[xyzone]

Originally Posted by burkhartdesu

10 reasons prohibition is bad:


1. Prohibition encourages people to see the law as unrealistic and whimsical, instead of with the respect and obedience a real law deserves.


2. Prohibition creates organized crime.


3. Prohibition permanently corrupts law enforcement, the court system, elections, and politics in general.


4. Prohibition overburdens police, courts, and the penal system.


5. Prohibition causes physical harm.
Because alcohol was illegal, its purity was not regulated. While fruit, vegetable, and grain alcohol is usually safe, alcohol made from wood is not — but it is difficult to tell the difference until too late. The same happens today with illegal drugs — most overdoses are accidental, a result from not knowing the purity or strength of the drug. All of this a result of prohibition!


6. Prohibition prevents the treatment of addiction
It’s a lot harder to say you have a problem when it could land you in jail.


7. Prohibition is ridiculously expensive.
Experts estimate that legalizing marijuana would save $7.7 billion per year in government expenditure on enforcement of prohibition. $5.3 billion of this savings would accrue to state and local governments, while $2.4 billion would accrue to the federal government. The report also estimates that marijuana legalization would yield tax revenue of $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like all other goods and $6.2 billion annually if marijuana were taxed at rates comparable to those on alcohol and tobacco.


8. Prohibition (a.k.a. 'The War on Drugs') is a complete failure, and is essentially impossible to win


9. A regulated, legal market in marijuana would reduce marijuana sales and use among teenagers, as well as reduce their exposure to other more dangerous drugs in the illegal market.


10. Marijuana's legalization would simplify the development of hemp as a valuable and diverse agricultural crop in the United States, including its development as a new bio-fuel to reduce carbon emissions.

Exactly.

Originally Posted by SHAD0W

I Fix'd it.

lol I'm afraid not. For one I don't smoke it. And I'm well aware of the 'rules of smoking' in Japan:
Japan Shocked By Marijuana Scandals
It's the same as in most countries around the world, it's used a lot in private because several decades ago America dictated to the world that it should be banned. Says there is talk among politics in Japan about the alcohol legality. Sounds dangerous, but I digress.

I don't want to get all preachy. I think the list above presents the standard fare of arguments already. This isn't about if mj is good or bad, the debate is complete, at least scientifically and logically; and no offense but I'd rather not argue about it unless somebody really wants to bring some valid references like the anti-prohibition side does. The reason this topic has come to mine and others' attention recently is because of the violence in the country to the south of here, Mexico. I would rather not travel there as I used to because of it. And other countries are affected as it worsens. Why wait until it's too late?

I know I said I wouldn't get preachy but I just have to say, I think the reason people dismiss the arguments is because they can't digest the idea that their governments and cultures lied to them so clearly about the dangers of a weed. Sorry, but they did. Please look at the evidence.