Should Marijuana Be Legalized in Illinois? (Chicago, Harvard: school, taxi, tax)

[Feeling Brackish]

I think that if you aren't causing others harm then you should be allowed to put whatever you want into your body. I don't smoke pot, haven't for years, but I did it plenty when I was younger and the effects are so much more mild than the effects of over drinking.

I really feel like the government is wasting a ton of money enforcing the ban on marijuana. They'll never be able to get people to stop using it, or any other drug for that matter, just by making it illegal and arresting people. The best way to keep people from doing things that are harmful to themselves is to educate them properly. If we took all the money spent on drug enforcement and invested it into our schools we may wind up with fewer drug and alcohol abusers and more productive members of society.

[Avengerfire]

This discussion belongs in a general forum like great debates or something.

The issue at hand is not unique to Illinois. The same debate can be had in most of the 50 states.

[grapico]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

you certainly don't see scientific studies showing marijuana in a light this bad:

Study Links ADHD in Kids to Pesticide Exposure - TIME

and this has to do with? you don't think that mexican bud is sprayed? or street grade pot doesn't have chem ferts in it?

[ajolotl]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

This discussion belongs in a general forum like great debates or something.

The issue at hand is not unique to Illinois. The same debate can be had in most of the 50 states.

In a large urban area with a strong connection between drug dealing and gang violence that hits very close to home, the question takes on its own particular flavor (vs. a place like Eugene Oregon, for example).

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

In a large urban area with a strong connection between drug dealing and gang violence that hits very close to home, the question takes on its own particular flavor (vs. a place like Eugene Oregon, for example).

Many states have large urban areas. That is why I said many of the 50 states. The arguments will basically be the same in any large urban area.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Many states have large urban areas. That is why I said many of the 50 states. The arguments will basically be the same in any large urban area.

No, they won't.

Chicago has a large Mexican immigrant community that travels to and from Mexico, where much of the street weed is coming from.

NYC does not have a similar problem, nor do many (if not most) large cities in America.

Either way, just because it's a federal or state concern as well doesn't mean that Chicagoans shouldn't take a more active role in discussing the topic, it most certainly impacts Chicago more than it does most parts of the state.

[FlyiMetro]

Originally Posted by HumboldtParkRican312

So should marijuana be legalized? It's harmless compared to tobacco and alcohol. It saves live. It has many benefits. It could save the state of Illinois from the budget crisis. So should it be legalized?

I say yes make it legal. People are less competitive when they are high, which gives a person like me a huge egde over people Id like to take advantage of. I know a few pot heads, they cool people. Making it legal would create more jobs, plus all weed is not the same and all soil nor growing process is the same, you would have a diverse type of product. Its a good idea to make it legal.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by grapico

LMAO

lets see, chemically active drug compound crossing blood brain barrier with psychoactive effects vs. fructose-glucose CHO isomer.

next up, lets ban salt and red meat and trans fat, oh wait they are pushing for that wack job agenda too. but yes by all means legalize pot. do you know how hypocritical that sounds? that is why nobody takes the extreme left agenda seriously.

or you can look at it this way: a completely natural plant that has been smoked and ingested for generations w/o much harm vs. an artificial, lab made chemical that has been the subject of some studies and may (according to some of these studies) produce unhealthy side effects in the human body

seriously, I'd take weed over HFCS any day of the week (not to say all plants are okay of course, but weed has a long history of being used by humans)

I will agree any restrictions (never heard anything about bans) on salt and red meat is silly, but that's a whole 'nother topic and let's not even start on another idiot left-vs-right-wing political rant

[Attrill]

Wait, what? Pot is illegal? Uh oh.

[ImaloneJill]

What was the question?