Posted on 09/15/2010 7:59:32 AM PDT by Mojave
The scientific literature is clear that marijuana is addictive and that its use significantly impairs bodily and mental functions. Marijuana use is associated with memory loss, cancer, immune system deficiencies, heart disease, and birth defects, among other conditions. Even where decriminalized, marijuana trafficking remains a source of violence, crime, and social disintegration.
Nonetheless, this November, California voters will consider a ballot initiative, the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 (RCTCA),[2] that would legalize most marijuana distribution and use under state law. (These activities would remain federal crimes.) This vote is the culmination of an organized campaign by pro-marijuana activists stretching back decades.
The current campaign, like previous efforts, downplays the well-documented harms of marijuana trafficking and use while promising benefits ranging from reduced crime to additional tax revenue. In particular, supporters of the initiative make five bold claims:
“Marijuana is safe and non-addictive.”
“Marijuana prohibition makes no more sense than alcohol prohibition did in the early 1900s.”
“The government’s efforts to combat illegal drugs have been a total failure.”
“The money spent on government efforts to combat the illegal drug trade can be better spent on substance abuse and treatment for the allegedly few marijuana users who abuse the drug.”
“Tax revenue collected from marijuana sales would substantially outweigh the social costs of legalization.”
As this paper details, all five claims are demonstrably false or, based on the best evidence, highly dubious.
(Excerpt) Read more at heritage.org ...
DemocRATS want legalized pot so they can continue to systematically dumb down the population. This, and adding illegals to the voter roles, is their plan to win future elections.
Only a stoned moron would vote for a RAT.
How about the “myth” that government steals too much of our liberties and snoops into too much of our private lives trying to prevent people from getting high, eating cookies, and watching cartoons?
Any idea how this issue is polling in California these days?
I agree....they are on the wrong side of this issue.
Seriously. Its a slam dunk case for conservatives to support legalization.
We don’t want taxes on soda, but we want to keep pot illegal!
What idiots we can be on this issue of personal liberty
You think more people will smoke dope just because its
legal? You must think a lot of straight people are morons as well.
Many people (like me) have to take regular drug tests
to stay employed, others may not have to be screened but see no reason to damage their brain and lungs with the
stuff.
I say let those who want to lose their minds/souls, lose them. Trying to save everyone from themselves have gotten us to this nanny state with gangs, grows on public lands, and problems on the border.
One time, at night after a rain storm, I was walking down a country road where I saw a tumbleweed in a puddle.
I looked and saw a caterpillar on one of the branches and he looked up at me and smiled. I started to cry because it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
Wait, what were we talking about?
Adrian Fenty, DC Mayor, got them to legalize medical marijuana ~ HE WAS BOOTED OUT OF OFFICE LAST NIGHT!
I have to say, I’m a little disappointed in the Heritage Foudation right now. So much of this doesn’t even pass the “straight man’s” giggle test (let alone the stoner’s giggle test). The alcohol verus weed comparisons are absurd. From my personal experiences, I’d much rather be locked in a room with people smoking weed than with a bunch of drunks.
Who cares... people can get drunk all day too. Most people probably never know if their neighbor lights up a bowl every once in a while.
The only reason I am AGAINST legalizing it is because they would just tap on another tax. They steal a lot of money off alcohol too.
Go away nanny state.
Overturn Wickard v Filburn!
All five of those reasons given are epic BS.
I’ll admit when I was younger and stupider I treid pot once or twice (as I’m sure most people have) once or twice was enough. Pot made me feel stupid ... I don’t like feeling stupid therefore if pot was legalized I wouldn’t smoke it one way or another. Besides I could burn more braincells drinking and thats quite legal.
However it would put alot of dealers out of bussiness which is a very good thing. Fewer dealers means less crime, and fewer dealers crowding the prison system. Plus the taxes on pot its a win-win
...Good one Dexter!....one of the best.
We can call’em...uh let's see, uh how bout.....Pub or maybe bar or maybe even lounge.
Then we can tax alcohol and use the proceeds to provide recovery programs for alcoholics.
What a bunch of hypocrites. Passing laws to ban marijuana, then after a hard days work up in the state house, meet at the local bar to suck down a few long island ice teas and pat themselves on the back for doing such an incredible job of protecting the public from this scourge called weed.
Damn. Everyone knows smoking weed has adverse affects, but come on now, alcohol has been responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of people.
So what if some guy smokes a doobie and becomes a couch potato.....at least he’z not driving home from the bar at 2am, drunk as a skunk and killing a family of four.
Gezzzz
I would tend to agree with you except for the fact that we as taxpayers are forced to "bail out" these scumbags when they screw up their lives.
Eliminate all forms of welfare and bring back personal responsibility, at all levels of government, and then we can talk about letting people stone themselves into oblivion.
On that same note, if you choose to be stoned, and you are involved in an accident that harms someone, you should be charged with a crime and spend time in jail. None of this "rehab" nonsense.
Stoned morons tend to forget to vote. Which is fine with me.
We are either responsible adults who can make our own decisions, good or bad, or we are irresponsible children who must have a nanny government protect us from ourselves.
Which are you?
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