The more I learn about all aspects of the 'Drug War'; its history, our history, human nature, addiction, prison...the list goes on. I have come to change my mind completely regarding legalization, though I wont mention my point of view since we all have a point of view and for varying reasons.
So the question is this; If drugs were legalized; do you think there would be a difference in drug use and the amount of people doing drugs ?

Although medicinal marijuana needs to expand and be more available... There are many many people that I believe could benifit healthwise and many of these people are in prison now because of this...but I dont believe that all drugs themselves should be legalized. Caution needs to be taken. We have children who havent learned all the birds and the bees yet that are addicted to drugs. Will legalization take care of this? We need to get more control back as parents in the eyes of the law first before concidering the laws of drugs changing.

Well I really was against legalization of the harder drugs but Ive come to change my mind drastically over the last year.

I figured for me at least I didnt want them legalized because of the hell they have put my life threw and the life of my husband, not to mention so many other people and those who care about them and the ones Ive known that are now dead. That was my own personal fear, especially the fear of a mother.

But now for me personally Ive been trying to look past that and to the bigger picture. I see drug addiction as something that should be addressed and dealt with healthwise not in a criminal manner. The billions of dollars spent on the so called drug war has only increased the profits of the terrorists who are in fact the main profiters of the drug trade in North America and Europe. Legalizing drugs and taking a whole new approach on treatment of addicts would stiffle the terrorists profits and I dont see how it would increase addiction. It would lessen the burden on prisons drastically which would free up millions and millions eventually for the use of combatting and preventing addiction and for more education and jobs.

I really had to soul search this and it took me a while to come to it but to be totally honest, I dont think it will make any difference as to how many people do drugs. They are available everywhere and we all know it and legalizing them will only actually control them compared to what they are now. They are a disease filling every street whether on a corner or within that suburbian home. Legalization will in fact result in drugs being controlled because the organized crime and terrorist will have to look for a new way to make money as well as drugs that arent filled with crap and killing addicts.

I talked to my son too and asked him if he would be more apt to experiment with drugs if it was legal, he said no, I asked him if he figured other kids at school would, he said no, why should they, drugs are everywhere now. The bottom line is no one is going to do drugs to the point of getting addicted to them just because it is legal. If anything it may help the ones who are still hiding their addiction from loved ones to come forward with their problem sooner rather than later when it may be much harder to tackle.

Just my two cents, or perhaps ten cents but I would rather the government had control of drugs and control of the millions and billions that leave our countries and end up in the pockets of very rich criminal minds and terrorists while our addicts die in the streets and families are ripped apart because our countries cant afford to provide the help that so many of them need because all the money is going to fight terrorists, the drug war and pay for prisons filled with addicts.

Wow- good question!
I haven't even voted in the poll cuz I really am un-sure how I feel about this.
A part of me feels that if drug use were legalized, then my boyfriend would be using the rest of his life.
I can't wrap my brain around legalization of any drug, besides pot. I was brought up to NEVER touch drugs- which besides alcohol and weed a few times, I have abided by this.
But, I am not as naieve as I once was- thanks to my boyfriend's heroin addiction.
What would happen if it were legal? What if we had legal needle exchanges and legal places to go to use- (where do they do that? I forgot)
I don't know. I really don't.
My first reaction is HELL NO. DON'T legalize any of it!
But that is what I have been brought up to believe talking.
Alot has happened since then, so maybe my opinion has changed a little bit.
I don't know- I really don't know.
All I DO know is that I wish herion had NEVER entered my boyfriend's life. But since it has, and he is having SUCH a hard time with it- would it be better to legalize it? Would it make it safer?
Or would it take away his desire to stay clean??
If it was in front of him, and he could do it legally, would he?
Probably- and that is why I guess I am against it.
Since it is illegal, and that part alone helps him to stay clean, would this just be a step backward for him? I kinda think so.
Wow- Iam really back and forth here aren't I? lol
Great question Witchlin!
I will come back and vote as soon as I know how I feel- if that ever happens! :)

I think the US should legalize marijuana completly. Then reduce all persons sentenced in connection with marijuana charges to time served.

I believe marijuana usage would decrease. It would instantly become commercialized and would be taxed as cigarettes and alcohol.

The prices would soar, thereby reducing consumption. The billions of dollars saved on incarceration and the billions made in tax revenue could be put to good use on drug prevention programs, methodone clinics, needle exchanges and prison reform.

