We can put the drug cartels out of business. As a nation we have the choice between either spending $20,000 a year to lock up a marijuana user or collecting sales tax on the individual's purchase of this widely used, relatively safe product. To collect taxes from the grow-your-own community, we could consider a $100 per year permit for a dozen plants. It's time to put the criminal drug dealers out of business and let ordinary Americans grow a little marijuana in their own back yards.

Robert Gibbs is wrong and if the truth be known the numbers of supporters would have been greater if not for the fear factor. I would guesstimate that for every one person that speaks in support for legalization / decriminalization issues there are probably four persons fearing to speak out due to being outed and then targeted as a pot head and possibly face jail time. So in conclusion I would have to say to Mr. Obama chuckle all you want this is NO laughing matter to the 800,000 plus Americans incarcerated for drug related crimes and about 80% of those are for minor possession charges in 2008 alone. Hemp alone has safer and more durable, long lasting qualities then all other chemical to date.

Has either of the above see adults who cannot add or substract simple numbers because of short term memory lost, the the adult gets off marijuana for two months and he/she could be an accountant?

So Homer, a drug with reversible effects (you said so yourself) that does not drive most users to commit crimes, that bankrupts our government because it is illegal and we feel somehow duty-bound to halt it, that should not be a schedule I drug because there are documented medical uses for it, that causes far less damage to people than the legal and widely available drug called alcohol--should remain illegal because some guy can't do math for a little while? What about memory losses from alcohol or prescription drugs? This is a harm reduction issue. People will smoke pot regardless of what we do to eradicate it. Must we destroy lives and bankrupt government in our totally vain attempts to stop trafficking and use? I don't care for the stuff personally, but I fully support legalization.

I think Obama can be swayed. We need a leader who isn't afraid to do the right thing, even if he ruffles some feathers and stirs up some emotions in the process. A president should take a stand for what he believes. He was elected to lead, not to follow.

"I don't think that is a good strategy to grow the economy." did you pick up on the GROW reference there ;)

No one goes to jail for simple possession of marijuana in this country, who are you people trying to kid. This is a dangerous drug and should not be legalized, especially when our children are using less and less of it. Think about the country not your own want to get high.

I am both tired and frankly amazed at the tissue-thin argument that legalizing marijuana will somehow put the drug cartels out of business. The cartels have long thrived on cocaine, methamphetamine and now heroin, as well as marijuana. Which of these do you think they profit most from, in terms of cost as well as bulk? Marijuana is at the bottom of the heap, and would hardly be missed, assuming that by legalizing, it would somehow no longer be marketable by the cartels- another highly questionable assumption. A counter argument could also be made that by legalizing pot (a gateway drug), and thereby increasing it usage, it would drive up demand for other stronger substances, further enhancing the cartels profit potential (unless, of course, we also legalize these other substances, in turn.)

Silverbird, you are wrong on both counts. People do go to jail for possession, and your children are not using less, unless they happen to live in a state where cannabis is legal for medicine. No one writing here "wants to get high." That is simply insulting. There are no "you people" here. There are, however, an increasing number intelligent advocates of drug reform who simply disagree with you.

Weed works against natural function of brain and body, disrupting a natural process. That is why you use it, but you are not the only one your use impacts. I sit with a family member who is a long time user. He never smoked cigarettes, did use other drugs for 20 years but just weed for last 10. 3 months before 57th BD he went to bed & woke 3 days later with no use of right arm & leg, loss of memory from days before massive stroke. He has no money, no insurance - couldn't keep a steady job due to marijuana use. He gets food stamps & medical care at taxpayer expense. Prognosis: he will live but never work again. Marijuana's impact is not immediate but is costly in human potential & to tax payers. He grew his own plants since he started at 15. Mom helped 4 brothers & friends roll. One brother featured in High Times for an awesome patch. Entire family is "monument" to marijuana use except those members who saw the damage and stood against. We are the ones who had to bury the dead ones, sit with disabled ones & go in the middle of the night to get shotgun from the one shooting at the mother ship hovering overhead. Kill the plant, let the brain have a chance. Me too!

You are wrong on both accounts, I have been in the criminal justice system for many years, no one goes to jail for possession of small amounts of pot unless they are distributing and look at the University of Michigan study on drug use. Adolescent use is down. Most Americans still do not want pot legalized! Amotivational syndrome - Dr. Sidney Cohen, 1969.

