Monday, July 18, 2011

Marijuana Legalized?


Many people, mostly those of the older generation, are completely against legalizing marijuana for any reason, but why? It's known to be safer than Alcohol and Cigarettes, and doesn't pose any sort of danger or risk, but is still illegal in most of the U.S.A. The fact that it is labeled as a "drug" is enough to scare many people into outlawing it, but Alcohol and even Caffeine are some lesser known "drugs." Would making Marijuana legal be enough to pull America out of it's recession like many people say? Or would it truly cause more problems that it solves?

Would you be for or against legalizing Marijuana, and why?


Jan Johnson

24 comments:

English student said...

I am torn on this subject and I have done some research to help me on this subject, but still remain on the fence. Yes, I feel medical marijuana should be legalized as long as there is control over who and how much they can receive. Just like all medical prescriptions they can be forged and the drugs can be passed along to other people. I use to smoke pot when I was in high school and understand the effects it can play on the mind. Marijuana may be safer than Alcohol or Cigarettes, but it does alter you mind set and can have negative consequences. There are many cases of accidents caused by the driver smoking weed and nothing else. My friend sits in a wheelchair to this day, paralyzed from the waist down, and the only cause was he was high and lost control of his vehicle. For some one to say it is completely safe is totally wrong. Any drug that alters your mind set or at least takes you away from some sort of reality can't be good for you. I also understand that not all drugs affect everyone the same, but it still will effect your reactions at the very least.

If marijuana was legalized and the government could tax the selling or growing of pot,I don't think it would be enough to get our country out of debt, however I do think it would go along way in helping us out a lot.I don't think it would cause any more problems as a matter of fact I think you might see, in the beginning, the use would increase, but over time you may even see the use decline. The reason for the decline I feel is the same reason you see some people slow or even stop drinking once they turn 21, it is no longer illegal for them to do it and so they don't find it as fun as it used to be, my opinion. So finally I would have to say I am not for nor against the legalization of marijuana as long as it controlled by the FDA like all the majority of all drugs. Great question "JAN JOHNSON" lol

English student said...

The last post was posted by Buddy Carpenter

English student said...

I am going to say that I am against legalizing marijuana but not because I think it is wrong. I remember back in the late 80's early 90's some talk of legalizing it and seeing a T-shirt with a cigarette pack filled with the same size joints. So twenty cigarette sized joints on the streets is worth anywhere from $140.00 on up, approximately 40 grams. By the time the government adds all the taxes and markups they will you figure a person is going to have to pay $280.00. If it gets legalized then, well the government has to pay for someone with a medical card who is prescribed medical marijuana. No matter which way they go if they legalize it fully with no restrictions but with all the added fees or just legalize it medically there is always going to be a black market for it. So why bother. No it won't help pull America through it's recession other than it would be legal so less people would lose jobs for testing positive during a drug test for marijuana. Only the rich would be able to afford to smoke and the middle and lower class would be dealing in the black market. It is a lose-lose situation because there will still be a big majority of people buying off the streets, risking getting into trouble and the government won't make the money they predicted they would legalizing it.
Amber Johnson-Garcia

English student said...

If marijuana was legalized it would benifit the local economy. More tax dollars to be spent on other things than education, healthcare, and the homeless. it might help cut down on some of the crime that goes along with raising and distrubuting the marijuana. Although we would have to fight the drug cartell over their loss of revenue. hey; it might cut down on some of the things we have to import. American made;now that is an idea. There are enough studies being done on the effects of marijuana as being good or bad. You just have to wait until the smoke clears, then see who can make the most sense out of it. it might also help create more jobs; even if they can not remember where they are or where they are going from having an all day smoke break and it might help places like mcdonalds and such.just watch what way the wind blows and carry a bag of munchies.
kevin h

English student said...

I think marijuana is definitely more geared towards younger people, mainly because the younger generation has been exposed to it more than the older generation. For example, when my Dad was in college, there were very few people smoking, and the few that did were looked at as 'hippies' or 'stoners'. These days, a ton of people participate in smoking everyday.

