Why Marijuana Legalization is Good For You (Even if you won’t use it)

[n2doc]

Legalization of Marijuana would save the United States an estimated $20 billion per year

Even if you don’t use Marijuana, you should be supporting getting it decriminalized.

Tax Marijuana, Hit Cartels Where it Hurts
About 1 in 4 people have claimed to have used Marijuana at least once in their life (the rest are probably lying) and according to the Federal Government about 15 million Americans are currently using Marijuana at least once per month. Marijuana is the most popular illegal drug in the world and has shown no signs of slowing down.

Economics 101 states that where there is demand, there will be a supply and right now, the supply is mainly coming from Mexican drug cartels. These drug sales are grossing Mexican cartels a healthy $64 billion in untaxed drug revenue each year.In the last 5 years, police and drug cartels have killed a staggering 55k people and cartels are growing Marijuana in National Forests while running drug distribution networks in over 1k cities across the U.S. The legalization of Marijuana will put a big dent in the cartel revenue, reducing crime, lowering money spent fighting cartels while adding another source of revenue for the U.S. government.

Each year, over 75k people die from alcohol and over 100k people from prescription drug abuse yet, there have never been any documented deaths from the use of Marijuana.

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https://medium.com/i-m-h-o/cccc00fbca75

[immoderate]

1. Sign me up!

--imm

[fredamae]

2. Unless they make the

Legal cost (taxes/fees etc) so exorbitant that it drives the whole business back underground to the less expensive Black Market- who will embrace such moves.

One lawmaker wants a $50.00 Fed Tax on Each ounce. Plus overhead costs, growers fees etc...
Those expenses could drive the price per unit up beyond the street value we have today.

[factsarenotfair]

3. Well, here's my concern.

First of all, I am totally opposed to the War on Drugs and think we should pretty much go the way of Portugal with regard to legalization. However, I do worry that if everyone is mellowing out on marijuana they won't be fired up to do the necessary work of fighting the sociopaths who seem to control our world. Am I crazy to worry about that?

[Segami]

6. Yes.

[fredamae]

9. Yes--

Of course there are already folks out there who were/are already demotivated due to circumstances beyond using cannabis.
But for most users, it seems to motivate critical thinking/evaluation/creativity etc.
I believe once cannabis prohibition is over-there will be a "honeymoon" for a short period of time where folks will "gorge" on celebration and then both frequency of use and "newbies" trying it for their first time-will flatten and then decrease over time as it becomes just another boring issue.
Most people who will use it legally post legalization are Already using it.

I don't see a big consumer increase post honeymoon and I don't see a "dumbing down" of the populace.

That job is taken already by corporations spearheading the devolvement and destruction of our public ed system via privatization for profit. They've been busy "Dumbing us Down" for decades now, imo

[roody]

11. Yes. Dopeheads are great activists!

First hand info-not hearsay.

[elias49]

4. Jesus H.. legalize it!

Marijuana a schedule 1 drug? Absurd.
Time for me to take my walk in the woods with my dogs and my travelling bowl. Completely sick of the Sunday morning "news" programs and propaganda.
Someone please let me know when Syria's over.?

[randome]

5. Decriminalization would do much the same.

Legalizing and taxing it means corporations and the government will have an incentive to encourage sales.

Marijuana may not be as dangerous or as addictive as alcohol. But with legalization will come an uptick in respiratory ailments because most people will not want to take the time to bake it or vaporize it. They will smoke it.

My daughters know they can experiment with drugs if they want. But they also have goals in their lives and they have no interest in taking 'time out' for anything that will slow them down. I wish more of their generation had similar ways of looking at the world.

Legalization means we will see more of JC.


As for the crime cartels, they will find other areas of 'interest'.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]

[eShirl]

7. with legalization, I predict vaping will become more convenient with products from side industries

as easy as an e-cigarette

[randome]

8. I can hope so but right now I doubt it.

Legalization will make it a replacement for tobacco. And there are too many people even today who can't go for more than an hour or so without stepping outside to smoke.

My prediction is people will become more 'dependent' on marijuana, not necessarily addicted. But it will still be an overall detriment.

However, the tide seems to be turning more toward legalization so I suppose we will find out.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]

[AgingAmerican]

10. It is legal here

It is not replacing tobacco. There is no uptick in respiratory ailments. People are not becoming more dependent on it. It is not an overall detriment. It's just not that big of a deal.

[randome]

13. Where is 'here'?

Anywhere in America means legalization is still new. Another country's population does not necessarily relate to how Americans will behave. Americans tend toward extremes.

I'm not trying to be dismissive, just pointing out possible differences. As time passes, we will find out how legalization fares in America.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]

[AgingAmerican]

20. Seattle

nt

[roody]

12. Totally different substances.

Totally different addiction/habituation.

[randome]

14. And yet they share the application of the words 'addiction' and 'habituation'.

Time will tell. I think what fredamae pointed out above is likely but there will be some long-term problems, as well.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]

[jmowreader]

16. Pot will never be a replacement for tobacco

When you're high on marijuana, you're not capable of safely operating vehicles and heavy machinery. Tobacco doesn't do that to you.

[Warren DeMontague]

19. When I was in High School, I was too busy smoking pot to smoke tobacco.

And I consider myself extremely lucky because of that. If I had picked up nicotine as a serious habit, I would have had a shit time quitting it. Giving up drinking was difficult, but quitting pot smoking was a relative breeze.

I've known a lot of people (including myself) who have done one or the other and then gone on to quit... or to try.

Pot is a far, far easier habit to kick than tobacco.

[Mnemosyne]

15. K&R nt

[Uncle Joe]

17. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, n2doc.

[B Calm]

18. To be honest, I would never have dreamed that marijuana

would still be illegal in the year 2013. I been smoking pot since 1969, the year I went into the Navy.