Legalization of Marijuana (weed or ganga) in the USA

[Ekechukwu]

If you have not heard yet, the United States of America is going to legalize marijuana or weed or ganga in the United States of America in just few days to come. It will be legal to carry marijuana anywhere in the USA even inside the church. Yesterday on my9news, a congress man suggested the legalization of marijuana in America due to its great medicinal purposes. The congress man suggested that marijuana is harmful if overdosed but marijuana serves great purposes in the medical world in so much so that we cannot just continue to ban marijuana due to the other side effects. Marijuana is to control pain, stress and other health issues. When my9news interviewed the general public and other congress men, the response was great. USA must legalize marijuana. What are we teaching the youth? Is marijuana good or bad?

[Malik]

Pardon me for saying this but this is one of their "stupid" ideas like raging war on Iraq. Initially, people tend to be blindfolded but before the realize what's going on, the harm has been down already. Marijuana serves some medicinal purposes so are Heroin, cocaine, cactus, barbiturates, blues, blotters, black russian, speed, kif, and the rest so are we going to allow all these drugs in the future because of their medicinal purposes knowing for sure their dangerous effects on the community?

[Dantheman2]

Even though marijuana does serve purpose in the medical community, I feel that IF it is legalized it will only be further abused by drug users and allow for easier access to the public.

[Ziveeman]

Marijuana has many beneficial purposes. I'm not really sure how accurate your claim is, because to me it seems that marijuana isn't close to being legalized at all, although President-Elect Barrack Obama may help the legalization. However, Washington political culture is still heavily against marijuana and any other kind of drug on the drug schedule, so it'll be tough to wipe that sentiment off before we can actually try to legalize it.

And Dantheman2, binge drinking in college students drops when students turn 21. Things are more fun when they're illegal, that's why people do it. Plus if it's legal, it allows clinics to actually help those who need it.

[powerlifer]

Marijuana should be legalized internationally.

It doesn't cause any deaths per year like alcohol does, alcohol contributes to most of the violent crime, deaths and injuries per year.

Sticking pot users and dealers in jails is only filling the jails up with people who really aren't criminals.

The amount of money if it was taxed that could be made to make better hospitals etc.

There would be no harmful cut weed like that is going round the UK, people are spraying it with fibre glass etc to make it weigh more and look high grade. Tiny glass particles in the lungs isn't good.

Hemp could be used for a number of industrial needs such as paper, clothing etc so would lower the amount of trees getting cut.

When alcohol is legal and causes the amount of deaths and criminals it produces i cant see why pot isnt legal.

[r1superman]

Is this joke? Marijuana is really being legalized. That's ridiculous marijuana can kill people when in the wrong hands. I have seen what is has done to people that I'm close to and they want to legalize it. The government is a joke!

[Ziveeman]

Originally Posted by r1superman

Is this joke? Marijuana is really being legalized. That's ridiculous marijuana can kill people when in the wrong hands. I have seen what is has done to people that I'm close to and they want to legalize it. The government is a joke!

I'm sorry that you've seen how it affects people close to you, and not to downplay it because it's a terrible thing, but other things do the same thing as well. What about the parent who locked his kid in a closet because he wanted to play an online game and the kid ended up dying? What about a family whose father was killed by a drunk driver? I personally use the Internet way too much and it can affect people close to me too.

It's not really the marijuana, but the psychological "addiction" (I put it in quotations because it's not really a true addiction) is what affects people. Too much of anything is a bad thing.

[mcmutt]

It all depends on what you smoke, Skunk has no side effects so why no legalize it as long as a person who is high doesn't drive and they make laws that a crime can not be blamed for being high at the time of committing a crime why not let it be legalized.

[jessika]

as far as the medicinal value surpasses its side effects or hazards, it's absolutely fine to legalize marijuana. one very important thing that the government needs to do is to make mass awareness attempts to educate people of the good and bad sides of the weed. and i think people in America are literate enough to take good care of themselves.

[getnitin15]

The lawmaker's decision might definitely be influenced by the medicinal benefits of marijuana i.e. if it is legalized then easy access may help people who really need it.
But in my view it will promote it's use as a drug only. Easy access means more use as it will be cheaply available. for stopping drug use people need to be aware themselves that it's not good

[beatrix]

If you would do a quick study marijuana has never killed anyone (it being the sole cause). More deaths are caused per year by alcohol and tabbaco related problems. Marijuana is only a leaf it is not a drug. It sure has a lot of medicinal properties and has been used by man for hundreds of years. There has to be some rule against minors using it though and there should be some curb on the injected quantity while driving.

[William]

First off, I doubt this is true. Do you have any links to prove it ? Also, our government lets drugs in all the time, so naturally, this does not surprise me.

[jmintuck]

I don't know. I was tricked into a splif, albeit a short splif recently (last fall).
Cheezed me off. I don't do drugs and don't like them. Fella said it had me chattering off like a chatterbox who wouldn't shut up. I never thought I was affected by that puff or 2. Apparently I was. No wonder I was so pi**ed.

I can see a good side to weed, though, just medicinal use, like if you have cancer or other life-ending disease. But , just to get high, no.

And IF weed is getting legalized in USA, I dont know, I would have learned of this here in Canada, I am sure. But I think it is still illegal in USA.

A friend of mine got busted up here in Canada on a pot charge. Only had to do a few hours of community service. She got busted in November.

So , if she got nailed on it in Florida, where I grew up, she'd likely be sitting in a cold cell right now for it. What I saw, it is usually a 1 year Minimum mandatory sentence for a bit of weed there.