From the various TV shows and projects I have heard on this subject, I would not have a problem with the government legalizing marijuana. If people want to smoke, they are going to smoke. I think that the government should be smart and actually making it legal, because it is the number one money-making drug in the world.

The effects are this drug are much, much less severe then that of tobacco and alcohol, which just amazes me. Tobacco, a very addicting drug, is legal and can be bought pretty much anywhere, but marijuana, a non-addictive drug, is illegal. Alcohol, which causes millions of deaths every year from overdose and drunk driving accidents is legal but marijuana, a drug where you can't overdose, is illegal. This topic just really amazes me when you do research on the different subjects of it. In my opinion, marijuana was tagged early as a 'dangerous drug' and never shook the title, and that is why it is not legal in the United States.

Jake Bock

English student said...

Marijuana is not safer than alcohol or cigarettes. Marijuana is a drug because it impairs your mind. I find it highly unlikely that it will be legalized, just for the sheer fact that the FDA cannot put a label on it. The ingredients in this substance vary in amounts and contents.
Heather Denam

English student said...

Once again, people will never fail to amaze me. YES IT IS HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH!! It is just as damaging, if not more so, than cigarettes! My father smoked it daily for the majority of his life and died from cancer of the mouth,throat,and lungs. If you were to actually look up the scientific evidence of what this "weed" can actually do to your health, you would lump it into the same category as ciggs! I watched my dad waste away slowly over the course of several years , and then finally on his last day of life, me,him, and my Godfather Paco, sat in a room in Mercy hospital shooting the shit, and he talked about how he regrets ever smoking, he apologized to me for ruining his body and dying on me several hours before he actually died. If you people who approve of any kind of smoking at all could only see what I have seen and feel what I have felt, you wouldn't even humor the idea of legalizing it. Cancer of the mouth is a horrible thing to see in real life and pictures don't even begin to do it justice. My dads mouth looked like raw hamburger with a white film over it and he lost so much weight from not being able to eat that I could carry him! In the end he had to sworsh a shot of liquid caine around his mouth, then swallow it and wait 15 minutes until his mouth and throat were numb enough for him to eat pudding or mashed tatoes. then he would still wince in pain as he attempted to swallow. To me, even if it would help the economy.... SO WHAT!!!! iF IT IS GOING TO KILL US ALL OFF EVENTUALLY...think before you make these kinds of decisions and take our health into consideration. And as far as those of you who think it was cuz he smoked and you will be fine because you don't.... NOT TRUE. my grandma Melinda was raised Amish and has never in her life put a nasty cigg in her mouth much less smoke pot, and she too died from second hand smoke. So even the people who have never in their lives smoked pot or ciggs are still at risk if they are exposed to the smoke. Can you imagine how we felt when we were told grandma Melinda had it too?? I am against it being lagalized for a million different reasons folks... and no I'm not a goody two shoes... back in the day, before all of these horrible things happened in my life , I could have smoked any one of you under the table. experience has taught me .... it just aint worth it....m.s.h.

English student said...

YES, MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGALIZED, BECAUSE IT IS NOT AS BAD AS SOME PEOPLE MAKE IT OUT TO BE.MARIJUANA CAN HELP CURE SOME THINGS WELL AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT STUDIES SHOW.LEGALIZING MARIJUANA CAN BE HELPFUL IN MANY WAYS AND ALSO HARMFUL IN MANY WAYS. THE WAYS THAT IT CAN BE HELPFUL IS THE FACT THAT IT CAN KEEP MANY PEOPLE OUT OF JAIL BECAUSE THEY WONT HAVE TO SNEAK AND SELL MARIJUANA TO ANYONE THEY CAN JUST FREELY DO IT.IF THEY WERE TO LEGALIZE IT THEY WOULD MOST LIKELY SELL IT IN THE STORES AND NOT JUST ON THE STREET. THEY MIGHT JUST EVEN PUT A TAX ON IT.....................

