It is a drug. Its a substance that alters a persons state of being. It does have negative side affects, whether people want to admit it or not. A lot of people think its harmless and a lot more people think "Tobacco is worse and its legal!" So? Who cares? Thats no argument, it's still dangerous and it still ruins peoples lives, whether there's something worse out there or not is irrelevant.

it is a drug, and a dangerous one at that...people who thought it was harmless are now finding out after years of taking it that it was not what they thought- the Australian courts are full of people whose minds have been so altered as to become schizophrenic as a result of pot smoking. Horrible crimes have been committed that the person cannot remember having done. Car crashes are occurring because judgement is impaired. couples trying to have children are finding themselves unable to becuase pot can cause infertility. In the past, shamans restricted its use to the shamanistic class: they knew the dangers. they also knew how much to take when they were shaman-ing...but even they could overdose.. there is no doubt that pot has medicinal qualities. Then, let the medical community extact these qualities and give them in correct dosage form to those who will benefit. No one should treat themselves, (as if that is what most people use it for anyway).

A drug is any substance that affects the body's normal functioning. "Pot" and "weed" affect the body in more than one way, so yes, it is a drug. Caffeine (chocolate and coffee) is also a drug. In my opinion, no, it should not be legal worldwide. People become tolerant (they need more to feel the same effects) and dependant on it. In other words, they become addicted to the drug. This forces people into crime to pay for it.

I find that weed is not a big deal,and compared to most drugs,prescription and recreational and their side effects, it is just a form of relaxing.Why not make it legal.,for many countries have already done so,without ruining the population.I still cannot understand why such an innocuous drug has such bad press.

It's a drug that should be legal. Of course, I think all drugs should be legal, taxed like mad and used to fund anti-drug campaigns that actually EDUCATE you on drugs. But if you are still to stupid to inject crap in your veins, please go ahead and kill yourself, preferably before you breed.

i think that it should be legal, there are a lot of people who need it for health reasons, such as MS and Cancer..

Yes, and no.

Yes I think it is a drug and I don't think it should be legal except in medical cases and then it should be highly monitored.

Marijuana is a 36 Billion dollar industry. More than Corn and Soy Beans. If the government can find a way to tax and institute laws to regulate I can see it being legalized. An industry that large can create a vast amount of tax money to fund other projects. It was done for alcohol it can be done for Marijuana

yes, very much so

I do as long as it in small quantities, Theres too many people causing no threat to anyone except themselves who are being branded as criminals for using marijuana

It's a plant. In Genesis God tells us to eat of all the plants on the earth. Either he forgot to mention marijuana, or he meant that to. In moderation of course.

yes it's a drug, and yes it should be legal.

Is a naturally occuring substance that makes some people feel good. Has some bad side effects. Should be legal. Bottom line, no one should be able to tell some one else what he can or can't do as long as he/she is not directly hurting or endangering someone else. Driving a car high should be illegal. Sitting at home smoking reefer should not be. Don't we have enough real crime (terrorists, murder, theft) so that we don't need to keep harrassing people accused of victimless crimes? FYI - I do not smoke or use drugs.

I hate drugs, I think anything that can alter a person's behavior should be illegal. Drugs ruined my mother's life, who then ruined her immediate family and destroyed my childhood. Drugs ruin not only the persons' life, but those around them. I think marijuana should be kept illegal, and become illegal in all countries. But that's only because I've seen the worst of the worst side effects of it, I have never seen good.

Marijuana is not a "drug", it is an herb, like sage, or basil, and peppermint which are all plant derived "herbs". It is considered a soft drug, because of the supposed hallucinogenic effects, yet I have yet to meet one person who hallucinates on marijuana, that is an old misconception which was part of the anti-drug fear campaign of the forty's and fifty's. The coca leaf is also an herb and is put through a chemical process to make the powder or rock form of cocaine. Marijuana on the other hand is a natural flowering product of the hemp plant, and requires no man-made processing what so ever. The reasoning behind why marijauna is illegal is governmental and economic fears of it becoming a type of underground currency. The big tobacco company's know this and have trademarks on the names. Accapulco Gold, Ganja, Mary Jane, and many other slang referances to the hemp plant, in case our government ever grows up and legalizes it and grants the freedoms that were intended for us by our forefathers.