Leagilize the HERB but not the chemicals. Marijuana has many healing powers and pain releaving abilities it needs to become legal and readily avalible for all cancer pts. and people who suffer with AIDS, RA an OA. just to mention a few:thumbsup: thats just my opinion I could be wrong( but i seriously doubt it:D )

I think that cannibis should be legalized- and I don't even smoke the stuff. the harder drugs- no.

I agree with Hummingbird and Tekela. Marijuana is a hell of a lot less harmful than alcohol. Get rid of alcohol! :blah: Crack and heroin and all that stuff SHOULD be illegal and eliminated, but it's just plain stupid that pot is illegal. I mean, looking at it from a business standpoint, the government could probably balance the budget by legalizing marijuana and taxing the sales like they do tobacco products! And from the viewpoint of overcrowded jails... it's really insane to be throwing people caught with pot or growing it in jail. Pot smokers, in the main, are cool, mellow people. Legalizing, taxing and controling the sale of weed would be one of the smartest things this country has done in a long, long time. Hope I see it in my lifetime!

By the way, I don't smoke pot, I don't even smoke tobacco. I just have a strong opinion! LOL!

YES, Legalize!
Sorry about the little box in this post , I can't just copy and paste like normal people and when I do everything comes up.

First the government is lying to you about Marijuana ( again)

(http://www.norml.org/pdf_files/NORML_Truth_Report_2005.pdf)


ALLEGATION #1
“There is a serious drug problem in this country.”

TRUTH
America does have a serious drug problem and our public policy needs to better address this issue with health and science-based educational programs, and by providing more accessible treatment to those who are drug-dependent. Unfortunately, the bulk of America’s anti-drug efforts and priorities remain fixated on arresting and jailing drug consumers – particularly recreational marijuana smokers.

In this sense, there is a serious drug enforcement problem in this country. Despite the notion that America’s drug war focuses primarily on targeting so-called hard drugs and hard drug dealers, data compiled by the FBI reports that 46 percent of all drug arrests are for marijuana.

In 2003, the last year for which statistics are available, law enforcement arrested an estimated 755,186 persons for marijuana violations.3 (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6589#3) This total far exceeds the total number of arrests for the violent crimes of murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.4 (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6589#4) Today, state and local taxpayers spend between $5.3 billion5 (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6589#5) and $7.7 billion6 (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6589#6) dollars annually arresting and prosecuting individuals for marijuana violations. The federal government spends an additional $4 billion per year on marijuana-related activities.7 (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6589#7) These monies would be far better spent targeting violent crime and protecting national security.

Since 1990, over 7.2 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges,8 ("][/url]increased enforcement of marijuana laws is being achieved at the expense of enforcing laws against the possession and trafficking of more dangerous drugs.[/b]

Rather than stay this course, federal officials ought to take a page from their more successful public health campaigns discouraging teen pregnancy, drunk driving, and adolescent tobacco smoking – all of which have been significantly reduced in recent years.13 ("]ALLEGATION #2
“Nationwide, no drug matches the threat posed by marijuana.”[/b]

TRUTH
This statement is pure hyperbole. By overstating marijuana’s potential harms, America’s policy-makers and law enforcement community undermine their credibility and ability to effectively educate the public of the legitimate harms associated with more dangerous drugs like heroin, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine.

In fact, almost all drugs – including those that are legal – pose greater threats to individual health and/or society than does marijuana.14 ("]“Except for the harms associated with smoking, the adverse effects of marijuana use are within the range tolerated for other medications.”[/i]19 ("]“There is no conclusive evidence that marijuana causes cancer in humans, including cancers usually related to tobacco use.”[/i]21 ("]ALLEGATION #3
“60 percent of teenagers in treatment have a primary marijuana diagnosis. This means that the addiction to marijuana by our youth exceeds their addiction rates for alcohol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, ecstasy and all other drugs combined.”[/b]

TRUTH
This statement is purposefully misleading. Although admissions to drug rehabilitation clinics among marijuana users have increased dramatically since the mid-1990s, this rise in marijuana admissions is due to a proportional increase in the number of people arrested by law enforcement for marijuana violations and subsequently referred to drug treatment by the criminal justice system.28 ("]Primarily, these are young people arrested for minor possession offenses,[/b]29 ("] brought before a criminal judge (or drug court), and ordered to rehabilitation in lieu of jail or juvenile detention.[/b] As such, this data is in no way indicative of whether the person referred to treatment is suffering from any symptoms of dependence associated with marijuana use; most individuals are ordered to attend supervised drug treatment simply to avoid jail time. In fact, since 1995, the proportion of admissions from all sources other than the criminal justice system has actually declined, according to the federal Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS).30 ("]ALLEGATION #4
“We may never rid this country of every crack pipe or marijuana plant. However, research proves that we have made substantial success in reducing drug use in this country.”[/b]

