Quote:
Originally Posted by Vanilla
The question really is, do you want more harmful things in society, more ways for the youth of our world (if not children) to be exposed to further substances that will take over their lives. Younger people arn't as educated on the effects of drugs, it can really effect their learning and concentration at school. I realise that it would be an 18+ only drug if it were legalised but like alcohol, older brothers and sisters/bad parents can supply it to them easily this way.
And so what's next? Will we want to legalise E or cocaine next because it's a popular drug? There's a possibility that marijuana could become a gateway drug to other drugs with far more damaging effects.
Picture this as the new peer pressure scenerio, a group of school kids are smoking marijuana on a lunch break, and one of them pulls out some cocaine. He/she encourages the rest of the group to try some and because they're wanting to fit in and already high on grass decide to go for it. Bam. A downward spiral.
I know this is not the only angle on this arguement, but if the western world cannot control the youth of today from binge drinking and smoking ciggarettes, then how will they stop them from becoming a majority of pot-smokers? I think we need to focus on the real issues at hand before we get carried away with making other harmful substances legal and available.
If you want to smoke it, fine, it's not that hard to get a hold of. Wouldn't you rather it be cheap and avaible without huge tax's like there are on alcohol and ciggarettes? That's if governments could even tax it in the first place.
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Im America children are educated about drugs at a very early age, DARE, Multiple 'I forgot my little brother at school while I got high' commercials and countless other programs instituted into young lives. The legalization aspect has nothing to do with parents and siblings supplying it to younger children, it could be illegal and they can still do so. E and coke are irrelevant because we are speaking of the least harmful:amount of use of illegal drugs.Legalization would decrease such Peer pressure scenarios. They will control amount of maryj on the streets by change in taxes upon the product, and what is stopping everyone from becoming potheads anyways if they drink and smoke? There is no proof that price would increase, the proposed method would be to take the profit and turn that into tax, but no numbers involved.
Basically, a quick summary, legalization really doesnt affect any of your points stated above.
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Lew Harrison, who looked like an anarchist with his
red eyes and fierce
black beard, had been writing furiously in one corner of the room. "That's good—
happiness by the kilowatt," he said. "Buy your happiness the way you buy
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