Should Marijuna Be Legalized??? Why or Why Not?

I don’t understand why they don’t legalize it and regulate it like alcohol and tobacco. I don’t think you’ll see any good reasons to keep it illegal, other than to justify keeping thousands of people in jail and secure funding for the DEA.

The irresponsible use of alcohol and automobiles kills tens of thousands of people every year. Why don’t we outlaw them?

Sadly, many respondants to questions like these are young, inexperienced, or just relying upon what others say! If I want an opinion about heart surgery, I’m NOT talking to my local dope dealer.

Marijuana affects memory, judgment and perception even in the short-term, as was found in a study conducted by Pope and Yurgelun-Todd published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It can mess you up in school, in sports or clubs, or with your friends. Several studies, including one reported a few years ago in the American Journal of Public Health, indicate that if you’re high on marijuana, you are more likely to do things that could embarrass or even hurt you-such as driving under the influence or engaging in risky sexual behaviors. For athletes, THC’s effect on timing, coordination, and movement-which can last for several hours-can seriously hurt performance. NCADI

Over the long term, smoking pot can cause you to lose interest in how you look and how you’re getting along at school or work. NCADI It can also be much worse for your respiratory health than smoking cigarettes; the amount of tar, carbon monoxide, and cancer-causing chemicals inhaled in marijuana smoke are three to five times greater than that inhaled from the same amount of tobacco smoke. (NIDA Infofax)

It’s important also to remember that marijuana is an addictive drug, responsible for about 60% of all the teenagers who seek admission to drug treatment centers in the U.S. Smoking marijuana leads to some changes in the brain similar to those caused by cocaine, heroin and alcohol. (Di Chiara’s study-in NIDA information). Research at the University of Columbia demonstrates that people who regularly smoke marijuana experience withdrawal symptoms after they stop using it. (NIDA)

American Council for Drug Education
164 West 74th Street
New York, NY 10023
212-758-8060
1-800-488-DRUG
http://www.acde.org

Families Anonymous, Inc.
P.O. Box 3475
Culver City, CA 90231-3475
310-313-5800
1-800-736-9805
http://www.familiesanonymous.org

Nar-Anon Family Groups
P.O. Box 2562
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274
310-547-5800

Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
P.O. Box 9999
Van Nuys, CA 91409
818-773-9999
http://www.na.org

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD)
12 West 21st Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10010
1-800-622-2255
http://www.ncadd.org

National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
P.O. Box 2345 Rockville, MD 20847-2345
301-468-2600
1-800-729-6686
http://www.health.org

National Families in Action
2957 Clairmont Rd., Suite 150
Atlanta, GA 30329
404-248-9676
http://www.emory.edu

National Institute on Drug Abuse
6001 Executive Blvd
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9561.
301-443-1124
http://www.drugabuse.gov

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

The above list of resources have much higher “standing” and knowledge than any one pro or anti marijuana advocate on here…in my opinion!

Best wishes.

Legalize it why not? according to history channel, it was banned because of discrimination against the mexican immigrants. As well as opium was banned because of the discrimination against the chinese immigrants.

This is for MSI’s comment… than high fructcose corn syrup should be illegal. It offers no benefit to society – it just makes us fat. Same with cooking oil…

Marijuana should be legal, because comparative stress relievers – cigarettes and chewing tobacco cause more harm… than Marijuana.