Why is marijuana illegal while cigarettes are legal?

Can anyone tell me the difference between pot and everyday cigarettes?

Why is it that pot is illegal?

“I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?”

Willie Nelson

Hi,

Well, I'm studying public policy and there are two possible explanations. One is a lot more cynical than the other and involves a concept known as elite theory: the idea that the government and its policies are controlled by a small group of elites, who exercises control over masses for their own good.

Applied to cigarettes and pot, it can be noted that cigarettes are easily controlled and taxable. Pot however, has many different strands that are difficult to distinguish and tax. You could make the argument that cigarettes are just as lethal (if not moreso) than pot, but the government just wants to make money any way it can, so it keeps cigarettes legal to tax it.

A second theory is that cigarettes are legal because their place in our culture is firmly established and accepted as a norm, although an increasingly politically incorrect norm. 'Street drugs' have negative connotation, and while marijuana may not be as harmful as cocaine or heroin, it has the same negative connotation.

That's all I can come up with. Hope it helps.

Our current 'war on drugs' began by Nixon in 1971. Drug use was part of the counterculture that was also against our involvment in Vietnam. The war on drugs was really a war on hippies, freaks, and others against the war.since they were the people most likely to use recreational drugs.

The tobacco industry is more associated with conversativism. Tobacco farmers, processors, sellers, are generally all conservative. The Tobacco lobby gives generously to the Republican party.

Mariguana is associated with minorities, hippies, freaks, and war protestors. Tobacco is associated with Southern Conservatives. That is why pot is illegal and tobacco is legal.

Dear mr_super123,
alcohol and cigarettes are illegal between the age 18-21 depending on where you live. If someone were to take your children on a school bus on a very busy highway...would you prefer someone who just had a cigarette or someone who just smoked a joint? I think it is obvious here because although cigarette is a drug it does not alter the perception and reaction time the way THC would. This is an age old question and goes way back and does have political connotations but as a mother and a person well education with drugs and alcohol I couldn't imagine our bus drivers, pilots, doctors smoking a big doobie then being responsible to carry out their duties.
Sue...good luck

That's a very good question. The health implications of both tabacco and marijuana are bad. However, the effects of THC, Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (the psychoactive chemical in marijuana), in your blood affects your thinking ability. Marijuana has a hallucengenic effect that can impair your judge and function. Cigarettes on the other hand, does not have those effects to your brain, but the long-term effects on your body is still very harmful. Because marijuana has this effect on the brain, the activities of the drug can cause people to do harmful things, not only onto themselves, but onto others as well (I.e. driving under the influcence or operating machinery while 'stoned.') Becasue of this, this substance is heavily regulated and illegal to use. Also, marijuana is considered an entry drug, which leads many others to use more potent drugs like Meth, Crack, or Heroin. With that said, I'm sure that the next question will be, then why isn't alcohol illegal, it's as addictive and can cause just as much damage. Ask me that question next time and I'll try to give you a good answer. Peace

well my firend mary jane makes you high were you laugh all the time and do stupid stuff beleave me I know you know I use to say yea that need to legalize mary jane but then I thought about it there just going to take the thc out of it and you wont get as high then your going to have to pay taxes that would suck so yea

There is no good reason for it to be illegal in my oppinion. Its far safer than alchol and tabacco period. Marijuana does not kill 1 single person every year and you should look at this comparison. Asprin kills more people than marijauana does. I reccomend you check out this link http://www.jackherer.com/comparison.html . Also I have a lot of links you guys should look at so you guys are more informed on cannabis for those of you that think its a gateway drug etc... But right now I will tell you the REAL REASON ON WHY MJ IS ILLEGAL
* Racism
* Fear
* Protection of Corporate Profits
* Yellow Journalism
* Ignorant, Incompetent, and/or Corrupt Legislators
* Personal Career Advancement and Greed
and please go read more of the truth on why it is illegal here http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/2003/12/22/whyIsMarijuanaIllegal.html . That pretty much answers your questions and also I got some more links for you guys for you to read that might intrest you about marijuana about stuff you most likley didnt know before. Also yes it is somewhat safe to drive while high and check out the studys here on these links and theres evena video showing that its not so dangerous to drive high... even tho I dont reccomend it, I am just saying Id rather have people smoking joints and driving rather than drunks driving and dont you find it funny that I've been smoking mj for 6 years now and dirve high usully a few times a week and the only time I have gotten into accidents was when I was sober. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/03/990325110700.htm and also check out this video about driving and smoking mj http://youtube.com/watch?v=CfcRyruo91Y and for you people that think its a gateway drug you should check out this link proving that myth incorrect http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061204123422.htm
Also yes I know marijuana smoke is bad for your lungs but smoking marijuana is not the only way to use it. Youc an use a vaporizer which eliminates a lot of respitory problems or you can cook and eat cannabis and entierley avoid the respitory problems. So anyways I hope I helped

But Marijuana is Better for You Than Cigarettes and Alcohol!
Shut your mary jane smokin' mouth, pothead! It's not about your stupid health! Go ahead and screw yourself up! Last time I checked it wasn't against the law to DRINK POISON!

