Quote:
Originally Posted by Shazam
Not true. Last time I checked, alcohol still causes violence, even though it's legal.
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While that is true, when have you ever heard of two stoners getting into a marijuana-induced fight? More than likely they want to eat a bag of Doritos and watch
The Wall.
Most of the violence associated with illegal drugs stems from the fact that they are illegal, and thus gangs get into turf wars over selling them. Legalizing marijuana isn't going to do a thing to solve crime related to the sale of cocaine or other "hard" drugs, but it is a start. Moreover, the mind-altering effects of pot have been shown to be no more harmful than alcohol, and the physical effects aren't worse than cigerette-smoking, so I see no reason why it shouldn't be legal.
It's not like I have a vested interest in this either; I tried pot a few times when I was in university, didn't see what the big deal was, and haven't done it since. I just see no particular reason why it should be illegal when other drugs with comparable effects are perfectly acceptable. Legalize and regulate it, then tax it at levels similar to alcohol and tabacco.