re: so the 2 states with legal pot have their nfl teams in the superbowl

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A realistic concern for recreational users of marijuana is whether or not they will become addicted. There are no easy answers to this question. In my opinion, the most unbiased book on this and other related topics is The Science of Marijuana (2008). The Science of Marijuana is written by Leslie L. Iverson, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Cambridge in England. In the book, he reviews decades of international research on marijuana, both laboratory research and survey research. Based on his review of the scientific literature, between 10 to 30% of regular users will develop dependency.

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Between 10-30? That's some great research there. From PERSONAL experience. cannabis is not addictive. I smoked pretty much every day and had to quit for a period of time. Guess what? I had no physical withdrawals at all. When I stopped smoking cigs, I had huge physical withdrawals. If you drink coffee everyday, try stopping cold turkey and tell me how you feel. Plus, that research was done by a Professor of Pharmacology. Yea, he's unbiased. How much money do you think Big Pharma stands to lose if weed is legalized? A shite ton. Why do you think they are the biggest lobby against legalization. And let's not forget about the police and prison lobby. Many folks stand to lose their jobs if herb is legalized. Yea, they're unbiased. Private, for profit prisons with a guaranteed occupancy rate from government stand to lose a ton of money. Yea, they're unbiased. One question. Are you a Christian? If you are, do you think GOD made a mistake by putting that plant on earth? It's still against the law to drive under the influence. That includes prescription medication, which about half our country is on. Let adults make decisions for themselves. FREEDOM!

The arguments against legalization in this thread are pretty funny. "You just wanna legalize it so you can get high!" Well, why don't you want it legalized? Just because you don't want or plan on using it doesn't mean you have the right to deny others.

Nevermind the massive amounts of money the government is missing out on by not taxing it. Just think about how much money goes into the failed war on drugs (against marijuana in particular) and how much violence is perpetrated by the cartels of central and south america that could be eliminated by legalization in the US. Meanwhile, people are perfectly okay with the widespread use of painkillers / anxiety medicine that is easily available to the masses here that can cause and does cause far more devastation than marijuana ever could.

We should make fatty foods illegal. They kill people and drive up insurance premiums. You people only want fatty foods to be legal so you can eat them!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big government is fun!

Here's my reply to DwagsLife and Vox:

Hi, I am 36 years old, and I do not smoke pot, I quit smoking cigarettes on Nov. 30 (almost two months without a relapse ), and I only drink occasionally.

I have smoked pot in the past, primarily in my teens and early 20s. Pot and I never really got along - I mainly did it because someone else was smoking it. I had many friends who smoked on a regular basis. While pot was never my thing, I never saw the people who did enjoy it as being evil or losers or bad - hell, some of the regular smokers I knew in college were also honor roll students who have gone on to do amazing things. Though, just as there are morons who abuse alcohol and make dumb choices, there are also morons who smoke weed and make bad choices.

The first car accident for which I was at fault happened because I leaned down to retrieve a cassette tape from the floor. Sober as a church mouse. Dumb, teenage choice.

When I was 24 I had a terrible bout of the flu and took some Theraflu. An hour later I realized that I needed to pay a power bill and decided to drive over to the GP office and drop off the check. I started hallucinating about five minutes into the drive. Scared the shite out of me. I pulled over and found a phone to call my roommates to come and get me. Dumb choice.

I consider myself a fairly intelligent person, but like many people, I made some dumb choices in my youth behind the wheel. I still make the occasional bonehead move. None of these lapses in judgement involved marijuana or alcohol, but they were dumb all the same. Not sure anything the government could legislate would have prevented me making those choices, short of raising the driving age, banning OTC flu medicines, or banning cars outright. But, if any of those things were to happen, where does it stop?

Collectively, we've given our government license to legislate a lot of lifestyle choices - things that could potentially affect other folks, but a lot that really doesn't affect anyone but the individual. I don't believe in limiting freedoms that don't affect another's right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You might argue that when a person drinks and gets behind the wheel he is doing exactly that. And I agree. And we have laws that say "you can't drink alcohol and drive and if you do there are consequences." But, I don't believe that a "potential" threat is worthy of legislation or making something illegal - it's a slippery slope that we need to stop careening down.

There are plenty of laws protecting people from morons who drink and drive or smoke and drive. We don't need anymore. We don't need anymore laws written by busybodies who think they KNOW how people should live. Keep it simple. Stop criminalizing things that aren't criminal.

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Just think about how much money goes into the failed war on drugs (against marijuana in particular)

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Particularly the billions every year that this country spends putting people in prison for possession on marijuana.

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'm sure the government has misappropriated some of the HOPE funds, but if you're genuinely arguing that the program hasn't helped the state (particularly UGA) then you're way off base.

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Dude. Did you read my post?

Just like the arguments made for the lottery. And, it HAS helped education...no argument, there

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I support legalization of marijuana because I think it can be better regulated, and taxed if it is legal.

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Regulated in what way? how would they regulate it? Cigarettes are legal and the Mafia still sells tax stamps to amke money off them. You don't think they will do the same thing with marijuana?

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Some people will drive high, there is no denying that. I would support significantly higher fines for drunk driving/high driving/etc.

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I go along with that. Trouble is, we now have penalties and still have people driving around and getting caught DWI 4 and five times. It isn't until they kill somebody they get serious.

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Not trying to cast aspersions on anybody, but if you consider yourself a small-government minded person (as I do) I have no idea why you think prohibition is a good idea. It's never worked, and it was the progressives who supported the prohibition of alcohol.

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A misconception about prohibition is that it did not work. Why? because of all the violence that sprung up and people still got alcohol. however, I can assure you...more people get killed from drunk driving than they ever did from prohibition.

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Well, why don't you want it legalized?

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Have you not been reading? Traffic accidents double for users smoking. That's a pretty good reason all by itself.

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Nevermind the massive amounts of money the government is missing out on by not taxing it. Just think about how much money goes into the failed war on drugs (against marijuana in particular) and how much violence is perpetrated by the cartels of central and south america that could be eliminated by legalization in the US. Meanwhile, people are perfectly okay with the widespread use of painkillers / anxiety medicine that is easily available to the masses here that can cause and does cause far more devastation than marijuana ever could.

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I am not ok with taking any drugs in an illegal fashion. And, as I said..if it is taxed and they put a tax stamp on it like they do tobacco, the mafia will just counterfeit the stamps, sell them and still make money on it. You won't stop crime or corruption by legalizing it.


Sorry...gotta run again...but I'll try to check back tomorrow.

nobody is going to buy from a dealer after it gets legalized

The guy put weed on the same level as child frickers so yeah he will never be set straight