Marijuana Isn't Addictive or Anything Like Real Drugs!
It still makes you STUPID! This country is run by the PEOPLE, and if the people were MORONS, then we'd be totally SCREWED! But it's also about what the drugs do to the people AROUND YOU! Don't be a selfish idiot! Drugs screw you up, and the result of you being screwed up can screw up a lot of other people's lives too, like friends and family and crap! And if you're drivin' while flyin' high, or partaking in a buttload of OTHER various actions that involve HAVING A BRAIN, you could KILL SOMEONE!

But Alcohol is Legal! So Why Not Pot?
Because you're a FREAKIN' MORON! If you weren't such a reefer rectum, you'd realize there IS a difference between drinkin' and doin' dope! The purpose of drinking an alcoholic beverage (for smart people anyway) is NOT to get totally wasted! And you can drink tastey alcholic beverages without getting smashed! But the SOLE purpose of puffin' a blunt is to GET HIGH! THAT'S why marijuana's illegal, THAT'S why it's worse than alcohol, and THAT'S why takin' drags from doobies all day makes you a

Jeez, I'm sick of having to edit out 'bad words'...

Wow, were did you develop so much hate torge pot heads? Did you by any chance actually read my whole post I gave last time? Maybe you could figure out the real reason why its illegal instead of thinking your own made up reason. Also the herb has a lot more than just getting high... it does a lot more than that... its used medically etc... and is awesome medicine for helping the stomach feal better ( really good for aids patients or hey if you have an upset stomach weed will help). Also no Cannabis DOES NOT make you stupid... its even been proven by studys! So please go inform your-self on this plant cannabis...

oh and also you may find this funny... I drive high very very often and in traffic.... the funny thing is... every time I got into an accident .... was when I was sober.... .. hey also go check on you tube 'marijuana and driving'

Well my brother smokes pot, and I know people who smoke pot, and they're all stupid when they weren't before. But scientists have proven I'm wrong, so I guess they're smart...

Of course it has medical properties, but that's a completely different topic. I don't give a crap about it being used medically, and I never even complained about that...

I'm sure a lot of people smoke a doobie to make their tummy feel better... What about tums or some crap? Personally, I just live with it, but whatever...

2greencats answer about the reasons it is illegal are the ones to pay attention to, Mr Super. As for Kamex- he said 'you can drink a little w/ out getting smashed' actually people can take in a little marijuana w/ out getting 'totally wasted'. If he has the right to relax w/ a drink, which does not a thing for me, why can't I relax w/ a puff? RESPONSIBLY-OF COURSE!! Personally, I have seen much more agression and dangerous behaviour from alcohol than from marijuana. As for tobacco, whats the point?

Easy. Cigarettes can just give you cancer. :P :P Marijuana can impair your thinking and cause you to do something stupid. Smoking marijuana can cause others injury if you get behind a wheel after smoking it. Smoking cigarettes can usually just cause yourself injury. Unless you get enough second hand smoke.

I agree. that law is incredibly stupid. marijunana helps treat cancer and glachoma. it'snor addictive and it can't cause cancer and you can't overdose.

yoo.. kamex is outta line here.. I don't understand what would make such a straight-edge person, so idiotic. maybe YOU should smoke some pot.. it'll take your panties under that bunch and maybe your attitude won't be so flaming hot. There is nothing wrong with smoking pot. cept that it's illegal. .. because of what 2greencats said. point blank.

it sounds like kamex is the only right person answering this question, all you other people are just a bunch of fu*$cking pot heads thats why your trying to stick up for it. but really I hope it becomes legal so it can get taxed so that way all you pot heads lose your money.

Short-term effects of using marijuana include:

Sleepiness
Difficulty keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short-term memory
Reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, such as driving a car
Increased heart rate
Potential cardiac dangers for those with preexisting heart disease
Bloodshot eyes
Dry mouth and throat
Decreased social inhibitions
Paranoia, hallucinations
Impaired or reduced short-term memory
Impaired or reduced comprehension
Altered motivation and cognition, making the acquisition of new information difficult
Paranoia
Psychological dependence
Impairments in learning, memory, perception, and judgment - difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving, and forming concepts
Intense anxiety or panic attacks

Long-term effects of using marijuana include:

Enhanced cancer risk ( I did not say lung cancer.)
Decrease in testosterone levels and lower sperm counts for men (OUCH)
Increase in testosterone levels for women and increased risk of infertility (Double ouch)
Diminished or extinguished sexual pleasure ( Hmmmmmmmmmm.)
Psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same effect ($$$$)

The Effects on the Male:

Marijuana is the most common drug used by adolescents in America today. Marijuana affect the parts of the brain which controls the sex and growth hormones. In males, marijuana can decrease the testosterone level. Occasional cases of enlarged breasts in male marijuana users are triggered by the chemical impact on the hormone system. Regular marijuana use can also lead to a decrease in sperm count, as well as increases in abnormal and immature sperm. Marijuana is a contributing factor in the rising problem of infertility in males. Young males should know the effects and potential effects of marijuana use on sex and growing process before they decide to smoke marijuana.

