Legalize Marijuana

I'll start off saying that some of your information is either wrong or unfounded. I might also add that it is a very weak argument for the continued criminalization of Marijuana. Most of your argument is based around your belief that legalizing Marijuana would increase the amount of users. This of course ties into another idea that prohibition deters potential users. Prohibition fails in any situation even beyond drug use. This is false and thus weakens the foundation of your entire argument. You're right I have no children, but this does not void my qualification in this argument. 1. "The increasing number of countries that have tried it and are tightening up their regulations because of increased crime and addiction." Your first argument is down right false. I don't know where you heard that and I failed to see any statistics backing that up. Portugal has decriminalized all drugs and have in fact seen a decrease in drug addicts. Portugal decriminalized all drugs ranging from Marijuana to heroin a decade ago. Since then violence, crime, and drug abuse has decreased. The Netherlands is also leading the world in reformed drug policy. Amsterdam is known for coffee shops and the Marijuana they dispense to consumers of the legal age. Past-year cannabis use among Dutch 15-to-24-year-olds dropped from 14.3 to 11.4 percent between 1997 and 2005. 2. "The addictive and medically destructive effects caused by marijuana." Given that Marijuana use would not increase, these supposedly unfounded destructive effects, would not effect anymore people then they do now. Actually Marijuana has many medical uses. "Cannabis and its derivatives have shown promise in a varieties of disorders. The evidence is most impressive in glaucoma, asthma, and in [combating] the nausea and vomiting of cancer chemotherapy. Smaller trials have suggested cannabis might also be useful in seizures, spasticity, and other nervous system disorders. 3. "Marijuana will become more readily available to kids in grade and high school." Legalizing Marijuana will actually make it more difficult for the youth to obtain. Under criminalization the regulator of Marijuana are drug dealers who's main goal is profit. With this, drug dealers often carry harder drugs to sell. Thus creating the gateway effect that Marijuana is so often criticized for. So legalizing Marijuana would have the substance regulated by the government. This means one would have to be 21 to purchase Marijuana. Many youth will tell you that it is easier to obtain marijuana than it is alcohol. Why is this? Alcohol requires an identification and an age of 21, whereas in the case of Marijuana, any kid can purchase the substance from a drug dealers who's intentions are unknown. The youth is safer under government regulated Marijuana than drug dealer regulated Marijuana. Legalization would also rid of the gateway effect that Marijuana currently holds under criminalization. 4. "The increased number of deaths that will occur because of those who will be driving stoned." This is a silly statement. A law that criminalizes Marijuana will not prevent anyone from driving under the influence. Since there won't be an increase in drug use, in fact more than likely a decrease, there will not be anymore stoned driving than there is now. 5. "The increased number of grade school and high school students that are currently getting stoned, which will only increase dramatically once marijuana is legalized in many states." "According to the latest report from the federal government, marijuana use by Colorado high school students has dropped since our state and its localities began regulating medical marijuana in 2009. This bucks the national trend of increasing teen marijuana use over the past several years. Nationwide, past-30-day marijuana use among high school students climbed from 20.8 percent in 2009, to 23.1 percent in 2011. Meanwhile, in Colorado, it dropped from 24.8 percent to 22 percent." "Anyway, there is no valid reason for anyone to get that stoned." There's plenty reason to get stoned. Besides its many medical uses, getting stoned every once and a while can be good for stress. When Marijuana is used in moderation it does no harm. Would you propose that taking Xanax for anxiety is better simply because it is a prescription drug? With much more potent psychoactive effects and higher chance of addiction, Marijuana is a great substitute for Xanax and many other much more powerful prescription drugs. "You are now going to say, well booze causes more deaths and accidents than pot so pot should be legal" Uhh, no actually I won't. That's not my argument. Try not to assume in debates. "Too many people have drinking problems, and many of these have drug problems too. Saying that pot is no worse than booze; therefore, it should be allowed is insane." Again, I didn't say that. Pot is actually far less destructive than alcohol by the way. Did you ever here of a dad getting stoned coming home and beating his family? Well, I haven't. Have I heard of a dad getting drunk and beating his family? Well yes, plenty of times. It's probably safe to say that is happening right now. "The survey found that 44% of high school students know a classmate who sells drugs at school, and 60% say that drugs are available on campus. Marijuana was the most-sold on school grounds, students said, as well as prescription drugs, cocaine and ecstasy." Yeah, this is under criminalization, your point? "And, the weed we were smoking today is much stronger than the weed we smoked in the 1970s. We usually smoked some local grown stuff that was strong; but, not as strong as the stuff grown today," So if someone is feeling pain they should take far more powerful and addictive opiates? Too many cases of drug addiction are caused through Oxycontin, when a good painkiller Marijuana could be used. You are right when you say Marijuana is addictive. However it isn't psychologically addictive and not physically addictive. Even then 1/10 casual Marijuana get "addicted." Criminalizing Marijuana puts non-violent dealers in a bad position. The government creates negative situations for small-time users and dealers for no good reason. Similarly the War puts cartels in a like position. Not to say that the cartels are not murderous scumbags , but the War in not helping this in any way. I understand that you believe that there is a level of success. But clearly that is not true. Their efforts to intercept drug trafficking makes no difference. Cartels still laugh with their massive profits. Though the DEA may get drug busts every now and then, it is a hopeless effort. In the long run any individual bust is rendered useless. The War on Drugs is a bottomless pit that the government is funneling millions of dollars into. Law enforcement is wasting man hours and lives for no reasonable gain. They could be fighting violent crimes. Legalizing Marijuana would effectively cut cartel profits by 60% since Marijuana is there main source of income. And if you are talking about the welfare of society than consider this: cartels are ravaging all of Central America. If you aren't aware, cartels and the drug war is destroying Mexico. It is an endless war that leaves hundred of thousands of lives dead in the crossfire. And for what? So I can't smoke weed in my room? The amount of people arrested for Marijuana use is absurd. Is this something not worth looking at? Also, Marihuana is a billion dollar industry waiting to be tapped into. Instead of Marijuana funds going to cartels, the funds could go to the government that can then in turn fund social programs. Sources http://www.forbes.com... http://newscenter.berkeley.edu... Conclusion of the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine. 1982. Marijuana and Health. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.