5 Reasons Marijuana Should Remain Illegal

Townhall.com ^ | January 21, 2014 | John Hawkins

[IrishBrigade]

So yes, making drugs in general and marijuana specifically illegal is pointless.It does not prevent their use, it merely empowers evil people to destroy freedoms.

...that is exactly the point, but on this issue some people seem to check into logic free areas and spout off...have you watched Bill O’Reilly on this subject lately...Mary Katherine Hamm ‘smoked’ him in a debate and he ended up yelling at her and looking like a stooge...

[IrishBrigade]

In fact the Cartels will suddenly become no different that Budweiser or RJ Reynolds as they also become legitimate tax paying corporations.

...does that mean they will no longer behead and otherwise main their opponents, as they are so wont to do to protect their interests...

...I think its been quite a while since Anheuser-Busch or RJ Reynolds cut someones head off...

[Vaquero]

I agree with you. I got out, if not in time to do no damage, than at least in time to get too much damage.

The only bright spot is this. Alchohol use increased during prohibition. Alcohol decreased after alcholol was permitted. If it is legalized its use could drop.

[Responsibility2nd]

Already the Cartels are flexing their muscles at "legal" pot shops.

Granted, Mexico ain't much of a country; so for the Cartels to rule there isn't saying much. But - legal or illegal - the Cartels will rule the production, distribution, sale AND PROFIT of marijuana here in the US. Or else.

 

Colorado pot shops likely targets of cartels, say experts

Saturday, January 11, 2014 2:49:10 PM · by Brad from Tennessee · 119 replies

FOX News ^ | jANUARY 10, 2014 | By Joseph J. Kolb

As the smoke settles from the first week of legal marijuana sales in Colorado, experts are warning that sanctioned pot dealers could become targets for the very folks they put out of business. Taking over a trade once ruled by drug cartels and turning it into an all-cash business could make pot shops prime targets for extortion, black-market competition and robbery. One veteran border narcotics agent told FoxNews.com Colorado's legal pot industry will find it hard to keep the criminals from horning in on a lucrative business they once controlled. "Mexico is already in Colorado without the risks," the agent,...

 

[moehoward]

"If drugs are made legal, the Cartels win."

There's a huge difference between decriminalizing and legalization. Decriminalization, would allow cartels/distributors/et al to continue, and expand. Legalization, like Washington state's law for example, regulates the products production, even how much production and distribution. Stores cannot sell product from unlicensed sources, i e Mexican cartels.

Will cartels try to get front men in the system? Maybe. But ALL parties including financiers must pass background/criminal checks.

The primary thing I dislike about legalization is it ADDS government, and that is never a good thing.

[IrishBrigade]

Already the Cartels are flexing their muscles at “legal” pot shops.

...the history of Prohibition doesn’t back your assertion of criminals controlling a legalized product...

[Responsibility2nd]

...the history of Prohibition doesn’t back your assertion of criminals controlling a legalized product...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh? How about legalized gambling? Pretty sure the mafia has run that racket for years.

That is... until the States and Native Americans took over. (lol)

[Ken H]

Unfortunately I witnessed the opposite with a loved one .... Paranoia - violence - and overall demeanor of a rattlesnake.

I was just a kid having to deal with that crap and I feel sorry for all the innocents who will - most definitely - have to put up with the loser - so called “adults” that insist on destroying their lives instead of looking out for the kids.

Did you call the authorities on her, or did you look the other way while she was engaging in criminal drug possession?

[Ken H]

Already the Cartels are flexing their muscles at "legal" pot shops

LOL! Did you read your own C&P? =>

"As the smoke settles from the first week of legal marijuana sales in Colorado, experts are warning that sanctioned pot dealers could become targets for the very folks they put out of business. Taking over a trade once ruled by drug cartels and turning it into an all-cash business could make pot shops prime targets for extortion, black-market competition and robbery."

[Jabba the Nutt]

1) It's extremely addictive for some people:

What's the legal principle here? All addictive substances, activities, behaviors ought to be outlawed. How's making marijuana illegal working now?

