Discuss, interested on other people's view on it. Should it be legal? Why? Should it remain illegal? Why? How much do you know about marijuana/THC?

Should be completely legal!!! The Gov can tax it and make money!!

Ok as for making it legal... Here is a little info from reports I've read... These aren't my own words so don't sue me for plagiarism...
A 2005 report from Professor Jeffery Miron says marijuana legalization -- replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation -- would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of at least $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like most consumer goods. If, however, marijuana were taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, it might generate as much as $6.2 billion annually.
Another report from 2006 from John Gettman PhD.shows that marijuana is the largest cash crop in the US, more than corn and wheat combined. Domestic marijuana production has an estimated value of $35.8 billion. The report states the failure of intensive eradication programs suggests that it is finally time to give serious consideration to marijuana’s legalization in the United States.
In 2005, the DEA seized a reported $1.4 billion in drug trade related assets and $477 million worth of drugs.However, according to the White House's Office of Drug Control Policy, the total value of all of the drugs sold in the U.S. is as much as $64 billion a year,making the DEA's efforts to intercept the flow of drugs into and within the U.S. less than 1% effective.

This discussion could go on forever.. and I could have a lot more to say about it.. but this is good for now
I say legalize it..

not to mention the money they would save in enforcement costs

LEGALIZE THEM ****Z!

S H I TZ!

What?

it has been decriminalized in 30+ States......It is a misdemeanor ...to posses "personal use" quantities

Legalization would certainly change the law enforcement issues, taxation would help the tax base.

There are still plenty of existing laws to address
under the influence situations.

This issue has been discussed for what at least the last 50 years......

attention, Louisian is NOT one of those 30 states, they will put your butt in jail

since i'm moving and all, what 30 states we talkin about

Alaska (Can possess up to an ounce legally, personal)
Colorado (Can possess up to an ounce legally in Denver)
California
Maine
Minnesota
Mississippi
Nebraska
Nevada
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oregon

States are working on decriminalizing it, however these are the only ones to my knowledge that have. Aside from the one's marked the other states have slight penalties (100-1,000$ fine) for possession up to an ounce, typically anything over in any state is a felony.

There was a really good show on National Geographic last night about the current state of marijuana use in America

it said that the Northern California growers supply more marijuana to the country than all of South America. That marijuana growing was bigger than the wine business in California and none of it is taxed

They interviewed the head of the DEA and he said they are hunting the big fish and that they totally leave alone the simple users and medical patients

The FBI has been known to go after medical marijuana, they have done numerous raids on suppliers of medical marijuana. The DEA has always gone for the supplier as far as I know, but local cops will ticket simple users all the time as well as medical marijuana users (California for example has done this multiple times since adopting medical marijuana).

In Ohio personal use amounts are a MM, or Minor Misdeameanor. It entails only fines and costs.

In the county I live in the local county law enforcement just got voted the highest drug busts this year in the state, out of 88 counties. My county is not the highest in population.

I have to say, I think it should be regulated, but legal. People abuse alcohol, robitussin, sudafed, and so many other legal things....

I kinda like it just the way it is now.

Just illegal enough to keep you on your toes

but not so illegal that you have to worry about twenty years in prison for a joint like it was in Texas just a few years ago

Another thing to add about the legalization of marijuana; several states have a tax stamp that can be purchased for marijuana (this is the 30+ that have it decriminalized). This is a completly legal process that is respected by most cops in general, however if you are in public possession you can still be charged with a crime (however it will only amount to civil charges and a small fine typically).

Robin, well.... with the economy as it is, it would be beneficial to have another taxable item and business opportunity for tobacco shops and legal stores to sell. Drug dealers do a big business, why not let it positively impact society rather than negatively? Dealers need to focus on heroin, meth and cocaine anyhow!

well, that's prolly true

We been hearing for years how Philllip Morris and RJ Reynolds have land set aside for growing marijuana once it becomes legal

I mostly only smoke it after dialysis to get over that "washed out" feeling. Or if I'm nauseous. or if I haven't been able to eat and need an appetite


but I figure as soon as you get the government involved they are gonna screw it up

I wonder about the enforcability issue of taxation.

It's not like alcohol where you need to have a fairly complex mechanical device and a significant amount of time and effort, in order to get a useable product.

With marijuana, you pretty much can just poke a seed in the ground and walk away.

How much money would have to go into enforcing the taxation if everyone could grow their own in a planter in their living room?

It would be kind of like trying to enforce a tax on houseplants.

don't for get the alcohol disability facter would fall tremendously.