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Arguments for/against legalization of Cannabis


Ansem
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I honestly don't know why cannabis is such a big deal while tabacco is legalized almost everywhere. Isn't tabacco much more dangerous? TBH, i don't really think about this issue a lot, since i don't have any interest in ever trying pot, but i can't think of a single reason to keep it banned.

I sometimes wonder if legalizing all drugs wouldn't actually be a good thing, specially here in my country, where drug traffic is a huge issue. I mean, drug dealers kill many people, commit crimes (besides drug traffic) and even control parts of some cities. If every drug was legalized, they wouldn't have their easy money anymore, and would be way easier to deal with. And the government would get even more tax money, which they love!

Of course I don't know if this applies to Brazil as well, but I heard somewhere that for the cartels in Mexico (as a response to "just legalize it and the drug wars would end!"), unfortunately, drug sales aren't even their main money maker. That's (supposedly) extortion, like kidnapping and protection money. So I take it the outsize power the cartels already wield is seen as being so great that legalization alone wouldn't do them in.

(not to say that's really a point against legalization, just a minor balloon popper possibly)

Edited by Rehab
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Of course I don't know if this applies to Brazil as well, but I heard somewhere that for the cartels in Mexico (as a response to "just legalize it and the drug wars would end!"), unfortunately, drug sales aren't even their main money maker. That's (supposedly) extortion, like kidnapping and protection money. So I take it the outsize power the cartels already wield is seen as being so great that legalization alone wouldn't do them in.

(not to say that's really a point against legalization, just a minor balloon popper possibly)

Further non sequitur, this is much like what the state would be doing if they legalized it. Their primary income would be protection fees. That is where things are right now. They also get money from arresting people for possession of cannabis through the prison system. I'm willing to bet their main reason for keeping it illegal is that they don't want to face the fines they will face if they end up taking these private prisons below capacity.

Cartels don't even try to look like the good guys, though.

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Concientization is definitely very important but that's sort of a given in a campaign for legalization

You would think that, haha. Unfortunately there's this thing that seems to happen whenever a movement gains momentum against a perceived injustice where only the points that make their cause look good are relevant and any possible argument against them is wrong or untrue, etc.

As often as we see this from politicians and people we don't normally agree with, we tend to do this at a meta-level for people we agree with.

The problem is it's hard to win an argument when you shit on your opponent's arguments without trying to even think about it. Your opponent's perceive you as being a strict ideologue for your cause and won't take your arguments seriously.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was coming in here to say something like, "Uhhh, I've never heard anyone make an argument for that..."

There was a discussion about cannibalism in Chiki's "Is it wrong to eat animals?" thread

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  • 2 weeks later...

Against - It smells like crap, I'm already having enough trouble breathing through all the cigarette smoke.

Yes, "it smells bad" is a viable argument for denying freedoms.

Here's a list of things to ban based solely on olfactory offensiveness:

- Callery Pear trees

- Plastic factories

- Sriracha

- Taco Bell (cause of the gas it gives people)

- *Actually just farting in general

- Porta-potties

- Fertilizer

- Dumpsters

- Skunks

- Death

- etc

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What? All that happened was people began learning to brew things, and men started wearing fancy suits and talking about respect.

Honestly, I'd like this, but it's easier said than done. I do think it is the best course of action. Personally, I myself wouldn't use it either; be it smoking or in food, or whatever. I don't know how people do it.

The rise of mafias in America is kind of a big deal though, people were murdered.

Part of me wants to say against, because drug usage harms youth in America, but I think legalizing it would be okay because then you wouldn't have to deal with dealers who may have laced the stuff, the government can tax it and make it so you can only get so much at a time, and then you can publicly shame it to the affect TV has with cigarettes.

You could very well solve the drug problem by heavily increasing jail punishments so people are too afraid to get into it because they could possibly serve multiple years in prison for it, but the legalization thing could be more subtle.

Not to mention the added practical uses of hemp, which could improve everyone's daily lives.

Edited by Alertcircuit
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MJ is Schedule I. People are already serving ridiculous jail time for weed.

Thing is, like all substances you never want to target the youth anyway. Legalizing marijuana would mean it was regulated and treated like alcohol (at least here in WA, the current books treat mj as if it were alcohol). If you are under 21 it would still be illegal. And of course you'll still have kids doing it, cause kids.

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You could very well solve the drug problem by heavily increasing jail punishments so people are too afraid to get into it because they could possibly serve multiple years in prison for it, but the legalization thing could be more subtle.

This is a fucking awful idea. The war on drugs does not work and will not work of you just keep throwing people into jail for smoking weed.

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You could very well solve the drug problem by heavily increasing jail punishments so people are too afraid to get into it because they could possibly serve multiple years in prison for it, but the legalization thing could be more subtle.

This has actually not been proven to decrease crime rates. Even the death penalty has a marginal effect, if I recall correctly.

Moral of the story: Fear of criminal justice isn't a very strong motivator.

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