America spends almost 50 BILLION a year on the war against drugs. If it was legal we could tax it. We could save and earn money at the same time. They could but a minimum age on it like alcohol. But its been proven that alcohol has more long term affects than weed. So why not legalize it? Go here http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm

Hell yes! It should also be regulated like alcohol and tobacco. And for the sake of the Nation it could be produced with quality, be heavily taxed, and STILL be considerably cheaper than it is now on the average! It would create jobs(farming and production),it would decrease wasteful Government spending(Court time and law enforcement resources that could be better spent elsewhere.) It's less harmful than tobacco, and far safer than alcohol!

It alters your functions. Yes it is a drug(a very safe one). Legalize the sh*t!

yes i do, especially for medicinal purposes, my dad was dead against drugs but when he got cancer he asked me one day and it did ease his pain!

Id like to see you stats that your quoting... me personally if you smoke pot fine.. shut up and stop moaning it being illegal. tell me how would your life be different if it was legal? In reality you "drug of choice" would be come exactly like tobacco or alcohol in that copanies would produce it and own it, and the cost? up my friend up....

If u illegalize some drug u r making the drug dealers richer so i think all drugs must be legal but this must be faced as a process so i think first the light drugs (like weed) must be legalized and then the heavy drugs (like cocaine).

yes http://tinyurl.com/24aswe • Until then - know your rights, and flex them • The color green ­ ­ ­

No.

yes.

Why not....alchohol and cigs have caused more deaths and they are legal.....;)

Absolutely!

It shouldn't be illegal. However, your argument about its natural origins is a pretty weak one. Many poisons and detrimental substances occur naturally. Natural does NOT equal safe.

Personally I believe that weed is much better than alcohol in terms of abuse. Ive known a alcoholic to go out and shoot someone, but the worst i've ever heard a pothead do is feel nice and then go do something stupid.

It should be legal and treated the same way they treat alcohol.

I don't think it should be illegal, but I have to point out that not everything grown naturally should be legal. Not all of it is healthy. Cocaine, anyone? Poison Ivy? Who would want to smoke that?!

it should not be illegal. we have things much worse that are legal now.

well, its not illegal everywhere! In more progressive places its not... its part of drug policy law that makes it illegal...makes no sense..especially considering that alcohol..which is much more destructive leads to all sorts of problems...check out this website! http://www.drugpolicy.org/homepage.cfm

If nicotine and alcohol are legal then I think marijuana should be as well. This does not mean I believe it to be safe or that I would use it myself.

I personally don't like it but think it should be legal. Probably causes more crime just by the fact it's illegal. Then there's the whole issue of use for medicinal purposes. What are our legislators smoking?

It should be made legal completely,considering that 1 out of 6 people admit to smoking it regularly.To have that many people,if caught ,getting records against them for such an innocent herb is crazy.

a pack of joints is probably alot safer then a bottle of tequilla

yes...alcohol is and i don't think it's any better than weed

yep.

Yes it should i mean i can get drunk off my ass but i cant get high what kinda bullshit is that

I'm OK with that.

Yes. I don't smoke personally, but if people are allowed to smoke carcinogenic cigarettes, then people should be allowed to smoke Marijuana if they want. Just don't blow it in my face either way, and we're cool. =)

Not until it's users can spell it correctly.

who said i was a user?

Absolutely. Alcohol and tobacco do a lot more harm and yet they are legal. At the very least, I think marijuana should be made available to patients with certain medical conditions.

Yes, I do. Cigarettes and alcohol are legal, and they harm more people than marijuana does.

Yes. There are worse drugs and worse drugs for you. Two of which are already legal.

Should the USA learn from the days of prohibition and maybe legalise all drugs and stop dead the criminal and terrorist activities of drug dealing?

I think the US should consider it..even as a way of ending some of the drug problems it has.

Most definitely. If regulated like alcohol, it would eliminate the livelihood for many criminal organizations, allow legitimate medical use, and loosen some of those tight headed thinkers up on capitol hill.

To me it is not a drug but more of a substance such as alcohol and it should be treated just the same. I'm even in favor of breathalizers if that's what it takes to legalize it.

Its an herb ! It can be used as a drug..like a long list of useful herbs.. (caledula,lavender,melissa,catnip,yarrow,nettle..etc) and Yes, here in the USA we should set the example and it should be legal.... (once again)

Yes it should be. Marijuana is safer than many things that are legal. It has never directly caused a death while people over dose on alcohol and smoke themselves to death with ciggarettes everyday. Marijuana does not make you violent while alcohol does. The US is spending loads of money on the "war on drugs" when it could easily sell and tax marijuana and pay for things like education. I see no reason for marijuana to be illegal.

