Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

Originally posted by §P0oONY
What would society honestly gain from it being made legal?

Legality shouldn't be based on that, though, the real question is "how does this harm society?" and in the case of marijuana it doesn't.

As for what it gain society: less money wasted on non-violent criminals, tax income from the legalized sales. You also minimize dangerous drug dealers when drugs are legal because the trade in them can be monitored. Marijuana is would have safety regulations on it, making it safer for users.

Originally posted by dadudemon

Well, heh heh...some of it smells down right nasty. In fact, most of it smells nasty.

After a long day of smelling grease and cooking hamburgers and fries and smelling the dirtiness of customers walking in all day.... anything smells good IMO

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Legality shouldn't be based on that, though, the real question is "how does this harm society?" and in the case of marijuana it doesn't.

Not so fast! 😛

Some people are affected to the point of being over legal blood alcohol levels. They COULD affect people with impaired reaction time and decision making. Nevermind the very small group that actually improves their driving ability.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
As for what it gain society: less money wasted on non-violent criminals, tax income from the legalized sales. You also minimize dangerous drug dealers when drugs are legal because the trade in them can be monitored. Marijuana is would have safety regulations on it, making it safer for users.

I REALLLLLLY REALLY want to start cashing in on those taxes, man.

I can read the headlines now: "Drug Money from Potheads Will Fund New School."

WIN! 😆

Originally posted by dadudemon
Stop trolling me. Stay on topic.

How about that MJ?

Originally posted by Bardock42
Also, a lot of the marijuana apparently comes from countries you'd probably not want to support in that way.

Canada?

Originally posted by §P0oONY
What would society honestly gain from it being made legal?

alright, I'll pose you this:

What sort of evidence would it take to convince you that marijuana legalization is a good idea? Where are the stumbling blocks for you?

I guess what I'm asking is, assuming none of what has been said has been convincing, what would it take you to be convinced?

This is a debate that I am really interested in, and I'd love to know how to move it forward.

Similarily, if you want, I can share with you things that I would need to be convinced of before I would agree that marijuana should be criminalized.

Originally posted by inimalist
Canada?

Yeah, communists and terrorists...

Originally posted by Bardock42
Yeah, communists and terrorists...

actually, considering who grows it for export, that isn't entirely incorrect...

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Legality shouldn't be based on that, though, the real question is "how does this harm society?" and in the case of marijuana it doesn't.

As for what it gain society: less money wasted on non-violent criminals, tax income from the legalized sales. You also minimize dangerous drug dealers when drugs are legal because the trade in them can be monitored. Marijuana is would have safety regulations on it, making it safer for users.

Agreed 100%, all across the board that was well put.

Just in America .

All I can do is quote Mr. Bill Hicks:

YouTube video

While funny I have to say I think this "exists in nature = good for you" meme is really dangerous.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
While funny I have to say I think this "exists in nature = good for you" meme is really dangerous.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
While funny I have to say I think this "exists in nature = good for you" meme is really dangerous.

Yeah. Eating Poison Ivy, toadstools or poisonous yet totally natural mushrooms would prove this point pretty sharpish.

Yet Cannabis doesnt kill.

It should be legalized and taxed, imo.

It's not as dangerous as ANY OTHER drug.

Besides alcohol and cancer sticks, both of which are legal, are far more dangerous than this stuff.

I agree. Although the real strong weeds can bend the mind of someone who may be prone.. and in addition to killing you, so does alcohol.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Legality shouldn't be based on that, though, the real question is "how does this harm society?" and in the case of marijuana it doesn't.

As for what it gain society: less money wasted on non-violent criminals, tax income from the legalized sales. You also minimize dangerous drug dealers when drugs are legal because the trade in them can be monitored. Marijuana is would have safety regulations on it, making it safer for users.

Originally posted by dadudemon
1. A tax source.

2. The elimination of many criminal aspects from it being illegal (it's going to be grown, harvested, processed, distrubted, and smoked, no matter what. If it's illegal, it brings a darke criminal element to it. It shouldn't.).

3. Relief off of our crminal justice system for things that actually matter.

4. Less money spent on incarceration and legal costs. Bla bla bla.

5. Cheap relief and or use of a drug that has multiple uses.

6. To spite the tobacco industry (reason #1, imo), conservatards (reason #2, IMO), and the idiots that don't know why it's stupid for it to be illegal.

Originally posted by Bardock42
Also, a lot of the marijuana apparently comes from countries you'd probably not want to support in that way.

A "reason" against it from the governmental side is that some countries (or the warlords of these countries) "exporting" it to the united states use the money their making with it to buy weapons from industry countries like the USA, germany, france for their wars. I'm not sure if marijuana is also one of those drugs but it's the case with heroine.
It could be an "image" problem if you then make business with these people when you start buying their drugs that gives them the money to slaughter their own people.

But then again you could cut them off by legalizing it and grow it in your own country. The country would most likely make more money with the taxes as by selling weapons. So this would most likely another pro point. Problem is that the armory lobby wouldn't really like this development though...and Lobbyism is pretty strong in the united states.

Originally posted by Parmaniac
👆

👆
That doesn't really matter if it's legal or illegal, by smoking it, even if these countries are producing it, you already support them.

A "reason" against it from the governmental side is that some countries (or the warlords of these countries) "exporting" it to the united states use the money their making with it to buy weapons from industry countries like the USA, germany, france for their wars. I'm not sure if marijuana is also one of those drugs but it's the case with heroine.
It could be an "image" problem if you then make business with these people when you start buying their drugs that gives them the money to slaughter their own people.

But then again you could cut them off by legalizing it and grow it in your own country. The country would most likely make more money with the taxes as by selling weapons. So this would most likely another pro point. Problem is that the armory lobby wouldn't really like this development though...and Lobbyism is pretty strong in the united states.

That's exactly what I meant.

Originally posted by Bardock42
That's exactly what I meant.