TRUTH
In fact, marijuana enforcement has had no discernable long-term impact on marijuana availability or use. According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, teenagers report that marijuana has surpassed tobacco and alcohol as the easiest drug to obtain.34 ("]Despite billions of dollars spent on drug enforcement and drug education efforts (such as the federally funded DARE program) since that time, today’s number (for the Class of 2004) is 49 percent.38 ("][/i]Today, nearly one out of every two American adults acknowledges they have used marijuana, up from fewer than one in three in 1983.40 ("][/i]ALLEGATION #5
“The truth is that marijuana is not harmless.”[/size]

TRUTH
This statement is correct; marijuana isn’t harmless. In fact, no substance is, including those that are legal. However, any risk presented by marijuana smoking falls within the ambit of choice we permit the individual in a free society.41 ("]ALLEGATION #6
“As a factor in emergency room visits, marijuana has risen 176 percent since 1994, and now surpasses heroin.”[/size]

TRUTH
This statement is intentionally misleading as it wrongly suggests that marijuana use is a significant causal factor in an alarming number of emergency room visits. It is not.

Federal statistics gathered by the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) do indicate an increase in the number of people “mentioning” marijuana during hospital emergency room visits. (This increase is hardly unique to marijuana however, as the overall number of drug mentions has risen dramatically since the late 1980s – likely due to improved federal reporting procedures.)44 ("]a marijuana “mention” does not mean that marijuana caused the hospital visit[/b] or that it was a factor in leading to the ER episode, only that the patient said that he or she had used marijuana previously.45 ("]Marijuana is mentioned to hospital staff more frequently than heroin, not because it’s more dangerous, but simply because a far greater percentage of the population uses marijuana than uses heroin.[/i] It is also worth noting that alcohol is by far the drug most frequently reported to DAWN, even though it is reported only when present in combination with another reportable drug. Moreover, marijuana is rarely mentioned independent of other drugs.47 ("]ALLEGATION #7
“Smoked marijuana leads to changes in the brain similar to those caused by the use of cocaine and heroin.”[/size]

TRUTH
Allegations that marijuana smoking alters brain function or has long-term effects on cognition are reckless and scientifically unfounded. Federally sponsored population studies conducted in Jamaica, Greece and Costa Rica found no significant differences in brain function between long-term smokers and non-users.48 ("]The American Journal of Epidemiology[/i] reported "no significant differences in cognitive decline between heavy users, light users, and nonusers of cannabis” over a 15-year period.49 ("] substantial abstinence symptoms” in humans.53 ("][url="http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6589#54)

ALLEGATION #8
“One recent study involving a roadside check of reckless drivers (not impaired by alcohol) showed that 45 percent tested positive for marijuana.” TRUTH
Though portrayed by politicians and police as a serious problem bordering on "epidemic," actual data is sparse concerning the prevalence of motorists driving under the influence of drugs, and more importantly, what role illicit drug use plays in traffic accidents.55 ("][/url]does not[/i] appear to play a significant role in on-road traffic accidents when THC levels in a driver's blood are low and/or THC is not consumed in combination with alcohol. For example, a 1992 US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration review of fatally injured drivers found, "THC-only drivers [those with detectable levels of THC in their blood] had a responsibility rate below that of drug-free drivers."58 ("] have failed to demonstrate that drivers with cannabinoids in the blood are significantly more likely than drug-free drivers to be culpable in road crashes.” 60 ("] similar to those drivers with a BAC of at least 0.15%."62 ("]“Cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills involved in automobile driving.” [/i]67 ("]ALLEGATION #9
“The truth is that marijuana is addictive. … Marijuana users have an addiction rate of about 10%, and of the 5.6 million drug users who are suffering from illegal drug dependence or abuse, 62 percent are dependent on or abusing marijuana.”[/size]

TRUTH
Marijuana use is not marijuana abuse. According to the US Institute of Medicine’s 1999 Report: “Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base,” “Millions of Americans have tried marijuana, but most are not regular users, … [and] few marijuana users become dependent on it.”68 ("]less than 10 percent of marijuana users ever exhibit symptoms of dependence[/i] (as defined by the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV criteria.)69 ("]ALLEGATION #10
“Average THC levels rose from less than 1% in the late 1970s to more than 7% in 2001, and sinsemilla potency increased from 6% to 13%, and now reach as high as 33%”[/size]