Yes :)

I think it should be!!

The age old question. Yes, of course it should be. It's a very benign drug and as long as it isn't abused it really doesn't present a problem in most people's lives.

Yes, and be controlled and regulated like alcohol. That will also give the government more revenue than trying to get rid of it.

Yes. Lets do a little comparison here. Getting caught with weed will get you huge fines, large jail time, and a huge criminal record. Getting caught with pills will normally not even warrant a write up, and when it does will give you a small fine, and hardly any jail time (if any). Now then, lets compare the difference:weed makes you laugh and then gives you the munchies. Pills can:make you pass out, kill you, make you go crazy=angry, generally make you insane. See the difference. Basically weed should be legal.

Yes i think it should be. Why is it legal to drink alchol which can be addictive or to take vicodin which is addictive and both are man made, but we cant smoke pot which comes from a seed and grows to what it is without any altercation just like a whole lotta other things we eat and put into our bodies. If i smoke pot im not going to be goin out robbing people to get my fix, but look at alcholics and look at people addicted to perscription pills, familys are being destroyed because of those habits and there legal.

No. Holland has done it and have lost an entire generation because of it. Some have brought up alcohol and vicodin etc... These are illegal if misused. Alcohol has been around since the beginning of civilization. Legalization of it is te lesser of 2 evils. Prohibition spawned organized crime syndicates that haunt us to this day. Marijuana is not the same. I see your point you have made here but given its other side-effects and its potential to destroy brain function. In many ways alcohol is similar but culturally speaking that's really water under the bridge. We've tried to ban alcohol and it almost destroyed the country. It causes horrible damage as well. But one being legal does not make legalization right for the other either.

Without any doubt! But we haven't rights to legalize it...

Absolutely!

Yes but its not really a large issue. Everybody gets it just fine as it is now and there are other more pressing issues facing our country right now. The borders are over flowing with illegals like the dykes in new orleans and our right to bear arms is on trial. The right to inhale burning plant matter is sort of on my back burner at the moment. I do it anyway and fuck the government out of the taxes they could be getting. Losers.

heck yes. i mean, alcohol and cigarettes cause way more damage, and they are legal

G'day Smoke, Thank you for your question. It should be decriminalised as far as possession and growing of small amounts to avoid tying up the courts. Medical marijuana should also be legal. I don't know whether it would be appropriate to totally legalise it given its harmful effects however. Regards

all the way

Yes, then we can put our tax dollars to better use and free up the prisons of supposed convicts who smoked a little dope.

I think it should be legalized, but I also think it should be regulated.

Yes, but asking duplicate questions about cannabis legalization should be punishable by 100 lashes with a wet spaghetti noodle. Really, this same question has been asked in dozens of ways.

I can't understand why booze is legal and weed isn't. That one stumps me. It's the #1 cash crop in the United States. The government could make a fortune legalizing it then regulating it.

if you must ask, then either you smoke too much or you have not seen the way it changes people, for some it is good, others, it is a nightmare....

I think so, yes.

yes yes yes bloody yes!!! it long over due ...the crap that the government has and still is putting out about it is a joke ...and I will debate anyone and I do mean anyone on this ....

there's a book u shud all read its called "Cannabis: A History" by Martin Booth its 300 some pages all facts this dude set up the federal narcotics bereau cuz he hates mexicans and blacks and chinese blacks smoked weed and played jazz so he hated that he hated opium and cocaine because of the chinese and mexicans wen he got liqour companies to support him (the liqour companies thought that weed would make liqour go out of bizznes) the govvernment gafe him permission to pass laws on anti-marijuana...

Yes, it just makes sense.

