Should the government really legalize marijuana? I honestly to not have an opinion yet. I was hoping to post this and gain some insight to what other people think. I know that when I was in High School I did my fair share of it. And I'm not saying that it was right or wrong I was just hoping that some one could offer me some insight please and thank you.

Personally, it's a free country, so I think everyone should have the perfect right to fry their own brains. Why not? Besides, think of all the money the government could save by either laying off or re-assigning cops in drug enforcement. Moreover, by legalizing drugs, we could tax them and make loads of money.

I totally agree with you but wouldn't the only way the gov. would be able to make money off it is if the can supervise, i don't mean that exact word but i cant think of the one i mean, the making of it. Because God knows who would put God knows what into it when growing it. And by putting tax on it do you mean selling it like cigarettes or just selling it like tobacco?

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"What you are never changes but who you are never stops changing."

Legal pot would probably get more people to smoke it. But it would drive the price down so at least that potheads would be saving more for use in other sectors of the economy. And there would no longer be need for a violent underground trade. Not to mention, if pot is legal and other drugs are not, the legal trade- which would be more profitable than any illegal- would require not lacing it with cocaine. That and people could just grow their own without risk and cut out the dealers (it must be easy to grow, based on some of the people I've met who grow it).
But I think the most important part is a cut in violent gang activity. Cops could focus more on the nastier drug trades and other gang activity.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

actually it's a fact,that in holland which is a country where u can buy marijuana legally,the searchs show that infact there are less addicts there in compare of other countries,that don't allow marijana to be bought.

By making it legal, farmers could grow mary jane (aka the wacky tobacky) the same as they grow the regular tobacco. Cigarette makers could make both marijuana cigarettes as well as tobacco cigarettes. Retail stores could sell marijuana cigarettes just like they sell tobacco cigarettes. And tobacco stores that sell loose tobacco by the bag could likewise sell loose marijuana by the bag. Plant stores and flower shops could sell marijuana just like they would sell other kinds of plants. And all of these businesses would be taxed just like any others. And those who don't pay their taxes could get prosecuted for tax evasion and the government could sieze their marijuana in satisfaction for their unpaid back taxes and sell it.

BTW - I think the word you're looking for is "regulated."

Thanks thats the word. And would any one who reads this like for pot to be legal or are you indifferent i on the other hand woulnt mind for it to be. so yeah re post with your opinon.

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"What you are never changes but who you are never stops changing."

Actually, legalizing pot would probably decrease demand simply because the big deal about doing pot is to see if you have the gazongas to do something the government tells you not to do.

well i think it'd only decrease if all the people how smoke it just do it for that reason, just to do it illegally. i know a few people how smoke it because it gets them high and they could care less what the government says about it. I think that the amount smoked would stay about the same.

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"What you are never changes but who you are never stops changing."

Now that you mention it, I think I'll reconsider my posting on the effect of legalization upon the demand for drugs. Yes, there are some who smoke it only because it is illegal and therefore a dare who would stop smoking if it were legalized. But there is another group who does not smoke weed because it is illegal who might nevertheless smoke it if it were legal. Whether the demand will increase or decrease will depend upon which of the two groups is larger.