TRUTH
This statement is both inaccurate and misleading. No population en masse has ever smoked marijuana averaging less than one percent THC since such low potency marijuana would not induce euphoria. In many nations, including Canada and the European Union, marijuana of one percent THC or less is legally classified as an agricultural fiber crop, hemp.76 ("]In addition, quantities of exceptionally strong strains of marijuana or sinsemilla (seedless marijuana) comprise only a small percentage of the overall marijuana market.[/i] The NIDA-sponsored Marijuana Potency Monitoring Project reports that less than 10 percent of DEA seized marijuana samples are above 15 percent. Less than 2 percent of marijuana seized from the domestic market contains more than 20% THC.78 ("]ALLEGATION #11
“The truth is that marijuana and violence are linked.”[/size]

TRUTH
Absolutely not. No credible research has shown marijuana use to play a causal factor in violence, aggression or delinquent behavior, dating back to former President Richard Nixon’s “First Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse” in 1972, which concluded, “In short, marihuana is not generally viewed by participants in the criminal justice community as a major contributing influence in the commission of delinquent or criminal acts.”83 ("][url="http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6589#86) Alcohol and cocaine use were associated with violence-related injuries, the study found. Accordingly, fewer than five percent of state and local law enforcement agencies identify marijuana as a drug that significantly contributes to violent crime in their areas.

ALLEGATION #12
“The truth is that we aren’t imprisoning individuals for just ‘smoking a joint.’ … Nationwide, the percentage of those in prison for marijuana possession as their most serious offense is less than half of one percent (0.46%), and those generally involved exceptional circumstances.” TRUTH
This statement is grossly inaccurate and misleading. Police have arrested more than six million Americans for marijuana violations since 1994, and now average more than 750,000 arrests per year.88 ("][/url]probation and mandatory drug testing
loss of driving privileges
loss of federal college aid
asset forfeiture
revocation of professional driver’s license
loss of certain welfare benefits such as food stamps
removal from public housing
loss of child custody
loss of employment.
In other words, whether or not marijuana offenders ultimately serve time in jail, hundreds of thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens are having their lives needlessly destroyed each year for nothing more than smoking marijuana.

Specific totals on marijuana offenders behind bars are seldom available because federal statistics do not categorize drug offenders by drug type or drug offense. However, according to a 1997 Bureau of Justice Statistics survey of federal and state prisoners, approximately 19 percent federal and 13 percent of state drug offenders are incarcerated for marijuana offenses.90 ("]ALLEGATION #13
“The truth is that marijuana is a gateway drug. … People who used marijuana are 8 times more likely to have used cocaine, 15 times more likely to have used heroin, and 5 times more likely to develop a need for treatment of abuse or dependence on ANY drug.”[/size]

TRUTH
Nonsense. According to the Canadian Senate’s 2002 study: “Cannabis: Our Position for a Canadian Public Policy,” “Cannabis itself is not a cause of other drug use.”93 ("]for every 104 Americans who have tried marijuana, there is only one regular user of cocaine, and less than one user of heroin,[/i] according to annual data compiled by the federal National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.96 ("]For the overwhelmingly majority of smokers, pot is a 'terminus' rather than a gateway.97 ("][/i]ALLEGATION #14
“The truth is that marijuana legalization would be a nightmare in America. After Dutch coffee shops started selling marijuana in small quantities, use of the drug nearly tripled … between 1984 and 1996. While our nation’s cocaine consumption has decreased by 80 percent over the past 15 years, Europe’s has increased … and the Dutch government has started to reconsider its policy.”[/size]

TRUTH
This statement is inaccurate and greatly distorts the well-documented European drug policy experience. Most European countries – including Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland – do not criminally arrest marijuana users.98 ("]In fact, the national drug policy trends in Europe are currently moving toward more liberal marijuana laws, and away from US-styled drug policy.100 ("][/i]lifetime reported use of marijuana by Dutch citizens aged 12 and older is less than half of what is reported in America[/i].102 ("]The British Journal of Psychiatry[/i], “The Dutch experience, together with those of a few other countries with more modest [marijuana] policy changes, provides a moderately good empirical case that removal of criminal prohibitions on cannabis possession (decriminalization) will not increase the prevalence of marijuana or any other illicit drug; the argument for decriminalization is thus strong.” 104 ("]ALLEGATION #15
“The truth is that marijuana is not a medicine, and no credible research suggest that it is.”[/size]