Frank Winkler, DEA Mexico chief Raphael Reyes himself said on ABC that fully 60% of cartel profits comes from marijuana. That marijuana is their "cash cow" because it is easy to grow and has a high profit ratio. Some estimates put the that percentage as high as 75%. Tell me what business can survive when its income is instantly reduced by 60% or more. Your debunked "gateway" theory doesn't hold water, either. Ask heroin addicts what they use to AVOID taking the heroin: cannabis. Cannabis is a way out of addiction, not a way in. I am both tired and frankly amazed that there is still such a resistance to rethinking our failed drug policies which have done nothing but increase violence and criminal activity around drugs.

And yet again there are those of us who think Marijuana is the only drug out there that is not harmful. I understand it is fun to get high, but with that there are consequences. Marijuana is not safe to use if cigarettes are not safe to use. Marijuana also causes decreases in brain activity just like any other drug does. Why do some people kid themselves with the idea that marijuana is the miracle drug? I really do not understand this philosophy, because any drug including marijuana causes health and personal issues that cost us all money in the long run. Just because people are going to use substances does not mean we need to legalize them and say that it is really okay to use them.

Why would we want another drug leagalized? Haven't we seen enough damage from the current legal drugs?

Unfortunately, silverbird, Amotivational Syndrome is just one of the tiresome canards dredged up to bolster compliance with the failed War on Drugs. Perhaps you don't remember, but cannabis was also touted as very motivational, causing youth to become "crazed killers" and "mad with desire" Anslinger, 1937. And more unfortunately, people not only go to jail for possession, they also lose their jobs, their school funding, the clean records, their drivers licenses, and sometimes their homes and children. People growing their own medicine in states where is it not yet legal are characterized as dealers, simply because the medicinal value of cannabis is not recognized. For heaven's sake, have a heart.

Anthony, you are so right, "legal" drugs are very damaging. Luckily cannabis is less addictive than caffeine, has fewer side effects than aspirin, and would be an excellent substitute for alcohol or tobacco. And that is exactly why the prohibition is held in place -- alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical interests, with their extensive lobbying powers and deep pockets.

Leslie Masden made the comment: I think Obama can be swayed. We need a leader who isn't afraid to do the right thing, even if he ruffles some feathers and stirs up some emotions in the process. A president should take a stand for what he believes. He was elected to lead, not to follow. The president is elected to take a stand for what the majority of his COUNTRY believes in. And no matter how loud the legalization effort has gotten, it is no where near being the majority. And how do you know that President Obama, the father of 2 beautiful young girls, has not taken a stand for what he believes in. This is a health issue and a fiscal issue. Marijuana takes a physical toll on its users and contributes to mental health issues as well as physical issues. Be up front and just say you like the weed and you want the weed, don't try to say it is good for anyone. People who choose medical marijuana over alternative medicines are being taken advantage of by those who wish to further their quest for legalization by tugging on the heart strings of America. Sell it to someone who hasn't lived with the reality of the damages marijuana does.

Silverbird,pull your head out. Aspirin is more dangerous than pot. No one has ever died from pot consumption,2000+ die every year from aspirin. And YES there are people in jail for "simple possession". And children are not using less, and less,and it's easier to get pot at school than cigarettes, or alcohol. Don't be stupid. Or at least stop being stupid. Obama is an idiot, it's obvious he's trying to bankrupt this country. The government is whats wrong with Amerika,and they just don't get it. The "war on drugs" costs $69 billion a year. $69 BILLION A YEAR, WASTED. It don't take a genius to figure out, instead of spending, taxing, would reverse those numbers. 25,000 different products can be made from hemp, from renewable energy, to biodegradable plastic, and everything in between, that wouldn't "grow the economy"? And to not even consider it, is bad for the country, and economy. The government doesn't even have the power to make laws on things that don't cause harm. And they don't have the right to inflict harm enforcing illegal acts. The only harm pot causes, is the harm the government prescribes for it.

We must not give up! Obama is a good, intelligent person and probably knows that the timing for this is bad. In a few months, or definitely into his next term, I am sure he will eventually do the right thing, but this would be political suicide for him at a time when no one can afford to let the monsters who created the "war on drugs" back into power. Let us continue to educate and advocate for change and hope that being on the side of what is right will matter.

