Would this force the government to create an agency to walk around distributing ?

Cuz I'm all for that

Researchers get their weed from the Federal marijuana farm in Mississippi and it is distributed under supervision of the DEA. Years ago I used to know one of the top researchers in the field, Dr. Hug. He got his weed pre-rolled in nice little packages with the THC content stamped on the package, which I found amusing.

Actually legalization is likely to mean decriminalization for growing as well as possession. I really don't see government casting itself in the role of dealer except with regard to hard drugs. With those it is important to know who is using and how much, and have control of the purity simply for practical reasons. However I see that as being performed by authorized organizations.

The reality is that if these were legal commodities, they would cost next to nothing, there would be no illicit sizzle for young kids, and users would just be viewed as pathetic losers.

oc

we legalized nicotine so people would not complain, if we were to legalize marijuana we would have a stronger drug on the market, now that not that big of a deal (besides the health risks, maybe i'll post about that later) but if it were to be legalized it that would be one step closer to coke or heroin and worse, and i would prefer to stay as far away from those as possible. the drug business is a step ladder, the longer your in it the stronger drugs you use, nicotine is the first step and a big step at that, then theres the next big step into marijuana, then who knows Ecstasy, crack, special K and so on. once your start your not going to stop using stronger drugs unless you really want to.

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The Gateway theory has been disproven repeatedly by several respectable scientists, it doesn't stick. The argument is that it should be legalized (beyond the fact that its harms are greatly exaggerated) is that because it is already very easily procurable virtually anywhere, why waste funds trying to stop the inevitable? Instead it could be taxed and regulated by the government, much like alcohol.

The Netherlands decriminalized it, and the country is not on its way to hell. In fact, according to reports the amounts of hard drug abuse have dropped slightly since decriminalization. And they tax the hell out of it...

Also, marijuana use itself has supposedly dropped. This is my opinion on the drug issue:

Drug users are going to use drugs regardless of the legality. Just get used to this. Some people just want to do drugs, for whatever reason, and you aren't going to stop them.

All the government has done by banning these drugs is to create a black market, which creates increasingly violent and organized criminals, motivated by the enormous amounts of money to be made trading in black market goods. Remember learning about Prohibition in school? Well, Prohibition sent crime rates through the roof, and made America fertile ground for the Mafia. We're still dealing with them.

Sending nonviolent users to prison for minor possession and trafficking charges breeds hardened criminals, desensitized to violence. Then, we release them onto the streets, where they have little chance of finding satisfying employment or putting their life back together. They often succumb to the siren song of crime.

I'm not saying that legalization is the answer, because that would be too much change, too fast. It just won't happen that fast. However, decriminalization, a la canada, is the way to go for now. Our present policy, while very noble and based on principle, is not only impractical, it's counterproductive.

PS Legalize heroin? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? There's a reason people call Heroin "Here on in." I also noticed that it was only available in Liverpool for a short while. What happened?

MMM,

MIGHT AS WELL LEGALIZE MURDER AS WELL AS IT CONTINUES TO EXIST IN OUR NATION AND THE REST OF THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not logical my friend.

and since jail seams to be what makes criminals we should abolish jails too

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The flaw in logic is yours for relating smoking pot, a crime with no victim, and murder, the most extreme crime in regard to the result for the victim.

It might surprise you to know that a large number of federal judges have favored legalization for some time now, and their numbers grow every year. As these are the people best equipped to monitor and comment on the criminal justice system as it relates to drug use, I feel their conclusions are significant.

Aside from that, I'm tired of paying for it. Our state decriminalized smoking pot and possesion of less than an ounce over a decade ago, and use of pot is said to have declined over that same period. What is certain is that society has not come to an end, we have save millions of tax dollars that would have been spent chasing down and prosecuting low level users.

oc

Murder is still a crime with a sentence even if the victim’s family doesn't press charges...

How do judges wanting to legalize pot have anything to do with making pot legal? Just because I can monitor people doesn't mean my opinion is right...

if you don't now you'll pay more later...

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Two years ago I would've said, "make it legal!" Yes it might make a few bucks, but on the flip side it's just something that we dont need in society. Yes alcohol and cigarettes are bad as well, but alcohol when it is used in excess, and cigarettes because we know all the dangers of it and it is even there on the box. Marijuana on the other hand, though we might know a bit about it and is not as addicting, it is the aftermath of "toking it up" that is unwanted. Yes yes alchol can cause the same effect, but it takes quite a lot more swigs than hits to achieve an unsafe high. Seriously people, don't feed your addiction for weed, by stooping as low as to say it should be legal. If you want weed go to Mexico, or some southeast asain country.