TRUTH
This allegation is a lie, plain and simple. According to a 2001 national survey of US physicians conducted for the American Society of Addiction Medicine, nearly half of all doctors with an opinion on the subject support legalizing marijuana as a medicine.105 ("]The New England Journal of Medicine[/i]108 ("] somnolence” in approximately one-third of patients who use it.117 ("]: wasting syndrome; chemotherapy treatment; fibromyalgia; epilepsy; multiple sclerosis; accident-induced chronic pain; and some physical conditions including migraines and chronic headaches, whose physical state has been certified by a physician or an individual duly authorized by the competent medical association of the province or territory in question, may choose to buy cannabis and its derivatives for therapeutic purposes.”118 ("][url="http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6589#119)

Clearly, the policy issue of medical marijuana is a public health issue, and should not be held hostage by the war on drugs. Basic compassion and common sense demand that our nation allows America’s seriously ill citizens to use whatever medication their physicians deem safe and effective to alleviate their pain and suffering, and the scientific record supports their use of therapeutic cannabis.

Since the 1970s, more than a dozen government-appointed commissions have examined the effects of marijuana, and made public policy recommendations regarding its use. Overwhelmingly, the conclusions of these expert panels have been the same: marijuana prohibition causes more social damage than marijuana use, and the possession of marijuana for personal use should no longer be a criminal offense.

In addition, these studies have also affirmed that liberalizing marijuana penalties does not lead to an increase in marijuana consumption or affect adolescent attitudes toward drug use.

Disturbingly, these findings have typically fallen upon deaf ears, often being dismissed by the very governments that appointed them. Taken together, however, they exemplify the consensus that exists among the scientific community in support of liberalizing the legal status of marijuana. A review of some of this literature is available online below.



http://www.norml.org/images/pdf_file.gif (http://www.norml.org/pdf_files/NORML_Report_Sixty_Years_US_Prohibition.pdf)NORML Report on Sixty Years of Marijuana Prohibition in the U.S. (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4428)
Summary of Government and Private Commissions Supporting Marijuana Law Reform (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3382)
Marijuana Decriminalization and its Impact on Use (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=3383)
First National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse (1972 (http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/nc/ncmenu.htm))
Consumers Union Landmark Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs (http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/cu/cumenu.htm)
Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy (http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/studies.htm)

Well I really was against legalization of the harder drugs but Ive come to change my mind drastically over the last year.

I figured for me at least I didnt want them legalized because of the hell they have put my life threw and the life of my husband, not to mention so many other people and those who care about them and the ones Ive known that are now dead. That was my own personal fear, especially the fear of a mother.

But now for me personally Ive been trying to look past that and to the bigger picture. I see drug addiction as something that should be addressed and dealt with healthwise not in a criminal manner. The billions of dollars spent on the so called drug war has only increased the profits of the terrorists who are in fact the main profiters of the drug trade in North America and Europe. Legalizing drugs and taking a whole new approach on treatment of addicts would stiffle the terrorists profits and I dont see how it would increase addiction. It would lessen the burden on prisons drastically which would free up millions and millions eventually for the use of combatting and preventing addiction and for more education and jobs.

I really had to soul search this and it took me a while to come to it but to be totally honest, I dont think it will make any difference as to how many people do drugs. They are available everywhere and we all know it and legalizing them will only actually control them compared to what they are now. They are a disease filling every street whether on a corner or within that suburbian home. Legalization will in fact result in drugs being controlled because the organized crime and terrorist will have to look for a new way to make money as well as drugs that arent filled with crap and killing addicts.

I talked to my son too and asked him if he would be more apt to experiment with drugs if it was legal, he said no, I asked him if he figured other kids at school would, he said no, why should they, drugs are everywhere now. The bottom line is no one is going to do drugs to the point of getting addicted to them just because it is legal. If anything it may help the ones who are still hiding their addiction from loved ones to come forward with their problem sooner rather than later when it may be much harder to tackle.

Just my two cents, or perhaps ten cents but I would rather the government had control of drugs and control of the millions and billions that leave our countries and end up in the pockets of very rich criminal minds and terrorists while our addicts die in the streets and families are ripped apart because our countries cant afford to provide the help that so many of them need because all the money is going to fight terrorists, the drug war and pay for prisons filled with addicts.

Your last paragraph really says it all for me. I believe that certain drugs should be legalized, but with very strict guidelines. I don't feel that everyone such as children should have access to them.

It is one thing for an adult to make a decision to use and quite another for a child to make that decision.

