So why is marijuana still illegal?
Who’s against legalizing it anymore?
Oh god, not another one of these posts.
I take it you have reasons why marijuana should be kept illegal, avalongod.
More importantly tracer, why is marijuana so hard to find in Pittsburgh?
I mean, Christ!
It leads to harder things, like Altoids. Before you know it, there are hordes of kids hepped up on goofballs.
I think the kids could use a few more goofballs. Might give them a fresh perspective on Britney Spears.
Naw – on the right hallucinogens or euphoriants, even Britney Spears looks good. 
But seriously, folks:
What are the major groups in the U.S. that still want to keep cannabis illegal? And what are their reasons or feelings on the matter?
For the record: I don’t think there’s a conspiracy of mafiosos or drug lords or DEA agents worried about their jobs who are pulling the political strings. I’m guessing that the real pressure comes from an unfounded public perception that pot is addictive or immoral or a health risk. These types of opinions can get fanned into white-hot flames if they are directed against primal fears, such as the maternal instinct to protect one’s children or even good old-fashioned xenophobia. But what is the prevailing opinion among the anti-legalization crowd?
Take more walks in the depths of Schenley Park, thats where some folks I knew in college grew it. 
There doesn’t seem to be much white-hot emotion on either side of this issue. There’s much nastier stuff going down on the anti-tobacco front, and that’s legal. Mostly I think dope stays illegal out of simple inertia. People who want to smoke it can generally get it, and most states have lenient enough laws that it’s not that big a risk. But if that’s so, why keep it illegal? It just seems to have a certain taint to it. To a lot of people booze is just booze, but drugs are drugs. It’s not rational but it’s comfortable. They use the gateway drug argument, but sometimes they don’t even seem to believe it themselves. At the same time they’re willing to live with lax enforcement as long as we keep the laws in place. It strikes me as sort of an unspoken compromise. Not entirely reasonable and above board maybe, but what is?
Inertia is right, too many people are simply afraid to challenge the status quo because of the social ramifications of admiiting that so-and-so should be changed. Especially when voicing your opinion on this taboo subject gets you branded as a pot-head.
Mostly I think the change hasn’t happened because politicians don’t necassarily represent their constituants, here in Illinois they just passed a bill to make the sentances on ecstacy dealing worse. No one opposed it and who in their right mind would in terms of protecting their political status? The local politicians know that the best way to keep the herd happy is to buy into the small vocal minory and their drug hysteria, pass some token legislation and be known for their anti-drug policies.
Now if we can’t keep drugs from becoming more illegal (worse sentances) how will it be possible to legalize pot? I don’t think politicians take the pro-pot lobby seriously at all and even if they wanted to it would be a huge risk to their careers. So they keep it illegal and turn a semi-blind eye to it knowing full well that there will never be enough jail room for every convicted pot possesor or dealer.
That’s what “the people” want.
Marijuana is made illegal because the people elected the policy-makers who made that decision.
It remains illegal because a) the people who do vote vote for people who keep it that way, and b) the people who don’t vote are happy the way things are, and see no need to change things (ie, vote).
Perhaps a debate will begin.
Hunsecker:
Thanks for the thought, but it is not the right time of year for that. And during the outdoor harvesting season, this sort of dryspell is uncommon.
So it’s not so much a question of “WHY is it still illegal?” so much as it’s “Should it be legalized?”
I find the effects of pot to be a lot less serious than that of alcohol. Sure, one shouldn’t drive while really high, but that’s hardly a good argument against its legalization, right?
My position: Legalize marijuana… then the gov’t can save money on enforcing it, AND get a few more bucks on pot taxes. However, I don’t think we should let all those little kids smoke it… they’re stupid enough as it is 
I think the major reason people are concerned with legalization is simply that more folk (particularly kids) will use it.
Research evidence is pretty clear that there are SOME negative effects to cannabis use (though certainly they are minor compared to some legal substances such as tobacco and alcohol). But I think the concerns are 1.) Kids are not generally sophisticated enought to weigh the pros vs. cons when deciding to use any substance (witness tobacco). 2.) The whole “gateway drug” phenomenon.
My questions to the pro-legalization crowd (I personally don’t have TOO strong an opinion either way, though I lean anti-legalization) would be 1.) would more kids using pot concern you (given that kids are not nearly as sophisticated as the typical adult user) 2.) if not, when do you think is an appropriate age to begin smoking pot.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care to penalize adults for smoking (and I agree that the effects of pot smoking in adults are near zero). More concerned about the effects on younger generations, which may be more pronounced.
If there are no ill effects, why can you spot a pot-head from a distance?
What happens when pot becomes legal and all of the dealers are out of a job? Do they get mainstream jobs, or do they sell other illegal drugs, or do they move into other areas of crime?
Does anyone have an estimate of the number of pot dealers in the USA? Just curious. Someone in another thread said 5% of Americans smoke pot regularly. That seems to imply a very large number of dealers.
That may be true, but by that argument we should also outlaw alcohol. It’s generally been shown to be more dangerous, and there are certainly more people using it.
I think you were kidding, but there is something to the ‘pothead’ perception. Smoking pot is tainted, as I mentioned before. Drinking alcohol is not. In fact it’s often considered cultured in the case of wine, brandy, etc. But the pothead image is sometimes way off. I’ve gotten high with one of the VP’s where I work, and I can promise you no one would peg him as a doper.
I have collected a number of links on my web site dealing with hemp and marijuana. If anyone knows of other good ones, please let me know.
Personally, I’m all for legalization. (now if we could get the potheads off the couch and to the polls!!)
That sort of thing pisses me off…it’s right up there with pork-barreling. Politicians enforce such legislation because they know it will not be opposed and therefore they can put it on their list of legislation when they run for re-election.
Fucking politicians.
Now to the issue - I smoke pot. A lot. Maybe 2-4 times a week, unless I am away at school (I don’t have a pot group there and I know no dealers, plus I like to concentrate on my grades). As far as the stereotype, no one guesses I smoke pot. I have a 4.0 GPA in college and a full scholarship.
I think potheads do not fight for legalization because they have no trouble getting pot, smoking it, or hiding it. My friends and I smoke while driving at night, at a local secluded pier, at our houses, in our backyards. Suzie has a dealer and we call him when we want some. There’s a store donwtown that caters to our need for parephenalia. It’s not a big deal.
As for the drinking/high thing, I have one thing to point out. You can have 2-3 units of alcohol (depending on your weight) and still legally drive. Pot is the same - three people sharing one blunt or bong does not lead to a serious high. If anything, you drive slower (I usually manage to go the limit, which is rare) and therefore you are safe. Food for thought - I don’t want to argue the merits of this with anyone.
In reference to the comment about kids starting to smoke young, they already do. Seriously, I first smoked when I was 14 (I didn’t do it regularly until last summer). And kids have no trouble getting alcohol when they are young (believe me, it’s a hell of a lot easier than you think). So why would pot be different? Kids will expiriment - if they like it, they might do it often. Neither is addictive (I go for months without pot when I am at school and don’t care) and alcohol causes much more damage, from personal experiance.
I don’t care if they legalize it or not. I’ll still be smoking.
This pothead gets off the couch and votes in every election. And I’ve written to all my favorite politians.
My head’s got scar tissue from that old “brick wall”.
I’m tired. 
Peace,
mangeorge