol, so no marketing for kids. No Joe Camel, no Mary Jane.In the Netherlands, the sale of marijuana is tolerated. The number of users did increase after more shops started selling it, but according to a recent World Health Organization survey, after that increase, Americans continue to use more marijuana than the Dutch.Myth 4: Increase in use would mean more health problems. Marijuana smoke does contain carcinogens like cigarettes, but it tends to be used much less to achieve the desired result. The National Institute of Health's statistics show that 400,000 people die a year in cigarette-smoking related deaths. Yet, it also shows that there is no record of any marijuana related death in known history. These are some of the facts, and they are why I support the legalization of marijuana. I'm not even a user, but I think people should educate themselves on the facts of this, or any issue, before drawing conclusions based on hearsay. In my opinion, the pros outweigh the cons in this case.Crystal Akers sophomore from Paris, Tenn.***Should Marijuana be Legalized? NoUSA -- We have all heard the arguments: God made marijuana, man made alcohol - who are you going to trust? Who has ever heard of anyone overdosing on marijuana? It doesn't have any adverse affects on society. I would argue that these statements are sheer ignorance, in its purest form. Overall the legalization of marijuana (for public use) is something that should not be entertained. Marijuana is a drug. It is a substance that alters the inhibitions of an individual on a level different than alcohol. With these statements, the next thoughts logically would be alcohol has a much worse affect on individuals than marijuana does, and there are more deaths caused by drinking and driving than there are from toking and driving. I would not be inclined to disagree. However, the adverse affects on the overall general public are going to be the same if not worse. So the question remains: why is marijuana bad for society, outside of medicinal use? For medicinal use marijuana has been proven to be an affective tool. For cancer patients and glaucoma patients, it has stimulating effects on the body. But, just like another substance, there are proper and improper uses for said items. Marijuana is a hallucinogen, whereas alcohol just inhibits an individual from acting coherently. Marijuana has the same affect, but at times you will see things that are not present (i.e. the definition of a hallucinogen). Also, as the saying goes, marijuana is the gateway drug. With marijuana being the gateway drug, it has the potential to have a downward spiral affect on humanity. If this drug were legalized, how much longer will it be before people begin to say we should legalize ecstasy, opium or even cocaine? If we look at the logical progression, that would send out society into mass hysteria. This logic is definitely fallible and ostentatious pontification at best; but so would any argument for the legalization of marijuana. Somewhere along the line of our history, law makers made the decision that marijuana was a substance that needed to be illegal, and that its effects would have an adverse effect on society. Overall people are going to do what they want, legal or not. Whether they make the decision to drink, smoke or get high, it is a personal choice and there is no amount of evidence that could convince someone otherwise without a personal experience. Whichever side you stand on with this issue, I would implore you to do your research before making any predisposed judgments, about whether you would like to have marijuana legalized or not.Michael McLaurine senior from Louisville, Ky.Source: Murray State News, The (KY Edu)Authors: Crystal Akers and Michael McLaurinePublished: September 19, 2008Copyright: 2008 The Murray State NewsContact: eic thenews.orgWebsite: http://www.thenews.org/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #22 posted by museman on September 22, 2008 at 04:02:12 PT
TGordon
It was kind of an agreement with both you and rchandars comment, meaning you are both right- if pot were legalized it would be no guarantee that 'instant enlightenment' would come about (unrealistic), but providing the opportunity for people to choose to use the enlightening tools available in cannabis, certainly increases the odds.I am trying real hard not to 'dig' at anyone, though I admit to getting pissed a few times at the 'digs' thrown at me. Not a worthy passtime though, here on the internet, and specially here on cnews, its a waste of everyones eye space, and only detracts from our common mission and goal; the liberation of cannabis and us from the unconscionable laws and corrupted government that perpetuate them.I just thought the cliche applied to both, all alone without any help or explanation.Its kind of like your arguments were about whether the 'glass is half full, or half empty', and only really a matter of perspective.Some of us believe strongly in our perspectives, and that is really a good thing, but all of us need to learn more tolerance for differences if we are to have any reasonable expectation of social/economic/political change.The peoples of the world are diverse. As soon as the predominant attitude is tolerance and allowance of that divcersity, instead of a militarized enforcement of one or two narrow perspectives such as we now have in power over us, true change will come about. I believe that. The kind of tolerance it will take to legalize cannabis, straight across the board -no corporate-legislative, regulatory strings attached, is the kind of tolerance that is needed for any kind of social-political change, locally, nationally, and globally.