The Effects on the Female:

Just as in Males, marijuana effects the female in the part of the brain that controls the hormones, which determines the sequence in the menstrual cycle. Its been said that females who smoked or used marijuana on a regular basis had irregular menstrual cycles, the female hormones were depressed, and the testosterone level was raised. Even though this effect may be reversible, it may take several months of no marijuana use before the menstrual cycles become normal again.

Mothers who smoke marijuana on a regular basis have been reported of having babies with a weak central nervous system. These babies show abnormal reactions to light and sound, exhibit tremors and startles, and have the high-pitched cry associated with drug withdrawal. Occurring at five times the rate of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Marijuana Syndrome is a growing concern of many doctors. Furthermore, doctors worry that children born to 'pot-head' mothers will have learning disabilities, attention deficits and hormonal irregularities as they grow older, even if there are no apparent signs of damage at birth. Pregnant or nursing mothers who smoke marijuana should talk to their doctors immediately.

Effects of Marijuana on the Brain:

Researchers have found that THC changes the way in which sensory information gets into and is acted on by the hippocampus. This is a component of the brain's limbic system that is crucial for learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivations. Investigations have shown that neurons in the information processing system of the hippocampus and the activity of the nerve fibers are suppressed by THC. In addition, researchers have discovered that learned behaviors, which depend on the hippocampus, also deteriorate.

Recent research findings also indicate that long-term use of marijuana produces changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term use of other major drugs of abuse.

Effects on the Lungs:

Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have. These individuals may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.

Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. This may be due to the marijuana users inhaling more deeply and holding the smoke in the lungs.

Effects on Heart Rate and Blood Pressure:

Recent findings indicate that smoking marijuana while shooting up cocaine has the potential to cause severe increases in heart rate and blood pressure. In one study, experienced marijuana and cocaine users were given marijuana alone, cocaine alone, and then a combination of both. Each drug alone produced cardiovascular effects; when they were combined, the effects were greater and lasted longer. The heart rate of the subjects in the study increased 29 beats per minute with marijuana alone and 32 beats per minute with cocaine alone. When the drugs were given together, the heart rate increased by 49 beats per minute, and the increased rate persisted for a longer time. The drugs were given with the subjects sitting quietly. In normal circumstances, an individual may smoke marijuana and inject cocaine and then do something physically stressful that may significantly increase risks of overload on the cardiovascular system.

Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavior:

A study of college students has shown that critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning are impaired among people who use marijuana heavily, even after discontinuing its use for at least 24 hours. Researchers compared 65 'heavy users,' who had smoked marijuana a median of 29 of the past 30 days, and 64 'light users,' who had smoked a median of 1 of the past 30 days. After a closely monitored 19- to 24-hour period of abstinence from marijuana and other illicit drugs and alcohol, the undergraduates were given several standard tests measuring aspects of attention, memory, and learning. Compared to the light users, heavy marijuana users made more errors and had more difficulty sustaining attention, shifting attention to meet the demands of changes in the environment, and in registering, processing, and using information. The findings suggest that the greater impairment among heavy users is likely due to an alteration of brain activity produced by marijuana.

Longitudinal research on marijuana use among young people below college age indicates those who used have lower achievement than the non-users, more acceptance of deviant behavior, more delinquent behavior and aggression, greater rebelliousness, poorer relationships with parents, and more associations with delinquent and drug-using friends.

Effects on Pregnancy:

Any drug of abuse can affect a mother's health during pregnancy, and this is a time when she should take special care of herself. Drugs of abuse may interfere with proper nutrition and rest, which can affect good functioning of the immune system. Some studies have found that babies born to mothers who used marijuana during pregnancy were smaller than those born to mothers who did not use the drug. In general, smaller babies are more likely to develop health problems.

A nursing mother who uses marijuana passes some of the THC to the baby in her breast milk. Research indicates that the use of marijuana by a mother during the first month of breast-feeding can impair the infant's motor development (control of muscle movement). Research also shows more anger and more regressive behavior (thumb sucking, temper tantrums) in toddlers whose parents use marijuana than among the toddlers of non-using parents.

who cares.
that hasn't stop anyone

I would have to say that cigerettes are leagle is because it does not alter your state of mind as pot does. Many people belive that pot is less harmful to the body than tabacco. As I see it pot should be leagle and boos should not be. I would personaly rather have my child on a bus with a driver that smokes weed than one that drinks befor takeing my child to school. Why? Its simple Drinking alters the state of mind diffrently than smokeing pot. While drunk you can become agressive and do stupid things and pot just relaxes you and makes you hungry.

Marijuana is illegal because Hirst wanted a monopoly on newspaper production from wood pulp, and cannabis was a cheap alternative. In other words, it interfered with his newspaper monopoly. He got together with Dupont, which had a huge invested interest, because cannabis is also an alternative to cotton, which consumes most of the world's agricultural chemical pesticides. Together, they used the services of Harry Anslinger, who gave a racist twist to the whole thing by blaming Mexican daylabourers and Black jazz musicians for corrupting white women with marijuana. And so it goes to this day - mandatory minimum sentences for rock form cocaine but not powdered form cocaine, selective enforcement of marijuana laws, etc.

