Speak Up

Legalizing marijuana would have its obivious pros, but one must not forget the cons.
The most viable arguments for the legalization of marijuana would be that first, the "war on marijuana" costs our country apx 7 billion dollars a year. And second as you mentioned about the over crowded prisons, there are countless numbers of minor drug offenders crowding our jails. Another scary tangent to that fact is that the most commonly raped male inmates in prisons are drug offenders.

However, I really don't see legalization as the best choice. Because if legalized, I would imagine, at least in the short term there would be a large boom in smoking. I think the best decision would be the decriminialization of marijuana so its use wouldn't be so rampant, but it would not carry such hefty consequences.

joseph goss

First off, I think smoking of any kind should be illegal. I just don't understand why people insist on doing something that is proven to cause death. If committing suicide or attempting to committ suicide is illegal, then smoking should be illegal, too. Afterall, if a person wants to die, all they have to do is sit around and smoke all day and they will most likely die of lung cancer (or something similar) sooner or later. Who knows, maybe if they made smoking illegal, people would resort to drinking rate poison rather than inhaling it through a cig.
Second, I don't think people realize the effects that marijuana has on the body. Marijuana makes people do CRAZY things. I'd name specifics, but I think the term "being high" sums it up pretty well. If they legalized marijuana for medical purposes, it would be a lot easier for the average person to get ahold of. People would make themselves sick with whatever it is that marijuana treats.

Yeah to be honest, I agree with Joe. Smoking should be illegal, but I just came across this CNN article this morning about marijuana and it's different affects on the brain and about the cerebral cortex and the cure of other diseases. Some of you might want to read this, so here ya go:

Brain Chemicals Suggest Marijuana's Effects
Natural Substances May Mirror Pot's Effects on the Brain

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
on Wednesday, September 15, 2004

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Sept. 15, 2004 -- Marijuana is well known for its widespread effects on the brain. The key to understanding its impact may come from the brain's own pharmacy.
Brains make their own calming substances called cannabinoids, which are similar to marijuana's active ingredients.
Cannabinoids are made in the brain's cortex, an area which processes sensory information and orchestrates movement, thinking, learning, and emotions.
Scientists already knew that the cells in this area of the brain can make their own cannabinoids.
These cells (pyramidal) normally work to excite neighboring cells; using their homemade cannabinoids temporarily allows more information to be processed by lowering the brain's inhibition of excess information processing. By lulling other brain cells, cannabinoids temporarily leave the pyramid cells free to fire away.
Now, researchers at Stanford University in California have found that other type of brain cells -- LTS cells -- can also make cannabinoids.
LTS cells ordinarily keep pyramid cells in check. This process works to guard too much information being processed from pyramidal cells to neighboring cells within the brain region.
But when LTS cells make their own cannabinoids, they tune themselves out from surrounding cells.
As a result, the brain's pyramid cells are temporarily freed from inhibition. They then process excess information to other cells.
The effects can last up to 35 minutes.
Marijuana's active ingredients may behave the same way, latching on to these cannabinoid receptor sites allowing information to be process in an altered way.
"A loss of inhibition in pyramid cells could produce changes in perception, in motor function, and in everything the cerebral cortex does," researcher David Prince, MD, says in a news release.
Studying cannabinoid receptors may one day lead to drugs for conditions such as epilepsy, says Prince, the Edward F. and Irene Thiele Pimley professor of neurology and neurosciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.
During seizures pyramidal cells fire out of control, one reason may be that neighboring cells get shut down. Targeting and blocking cannabinoid receptors might quiet pyramidal cells activity.

Prince and Stanford colleagues based their study on lab rats. Their report appears in the Sept. 16 issue of Nature.

Legalize IT
Hey. I think that hass0226 sumed the war on drugs up goood. If the goverment legalized Marijuana the prison population would be drop rapidly. Over 50% of the people in the united states prison population are there because of posetion of drugs. Do people think that the war on drugs is working? Whats so bad with marijuana? I would rather someone smoke a joint and drive me home than drink a beer. I just want to point out the cost of the war on drug. The us goverment has spent billions of dollars on the deterent of drug use. It has got them nothing. It almost has a backlash affect with people that use not liking the government. People that smoke marijuana have to contribute to the black market, and most of us dont like the fact we have to hide it and deal with people in the black market. If they lagalized it they could cut the market in thirds. They could tax the smoke just like they do with cigarettes. They could make billions of dollars the first year, nad save on the war on drugs.So I think if Beer is legal why not Marijuana!

