Given the current global intellect on medicine should marijuana be legalized?
444740
It should be legalized, but natural plants and herbs can't be patented, so the government stands to make more money off of it being illegal...through tickets and citations.  We manufacture and even market drugs with for worse effects and side effects in commercials and in magazines everyday.
99366
I believe it should be legalized...  my reasoning is that the LAW ruins peoples lives over a stupid charge of possession, the drug itself does not realy hurt anyone directly, however, the irrational, irrisponsible, and/or wreckless things people do under it's influence can... but same could be said for alcohol...\n\nI used to use it... but I quit...
229462
Drugs should be legalized, and especially marijuana.  Marijuana grows out of the ground, therefore, it must have a purpose.  It is medically proven to help cancer patients and people with multiple sclerosis, yet the stupid government has this whole issue with controlling people's lives.  My husband was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and did not smoke pot.  He kept having exacerbations and ending up in the hospital.  When he began to smoke, he stopped getting sick!  People shouldn't be punished for using drugs...they should be punished is they commit crimes to obtain drugs!
562151
If you look at this question from a purly historical standpoint, I would say that we should legalize drugs based on the lesson we learned during the alcohol prohibition.  During that time we had HUGE increases in gang (Mob) crime.  There were people who obsessed so much about getting it they stopped their legal pursuits in order to obtain more.  When alcohol was legalized again, that problem was gone.  When was the last time you heard of a fight over who was selling beer in who's hood?\n\nIf you look at this from an environmental (And business (How often do you hear those two used together in a positive way)) standpoint, it is said that hemp is one of the best plants pound for pound in the production of oxygen.  It is also a great sourse of paper (and renews much quicker than a tree), clothes (Lasts longer than cotton), pharmacuticals (already used in many proscribed drugs), and other things.  If we had the ability to grow hemp legally I think we could help correct some of the abuse we are creating on our environment.
257019
yes i believe that it should since there is no proof of it doing harm. Umlike drinking and driving there are very few if any proven pot related accidents or deaths due to much consumption. Also it can be good ofr medicanl purposes that have been medicaly proven. Here is some food for thought. If the governmant leagalized it and packaked/Sold it as they tobbaco industry does cigarettes do you think we would have the financial deficit that we are in? Also have you ever heard of second hand marijuana smoke having the harmful impct that cigarettes do? As far as it bieng a "gateway' drug that is the stupidest thing i have ever heard! You make the choices you make cos you want to not because well it started w....People need to take responsabilty for their actions and choices not cop outs!
18536
I have personally seen the positive results of marijuana therapy for a person undergoing radiation/chemotherapy treatments.  There are undoubtedly many who would benefit from using pot as a medicine, and I think it ridiculous that we enforce a law which prevents these persons from getting the help they so often are in need of.  Is it that dangerous as compared with alcohol, which is legal?  And if it were legal, do you really believe "every" kid and teenager would use it?  (As one person replied earlier) I SAY NO WAY. Let's make it legal for medicinal and many other uses, such as a building material and/or renewable energy resource!
1118189
Yes, I'm sure that in 40 years, we will be curing cancer with crack and using heroin to combat diabetes.\n\nSheesh.  I'm all for legalization and the rights of the individual to choose what to put in his own body.  But some of the arguments that come out of pro-drug people, especially the medical ones these days, mostly just go to show that drugs impair judgement.
746333
yes!!! the effects from "weed" are far less than the effects of alcohol, if it was legal it would free alot of space in our prisons, where they are placed for a non-violent crime, and i believe it would cause alot less people to use harder drugs! and people who need it for medical reasons wouldn't have to go thru all the garbage they need to now for relief!!!
718157
I agree that weed should be legalized but it Will never happen as long as the pharmaceutical companies have the F.D.A and lots of politicians in their back pocket as for BuSh he prefers whiskey and cocaine over weed
1167543
First off, don't listen to ignorant answers from people like martinamagrace.  Obviously she's lucky enough not to have been afflicted with debilitating pain!\n\nI don't know anyone who's used it, but I've heard opinions that it is more helpful than any other high-potency pain killer.  Medical marijuana should not be illegal.  It's been a great help to many people who suffer from a number of diseases.  And kudos to the doctors who prescribe it.  If only there were more like them!
790962
Medical marijuana can be allowed if it is regulated by the government.
300174
Many answers. Nations that have already legalized marijuana are being watched by other countries to see how it goes, before legalizing it in their own countries.\n\nSome countries have decriminalized marijuana, but not legalized it, meaning if you get caught with a few joints, you won't get a criminal record (maybe a small fine), but its still illegal to have it.\n\nResearch has shown that marijuana is worse for the lungs than cigarettes, in terms of the amount of tar it deposits in them, so one could say smoking a joints is equivalent to smoking a few cigarettes.  Lung cancer can take decades to develop and half of smokers get it while the other half won't.  On the other hand, some research has shown that marijuana can help some patients cope with the pain from cancer, and relieve symptoms from some neurological diseases.\n\nIn Canada this is a huge underground economy of BC bud, which has fuel many gang killings here and has caused many ruined rental home, which are used for growing.  Anti-prohibitionist says if all of it was legalized, there would be no gang violence, and the taxes and laws would help to pay for any problems. Prohibitionists says legalizing this would open the flood gates for legalizing harder drugs like crack, cocaine, heroine, which can easily OD a newbie shooter.
761198
Marijuana smoking should be legalised everywhere.\nIt is a simple natural herb, which provides pleasure and relaxation, and has many beneficial medicinal properties. It relieves stress, reduces pain, and certain studies show that it can disipate asthma, and be beneficial to alzheimer's patients.\nThe reason it was made illegal in the first place was because the oil from the seeds can be used to fuel an engine, and so the oil lobby, along with the media who were making profits from cutting down trees, found a way to make it illegal. The law was passed as a part of the tax law, which introduced the name marijuana, so that nobody would realise that they were restricting the use of hemp.
921950
There are a couple of states considering medical marijuana legislation but it probably won't work because the supremacy clause of our constitution says that federal laws override state law, and on the federal level its illegal. Even if it was legalized in those states for medical purposes it still would be legal for just anybody who wanted it to have it; you would probably have to have a terminal illness to get a prescription.
983315
son, you are not the first one to come up with it. it would be great, but we have to change how society thinks about weed not being a drug. california tried and failed. in the 90's
62160
for medical purpose or for personal use? marijuana both.
1173355
I doubt it, considering we actually had to vote on whether to add a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, even though gay people can't get married to begin with.  \nGeorgia for now is much too conservative (at large) to legalize marijuana.  Maybe that will change someday, maybe for medical reasons at first.