JATAUN V. COLLINS

______________________

Why is marijuana not legal yet? Because politicians who could move forward a bill to legalize marijuana are afraid doing so would damage them politically. I think most reasonable people now realize that marijuana is no more dangerous to individual/societal health than alcohol is.

James Burke
______________________

I believe the reason that the United States does not legalize marijuana is the fact that it is a drug. I feel that it should be legalized because there are many uses of this herb that are used for good. Many people argue that weed will lead others into doing more drugs. I believe that marijuana is a drug that calms you not speeds you up and like many other drug effects. Weed is very much different than many other harsh drugs. The government is just frightened to legalize a "drug" even though there are many good uses for it.

Darci Weber

______________________

I think the general reason our government won't legalize marijuana, is because they don't want to blatantly allow a harmful substance to the public.However, alcohol and tobacco are all around more life threatening than marijuana.Also, the money that our government would receive from users would be a ton.They would no longer be putting people in jail,which would free up prison costs,and if they taxed marijuana like we do cigarettes and alcohol, we would only benefit from it.

-Tyler Ribbe

______________________

Marijuana will be legalized eventually. Its just a matter of time. It has a potential to reduce government costs as well as increase state revenues. This will approximately increase the revenue by 8.7 billion dollars. states such as California are close to legalizing the drug. once other states see the budgetary savings other states will be likely to follow.

Rocky Vitto

______________________

I think marijuana hasn't been legalized because of the generation that is still in control. They see it as a harmful drug still and don't want to find out what will happen when it is legal. It has become a popular topic in the U.S today and i do believe one day it will be legalized. Then i think one advantage of legalizing marijuana would keep prisons from being overcrowded. Then for one disadvantage of legalizing would be since it is out in the public kids would start smoking at a younger age and would be able to get it easier than it already is.

Jared Jones

______________________
I believe the reason for not legalizing marijuana is the the word--drug. If politicians were to pass a law does that mean they are drug addicts? It's like prohibition for alcohol--you know politicians drank but they kept fighting to keep it illegal. I have seen the positive results of pot on people with health issues and mental unbalance. I would much rather be sharing the road with someone under the influence of pot rather than someone under the influence of alcohol. It is better for someone with anger issues to indulge in pot smoking instead of consuming alcohol--which increases their anger.

Peg Bunkertop

English student said...

The obvious answer to why it isn't legal yet is that it is all a big money game when it comes to the United States government. The disadvantages to legalizing it, for me anyway, are mostly health related. The short term effects of using it are many, problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, loss of motor coordination, increased heart rates, and trouble with thinking and problem solving. Even worse are the long term effects of using it, such as CANCER!! Marijuana has some of the same carcinogenic ingredients as the chemicals found in cigarettes. Only 5 joints equals the full pack of cigs, there are incidents of obstructions of lungs and airways, and pneumonia, and it impairs the ability of T-cells in your lungs immune system to fight off infections. Under U.S. lawsince1970, it has been a schedule 1 controlled substance which means, in it's smoked form-IT HAS NO COMMONLY ACCEPTED MEDICAL USE! However there are still dummies out there trying to scream "medicine" and not doing adequate research to back up their claim. Data has shown that "pot" smokers show the same lack of coordination on the standard drunk driving tests as the people who were drinking. It effects your concentration, coordination, and reaction time-JUST LIKE ALCOHOL. When the government found that thc, the active ingredient in marijuana, also known as tetrahydracanabinol, had medicinal quality, it meant in pill form to ease nausea, and some pothead somewhere started screaming "its like medicine dude" from the rooftops and people just ran with it like the dummies that they are. Do your research people. The effects are just as bad as cigarette smoking, its just that most researchers assume that you will smoke less pot than you would cigarettes. Yet in rel life, people who aren't studying up on the subject end up smoking pot daily and then suffer the repercussions of it later. DUH!! Is it a gateway drug? No, not necessarily, however, all you dummies out there who think its OK to smoke it end up feeling ten feet tall and bullet proof after a while, somewhat more bold than before, and that lil devil sittin on your shoulder tells you, well pot ain't as bad as they said, so i bet such and such ain't bad either!" DUH AGAIN! while it may not be completely bad...it isn't good either. I love some of the other comments for this particular passage. It is so easy to tell who gets high and who doesn't. I can't wait to see what condition some of them are in in 5 or 10 years from now, when their tolerance level has gone up so much that half of every paycheck goes to supporting their drug habit and they wonder why they are always broke. That is if they even have jobs. It really does kill any good amount of motivation a person might have . And I really feel sorry for the people who use it to be “social." QUIT FOOLING YOURSELVES! Are those the types of people you want to be social with? wait til you owe the $100 bucks for that last ounce they fronted you and they threaten to burn your damn house down or beat you up. does that sound social enough for you? WOO HOO! Let’s socialize!!As far as the benefits go, it makes a pretty good rope. There used to be a rope factory somewhere along route 45 between Thomasboro and Rantoul, and lots of young potheads who here those old stories still scour the area between the tracks and the highway looking for a plant that may have been missed. The thing is, they aren't even smart enough to distinguish between a male or female plant. One gets you high, the other is used for rope because its fibers in the stalk are so strong. As I originally stated though, it is all a big money game. The government has over 3000 acres of marijuana growing in the state of Alabama, with armed guards guarding it every 20 feet, and they crop it 3 times per year and sell it to people in the field of medicine. They are making so much money from it themselves that if it were to be legalized, the price would go down and they would make less money off of it.