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Comment #21 posted by TGordon on September 22, 2008 at 00:02:18 PT
museman
Was that a dig at me or just a statement or something else entirely? I'm not really sure. If it was a "dig" then that's alright, worse things have been said to me, and I still stand by what I said. If it was an agreement with me then thank you.
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Comment #20 posted by museman on September 21, 2008 at 11:24:09 PT
the simple, revealing argument;
"Almost all the problems, psychological and otherwise, which stem from pot use, are entirely derived from the fact that it's illegal and you can go to jail."A mental invention is a mental invention. No matter how much 'statistics' (manipulated) 'publications' (bought and paid for) or 'authorities' (always questionable) that are added into the overall mix of lies and propaganda that IS prohibition.Should we legalize marijuana?What kind of silly question is that?Is that an "academic" question?FREE INDICA FOR EVERYONE
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Comment #19 posted by museman on September 21, 2008 at 11:11:53 PT
TGordan
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make 'em drink."FREE POT FOR EVERYONE
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Comment #18 posted by TGordon on September 21, 2008 at 01:26:51 PT
rchandar
I'm really not trying to be a jack ass with this response so bear with me.Sorry but do you honestly believe that if cannabis were to be legalized that all of the sudden everyone in America is going to change in some way? That is in a way feeding into the prohibitionist's theory/lies about cannabis legalization leading to increased use. I think that your statement relies on the idea that if legalized, everyone and their mom would begin using cannabis and start to magically look at the world differently. I agree that a lot of crap on TV is just that, but that's not to say that there aren't some interesting/entertaining/educational shows on there as well.
There are plenty of cannabis users who continue to eat unhealthy and continue to be atheists. They also enjoy listening to pop music while watching TMZ flying down the highway in their gas guzzling vehicles all the while thinking, "god I hate reading books". Even though introspection and self-realization are common to many cannabis users there are those who experience these events and just don't care/throw the ideas they have just come upon right out the window.I completely agree that most/all "problems" stemming from cannabis use--especially paranoia--are largely the result of the illegalization the substance. I also agree that we love consuming more than we need.The basic point I'm trying to make here is that users of cannabis come in all shapes, sizes, IQ levels, etc... and if cannabis were to become legal none of that would change.
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Comment #17 posted by rchandar on September 20, 2008 at 19:55:08 PT:
Get Over It Folks--My View
It's simple, and we all know it. Should we legalize MJ, all those other basically useless products that our trillion dollar economy depends upon would seem, well, useless. Think about it. Watch TV, and flip the channels. Junk, junk, junk. But apparently, very necessary.Smoking grass gives one a perspective that is autonomous from the endless stream of products. We would decide to eat for our health, not for the ecstasy of filling our mouths with foods filled with cholesterol. We would have to teach our kids the Bible instead of Barbie and Sarah Jessica Parker. We would have to cut the value of many of our technological products that advertise cheesy popular music, brain-dead celebrities who waste our time, automobiles that pollute our atmosphere, and pay attention to books, introspection, and self-realization. That's bad, folks. Very, very bad. Cheese is king. Only dumb ideas should ever be marketed to the masses, and God help us should we ever nurture or even flirt with a perspective on life that could really be our own.Almost all the problems, psychological and otherwise, which stem from pot use, are entirely derived from the fact that it's illegal and you can go to jail. Make no mistake about it--we are a people who are married to gluttonous overconsumption, and are damn proud of it. We own the most destructive military machine in the history of the world. We glorify religious fundamentalism and "self-help" thinking. The problem with our half-baked fundamentalism--which envenoms our sentencing system--is that some people will win the benefits of the methodology and others will not. That's what's bad. That's what causes problems which a country like America is supposed to solve. We cannot turn anyone away. But our current system certainly does, and that's what feeds the cynicism of our current method of critique of the establishment.--rchandar
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on September 20, 2008 at 18:42:24 PT
ekim
Woo! Woo! Woo! Neil's on! LOL!
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on September 20, 2008 at 17:25:47 PT
ekim
John Cougar Mellencamp is on now. I think it's been really good. Thank God for people who care.