1) In the US, it should be first taken away from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act: "Cannabis rescheduling in the United States is the proposed removal of marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, the most tightly restricted category of drugs, by the U.S. Congress or the Attorney General. Since the early 1970s, cannabis reform advocates have been petitioning the U.S. Government to transfer marijuana to a different category that would allow medical use. Rescheduling proponents claim that cannabis is not addictive or harmful enough to meet the strict criteria for placement in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The Government argues that marijuana is, in fact, dangerous enough to merit Schedule I status, that marijuana does not meet its criteria for acceptable medical use, and that evidence of cannabis' widespread use is more relevant than animal studies in establishing the drug's abuse potential. The dispute is based on differing views of how the Act should be interpreted and what kinds of scientific evidence would be most relevant to the rescheduling decision. The Controlled Substances Act provides a process for rescheduling controlled substances by petitioning the Drug Enforcement Administration. The first petition under this process was filed in 1972 to allow cannabis to be legally prescribed by physicians. The petition was ultimately denied after 22 years of court challenges, although a pill form of marijuana's psychoactive ingredient, THC, was rescheduled in 1985 to allow prescription under schedule II. In 1999 it was again rescheduled to allow prescription under schedule III. A second petition, based on claims related to clinical studies, was denied in 2001. The most recent rescheduling petition was filed by medical marijuana advocates in 2002." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_rescheduling_in_the_United_States 2) Internationally, legalisation has to face various opposition: "Some barriers to cannabis reform are the result of the international drug control bureaucracy's structure, while others are related to political circumstances." "The United States, one of the most influential Parties to the Single Convention, has tended to oppose loosening marijuana laws. Describing the now-U.S. President's position, an October 20, 1999 article in the Dallas Morning News noted, "Aides said Mr. Bush does not support legalizing marijuana for medical use"" "In addition, the International Narcotics Control Board has tended to have an unfavorable view of drug legalization." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_reform_at_the_international_level 3) I think Cannabis should be totally banned, like all other drugs, such as alcohol, tobacco, coffee, chocolate, Answerbag, and the like (just kidding). Seriously, I would apply a similar legislation as in the case of alcohol or tobacco.

YES YES YES YES YES.....they should just legalize it and leave the poor bastards that smoke it alone

It certainly should. Lets do it!!!

yes, but there should be boundries like there are for booze, no smoking in the street, near schools etc. also suppling to minors must also be addressed. cannabis=great stoned kids=not cool.

I believe in freedom of choice. Government has no place in telling people what they may do or not do until the liberty, property, or security of citizens are threatened. As an insult to this principle, they partake in the threatening of the very things they are charged with protecting.

Legalise cannabis and get off the backs of those you don't undertsand, it is ignorance and not public safety at work here with these insidious laws/lies.

If it was legal it would be pretty dope, evreyone would be soo chill, but then there would proablly be like a certin age liek boooze and evreyone would get a lil chunky but then it would be legal and evreyoe owuld be just chill and you could get it liek anywhere anytime, but then in the sotes it wouild be liek shitty weed but yeah.... IT SHOULD BE LEGALIZED!

If it was legal it would be pretty dope, evreyone would be soo chill, but then there would proablly be like a certin age liek boooze and evreyone would get a lil chunky but then it would be legal and evreyoe owuld be just chill and you could get it liek anywhere anytime, but then in the sotes it wouild be liek shitty weed but yeah.... IT SHOULD BE LEGALIZED!

hell yeah legalize the green!!!!!!!!

fuck ya.. down to smoke a pound.. anyione?

No, definitely not. (Oh I can just feel the D/r's coming!)

yes yes

NO, even though you cannot die of overdose or anything its a danger do to impaired driving. Also if it becomes legalized then children and teenagers will be able to get a hold of it easier. So no it should not be legalized.

This would shock those who know me.....but I have to say yes, it should be. Alcohol is legal, and much more hazardous. Really, I think that pot is like the cute furry friendly little bunny rabbit of the ferocious drug animal kingdom.

Sure. I think it's spelled legalized though Cheech. Step away from the bong slowly.

Marijuana should most definately be legalized. if you look at the statistics legalizing marijuana would cut all the crime associated with selling, growing, and handling it to nothing, also it has caused less damage then tabaccoo and alchohol combined, there are many more reasons but you get the point :]

No way. I don't Big Tobacco giving me MY herb! Decriminalized and overlooked maybe, but not completely legalized.

Yes.

I'm going to poke you in the eye. Honestly! http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/125427 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/192029 http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/124794

As a former partaker sure. As a level headed individual having seen the idea kicked around, it probably won't happen anytime soon. :(

Why not. Safer that alcohol. Anybody can get it now. If legal it would be regulated and it would eleminate a large part of drug gangs income. Hell make all drugs legal for the same reasons.

As a former toker, I have to say decriminalizing it would be better.

Expert being somebody who lives in this society? It's gotta be legal in the same way that alcohol is legal.

Yes, especially because alcohol is legal. How can one be ok but not the other? Alcohol is far more dangerous than most other illicit drugs, yet you can buy as much as you want.

Probably. It would criple much of the street crime built around marijuana and decriminalize people who smoke. That doesn't mean 14 years olds can sit around and get high. It would be as regulated as alcohol and tobacco, but if a person wants to put that into their body, it's their right so long as my safety and rights aren't endangered.