Could America Benefit From Legalizing Marijuana?

by deBrice Posted 2012/07/23 18:00:00

Related Topics: Abortion, Mexico, Prohibition, Governor, Election, American, Party, Marijuana, 2012, Alcohol, Politics, Strong, Debate, Time

Read More

1,815 votes
Read all 2,303 opinions
Lightning Report View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Yes	1,462 votes	81%
	No	353 votes	19%

Election time is always the place for strong and sometimes aggressive debates, but there are some topics that candidates fear: abortion, gun control and medicare, for starters. And then there's the topic of legalizing marijuana. Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico and Libertarian Party nominee for the 2012 presidential election, believes in legalizing marijuana in America, just like the country did with alcohol to end the prohibition.

+95

Add a comment above

John Galt jr or Ron/jon 2012/07/23 18:48:29

Yes

+30
ending the 'war on drugs' would create jobs, cut law enforcement costs, raise revenue – and benefit patients.
>> See Replies

More polls by deBrice

Peacock to 3359557 2012/07/25 01:37:17

I'll tell you that The Netherlands were amazing. I am not a pot smoker..afraid to try it, but the same goes for drining..I smoke ciagrettes, so go figure crazy! The Bull Dog Cafe has a Cannabis counter..I was laughing to see it, but it is no big dea; Peaceful people fabulous schools, just a friendly calm place to be. I am tied here with a business, but if I could, I'd be in the Netherlands tomorrow...

reply
ChloeCannibal 2012/07/24 18:06:00

Yes

Umm yes. It would fer sure I know cause I'm smart!!! All may rave and add.

reply
3359557 to ChloeCa... 2012/07/24 20:05:56

+1
ditto

reply
jimmie 2012/07/24 18:02:16

Yes

+1
Why do the people who profit from it pay a lot of money to keep it illegal . Thats where the problem is, Alot of miss information has been put out by these people.

reply
3359557 to jimmie 2012/07/24 20:06:46

Could that be our GOVERMENT????? Duh !!!! Don't you agree?????

reply
Dan to jimmie 2012/07/30 20:42:13

Jimmie...There is no such word as "alot" it is "a lot". It's not "miss information" it is "misinformation". That is unless there is a girl named Miss Information who has be prostituting for the "people" you mention.

Pot makes you stupid!

reply
daniel wayne 2012/07/24 18:01:57

Yes

+1
natural things (pot, peyote, mushrooms) should be legal and taxed. things like heroin, that go through a refining process should be eliminated at the source for 2 reasons. first, the natural things are a gift from god and should be as legal as beer. 2nd, the opiates are funding the taliban and other groups that want to eliminate democracy and christianity. didnt anyone else watch the show where the owner of a handful of medical marijuana stores in california admitted that he pays the state and feds 700k each quarter in sales tax. from 3 stores. hell yes legalize it.

reply
3359557 to daniel ... 2012/07/24 20:08:43

I agree, but not for the Hard drugs. This question was about Pot. Yeah, I watched alot of the shows about pot. It does create revenu.

reply
You Know IT 2012/07/24 17:58:43 (edited)

Yes

+2
Definitely wouldn't hurt, people are doing it anyways, the governent can just start taxing it and make money off it.

reply
charlie 2012/07/24 17:58:39

Yes

+1
Absolutely legalize it! There is a huge misconception about it. Parents worry their children will suddenly become lazy, drug addicted, etc., and guess what? Legalizing pot doesn't take away your morals, or your childrens'. I believe that it will be similar to cigarette smoking in the way that some will find it helpful, or enjoy it, and others feel it is not something they want to partake in. (except of course that marijuana has proven health benefits while cigarettes have the opposite....) all in all, the benefits outweigh the negatives. Let's stop avoiding the inevitable and just do it already.

reply
charlie to charlie 2012/07/24 18:02:38

+1
And oh by the way it would of course be illegal for anyone under 18(as a response to those who are worried still about their children...)

reply
Peacock to charlie 2012/07/24 18:10:34

Right! We do the same with alcohol and cigarettes. Think of the economy with the additional tax!

reply
Drug Free to charlie 2012/07/25 00:59:40

Oh and by the way the drug dealers will continue to sell the drugs to the under age consumers who make up an estimated 10 to 15 % of the marijuana consumers.
The legal consumption laws and regulations will still result in a lot of people breaking those laws and people will still be going to jail or doing prison time for breaking those laws.
Then all the clever, know it all pot heads and drug consumption advocates will be wanting those laws to be abolished claiming innocent people are being subject to the ramifications of law enforcement and regulations while claiming the laws are useless and do not stop people from breaking the laws so those laws should be abolished also.

