1.The most frequent drug-related visits to hospital emergency rooms for youths 12 – 19 are for marijuana abuse (page 248)
2. Driving under the influence of marijuana is very hazardous. (page 248)
3. The proclaimed view that marijuana is non-addicting is easily contradicted by observed withdrawal effects (page 248).
4. Withdrawal effects include anxiety, stomach pain, and irritability.
5. Studies have shown that marijuana use causes structural damage to hippocampus (page 250), effects pituitary gland secretions (page 251), and causes frequent respiratory illnesses, daily coughing with phlegm production, obstructed breathing pathways, and frequent lung infections (page 251 – 252).
5. The ability to learn and remember while under the influence of the drug are decreased substantially. (page 251).

This information covers just three pages of the book. This drug is harmful, and I see no reason to legalize it. This is just a fraction of the negative effects documented and associated with marijuana use. Don’t let people tell you it is “harmless” and “non-addictive” because that is just not true.

Ron, the Ron Paul in me slips out from time to time, but I’m not a full on libertarian.

“my fundamental argument for the legalization of marijuana based simply on the fact that alcohol and tobacco are legal”
Obviously heroin is much more addictive and harmful than pot, but it’s common rhetoric that kicking nicotine is as hard as or harder than kicking heroin.

“an important advantage is the immediate drop in crime that would occur. Drug dealers would be out of business, and the smuggling organizations would have to stick with coke, X, and people for their profits.”
Also true of heroin.

“Legalizing weed will also allow the FDA to regulate the drug… perhaps make it even safer.”
Ditto.

“The most important advantage of legalizing pot is the tax revenue.”
Also for the record, I’m against taxing any addictive substance. But we do it for cigarettes, so why not…?

“Legalized pot will have black markets similar to alcohol or tobacco, which are very small.”
Heroin as well.

Todd makes another argument above – that it would create new jobs. I’m not sure this is true, since it’s already on the (black) market quite readily available – there are already people growing, shipping, and selling. But if true, it’s the same for heroin.

And don’t get me wrong, I’m not an anti-pot crusader, I’m just not sure these arguments in themselves make any more sense for pot than they do for heroin (or tobacco, for that matter).

Of course, some of the arguments AGAINST it don’t make sense either. We can’t really test for it in drivers, but that’s no different whether it’s legal or not. As for Emily’s “drive real slow” comment, sorry, but no. There are studies showing decreased attentiveness, judgment, and reaction time in driving simulators. If you drive high, you’re just being stupid.

This is how it happens.

(I’m joking.)

Rob
.-= Rob Bennett´s last blog ..Rational Investing In Irrational Markets =-.

I think the path it will take is decriminalization in most of the western and eastern states, then spreading to the midwest, while skipping Utah, and most of the south. I doubt it will ever be “legalized”, but you will probably just get a ticket for getting caught with it. It will become the new “MIP”.