On Legalizing Marijuana

The US places too much emphasis on putting those who smoke marijuana behind bars. In the year 1990 alone, over 6 million American citizens were arrested for marijuana violations. That is more people than the populations of both Dakotas, Wyoming, Vermont, Washington D.C., Alaska and Delaware combined! Since 1980 there was an 800% increase in arrests for marijuana charges by the year 2000. Between local and state law they arrested 730,000 people for more or less no reason!

When we talk about the pros and cons to legalizing pot, we have to take in account the current social, economic, and health issues involved. Socially, weed has a negative stigma that it makes you dumb and laugh uncontrollably. While I do become giggly I am by no means a reckless person while I'm high. Most of the time nobody knows I am. I just feel great and can focus easier. I might work on my computer or play some music but it's all in good fun. Our economy is going down and what do we have to show from it? Increased cigarette taxes? That won't curb people from smoking cigarettes it will just take more money out of the pockets of consumers and put it into fixing the governments fuck ups. If marijuana was nationally legalized it could be easily taxed and still kept at a reasonable price while the government still gains an income stream and there is less of a demand for pot dealers. The health issues are minimal. The legal pot cards could be given only once a doctor says it is okay for the patient to smoke weed. The health affects are slightly obstructed airways and a minimal reduction in lung capacity. The rest of the problems are really only while your smoking and even then you just have to be careful.

Shouldn't we have learned from Prohibition that the government can't force us to give up something we so deeply desire? Marijuana is the number one most used illegal drug and the least damaging too! If it's outlawed the only thing that comes from it, is that people succumb to a black market in order to get it. Pot being illegal hasn't stopped it from being in the hands of teens and adults. If there was a repository they could have big posters with information teaching kids proper times to smoke and how to do it safely. Think about them handing out little one hitters so that kids don't have to use pop cans! Right now the people are spending their tax dollars to lock up themselves and their friends. Legalize marijuana. It's about time.