Thomas Tuberville

English student said...

For the person who made the long comment right above this one . . . well, some of your stuff is right--marijuana does have harmful effects on the body no one is saying its good for you. Its not really a medicine but it can be used for something to treat things like glaucoma and nausea. Some patients who have cancer get prescribed THC in the form of a pill or in a form of food. But you seem to be stereotyping all potheads as crazy drug people that act like they got sucked into the crack world. You are putting a view on all potheads from potheads you see on TV. Not all people who smoke pot are "dummies" who feel like they are ten feet tall and lose all the motivation they have. Those are people we call "burn-outs" people can be like that that even if they are sober, not every pot head is alike ya know.
And you are right some serious potheads in 20 years may have a terrible memory but you wont see them on a death bed with a ventilator in their throat or getting a kidney transplant. Pot isn't good for you but its not terribly bad either.

Nikki Plantright

English student said...

It should be legalized because we are spending too much money on the drug war. And its a losing battle. Reason why some states have it legalized because some states politics are more acceptable to the generation becoming. i believe it would be helpful to our society because we are spending a lot of money to put people in jail for and instead of spending that money we could be using it for other things. i dont believe it could ever be used as a cure for some conditions but there are many reasons out there that marijuana can help.

Jared Jones

_________________

If marijuana does help medically then why shouldn't we legalize it? we want to prevent diseases don't we? and if it helps aid in preventing them then yes it should be legal. It would also solve the disputes between drug dealers and buyers and lower the risk of people being killed over it.

Randy Botter

English student said...

I believe that marijuana is not legalized because many people consider it a "gateway drug", meaning that once you do marijuana, you are more likely to do other, harder drugs. While I do not have any personal experience with marijuana, I do not believe it should be legal just as I do not think any type of nicotine should be legal. My grandfather died of lung cancer from smoking his entire like and my cousin died from an alcohol related car accident. I do not smoke and I do not drink, however, I don't judge people who do. I don't believe that marijuana has enough positives to be something that should be legal.
Morgan Russian

_______________________

Marijuana is a herbal medicine but some people are using it too much it causes danger to their health because it is a drug. For me I don't want it to be legalized in Illinois because some people might abuse buying it and they will be taking too much of that. I know a person who smokes weed everyday that he got addicted to the drug and it makes me worried that he is over using it and it'll ruin his health if he doesn't stop taking it everyday. He seems to have a change of behavior after taking marijuana

Samantha E.

