Should weed be legal? I was having an argument about this with this kid who sits next to me in euro studies. I think a downside to legalization is that lots of people find attraction the illegal aspect of pot, so if it became legal they would still smoke it, but would then also search out a new recreational drug thats still illegal. On the other side, the major thing I find wrong with the governments propaganda campaign against weed is the gateway drug part. It can be a gateway drug, but, at least in my opinion, it is so because of their campaign. They always tell us that it's so bad and so horrible for us, but then we do it, and find out it's really not what they say it is, and we start thinking, "Man, if they say this shit is so horrible and it's really not, what about all that other stuff they say is so terrible?" Opinions?
Marijuana should be legal for so many reasons. Medicinally, recreationally and for the use of hemp. Our economy would experience a boost, the trees could be saved and the crime from dealing would decrease. Our prisons wouldn't be so full and money would stop being wasted on anti-drug campaigns. I could go on forever with all of the pro's. Just decriminalizing would be a huge step towards legalization. As far as people going for harder or other illegal drugs, some of those drugs come straight from your neighborhood pharmacy. Granted, there is coke and heroin that's illegal along with many others but Oxycontin is considered hillbilly heroin around here and so many people are addicited to it that they opened a Methadone clinic to help people get off of Oxycontin. I know more people wanting the stuff the doc's prescribe more than the other stuff. The gateway theory is just wrong. I drank alcohol before ever trying anything else. Then it was pills, then weed. I did go farther but it's mostly MaryJane for me. So, yeah...I think it should be legal!
the ONLY thing i would dislike about legalization would be taxes...but i would rather pay some small tax than spend jail time or spend thousands of $$$ on fines...and if you smoke pot simply because your not supposed to, why smoke pot?
I'd rather pay taxes on it any day...it may not balance the budget, but we'd also save huge gov spending on enforcement... if it was legal, we'd probably be allowed to grow for our own consumption...so no taxes for growing your own!