As to the poster who listed all the 'ill effects' of marijuana use, that is just propaganda. (If you smoke weed AND snort coke, your blood pressure goes up? Who on earth combines weed with coke, to begin with?) Also, you don't get 5 times more tar in you if you smoke weed. First of all, there are no smokers who just smoke one cigarette per day. They usually smoke a packet, which is 20-25 cigarettes. Secondly, even if sigarette smokers use filtered sigarettes, they don't smoke from a bong, let alone vaporize.

Caffeine and tobacco are legal, because they make the masses work faster at the widget factory, while mj helps you look at the world and see it for what it really is. MJ gives you the satisfaction with life that most people only think they can achieve by working 10 hours a day and earning that holiday in the tropics. Now what would that do for productivity?

Hemp itself is a great plant, one of nature's little supermarkets. Seeds are nutricious, the fiber can be used to make paper (including the US Constitution, which was written on hemp paper), cloth for shirts, rope, etc. It requires very little fertilizer or pesticides to grow, and the same piece of land can be used year in and year out to grow the crop (unlike forrested land).

Cigarettes are legal because our country, which was founded on the slave-trade, has deep roots into the tobacco industry. And I believe someone pointed to conservatism in the south during that era, which is actually ironically mostly democrats at the time, but it was whole different political scene back then.
Marijuana has long gotten a bad wrap in society, ever since the 20s when Reefer Madness was released by a religious group, if I remember correctly. The video is actually quite humorous alleging that pot would make you kill someone, but it fostered a very negative image on the drug, which was popular among Mexicans crossing the border back then. The criminalization of the drug allowed law enforcement to search Mexicans. That's the racism aspect of it, at least in it's inception.
Nixon also had a large role in modern drug laws. Further encouraging discrimination of people who were deemed as part of a 'counter-culture' movement.
There are various medical reasons that suggest why marijuana should remain criminalized. Impairment of driving ability, in some subjects. Most pharmaceuticals in your parents drug cabinet probably have the same warning. As with any drug, you can build up tolerances to the effects. It has been said that it can affect your driving abilities. So can cell phones, loud noises, and the maturity of the person behind the wheel.
As far accute panic anxiety disorder, that happens to first time smokers, or relatively 'new to the game' smokers. It's basically the best part of getting high, it's just such a strong jolt that it freaks out most people who've never been 'high' before. It's considered the 'roller coaster' around my way.
But hell, I'll go one step further into why it's illegal. The south which also used slavery to foster Tobacco also fostered a Cotton industry. Hemp, the marijuana plant with a tiny THC percentage( enough so that it would not be worth smoking to a user), was hailed as the first ever Billion-Dollar crop, in an early 1900s Popular Mechanics if I recall correctly. It would've trumped Cotton. Politicians push the pens, that make us the pawns. It's all about the greed, but hey, life isn't fair, so why should America try to be? Right? lol

I think cigerettes should be illegal and weed should be legal.why I think that is because cigerettes kill a lot of people.I smoke cigerettes and its hard for me to quit.I also smoke weed and it makes me feel relaxed and good.cigerettes gives me a hard time to go to sleep cause I cant breath and my lungs hurt...thanx TiNY

There are many pros and cons to smoking ganj just as there is with pretty much everything else in life. Everyone should just try to enjoy themselves while also being informed and choosing for themselves. That said I also realize the gov is going to limit use as much as they can because it would be a cash crop that would simplify industry to the point that too many jumbo pockets would deflate resulting in a catastrophic equality epidemic. MAYBE?

I ask myself that question all the time

ummm...could you repeat the question???

Because marijuana changes your personality and ability to react

before I begin I would like to state that I am a medical marijuana user, a smoker, and a drinker. I have unbiased views on all of the above and have always sought to get my OWN information from scientifically proven studies. That being said I would like to shed a bit of light for some seamingly very misguided or at least propaganda controlled people here. These are all UNDISPUTABLE facts of all three and can be used to enlighten quite a few people about this topic when studied side by side:

marijuana:
- not addictive
- high tar content ( this can be controlled or simply negated with varying tactics)
- no proven long term detriments (dont try to refute this with unproven propaganda)
- 35 deaths reported to be caused by marijuana in year 2001 in ALL of America! (literally safer to use than... well pretty much anything)
- impossible to overdose or cause death (scientists have even failed in trying to kill LAB RATS with marijuana) Recent study shows the amount of marjiuana it takes to kill the average man, which is to (eat, therefore none is wasted) 250 pounds every fifteen minutes for about 2 days! And dont just believe me, google search it yourself!
- Medical uses:
-Anxiety (most common medical use)
-Nneuropathic Pain (pain from nerve damage)
- nausea, spasticity, glaucoma, and movement disorders
- Anorexia(powerful appetite stimulant)
- HIV, the AIDS wasting syndrome, or dementia
- Emerging research suggests that marijuana's medicinal properties may protect the body against some types of malignant tumors and are neuroprotective!
Cigarettes'
- highly addictive
- high tar content
- long term ill effects (too many to list, too obviously bad for you anyway)
- 435,000 deaths caused in 2000 in AMERICA ALONE!! (OMG I need to quit!)
- Obviously causes death, cancer, limp genetalia, on and on
- NO medical uses
Alcohol:
- Highly Addicive
- long term effects (kills brain cells, liver damage, death, high car accident rate,etc.)
- killed 17,524 in 2002 in America alone
- Medical use: red wine lowers metabolism with moderate drinking =)

http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7305 (poor uninformed above poster), I am BARELY drinking age! Now tell me, what makes you so great.

