The gateway claim is nonsense - research shows that the correlation between earlier marijuana use and later use of other drugs can be explained by a "common-factor" model, that is, a third factor that causes both results, such as individuals' opportunities and unique propensities to use drugs, or more broadly a social or psychological predisposition towards anti-social behavior. (http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB6010/index1.html, http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hors253.pdf)
Also note that the same sort of correlation between earlier marijuana and later harder drugs also exists between earlier alcohol and tobacco and later illegal drugs - so if marijuana is a "gateway" so are alcohol and tobacco.
has been clearly associated with schizophrenia and a host of personality disorders that have ruined or diminished lives.
Association is not causation - it's equally plausible that the mentally ill turn to marijuana in a misguided attempt to self-medicate.
No reputable rehabilitation specialist or addiction professional condones its use.
Nor the use of tobacco - shall we ban that too?
It is especially dangerous when used by adolesents.
Nobody advocates making marijuana legal for minors.
The US has declined markedly since marijuana use has become widespread.
The US has declined markedly since flat-screen TVs have become widespread.
Bit of a dopey or perhaps dope inspired rebuttal.
Whereas your counterpoint is a marvel of research and logic. ROTFL!
You simply don’t have the proper cultural perspective.
Which is what?
Your arguments are not valid or even logical. Your suppositions and statements are simply not true or flawed, and your conclusions are wrong and biased. Your advocacy,tone and mask of “freedom” is a bit reminiscent of Janis Joplin wailing about freedom and the joys of drug use. Then again Janis be dead. Better luck to you than Janis had.
“Which is what”
Probably, “They drank booze in the Bible, whereas when I think of marijuana all that comes to mind is dropouts eating cheetos.” You can say alchohol has been a part of our civilization for millenia, since it has, and according to that people assume we know how to deal with it by now. We don’t, or at least not any better than other drugs. I often wonder how weed is so different that we can’t apply the way we treat booze to it.
But so long as weed remains illegal, you can imagine things being infinitely worse under it than under alchohol freedom. Presumably this would involve drivers repeatedly losing control of their cars, husbands beating wives, unemployment and general physical decline, etc. You know, all the things alchohol doesn’t cause thanks to our culture/s