The continued prohibition of marijuana is far more harmful than the drug itself.

I think this will be a good one. Offhandedly, I would like to ask, do you think the prohibition of alcohol was a positive point in American history, and that it was a bad idea to re-legalize it? Here are some counter counter arguments. CC01: Whether or not the gateway drug theory does exist in concept, there is no evidence that links marijuana in particular to this gateway over alcohol. In fact as this study shows,(1) previous alcohol use is heavily associated with those who marijuana. The only aspect of marijuana that differentiates it from alcohol in the gateway effect is the access to a black market that deals in harder drugs. This black market access would be eradicated if marijuana could be purchased legally. CC02: While these student's may describe alcohol and cigarettes as easy to get, there are still legal impediments to doing so. If someone under 21 does not have access to someone over 21 to purchase them alcohol, they simply can't. The difference between this legal impediment and the legal impediment to the purchase of marijuana is that an age limit drives under age consumers to older friends or family, while prohibition drives them (and their money) to criminals. CC03: It is true that we essentially find reputable sources that both confirm and deny marijuana's link to cancers. While it may be questionable as to the true negative health effects of cannabis, it is not questionable that it is safer than alcohol. Simply put, 0 people die from excessive marijuana use per year, while 75,000 people die each year from alcohol related deaths. (2) That makes it the third leading cause of preventable death in America, right behind that other legal drug, tobacco. It is near impossible to overdose on marijuana, something that can't even be said of aspirin. CC04: Marijuana legalization is an entirely different issue than full scale drug legalization. I am not taking the position that you shouldn't be denied employment for smoking meth or doing heroin. These are drugs with an addiction potential far higher than marijuana with far wider societal consequences. While some users of marijuana become addicted, the majority have control over their use, and simply smoke the amount they want. (3) This can not be said of meth or Heroin. Gangs may begin to focus their efforts on harder drugs, but so will our police force. CC05: Again, I am not saying hard drugs should be legal. My main point is that the negative effects of marijuana are limited compared to the negative effects of its prohibition. The negative effects of hard drugs are well known and far more pronounced, so comparing them is pointless. Now to the counter arguments. C01: You must keep in mind the cultural aspects of marijuana use when analyzing any performance based study on it's users. Is it a direct effect of marijuana use that causes it's users to not graduate from college, or are those that do not graduate from college typically more attracted to intoxicants? Or the reverse, that those that stay in school and get good grades would be less likely to risk an illegal behavior. Not only that, but lowered performance in school is a thin argument to prohibit the responsible use of a substance. Television hurts kids' performance as well(4), but it would be a stretch to suggest that should be prohibited. Not to mention, stealing and selling drugs pales in comparison to the violent actions taken by alcohol users. In one study of interpersonal violence, men had been drinking in an estimated 45 percent of cases and women had been drinking in 20 percent of cases. (5) And that's just the tip of the iceberg. I am in no way suggesting those maladjusted actions are justified or acceptable, but a maladjusted minority is not grounds for criminalizing an innocent majority. C02: I agree that medical marijuana should be legal. It is a safe alternative to the much more addictive and dangerous prescription painkillers prescribed today. You state that 42% of people who use marijuana become lifetime users, but use does not equal abuse. More than half of everyone over the age of 12 describes themselves as drinkers, (5) but you wouldn't call 50% of America alcoholics. The only reason lifelong marijuana use is considered abuse while lifetime drinking is not is because of marijuana's stigmatization. In fact 6 percent of people between 50 and 59 reported marijuana use in the past year (6), while 19 percent of men and 13 percent of women in a similar age group drink 2 or more drinks per day. (7) C03: The evidence to suggest an increase in adolescent use after legalization is sketchy at best. In the one city that marijuana is quasi-legal, Amsterdam, only 20% of teens had reported using marijuana(8), compared to 32% of American teens (9). In all of the states that have legalized medicinal marijuana, there has been no increase in teen use, and in most cases a significant decrease. (10) This includes the oft maligned California, where marijuana is as close to legal as it gets in America. All of this being the case, one of the most important reasons for legalization is for personal freedom. As human beings, we should have the right to hurt ourselves in any way we see fit as long as it doesn't impede on the rights of others. Regulation can be set up similar to cigarettes to disallow smoking in public, and of course drugged driving laws can be implemented. Unlike alcohol, marijuana won't cause you to be aggressive, and unlike hard drugs, children aren't being driven into poverty by their parents soul crushing addiction. The responsible use of marijuana is very possible and is the norm with most users. Why inhibit people from doing something they enjoy that is no more dangerous than drinking, eating fast food, or driving a car when we could be reaping tax dollars, putting age limits, and focusing our police force on harder more dangerous drugs. (1) . http://clearinghouse.missouriwestern.edu... (2) . http://www.msnbc.msn.com... (3). http://alcoholism.about.com... (4) . http://www.revolutionhealth.com... (5) . http://alcoholism.about.com... (6) . http://www.alternet.org... (7) . http://www.northjersey.com... (8). http://sensiblecolorado.org... (9). http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov... (10). http://www.mpp.org...