adore79

I looked up a little info on taxation of tobacco and alcohol is Washington State. The taxes from these two things make up 3.8% of all taxes collected. I also found this:

It makes me feel a tiny bit better knowing that even while I was killing myself and destroying my ability to be a productive member of society with alcohol, everytime I bought it I was giving a little money to meaningful services that helped other people through taxes, of course I had to be forced to give that money.

Dee74

LOL not gonna argue with you on the benign thing Back - we'll be here for days.

Even accepting your point for arguments sake - I still think legalising another addictive drug (that can, and does, ruin lives) because it's not quite as bad as alcohol would be wrong.

D

staynalive

Everything is legal in Amsterdam, and you don't see much problem
with addiction there (sarcasm). But yeah I agree that marijuana dosent cause the blunt (haha) force trauma the alcohol does.

From someone that was a chronic user of marijuana that tried it once after a few years abstinence, it is definitly strong. I couldnt handle it anymore, but agree that it could be used responsibly, just like some people (not me) can drink responsibly. Overall it got me started on the road to drugs and alcohol. That leaves me on the fence with regards to legality.

Snoug

I tried marijuana for a few weeks years ago... Every couple days or so. About the 6th 7th time.. Smoking less then i had previous days. Talking like a few puffs. I passed out and smacked my head on the floor. Turned a greenish color.

So claiming marijuana to be not dangerous would be a understatement. Compared to alcohol? its hard to say. If it were easier to get i am sure a lot more cases like that episode would be happening at a larger scale. Then again i passed out on a legal prescription once to.

Anyways about the Marijuana.... You ask "Did i learn my lesson?" Of course. I always wear a helmet when i smoke now.

Pam08

As much as they say don't drink and don't smoke...Raising taxes on cigs every few months...5+ dollars for a pack...how outragious. They gov't would lose a ton of money if they made them illegal....Pot? legal..everyone would be growing their own.
My thoughts on this

Eroica

Its the media's responsibility to not shove alcohol in our face every second of the day!! No one can blame their drug problem on advertising, but its ethically wrong to advertise a poison in such a reckless way.

tiburon88

I can just picture a Super Bowl ad for crack cocaine! Yikes!

doorknob

CarolD

Legal or illegal
Drugs kill. Drugs are destructive to those who love users.

"No man is an island..."
comes to my mind when I hear these discussions
of how harmless addictive substances are.

At the very least....your brain chemistry is altered
while you are stoned. Notice the lack of motivation?
Sure...some drugs give you the quick energy boost
then you fall down into depression/ inertia.

Illusion and fantasy become normal with drugs.
You lose focus and flirt with insanity.

I found this true in my life.
I gave up drugs and alcohol years ago
and
it was the wisest decision I ever made.

splendra

If keeping drugs illegal kept people from being addicts I would be all for it. If keeping them illegal kept it out of the hands of children I would be all for it.

I believe people are born addicts not hijacked into it. There are many addicts that don't use illegal drugs or even alcohol but they are still addicts in every since of the word.

This war on drugs is costly and the biggest cost is to human life. All along both sides of the Mexican border people are being brutally murdered not all of these people are drug dealers many of them are children and people who unfortunately are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In this country there are many people being imprisoned because basically they are addicts. I wonder how the people of this country would feel if it became illegal to have heart disease or cancer and all people who had these diseases were put in prison?

America has gotten very complacent when it comes to the government's power over us. The government is supposed to be our servant not our keeper.

Marijuana has many uses every part of the plant can be used for something. I think the fact that it is illegal makes it more accessible to children and this concerns me because it does leave them open to getting into other drugs as well and believe me a dealer does not care if they sell your kid heroin or pot or meth amp.

doorknob

Our society seems to think that alcohol is somehow different than other drugs. People always say drugs and alcohol. Alcohol is a drug. Period. No distinction necessary. NA is so spot on in that regard.

Bamboozle

That struck me funny...I had a vision of people going to Lowe's or Home Depot to go buy tomato plants, flowers, and pot plants for their home gardening needs...

The government wouldn't make as much money as they think they should if they made pot legal (because, like you said, Pam, everyone would grow their own).

Also, maybe the tobacco companies don't want the competition. Even though they've taken some blows over the recent years with lawsuits, they still have lobbyists in Washington.

Shoot, all this talk about illegal drugs....there are some dangerous legal prescription drugs on the market because the FDA either doesn't give a crap and/or FDA is so severely understaffed and swamped that they let some of that junk slip through. Another topic for another day, I suppose...

doorknob

The tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceutical, timber (paper products), oil (fuel), and textile (clothing) industries all stand to lose a great deal.

splendra

I guess the bottom line is: keeping drugs illegal makes the government more money than making them legal

Snoug

how is keeping something illegal make it easier for kids to get? That makes absolutely no sense. I get kids trying to get me to buy them cigarettes all the time.

Considering the government does not get anything from illegal transactions... they're not making any profit either.

Not the governments problem for minority's mistakes. Period
Everyone is notified of the same laws and everyone is expected to obey them. Just cause we've made certain mistakes in our lives does not make us a exception.

soarinhigh

I was a hardcore pot smoker and I still believe it should be legal. Its alot like alcohol but also very different. If you smoke it rarely of course it will "mess" you up if you overindulge. Theres one thing I can tell you being a big user of both (alki and pot). I can tell you everything that happened when I was stoned. My judgement might have been slower but it was NOTHING like when I was drinking. I could wake up in the morning and tell you what happened the night before. And I woke up not feeling like azz. I never smoked to the point of no return because honestly you can only get so high. But I drank myself to that point almost everyday. I am not arguing any points but like others, I have wondered why all mind altering drugs are illegal except alcohol. Sure, theres addictions for EVERYTHING so you cant make all things addictable illegal, but not everything puts you or others in danger.

splendra

I guess drug dealers don't ask for ID they never did when I was 12 but they would sell me whatever I wanted as long as I had the money...

doorknob

Some laws are simply unjust. In many states, blowjobs are illegal...

doorknob

Exactly. I was a hardcore pothead too. If I were to make a list of bad things that happened to me for alcohol and for pot, the one for alcohol would fill the page. Jails, hospitals, broken bones and other bodily injuries, missed work, numerous blackouts, DUI's, stomach problems, the list goes on. With pot, I ate too many Cheetos and fell asleep, lol. Okay, I didn't accomplish as much because of pot and my lungs suffered, but the point remains. How many college students die every year from alcohol? Alcohol takes a greater toll from society than all the illegal drugs combined. It doesn't make sense, and it all comes down to money and corporate greed.

doorknob

Many kids experiment with marijuana well before alcohol for that very reason.