Marijuana.com

nacrypt

The best arguments for legalization come from the government itself.

Document 1

Ok so as many as 1 in 4 (or %25) of teenagers already use or have used marijuana. They may not be in the majority, numerically, but that is still a lot of people for the police to potentially arrest. Why is the government so "unalterably opposed" to the legalization of marijauna?

 

BartSimpson

All the organizations supporting legalization, and this forum (see posting guidelines), do not support minor's using MJ. That numerous teenagers use MJ does not support the case for legalization; it often detracts from it.

Perhaps you might want to explain your link further, because it simple states accepted facts and does not support or deny useage.

Buzzby

If 25% of teenagers were stealing cars would that be an argument for legalizing it? I agree with Mr. Simpson. Teenage use is often used as the primary argument against legalization, saying that legal marijuana would be more available to teens than black market marijuana. My personal belief is that legalization would make marijuana less available to teenagers, as alcohol is now. If marijuana ever does get legalized it will be no more legal for minors than alcohol is today.

The intent of prohibition is not to arrest everyone and throw them in jail. The laws are meant to discourage use by imposing severe penalties if you get caught. They are, of course, a dismal failure in accomplishing that goal.

One definition of neurosis is repeating a failed strategy in spite of it's ineffectiveness. Our governments can't seem to get past this useless strategy.

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Niteshift

This is nothing but a rehash of your other thread. Your premise is still "A lot of people do it, so it should be legal". More people speed than smoke pot, is that a reason to end all speed laws?

Laws shouldn't be passed or repealed based on popularity. That's generally a bad practice.

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Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is muzzle flash.

troublemaker_42

I agreee....your "arguments" are weak. Just because a law is routinely broken is no reason for it to suddenly not be a crime anymore. Teenagers will NEVER have access to legal weed, other than possibly for medicinal reasons. Anytype of legalization efforts that do not include age limits and whatnot are bound for failure, and rightly so. Teenagers cannot smoke (tobacco) or consume alcohol legally, but many still do. Are you of the belief that we should eliminate the laws prohibiting minors from doing such things simply because some choose to disregard the law? If they are denied access to our "legal intoxicants" at this point and time, what on earth makes you believe that marijuana would be treated any differently? Please, for the sake of those approaching legalization rationally, don't use this as your arguemnt for the cause. We need to be taken seriously, and simply pointing out the fact that many teenagers currently use the drug are not going to help our side whatsoever

 

nacrypt

These "teenagers" will not be teenagers for long. In a perfect world pot would be legal for them too, but realistically legalization for 21+ is the only conceivable scenerio. Remember in Europe, the drinking age is much lower than in the US. Does their society crumble, I think not. Marijuana prohibition is a generational problem, once enough people from the older generation are out of power, then the younger people who have first hand experience with marijuana will finally be able to change the law. We must all work to lay the grassroots foundation for making this change. Very few people who are in college right now would have a serious problem with making marijuana have the same legal status as alcohol.

nacrypt

YES!!

Just "SOME" break the law? In reality you are talking about millions of perfectly normal people, who happen to be of high school age. They choose to use alcohol and marijuana for their own personal enjoyment. Are they all in the wrong, or are the laws wrong, it cannot be both ways.

If the political situation today means that our strategy won't be able to protect their freedoms until they are 21+ then so be it. But, "who will save the innocent children!?" is not a good argument either.

Cassius

They're all in the wrong. I personally agree 100% with the law banning minors from purchasing or drinking alcohol. And I would support 100% a law saying the same thing about marijuana. Not because of any personal thing that happened to me (wasn't because I didn't have it before I was 21, because I did a few times), but simply because there are parents out there that don't give a rat's ass about their kids, and if it was legal for everyone, some parents would let their kids use it (alcohol or marijuana) when they weren't even a teenager yet! And that is a dangerous time to be taking mind- and body-altering substances, when your kid is still developing mentally and physically.

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nacrypt

That's pretty hypocritical. You did it yourself, but it should be illegal for others because some people don't have good parents?

A person's mind and body are developing throughout their entire lives. Taking alcohol or marijuana does not "screw up" your body or your mind. Though, alcohol might lead to disorders down the road if it is not used in moderation.

Finally, like I said in my prev. post, "Who will save the children?!" is a cop-out that the anti-marijuana people use to keep marijuana illegal.

Buzzby

I got news for you, Bro. The people who are running the country now grew up in the late 60s and the 70s when marijuana usage was at its peak, as did I. When I was in college in the late 60s, pot was being sold door-to-door in the dorms. It seemed like everybody smoked! There was certainly a much higher percentage of high school and college smokers than there are today.

The problem, I think, is that marijuana users are a pretty laid-back lot. We don't have the desire to force other people to live their lives according to our ideals. We don't have the urge-to-power that makes politicians struggle to rise to the top positions. The teenage and 20-something smokers of today will not be running things 40 years down the road any more than the smokers of my cohort are today. Also, the vast majority of young smokers will quit smoking by their 30s, just as did the young smokers of my generation.

By far the greatest percentage of smokers don't give a damn about legalization. There are an estimated 14,000,000 smokers in America. Our three major pro-legalization organizations have a combined membership of less than 60,000. That's 0.4%. Americans spend an estimated $40,000,000,000 on marijuana and smoking accouterments every year. Our three major pro-legalization organizations operate on a combined budget of around $8,000,000. We spend 0.02% of what we spend to get high on making getting high legal. If we were to donate 0.5% of what we spend it would amount to $200,000,000, which would give these organizations a real chance to put the issue before the public eye and to lobby politicians effectively.

The problem is not generational. It's that marijuana smokers are too damn oblivious to do what's in their best interest.

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)

Marijuana Policy Project (MPP)

Drug Policy Alliance (DPA)