What's so wrong about smoking a little weed.

[MissCatholic]

Things everyone should know about marijuana prohibition...

Timeline:

1937 - Prohibitionist-Harry J. Anslinger, the Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics gets Roosevelt to pass the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937—without public debate, scientific inquiry, or political objection.

1940’s - Public service announcements claimed “Marijuana: assassin of youth; causing violence, insanity, and murder.”

50’s - Anslinger assists Senator Boggs in getting the Boggs Act of 1951 passed. This gave possession convictions mandatory sentences. Their slogan—Behind every narcotics peddler there is a communist preparing to overthrow our government.”

1956 - Anslinger persuades Eisenhower to push the Narcotics Control Act through congress. This put marijuana in the same category as heroin.

1960's - Hippies give pot a bad name. IMHO.

1970’s - Nixon used millions of dollars to set up the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. After strenuous testing the commission put out their first report… It concluded “Marijuana did not cause crime. Current laws against marijuana led to selective prosecution. The police were suspected of using these laws to arrest people with objectionable hairstyles, skin color, or politics. The enormous costs of trying to enforce laws against marijuana overwhelmingly outweighed any deterrent value of these laws. In conclusion, private use and possession should not be a criminal act.”

So what does Nixon do? Nixon formed the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). This combined all of the anti-drug agencies into one super agency. With over 4000 agents and analysts, the DEA had the authority to “request wire taps, enter private homes without knocking, and to gather intelligence on ordinary citizens”

1980's - This is your brain on drugs...

1990's - The "Medical Marijuana" movement starts to gain momentum. More propaganda from prohibitionists ensues.

Where we stand now… In 2002, about 54% of young adults (18-25) and 21% of youths (12-17) had tried marijuana. In the month prior to the survey in 2002, about 14.6 million people smoked marijuana. Of that 14.6 million, 12.2% smoked on 300+ days out of the year. That is close to 3.1 million daily pot smokers.

War on Drugs Cost:
1937-1947=$220 million
1948-1963=$1.5 billion
1964-1969=$9 billion
1970-1977=$76 billion
1980-1998=$214.7 billion

That's a lot of money! What would happen if the government ended marijuana prohibition??? Lets see... Over $11 billion in gross sales would generate tax revenue. Just a 6% tax (and we know it would be WAY more than that) on $11 billion would produce $660 million every year. Also, we can’t forget about the money spent on the “war on drugs”. Every year the federal government spends an estimated $19.2 billion, and the states combined spend about $77.8 billion. And people think the war in Iraq is expensive.

There will be more to come. Too much information for just one post

[MaC]

I agree-let's legalize.

[John Dibble]

It's good to see a very well thought out and researched argument from you Miss Catholic - keep it up. Although, really, you're preaching to the choir - most people here are for the legalization of marijuana.

[Bono]

Now something even less people know:
The federal ban on marijuana and hemp was enacted the same year DuPont secured it's patent on nylon. Coincidence?

[Richard]

So Democrats banned weed? WTF?

[Alcon]

Now something even less people know:
The federal ban on marijuana and hemp was enacted the same year DuPont secured it's patent on nylon. Coincidence?

I imagine that DuPont and other companies have endless patents on various different sort of fibres that could involve hemp.

And, yeah, probably, it was.

[MODU]

It's good to see a very well thought out and researched argument from you Miss Catholic - keep it up. Although, really, you're preaching to the choir - most people here are for the legalization of marijuana.

Most is right.    Keep drugs off the street . . . including "weed."

So Democrats banned weed? WTF?

HAHAHAHAH

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Couldn't say it better myself MissCatholic.  SAd, we have people sitting in jail for smoking weed..... : (

FREE STONERS!!!!!!!!! 

[Ebowed]

Preaching to the choir, but I agree regardless.  Legalize pot, definitely.

[opebo]

Couldn't say it better myself MissCatholic.  SAd, we have people sitting in jail for smoking weed..... : (

FREE STONERS!!!!!!!!! 

It is not just 'sad', it is really quite bizarre!  So bizarre in fact that it smacks of oppression just for the sake of showing the oppressed just how little power they have.  Like - 'we can ban anything we like, even if there is no reason at all!'

[Platypus]

at least in america they won't kill you foor possession of three ecstacy tablets...

[opebo]

at least in america they won't kill you foor possession of three ecstacy tablets...

Being sent to prison in the US is rather similar to a death sentence, particularly for the sort of people who merely smoke pot.

[MODU]

at least in america they won't kill you foor possession of three ecstacy tablets...

Being sent to prison in the US is rather similar to a death sentence, particularly for the sort of people who merely smoke pot.

It's ok.  The person has already killed off plenty of braincells, so he/she won't really notice.  hahaha

[MasterJedi]

Keep it illegal and use it to keep the creeps who do serious crimes in jail longer.

[J. J.]

I have never tried "weed" but I seriously doubt that it's any more harmful than alcohol.  Legalize and tax it.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Keep it illegal and use it to keep the creeps who do serious crimes in jail longer.

Why not just increase the sentences on those serious crimes?

[opebo]

at least in america they won't kill you foor possession of three ecstacy tablets...

Being sent to prison in the US is rather similar to a death sentence, particularly for the sort of people who merely smoke pot.

It's ok.  The person has already killed off plenty of braincells, so he/she won't really notice.  hahaha

I don't believe it 'kills off brain cells', MODU.  And they're expiring all the time anyway.

[Speed of Sound]

Couldn't say it better myself MissCatholic.  SAd, we have people sitting in jail for smoking weed..... : (

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Some day we'll wake up. Itll just take a few hundred more years.

[opebo]

Couldn't say it better myself MissCatholic.  SAd, we have people sitting in jail for smoking weed..... : (

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Some day we'll wake up. Itll just take a few hundred more years.

Yes, alas the tyranny is getting worse, not better Speed.

[Storebought]

I like the current marijuana laws just fine.

I dislike smoking in general, but I will end a friendship if I knew that friend smoked weed.

[MaC]

Keep it illegal and use it to keep the creeps who do serious crimes in jail longer.

Uhm, why?

[AuH2O]

There is no rational reason for it to be illegal. And it's good.

I mean, it does intoxicate you, so driving under the influence would apply to being high (as it already does).

But the idea smoking some bud is somehow different from shotgunning 5 beers in 10 minutes and then having a power hour is just ridiculous.

[Giant Saguaro]

Legalize an addictive substance that intereferes with judgment and coordination and over a long period of time has shown to cause people to develop psychological problems such as loss of interest in social activities and jobs.

It's bad stuff, it should remain illegal.

[YRABNNRM]

Legalize an addictive substance that intereferes with judgment and coordination and over a long period of time has shown to cause people to develop psychological problems such as loss of interest in social activities and jobs.

It's bad stuff, it should remain illegal.

You're too late. Alcohol is already legal.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Lets make a constitutional amendment forbidding the government from legislating on victimless crimes like this. Is what consenting adults do on their own time REALYL that important to you?