# Why are conservative against legalizing marijuana? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 1, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824 "2010-03-01T04:37:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/61 "2010-03-06T02:54:36Z")
At the root meaning of conservatism there are two basic defintions: One is, “tightly regulated or restricted”, and the other is, “in keeping with well-established principles”. It’s debatable which usage came first, but traditional mores tend to be more restricive of bahavior, so the connection is clear. Now then, a conservative scoop of ice cream is one that is carefully trimmed to be exactly one scoop. The amount equal to “a scoop” has been _well established_, going way back to when the scoop was made. It doesn’t mean a scoop plus a little extra, because before long it’ll amount to nearly two scoops and we might run out and some kids won’t get any Ice Cream. Now the private ownership of guns is also _well established_ in the US. Even aside from being codified in the 2nd Amendment, it had been a prevailing social condition going back to colonial times. In this case the restraint is on well-meaning expansion of laws to supposedly protect people from guns, but which would disrupt the social order and likely lead to unintended consequences. In this case, the emphasis on tradition goes so far as to upend the sense of being “tightly regulated”, and so gun advocates actually support a very _liberal_ set of laws. Similarly, economic conservatism with its oherwise “liberal” emphasis on minimal government regulation of business, is based on the historically established position here in the US. But it also contains an echo of classism, with its sense that “he who has the gold makes the rules”. There’s also the sense that the lower classes are seen as more prone to engage in corrupt bevavior and therefore more subject to restrictive social mores. With marijuana, we have both the sense of its use being tightly restricted, as well as the sense of it being foreign and associated with minorities and the “other” and so on. Alcohol, by contrast, is _well established_ in Western culture. But then again, there have always been religious groups that abstain from alcohol, and so are being conservative in the more restritive sense. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/62 "2010-03-06T16:09:25Z")
As a long time Pot smoker, (30 years), under most proposed regimes, I don’t want to see it legalized. Keep your corporate hands off my smoke. I don’t want to partake of a homogenized, regulated and taxed product. I don’t want to see the small businessmen who form the supply chain replaced by corporations. i don’t want to see it "branded’ and advertised. If legalization meant that all people would be free to grow buy and sell it, then fine, but you just know that isn’t in the cards. Government will decide who can produce and sell it, and they will tax the crap out of it. And who they choose will be the ones with the big bux to give in campaign donations, so that means big business. My local pot dealer will be put out of business, and I will wind up paying as much or more for bland and probably inferior product. I have purchased my supply from the same people for decades. i have never been arrested or heard of anyone I know being arrested for pot. So, lots of downsides, zero upside. That is why THIS conservative opposes legalization. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/63 "2010-03-07T01:06:40Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > I hate to ask this, but do you have a cite that shows that conservatives are against the legalization of MJ? I’d say it depends on the conservative, especially on the TYPE of conservative. > > AFAIK, most ‘conservative’ 'dopers aren’t really opposed to legalization, per se, so I doubt you are going to get much of a debate here. Every conservative that I know, including myself, wants to legalize marijuanna. Every conservative that I know, including myself, think that drug laws are stupid and counterproductive and that the Drug War is not winnable. We think the federal government does not have any Constitutional power to outlaw drugs. We think the Drug War is an intrusion on the rights and privacy of American citizens. We think no-knock raids are bad. We think American citizens should be free from so many unreasonable searches. The founding fathers did not outlaw drugs. Jefferson and Washington never once tried to put drug users or marijuanna smokers in prison. Not once!! We think the Drug War is simply a means to give money to judges, lawyers, police, and to the mafia. We think the amount of man hours spent by police stopping tens of millions of people, searching millions of people in order to be able to arrest a million people for possession of marijuanna could be better spent if the police went after “real” criminals. We think police and our prisons should be used to take violent criminals off the streets and not marijuanna smokers. We think the drug laws and the Drug War has made things worse , not better. We conservatives think that we had less drug use, less drug crime, 100 years ago before there were any drug laws. The conservatives I know are overwelmingly for ending the Drug war and for the legalization of drugs. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2010, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/64 "2010-03-07T07:31:36Z")