_______________________

I think that marijuana should be legalized. I have always supported the right of each individual to determine what they choose/don't choose to consume. The legalization of marijuana should be a issue decided amongst each individual and not by the criminal justice system. I think that the government already wields too much power and the issue of marijuana consumption/use is just another way the government tries to tell/legislate how we live our lives. I don't think that legalization would be harmful to our society. However, I don't know how helpful legalization would be as well. Maybe it could be/is a cure of medical conditions. Maybe legalization will stop gang drug wars and end rampant police corruption. I am unsure but I guess all that will be determined as soon as the government decides to stop legislating what a individual's rights are and aren't. I think that people have the right to take/use and put anything into their bodies that they choose too.

Eldridge Davis

_______________________

I believe that marijuana should be legal. It has been proven to help many cases involving medical use. Also I believe the crime rate will go down because people will not be selling it and hiding it from the officials. If marijuana is legal police officers can focus more on the hard core drugs like cocaine or meth. I feel that being able to grow a certain amount of weed could be useful to the government as well because they can tax it and we all know that they love to do that.

Darci Weber

English student said...

_______________________
Yes i believe marijuana should be legalized in this country for a plethora of reasons. One being that alcohol is legal. Alcohol is far worse for your health and causes more deaths per day then marijuana has in its lifetime. I think that fact alone speaks volumes about the legality of marijuana. Another reason is the health benefits that marijuana offers. It has many medicinal uses that could be beneficial to people with certain medical conditions. All in all marijuana should be legalized. I feel that it would benefit society tremendously.

Brett Scott

_______________________

Marijuana is a drug and you say it isn't bad well then how bad is coke, meth, or steroids for you. I mean does anybody know the long use effects of weed? Whats so bad about coke it makes you feel good to does it not? I mean doctors even use steroids so why not let athletes use them in significant doses? I mean if you legalize marijuana then you are gonna want something else legalize. Also if you did legalize weed pot heads wouldn't have anything to talk about any more that would be a plus. Also it marijuana that is the gate way drug cause after you see how good if feels to get high on it you want to try something a little better and stronger. I really don't believe it can cure diseases. But I feel like after you make it legal just make coke and other drugs legal to.

Micah Pope

English student said...

I feel the legalization of marijuana would be a good thing. I feel that it doesn't harm people as bad as tobacco products or alcohol and they are both legal. i definitely feel it reduces stress and its impossible for people to OD on it. We also could tax weed and then the drug cartels wouldn't make such a profit off America because we would be able to grow it here. maybe it could reduce some violence in Mexico. It clearly has medical benefits since its already used as medicine in some cases. I guess the only negative effects that I can think of is that some people may take advantage of it being legal and just be high all the time, but I really don't think that would be a problem because people are usually way more laid back and chill when they are high.

Jake Rone

_________________________

I think that marijuana should not be legalized. If it is, it will only be a matter of time before people want the next thing legalized. There is always a want to do something illegal, and then people get mad because it is not legal. Making marijuana legal is not the issue; it is what would be expected afterwards.

Landon Winston

_____________________________

Marijuana could help people, and help make different types of medicine. Everything can be used, but people given the chance to experience it, or learn from others that its a bad thing, they won't dare to try the drugs for themselves. If we were to legalize it, there would be people who want to defy the law. So they want to try deeper drugs, and cause more trouble.
Daniel Topper

___________________________

i believe it should be but it should be taxed and there should be a limit of how much you should carry with you. we should sort of treat marijuana like cigars. The only problem that i see with this is that it can effect some people during their work and it can also put other people at work in danger. but i also believe we should let people make their own decision, just like we do with alcohol and cigars.

Chris Gozz

English student said...

