Please be serious about this: legalization, decriminalization, total prohibition or somewhere in between?
Clearly Arnold is pushing really hard for marijuana in CA. He is not the only person viewing this though. Under Bush, persons with a Medical Marijuana Card could technically be arrested by the FBI, but Obama put an end to this. To me, Marijuana is here to stay whether it is legal or not. Prohibiting a substance only leads to higher use in my opinion (Thinking of a certain US Amendment dealing with the prohibition of alcohol…). This does not go to say that everything should be legal, because heroine and many other hardcore drugs are terrible. Marijuana has many positives and negatives, and I would like to hear some valid arguments both for and against mainly pertaining to the economic effects of taxing it, and the social effects of it being legal. Many studies have been done indicating that the effects on the body are less than that of alcohol and / or tobacco, but there are other problems like laziness, and the collection of THC in the fore brain (preventing clearer thought / memory) that need to be considered as well, especially regarding the work habits of citizens. One other question is that of pharmaceuticals like Oxycontin, which studies show is more addictive than heroine, and is also very expensive, but it and other legal pharmacy drugs fuel the economy in many ways.
Please be serious in your replies. I really want valid arguments for BOTH sides please. I see a lot of positive and a good amount of negative. Negative opinions please speak up because the best way to form an educated stance on something is to understand the other side.
…what ever happened to waking up in the morning, breathing fresh clean air and allowing (ones-brain) to become acclimated to the REAL World…? (why the psychological NEED to be bludgeoned with chemicals that only alter and distort reality…?) It would seem that “we” have become an altered society of DOPE heads !
…”if” someone has a legitimate medical need for LEGAL Pharmaceuticals, let it be between them and their Doctor. (period, end of story)
Well, I’ve always thought that when you prohibit something, you create a black market for it, so that leads to more crime and violence. I think that the government playing nanny state is a waste of money and resources that could be put to better use elsewhere. It’s not up to me what you do with your body, but on the other side of the coin, if you get sick or something, no one is going to bail you out. I like the idea of excise taxes because you have a choice of weather or not you want to avoid paying taxes. I’d like to point out that from my own experience, I have had more memory loss from drinking than getting really high.