I’m a libral. However I have mixed feelings on MJ. MJ compared to say coke or meth or PCP is pretty much harmless. I honestly don’t give a shit if you smoke it. ( Although I HATE the SMELL…and I know many other people who feel the same way) BUT, there’s still the question of whether or not it may have long term side effects. The pro MJ people seem to think it’s completely and totally benign. I think in many people it’s pretty much safe, especially if you do it in moderation. However in some people (especially if they have things like ADD or other not exactly nereotypical issues) it might cause pyschotic behavoirs ( I lurk on a schieophernia board and I’ve seen a couple of people say that their docs told them that pot smoking can induce psyosis. I also just got back from Boulder and let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. My brother and sister in law smoke every single day. My brother is still OK, but my sister in law…she’ll sleep all day and all night, and has started acting really weird. (and before she was OK) Like she spent about four hours in my brother’s studio staring at her dental x rays, We went out shopping and she would immeditalty grativtate to a chair where she’d stare into space. She also was obessed with getting some sparkley rhinestones for some dumb bracelet, and she once wore her snowpants out on a warm night, when she and my brother picked me up…very weird. I think she may have had some sort of condition that was then triggered by the pot. ---
**Author:** ![TurboNuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f19dbf/32.png) [@TurboNuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TurboNuke)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2010, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/65 "2010-03-07T09:48:09Z")
I can’t figure out why liberals support the legalization of MJ. Liberals want to help people right? And we know that some people are genetically predisposed to being an addict. And so by exposing them to drugs we are dooming them to a life of addiction. But you liberals don’t care about those people. Eff them, I want to get high easily and it doesn’t hurt me. Sefish bastards. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2010, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/66 "2010-03-07T10:14:10Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever heard this argued before. What is the basis of your theory? As a pot smoker who recognises the observation **adhay** made, I can confirm that in my own experience, tokers are far more likely to offer their doobie to a complete stranger\*, than a drinker is likely to buy a stranger a drink. Make your own mind up what that says about the two groups. As to the OP, the answer is in the descriptor, **“conservative”**. These are the types of people who wouldn’t take a chance, unless they felt their lives depended on it. - Even if it’s an undercover officer, what’s the worst they can do? ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/67 "2010-03-07T16:39:04Z")
> [@TurboNuke](#): > > I can’t figure out why liberals support the legalization of MJ. Liberals do not support legalization. Liberals want laws, lots of laws, the more laws the better. Liberals want the government to be involved and to control, regulate, or prohibit just about anything and everything. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/68 "2010-03-07T22:22:29Z")
I find the premise of the OP slightly baffling in terms of my personal experience. Any “thinking conservative”\* that I know, have encountered, or even just read about, is at least tacitly in support of the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana. At the very least, they don’t really care much one way or the other. YMMV, as this is clearly anecdotal. There are some flip-side issues that most “thinking liberals” are open to as well. Gun rights might be one example, but there’s not as great a “pro” percentage there as there is with “thinking conservatives” who’re for ending marijuana prohibition. I think it goes without saying that if these politically “thinking” people were the only ones who voted here (USA) we would be a LOT better off. (Knuckle-draggers of all political stripes may disagree with that just a little bit, but fuck 'em. They are morons.) \*The term “thinking (insert party or political philosophy here)” is a very slippery and subjective term, I admit. One could define a “thinking (party/philosophy)” to be ‘anyone of an opposite viewpoint who agrees with a surprising number of my views’. But I think folks on this uniquely intelligent Board share (in a broad sense) similar views on what constitutes a “thinking” vs. “not-so-thinking” partisan because IMO, most of us here are of, or at least _close to_ being of, the “thinking” variety–whatever political views we hold. Yay Us! ---
**Author:** ![adhay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@adhay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhay)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/69 "2010-03-07T22:34:40Z")
Right! But keep that doobie movin’. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/70 "2010-03-08T00:53:34Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > Liberals do not support legalization. > > Liberals want laws, lots of laws, the more laws the better. > > Liberals want the government to be involved and to control, regulate, or prohibit just about anything and everything. Especially sex, right? :rolleyes: I can’t recall any liberals saying any such things. We’re really gone through the looking glass here. Doesn’t anyone remember when “permissive” was the popular epithet for smearing liberals? Some may have moderated their views or been cowed into silence, they have not flipped-flopped on these sorts of issues. Instead, the Right has switched to a more potent and damning narrative about liberals being “anti-freedom”. What we really need are survey results for MJ legalization among self-described liberals and conservatives. But I’d say that if there has been an uptick in support for legalization among “conservatives”, it has come along only recently. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/71 "2010-03-08T02:28:22Z")
Many conservatives are in favor of legalization because legalizing pot would get people out of expensive over-crowded jails at worse and into gainful employement at best; 2% of people in state prisons are there solely because of possession of MJ which adds up when you consider that there are over 2 million people in jail in the US right now, and that doesn’t include people in prison for trafficing. Legalizing is a economic plus given you won’t need to pay to house that two precent _or_ small time pot dealers any more. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/72 "2010-03-08T03:25:16Z")
