What’s the Point of Marijuana Prohibition?
Question by Alex: What’s the point of marijuana prohibition?
I don’t understand why our country feels the need to outlaw this drug. Aspirin, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and perscription medications are just a few of the LEGAL things in America that kill thousands every year. Marijuana has no recorded fatalties yet its legal status is the same as crack cocaine. I’ve heard a few arguments against legalization but they really don’t make a lot of sense. Some reasons I’ve heard is
If you make marijuana legal more children will have access to it.
– this argument makes no sense because legalizing it actually makes it easier to regulate. Store fronts and dispensaries can ask for identification to verify that the person buying the drug is a legal adult. As it is now kids have very easy access because your local pusher man isn’t going to ask to see an I.D.
Marijuana is a gateway drug
– says who? what studies have shown that marijuana use means your more likely to move to a harder drug? Many people (in fact most) have probably taken a sip of alcohol before they took a puff of a joint. Is it fair to then say alcohol is a gateway drug?
Marijuana creates crime
– this argument is redundant, by outlawing it we create the situation in which criminals can profit from it. If marijuana was legal it would not have inflated street prices. We are empowering the very organizations we’re trying to fight.
More people would be prone to use it if it was legal
– that really doesn’t make sense because if someone is “prone” to use marijuana they will use it now despite its current legal status. making it legal does not mean the entire nation is suddenly going to go to pot. give people some credit, if they weren’t likely to smoke when it was illegal they probably won’t change their stance if it became legal. Just like i have no desire to smoke tobacco no matter how legal it is.
More people would drive stoned
– this is a moot point as in most states its already illegal to drive under the influence of a substance and making marijuana legal does not mean that law has to change. alcohol is legal but you cannot drive under its influence. some will say that marijuana intoxication is harder to detect, that’s true but the same applies to perscription medications, very difficult to detect.
Productivity in the workforce will decrease
– really? that myth or fear can be dispelled by companies having the right to have their own drug policies. I have no problem with a business deciding to drug test its employees but i do think people should not lose their FREEDOM over marijuana.
And last but certainly not least, marijuana is harmful
– there has been no recorded fatalties in all of history of a single person dying from THC overdose. there has been no conclusive study linking marijuana use to lung cancer. we see the evidence of how much harm tobacco and alcohol causes people, lives, and communities yet we sell those in every gas station and grocery store. i’m not saying we should outlaw booze and tobacco because that would be stupid too, but we need to have laws that are logical and make sense. Marijuana prohibition is not benefitting anyone and it makes ordinary, nonviolent people criminals.
That’s my 2 cents what do you think?
Best answer:
Answer by Katerine
You know, I ask myself that sometimes also.
But marijuana has been proven to do less damage than alcohol and cigarets. If it ever becomes legal, it should stick to medical issues such as depression disorders and anxiety disorders. Also could be used as a pain reliever.
There should be an age limit for that and driving stone would cause problems too. So it should still probably stay legal for medical issues and illegal for random uses. Cops should still fine someone if they drive stone or if they get caught without a prescription.
One last thing, it cannot kill. You’ll pass out before you go into an overdose on this.
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