I thought this site was for people to jointogether. Brinna proved its not. Marijuana causes COPD etc etc and lung cancer as well as cigarettes.There are as many people with breathing difficulties, if not more, caused by marijuana more cigarettes.Who is gonna pay that treatment??? Look at the big picture.If a person gets pulled over, do we do a breathalyzer test on them to see how high they are??? What will be the legal limit?? It will get tricky when someone is pulled over for drinking and driving and smoking pot?? If its legalized, it should have restrictions just like alcohol. Im gonna grab a bag of popcorn and sit back and watch this mess, none of you mention what this could do to the people that are in recovery. Brinna, you fight so strong to see your side of legalizing it, you make yourself sound like you smoke pot. I am honest and say I am an addict! And, that I am very scared for America if this drug gets legalized! It will breed new users! How about you Brinna? What are you really doing here? So much for joining together! Frankly, I think you are posing as more than one person here. More people addicted=medicaid paying for nebulizers and inhalers etc,etc!!!!!!!!

if we did away with the government the world would be better off

Cannabidiol, a chemical that makes up about 40%+ of medical marijuana, is the only non-toxic chemical known to man to slow or even reverse the aggressive growth of cancerous tumors. Marijuana has never been shown to be nearly as dangerous as tobacco, and in fact, has been shown conclusively to be less so. 2Bits, sorry to hear about your friend, but you can't conclusively blame the weed for a stroke. My grandmother had a stroke at 58 without ever smoking anything. I'm in favor of legalizing, though I've seen the damages. I got psychologically addicted to smoking, and I really suffered for it for a while, and let my life get pretty bad, thinking it was all okay if I could smoke afterwards. In the end, I grew up and learned discipline and responsibility I may not have gotten otherwise. People will make their own mistakes, and will face the consequences of them, and laws stop no one but perhaps the pathologically timid.

Opiates are used for medicinal purposes and they are highly addictive, and while it is traditionally thought that marijuana is not physically addictive and has medical uses, it is addictive. Studies are ongoing but more and more of them are proving that this is a harmless drug - especially how it is grown and cultivated today. A drug is a drug, period. I am amazed that so many are willing to turn drugs into a political tool. Even if it was legalized, things would get a whole lot worse before it got better, and doesn't it stand to reason that just like any other drug dealer, marijuana growers and dealers would do whatever they could to cheat the government out of taxable income? We can't let this happen!

What if the choice you have is between getting stoned, and killing yourself? If you can't let go of suicidal ideations without smoking? Which action hurts society more? Hurts you more? Pot isn't a panacea, but it IS medicinally useful, and shouldn't be demonized as it is. Look at benzodiazepines, a top-selling family of drugs that can be infinitely more destructive than pot. Surely one can smoke too much, and be handicapped by it, but that in itself is a testament to a truly phenomenal therapeutic range. Most drugs that could be used for similar purposes would cause toxic effects and overdoses in the heaviest users, while I've known some incredibly devout tokers that have never been slowed down by the stuff.

Do you really want to criminalize everything that can be harmful to people?

I can find you 15 people that may well be glad that they don't smoke as much as they used to, and maybe have quit entirely, but don't regret having used the stuff. I can't find one person that doesn't regret having been arrested/jailed for it, and it's not for lack of knowing people that have been arrested/jailed for it. I myself have served jail time for possession of one gram, and that was two years ago in the United States. Don't say it doesn't happen, and don't say it isn't wrong.

it seemed like a very narrow context in which the question was asked. easy for a politician to dance around.

Opiates are used for medicinal purposes and they are highly addictive, and while it is traditionally thought that marijuana is not physically addictive and has medical uses, it is addictive. Studies are ongoing but more and more of them are proving that this is a harmless drug - especially how it is grown and cultivated today. A drug is a drug, period. I am amazed that so many are willing to turn drugs into a political tool. Even if it was legalized, things would get a whole lot worse before it got better, and doesn't it stand to reason that just like any other drug dealer, marijuana growers and dealers would do whatever they could to cheat the government out of taxable income? This is an addictive substance that ruins lives and it's being used as a political tool.....

Drug laws are a device to maintain the status quo. Poor people are arrested for possession of drugs far more often than people from other socio-economic demographics, and minorities make up a completely unreasonable proportion of those arrested. I think most marijuana growers would rather do what they love doing legally, and a large number of dealers would rather have a legitimate economic opportunity than be forced to take the risks of illegal dealing. It'll still be the CEOs and government representatives skipping out on paying taxes, in the end. Legalizing it shouldn't be an economic or political issue. It's a human issue. Putting people in prison for possession of anything is wrong to me, but especially possession of a harmless and potentially helpful plant. It's a moral issue- it's immoral to jail people for not fearing the same things, for trying something, for being addicted, for not believing government propaganda, for needing something to prevent them from vomiting up life-saving medications and needed nutrients.