I am against legalizing marijuana, except for the medical cases that are proven to need it. Even then, I think it should be monitored and only given out in the right dosage. Although I believe some people could be responsible with it (non-medical, that is), what about the thousands, possibly even millions of people that would be irresponsible with it? Yes, it might be safer than alcohol and cigarettes, but that isn't saying very much. Think of all the bad side effects that alcohol and cigarettes have or the dangers they impose. People are going to smoke it regardless, obviously, but why give them the approval to do it and make them think it's okay to do drugs that can be harmful?
Even though it might help a lot, I highly doubt that legalizing it would be enough to pull America out of it's recession. The taxes on it would just cause an upset and then people would revert back to finding it under the table.
-Hannah Miller

English student said...

I don’t have time to research this topic, but I would love to read your paper when you are done.
I’m not sure how I feel about legalizing marijuana. I’m afraid the cons outweigh the pros. There is a potential for more gang/drug related murders, car crashes from people being under the influence of it, mental drug addiction to it and underage drug us.
If marijuana is a natural way to sooth pain, and saves people’s internal organs from harsh medications then how can I be against it? For seven years I have been prescribed narcotics because I have a gap between to vertebras and an incurable condition called bursitis. There is no way to avoid the pain; if I sit still I will make my bursitis worse, if I move it makes it worse. If I stand the pressure on my spine can become unbearable. My only relief is taking a pain medication. I realize the dangers of the damage being caused by the medication, and unfortunately it’s unavoidable. I would never consider smoking marijuana because it’s illegal, but if it was legal and there was less internal harm to my body it may be something I would consider.
Heather Denam

English student said...

Yes. Older generations have been known to be less lenient about the legalization of Marijuana. I partially think that it’s because they grew up in an era in which people were hunted down and arrested at an exponential rate for usage. Also in their era, anybody who smoked POT was believed to be a communist. It was said that if you smoked pot that you would eventually develop communist like qualities. So the majority of their negative speculations are fear based. Honestly it’s those G@* Damn republicans. Sheeesh! They’re against everything!! They’re even against themselves! which is why we can’t get anything done in Washington today! Marijuana is significantly safer than alcohol. You would be more capable of driving home “stoned” than actually driving home “drunk”. I think the legalization of marijuana would be enough to pull us out of the recession. If they make age restrictions lenient enough and the government taxes it enough, and makes it affordable for everyone to purchase, then it could really benefit the economy. Some say that legalization would deteriorate the Black Markets. I would be for legalizing marijuana for the simple fact that it helps people medically.

Pikachu

English student said...

Alex

I think that if they made it legal, but taxed it high enough, we could pull out of the recession. I’m not for it but I’m also not against it. I think that if you limit it such as you limit alcohol, it should be fine. The down side though is I have heard people smoking so much that they start seeing stuff and develop mental issues. I actually know a girl who that happened to and if she even smokes a little she’ll start freaking out. Like I said, I’m not into it, but if it can make the country more money I say legalize it. I do think though restrictions as no grow your own and how much you can buy and an age you can buy it should be put on it though. In my opinion it should be treated like alcohol and tobacco

English student said...

I believe legalizing marijuana would be a catastrophe of an idea. The fact is marijuana is a drug which causes significant mood and mind altering changes. We have enough problems with drunk drivers, and to add legalized weed smoking would add to the possibility of a child getting hit by a vehicle because the driver was too high to notice the child in the street getting their ball. Marijuana has also gained potency over the years. Can you imagine running a business where 50% of your employees showed up to work high? Not to mention the increase in work related injuries. How would you feel if you were injured and had to go to the hospital, but the doctor or emergency room technician was stoned while trying to save your life.

You can't be serious about legalizing POT! Unfortunately I think you are. You really need to weigh the consequences BUD.

Khattab

English student said...

