[Reagan Man]

Marijuana prhoibition was the creation of government, and support for it within society was artificially created by the government.

I grew up in NYCity, in the 1950`s, 1960`s and into the early 1970`s. Its simply not true, that marijuana prohibiton was an artificial creation of government. Since the earliest civilized society, the people, through their (representative) government, have been placing restrictions on certain aspects of life. Through thousands of years, society has more often then not, placed reasonable restrictions on people, through basic moral and ethical considerations.

[BikerNYC]

Since the earliest civilized society, the people, through their (representative) government, have been placing restrictions on certain aspects of life.

How many of these representative governments have existed since "the earliest civilized society?"

[galt-jw]

seriously, though, do you honestly believe, with the vast resources avail., that the govt. couldnt stop drugs from entering the country if they really wanted to? too much revenue, too many black ops funded by drugs-airamerica and heroin in vietnam, etc.

[tacticalogic]

Its simply not true, that marijuana prohibiton was an artificial creation of government.

According to the accounts from the Congressional Record I've read, when the original bill to prohibit marijuana came up for debate, the Speaker of the House, Sam Rayburn was asked what it was about. He replied ""I don't know. It has something to do with a thing called marijuana. I think it is a narcotic of some kind." Does this sound like marijuana prohibition was the result of some great public demand? Most of the information about marijuana that was available to the media came from Harry Anslinger's Bureau of Narcotics. You seem absolutely sure there was no attempt by the government to influence public opinion on the subject by misinformation. Do you think the material and Congressional testimony by Mr. Anslinger that can be found on the web will support that assertion?

[Mark Bahner]

Since the earliest civilized society, the people, through their (representative) government, have been placing restrictions on certain aspects of life.

Yes, but The People have also placed restrictions on the government. (Unfortunately, the government gives The People the finger, and does what it wants.) Those restrictions are in the Constitution...including the 10th Amendment. The People's representatives have the authorized power to criminalize drugs at the local or state level. They do NOT have that legitimate power at the federal level, absent a Constitutional amendment.

[Virginia-American]

Since the earliest civilized society, the people, through their (representative) government, have been placing restrictions on certain aspects of life.

Representative gov't throughout history?

Through thousands of years, society has more often then not, placed reasonable restrictions on people, through basic moral and ethical considerations.

And there were no drug prohibitions, nowhere, nowhen (with the possible exception of the opium war when the Brits were trying to get China hooked) until the so-called 'progressive era', aka early US socialism. And there was no MJ prohibition anywhere, through all of history, until Anslinger and FDR during the 'new deal', aka maturing US socialism.