This poll/thread seems awfully similar to one written by ®³}Cortana =>http://r3clanpwns.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=smarttalk&action=display&thread=6318
Anyway, marijuana should be legalized. my arguments were as follows:
Argument 1
This has long been a controversial topic throughout the world and has been called one of the most dangerous drugs in the world, but aside from that, there are positive effects from marijuana.
1. According to High Times magazine, about $113 Billion dollars are spent annually on recreational marijuana use. If the U.S were to legalize marijuana and impose taxes on it, about $11.3 Billion PER YEAR could be made from this business, putting us close to the exit of the recession.
2. Billions of dollars are spent on the crackdown of Marijuana farms and dealings. This much money and more could be saved if marijuana is legalized.
3. There are tens of millions of marijuana users in the U.S or have at least tried it. Obviously the the restriction of marijuana use has failed spectacularly.
4. In 2006, marijuana was reported to have been the top cash crop in the U.S. While probably not Number #1 now, it is probably among the top 50 cash crops in the U.S.
5. There would be a lot less drug dealing going around if marijuana is sold at a cheaper and easier-to-get price.
6. Marijuana is not at all addicting as the hard-core drugs.
7. Most Marijuana is imported from other countries, mainly drug cartels. Therefore, a lot of money would be saved if marijuana was grown and exported in the U.S.
I'm not saying that we should all use marijuana. There are still many negative physical effects from marijuana and should not be used a lot, but the business of marijuana should be allowed and could greatly boost the economy.
Argument 2 (Response to Arrows criticisms and reasoning)
*Cracks Knuckles*
Oct 3, 2010, 5:56pm, ®³} Arrow` wrote:
I feel that the $ spent annually on marijuana use is grossly exaggerated. Because it is an illegal activity and almost all transactions involving marijuana are "under the table", it is nearly impossible tell how much money is spent annually on marijuana. Also, $11.3 billion dollars is not much compared to the trillions of dollars that we are in debt. Also, some pot smokers will grow their own marijuana if it's made legal. Which wouldn't have much of an economic impact on our country. But don't get me wrong...it will help.
No argument with this, however the U.S doesn't necessarily need to pay the trillions of dollars we owe in order to get out of the recession.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:56pm, ®³} Arrow` wrote:
it is ridiculous the amount of $$ that is spent on the crackdown of Marijuana distribution centers. However, I don't think that enough money is spent on cracking down on dealings. Drug dealing is a dangerous and harmful practice to society. One benefit of having marijuana legalized is that it will create a safer means of distribution of marijuana, which should reduce crime.
No argument with this.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:56pm, ®³} Arrow` wrote:
The "Just Say No" campaign is insanely flawed, and our current education system of drugs and alcohol is a failure. #3 is not an argument for the legalization of marijuana, and instead it points out our educational system. If more people were educated about the adverse effects of pot, then this number would change. Also, simply because people have tried marijuana doesn't mean that they continued to do it.
The point of that statement was that since so many people already smoke or have smoked marijuana, legalizing it would not make so much of a difference except more people would most likely try marijuana.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:56pm, ®³} Arrow` wrote:
This statement could not be more wrong. Marijuana is just as addictive as other drugs, and more and more people are being treated for marijuana addiction. There is such a lack of education surrounding addiction and what it is. Addiction is a genetic predisposition which over-rides the rewards system in the brain, making it nearly impossible to stop doing the addictive activity. This means that addicts feel an "extra" gratification when doing drugs and alcohol, and once a threshold is reached, the biological drive to continue to use the substance becomes impossible to resist.. As stated before, addiction is a threshold disease - there is a certain threshold that one must cross in order to become addicted to a substance.
Only people with the predisposition to the addiction gene will become addicts. This is not to confused with dependency - where somebody feels an urge to do something, and may experience withdrawals. The difference between dependency and addiction is that somebody who is dependent can stop. They will be discomforted for a little while, but they will not feel the ever-present drive to continue to use.
Addiction is defined as an inability to stop despite mounting consequences, and you can become addicted to anything. There are millions of marijuana addicts nationwide. However, marijuana addicts can sustain their addiction for much longer then other drugs. It takes longer for people to stop feeling the effects of marijuana (sometimes 10-20 years), so they continue to use.
Only people with the addiction gene become addicts. If you have the gene, you can get addicted to marijuana. When people say that marijuana is "not addictive", it's just plain wrong. Those people simply aren't pre-disposed to addiction, and wouldn't get addicted to any substance regardless of what it was. You CAN NOT develop addiction if you dont have the gene (however, you can develop dependency).
ALL OF YOU ARE VERY WRONG BY THE WAY! Marijuana CAN cause addiction, and it can destroy people's lives. Yes, people can be addicted to marijuana before experiencing serious consequences, however it is just as addictive as other drugs. It is not as potent in people who don't have the addiction gene, however it does wreck lives like other drugs.
This argument has a lot of inaccuracies. For one thing, marijuana is one of the least addictive drugs. According to a UK study, the only mainstream drugs Marijuana is more addictive than is Ecstasy and LSD while so much less addictive than heroin, cocaine, tobacco, alcohol, and Special K. And hard-core drugs are generally referred as Cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. By saying my original statement is wrong, you are saying that Marijuana is as addictive as Cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine which is totally wrong (proven by countless studies). According to studies from the Department of Health and Services and other doctors, less than 10% of marijuana users smoke it routinely.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:56pm, ®³} Arrow` wrote:
It would have economic benefits, however I don't think that it should be legalized.