Correction to the end of the above post (comment system must have cut it):
___
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7305 (poor uninformed above poster), I am BARELY drinking age! Now tell me, what makes you so great.

Many of the people here exclaim that marijuana 'Makes you stupid', 'Potheads are all morons!', etc. therefore knowing that I smoke you must think I too am a moron. Let me tell you something about myself; I am 21 and I have a college degree in comp.sci, I am a Network Admin/Programmer and make $60,000 annually, I have the same IQ I was tested to have before I smoked pot(6yrs prior now) which is 145. I am also fit, I have a 6 pack, I am a kickboxer, a motorcyclist, and a surfer, I have many friends, a girl, and an active life too! NOW can you tell me I am a moron 'kamex' (poor uninformed above poster), I am BARELY drinking age! Now tell me, what makes you so great.
OMG PLEASE TAKE THE POST THIS TIME WEBSITE!

'Because marijuana changes your personality and ability to react'.

Talk about indoctrination. You could make the same argument about beer.

But then, you can't grow beer in your spare room for practically nothing. No money to be made from marijuana, so let's force people to buy cans of liquid that will clog their arteries and give them strokes and coronaries.

I'll stick with the weed.

because so many people are addicted to tobacco that if we all of the sudden made it illegal there would be a HUGE riot. same thing with alcohol, and I think alcohol effects the mind so much worse than marijuana.

because so many people are addicted to tobacco that if we all of the sudden made it illegal there would be a HUGE riot. same thing with alcohol.

my mother has to take marijuana in pill form every day and she doesn't do anything differently when she's on it, except maybe she's calmer. I think it should be the only 'drug' that IS legal.

because pot is an addictive drug that can kill u...

The difference is that the government has not found a way to make weed profitable for them --- once they do it will be legal again.

because it impares your judgement. Their trying to take out the chemicle that makes you basicly high and then legalize it

THE REAL ANSWER TO THIS IS THE GOVERNMENT MAKES MONEY AND CREATES JOBS CATCHING PEOPLE ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. I THINK WHAT A PERSON DOES IN THE PRIVACY OF THEIR OWN HOME IS THEIR BUSINESS JUST AS LONG AS THEY ARENT SELLING IT OR GIVING IT TO A CHILD WEED IS NATURAL IT IS ALSO A SEED BEARING PLANT IN THE BIBLE IT STATES THAT GOD SAW THE SEED BEARING PLANTS AND LIKED WHAT HE SAW (SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT)

all the illegal drugs are illegal because the goverment doesnt make profit from it because itts smuggled into the country
and ciggarets are legal because they make money from it all the stop smoking bullcrap is to make it look like they wana stop smoking if the did stop seeling tobacco products the country would loose millions in sales and imflation would go up insanely

wow, I just read on your comments that the gov't's trying to make pot legal by taking out the THC. I'm not smoking no THCless pot. anyways, the stupid gov't. Pot is a natural herb that God created here (and yes I'm a strong believer of christ and God. Anyways, the reason is this man back in the day blamed pot for the reason why he went out and slaughtered his parents. I guess it's just like Video Games, I love them, but people are saying that video games are why they decide to go out and drive crazy/hurt people. So I dont understand why that's not even illegal (and I'm glad it's not) but when pot is. Also, everytime a cop gets someone for pot, they turn around, put it back on the streets, then catch that person they sold it 2, then will take that pot they were trying 2 sell, and smoke it. (that's how it is here in Ga where I live) I actually smoked once w/ a cop off work, and he explained everything to me, he even wished it was legal, but said the crime rate would go up. I disagreed w/ him on that, b/c I dont see it hurting other countries. It does slow time down and you really shouldn't drive while high, but then again you shouldn't drive drunk either. I just dont understand why the USA is so hard on us when we're 'supposably' free.

I live in the Netherlands as a foreigner. Most of you will know that Marijuana and its derivates are legal here. It used to shock me before. And despite not smoking it, I've learnt to accept it. Over here there are very strict laws on the sale/purchase/use of cannabis. Also driving under the influence is illegal, and punished.

However I dont understand why some people are being so anti-marijuana. If someone enjoys sitting down on a friday evening and rolling a joint, isnt that their issue. So long as it causes others no harm wheres the problem? I like a glass of wine with my dinner on friday, alcohol kills more people a year than most drugs put together. And also, pot smoke is much less foul smelling than Tobacco smoke.

