TPiddy said:
Well, for one, don't believe the people on here who try to tell you that it's in any way HEALTHY..... it's not. It's quite unhealthy. Taking in any kind of smoke into your lungs is unhealthy. However, doesn't mean I'm against it.
The non-smoking uses of Marijuana are excellent, And if we allow tobacco, I don't see why we can't allow Marijuana. I would just slap the same rules that both cigarettes and alcohol have... no driving while stoned, no selling to minors, etc.
I suppose part of the fear is that we'd completely become a drug culture, but that's just not true. Look at how many people can be responsible, social drinkers and manage themselves.
On that note, look at how many people (seriously, I'd be willing to go at
least 1-in-6, by personal anecedote) responsibly consume marijuana on the sly regardless of its legal status, and how well they (we?) manage in society regardless. "Manage" is almost the wrong word, carries a slight negative connotation. Perhaps, the fact that some people use marijuana has very little impact on society at large.
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There's been a noticeable impact on the illicit drug trade here, just as a result of the burgeoning medical marijuana (MMJ) market. In the past two years now, MMJ use has exploded, and dispensaries cropped up like a new wave of Starbucks. Interestingly, this has had two effects on the "illegal" drug market. Obtaining MMJ through a registered proxy is very, very simple for someone unregistered. Essentially, a large number of people are able to go through "legal" channels regardless of their registration status. Second, with the generous distribution of people now growing for their own uses, obtaining marijuana that is not an "import" is surprisingly easy. Anecdotally, I would say that this alone may have had a major impact on the Mexican market in this state. It's seemingly harder to find dirt, brick, and schwag, than it is to find X, or high-grade strains of what is most likely MMJ, or a home-grow.
Has society crumbled? Hardly. As far as a person can tell, it's business as usual, except for the "alternative medicine" shops on every other corner. And judging from their parking lots on an average day, business is good.
Of course, this exploding market has thrown the legislature into a frenzy, enacting moratoriums, attempting to wrangle and wrest control wherever they think they can, and while these efforts garner some support, you can almost hear the collective "meh" from the population at large.
County by county is loosening restrictions on marijuana possession. In several areas, it's practically decriminalized. In a select few, it is. Public use is, of course, strictly frowned upon, and the feds can prosecute to their heart's content. But outside of a couple of high profile cases [http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/22558618/detail.html], it's a sure bet they really won't bother.
Truth of the matter, there's a loosening opinion on the status of marijuana, certainly around here, and noticeably in the country at large, as well.
The government could do themselves a favor by re-examining their policies towards the drug. Funneling so much money into combating a "problem" that largely only exists in fantastical, dire ruminations of federal prosecutors, pharmaceutical companies, and the very enforcement agencies themselves isn't working. Too much money is dumped into prosecuting, and then imprisoning non-violent offenders for no worse crime than simply "holding." (Sometimes for excessively long "mandatory minimums" of several YEARS.) Too much violence is committed by underground units against each other and the population at large to control their slice of this particular black market. Too much power is given to violent cartels that are effectively taking over Mexico with our drug dollars. Too much is wasted in futile pursuit of a hopeless fight.
No one uses marijuana because it's illegal. No one uses it to "fight the man," in essence. It is used because some see it as an enjoyable recreation. Others use it because, damn, that highly potent, barely researched, "FDA-approved" drug just simply didn't work (and may have caused a heart attack), but a vapo-hit of MMJ cut through that pain like no other.
The economic and environmental benefits of marijuana and hemp cultivation are too numerous to mention here. Entire volumes could be written on the numerous uses of the plant itself and the alkaloids it contains.
It's a ridiculous battle. One I hope to see end in my lifetime. It's gone on long enough.
