Posted by Trixie on July 06, 1998 at 20:24:59:
In Reply to: Who stands to gain the most from legalizing cannabis? posted by Route66Kid on July 06, 1998 at 18:12:18:
Most of my reasoning on the legalization of marijuana doesn't originate in the medical uses of the drug, so perhaps I'm not the one to answer this question. However, here's my opinion. Two main groups would benefit from legalization. One group is made up of adults who have concluded that pot is a fairly harmless recreational drug with less side effects than alcohol, and would like the freedom to enjoy it in the privacy of their own homes. The second group is the taxpayers of this country. I think it is a tremendous waste of money to prosecute sellers/users of pot, to say nothing of the cost of jailing these people guilty of a victimless crime. Of course, an entire industry would spring up to benefit from legalization, as well, but I think that is far preferable to the way it is produced in this country now (no quality control, gang involvement). The fact of the matter is that, as a race, human beings have always sought out mind-altering drugs, just like human beings have always sought out sex. It's useless to outlaw either one, nature is working against the law.