1) Public Danger - The use of marijuana not only impairs judgment, it also impairs motor skills. Unlike alcohol, marijuana greatly diminishes motor skills for many hours and sometimes days after use, even thought the person feels like they are alright and "sober". This means that they are more likely to drive and cause accidents.
Studies have shown that highway accidents involving marijuana in the bloodstream almost always has alcohol included as well. Like alcohol and other drugs, laws can and would be imposed that restricted marijuana use like driving. Obviously, the U.S government wouldn't allow marijuana use all the time, there would be severe penalties if people were caught with marijuana in their blood while driving, which would turn people away from getting high then driving.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:56pm, ®³} Arrow` wrote:
2) Gateway Drug - I know that this has almost become a caricature of a legitimate point, but marijuana is a gateway drug. Marijuana loses its potency after years of use, which leads to other "harder" drug use to obtain the desired effect that marijuana once produced. However, the notion that marijuana use will lead to immediate hard drug use is simply not true. It's a gradual change.
Like stated earlier, only a small percentage of marijuana users smoke routinely while the majority smoke sparingly and then for only 1-3 years then stopping. This would not make a person grow "disappointed" with marijuana and drive them to get harder drugs like heroin and cocaine. In fact, marijuana is probably the most or second most popular drug used, so drugs like cocaine and heroin which are uncommon are probably not present in marijuana dealings the majority of the time.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:56pm, ®³} Arrow` wrote:
3) Children - Look at how easy it is for kids/teens to get alcohol because it is legal. The same will most likely happen to weed if it's legalized. It's not hard now, however I don't want to increase it's the availability to children. Marijuana has profound effects on the brain if used in adolescence, and it retards brain growth and causes complete neglect of the necessary coping devices in the brain. Although smoking weed in extreme moderation when you're an adult has little effects on the brain, it has very profound effects on teenagers and children. Also, if it become legal, it will be treated the same as Alcohol by young people (which is to say that it's "alright" to use before you're 21). Alcohol is not good for a developing brain, but marijuana is devastating for one.
Marijuana is distributed and sold so much in the U.S already, that it wouldn't be exposed to children more and give them the opportunity to buy it a lot more except that they would see it in stores. As stated earlier, the same laws imposed on tobacco and alcohol could and would be applied to marijuana. It is already so difficult to get tobacco if you're under 18, marijuana wouldnt be much different. And one of the main reasons its so easy to get alcohol is that it is sold EVERYWHERE. Gas stations, dollar stores, small food markets, delicatessens, etc. Alcohol is also not kept behind the register in stores like tobacco is. That makes it so much easier to just steal alcohol from these types of stores rather than just buying it. Children and teens would find it very hard to get marijuana as opposed to alcohol if the laws on tobacco are applied to marijuana such as marijuana being distributed directly by employees and is not accessible by customers unless they are willing to buy it.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:56pm, ®³} Arrow` wrote:
4) Endorsement - I want to live in a society that says that drug use is bad. By allowing pot to be legalized, you are kind of endorsing drug use. If adults smoke weed in marijuana
No comment, seems like an unfinished thought.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:56pm, ®³} Arrow` wrote:
5) No Health Benefits - There is no disease or disorder that is best treated with marijuana. Not to say that it doesn't have uses (ie: Hunger Stimulation, Pain Killing, etc...), however there are more effective uses of treatment. In fact, smoking weed has adverse health effects. It's been linked to schizophrenia, and there is a very strong correlation to anxiety and depression from marijuana use. No mind altering substance is good for your brain. Plus, smoking weed causes chronic bronchitis. Marijuana also damages short-term memories, learning abilities, motor functions, judgment skills, and slows cognitive functions. Plus, you can't rub it on you and heal wounds!
The point of legalizing marijuana is not so it could be used anytime for medical problems but rather for the economy and my reasons stated in the first post. Sure, marijuana damages motor functions, judgment skills, memory, etc but it is not permanent, only for the first hours after using marijuana. Another thing is that marijuana HAS medical uses. I don't remember ever seeing medical uses that were successful from tobacco and alcohol.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:56pm, ®³} Arrow` wrote:
6) Addiction - Do we need to make another mind-altering substance legal? You can get addicted to weed like any other drug, and look at what substances such as Alcohol has done to families. Do we really need to endorse another substance by making it legal for people to abuse?
You're right, it isn't necessary to have another drug legally used in the world, however chances are, the users of marijuana currently probably use other illegal drugs or drink alcohol. Therefore, marijuana wouldn't tear families apart anymore than alcohol or other drugs. I also believe that your statement isn't a valid argument. The use of marijuana is a personal choice and how it affects families will vary.
Oct 3, 2010, 5:56pm, ®³} Arrow` wrote:
7) Crime/ Education - Drugs cause crime. Although legalization will probably decrease drug crime, it doesn't outweigh the negative effects. There will still be drug crime, and gangs will continue to push harder drugs (keeping crime a prominent part of society). Also, instead of legalization, why not we increase education? I think that it is important to educate people young and old about the negative effects of marijuana. THIS would reduce the amount of pot smokers, which would reduce the need for dealers. However, the tricky part is creating an education system which can properly educate people about marijuana, instead of this shitty system and "Just Say No", which we have now.
Schools are already doing there hardest to inform teens and children about drug use. Obviously from statistics, the information schools are giving out are not working since millions of teens have or use marijuana. You're right education should be increased and money should be geared towards drug awareness and its dangers because of the "shitty education system" however since the U.S is in a recession and since we are also at war or leaving war, little money could be spared to give to education. That is another reason why marijuana should be legalized, the billions of dollars that could and would be made from the business could be spent on increasing the education level of the U.S without taking money from other aspects of the economy or hurting other parts.