So quite honestly, dont get so heated about it. If you like marijuana, smoke it. Please dont drive in my neighbourhood afterwards (please dont drive at all).
If you dont, then let it rest, if you dont care about something, how is it your problem.

I can understand parents wanting their kids to stay away from pot, but trust me, their more likely to have something bad happen to them after the drinking their going to do when they turn 16/17, than a little gram of weed they will try behind the bike shed.

the united states of america and great britan are the only 2 counrys in the world that mary jane is illigal and if you notic those are the best two countries becous we have the most money highest work rates and the (HIGHES AMOUNTS OF DRUG USE ) so if we legalise it there will b less people using it and if we do legalize it all the major drug deleres will have no more money and whats the fun in that walkin into a gas station and buyin weed nah id rather sneak around at 2 am and meet some guy up and buy an ounce for 100$ hehe and we all know what happenes when you start bangin the mary j hehe you laugh at anything but weed also has some benifits you can smoke it whne you are sick and for some reason it will make you better quicker so it has helth benifits and you know the lotions that have weed extract in them how come that isent illigal if they can tax that why can they just legalise it and not sell it in stores so I can b off state probation

So here goes. The harrison tax act (early part of the 20th century) required you to have a 'tax stamp' to own cannibis products. the catch is you couldn't get the stamp unless you had the product. Anti - Cannibis legislation began in the south-westernn states as an excuse to deport immigrant populations (the most common users of marijuana in the region). Later, federal legislation came in to place due to lobbying by the wood paper industry, for fear that hemp (the basic form of the cannibis plant) and the ease and speed of which it could be grown, would turn the wood (tree) paper industry upside down (as hemp is a far easier product to produce and work with -- for many reasons) There was a large congressional hearing -- to which a bare minimum of legislators attended. The head of the AMA (american medical association) stated that there was no medical reason to make it illegal, and was promptly asked to leave and informed that his opinion was irrelevant to their decision.

So the real reasons it is illegal is due to corporate lobbying and racism.

Funny thing, there are cannabinoid receptors in the brain, and as mammals we produce certain quantities of cannabinoid chemicals. Deficiencies in these can result in chronic pain and fibromyalgia. Thus an acceptible treatment for these can be the use of cannibis.

the real reason these drugs are still illegal is due to the paranoia instilled in us in the 30's to justify the legislation, and the simple fact that the anti-drug paranoia has run amok.

You may think pot has made people you know dumb -- odds are they were dumb to begin with -- and/or are heavy users of other drugs or alcohol. I for one have been a regular marijuana for many years, and as you can see can still form a coherent, reasoned argument - at least as well as anybody on this page - so I for one do not see any significant impairment on cognitive functioning.

But yes it basically comes down to lobbying by established, versus non established, industries.

Also on a side note -- the purpose of the use of marijuana marijuana, AND alcohol always has been intoxication -- whether it is mild, or severe.

The driving issue -- There are numerous reports that cannibis has little or no effect on your driving abilities, while alcohol has been shown to have massive effects. But lets break this down simply. It comes down to knowing your limits. The vast majority of people I know who smoke, always know their limits, and when they are too high to drive safely. However these same people have no regard for the amount of alcohol in their system in regard to driving. I would safely conjecture that marijuana does not impair yo8u in such a way that you are unaware of the level of your impairment -- whereas alcohol most definitely does.

I know! .. it's absurd.. cigarettes are soo much worse for your body.. and pft drinking too! .. people need to do their reseach .. I know about all that stuff becuase mt older sister have a very argumentative.. ? [sp] with that subject. this isn't really an answer but yeah..

I really think it should be
in a nutshell from personal experiance it just makes you happy,hungry,sleepy thats about it!

it makes me so mad when people think marijuana is bad for you.

but what you dont understrand is that weed is a blessing, put here by god, meant for use. and it doesnt have negitive effects, I can just as easaily find a source that says the oppisite as to what yours said.

you cannot compare weed to cigarettes ever. your source says that if one were to smoke the same amount of weed as cigarettes, but the average cigarette smoker smoke about two packs a day, where a heavy marijuana smoker would smoke 1/50th that. and that is a HEAVY weed smoker. weed is not addictive, and unless you smoke as much weed as you do cigarettes (which would mean your out of your mind high every second of your life, and you have absolutly no money) it would not have any effects on your health in your lifetime.

also, you are brainwashed. for some reason, the governtment sets up DARE and things to brainwash people into thinking marijuana is bad. IT ISNT. IT IS A GREAT THING. it causes peace, happiness, love and has ZERO negitive health effects as I just proved. If they were to spend time warning people about drugs that are ACTUALLY DANGEROUS they would save a lot more lives than lying about weed; a safe drug.