Silverbird is right 800,000 people might have been cited but one half of one percent of simple users spend anytime incarcerated. What happens is that Drug Policy Alliance and Marijuana Policy Project skew the numbers and add anyone who is arrested for any crime. At the time of arrest the individual is in possession of marijuana so when they go to jail for robbrey DPA and MPP flip it as going to jail for marijuana.

I don't know about you, John, but I don't think any 'simple users' should be incarcerated. Not one half of a percent, not one one-hundredth of a percent. Not in "the land of the free". Thomas Jefferson would be a felon, if he lived the same way he did in modern America. The issue is too controversial, and people get lied to on both sides. When I was in drug education classes 10 years ago, I was being told "facts" that had been refuted almost 30 years before that. Fight fire with fire, lies with lies. Lies are another face of oppression, and this country was not founded to lie and oppress.

1. Stopthehate (11:45 AM) had it right: Obama had to sidestep political suicide, the legendary "third rail". His own lame joke was the same one that would have been thrown at him. 2. I would give Obama a pass, in fact a medal of honor, because he did what many Americans fail to do-- quit smoking hot-burning overdose nicotine cigarettes! Of course, he had been in the minority of mild users-- up to 8 a day compared to 20 for most addicts. Of course, a $700-million presidential campaign was at stake. The American electorate hasn't chosen a currently cigarette-smoking candidate for President since 1944! 3. I think if riefer legalizers concentrate on local and state law, Obama won't get in their way.

I couldn't even finish reading all the pro legalization of pot writers ridiculous justifications for getting high. When you get your facts correct, then try to campaign for legalization. Marijuana is not safe. There are a multitude of adverse effects from it. I don't want to drive on roads with pot users high on the drug. What are they going to do about that? What will the users do when they need something a little stronger than pot? Do your research. It is not a harmless drug.

Brianna this one's for you to prove you are wrong: A new study by The Partnership for a Drug-Free America indicates that methamphetamine and marijuana use by teens has dropped significantly from previous years. According to the study, methamphetamine use is down 25 percent from 2005, with only three percent of teen reporting use of the drug in the past month. Similarly, marijuana use has declined, although it remains the most widely used drug among kids. The Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, or PATS, “indicates that marijuana use has been declining for a decade, with past-year use down 24 percent since 1998, and past-month use down a full 30 percent... over the same period of time.” Much of the decline is being attributed to more communication about the dangers of drug use between teens and their parents.

Whenever there is a question about marijuana legalization you will see more commentary then with any other issue. The irony of the pro-marijuana comments appearing on jointogehter is that it is obvious none of the articles on the health and social effects of marijuana are being read. This is another case of people not wanting to be confused by the facts. I have worked in the field of substance abuse treatment since 1977 and my experience has been that marijuana is one of the most insidious, destructive substances we have in society.

Silverbird I don't Know what planet you live on but I myself was part of a police sting they sold me an ounce and then arested me for possession and I did 90 days in county jail and if u really believe PFDFA u really have problems!!!!!!!!!!

An analysis of data from the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) indicates that it is costing American taxpayers about $1 billion annually to incarcerate people for marijuana offenses, AlterNet reported Feb. 10. DOJ's Bureau of Justice Statistics said in a new report ("Drug Use and Dependence, State and Federal Prisoners, 2004") that 12.7 percent of state inmates and 12.4 percent of federal inmates locked up for drug crimes are marijuana offenders, amounting to about 33,655 state inmates and 10,785 federal inmates. When correlated with DOJ prison spending data, the totals show that the price tag for incarcerating marijuana offenders tops $1 billion annually. The report said that the non-prison costs of marijuana prosecution in the U.S. amounts to another $8 billion. The FBI recently reported that 786,545 people were arrested on marijuana charges in 2005; about 88 percent were charged only with possession. The FBI figures were an all-time high even though reports say that marijuana consumption in the U.S. is declining.

It was uncle sam in the first place that made up horror stories about pot to make it a crime. If the govt. tried that today they wouldn't get away with it. I'm surprised the law hasn't been overturned based on the evidence used to outlaw it.

