An End to the War on Weed?

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• Reader Comments (8)

  Page 1 of 1 pages

  Every year, marijuana prohibition puts thousands of Americans in prison for a nonviolent, victimless crime that the last three US presidents have all committed.
  Tell Obama and your elected representatives that it’s time to legalize and regulate marijuana:

  http://tinyurl.com/LegalizeTaxIt

  Posted by greenferret on Apr 13, 2009 at 9:51 AM

  Anyone who has studied the issue knows there was NEVER a good reason for marijuana prohibition.  It was a fraud from the beginnin in 1937.  See:  http://www.druglibrary.org/Schaffer/History/whiteb1.htm

  The only thing that keeps this monstrously destructive, counter-productive fraud going is the power of the marijuana prohibition industrial complex.

  - John Thomas

  Posted by john.thomas on Apr 14, 2009 at 6:16 PM

  I think it is clear that marijuana needs to be decriminalized, but not necessarily legalized.  It is ridiculous that people get thrown in jail for having a joint and that needs to change.  A question that needs to be answered when considering legalization is how simple will it really be to legalize and regulate marijuana?  A key hurdle to this is that since it has been illegal for so long a strong underground culture in place.  Thee only way to effectively tax and regulate the product that hit the streets would be to 1: sell the regulated product at a low enough price that it takes away the ability of the average street dealer to compete, or 2:  use legal means to put them out of business. 
      The problem with the first method is how cheap and for how long?  Would a private company be willing to make that investment with the hopes that one day they would be able to get a corner on the market?  Any effort would almost surely have to be driven by the private sector as the likelihood of public support for government subsidized marijuana is very low. 
      The problem with the second method is that it would essentially be expensive hyper criminalization that would make little if any sense.  The US has wasted billions over the years combating the sale of marijuana with little effect.
      When it is all taken into account one has to ask what would be the benefit of legalization of marijuana?  Would people be able to enjoy a joint at a bar?  Considering the strengthening move in many cities and states to ban indoor smoking, probably not.  In fact with the current “war on smoking” it is unlikely that a marijuana smoker would enjoy much of an increase in freedom of use.  What would be gained is the piece of mind that comes with knowing that you won’t be prosecuted to the fullest extent for carrying a small amount of weed that is intended for personal use. 
      Such piece of mind would be granted by the decriminalization of marijuana.  Mr. Comp’s article points out that people tend to believe marijuana laws are too harsh, but don’t really support legalization.  The logical conclusion is that the focus should be on decriminalizing the drug in order to protect the average user.  Perhaps after that happens the issue of total legalization would be one that is sensibly visited, however the idea that the day when marijuana is totally legal is just around the corner is nothing more than a, dare I say, pipe dream.

  Posted by oserik on May 16, 2009 at 3:01 PM

  I am from Warren County Pennsylvania and I love my home here and don’t want to move. Please help us Pennsylvanians! I spent five years in prison here for growing plants for my own use as I have a hip replacement and arthritis. They treated me like I was the son of sam. My heart aches because it nearly ruined my family and I missed raising my oldest son throughout his vulnerable teen age years so now he hates cops and all authority. I am afraid what they did to me has made my son a very antisocial person and he will end up in prison too!

  Posted by Terry Knepp on May 24, 2009 at 3:48 AM

  An excellent article.

  Although I would never wish to encourage the use of marijuana apart from in medical situations such as Terry’s situation above.  I have seen adverse affects on my friends from pot however nothing worse than I have also seen from alcohol and tobacco.

  I wouldn’t agree it’s a victimless crime however growns up should be allowed to make their own choices when they don’t cause others harm

  Freeing up resources and perhaps making money from taxation to target other more serious drugs and crimes has got to make sense….doesn’t it ?

  Posted by Joe Simpson on Jun 11, 2009 at 9:13 PM

  Hopefully…legalization will soon be a reality..But Blackhorse wouldn’t bet on it…..If you lif a spliff…you best do it in private..regardless of the law, we are living in some very repressive times…...true.

  Posted by blackhorse on Jun 25, 2009 at 8:31 PM

  The US has wasted billions over the years combating the sale of marijuana with little effect.

  Posted by inthfapt on Jul 9, 2009 at 7:39 PM

  We all need the room. Buses need the room; roads need the room; computers need the room; countries need the room; lovers need the room. We can not call life without room the “life”. Without the room, we can not survive. In the world, there are too many people, too many wars, too many conflicts, too many problems, too much noise and too much indifference. In the earth, there is too little love, too little passion, too little care and too little sympathy.
  source: http://www.profiles.yahoo.com/blog/YQYRCX44XQH353R5AO3B3LJ6MM

  Posted by replicahandbags on Jul 28, 2009 at 10:08 AM

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Also by Nathan Comp

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• An End to the War on Weed?
  Marijuana advocates believe legalization is on the horizon.