Let me first say that back in the day, I smoked a lot of pot. I did very little other drugs, but was fond of smoking a bowl or three. When kids came along, I quit. I didn't want to go to jail and have my family grow up without me. In the last thirty-five years, I have probably smoked ten or twelve times when offered from someone else.
I know someone with severe back pain and has a prescription for medical marijuana. If he takes enough pills to ease the pain, he becomes a zombie. A couple of hits of pot, and the pain is tolerable.
Do I think medical marijuana is a good thing?
Yes, I do!
Now, what about recreational use?
I know several people who use marijuana in a recreational way. Do I think they are horrible people? No, they are all productive members of society. Some are medical professionals, some are teachers, some are even policemen. They don't take other drugs, although they will often drink alcohol, usually a beer in conjunction with their smoking.
I do not believe that marijuana use leads to other drugs. In some people, it may, but generally it does not. If a person is going to take hard drugs or abuse any substance, it doesn't matter what the gateway is., they'll go there. I do not believe that getting high is any worse than getting drunk.
In fact, I don't think it is near as bad.
I had a conversation with someone just the other day about this. The woman I was talking with was saying how marijuana use contributed to violent crime and traffic accidents. My experience has been that when high, I am not in the frame of mind to be violent. Certainly there are exceptions to the rule, but most people feel mellow, not aggressive! Personally, I would rather not even be in a car, let alone drive one. I know my reactions are slow and I have no desire to be in an accident.
It seems that many of the people who are against legalizing marijuana, have a fair amount of alcohol on hand and maybe even a collection of guns. Now, in my humble opinion, Marijuana is not near as harmful as alcohol or guns. Still, those things are legal and marijuana is not. That just doesn't make sense to me.
Another reason for legalizing it is economic. By legalizing it's sale, marijuana would be a revenue gain to those selling it, but more than that, to the government. There are taxes to be gained! The illegal sales of anything harms the government. Not only does the government miss out on the revenue, it often spends vast amounts trying to stop the illegal sales. Look back at prohibition to see how well that worked.
It isn't working with marijuana either.
All that's happening is illegal growers are making huge profits and, if they are in this country, assuming huge risk. Along with that, the consumer, depending on the state, is at some risk as well. What happens if the grower and/or the user are caught? Why we the tax payer gets to support them with our tax dollars while they are incarcerated. Gee, what a deal!
The days of reefer madness should be long behind us. Let's grow up a bit and see that marijuana use is not something brought on by the devil; at lest no more so than alcohol. Let's understand that legalizing the sale of marijuana would provide jobs from the farmer all the way down to the sales clerk. It would produce tax revenue for a government that is out of control in its spending and debt.
As Willie said, "The whole world's going to pot!"
I know someone with severe back pain and has a prescription for medical marijuana. If he takes enough pills to ease the pain, he becomes a zombie. A couple of hits of pot, and the pain is tolerable.
Do I think medical marijuana is a good thing?
Yes, I do!
Now, what about recreational use?
I know several people who use marijuana in a recreational way. Do I think they are horrible people? No, they are all productive members of society. Some are medical professionals, some are teachers, some are even policemen. They don't take other drugs, although they will often drink alcohol, usually a beer in conjunction with their smoking.
I do not believe that marijuana use leads to other drugs. In some people, it may, but generally it does not. If a person is going to take hard drugs or abuse any substance, it doesn't matter what the gateway is., they'll go there. I do not believe that getting high is any worse than getting drunk.
In fact, I don't think it is near as bad.
I had a conversation with someone just the other day about this. The woman I was talking with was saying how marijuana use contributed to violent crime and traffic accidents. My experience has been that when high, I am not in the frame of mind to be violent. Certainly there are exceptions to the rule, but most people feel mellow, not aggressive! Personally, I would rather not even be in a car, let alone drive one. I know my reactions are slow and I have no desire to be in an accident.
It seems that many of the people who are against legalizing marijuana, have a fair amount of alcohol on hand and maybe even a collection of guns. Now, in my humble opinion, Marijuana is not near as harmful as alcohol or guns. Still, those things are legal and marijuana is not. That just doesn't make sense to me.
Another reason for legalizing it is economic. By legalizing it's sale, marijuana would be a revenue gain to those selling it, but more than that, to the government. There are taxes to be gained! The illegal sales of anything harms the government. Not only does the government miss out on the revenue, it often spends vast amounts trying to stop the illegal sales. Look back at prohibition to see how well that worked.
It isn't working with marijuana either.
All that's happening is illegal growers are making huge profits and, if they are in this country, assuming huge risk. Along with that, the consumer, depending on the state, is at some risk as well. What happens if the grower and/or the user are caught? Why we the tax payer gets to support them with our tax dollars while they are incarcerated. Gee, what a deal!
The days of reefer madness should be long behind us. Let's grow up a bit and see that marijuana use is not something brought on by the devil; at lest no more so than alcohol. Let's understand that legalizing the sale of marijuana would provide jobs from the farmer all the way down to the sales clerk. It would produce tax revenue for a government that is out of control in its spending and debt.
As Willie said, "The whole world's going to pot!"
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