Same as Alcohol. What is wrong with that? I'm tired from my second 16 hour shift in two days and I only have 5 hours to sleep before my last 16 hour shift of this week so I'll make this brief, Everything Brinna says I CONCUR. Goooooooooooooooooo Brinna !!!

i have a dream, that one day marijuana will be legal, i have a dream that one day, the sons of slaves and former slave owners will all get together and smoke a blunt in the circle.. Of Brotherhood!

Dwayne I read that whole report and nowhere in that report does it make that claim. It was a headline that a reporter made up. Just like the bogus story that the AG said thay were going to stop marijuana dispensaries in Calif.

Sorry I left out "shutting down marijuana dispensaries in Calif. Must be all the weed I smoked when I was young.

I am teaching my daughter to live life without hiding behind a drug, teaching her that she doesnt need to try to be something she isnt, teaching her to not escape, but to confront. She knows she doesnt need to use a drug to "get through the day" she knows the dangers. For those of you that need marijuana legalized, it would certainly make it easier instead of hiding it. If not you, it would others. When I am talking with someone, I like to know that they are being real and not so stinkin "high" that they cant comprehend a word you say. Its a lie to say legalize it and not have some personal interest in smoking it. If you want it legalized so bad, stand up and smoke it wherever you are and make a stand for yourself. Eventually it wont be enough, and you will need to find something else to ease the pain..

Keep it illegal for all I care just make the punishment a little more civil and proportionate to the offense. Why ruin so many lifes and reputations over a benign plant less harmful and more useful than simple aspirin (that kills a couple thousand people each year)? Sounds to me like way too many people are still caught up in the 1937 Anslinger "REEFER MADNESS" era and still believing the HYPE. Frankly , just FYI for 30 years I have NOT needed anything stronger than a little herb to go along with my simple OTC Ibuprofen 4 tabs (800mg) P.O. q 6H PRN. I have turned down numerous offers of opiates from DDS's and MDs for 30 years because that stuff is Pharmacuetical Poison. I think you are mistaken cannabis consumers with alcoholics when they are so stinkin "DRUNK" that they CANNOT comprehend what you are saying nor can you understand what they are saying. Get your drugs straight before you generalize.

A drug is a drug...AND IF YOU HAVE TO CONTROL SOMETHING..ITS ALREADY OUT OF CONTROL! If the article was about alcohol, I would talk about that. This is talking about marijuana. I am not confusing anything, I am staying on the topic. Do what you gotta do Donald!

Alcohol kills brain cells, cannabis only retards them for short periods of time. Alcohol kills innocent lifes (auto accidents) as well as the consumer in some cases (auto accidents, alcohol poisoning, dumb accidents while drunk, etc...) I have no problem with someone wanting to drink ALL they want as long as they don't get on the highways threatening other's lifes then it becomes a societal problem. I defy anyone to show me prove of cannabis killing brain cells and or humans in any way.

Marijuana "only retards [brain cell activity] for a short period of time," according to Donald. In fact, there is significant "retardation" (quite a soft term considering the actual impact)that lasts for about two years before any significant restoration of lost neural function. See Dr. Daniel Amen's SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) slides and accompanying text to fully appreciate the impact of pot on neural function and activity. Treatment stats don't lie-- talk to any counselor who has worked with addictied pot heads to appreciate the significant impact of marijuana on personality, loss of interest in most things generally, inability to maintain focus and concentration, passivity, etc. I don't personally consider such aberrations "harmless." As concerns the oft-stated myth that "pot never killed anyone." take some time to chat with your local highway patrol and other traffic enforcement folks who have witnessed pot smoking drivers involved in accidents that maimed and killed (and please don't try to excuse such occurrences by suggesting that it was alcohol, not pot, that caused such tragedies.)

You people are so stupid !! Anti Marijuana?? I am in the medical profession and I think its a good think that marijuana is legal! #1 Chemo is poison and legal #2 Alcohol is Poison and legal do you even know what alcohol does to you ?? Let me enlighten you Morons, Memory Loss, Impaired Judgment, headaches, Depression, Blackouts, Insomnia, Cancers of the Esophagus, mouth and Throat,Heart disease,stroke,high blood pressure,pneumonia,diabetes,Liver disease,liver cancer,Chronic stomach problems,GI bleeding,diarrhea,ulcers,malnutrition,Impotence,reproductive disorders,Muscle damage,osteoporosis and death to innocent victims and that is just what we know of now.#3 Tobacco and how much more do you need to know what it does. Marijuana does not have 1/3 of those symptoms and it doesnt kill anyone.The FDA love people like you! Keep your trust in man instead of god see what else happens they love Ginni pigs like you. So if you don't know what your talking about shut up please your waisting precious time. If u want to fight something fight Alcohol & Tobacco the real killers. Marijuana is Organic and natural untouched by man the way it should be. Thank God for Marijuana..

