Reasons Marijuana should be legalized

42.0 Reasons for Marijuana Legalization


1- Its a plant and 100% natural, not man-made and not owned by anyone


2- It is much less addictive than tobacco and alcohol, two legal substances, and is easier to quit if someone is hooked on it, because their are no physical cravings.


3- According to a poll 53% of the population support legalization. In a democracy, shouldn't the mass vote be the one followed? Otherwise, what happened to the democracy.
Most Americans support legalizing marijuana: poll | Raw Story

4- Marijuana causes people to relax, it does not cause violence unlike Alcohol. The only violence ever caused due to Marijuana is because of its criminalization.
Well I don't really need evidence for this one, anyone who has ever taken it, seen someone high or even heard about someone being high should know its relaxing.

5- It is practically impossible to overdose on Marijuana.
In order for a human to consume enough marijuana to be fatal, they would have to consume nearly 40,000 times the amount of THC required to intoxicate them. In contrast, it only requires about 5 to 10 times the amount of alcohol required to intoxicate, to be fatal. For example, if it requires 3 beers to intoxicate you, it only requires 15 to 30 beers to kill you. However, if it takes you 3 'hits' of marijuana to intoxicate you, it would require 120,000 hits to kill you. Thus, it is virtually impossible to die of a marijuana overdose.

6- Prohibitation has essentially backfired. Alot of people still take it and all it does now is supply money to gangs and criminals. Legalization would take ALOT of money away from street gangs. Don't really need evidence for this one, its kind of a state the obvious.

7- 750,000 individuals a year are arrested for the use or distribution of Marijuana. At the same time 37.4% of murders go unsolved, that is 6,035 people (roughly) who get away with murder. (Verified by the FBI) Crime units have much better things to do than enforce a pointless law.

8- Here's a big reason it should be legalized. Give me one good reason it should be illegal. The only one I could find in the UK (where I come from, I have a mix of American and UK statistics, but the countries are generally the same on everything but gun laws.) is that it is "subject to misuse". But so is Alcohol, Caffiene and Tobacco, and they are legal. Either the government is stupid, or hypocritical. Probably both.

9- Marijuana legalization would blast the economy forwards, it could be taxed (and most cannabis users would be perfectly willing to have that.), it would be sold using legitimate means, hemp and cannabis would both create many many businesses and could be used for exports and imports. Keeping it illegal is hurting the economy, because money is wasted enforcing laws.

10- Some religions use Marijuana. What right does the government have to take away peoples religious beliefs, some kind of democracy when that is the case to be honest.

11- The Black Market is where people get cannabis. This gives money to the black market, meaning: Gangs, Arms Dealers etc.. are all profiting from the criminilization of Marijuana.

12- In the UK cannabis distribution can earn you up to 14 years in prison. In the UK many people get 5-10 years for Grevious Bodily Harm. Does that seem right to you?

13- Liberty. In America, and the UK, the government constantly preaches liberty, and the conservation of Human rights. How is telling us what we can and cant put in our own bodies, when they do not affect anyone else. That is worse than Facism.

14- Most people who use Cannabis are against harder drugs, just check these forums for the evidence of that one. Heroin users and Cocaine users, usually start out with Alcohol addictions.

15- The Bible:

The lord said unto me, 'I will take my rest and i will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs.' - Isaiah 18:4-5

Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of this earth. - Genesis 1:29-31

He causeth the grass to grow for cattle, and herb for the service of man. - Psalm 10:14



16- there are no long-term effects to using cannabis in a safe way (Vaporiser or Cooking), and the effects from smoking it in a joint, pipe or bong are very minute in comparison to many legal things.

17- If it is not hurting anyone, why is it illegal?

20- Marijuana can be used medically, to aid in pain relief, stress relief, anti depression and to reduce effects of chemotherapy. If you have ever experienced having to watch someone go through chemo, or experienced it yourself, you would wish for anything to make them feel better, it is awful. Most legal prescription drugs have: (the examples are only one example out of a group of many.)

A- Side effects - Aspirin thins the blood quite dramatically, causing 400,000 deaths a year
B- Overdose - It is possible to overdose on many legal drugs, such as Paracetamol for example.
C- Addiction - Most Anti Depressants or Stress Relievers are actually very addictive.

21- Police officers get a bad reputation for arresting and putting innocent marijuana users in jail, when it is the governments fault, they just have to do their job.

22- Legalization would eliminate "lacing". The act of putting a different drug on a stash and then selling it on the black market for more, because the effect is alot more powerful (and potentially dangerous)

23- There would be less underage users, because it is primarily on the black market, children can get it easier than if it were monitored. Granted children could still access it, as is the same with cigarettes, but it would be more difficult.

24- 1 acre of cannabis/hemp will produce just as much paper as 4 acres of trees. And will grow back much faster.

25- Cannabis can be used as an efficent renewable source of fuel, is that not what the world is in a current crisis looking for?

26- Cannabis doesn't need pesticides to grow, it grows pretty fine by itself.

27- Although drinking while stoned is stupid, you can argue as much as you want, it does impair your driving skills. But one glass of wine will impair your driving skills much more than one joint. (either way, be safe, don't do either.)

28- Cannabis has been illegal for less than 1% of the time it has actually been used.

Give me things to add, I have plenty more, but I will add them later, cos im well... hungry and tired

You skipped 18 and 19, hah. Otherwise great reasons, and most seem to have a solid foundation. I especially like reason 9, see as how alot of people argue that nobody would be willing to pay for the taxes, but if you look on these forums nobody ever looks over the fact that with regulation would come taxation, and everybody seems to be okay with that.

18- Great sex.

19- Great sex.

But the strongest reason, in my mind, is that it doesn't infringe on anyone else's rights and is thus constitutionally protected under the right to liberty and pursuit of happiness. Just a minor point. :]

29 - It should never have been illegal in the first place!!!

I think that was pretty much 1-28

Same with heroin. Just making a point.

However, there are no adverse effects of marijuana, and it is a considerable amount safer than any legal drug.

One could certainly make that argument and apply it to crack and meth as well. The main difference I see is a much higher rate of associated crimes committed in pursuit of addiction. Does that constitute infringement on the rights of others? In my own opinion, probably not, but I digress.

Actually, I can think of one... tolerance.

There are also related health issues with regards to smoking it, but given that it can be eaten, that is a separate issue.

The only one i don't like is the one regarding to minors. That way I couldn't get it as easily as i do now and that would be bad because I have severe anger issues and I don't feel like killing people out of sheer anger. I'd rather pack a bowl.

So what happens the first time you're down to one connection and they decide to jerk you around because they know they can?

in all this I just hope there isn't some large conspiracy between the government and criminals, it is the most used and does generate large amounts of income, so keeping it illegal is the only sane thing to do for both allied parties.

this is only a theory I am not a communist lol.


comparing other illegal drugs to marijuana is silly, yet it is grouped with them, thats another reason for above ^

There is precedent in your favor. The CIA is documented as having sold crack to the inner city to fund contra operations in South America. No lie. It was illegal, but...