I think it is very clear what the author of this article wants us to do. Everytime American faces a tough battle we should give up. Since we can't win the war on drugs, let's just join it right? That is the kind of mentality that makes it tough in this country to fight an effective war on ILLEGAL things. One doesn't just give up when faced with an uphill problem. When too many people are speeding in a specific area of town do the police just raise the speed limit? I don't think so.

And another point, there are a lot of murders in jail too. Do you think that it would be okay to just LEGALIZE IT? Just think how much we could save the taxpayer then...

I completely agree that marijuana should be legalized. I think that becasue Americans have put such a stigma on pot smoking then it never has a chance, despite the fact that it could be beneficial for medical purposes. I think it is pretty sad that our government cannot see that legalizing marijuana for the better of sick people would not make those people "potheads". Besides, everyone acts as if legalizing marijuana is going to turn everyone into regular pot smokers, when in actuality, the people who already smoke pot will just be doing it legally. In addition, it would produce revenue and could become a crucial part of our country's economy.

Yay, it could be another way for our country to profit off of people killing themselves.

Actually legalizing marijuana WOULD turn a large portion of the population into regular pot smokers, it wouldn't just affect people already doing it. If it was legal, soon you'd have companies selling marijuana to convienence stores, which would then sell it to anyone who felt like trying it. You'd see advertisements for marijuana on billboards and stuff. TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL ARE BAD ENOUGH we don't need another, worse deadly, addictive substance plaguing us unchecked!

has anyone ever heard about the opium wars?

ok way back in China- the british wanted to make a bunch of money, so they sold opium to the chinese. The british banned opium in england, but were fine with selling it in China. Well, they got the whole country addicted and their economy, leadership, everything went down in china because everyone was so addicted. and britian profited. then the government saw the devestation it was causing to the people and decided to go to war with britian.

anyways, my point being: we should look to the past and learn from the mistakes of history. Legalizing marijuana would be a bad idea.

I still want to hear a response from the writer of the original article. Why is it okay to pay taxes for murders but asking too much to pay for people that are murdering in a more implicit way? I really want to engage that topic.

The war on drugs is so expensive, a great deal of resources go into catching those who buy or sell illegal drugs on the black market, prosecuting them in court, and housing them in jail. To me these costs seem pretty extravagant to a drug that isn’t even addicting and is widely used. According to the Webster’s 2 New College Dictionary the actual definition of a drug is: A narcotic, one that is addictive. We have legal drugs such as alcohol and cigarettes that are actually addicting unlike marijuana. Here is a question I want the guy bashing me to answer. Why is alcohol legal? It is a lot more addicting than marijuana and creates a lot more problems than marijuana. According to www.a1b2c3.com//drugs/index.htm “In 1998, 15,935 people were killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes, an average of one every 33 minutes.” Marijuana actually makes drivers more aware, making them slow down and drive more cautiously. I’m not saying that all people who smoke weed are going to be great drivers but marijuana doesn’t impair your judgment anyway near the way alcohol does. Look up how many people were killed in marijuana related traffic crashes… I guarantee its no where near the rate of deaths from alcohol related crashes. So why isn’t alcohol illegal? Why did America just GIVE UP, why don’t we make alcohol and cigarettes illegal?

Obviously smoking marijuana isn’t the healthiest substance for your body, unless you’re using it for medical purposes for illnesses such as AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and others. But not many things in our world today are healthy. Look around there are soooo many things that are legal that aren’t good for your body. Fast food, junk food, tobacco products, alcohol, caffeinated pop, and much more are all unhealthy for us yet many of us still use and consume most of them. The point to this comment is that people say marijuana is sooo bad for the body, but there are many things out today that are just as bad or even worse for your body than marijuana. Pick your poison.