OPEN YOUR MIND. You have ZERO evidence of ANYTHING bad about weed. in canada, our neighbor, it is legal to have weed. illeagle to smoke in public, but leagle. but they have a higher tax on cigarettes; LIFE EXPECTANCY IN CANADA IS HIGHER THAN US. think about it.

weed is also not used to escape reality, so dont pull that string. it is used to enjoy onesself, and facilitates in the NATURALLY living life to the fullest.

btw, I am against any drug that has dangers of negitive effects. I am an intelligent and educated person; who would never do anything that would harm my body. I want to live life to the fullest, but without consequences, b/c consequences mean your life is not the fullest.

marijuana is a natural plant, making it illeagle is.. UNNATURAL.
the prohibition of weed has created more fuss, and done more damage to society than the plant could ever do.
also think, any stoner is always the most chill and nicest person ever. so it doesnt effect people to be bad.

Dear SUE90. That is the dumbest crap I've heard. You can not use that as a reason why pot is illegal, if so then apparently the bus driver and pilots and doctors would be drinkin up a storm at work now dont ya think. Your a tool and need not throw your halfwit ignorance upon us. If marijuana was legal im sure it would be just like alcohol and be illegal to work under the influence along with driving under the influence you twit.

Marijuana only has 3 side effects!!!

HUNGRY HAPPY AND SLEEPY!!! Drugs you have to do crap to chemically, add baking soda, water, sturr it up. I dont know the recipe im just sayin.

long story short, marijuana was first illegalized in 1937 by our government because they could not tax it and make money off of it, the REAL reason it was illegalized was because a someone(not sure of his name right now) sold 2 joints...just 2 joints, and the gov realized this and knew that since people can grow it in their basements, they can't tax it to make more money. and also because it is used in many medical purposes, pharmacutical companies would be out of business from this god given cure/reliever of many diseases. think about it, cigarettes are so popular because once you try it, you get addicted to it from the manmade nicotine they put inside of it, and then you start to buy more and more and more. thats how the gov makes so much money off of cig's from its addictive nature to people, that they won't illegalize it for that reason alone. isn't it strange how the gov lets us consume deathly products that are manmade, such as alcohol, nicotine, tobacco, and the like, but when its something that god actually made from the beginning of time,(it's in the bible) that they say its illegal because man has no power over it?

From 'The End of Faith' by Sam Harris. Reposted from http://quotes.gaia.com/61529/p_many_references_from_a/by_sam_harris

The consequences of our irrationality on this front are so egregious that they bear closer examination. Each year, over 1.5 million men and women are arrested in the United States because of our drug laws. At this moment, somewhere on the order of 400,000 men and women languish in U.S. prisons for nonviolent drug offenses. One million others are currently on probation. More people are imprisoned for nonviolent drug offenses in the United States than are incarcerated, for any reason, in all of Western Europe (which has a larger population). The cost of these efforts, at the federal level alone, is nearly $20 billion dollars annually. The total cost of our drug laws – when one factors in the expense to state and local governments and the tax revenue lost by our failure to regulate the sale of drugs – could easily be in excess of $100 billion dollars each year. Our war on drugs consumes an estimated 50 percent of the trial time of our courts and the full-time energies of over 400,000 police officers. These are resources that might otherwise be used to fight violent crimes and terrorism.

In historical terms, there was every reason to expect that such a policy of prohibition would fail. It is well known, for instance, that the experiment with prohibition of alcohol in the United States did little more than precipitate a terrible comedy of increased drinking, organized crime, and police corruption. What is not generally remembered is that Prohibition was an explicitly religious exercise, being the joint product of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the pious lobbying of certain Protestant missionary societies.

The problem with prohibition of any desirable commodity is money. The United Nations values the drug trade at $400 billion a year. This exceeds the annual budget for the U.S. Department of Defense. If this figure is correct, the trade in illegal drugs constitutes 8 percent of all international commerce (while the sale of textiles makes up 7.5 percent and motor vehicles just 5.3 percent). (35 – http://www.lindesmith.org) And yet, prohibition itself is what makes the manufacture and sale of drugs so extraordinarily profitable. Those who earn there living in this way enjoy a 5,000 to 20,000 percent return on their investment, tax-free. Every relevant indicator of the drug trades – rates of drug use and interdiction, estimates of production, the purity of drugs on the street, etc. – shows that the government can do nothing to stop it as long as such profit exists (indeed, these profits are highly corrupting of law enforcement in any case). The crimes of the addict, to finance the stratospheric cost of his lifestyle, and the crimes of the dealer, to protect both his territory and his goods, are likewise the result of prohibition. (36 footnote below) A final irony, which seems good enough to be the work of Satan himself, is that the market we have created by our drug laws has become a steady source of revenue for terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Shining Path, and others. [supporting link – not from Sam Harris: drug policy and terrorism]

Even if we acknowledge that stopping drug use is a justifiable social goal, how does the financial cost of our war on drugs appear in light of the other challenges we face? Consider that it would require only a onetime expenditure of $2 billion to secure our commercial seaports against smuggled nuclear weapons. At present we have allocated a mere $93 million for this purpose. (footnote link) How will our prohibition of marijuana use look (this comes at the cost of $4 billion annually) if a new sun ever dawns over the port of Los Angeles? Or consider that the U.S. government can afford to spend only $2.3 billion each year on reconstruction of Afghanistan. The Taliban and Al Qaeda are now regrouping. Warlords rule the countryside beyond the city limits of Kabul. Which is more important to us, reclaiming this part of the world for the forces of civilization or keeping cancer patients in Berkeley from relieving their nausea with marijuana? Our present use of government funds suggests an uncanny skewing – we might even say derangement – of our national priorities. Such a bizarre allocation of resources is sure to keep Afghanistan in ruins for years to come. It will also leave Afghan farmers with no alternative but to grow opium. Happily for them, our drug laws still render this a highly profitable enterprise.

