Why marijuana is illegal

I often see people, during the course of a debate about marijuana, cite the fact that it is illegal because it is bad for you.

Well, let's do a comparison, shall we?

Alcohol - legal.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/liverdis.htm

Prevalence
Percent of adults who drank alcohol in the past year: 61 (2004)
Percent of current drinkers who had five or more drinks on at least one day in the past year: 32 (2004)
Source:Health, United States, 2006, Table 68
Mortality
Number of alcohol-induced deaths, excluding accidents and homicides: 21,081
Number of alcoholic liver disease deaths: 12,548
Source:Deaths: Final Data for 2004, Tables 10, 23

Tobacco - legal

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/lung/statistics/

Statistics
More people die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer. This is true for both men and women. In 2004 (the most recent year for which statistics are currently available), lung cancer accounted for more deaths than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer combined.† In that year,

• 108,355 men and 87,897 women were diagnosed with lung cancer*†
• 89,575 men and 68,431 women died from lung cancer*†

Ok, so let's look at marijuana now.

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/causes.htm

An exhaustive search of the literature finds no credible reports of deaths induced by marijuana. The US Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) records instances of drug mentions in medical examiners' reports, and though marijuana is mentioned, it is usually in combination with alcohol or other drugs. Marijuana alone has not been shown to cause an overdose death.
Source: Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), available on the web at http://www.samhsa.gov/; also see Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A. Benson, Jr., "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research, Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999), available on the web at http://www.nap.edu/html/marimed/; and US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, "In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition" (Docket #86-22), September 6, 1988, p. 57.

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/marijuana/index.html

Even if we go directly to the government for statistics, we find:

DAWN also collects information on deaths involving drug abuse that were identified and submitted by 128 death investigation jurisdictions in 42 metropolitan areas across the United States. Cannabis ranked among the 10 most common drugs in 16 cities, including Detroit (74 deaths), Dallas (65), and Kansas City (63). Marijuana is very often reported in combination with other substances; in metropolitan areas that reported any marijuana in drug abuse deaths, an average of 79 percent of those deaths involved marijuana and at least one other substance.15

These stats are taken from the government... if marijuana is illegal because it's harmful, then why aren't tobacco and alcohol illegal also?

The reason is that marijuana isn't illegal because it's harmful.

There are numerous political factors that contribute to the current illegality of marijuana in the U.S.A., but here's one of the biggest: Prison.

Yes, prison.

http://www.correctionscorp.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrections_Corporation_of_America

Corrections Corporation of America (NYSE:CXW) (CCA) is a company that manages public prisons and other facilities[1], and has concessions for many others. The company had annual revenues in 2004 of $1.15 billion USD.
The company is the fifth largest prison (corrections) system in the United States, behind only 3 states and the federal government. As such, CCA manages 69,000 beds in 64 facilities, of which it owns 40 owned facilities, in 19 states and Washington, DC

This is just one of the for-profit prison companies, and it makes a billion dollars in revenue a year.

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/marijuana/index.html

Arrests & Sentencing
There were an estimated total of 1,889,810 state and local arrests for drug abuse violations in the United States during 2006. Of the drug arrests, 4.8% were for marijuana sale/manufacturing and 39.1% were for marijuana possession.17
According to the National Drug Intelligence Center there were 5,039 Federal marijuana-related arrests during 2006. This is down from the 5,599 such arrests during 2005.18
According to a 2004 Bureau of Justice Statistics survey of state and Federal prisoners, approximately 12.7% of state prisoners and 12.4% of Federal prisoners were serving time for a marijuana-related offense. This is a decrease from 1997 when the figures were 12.9% and 18.9%, respectively.19

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/marijuan.htm

In 2006, 43.9 percent of the 1,889,810 total arrests for drug abuse violations were for marijuana -- a total of 829,627. Of those, 738,916 people were arrested for marijuana possession alone. By contrast in 2000 a total of 734,497 Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses, of which 646,042 were for possession alone.

One eighth of the people in federal and state prison are in for marijuana, and *most* of those for possession -- not growing, not selling -- possession.

You want to make money running a prison? You need prisoners.

Look at the sentences:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/etc/match.html

The average sentence for a marijuana charge is 42 months, no parole. The average sentence for sexual assault is 35 months. The average sentence for robbery is 44 months. The average sentence for all violent crime is 42 months.

People sitting at home smoking pot get longer sentences than people who commit sexual assault. They get the same length sentences, on average, as those committing violent crime. We're talking about simple possession, people whose only crime was having marijuana on their person.

Pot smokers are easy targets, and they fill up the prisons nicely for those who make billions of dollars a year incarcerating them.

The DEA's Administrative Law Judge, Francis Young concluded: "In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care.:
Source: US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, "In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition," [Docket #86-22], (September 6, 198 , p. 57.

