This may be a touchy subject, but ..... Marijuana

[mrbstephens]

I'd like to add my 2 cents as a retired pot head.

I absolutely support the legalization of marijuana in every form. As some of you mentioned before most prescription drugs are far more dangerous than the most potent weed you can get. Addictive? Nope. Not physically, but mentally maybe. It's more like sugar. No physical withdrawals that even coffee would give you. When was the last time you've heard of someone overdosing from marijuana or getting into a car crash from being under the influence of it or checking into rehab for being addicted to it? But, alcohol is legal and doctors prescribe narcotics. :/

It's been proven repeatedly that the medical benefits are real as well as the massive amounts of use of hemp.

I know many many intelligent people of importance who use it. To relax or lesson pain. Many are professors and nurses.

Now, what would concern me with legalization is that like everything else that was ever good, it would turn to crap. Like soy or cotton for example. Genetically modified and doused with chemicals. Once again, growing your own would be the only way. As long as you don't get arrested for it.

 

[mrbstephens]

Oh, and I don't know if this was mentioned. Treatment for glaucoma, stomach upset, nausea, anxiety, depression, and pain.

 

[curly_kate]

100% legal. Grown on regulated farms to control content and quality. Taxed by at least 50%. People are going to get it any way. Kids are going to get it weather it's legal or not. Making it legal may make it more difficult for kids because it would wipe out the black market. Save a lot of lives on the border states. Stop wasting all the money on the war against drugs.

I agree 100%. Speaking as a former "rebellious teen" who smoked (pot and cigarettes) and drank, it was wayyyy harder to get cigarettes and beer than pot. A pot dealer is not going to demand to see an ID, that's for sure. I just firmly believe that the gov't makes more money keeping it illegal than legalizing. Altho I'm curious to find out if the gov't changes its tune once it sees how much California rakes in.

ETA: A friend of mine's brother grows pot illegally in California. He says that the legal pot trade has eaten significantly into his business and wishes they would repeal the medical marijuana law.