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| quote: | | Can I get some agreement from the libertarians here? |
I agree with the decriminalization of marijuana. At the soul of my reasoning is that people should have the ability to choose what they will and will not do with thier own body, as long as it does not affect another's ability to do the same. Sure you could come up with some convoluted reasoning of how someone smoking a joint somehow is a detriment to someone else, but that is BS.
From a medical standpoint (one near and dear to my heart), people that are going to abuse drugs are already doing so. Whether it is legal or illegal, people who have drug abuse problems will find a way to continue their habit. Prohibition did not decrease the number of alcoholics, just as increasing the cost of cigarettes has not led to a direct decrease in heavy smokers. Making a drug like marijuana (which I would argue has less heavy users/abusers in the first place) legal, would do nothing to the amount of people abusing the drug, although maybe increase its casual users. As stated before, the taxes gained by the sale of marijuana could be used to bolster the medical care expenses of someone suffering from a marijuana-related illness (which I have yet to see in my medical career). As already shown in the infamous French report of a few years back, in comparison to the effects of tobacco and alcohol, the effects of marijuana are not even on the same scale. Unfortunatly, to decriminalize marijuana in the US, we must now overcome a half century of propaganda from such sources as DARE, the FDA and the DEA. It will be a daunting task to convincingly show Americans the positive outcome legalization could bring, as their minds are now clouded with disinformation.
In the end though all of these health issues come down to common sense. If you abuse marijuana, just like tylenol, cough medicine or any other subanstance, there will be health issues. If on the other hand you use it in moderation and don't go to school, work or anything else that requires skill high, there are no bad effects associated with marijuana. Give people the truth and education to make up their own mind about it, and let people have the option if they so desire.
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