There are lots of theories about policy. They all have a problem though: their premises don't always lead directly to their conclusions. A simple example is economic policies: Karl Marx sounded sincere, but he glossed over the lack of incentive that straight-up socialism provides. (Let's not hijack this thread here; that was only an example and I would rather find another one than debate economics.)
My take on it is that it is best to look at real-world history. Using the above example, we'd look at the U.S.S.R's stunning
rise to an indestructible, fair, proletariat-oriented superpower abusive autocracy which killed more people than the Holocaust and led to its eventual collapse.
So now lets look at Prohibition. (With a capital 'P', relating to the amendment to the United States constitution.)
Doesn't it sound nice on paper? No more drunken people, no alcohol poisoning, no fetal alcohol syndrome, no drunken fights, clearer decision-making from the general populace, etc.
What did Prohibition actually bring? A sharp increase in organized crime, bootleggers, a loss in taxes gained from the legal sale of alcohol, and people drinking denatured alcohol. It was that last point which caused the death of over 100,000 people. Before, people could drink alcohol which was guaranteed to be safe in moderation. (Sort of...) Afterwards, they had no idea.
This applies to drugs as well. Some drugs are inherently dangerous and can kill you in one go. Ironically, 1/3 of people who try inhalants for the first time
die, but I can buy inhalants legally with cash at the nearest corner-store shop. Marijuana is heavily debated, but it seems to me that cigarettes are just as dangerous, if not more carcinogenic and filled with stuff. By stuff I mean arsenic. And nicotine. When marijuana is ingested (not smoked), you get no tar, no arsenic, and only a psychological (not a physical) addiction. Chocolate is psychologically addictive.
If marijuana were legalized by the state, you'd get all of this for the low price OF JUST
BTC19.95!
sorry, I just wish I could be as cool a seller as Billy Mays.1. Tax money
2. People consuming safe (in the sense that legal tobacco is "safe" -- it's not just parsley and arsenic mixed together by some shady guy with a beard on his foot) marijuana
3. People not going to gangs for their joints
4. Medicinal use without a grey area
5. Hemp growing -- did you know that the United States is the world's largest importer of hemp? Hemp is a mother-effing super-doohicky! Fabrics, rope, food, fuel, AND it's easy to grow sans-pesticides!
6. Other cool stuff like jobs
- It's not just about marijuana, but marijuana makes a good starting point.
- Like I said, look at history. Learn from it.
Profit!
- Marijuana wouldn't be a "gateway drug" if it were legal; cigarettes aren't one.
- I am pro-freedom. A guy in another thread said even suicide should be one's own choice. I wonder where the line between morally right (painful terminal illness?) and morally wrong (I need attention, and my girl left me, and I'm 12?) euthanasia is, but that's also offtopic. Marijuana is far from suicide, and I think it and other things should be one's own choice.
- Education is key.
