20 April
Why should we decriminalize or legalize marijuana?
As President Jimmy Carter acknowledged: “Penalties against drug use should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against the possession of marijuana in private for personal use.”
Marijuana prohibition needlessly destroys the lives and careers of literally hundreds of thousands of good, hard-working, productive citizens each year in this country. More than 700,000 Americans were arrested on marijuana charges last year, and more than 5 million Americans have been arrested for marijuana offenses in the past decade. Almost 90 percent of these arrests are for simple possession, not trafficking or sale. This is a misapplication of the criminal sanction that invites government into areas of our private lives that are inappropriate and wastes valuable law enforcement resources that should be focused on serious and violent crime.
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Im totally with you on the marajuana issue, especially in regards to medicinal purposes, i.e. cancer, glaucoma. Let’s add legalized prostitution to the list. All the government wants is to be the “pimp” and get their cut, so do it!!!!
I’m torn on this issue. I agree that making Marijuana illegal while cigarettes (a proven killer) and alcohol (which i’d put in exactly the same class as marijuana) are both legal is a horrendous hypocrisy. I totally buy into the conspiracy theory about tobacco companies being behind marijuana laws.
On the other hand I feel our western society is entirely too chemically-dependent. We have a pill or an injection for everything from cancer to insomnia to weight loss to insecurity. I would feel better about opening up the laws and enabling the beneficial uses of marijuana and other drugs if we did a better job of promoting non-chemical alternatives (massage, exercise, traditional eastern medicine, meditation, etc). Otherwise we will just give more pharmaceutical companies more power to enthrall more of our society.
Aunt Barbara! Hey!
About this topic…
The more I think on topics such as these, I realize I’m a blend between socialism and libertarianism. I want the government to manage so many aspects of life (like my Aunt said, they want to be the pimp and get their cut), but I also want them to ensure the people have their freedoms. Is that contradictory? It seems it. I want a big presence that doesn’t interfere. :\ And it seems like you generally get one or the other.
So, for example, while I’m in favor of the government doing things to promote health, such as banning smoking in public places, I’m not in favor of them banning smoking completely. People should have those choices to manage their own life - even if it impacts the rest of society, i.e. health care.
That said, I agree with you, Wan, that people are too dependent on the quick fix. And I also like your solution - legalize it, allow it, but also educate people on what the benefits are and what the alternatives are. It won’t “fix” everything, but it’s everything you “should” do. If people know it’s wrong and do it anyway, then it’s their own decision and they at least understand everything. Maybe it’s more of an idealistic solution than a realistic one, I’m not sure, but it’s one with which I feel comfortable.