The question should be:
Could America benefit if all the pot heads were to fade away and give up their habitual intoxication???

reply
Incognito 2012/07/24 17:58:04

Yes

+4

reply
baker to Incognito 2012/07/24 18:24:00

+1
Way cool an sooo true!

reply
marcus armijo 2012/07/24 17:54:44

Yes

+3
Cancer patients would to.

reply
Pookie 2012/07/24 17:46:15

Yes

+2
Well hey, corse they would there would be an odvious drop in crime reports because a lot of people are too high to report it.

"hello sir this is 911 what is your emergency"
"well uhh... there was an.. uhh..i forgot."
"6th time today sir."

reply
baker to Pookie 2012/07/24 18:28:03

+1
Sooo not true! My most creative times r when i smoke! I am an interior designer! Notice i can spell properly also!

reply
Pookie to baker 2012/07/24 18:50:05

i was just playin xD though my ex was like this though he forgot everything when he was high, grats on the spelling skills btw ^^

reply
Incognito to baker 2012/07/24 20:35:07

+2
It does help with creativity.

reply
Incognito to Pookie 2012/07/24 20:31:54

+1
Not to mention, too many high people would prefer the munchies over crime.

reply
ConLibF... to Incognito 2012/07/24 20:44:27

+1
LOL -

"I am not robbing the bank now Guido, I have the munchies!"

reply
Incognito to ConLibF... 2012/07/24 20:56:44

+1

reply
ConLibF... to Pookie 2012/07/24 20:43:22

Words of a hypocrite. Do you believe in freedom?

reply
Pookie to ConLibF... 2012/07/24 21:12:41

very much so..

reply
ConLibF... to Pookie 2012/07/24 21:16:55

Really, your post indicates the opposite. Also indicates you have no experience yet so vocal about something you know so little about.

Since you "very much so" believe in freedom, if anyone owns their own property should they be able to grow a plant for their own personal use?

reply
Pookie to ConLibF... 2012/07/25 00:00:09

yeah. pretty sure they should, they took care of it they should be able to use it.

reply
ConLibF... to Pookie 2012/07/25 00:04:30

It's their property. Do you know what common law rights are?

reply
Pookie to ConLibF... 2012/07/25 00:08:34

nope. im 15. i barely even know how to drive..

reply
ConLibF... to Pookie 2012/07/25 00:31:14

Common law is how we should be governed. Common law is only broken when you do something that harms something or someone else. Research UCC (Uniform Commercial Code). Common law vs commercial law. We don't need to have a drivers license or auto license to drive if traveling under common law. Only if driving commercially do we need to follow man's laws. Not even the police are taught this.

We have been greatly deceived.

reply
ed 2012/07/24 17:45:45

No

+1
Boy politicians want to get into office so bad so they can live off of the tax payers for life that they will pick anything to run on. Please listen to what you have said kids today can get booze and drugs anytime they want it! where have you been Mr Johnson? What don't you look at stopping the flow of drugs into this country by uncovering authority figures who take the pay offs to turn thier head. We need to get serious with the punishment when a trafficker is caught they get the death penalty. Major dealer caught life in prison (federal prison) drug related crimes minimum of 30 years to life without parol confiscate all belonging and assets. Individual user confiscate all property and assets require national registration list as a registered drug user, minimum 15 years in prison. No probation must serve 95% of sentence before eligible for parol an no good time. Would you take a chance?

reply
MaxUdas to ed 2012/07/24 17:53:05

+1
maybe when america has a National Socialist Worker's Party member in office mate ;)

reply
jimmie to ed 2012/07/24 17:54:14

+2
There is not enough room in prison for your answer.

reply
Anthony... to ed 2012/07/24 18:07:28

That is a very incorrect statement about alcohol. As someone who is 20 it is easier for me to buy cannabis than it is to buy alcohol. Drug dealers don't check id and if someone is under 21 it is more of a hassle to get a beer due to the need of another person's involvment. Medical cannabis in my state has regulations even tho others may say contrary it is a regulated business where the state knows who is getting pot and how much. Now to wish a 15 year prison sentence for drugs will only exacerbate the problem, I believe you don't understand supply and demand because like it or not pot will ALWAYS have a demand if it is legal or not as we see today with the current model and models that totalitarian governments have taken which resemble your position.

