Do you think drug laws should be changed.

1. 59

   mandybeauposted 14 years ago

   By this I mean do you feel marijuana is alright, in reasonably small doses, but would like to see more toughening up on the harder stuff.
   People can be forced to pay taxes on illegal earnings, However if Majrijuana was just another crop it would be just another Business, and the Government would gain in taxes etc.
   I dislike Hard drugs, as I believe they really have no purpose, other than making people dependent.
   Too much of a control freak to ever play with any drugs, I was wondering what others thought.
   I realise that some drugs are already legal in some Countries, so this is just for those with the Taboo status.

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   1. 60

      sassychicposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes. We are way behind compared to other nations that look up to us for support etc. like Marijuana! the obivous thing I can say is the medical stand point and the things that it can do for for Cancer Patients. I think the newer generations are more accepting to change and differences than the the baby boomers and others that are older.

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2. 59

   Tamarii2posted 14 years ago

   THE SO CALLED WEED SHOULD BE LEGAL BY NOW.WHY WEIGHT UNTIL WE ARE DEAD BEFORE THEY MAKE IT LEGAL.YOU CAN TELL IT WILL EVENTUALLY BE AVAILABLE TO ALL WHO LIKE IT. THEY ARE TRYING TO THINK HOW MUCH TAX TO PUT ON IT.I DO NOT PARTTAKE.BUT I DO NOT SEE ANY HARM OVER THE YEARS.ENJOY THE JOURNEY.PEACE.

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   1. 59

      mandybeauposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hadn't thought about the fact they haven't worked out how much tax interesting slant.
      Cheers
      mandy

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3. 69

   C.Ferreiraposted 14 years ago

   Yes...marijuana should be legalized and taxed.
   
   The effects of marijuana are much less harmful than the effects of alcohol. There has never been a single recording of a death caused by marijuana overdose. I don't need to tell you the statistic of how many people die from drinking too much every year.
   
   Legalizing the use of marijuana benefits the country, government, and economy two fold. First, by taxing some pot, we will save bazillions of dollars NOT fighting the war on drugs. Instead, the taxes will bring money IN to the government and we will perhaps be able to head out of debt.
   
   Second, opening up the hemp industry will create thousands and thousands of jobs and generate tons of income for both small and large businesses...not to mention the farmers.
   
   It is really a no brainer at this point.
   
   "According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2006, 14.8 million Americans age 12 or older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed" (http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html)
   
   So let's say that 14.8 million Americans all buy one "pack of joints" once a month for a year.....
   
   Using a round about sales tax (comparable to cigarettes) of $1.50 per $5 pack...
   
   14,800,000 x (1.5+5) x 12 =  1,154,400,000
   That is one BILLION one hundred fifty four MILLION four hundred THOUSAND dollars!
   
   Of which, $888,000,000 goes directly into the economy, and $266,400,000 goes directly to the government in taxes!
   
   Logically this is an optimistic view with the data used from 2006, but I would be willing to suggest that these numbers are on the low end of what reality would look like.

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   1. 59

      mandybeauposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Alsohol is definitely way worse than your low grade drugs. It causes crime domestic violence, and hey its legal, "Where's the sense in that one.

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4. 60

   Murilionposted 14 years ago

   marijuana should not be legalized cause that will bring more death in many things

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   1. 69

      C.Ferreiraposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      How would marijuana bring on more deaths? It is a fairly harmless drug!!

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   2. 59

      mandybeauposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Majrijuana has been around since the 60's, probably before, so I don't think it actually kills.......... I think harder drugs do that. I am not a drug user, but have friends that have smoked Pot  for years, and apart from being abit slower than some people I don't see that they are in harms way.
      Physciatric drugs prescribed by a Doctor, are often way more lethal.

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5. 57

   Dame Scribeposted 14 years ago

   I think gigantic, huge, expensive,hefty financial fines should be attached to all criminal offences...n bill them after they leave jail to repay the tax monies spent to care for them

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   1. 59

      mandybeauposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      It shouldn't  actually be  a crime to smoke pot so I guess you are saying fine Dealers, I say tax them,only, Cigarettes are way worse healthwise and look how they have been pushed over the years. Most Sports Events were promoted by Tobacco companies.
      Not so today, but not that long ago.... Biggest advertisers at Cinemas etc.

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6. 68

   lumberjackposted 14 years ago

   Yes, marijuana is a healthy and natural alternative to cigarettes!

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7. 77

   noniebdavisposted 14 years ago

   I feel very passionate about this subject.  My roommate took a fall for a friend that had kids, so his friend's kids wouldn't be taken away... 
   
   People say marijuana floods our jail systems, and costs our government more money than it would if it was legalized, but the truth is... This is not the truth at all.  The reality of it is the state (California), and the federal government all make more money keeping marijuana illegal than they would if they legalized it and taxed it. 
   
   My roommate was busted with 4 lbs. and received a felony intent to sell. He said that the marijuana was for personal use, but in the state of California anything over an ounce is intent to sell.  He never "flooded" the jail system (went to jail), and is now paying off his $6K in fines.  He also has to maintain a state regulated NA program that, you guessed it, he has to pay for. 
   
   Marijuana doesn't flood the jail systems, and honestly legalizing marijuana would bring down drug trafficing in and out of Mexico. 
   
   The only reason it has not been legalized is because, simply put, it is a weed.  It is so easy to grow marijuana that anyone could do it.  There is no way for the government to strictly regulate the taxing of ounces with something that is so easily grown.  Its much easier to keep it illegal and collect revenue on tickets for personal use and felonies for sales.
   
   Marijuana isn't as bad as our government tries to make it out to be.  You never heard of the pothead that got high and beat his wife, or the girl that got so high she got raped at a party and didn't remember it. Yet, alcohol is legal and this has been proven to be damaging with continuing use.  Studies on marijuana shows no major long-term damage from consistant smoking. 
   
   The company that produces Miller beer funds the Truth ads about marijuana.  Even the alcohol companies don't want marijuana legalized.

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   1. 69

      C.Ferreiraposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      How do you figure the state of CA and the feds make more money by keeping the ganj illegal?
      
      They make money in CA and CA only because of the medicinal laws that allow for pot shops. Those shops are legitimate businesses and pay boat loads of taxes.
      
      Now imagine if every state did that! The government would have taxes coming in from 50 states instead of 1. Not only would these small businesses be paying taxes, but each consumer would also be paying taxes every time they purchased some pot. It is a never ending stream of money coming into both the state and federal governments.
      
      On top of that, all of these small businesses would be creating hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country.
      
      I just fail to see any logic in saying that pot should not be legalized!

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8. 61

   knmentertainmentposted 14 years ago

   Tens of millions of dollars are spent each year to fight the drug war. Are we making any progress????
   
   It's an endless and futile battle. Demand increases every year. There is no end.
   
   Maybe we should use that money for something more productive???
   
   If people want to use dangerous drugs, they will.
   
   How many people does alcohol kill each year?
   
   Legalize it all...other countries did

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