# What makes marijuana illegal?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-marijuana-illegal/306911>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 4, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-marijuana-illegal/306911 "2005-06-04T18:26:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-marijuana-illegal/306911/21 "2005-06-05T13:27:30Z")

</div>

> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#):
>
> While you disagree with existing U.S. drug laws–and this clearly isn’t GD–the term “hysteria” unfairly and inaccurately characterizes the mindset of most people opposed to marijuana and other illicit drugs. And while you and other posters might see illogic in existing laws, your opponents see similar incoherence in your position, suggesting no one has a monopoly on the truth–whatever the heck that is.

I think hysteria – and fear of the unknown and different – was a main ingredient in the original prohibitions; if the slate were wiped clean and the same laws proposed now, hysteria might not be as much of a factor.

But, as others have said as well as me, once a law is passed, it is darn hard to repeal, especially if it purports to “save lives” or “save the children” or whatever.

Some people feel that if a law exists, there must have been a good reason behind it, and it takes on a life of its own. Rarely is a law passed with a sunset clause that forces reevaluation of its raison d’être after a period of time.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-marijuana-illegal/306911.md?page=1)