2) This experiment hasn't worked out so well for Amsterdam:

Marijuana isn't legal in Amsterdam, the law just isn't enforced against it in certain areas. Marijuana was effectively legal for personal use and growing from 1975. Studies showed lower use among teenagers in Alaska than in the other States. Marijuana was seen as uncool, the drug for smelly hippies. So the idea that making pot legal is going to set off a stampede of pot smoking just isn't true.

3) Marijuana is terrible for your mental health:

Heavy, chronic use has negative effects. Marijuana prohibition isn't stopping this damage, so why continue the legal sanctions. What damage does arrest, conviction and jail time do to people? You have to weigh the costs and benefits.

4) Marijuana is terrible for your physical health:

Should all substances, activities and behaviors that negatively affect physical health been outlawed? In a free society, individuals weigh the risks and benefits for themselves. Life is not risk free and cannot be made risk free.

5) The drug decimates many people's lives:

Marijuana prohibition decimates many people's lives. Again, you can just look on one side of the balance sheet. Again, what's the legal principle here? Anything that can harm people ought to be banned. You can see from this listing, that drug prohibition is just another progressive project, this one from the original progressives, that sets the government in charge of people's lives. People aren't responsible for themselves and can be responsible, therefore government, police, courts, jails must be used to get people to live in the correct way.

It's doomed to failure and there's no limit to how far they'll go.

[GBA]

Ahh...thankya,thankyaveramuch. I appreciate the kind words, but I can't take all the credit.

I've learned almost everything I know as a frequently humbled continuing student here at the Free Republic On Line Institute of Common Sense.

Which reminds me...I forgot to donate. D'oh

[Boogieman]

“In fact the Cartels will suddenly become no different that Budweiser or RJ Reynolds as they also become legitimate tax paying corporations.”

Well, if that were to happen, then they could not be cartels anymore, so there would not be a problem for you to worry about.

[Kozak]

What a stupid miss use of the ER. Glorified baby sitting. I hope the ER sends the bill to the school district.

[Kozak]

Ever notice how the drug warriors spew mindless drivel and ad hominem like a dog with dysentariy after a bucket of bad clams and sorbitol candy?

[logic101.net]

In the 60’s it was LSD, not strick. In the 70’s LSD got rare and they substituted rat poison, in the 80’s that was about all there was for acid. Still a poison, anything that gives you a high or buzz is a poison, including beer (which I enjoy more than I should). In fact that is why some people eat the poisonous puffer fish. The key for the top chefs is to maximize the toxins to just under the point of killing someone. I’ll pass on that one. Tried many of the others though when I was younger and more stupid.

[RipSawyer]

“It’s almost like everyone likes the part of Liberty that agrees with their beliefs, but no one wants to give Liberty to people who see things differently than they do.”
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Almost? You just basically defined the thinking of the everyday human being. What is extremely rare is to find someone who does not think in that fashion.

[RipSawyer]

I knew a lot of people like that growing up but actually they WERE using at least one drug, NICOTINE. Some say it is actually the most addictive substance known, I don’t know about that but having been hooked on it for eleven years I can say it is very difficult to kick the nicotine habit. Women seem to have a much harder time giving it up than men even and for someone who is not hooked on it it is disgusting to be around people who are, tobacco smells very bad, makes clothes, cars, furniture, hair, everything smell bad.

[IrishBrigade]

tobacco smells very bad, makes clothes, cars, furniture, hair, everything smell bad.

...quite true...but it’s funny, if you’re downwind on a nice sultry evening, and the smell is wafting towards you, it can actually be quite fragrant...

[EnigmaticAnomaly]

"If you want to talk about something REALLY destructive, dangerous, and addictive, talk about video gaming. I think it is far worse than alcohol, tobacco, and weed together."

If only video gaming were performed in the absolute absence of the aforementioned substances...

The majority of gamers out there indulge in those substances WHILE gaming. So I call your theory fundamentally flawed.

[Fuzz]

“The majority of gamers out there indulge in those substances WHILE gaming.”

Between 150 and 200 million people play video games in the US alone. So 75-100 million people do drugs and play video games.

“So I call your theory fundamentally flawed.”

Ditto.