My guess is the conservative antipot argument goes; if we legalize it and tax it that will be endorsing a social evil that if not directly then indirectly destroys lives, society and America itself. I’d go so far as to agree with them about Heroin on that point but nada on pot, conservatives would then mumble ‘gateway drug’ and cite questionable studies and use spacious logic. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/73 "2010-03-08T03:30:32Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > My guess is the conservative antipot argument goes; if we legalize it and tax it that will be endorsing a social evil that if not directly then indirectly destroys lives, society and America itself. > > I’d go so far as to agree with them about Heroin on that point but nada on pot, conservatives would then mumble ‘gateway drug’ and cite questionable studies and use spacious logic. You mean [specious logic](http://www.yourdictionary.com/specious). ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/74 "2010-03-08T03:40:03Z")
I’m a conservative - especially when it comes to small government vs. big government. So I’m all for legalizing marijuana…and heroin while we’re at it. It follows logically from conservative thinking. I’m an adult. I can decide what to do with my money, my body, my life, etc. So can you. It also makes for a smaller government, and I don’t have to pay taxes to catch, prosecute and jail drug users. BTW, in my personal life I average about one drink per week, never use anything illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/75 "2010-03-08T03:58:09Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > You mean [specious logic](http://www.yourdictionary.com/specious). Just when I thought I’ve fact checked every single word I post here I fall victim to a spelling error. I love and hate this place. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/76 "2010-03-08T04:36:29Z")
> [@Plan\_B](#): > > It follows logically from conservative thinking. I’m an adult. I can decide what to do with my money, my body, my life, etc. So can you. Conservative thinking is, “If our ancestors disapproved of it, they must have had a good reason, so we should disapprove of it too”. Marijuana is seen as a corrupt influence and conservatism is keen on nipping corrupt influences in the bud. It represents a loosening of standards and at times it’s use is even considered a moral outrage. And of course, ever since the 60s, dope smoking has been associated the hippies/leftists who are conservatives’ opponents, and indeed as responsible for the very brain-scrambling that causes liberalism. Next I’m going to be told I’m crazy for saying that people opposed to gay marriage are conservative. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/77 "2010-03-08T15:37:39Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > Conservative thinking is, “If our ancestors disapproved of it, they must have had a good reason, so we should disapprove of it too”. Its true that conservatives give importance to how our country was set up, and give importance as to how our founding fathers thought and behaved and what they wrote. Your point could have some merit, except that what you dont understand is that our ancestors, our founding fathers, did NOT!!! disapprove of personal possession of marijuanna/drugs. Washington, Jefferson, Madison, et al did NOT disapprove of it, and did NOT make it illegal. Our ancestors, our founding fathers, did not make drugs illegal. Therefore, once you understand that todays conservatives tend to use our ancestors and our founding fathers as a guide, then you should find out that today’s conservatives are for the legalization of drugs. Anybody who wants drug laws, anybody who wants the federal government to interfere into peoples private lives, is NOT a conservative. ---
**Author:** ![adhay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@adhay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhay)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/78 "2010-03-08T16:06:45Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > … Therefore, once you understand that todays conservatives tend to use our ancestors and our founding fathers as a guide, … In what universe? Neo-con regressives have completely (except in your mind, evidently) coopted the term “conservative” to mean, do anything to anybody for power and profit. Maybe you should consider re-branding yourself. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/79 "2010-03-08T17:20:39Z")
> [@Susanann](#): > > Your point could have some merit, except that what you dont understand is that our ancestors, our founding fathers, did NOT!!! disapprove of personal possession of marijuanna/drugs. > > Washington, Jefferson, Madison, et al did NOT disapprove of it, and did NOT make it illegal. > > Our ancestors, our founding fathers, did not make drugs illegal. The Founding Fathers were liberals. In those days, conservaties supported the King, because everyone’s ancestors had always supported kings. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824/80 "2010-03-08T17:43:55Z")
I’m looking for a cite with a more historical flavor, but in the meantime, you can’t tell me that this guy is not a conservative: [http://www.theclariononline.com/legalization-of-marijuana-is-immoral-1.2117295](http://www.theclariononline.com/legalization-of-marijuana-is-immoral-1.2117295) > [@](#): > > Those that say there is nothing wrong with non-medical marijuana, let alone legalizing it for recreational use, in my mind have low morals. > > Morals play a critical role in the strength of our nation. Morals prevent us from allowing fanatical and harmful practices to becoming acceptable or non-punishable under law; practices such as molestation, abortion, slavery, underage drinking, child abuse, communism, and torture. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-conservative-against-legalizing-marijuana/530824.md?page=5)