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Comment #14 posted by ekim on September 20, 2008 at 16:29:53 PT
thanks FoM its great
i just wish someone would have on David Blume to tell how the farmers could ban together and make fuel.please see http://www.alcoholcanbeagas.com/book_menu/360David is in PA for the renewable energy fair 
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on September 20, 2008 at 14:55:53 PT
Farm Aid Live
If you don't have DirecTV but have a high speed connection you can watch Farm Aid too. Here's the link. http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2739785/apps/s/content.asp?ct=5955143
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Comment #12 posted by user123 on September 20, 2008 at 11:38:41 PT:
More of the Same Clueless-ness
First he says ...Somewhere along the line of our history, law makers made the decision that marijuana was a substance that needed to be illegal, and that its effects would have an adverse effect on society.....But then he says....I would implore you to do your research before making any predisposed judgments, about whether you would like to have marijuana legalized or not....Guess he's not following his own advice, or if he knew, does he think law makers back in the 1930'S were waaaayyyyy smarter than we are now? Why ever change any law then, as we must surely be getting dumber with each generation. 
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on September 20, 2008 at 08:16:39 PT
OT: PETA Sparks Pot (Roast) War
http://www.eurekareporter.com/article/080919-peta-sparks-pot-roast-war
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on September 20, 2008 at 06:51:11 PT
OT: Farm Aid Live from Massachusetts Today
I hope everyone has a really great weekend. I haven't found any articles to post but I will keep looking. If anyone has DirecTV you will be able to see Farm Aid live starting at 4PMET commercial free until 11PMET. We're really looking forward to this concert this evening. Enjoy!http://www.farmaid.org/
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Comment #9 posted by afterburner on September 19, 2008 at 23:23:04 PT
Two More Attacks on Health Freedom Documented
Most people here know that in 1974 the US federal government suppressed the fact that cannabis shrinks tumors. Now, another corrupt federal agency has plans to censor all health claims for any cancer cure:FTC Launches Operation False Cures to Suppress Natural Cancer Remedies (opinion). 
Thursday, September 18, 2008 by: Mike Adams (see all articles by this author).
Key concepts: Cancer, The FTC and Cancer industry
http://www.naturalnews.com:80/024246.htmlLooking Out for Bogus Cancer Cures.
Federal Trade Commission Sues Five Companies It Says Sell Fake Cures Online.
By KATE BARRETT and LISA STARK.
Sept. 18, 2008 
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5831813&page=1FTC warns consumers about bogus cancer cures. 
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID.
The Associated Press. 
Thursday, September 18, 2008; 6:37 PM 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/18/AR2008091801608.html?hpid=sec-healthPlus, Tim Berners-Lee is suggesting that free speech on the Internet be "vetted" by setting up a website rating system that would be controlled by Big Pharma, fiat bankers and other dubious corpo-rats:Internet Founder Suggests Censorship of Online 'Disinformation'. 
Thursday, September 18, 2008 by: Neil McLaughlin (see all articles by this author).