I see alot of medicinal purposes that many people could benefit from by using certain drugs, however, because of them being illegal, or perhaps drug testing for their job, they are not able to use them.

If they were legal and there were strict guidelines in place, perhaps they wouldn't be cut so bad with fillers.

Addiction is going to be here whether drugs are legal or illegal. In my opinion there is a difference between use and abuse.

For instance, I think part of the reason pain pills are so difficult to obtain in my state is because of all of the abuse that has been involved with them.

I don't care what kind of surgery you may have had or what your "pain is stemming from", doctors here just do not want to prescribe pain killers that would alleviate the pain.

What is happening here as I see it, is more and more people are turning to alcohol (in an effort to deaden the pain) and it is legal, obtainable and the cost is minimum.

If other drugs were legalized, then perhaps they would use them to alleviate the pain.

Just my thoughts.

Marijuana should be legalized, but not the harder stuff. All non-violent drug offenders should not go to jail, they should go to rehab, if that is necessary.

Over half of federal inmates are there for drug charges, what a waste of taxpayers money... we could have a better healthcare and/or education system if we reallocated those funds that keep people behind bars.

My husband is in federal prison for a non-violent marijuana charge and I think it should be legalized!!

i think that marijuana should be legalized and have all the same rules as alcohol. over 21 yrs old, can't be stoned driving, or at work. they can take all the taxes that they'll have on it and use it to fight the stronger drugs.i've seen hard drugs destroy families and it should never be available to people if possible.it's why my husband is where he is.

I think that if drugs were legal and could be purchased from a pharmacy, all the "coolness" would be gone and kids would never want to try them. Can you picture them standing in line with the blue haired ladies? Take away the motive to get young kids hooked and the problem would practically go away by itself. It is a matter of personal responsability. Prohabition was a failure, and so is this War on Drugs. Soon as my son gets out we're leaving this stupid country.

I know many will not agree with me but I do believe that MDMA should be legalized. MDMA is also known as ectascy. Ectascy used to be legal. It was used in couple therapy and for soliders of war suffering from post traumatic syndrome. No one has ever died from pure MDMA. MDMA is not physically addictive. Sadly because it is illegal people are not getting real pills. People are making ectascy out of cyrstal meth. There are testing kits people can purchase to test the quality of the pills they are purchasing.
By not legalizing certain drugs I believe it creates a bigger black market.

:confused: I am sorry but are you sure about MDMA not being lethal? The information I am familiar with says it is... even in pure form. It can alter the body's ability to regulate it's temperature and cause high temps which in return can cause kidney, liver, and heart failure. Hope this helps. :)

I am sorry but are you sure about MDMA not being lethal? The information I am familiar with says it is... even in pure form. It can alter the body's ability to regulate it's temperature and cause high temps which in return can cause kidney, liver, and heart failure. Hope this helps. :) Sorry about the repeat message... I don't know what I did to cause it.:angry:

I am sorry but are you sure about MDMA not being lethal? The information I am familiar with says it is... even in pure form. It can alter the body's ability to regulate it's temperature and cause high temps which in return can cause kidney, liver, and heart failure. Hope this helps. :) Sorry about the repeat message... I don't know what I did to cause it.:angry:

People have died while using MDMA. But they died from lack of water or in a rare case, too much water.
But drinking can cause Kidney and liver failure. But alcohol is legal.

:) I cant agree more man, put dealers out of business and people can buy like they buy cigerettes, achohol, and pay taxes. excellent point my friend.
I think the US should legalize marijuana completly. Then reduce all persons sentenced in connection with marijuana charges to time served.

I believe marijuana usage would decrease. It would instantly become commercialized and would be taxed as cigarettes and alcohol.

The prices would soar, thereby reducing consumption. The billions of dollars saved on incarceration and the billions made in tax revenue could be put to good use on drug prevention programs, methodone clinics, needle exchanges and prison reform.

my son was recently sentenced and i do have to agree with you. make them legal and i bet no one buy them. you get less of a sentence if you drink and drive and end up killing someone.:angry:

In the United States, apparently and according to the data I could find, only 12 deaths have resulted in the use of 'pure' MDMA. BUT, that is not only 12 people who will never walk the earth again and their loved ones will have lost those 12 people, those stats are regarding 'pure' MDMA. There is nothing regulating the pureness of MDMA and other substances in MDMA can contribute to death also. Also, the information that I could find also showed that the rate of contracting HIV was higher with MDMA users then injection drug users or needle sharers which is as a result of unsafe sexual practices being more common among MDMA users then other illegal drug use. So just something to think about as far as this drug being a safer drug. Im not saying it should be legal or not legal but it is not exactly safe drug.