^^ Did you catch that? It said DEA.

Yes, it's illegal. But stop to think about *why* it's illegal. It's not because it's harmful -- it doesn't kill anyone, it doesn't pose nearly the same amount of health problems that alcohol and tobacco do... but it does fill a lot of prisons up with non violent, otherwise law abiding citizens...

C.

Ha ha Chris Rock says it is because the good stuff is not grown here and the govt can't capitalize on it...

"C" you make me tired how does your brain work this well this late??

Very good points. I don't see why it is illegal anyways.

I honestly think tobacco needs to be though. Smoking has been banned in all public places in Illinois and people continue to gripe and moan about its ill effects on both the smoker and the bystander(s).

Quoting lindseyglover:“ "C" you make me tired how does your brain work this well this late??”

My brain never shuts off, that's why I have such bad insomnia, heh.

C.

Perhaps it is because you become intoxicated when you use it while after having a drink or two you are not necessarily impaired.

Quoting Mrs_Swankles:“ Perhaps it is because you become intoxicated when you use it while after having a drink or two you are not necessarily impaired.”

Heh, I'm way more intoxicated after one beer than I am after a joint. You don't become a drooling, non functioning moron off of one hit of weed.

C.

I am actually pretty positive my fiance's uncle was killed by a kid that had been smoking marijuana... it was a car accident.

So do pot smokers smoke to become impaired or just a hit because they enjoy the flavor?

Quoting God:“ Heh, I'm way more intoxicated after one beer than I am after a joint. You don't become a drooling, non functioning moron off of one hit of weed. C.”

I have to agree. Two beers is all some people may need to be over the legal limit.

It certainly happens, just like with alcohol you shouldn't drive while you're impaired.

I reject the notion though, that you're instantly impaired the moment you take a hit of marijuana.

Everyone has a different tolerance level; interestingly, to add to what I said in my last statement, I get more intoxicated from one beer than I do from one hit or even one joint of marijuana, yet one beer would still put me legally under the limit for driving... so I would be a wreck driving, but be perfectly legally able to do so...

C.

Quoting Mrs_Swankles:“ So do pot smokers smoke to become impaired or just a hit because they enjoy the flavor?”

Depends upon the smoker, the same as with alcohol. Some will use it just to become high/drunk. Others enjoy the experience, find it relaxing, enjoy the taste, and don't aim for impairment.

C.

What? People actually try to bring that into a debate about legality??

yeah, either way, it's all 'bad' for you. And pot is NOT as bad for you and does not impair your judgment the way alcohol and cigarettes d.

Alcohol should be illegal. The government can just moderate it, and make profit off of it, just like they can off cigarettes. It's disgusting. And if you think about it, if marijuana became legal, alot of people working for the government would be jobless IE: Probation/Parole officers, prison guards, rehabilitation facilities, DEA, etc. Note: Not all would lose their jobs, we still need them for other offenses that aren't drug related, but most people on probation//parole//incarceration, are there for possesion charges. It's sick. My husband is on7 years probation for carrying 4.2 grams of mushrooms [a fungus*] through Washington County, Texas. He is on FELONY probation. He has to go to rehab....he has to pay $1600 for a 6 week course, that only covers pills, marijuana, and alcohol. No where in there is mushrooms....why?? Because mushrooms aren't addictive, and they are actually good for you, if used in moderation of course. They are the only thing that can make his migraines go away. He used to be prescribed to MIDRIN capsules, but when he switched Dr's the new doc said that he doesn't need MIDRIN...his migraines are terrible..I have to sit and watch him cry, literally cry, for 8 hours, while his head swells up and he loses vision, and even slight light can make it ten times worse.

Anyways, mushrooms actually help your seratonin levels inyour brain balance out, and make his migraines go away. Well, he hasn't been eating mushrooms, because he is on probation, but its the only thing [besides marijuana] that can help. And it just angers me that he is classified in the same division as RAPISTS, MURDERERS, AND CHILD MOLESTERS, and he was caught driving to Austin, to go see his shaman [he's an apprentice to a Peruvian Shaman.] eat 2 grams of mushrooms [which isn't enough to even trip off of] and talk about energy levels, chakras, etc., and now he's on probation for 7 years...


The world is supposed to end before he gets off probation...

Quoting Poofter.:“ Alcohol should be illegal. The government can just moderate it, and make profit off of it, just like ... [snip!] ... chakras, etc., and now he's on probation for 7 years... The world is supposed to end before he gets off probation...”

That's horrible to hear. My husband also suffers from migraines, he took 4g of mushrooms a little bit over a year ago, and he's only had one migraine since then. I'm glad we live in Canada.

C.