[powerlifer]

Why not just to get high, i bet the those of you who are saying that are the same people who drink coffee in the morning, have a cigarette at break and have a glass of whiskey after work.

Marijuana is just another tool and one that causes much less trouble and violence than alcohol.

How alcohol can be legal when it causes thousands of direct deaths a year, let alone those caused by the violence and crime it produces.

The mental problems associated with cannabis are only for those who are predisposed to it anyway.

Marijuana helped open up my mind to different people, made me respect life much more and other peoples feelings as well as my own.

Note i dont smoke weed anymore lol.

[Ami69]

If the government is going to legalize marijuana then does that mean the government is going to legalize all other illegal herbs in the near future because every herb has some medicinal purposes in them like marijuana..?

[Lama!]

Originally Posted by Dantheman2

Even though marijuana does serve purpose in the medical community, I feel that IF it is legalized it will only be further abused by drug users and allow for easier access to the public.

I do and don't agree with you. I live in Amsterdam where it's legal. If it will be legalized, drug users will not abuse it, believe me people actually smoking less than other countries. In the Netherlands we have less drugs addicted than in the USA because it's legal here. Some how it does work. I can't tell you why but it's been proved that we have less addicted than the USA!

[squintoo]

if that's true then its gonna be a big disaster even though its used for medicinal purposes i am pretty sure everyone will misuse it

I don't think this is a really good idea by the government they need to re-think on this

[b2breps]

I think marijuana should be leaglized. It is much safer than alcohol. I think this would be a great way for America to increase taxes and also create new jobs. It could help get our country on the right track

[tittysambo]

I highly doubt that its a good idea to legalize Marijuana. Use it for medical treatment sure, but other than that.....? The comparison to alcohol or cigarettes is nonsense, just because there are two legal drugs available doesn't mean they should legalize another one (even if it may be less harmful than alcohol). Besides, for a society being able to deal with another legal drug such as marijuana you would need a completely different perception of 'pot' spread through education at schools. Yes, it may work in the Netherlands...Marijuana is legal over there while the percentage of people smoking it is lower than in other western european countries. However, this doesn't mean that you can expect the same thing to happen applying it to other societies.... Switzerland tried it a couple years back and it was a huge disaster.

[rmholla]

I think all drugs should be legalized. It may be stupid for people to engage in drug use but it should not be a crime.

Mexico could stop the battles going on in their country right now if they just passed sweeping legislation making all drug legal. The black market would be destroyed overnight and the drug runners would be out of business.

I'd feel much safer if the local drug addict was getting his drugs and needles at a pharmacy rather than a dark alley.

[ASOR]

This is a tricky topic. For those not in the US, pot is still illegal. However, there are some rumblings that we may change things.

Pot is pervasive. It's everywhere and we just can't keep on top of it all. It bogs down law enforcement, court, the jails. America has per capita the most people in the jail system. These people just eat up tax dollars. I know some working people who have had there children in temporary care because of pot crack down.

It's already a law that Driving While Intoxicated, intoxicated means any substance, including drugs.

We want to tax it in America, to make money. I do find that it might be hard to get people to give up their underground trade that is already established. I don't know that it will work as good as Congress hopes. I also have the problem that I know people busted for pot that were told by cops it was laced with Meth, a worse drug probably put in to get the kids addicted to that as well.

I think that daily pot smoking leads to some intellectually challenged individuals, but to get the effects occasionally, once in a great while can't be that bad.

Personally, I think I'll support whatever the law is on this one. If I find pot, I'll notify authorities. If the law changes, I don't think I'll smoke it, but I won't care if others around me are. Of course, I think smoking bans would be even more strict here.

[janwei]

I think Marijuana should have been legalized years ago. Everyone knows that alcohol is a much more dangerous drug than marijuana is. Thousands of people die each because of alcoholism, but no one ever died of smoking pot.

As a passionate smoker i am getting crazy when i'm permantly seeing beer an vodka commercials on tv, but i have to break a law and enter a criminal scene just to roll me a joint before listening to some good music.

[kr15py]

I support the legalization of ganja because it will save a lot money and trouble to the state - they wont have to chase, sue, lock etc. dealers. But on the other hand this way ganja will become a lot more easier to get and i think there will be more people getting addicted to it which is not good at all. Its just most of the people will want to try it as soon as they get to the legal age, many of whom will like and continue using it and will get addicted. Although there is no abstinence with marijuana , it is VERY difficult to give it up.

[Musk]

There has been no death recorded by consuming Marijuana only!!! It is much safer than Booze at least. An overdose of marijuana is 2kg's within 24 hours. I don't think an individual can consume that much anyway. Also this has a lesser social hazard than booze. Why shouldn't booze be illegal all over the world as well!

[ranger]

Well, if there's nothing illegal in smoking and drinking, then why not marijuana? Impose certain restriction like in the case of alcohol. And government can get a good amount as cash. Well if you ask me, all these should be banned - but as this is not happening, legalizing marijuana is ok.

[thegamevg]

I don't think there's anything wrong in legalizing marijuana- it would work as a viable medium of earning revenue. But what troubles me is the regulation and distribution aspects...
If not controlled, the habit could spread to youngsters and schools and this would be a complete travesty! As long as availability is restricted, I have no problem..

every drug is beneficial in some way but that doesn't make every drug a good drug. Marijuana may have some medicinal advantages but the harmful effects of marijuana far exceeds the good effects so why should the government legalize marijuana?