The legalization of Marijuana is likely to have a more favorable impact than current policy

First of all, let me state that my opponent's arguments are not scientifically sound, and are more in tune with the "Reefer Madness" myths. I will dispell some of these myths (with scientific, experiencial, and testimonial evidence). Furhtermore, you are not debating, rather asking me to educate you on the issue (which isn't a bad thing), but you shouldn't be opposed to something without doing the proper research. Let me attack each point specifically, as I am not a good debater and this seems to be my best method: "How would lower street prices help?" -Lower street prices would make the dealers less competative. They would be forced to seek legal means of growth and distribution. Most are already WILLING to distribute legally, but are not allowed to. Legal grow houses would allow for regulation of safer growing environments (not that they're unsafe, rather from law enforcement) which would provide LEGAL income to those employed, as well as taking them out of the "underground" where they currently stand for the most part. Given the controlled quality of legal marijuana, many street dealers have already lost competitiveness, and users are for the most part aquiring marijuana (in California for instance) through dispensiaries. "That means people will still go for the more dangerous version on the streets because it's cheaper dealers would not decrease they would increase." -Prices would fall over all. Not only that, but the majority of users are about quality and would rather pay more for less good quality, than less for low quality which has more undesired side-effects like tiredness which is not the result of THC, rather other cannabinoids found in marijuana. "It's just like a bootleg DVD the quality may not be as good but it's cheaper." -Many people who watch bootlegs are after the "experience" of the movie, not the byproducts associated with marketing the movie like sound, visual effects, etc. If they ARE after that they go to the movies, by an entertainment system, by the DVD, etc. These are people who are concerned about quality (as the majority of users). "We supposedly regulate alcohol and give stiff punishment to those who give alcohol to minors but it doesn't seem to be stopping minors from getting it how would this be any different?" -You can't "stop" minors from getting ANYTHING, you can only try to control, reduce, and educate. Regardless of whether or not stiffer laws have "stopped" minors from getting alcohol or tobacco or not, there has been a reduction in minor use(http://www.cdc.gov... http://www.cdc.gov...). "Marijuana is just as much a harmful drug as all the others." -Not true. (http://www.drugwarfacts.org...) Though marijuana has probably a 10,000 plus year history, there is not one documented death attributed to marijuana use. "A drug that affects your dopamine levels so that you're always content on how things are no matter how bad things are or how sick you are seems pretty dangerous to me." -You're right, but marijuana does not have that effect, and YOU have the burden of proving this claim (since you made the claim). "There is no such thing as a safe environment when it comes to weed." -Home is the safest environment possible. "If you get hooked it's over and if you have legal access to if you might as well give up your house and family now because if you're always happy and content you won't care about going to work, you won't care about what's going on in the family and you won't care about life because you'll be to busy being happy." -No offense, but this is a very ridiculous claim. Let me give you a list of very wealthy marijuana users who have not "given up their house, family, etc." because they're "always happy": Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson (who recently persuaded Bush to endorse research), Montel Williams (an ardent medical use advocate and user), George Clooney, Snoop Dogg, Jennifer Anniston, Larry Hagman, Stephen King, Bruce Willis, Oliver Stone, Aaron Carter, Madonna, Richard Branson (the BILLIONAIRE), Johnny Depp, Prince Charles (yes, THE Prince Charles), George Washington Carver, Brad Pitt, John Sinclair, Jack Nicholson, Arnold Scwarzenneger, etc. etc. etc.- O, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and many others! "Who's going to do the regulation and taxes when there all high." -The United States Department of Agriculture. "the only thing this drug can be used for in medicine is for pain relief and should still be used only in the worst of the worst situations." -Not true. Scientific data indicate the potential therapeutic value of cannabinoid drugs, primarily THC, for pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation. The psychological effects of cannabinoids, such as anxiety reduction, sedation, and euphoria can influence their potential therapeutic value. Those effects are potentially undesirable for certain patients and situations and beneficial for others. "I mean at least those don't make you think the sky is purple down is up and that signs are staring at you." -Marijuana doesn't do this. You can, however, loose all inhibitions when using alcohol and "blackout" to the point where the next day you don't even remember what you did. Other drugs have a similar effect. Marijuana does not. "That is an over exaggeration most prescription medicine is not shared with the family" -I didn't mean "shared". (http://www.mediacampaign.org...) This file shows how prescription drug use by children 12-20 is as prevalent, if not more, than marijuana use in the same age range. Where are they getting those drugs? On top of that (as referenced earlier), prescription drugs are as much as 30,000 times more dangerous than marijuana. "Yes it would free up 60,000 jail cells but fill many more hospital beds and graves because even though it's almost impossible to overdose the weed can still hurt you and others" -I have shown statistics proving marijuana is nowhere near as dangerous as you paint it... "Any person with a touch of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder would wig out whether they smoked the weed or inhaled the second hand smoke because of their chemical imbalance and the dopamine inducing effect of the drug. And since some of them are violent this could end badly for them and those around them and don't for get about all the other mental disorders that go undiagnosed and untreated." -I read that study and you are misquoting it, however, since you brought it up it is your burden to prove your statements. You didn't read the study, you are quoting media hype over a recent study. The media hype ignored certain factors within the study... like the fact that all those studied were schizophrenic! It did not compare the effects in SANE individuals. Bipolar Disorder is one of the diseases for which marijuana is mostly prescribed... so unless you are an MD challenging the word of thousands of other American MD's, then you are just simply wrong. "If we lost all stress nothing would get done and that includes the things needed to keep the house and feed yourself you cold starve your self to death and never know. That is dangerous probably the most dangerous side effect there is." -My friend, you are very misinformed on the effects of marijuana. This is tantamount to me arguing that the moon is made of cheese because I was told it was. It's true- many lazy people use marijuana, but that is not to say marijuana users are lazy. If they were all lazy then the percentage of users wouldn't go up with education. High Times and countless other magazines wouldn't be published continuously on time. Rappers, like 50 Cent, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, etc., wouldn't be able to perform upwards of 150 days per year (sometimes 75 days out of 90 days of summer... I know, I'm a recording artist). Ran out of room