I know many will not agree with me but I do believe that MDMA should be legalized. MDMA is also known as ectascy. Ectascy used to be legal. It was used in couple therapy and for soliders of war suffering from post traumatic syndrome. No one has ever died from pure MDMA. MDMA is not physically addictive. Sadly because it is illegal people are not getting real pills. People are making ectascy out of cyrstal meth. There are testing kits people can purchase to test the quality of the pills they are purchasing.
By not legalizing certain drugs I believe it creates a bigger black market.

I think that since the tobacco companies have had to come out against smoking that cessation has decreased steadily in this country over the last half a decade.

I'm curious though, if they make drugs legal, who would be the first to LEGALLY sell them in this country? Kinda makes you think, stopping at Toys R' Us for a new Bike for Timmy, and grabbing a bag of heroine at the checkout lane? :confused:

How the heck would that work???

interesting topics in here thanks :)

that is very true about the drinking and driving comment.......and it does make you angry when you think about it......

I believe mairijuana should be legalized, but not the hard stuff.

I've always felt marijuana should be legalized. Tobacco is worse healthwise, and the government just taxes the crap out of it to make money off it.

The harder drugs; I think there should me a nationwide program to help addicts get off the junk.

A first time drug charge should be manditory rehab, not jail or prison where it's sometimes easier to get than on the streets.

Makes total sense Danee Boy, now all we need is for you to be president so we can get those laws in place. I really have no idea why what you say isnt already law, its not only sensible but a tax saver down the road. Not only that it will change the paths of many.

With the state of current affairs and our budget deficit, if legalization occurred, we could create enough revenue to pay off our debt to China AND reduce overcrowding in prisons and increase work opportunities

go to goggle and search for LEAP

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

Even the Pros agree===Legalize

Legalize. Take out the "outlaw" factor, and deglamorize. Make it just a sad sick thing to use chemicals. People can chew coca leaves all day long and lead good lives, it's the processed stuff that harms.
A lot of therapists saw potential in ecstacy before it wa criminalized

Everyone is doing it anways. I can think of Judges, Officers, Doctors etc... that light one up on their lunch break. Everyone is just hypocrites. Everyone just needs to blaze one up and pass it around.

Legalize. Take out the "outlaw" factor, and deglamorize. Make it just a sad sick thing to use chemicals. People can chew coca leaves all day long and lead good lives, it's the processed stuff that harms.
A lot of therapists saw potential in ecstacy before it wa criminalized

I could not agree more.

i dont believe the legalization of alcohol made more people become alcoholics....

They need to legalize drugs and then give out whatever anyone wants, using cards like Medicaid. That way, no one would have to steal to get money for the drugs, and dealers wouldn't be able to make any money. They should also change social security where you get benefits if you are an addict and can't work.

This is difficult. The only sure thing is medical marijuana should absolutley be legal. Now when you look at how many alcoholics there are, you have to wonder, if it were illegal would the amout of alcoholics go down? Something to think about.

One used to be able to receive SSI (Supplemental Security Income) on a diagnosis of alcoholism or drug addiction. Supposedly, one was only to receive it while undergoing treatment, staying in halfway houses, etc. In practice, any number of people used it for drug/alcohol money, often for years. And on the other side of the coin, treatment centers and halfway houses sprang up all over the place which collected their clients' SSI checks and more besides. To my knowledge, it is no longer possible to get SSI on a diagnosis of chemical dependency.

To my mind, all that was needed was a bit more supervision and the program would have been beneficial in the extreme. But, that's government. Throw money around in the hope of solving a problem, and when it doesn't work, blame the money.

i do believe that marajuana has its medicinal values, my brother takes it because he is in such pain with a liver problem caused by his drinking (by the way he drinks from the time he wakes up to the time he goes to bed) sometimes not eating for days. He has a cannibus card in california which allows him to purchase marajuana prescribed by a doctor at a heavy price.

When he visits me in kentucy, he doesnt have it which causes him to be irrational and also in alot of pain, and i cant help him.

Amazing that all states are so different????? I talked to my mom about it and she is in her 80's and she told me that alot of our youths are going to prison for what was no different than what happen during prohibition, where alot of people would be put in prison, then the president finally legalized it because canada and mexico were making so much money off americans.

