There is a rather informal political debate club at my school, and each week someone has to get up and present an oral or written essay about a certain issue which is then debated.

This week, I am presenting the issue of Legalization/Decriminalization of Marijuana, and I'm taking a pro- stance.

I was wondering what you all feel are some of the main justifications for legalization, what would it improve? I'm also looking for links to some good (reputable/accredited) websites that have statistics about the issue, such as usage, annual DEA spending, effects compared to alcohol, etc.


I think it's an interesting topic and, presented well, I think I could persuade a few people.


Thanks all,
Eric

http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3418

Outlines who smokes pot, why, why it is illegal, why it shouldn't be etc. It is fairly general in scope but would still dumbfound highschool instructors. The most pertinent information on this subject matter could be ascertained by our resident attorney/pro cannabis crusader PunkDavid.

i personally feel like it should be illegal

Thanks, man. Why don't you just put my real name in a post with the word "NORML" in it. I'm sure the FBI will never put two and two together.

Here's a nice long thread we had here a few months ago.
http://www.theskyiscrape.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1709

and if you search "marijuana & legalize" in the N&D forum, you should find a lot of stuff.

Personally, I'm probably not going to participate in this thread cause I've said all I wanted to say before, and this always turns ugly.

Keep it clean, or I might just lock this one and link the other one.

--PunkDavid

I think it is.

no shit

I think every state should treat this plant like those in Cali do. With compassion and common sense.

Thanks for the links all, I'll definately look through that other thread as well.

I also have the DEA website for some numbers, and howstuffworks.com for a great unbiased, in-depth description of exactly what marijuana does to the body.

If anyone has any othe rlinks, please post!

http://deoxy.org

Have a nice trip.

--PunkDavid

Until they find a breathalyzer that can detect it, it should be illegal.

Do you want to expand on that?

--PunkDavid

In the words of Chris Rock.


"All drugs should be legal. Why? Because people want to get high. There are people thinking about getting high right now. You can take away all the illegal drugs and it still won't matter. People will just find new ways to get high."

I would argue that it should be decriminalized immediately, and then gradual steps to complete legalization should be taken over a period of time. This way the people don't have to worry about being jailed for marijuana use/posession, but they and the government will have time to acclimate themselves to the drug being fully legal.

What acclimatization needs to take place in this limbo period b/t decriminalization and legalization?

They must be Sicilians.

Well, I honestly do not want government regulation or big business to come into marijuana use at all; I see this as only being a bad thing. I would hope that people could create community growing collectives for medicinal and recreational purposes that are self-regulated, similar to such collectives that exist in California and Canada. If it is kept decriminalized for a period of time, it would allow the initiative for these collectives to take place, and they could begin growing when legalization is passed.

I don't know if any of this would work, but I'm terrified of having to go to the government for marijuana, or seeing brands of weed cigarettes sold by Philip Morris that have just as many additives as ciagrettes. It's a very sticky situation.

I'm with you on the gov't regulation criticism, but not with you on the big business one.

I would imagine that there would be both people that would take the time to grow their own or purchase from smaller outfits that put more work into their product for quality; as well as people that are too lazy or cheap to worry about that and just buy a mass-purchased product.

Kinda like the difference b/t Budweiser and Deschutes Brewery.

That's what I'm scared of; I think mass marketing would only happen to the detriment of the drug and it's quality, and that big business would ruin it. There's actually a part of me that only wants it to be decriminalized in order to avoid these situations. Like I said, it's a very problematic issue.

And I don't think that it would. Guess we just respectfully disagree.

Do you think that marijuana could become a commercial product without having the same problems as cigaretts, such as additives, taxation, and lower quality?