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1568/is_n3_v26/ai_16075312/ This is just one of many articles I googled this morning and as with any subject you will find just as many articles stating the opposite. We will be going round and round about this for another 70 years. I am not here to defend driving while under the influence of any substance that may cause accidents however I am defending people's rights to consume what they want within the soveriegnty of ones own body, mind and soul. You will always find articles that prove your point and I will always find articles to state my position and beliefs, so round and round we go again.

Effects of Smoking Marijuana In our experience, the effects of smoking marijuana use typically cause decreased activity in the posterior temporal lobes bilaterally. The damage can be mild or severe, depending on how long a person used, how much use occurred, what other substances were used (nicotine is a powerful vasoconstrictor) and how vulnerable a particular brain is. For more information see Dr. Amen’s article High Resolution Brain SPECT Imaging in Marijuana Smokers with AD/HD. After reading some of Dr. Amen's findings I discovered a couple of things that I already knew about the effects of THC on the brain. I concluded that the effects are temporary (with the potential for long term effects) and after a while of not using the brain functions will return to normal. That cannot be said of alcohol and HARD drugs , once the damage is done it is permanent. If you look at the images of the brain "OFF" THC and the brain "ON" THC you will notice LITTLE difference. I bet if I had drank 10 cups of coffee before taking this test and had it checked against a sample of my brain "OFF" caffiene the differences would be more dramatic than the THC spectrums.

After reading these comments there appears to be many that do not understand all the dangers of mood altering drugs, including marijuana. This substance has changed since the 60/70's and if you have never worked with an addicted person to this drug, it may be hard to understand. Many of the tasks we take for granted are suppessed and not functioning as they were meant to be. I believe President Obama is very wise in this decision. As for the drug cartel, it would just help them to introduce more of the other drugs or new ones. Our country appears to be running on addicted thinking..take a pill for this, if your kid is too "active" give then a pill, etc... I work with addicts every day and see the damaging effects these attitudes have.

I think these posts represent dichotomous thinking. Life will not be absolutely terrible if marijuana continues to be an illegal drug, and also will not be terrible if it becomes legal. Decriminalizing the drug makes sense for the same reasons decriminalizing alcohol did. My reading of the literature on the effects of alcohol and marijuana indicates there is no question that alcohol is more harmful. On the other hand, of course there are cases where greater availability of one's drug of choice might hasten the experience of ill effects. A pragmatic philosophy would be appropriate here I think, as there is no PERFECT solution. The belief that life will be terrible if pot is legal, or is terrible as long as it is not, is irrational. Take a step back, folks. There would be benefits to criminalizing alcohol and tobacco, as well as decriminalizing marijuana. Lets take a calm look at them. At any rate, arguing only polarizes attitudes.

This is certainly the silly season. I do not blame Obama for his current stand against legalization....He has too much that is more important and is equally controversial on his plate as it is. The question of whether legalization of drugs would be threatening to our youth is a canard, a red herring. If you have been watching this as long as I have (over 65 years)you have seen an ever increasing amount of money spent on some sort of control....and you have watched the numbers of people using illegal drugs grow exponentially, AND you have seen the amount of drugs interdicted grow to formerly unimaginable quantities. Now, more than ever before - if we are to believe the experts - ever more pharmaceuticals are being diverted to illicit use.....NOW my question to you who want to continue on this current path....WHERE IS THE SUCCESS?

Re: Post by Dwayne Polidori on 04 Apr 09 08:55 AM EDT ...Quote from post, "You people are so stupid !! Anti Marijuana?? I am in the medical profession and I think its a good think that marijuana is legal!" Dwayne, what a severe and hysterical reaction ... and you say you are in the medical field? Are you going to be okay? Perhaps you should have a colleague check your blood pressure! You and I just have different opinions .. we don't have to "hate on" each other. I speak from the side of someone who is always cleaning up behind the pot users in my family. They are too apathetic to care and the weed is so ingrained in our family that it is seldom that someone "escapes" the lure. Personally, I do not think that alcohol or tobacco or misuse of precription and over the counter meds are good for anyone either. Is there really someone out there who believes that marijuana does nothing to impair your driving ability?