I am against ALL things that intoxicate a person. Why? Because when people smoke marijuana, drink alcohol, etc. they are poisoning themselves and become in a state of non-reality and get “stupid” when they do it.
Think about it. Cigarettes are legal, prescription drugs are legal, and alcohol is legal. What do you think the society would be like if marijuana is legal? If the law was passed that made marijuana legal, who’s to say that they’re not going to find a way to make “crack”, “cocaine”, “heroine”, or any other dangerous drug legal?
There are laws set to make people act better and influence this society in a better way. Who would want to go to another country when all the people are living off welfare and whom are all junkies? The government is trying to make the world a better place. This is why we have laws. In the old days, people didn’t have to worry about drinking and driving, using marijuana to make a person high (or as they say “medical purposes”), etc. The government is trying to look out for their investment. If ALL people were living of the government and using drugs… there wouldn’t be people working, thus making the government weak and poor.
Imagine the government legalized marijuana along with other drugs, how would any of you feel as parents seen your 4 year old dead with a needle sticking out of his arm because his big brother left a needle in his reach? How would you feel if your 15 year old had a stroke or heart attack, because he smoked too much weed?
The reason why the government is so strict on these laws is because if they did legalize any drug, people would blame the government and say that it’s the governments fault. Is that really fair? The American people put a lot of stress on the government to enforce certain laws and to remove the law because it suits that certain people. Look at the gay marriages. After how many years did only some states finally give in? If the law keeps giving in to people’s wants and desires there’s not going to even be a government and then what will this country become? Nothing!
The people who want marijuana legalized are the people who say “It’s allowed for medically reasons, what about my reasons?” I don’t think it should be legalized for that purpose. Also, when people drink and drive there’s a to test them for a certain amount of blood alcohol levels. What about when people smoke marijuana, is there a way to check their highness to see if they should drive or not?
I really think people should wake up and understand that these intoxicants are really destroying your life and you may hurt others in the process. No person in their right mind would ever legalize marijuana or other harmful drugs except for medical reason and/or if they want to kill the human race.



Lori

English student said...

I absolutely think that marijuana should NOT be legalized. There are enough problems in this world what with alcohol and cigarettes already being legal. So many people’s lives have been ruined due to the harmful effects of marijuana. It’s already bad enough that innocent people have to live with the constant danger of people driving while drunk and if marijuana was legalized they will have to worry about people driving while high as well. Even with marijuana being illegal, many people still find ways to get their hands on it and use it. If it was made legal, then they could just openly use marijuana and destroy their lives without having to hide it. A person’s addiction to marijuana is very hard to fight. If people think that marijuana should be legalized because cigarettes are legal, then instead of making marijuana legal, we should make cigarettes illegal. They are both extremely harmful to a person’s body. Why should we allow people to harm themselves?
Ayah

English student said...

I wish they would legalize it and get it over and done with. That way they can tax the drug dealers and the users. I on one hand don't mind paying a tax on it because you do anyways buying it from a dealer. I think that most people are scared of it because it was not researched as much as it is today. The way cocaine and acid wasn't believe to be addictive when it first hit the streets. I feel if they would have legalize it years ago there would not be many men and women in prison as it is today. So I guess in a way the government gets its money one way or the other.
Makeisha Riley

English student said...

I feel the same way about Marijuana as some people that commented on this blog. I am torn between the fact that its good in some medical reasons an other then that used for pleasure. Older people don't like it because in some cases it turns out that a love one the know or whoever gets hooked might go to another drug. They call it a gateway drug. Legalizing Marijuana would course more problems than helping. It also wouldn't do anything for the economy. The drug is safer than alcohol and cigarettes, but it still can change your mine set. It would also be a problem because what would the drug dealers do if it was legalized. There are other drug out there that are wares but Marijuana is a mane drug that is sold. Will some one come up with something new? Who knows, but know one wants to find out.


Robert McClinton

English student said...

I feel like legalizing marijuana could help the economy in many different ways. Marijuna could creat jobs in the farming and ditrubution of marijuana. Legalizing Marijuana would also reduce the crime rate, and release convicts that are in prison for marijuana. It would reduce prison population which is a problem in todays society. It woiuls also create more money for the government since they tax everything. It could even create a new form of education where there are classes on growing, selling, and maintaining marijuana. I strongly beleive if tobacco and alcohol can be legal marijuana should be able to as well. They can still limit the amout and place rules on it but outlawing it all together just doesn't seem right to me.

Ian 10:00