it’s completely retarded that marijuana is illegal

It’s also retarded that had I typed that statement properly, half the people reading this wouldn’t have immediately thought “Sigh, an emotional and ambitionless stoner ranting about pointless druggie jibberish *disgust/pity*.”

Large problems arise when large groups of people have strong feelings toward something they know relatively little about.

Based on my research, the following statements are true. I’m not going to take the time to list sources. If you disagree with any of them, I advise you first to find information supporting them, then second to find information opposing them. If you find any sources that seem both valid and credible, then let me know and I’ll consider making the appropriate changes. Otherwise, don’t give me your opinion if it’s based on a differing view of any of them.

– Marijuana poses a smaller safety risk than both Nicotine and Alcohol.
– Marijuana is not physically addictive.
– Compared to Alcohol, users under the influence of Marijuana are less inclined to  
  risk driving.
– Users who do make the mistake of driving under the influence of Marijuana pose a 
  smaller safety risk than drivers under the influence of Alcohol.
– When eaten or vaporized, the harmful effects of Marijuana are drastically reduced
  (provided that rigorous future scientific testing proves the drug to be harmful at all).
– Maintaining Marijuana’s illegal status has not affected the numbers of it’s usage.
– In regions where Marijuana remains criminalized, the legal consequences often
  outweigh it’s alleged health and safety consequences.
– Marijuana was made illegal due to an anti Mexican campaign.
– The name ‘Marijuana’ was specifically chosen to negatively correlate with Mexican
  immigrants.
– The nature of Marijuana’s legality was restructured when the War on Drugs was
  declared, largely as a decisive measure to silence and discredit the 60’s counter-
  culture movement.

Aside from the meticulously worded ranting, I’ve got a fun fact.

Q. What do Stephen King, Mark Twain, Mozart, scientists Carl Sagan and Nobel laureate Richard Feynman, politicians Al Gore, John F. Kennedy, John Kerry, Arnold Schwarzenegger, TV personality Martha Stewart, and 1/3 of AARP’s customers have in common?

A. Marijuana use!

Physically speaking, Marijuana is relatively harmless. But it can do alot of emotional and psychological harm. Some people, as Jamaican rastafarians would say, “Don ‘t have a head for ganja.” But even some people who can consistantly tolerate its effects still have problems.

Marijuana can cause psychological addiction, anxiety, panick attacks, and a few other conditions. But with proper advise about responsible use and moderation, these can be avoided. One of the problems is that due to the negative social stigma surrounding it, that information isn’t always readily or easily available. Kids have trouble going to their parents, schools maintain strict abstinence and zero tolerance policies, and the government strictly limits giving rational, open minded information about it. In fact, by giving out false and misleading information, the government only further contributes to this problem by alienating people who use Marijuana from from several potentially helpful peers who are adversely affected by the government’s efforts. If Marijuana were legalized and taxed, the tax revenue could go into beneficial, open ended campaigns that seek to inform and help.

That’s all I have to write for now. I may add more later.