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by Markic on February 9th, 2006

Markic

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Why is alcohol legal?

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  • by RedJohn on February 9th, 2006

    RedJohn

    Why would it not be? There is no overwhelming reason why alcohol should be legal, nor is there any reason why it should be made illegal. Yes, some people are made sick by it or killed because of it, but far more people are killed driving cars. They're not illegal. Far from it: many consider owning a car a 'right'. On the other hand, marijuana is illegal and it causes far fewer deaths, injuries, and illness than alcohol or the automobile.

    In the end, making something like alcohol illegal is simply a method to achieve a desired change to or benefit for society through social engineering. We accept social engineering in many forms, but we reject it in many more.

    There is always the temptaion to make sinful things illegal, though. Prohibition was done for the best of intentions and was addressing a major problem in society, since overconsumption of alcohol by working-class men was a serious social problem. When gin can be sold as cheaply as clean water and you work twelve hours a day at back-breaking labour, what does one expect to happen?
    ------------------------------------------------------------
    Re: "merely driving a car does not impair ones judgement"
    True, but that was not my point. If we take the stand that the negative impact of alcohol, drugs, disease, poverty, and crime, five of many possible examples, should be alleviated through social engineering, do not the deaths of 50,000 people every year from automobile accidents in North America warrant a similar response? Driving a car is a lifestyle choice for many. Why is marijuana illegal, while driving a car to work is not when it kills and maims so many more - drivers, passengers, and bystanders? I'm a living, but limping example that cars are quite impartial.

    A devil's advocate may ask: why this and not the other? These are elements of the relationship between the individual and the collective that is society. We make these choice constantly, both as individuals and as the collective which forms our society.

    Comments

    • huh?"but far more people are killed driving cars" while they are drunk? merely driving a car does not impair ones judgement

      notmrjohn

      by notmrjohn on February 9th, 2006

    • Makes some good points and addresses the (unfair) criticism well.

      mister_c

      by mister_c on February 10th, 2006

    • Exactly - but, alcohol destroys far more lives socially, abusively, and dangerously that marijuana

      CuriousGTime

      by CuriousGTime on February 10th, 2006

    • So, So

      Almobert

      by Almobert on February 12th, 2006

    • "On the other hand, marijuana is illegal and it causes far fewer deaths, injuries, and illness than alcohol or the automobile." Have you ever stopped to consider that the reason fewer people die from pot is because it is illegal? You know, most people are law abiding citizens.

      Anonymous

      by Anonymous on August 3rd, 2007

    • b.s legal or illegal tell me "one" person who died from the use of marijuana. Marijuana is illegal because they can not control the revenue. If it was legal than obviously anyone could grow there own plants which wouldn't be good for business. Money is the reason alcohol is legal. Your preferred alcohol beverage is probably to hard for the average person to make themselves, But marijuana you can pretty much throw a seed in some dirt and that's it. Money is the biggest problem in this world see if that ever becomes illegal.

      Anonymous

      by Anonymous on November 21st, 2008

    • Keep telling yourself that nobody has ever died from marijuana. That will not make any more true, but whatever lets you rationalize your belief seems good enough for you. Oh, and if marijuana is only illegal because people can grow there own and therefore, it cannot be taxed, how do you explain tobacco. You can grow your own tobacco too, yet cigarette companies seem to be doing fine.

      Anonymous

      by Anonymous on November 24th, 2008

    • Yah driving kills us in two ways. What do you get when you put garbage in a fish tank? The earth!

      Steve_G8672

      by Steve_G8672 on March 27th, 2011

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