Most places in Europe marajuana is legal, and the dont have the problems or overcrowed prisons like we do. They also dont have the drinking problems we do as drinking is allowed in most places at age 16, even coca-cola is cheaper than beer at Mcdonalds. It is not abused when you have supply.
Just my thoughts

My gut feeling is that the war on drugs, like the war on terror, is a war that can never be won. I used to be somewhat irresponsible myself in that respect LOL as a teenager and if I hadn't been lucky enough to meet my hubby at university I would probably have ended up in prison myself.

Will legalisation increase drug use? Yes, in the short term. But you also have to consider that at least if the stuff was sold subject to medical tests and regulations it would be safer. People have died from things like heroin cut with rat poison. I would legalise all drugs, not just blow, whizz and E's but even the nasty stuff like smack and rock. In time, the novelty wears off. To be honest, my brother-in-law has never done a day's work in his life and he earns his living as a dealer of skunk. If you could get it from the pharmacy it would put the pushers like him out of business so on balance it would ultimately lead to a better situation for everyone.

You also have to consider that thousands of people commit crimes as a result of the effects of drugs and anything that helps to keep them safe and well is at least worth a controlled experiment. A few years ago the police in Brixton tried turning a blind eye to the sale of skunk and the result was a dramatic drop in the local crime rate. Since the policy was reversed it's gone up again. Legalisation probably helps everyone!

man... that's deep... and i believe to be very true, especially about legalizing the supply... it takes away the demand... :thumbsup:


i do believe that marajuana has its medicinal values, my brother takes it because he is in such pain with a liver problem caused by his drinking (by the way he drinks from the time he wakes up to the time he goes to bed) sometimes not eating for days. He has a cannibus card in california which allows him to purchase marajuana prescribed by a doctor at a heavy price.

When he visits me in kentucy, he doesnt have it which causes him to be irrational and also in alot of pain, and i cant help him.

Amazing that all states are so different????? I talked to my mom about it and she is in her 80's and she told me that alot of our youths are going to prison for what was no different than what happen during prohibition, where alot of people would be put in prison, then the president finally legalized it because canada and mexico were making so much money off americans.

Most places in Europe marajuana is legal, and the dont have the problems or overcrowed prisons like we do. They also dont have the drinking problems we do as drinking is allowed in most places at age 16, even coca-cola is cheaper than beer at Mcdonalds. It is not abused when you have supply.
Just my thoughts

must give my two cents here.....at least regarding the marijuana issue....as i am a firm believer in medicinal use of it and i support the petitions when ever they come my way.

and i have to agree with previous post regarding the rehab thing verses the incarceration thing....makes sense it really does.
however we have to remember that we have a system that is really messed up.....(backwards in my opinion)

i would love to see alcohol band as i have seen so many lives ruined...messed up...destroyed as a result of it. (again my opinion) but it is the truth.

Marijuana reacts different in each person but i still believe that it should be legalized. and i wish that the government (or whoever) would not make such a big deal and lie about it as they do.

how bout they keep it real and educate people instead of mocking and making mountains out of mole holes about it??????i say marijuana should be legalized and NO to all the other crap.

I don't agree on legalization, in my opinion there really isn't a way for it to be controlled. There will always be a new drug invented. The problem with legalizing drugs is more people will die. Drugs are illegal because they are dangerous. People die from overdose when drugs are illegal, so imagine when they are legal. Drugs are addicting, so if you are already addicted you will only get worse. In what way can drugs be controlled? Are we going to measure them to the point where you can't over dose or produce addiction? You can't cause then illegal drugs will come into place, thats why they exist in the first place. Drugs are illegal because you can die from over dose. (except for pot) Yeah now a days kids can get pot from the streets, but if you legalize them then what kids will get them from their parents, and if they overdose who is at fault. Is it a crime? Additionally, drugs produce paranoia so more crimes will be commited, and jails will still be full. People will still need the money to get high, and go out of their way to get it....

It isn't people who bring drugs to society that is at fault as much as how society pushes people to doing drugs. There are so many issues and unfairness that should be address in order to reduce drug addiction. The money that is taken by fed's should go towards the war on poverty, not on increasing pay checks for those who caught the criminals.....after all they are trying to help society, not themselves right??

Thats just my opinion.

Legalize! remove the crime, treat the addiction and let people pursue freedom of choice. Freedom to choose ones own destiny is why this country was started in the first place! We need to get back to the basics, allow the citizens to determine the outcome of their own lives. The government has no business in trying to legislate our life.:cool:

Leagalize HERB ONLY!!!!!!