I have been involved/worked in the crossraods between addiction, corrections and mental health virtually all of my life. I firmly believe that the only long term solution to the "drug abuse" issues is to: First, lump all harmful/addictive substances (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, cocaine heroin, etc.) together. Then secondly,legalize all aspects of the production, transport, distribution, sale, use, etc. of all of these substances. Thirdly,develop clear and specific federal regulations related to the production, transport, importation, distribution and sale of these products, including that they can only be distributed through government approved and supervised outlets. Fourth, ban all advertising of every type/variation etc. about these substances. Fifth, Guarantee that all profits/revenues, licence fees, etc. placed on or realized from any and all aspects of these "businesses" be directly utilized for the range of educational, preventative, support, treatment, harm reduction, enforcement and retraining programs, etc. that would be necessary. This is the only long term solution and over time, it would work.

As usual, the government has it wrong. Marijuana, as well as all other drugs should be legal. Prohibition was repealed because it didn't work. I am a psychotherapist and professor, to date, I know of no marijuana overdoses. I know of much corruption and harm from The War on People, aka War on Drugs.

In response to Dwayne: If you are truly in the medical profession, I am very concerned. Telling people they are stupid and morons because they don't agree with you is hardly evident of a good bedside manner or much judgement. If you would really like to enlighten anyone, please proofread what you have written and make some corrections. Poorly written attacks with spelling errors (Ginni pigs)are unlikely to convince anyone of anything. I sincerely hope that no one's medical care or health is entrusted to you.

Surprise,Surprise,Surprise THC Reduces Tumor Growth, Study Says April 7, 2009 Share Email Print Subscribe Research Summary New research from Spain suggests that THC -- the active ingredient in marijuana -- may reduce tumor growth, Reuters reported April 2. Guillermo Velasco and colleagues at Complutense University in Madrid found decreased tumor growth in mice with cancer after the mice received doses of THC. The research also included findings that two tumors in people with highly aggressive brain cancer decreased in size after receiving THC. "Our findings support that safe, therapeutically efficacious doses of THC may be reached in cancer patients," Velasco said. The findings were published April 1, 2009 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Dwayne, Please let us all know where it is that you practice medicine. Marijuana is definitely not as dangerous for us as entrusting our medical care to you would be. Before you call people stupid and morons, and tell them to shut up,you might ask someone to proofread for you. Ginni pigs? Your posting is hardly enlightening.

Leslie Basden: "...a drug with reversible effects (you said so yourself) that does not drive most users to commit crimes.." Leslie, no drug DRIVES someone to commit crimes, so why are you implying such? Jails are full of people who got high, then thought it was okay to commit crimes OTHER than marijuana possession. In fact, people jailed for VIOLENT CRIMES in my county (San Diego, CA) test positive for marijuana more often than those who test positive for methamphetamine or cocaine. Please read that sentence again. No drug "drives" anyone to commit crime; Leslie, please name one that does. (crickets) I didn't think so. Marijuana, like all drugs, has a statistical link to crime, especially violent crime. That's what they don't tell you on the "legalizer" websites. But the politicians know this, which is why they are in no hurry to legalize pot. But if Mr. Obama had told you, straight up, that he wouldn't support legalization...would you have voted for him? He is the president, and I believe he is capable of great things...but he's also a politician. Job One was getting elected...and he couldn't afford to take a stand that would cost him the "baker" vote.

After being arrested and jailed for posession of 6.5 grams of marijuana I can no longer get many jobs I had access to prior. This does not help my personal situation at a time during economic downturn. Furthermore it is my understanding that for each individual not doing well off, the country as a whole suffers as well. Decriminalization of Marijuana in my opinion would be a very positive thing in America. I would very much love to grow weed, given that I would not be contributing to the delinquency of others.

Hey Homer, jeez, what a misnomer your name is...ATROCIOUS grammar. I passed my last University core Math requirement stoned as a martyr!! True, I got a doctor of math high, and he tutored me in return for the smokeout. The aesthetic beauty of math is a profound thing! I thought it boring before, gruelling! A good pot buzz got me very interested in learning the concepts THOROUGHLY-not just rote. I thus brought a 17 up to an 89. Helps with writing and mechanics of such too-I recomend a big fatty before class. Just don't get high and try to land any aircraft.