Key concepts: Internet, Censorship and Vaccines 
http://www.naturalnews.com/024240.html
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on September 19, 2008 at 15:09:02 PT
Press Release From PRNewswire
Dynamic Alert Negotiates With Medical Cannabis Research & Development Firm and Appoints Former CEO of NORML, Richard Cowan as Director & CEOSAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Dynamic Alert Limited (OTCBulletinBoard: DYMC) is pleased to announce that it has appointed Richard Cowan as Director, President and CEO, in the place of Audrey Reich who has resigned. Mr. Cowan has been retained to facilitate the Company entering into the rapidly expanding medical cannabis research and development industry. Cowan's valuable experience, knowledge, and relationships will be instrumental with completing negotiations with a privately-owned California group to acquire the rights to its intellectual property and to assemble a management team with expertise in the field. Cowan will also develop a comprehensive business plan to determine the level of financing required to develop new medical cannabis products.Presently, there are only a few publicly-owned companies concentrating on cannabis-derived medicines. Consequently, the Company believes that there is a major opportunity to build a new competitor in the industry. Over the last few years, major pharmaceutical companies have paid tens of millions of dollars to license medical cannabis products that are still in the developmental stage. For example, in February of last year, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, a Japanese firm, paid GW Pharmaceuticals a signature fee of $18 million for the rights to develop and market GW's Sativex(R), a whole cannabis extract for cancer pain in the US, even though it is not yet approved for marketing in the US.Complete Press Release: http://sev.prnewswire.com/OTC-smallCap/20080919/LA3413319092008-1.html
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Comment #7 posted by observer on September 19, 2008 at 14:32:58 PT
Air-Tight Logic Crushes Downward Spiral Pot People
Also, as the saying goes, marijuana is the gateway drug. With marijuana being the gateway drug, it has the potential to have a downward spiral affect on humanity.Of course! Using the well-known law, "If A is a gateway drug, then A causes a downward spiral affect on humanity." Ergo, we may safely conclude, that since we know, "marijuana is the gateway drug," logically, you see, it follows, Q.E.D., the consequent, marijuana causes a downward spiral affect on humanity. I mean, we can argue with this or that, but iron-clad, air-tight reasoning such as the above, well, there can be no escape from the logic and profound truth that marijuana causes a downward spiral affect on humanity. See, it was proved. Pravda. Right there, in black in white. How could anyone say otherwise? So logical. If this drug were legalized, how much longer will it be before people begin to say we should legalize ecstasy, opium or even cocaine? If we look at the logical progression, that would send out society into mass hysteria.Exactly! Others may say this is an example of the classic slippery slope fallacy. But don't listen to them. They're probably bad people who say that, anyhow. Besides, the sophomore logic courses don't cover logical fallacies until next semester, anyway. 
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Comment #6 posted by dongenero on September 19, 2008 at 14:02:57 PT
The no argument
by Michael McLaurine is one of the silliest collections of paragraphs I've seen, other than Anslinger's rants about 'marihuana' and negroes and jazz music.Interesting that this ridiculous excuse for logic and well, truth, was written by a senior classman. He finally got around to some resonable statements such as, "This logic is definitely fallible and ostentatious pontification at best..", or "Overall people are going to do what they want, legal or not."
Other than these statements all the preceding garbage wouldn't fly in Logic and Reasoning 101. Better stick around Murray State for a few more years Michael.Maybe he's really a supporter and had to take the devil's advocate role for sake of the point/counterpoint article. If so, way to make the prohibitionist argument look ridiculous. 
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Comment #5 posted by runruff on September 19, 2008 at 12:29:34 PT
Just say know to big brother!
I've yet to see an argument that convinces me to let someone else do my thinking for me.These egehead jerks who want to make my decisions for me can forget it, that dog won't hunt! 
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Comment #4 posted by mmj4nj on September 19, 2008 at 12:28:32 PT:
What is this guy studying??
Bone Brain Writes,
Marijuana is a hallucinogen, whereas alcohol just inhibits an individual from acting coherently. Marijuana has the same affect, but at times you will see things that are not present (i.e. the definition of a hallucinogen). This is crap in its purest form. Marijuana is a NOT a hallucinogen. Alcohol however, can be. Has this lad never heard of the DT's? My grandfather drank 9 cases of 16 ouncers w/ at least a gallon of rot gut a week. He saw a lot of things no one else saw. It eventually killed him, and I stopped drinking. I do smoke ~ 1 oz per week w/my wife, for nearly forty years now (I'm 55). My only side effects are that I run 5K 4x a week, have a resting heart rate of 54, and lungs that are clean and clear as I see my doctor quarterly for diabetes. I hold an upper management position w/ a Fortune 200 company. Boy, that marijuana sure will ruin your life.....
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Comment #3 posted by OuttaLuck on September 19, 2008 at 12:18:20 PT:
Let people make their own decisions
There is a difference between legalization and decriminalization.I want to have a choice, I don't want the government to make my decisions for me. I choose not to drink alcohol, I don't like it but I'm not going to force other to give up drinking.
Just as I won't force my morals upon someone else I don't want anyone else to force them upon me
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Comment #2 posted by fight_4_freedom on September 19, 2008 at 12:05:11 PT:
The news is really starting to pick 
up finally. Looks like I'll have a lot of reading to do later today.
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Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on September 19, 2008 at 10:22:09 PT
http://www.legaliseit.com
http://www.legaliseit.com
Legalize It!
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