Should marijuana be legalized in the US?

[Kristen Horton]

WSJ: "Decriminalizing the possession and use of marijuana would raise billions in taxes and eliminate much of the profits that fuel bloodshed and violence in Mexico." from the WSJ article: Drugs: To Legalize or Not

Should the US legalize marijuana for personal non-medical use?

[Steve Stuck]

You can, but there can still be legal ramifications like driving under the influence and public intox you can enforce. Business's could still drug test to protect themselves but be able to let an individual have certain amounts that still register in the persons system.

[David Mark]

Although I don't smoke the stuff myself, I'm not against people who do. What cracks me up is the government's position on it after all of these years. Statistically, alcohol has been much more problematic than Mary Jane. I'm sure there are (biased) studies to "prove" it, but I'm not sure you can effectively measure the so-called glitches MJ has caused. However, the evidence against alcohol abuse is magnificent.

Also, it has been proven that alcohol abuse is much worse for your overall health than MJ ever will be. There's BIG money in the alcohol taxation and DUI business. Why not legalize MJ? Perhaps legalizing it would just be adding to an existing problem? I don't know, but I do know politicians hiding behind a veil of morality is a ridiculous reason. This is not a moral reason. Show me your logic after studying the unbiased test results from MJ and Alcohol usage. Then, explain your morality issue to me again with a straight face. You also have to consider the health benefits of MJ. You can get a prescription for a bag of weed (Glaucoma and Cancer). You can't get one for a 12 pack of Bud? ;)

Do you know the history of the anti-MJ movement? It's really quite interesting. Today,the courts say illegalizing MJ is to protect the children (Veil of Morality). I don't deny they believe this (or want to believe this) but there's much more to the story. Little do many folks know, including the law-makers, today's courts uphold this law because William Randolph Hearst ran a smear campaign in the 1930's against MJ to protect his precious $ interest in the timber industry. Hemp was in prime position to replace wood as an inexpensive raw material for the production of paper! He used his financial weight to influence law-makers to illegalize MJ. This is exactly why MJ is illegal today! No other reason than greed has kept this God-made product illegal.

Hemp is one of God's most precious raw materials and we illegalize it! Go figure. You can do a million things with Hemp! Manufacture clothes, lotions, paper and, yes, smoke it for health benefits. Don't forget alcohol was illegal at one point too and here we are billions of dollars later frolicking in the madness.

In the words of the late Marge Schott (according to Mark Patrick) "Smoke 'em if you got 'em"

[Hazel "The Queen" Walker]

Isn't interesting how the gov. can get anything done when they attach "children" to it!

[Nicki Laycoax]

Very well stated, David.

[Marita Topmiller]

I've read that history too, David. Hearst's son in law, Harry Anslinger was his top government
propagandist.

So, I am all for its legalization. I am all for replacing blood shed with pot heads.
I am all for allowing it to be grown and taxed. But I think in the beginning it should be
allowed to be grown in people's own back yards instead of by the pack, over the counter,
on every street corner.

@ Annie, I have also read that every orifice of a human body can be stuffed with mj; the stomach
can be filled with it; the lungs can be filled with it and the only side effect will be sleep.
Alcohol, which is the national poison of choice, can kill and does kill people every day.

The Bible states that God gave us every green herb to use and cannabis has been used for
millenia. We ain't dead yet. @ David, "Smoke 'em if you got 'em."

[Hazel "The Queen" Walker]

If you got it.......smoke it, tax it, regulate it, sell, profit from it. I think that it is crazy that we spend so much time and money arresting, trying and convicting people who have pot in their possession, treat it like booze. OH, don't let the cigarette companies get their hands on it, by the time they are done with it.........well look what they did to tobacco.

California will be the first state to make it legal and watch their tax revenues go up and away.

[Andrew Ball]

The cigarette companies trademarked product names years ago.. they are ready.

[Annie Sever-Dimitri]

Funny you would ask this! I had been pondering this myself.

I do believe it should be legal. Talk about raising some cash through taxes!!! And who has ever seen a violent pothead? The money that is wasted on prosecuting people, jailing them, etc. is ludicrous. Plus, I really wish people who suffer from chronic pain could get their hands on it. My dad has horrid back problems, and though pot isn't great for the body by any means, I bet it would be less toxic than the bevy of chemicals he currently ingests to make life bearable. The drug wars in Mexico are disastrous; not handing any $ to those violent idiots would be double icing on the cake in this situation.

[Deanna Sipe]

Just remember Annie, that unless the pharmaceutical companies get their hands in it, then you are cutting into their profits for the heavy chemicals people are currently using for pain.... this leads back to greed. :)

[Bob Sullivan]

Sure, why not, now that we've successfully rendered smokers social pariahs we'll need a new scapegoat to kick around.

[Lindsay Manfredi]

Yes, we should legalize it for all the reasons stated before me. I don't even need to say anything.

[DuJuanna C. London]

After seeing my grandmother, who died of ovarian cancer, smile and sing a song b/c of MJ effects.....I'm all for legalizing it! Those were the best times we had with her in the last months!