Marijuana Legalization

Ok, it seems like my opponent is not really interested in providing any facts to support his opposition to legalization other than to state "it's bad". I, however, will provide some facts to counter his position as well as some others that support my own. First a look at his statements: "it is a completely unnecessary nuisance to society." -Marijuana for personal use is no more a nuisance to society than watching a movie loudly in the confines of your own home. "It's clear what will happen if my opponent has his way, just like the cigarette companies, their will be marijuana companies making their product irresistible by lacing it with addictive substances" -How is this clear? Marijuana on the street is marketed by it's potency, purity, strain, and organic growth techniques like hydroponics. This concept makes absolutely no sense. Cigarettes require an addictive substance because they otherwise serve no use whatsoever. Furthermore, the organic substance in cigarettes- though added in larger quantities by some companies- is naturally occurring in tobacco. There are no naturally occurring addictive substances in marijuana. "people will become slaves to it and loose great sums of money that could be used in MUCH more productive ways" -According to what? Making unsubstantiated claims does not make for honest and/or logical debate. 'My opponent will probably say, "well, we'll just let people grow it"' -The growth of marijuana in modest quantities for personal use is a concept I fully support. "and that's a great idea, put it right in the open for all the youth to get a hold of and become pot heads." -That's a deductive fallacy. First off, I am not supporting the growth of marijuana in the living room. Responsible adults should have the sense to keep live marijuana plants in a place where they can grow healthy- this is usually out of anyone but the grower's reach or view. Second, the presence of live marijuana plants is not motivation for anyone who is not already a pothead to become one. Third, responsible adults will educate their children. As with alcohol and guns, ownership or presence of these in your home does not mean your child will be a killer or an alcoholic. "Stats show that smoking marijuana leads youths to try worse drugs like crack cocaine" -That's not true. In fact, recent trends suggest that a rise in marijuana use has coincided with a decline in hard drug use http://www.monitoringthefuture.org... http://www.monitoringthefuture.org... "eventual death" -There is not one recorded marijuana death in it's 8,000 plus year history, yet thousands of people die annually from prescription drugs, alcohol, cigarettes... even from eating too much McDonald's. http://drugwarfacts.org... "Once people are addicted, they will do anything to get that drug for their "high", this is why we see so many addicts resorting to theft to get money to pay for their drugs." -This has absolutely nothing to do with marijuana. "I don't see a benefit for society by legalizing marijuana" -I will name a few: 1. 44.3% of non-violent criminals arrested in 2008 for possession were arrested for possession of marijuana for personal use. http://www.fbi.gov... This accounted for a total of 429,605 arrests. Using 2005 numbers for the cost (which one would expect would have risen in 2008), that accounts for a total of 4.5 Billion dollars. http://www.norml.org... The legalization of marijuana for personal use would free up this money to use in other areas of law enforcement, or drug treatment and prevention. 2. The US spends about 50 Billion dollars a year to fight drugs. About 50% of drug offenses prosecuted in the US are related to marijuana. Legalization could save the government about 25 Billion per year. http://www.drugsense.org... 3. Legalization in California alone has the potential of earning the state 1.2 Billion in taxes, and upwards of 12 Billion dollars annually in associated income from the legal regulated sale of marijuana. http://www.canorml.org... Over 500 economists, some Nobel Laureates, agree- http://economics.about.com... 4. Illegal grows can harm the environment. There are benefits to the environment in legal, government regulated grow operations. http://www.recordnet.com... 5. 14 Billion dollars per year are generated for Mexican drug cartels through the sale of marijuana. Legalization would strip a great deal of that money away from the cartels, and proceeds from the legal sale of marijuana, taxation, and other fees can be used to support law enforcement in other ways. http://www.alternet.org... Marijuana has the same effect on law enforcement, and underground society that prohibition of alcohol did. Figures like Al Capone would not have been so popular, so financially successful, or so dangerous had alcohol been legal in their time. Only hardened criminals benefit from prohibition. 6. Marijuana has been proven to have positive effects on the following diseases: Crohn's Disease AIDS/ HIV Glaucoma Multiple Sclerosis Epilepsy Scoliosis Fibromyalgia And other chronic diseases and ailments. The largest organized group of doctors in the US, The American Medical Association (AMA), has recently urged the US government to reconsider scheduling of marijuana. http://www.latimes.com... 7. Many drugs currently prescribed for diseases that can be treated by marijuana are far more toxic, and far more dangerous. Legalization of marijuana can save thousands of lives lost to these drugs. http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org... I await my opponent's response.