The reason Prohibition did not work for the United States in the 1920's was because alcohol was legal before and they banned it for a short time. During that time crime rates and smuggling increased a great amount. People saw it to be a thrill to do something illegal and drink during that time. I realize that now that marijuana is illegal now and that they are trying to fulfill that thirll but the fact of the matter is that marijuana was never legal to begin with so I dont really see the comparison to Prohibition.

i dont think marijuana should be legalized just because nader likes it its really dum but it can get u high

i dont think marijuana should be legalized just because nader likes it its really dum but it can get u high

this is all bullshit comments from a bunch of scared niggers. Fuck the government, i have the god given right to pursue happiness and a fat joint every once in a while is fucking happy. Shit GW Bush probobly smokes like a king in the white house nigga. Any man who denys another man natures gift should be hanged by his balls.

this is comments from a bunch of scared people. Screw the government, i have the god given right to pursue happiness and a fat joint every once in a while is happyiness in a few minutes. GW Bush probobly smokes like a king in the white house nigga. Any man who denys another man natures gift should be hanged by his balls.

I say just legalize it! More people die in car crashes from driving drunk, people get violent when they are drunk, beat their wives and what not. I say outlaw alcohol, and just legalize ganja. Its jusr weed man, c'mon. Cigaretts are way more harmful to your body than weed is, it causes cancer faster and what not. Jails are packed in result of people getting caught with like little dub and dime bags, i was locked up for weed, just got off probation, was on for two years, and yes i am smoking marijuana once again. I'm 16, ive been smoking since i was 10, i quit cold turkey for two years because of my probation, so that proves that not all people are as adictive as other or maybe its not an adictive drug, i wont even call it a drug, its a plant!

I say just legalize it! More people die in car crashes from driving drunk,not because they were high, people get violent when they are drunk, beat their wives and what not. I say outlaw alcohol, and just legalize ganja. Its jusr weed man, c'mon. Cigaretts are way more harmful to your body than weed is, it causes cancer faster and what not. Jails are packed in result of people getting caught with like little dub and dime bags, i was locked up for weed, just got off probation, was on for two years, and yes i am smoking marijuana once again. I'm 16, ive been smoking since i was 10, i quit cold turkey for two years because of my probation, so that proves that not all people are as adictive as other or maybe its not an adictive drug, i wont even call it a drug, its a plant!

I say just legalize it! More people die in car crashes from driving drunk,not because they were high, people get violent when they are drunk, beat their wives and what not. I say outlaw alcohol, and just legalize ganja. Its just weed man, c'mon. Cigaretts are way more harmful to your body than weed is, it causes cancer faster and what not. Jails are packed in result of people getting caught with like little dub and dime bags, i was locked up for weed, just got off probation, was on for two years, and yes i am smoking marijuana once again. I'm 16, ive been smoking since i was 10, i quit cold turkey for two years because of my probation, so that proves that not all people are as adictive as others or maybe its not an adictive drug, i wont even call it a drug, its a plant!

FUCK THE FUCKING KURRUPT GOVERNMENT, THEY CONTROL US LIKE FUCKING PUPPETS, FIGHT THE SYSTEM GET HIGH AS SHIT!

"Mastashake"? Another made up ghetto name from a nigger who wants to waste his life on drugs--not suprising. Thanks for confirming the stereotype.

The reason marijuna is not legal: its because the original owners of beer said hmmm were making good money but there is a beter drug out there we need to stop it because with that drug its cheaper and there are no hang-overs
so with there money they help make it illegal because it would have took them out of business

Weed has not once been recorded as the cause of death. Infact the three top leading killers are tobacco, obeisity, and alcohol in that order too. So knowing that information, its apparent that the gov. could give a fuck about our well being..... Its all about the money!! They have no way to control a natural plants growth. So they banned it like the greedy pigs they are. As for me I will remain to blaze

the US is thrives on making money by any means sending people to war or putting people in prison the final outcome will always be profitable to the US. The US is known for its control issues. We as Americans want to if not own, then run everything (if your not with us than your against us no inbetween or neutral) if we want it we take it (Check your history ASSHOLES) if people want to smoke let them. Some people cant drive but they still do and what happens vehicle homicide or call it a accident. when they relize how much money they can tax people for smoking they will change there minds. And for all those who think it should be illegal because it harmful (SHUT THE FUCK UP) people die from red meat and cigs everyday I don't see you saying band cigs and high cholesterol foods. I know what it is if you don't do it then your against it. Oh and I don't smoke I just hate hipoc