Regulated/taxed recreational marijuana legal over the age of 25 & any age for validated medical use

These are also policies I would also propose for alcohol & smoking but Im just addressing marijuana right now. As for prescription drug, I believe they are being prescribed way too much, too high, and too often for things that could be handled naturally and propobaly wouldn't have happened or would not have been as severe if preventive natural medicine and diets were followed but all of those are a different debate lol Your argument over the legal age is 1) because kids at 16 (which state in the US? I know in Europe there might be but not here) can drink alcohol way not make the legal age 16? USA 21? As with alcohol, teens and young adults have shown statistically through out history that the vast majority ARE NOT mature enough to handle alcohol physically or b responsible enough mentally to know their limits, usually with terrible consequences. Drinking and driving among teens in high school has gone down by 54% since 1991 but high school teens still drive after drinking about 2.4 million times a month. Thats 2.4 million chances to get in an accident and cause injury to themselves, others, both, or even deaths. Of those 85% of teens who report drinking and driving in the past month, they also say they binge drank, defined as having 5 or more alcoholic drinks within a couple of hours. 1 in 5 teen drivers involved in fatal crashes had some alcohol in their system in 2010. Most of these drivers (81%) had BACs* higher than the legal limit for ADULTS. Young drivers, those between 16-20, are 17 times more likely to get in a crash after consuming alcohol, even just a blood alcohol level of 0.08% ! Which can EASILY be reached for a skinny teen with just 2 drinks. As I state before it has been scientifically proven in multiple studies and testing that the human brain does not fully form, especially those involved with decision making, till the ages between 20 -25, with 18 -20 being the vast minority and 23-25 the vast MAJORITY. Only with brain diseases and mental disabilities does the brain NOT fully form after 25 years of age. Thats why I set it at the higher level, just to cover bases. And alcohol has been proven to impair brain and motor functions, lower inhibitions and thought of consequences to action, then add that to a brain that already has lower inhibitions and thoughts of consequences connected to action .... recipe for disaster. Now marijuana in low dose and with low THC and high CBC has been show to exhibit symptoms equal to having 1-2 drinks in a 1-2hr period, with high doses and THC levels equal to 5-6 drinks in that same period. Thats one reason I advocate for restrictive dosage and strains with LOW THC/high CBD. I would equate that alcohol and recreational marijuana use and how it effects the body are similar if not vastly the same on many point in how it affects the human body and mind and our action during and after consumption. I DONT think general doctors should prescribe psychiatric drugs, only a psychologist - same for prescribing marijuana - Im sorry I didn't make the destination clear in my first round. 2 general medical doctors and one psychologist after reviewing the medical results. I advocate the testing because peoples bodies handle things differently, same with alcohol. One person can do 5 shots and still walk a straight line while anothers knees will buckle and they will be on the floor drooling. There should be testing for your general health as a anemic or obese person will react to marijuana more extremly then a healthy average weight person, possibly causing harm to themselves or others. Also the potential for addictiveness. Though it is a small percentage it does happen. Neuroscientists have demonstrated that marijuana affects the brain's Reward Center in exactly the same way as all other known drugs of addiction and animal studies have demonstrated consistent patterns of behavior when THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana, is given twice a day for one week and then suddenly withdrawn. Clinical reports of humans reveal a similar pattern of withdrawal symptoms during the first weeks of abstinence. Now I will content that these test were most likely using the popular high THC level marijuana, which I would argue elevates marijuanas potential of being addictive to those people with the genetic disposition for overall addiction. Thats another reason I advocate restricting strains to those with low THC and high CBD and registering growers/consumers in order to "weed" out those that grow, sell, consume the higher THC strains that more likely can cause addiction, and "bad trips". These genes helps create a predilection for addiction, but environment augments that tendency even more, such as stress from work, relationships, financial problems, health problems and self image. All things that you would want to escape from and just chill out, with marijuana an easy escape while not actively dealing with the problems which inevitably reoccur and then you need another fix and the cycle keeps going and going. That is why the last doctor is a psychologist. Even people who have a genetic lean towards addiction don't become addicts and those that don't have the genes can become addicts. How a person handle stress, life choices, and social interactions plays a factor too and testing by a psychologist evaluating their health, physically and mentally along with their genetics can best make the determination on whether a person has a greater chance of adverse side effects. I get the plant thing but it more about leveling the growing field so to speak for everyone. If there was no limit the market would soon be saturated and although prices for the consumer would go down, the growers would be putting in a lot of effort and getting pennies back instead of dollars or run out of business. It would be like the oil boom now with the excess oil and low prices but jobs getting laid off cause the companies can't make enough to pay them. As for the surveillance I get the big brother fear but under these laws it would be about protecting the grower from theft and illegal growing charges since they are restricted to growing only certain strains, at least for me. If an inspector pops in and finds an illegal strain, the grower can pull up they surveillance and show that a family member or trespasser put the plant in the mix to hide it and THAT person would then get arrested and charged, not the grower. I have a got nothing to hide, hide nothing attitude so surveillance doesn't disturb me except in areas where private part are exposed and the camera could pick it up like in bathrooms stalls, bedrooms, and certain doctors office areas. I understand that it does disturb others though. The school area exclusions is because I think its prudent. Same with the high walls. Since I don't advocate children, teens, and young adults before the age of 25 consuming marijuana unless prescribed by doctors for medical purposes, I think we should limit the amount of exposure these people have to it. Same with advertising marijuana and its derived products. It should be discreetly and not within common sight, knowledge of those under 25. They do it for smoking, alcohol, and porn though those laws and restrictions have become lax under the weight of industry lobbyist and hefty donations to politicians. The church is because I figure they don't want it anywhere near them anyway lol I would hope these measure wouldnt drive the illegal market unlike what it has done in recent states but I think that is because although SOME regulations have been loosened, its not completely "safe" to smoke/grow in license facilities cause it is still FEDERALLY illegal. I propose federally making it legal across the board under these rules, which I don't think is too harsh. The ability to get .5 ounces a month and grow 4 plants on your own, all WELL within reasonable consumption levels, AND access to another .5 ounces from recreational facilities will satisfy majority of casual and regular consumers, therefor they would have no need to buy from the illegal market unless they were addicted and needed a higher fix and more doses, by which they need drug consoling and detox instead of jail, at least the first time offense. And more punitive sentencing for illegal growers, dealers, and repeat consumer offender will eventually weed out the black market.