Anyone who believes that God is watching us from beyond the stars will feel that punishing peaceful men and women for their private pleasure is perfectly reasonable. We are now in the twenty-first century. Perhaps we should have better reasons for depriving our neighbors of their liberty at gunpoint. Given the magnitude of the real problems that confront us – terrorism, nuclear proliferation, the spread of infectious disease, failing infrastructure, lack of adequate funds for education and health care, etc. – our war on sin is so outrageously unwise as to almost defy rational comment. How have we grown so blind to our deeper interests? And how have we manages to enact such policies with so little substantive debate?

36 footnote pg 259 of book

When was the last time someone was killed over a tobacco or alcohol deal gone awry? We can be confident that the same normalcy would be achieved if drugs were regulated by the government. At the inception of the modern “war on drugs,” the economist Milton Friedman observed that “legalizing drugs would simultaneously reduce the amount of crime and raise the quality of law enforcement.” He then invited the reader to “conceive of any other measure that would accomplish so much to promote law and order” (Friedman, “Prohibition and Drugs,” Newsweek May 1, 1972). What was true then remains true after three decades of pious misrule; the criminality associated with the drug trade is the inescapable consequence of our drug laws themselves.

Personally I think that pretty much all the bases have been covered on the subject here. Some posts have been GREAT and offer good solid information. I agree with a lot of them. However, most of them have been completely retarded.
I think we are focusing on WHY the drug is illegal too much here. The best answer I can come up with, seeing as how im not a politician or a doctor or a scientist, is that its illegal because our government says it is. As americans we just have to realize that our government doesnt always make sensable decisions.
I myself am a daily marijuana user. I have seen a lot of positive and negative results from using the 'drug'. Personally I will not leave my house after using the drug for at least 3 hours. I could not forgive myself for hurting someone else while on marijuana. Lets face it, be honest with yourselves, marijuana does impair your motor skills. otherwise why are we using it, other than medically? we use it because it gets us high. and like alcohol it should be used responsibly.
its your body, do with it as you pleaase, lets just try to keep the consequences of the drug, whether positive or negative, to ourselves. why hurt other people with it.
the plain and simple fact is the government says they dont want us to use it. personally I dont understand it. but all the 'potheads' on here throwing out conspiracy theories are making people who use marijuana sound stupid, only adding to the stereotype!

well because the government cant tax it...and because one joint is equal to four ciggarettes...itll get legalized eventually but when they do more research on it, but if you havent noticed, the U.S has more important things going on right now then legalizin drugs

weed is illegal because the government cant tax it to make money off of it... I dont know anyone who died from weed but plenty from cigarettes...

Actually there are at least 3 major types of cannabis and whether they produce aggression or not is completely up to the individual, although it is rare. The major types are: Afghani (indica), Skunk #1 (sativa) and Haze (sativa). Afghani and indicas have a sedative effect. Skunk has a euphoric effect, while Haze has a trippy/psychedelic effect. Most marijuana seeds on sale today a hybrids of these. Then, there are the landraces, many of which have their own unique effect. For instance, the African sativas often have 100% THC and 0% CBD, which give a very electric body stone/high. Personally, I only smoke sativas (on the euphoric side). Instead of a sedative effect, some indica's give me a melancholy and negative trip - so I don't smoke them. That is one of the benefits of growing your own weed - you always know what you are getting. All you need is a couple of fluorescent lights for germination/early vegging, and a balcony or small yard that gets enough sun. For flowering, you put them in a box or closet that keeps all the light out (important) but lets some air in. Keep the soil and nutrient ph around 6.8 to 7, and you're on your way to growing better weed than you can buy anywhere. And more of it, practically for free.

OMG some of you are stupid. ok, cigerettes do have some health risks with certain chemicals in it and harms your liver. Marijuana also had chemicals that harm your body, but also release Hallucinogens in your brain chemicals causing you to act different as well as redirect your brain cells with different messages in the dendrites causing it not only to effect your thinking, but also impair your memory. And don't say it's a plant from god, keep that religious crpa out of it because the government is based on freedom of religion so the god stuff won't work here. And to add to that, alcohol is bad for you if you drink it IN EXCESS!! for example a bit of wine will help clean your mouth and line it to prevent tooth decay or other oral bacteria.

So if you are stupid because of doing pot, then shut up now. If you aren't and can drive a decent arguement as very few people could, then ok. But stupid people need to shut up seriously.

weed is more dangerous than cigarettes, weed makes you hallucinate and messes up your body and mind while cigarettes dont do nearly as much damage to yourself and others