reply
Stan Ka... to ed 2012/07/24 18:35:57

Vote for term limits. Step 1.

reply
Shantay Thompson 2012/07/24 17:41:03

Yes

+2
It would increase tax revanue, it would take control out of hands of drug lords, since the govern. Is really responsible for putting and allowing weed to be distributed along w coke, crack, and herion straight from Afghanistan...... They could focus on othr more important things. Most of all the prisons won't be packed w non-violent weed smokers. As long as their is a variety of weed and the govern allows private citizens to open shop. Thus,also creating more jobs. I could go on...............

reply
Incognito to Shantay... 2012/07/24 17:59:51

+3

reply
Shantay... to Incognito 2012/07/25 15:55:56

+1
Love the pic. This is so accurate! The was in Afghanistan isn't against any human enemy. It is for a power struggle between the Afghans and keeping control ie profits of the Opium plants. They don't have big oil, which is the US' main reason for war. Osama bin "Laden is dead, so ask yourself, what the hell are we doing there? They have no other resorces except opium! It is a war over who will control the opium fields,the export and profits. The U.S.or the Afghans. During Vietnam, Opium was smuggled into the U.S. In coffins. That was another war which had Americans and many soldiers wondering just who the enemy was and why were we even there. This is History repeating itself. The proof is in the statements of Emergency personell. They are seeing an increase in heroin use and say it seems to be making a huge comeback! The debate on legalizing pot is only a distraction. The reality is, while we fight over a plant of which an unadulterated flower is smoked or eaten, another flowering plant is being smuggled in by our very Government! The opium given by the Opium Poppy, is medicinal when used in raw state. Just as most herbs. It is when the opium is broken down into all the chemical compounds such as herion, that makes this now a deadly, highly addictive, and dangerous compound cal...

Love the pic. This is so accurate! The was in Afghanistan isn't against any human enemy. It is for a power struggle between the Afghans and keeping control ie profits of the Opium plants. They don't have big oil, which is the US' main reason for war. Osama bin "Laden is dead, so ask yourself, what the hell are we doing there? They have no other resorces except opium! It is a war over who will control the opium fields,the export and profits. The U.S.or the Afghans. During Vietnam, Opium was smuggled into the U.S. In coffins. That was another war which had Americans and many soldiers wondering just who the enemy was and why were we even there. This is History repeating itself. The proof is in the statements of Emergency personell. They are seeing an increase in heroin use and say it seems to be making a huge comeback! The debate on legalizing pot is only a distraction. The reality is, while we fight over a plant of which an unadulterated flower is smoked or eaten, another flowering plant is being smuggled in by our very Government! The opium given by the Opium Poppy, is medicinal when used in raw state. Just as most herbs. It is when the opium is broken down into all the chemical compounds such as herion, that makes this now a deadly, highly addictive, and dangerous compound called HER0IN!!!!! The history of times when farmers were paid to grow Cannabis, Cocaine was readily used by the people as medicinal, AND used in Coca Cola! Also, another example of Governments stepping in to take control of a medicinal plant to break down into addictive, deadly chemicals was the Coca plant. Many years ago, the people of the Andes used the Coca leaf for survival. In the beginning of the heat of the jungles, the Indians would trek for days and miles into the cool of the high altitudes of the mountains. In order for them to survive this, they chewed the leaf of the Coca plant. It gave them increased energy, curbed their appitite, and most importantly, increased their oxygen in their blood. Thus making it possible to breath in high oxygen thin altitudes!!!!! Enter England. Who immediately made the use of the leaf ilegal! It instantly stopped many generations of survival tactics used by the Indians. It was catastrophic for their culture. Oh thre's so much more............
(more)

reply
Incognito to Shantay... 2012/07/25 17:29:57

+1
Wow, what a a fantastic, informative post! Feel free to elaborate if you wish.

reply
Shantay... to Incognito 2012/07/26 23:16:10

+1
Thank you, thank you......no really people, thank you.........I just posted more info, yet it was from me to me.......duh.......anywhoo, look for "from shantay to shantay!" Geez. So much info, so little time for inane details" lol.......... Btw, I hate the lol abrieviation, just being lazy again.......

reply