[Arclight]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Um, it would still be illegal for teenagers, who currently prepare themselves for lung diseased futures by smoking cigarettes illegally and other medical bills by drinking illegally.

Why add medical cost from marijuana to that?

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Legalizing the devil weed would remove a major money source from criminal gangs and be a major new source of tax revenues.

The money goes from criminal gangs to the owners of the coffeeshops. A big shop where I used to live got closed down because the business was becoming "mob-like". Yeah, much better.

Like stated before, the gained tax-revenue would be hard needed, not only for increased strain on developing brains (schooling) and medical bills, but also for drafting new laws and legislations, not to mention the increased strain on law enforcement that needs to control the shops and enforce these laws.

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

If you really believe your hype why aren't you advocating the criminalization of alcohol and tobacco?

I am, tobacco at least. Alcohol... meh, as long as someone is able to show restraint and keep it "healthy" (glas of wine at dinner, beer or 2 watching the game).

Originally Posted by rev. beetle

i do not know the right answer but the last i checked it has been some what legal in europe for decades and i do not see a large increase in health care or useage if you take away the thrill of doing something against the law all the fun is gone for most people

Wouldn't know about increase in health care, but usage doesn't seem to be effected by it. Particularly people who are or were "down on thier luck" (like me) are regular users. They don't need the thrill of doing something illegal, they need to forget. Although that thrill may account for some teenagers trying it out.

To clarify; I live in Holland, it's been legal here longer then I can remember. I tryed it when I was 17, became a habit few months before I turned 18. Used quite a lot untill I was 21 (my rough patch in life), by that I mean I rolled one when I felt like it: 5 to 10 joints per day. Then my brain kicked in (or money ran out) and I reduced it to 1 to 5 a day. Since I was out of the situation causing my need, the habit reduced further to 1 or 2 a day, only after I had done the things that needed to get done that day (light the first and possibly only between 6 and 7pm). At 24, I quit all together. Not because I thought it was evil, not because my health was fading but because I didn't need it anymore. I just ran out one day and didn't feel like I had to go to the shop and get more.

The point is: people use weed for the wrong reasons. Yes, it's fun to try out, but a sustained habit doesn't have that motivation. It's usually to forget about something, not have to deal with it. Everyone knows what happens if you don't deal with stuff; it catches up to you and bites you on the ass. My life is still a mess, not that it's caused by weed but it didn't help. If I hadn't turned to weed, I could have solved problems faster and earlier.

It is a drug. Although not fysically addictive like alcohol, tobacco and cocaine, heroine and all that other crap (you don't go in withdrawal from quitting; withdrawal from alcohol and "hard" drugs can literally kill you). If it is legalized, it should be treated for what it is, and only made available to people who aren't prone to misuse, which would mean something like: you could only buy it if you had a special pass, made available to you after a psychological evaluation by a trained and certified psychologist. Not a realistic possibility, so IMHO it should not be legalized.