Do you realize that asinine belief has been debunked countless times? Prohibition causes far more harm and availability for children. We've seen this with the Netherlands, and we're seeing it in legal/medical states here. It has NO affect on the amount of users. Honestly, how many times have you heard someone say, "Boy, I'd love to try heroin! But it's illegal! :(" It absolutely should be legal, there's no reason for it not to be.

I recall a survey on American students where 90 percent said they would try marijuana if it were made legal. Comparing it to heroin is rather silly and naive tbh. Heroin has a very dangerous stigma, weed does not. Still, if you did a survey on heroin addicts about what drug they started on, I ca n guarantee 90+ percent will say marijuana. There are plenty of good reasons for it to be illegal. It causes nebulous effects on people and can be abused in situations where outside people can get hurt. I don't want to go for a drive or even a walk out in public knowing that a large amount of people around me will be impaired by cannabis. This is coming from someone who smoked frequently for 2 years btw.

It's called uneducated kids while a bunch of them lie on those dumb things anyway. The solution is education, awareness and information. Besides, better cannabis than alcohol, cigarettes or even sodas/fast food. That's because unlike heroin, cannabis isn't dangerous. That was my point. And no, most started on alcohol, which is a gateway drug. Cannabis is not a gateway drug. Cannabis is actually a potential exit drug to get off of harder ones and tame withdrawals. None at all, actually. That is the fault of the individual, not cannabis. It can only be abused by people with psychological disorders in which case they could be just as easily addicted to food or sex. Cannabis is not physically addictive like alcohol is, that's why there is no withdrawals unlike alcohol where it can be so severe people have died. Laws do nothing to stop this, and no one is asking for driving while high to be legalized. Prohibition is simply an expensive and illegal waste that imprisons innocent people while infringing on our freedoms. It has done far more harm than drugs ever could. Should we go back to alcohol prohibition? That worked well, didn't it?

So your post essentially says that statistics that aren't in your favour are all wrong, cannabis is not a gateway drug even though there are countless studies proving that it is THE MOST prominent gateway drug, and it should be legal because it should be the user's responsibility to use it with care. The problem with this, the problem that most people realize, is that many people aren't responsible. That's just how it is. I'm sure in your perfect world everyone would be an upstanding citizen who used alcohol and drugs carefully and within a controlled environment, but it doesn't work like that. It's very simple logic. If marijuana was legal, more people would try it. More people try it, more people like it. More people like it, more people try other drugs. It's fine as it is. Personally I'd have no problem getting weed if I wanted it so I don't see why so many users are complaining. It's not hard to get if you really want it and you can do it in the privacy of your own home. The fact that it's illegal actually prevents people from going out in public whilst high and endangering others. The only people complaining about this are the people who already smoke it. Nobody else cares.

Common sense, experience and general knowledge tell me that. I guess you've never been in a public school? And the gateway thing has been debunked countless times now. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/05/study-the-gateway-drug-is-alcohol-not-marijuana/ http://blog.norml.org/2012/12/20/study-cannabis-is-a-potential-exit-drug-to-problematic-substance-use/ And if they are irresponsible they should be held accountable. Why should responsible users be punished? How do laws do ANYTHING to change things without making them a lot worse? Are you now saying alcohol prohibition worked and should return? Except that has been debunked. People in the Netherlands use it far less than we do, in teens especially. http://blog.norml.org/2012/12/20/teen-pot-use-stalls-as-states-continue-to-regulate-use/ And if they liked cannabis that is a much safer alternative to sodas, alcohol, cigarettes and doctor prescribed medication. That choice should be available to them and it absolutely does NOT lead to other drugs. That is dependent on the user and could be triggered by eating. Should we ban eating? No, it's NOT fine. Locking people up, destroying their lives, wasting money and infringing on freedoms isn't at all fine. It just makes it easier for children to get and creates gangs which cause far more crime. Now you literally just destroyed your own argument, or lack thereof. Prohibition does NOTHING to stop people from using, yet, you contradict yourself with the false assumption that legalization will lead to more use.

So common sense tells you that marijuana users don't move on to harder drugs? Sorry but that's not all that sensible. Linking a couple of unreputable sites saying it's not a gateway drug is pretty futile since I van link hundreds saying it is, and surveys of users proving that they started on it before moving to stronger substances. You keep touting around this whole 'freedoms' thing like you expect to be able to do anything you want just because You think you're responsible enough. That's not how a democracy works. It aims to provide a safe and civilized environment for everyone while giving reasonable freedoms to its citizens. There are prohibitions in place because the people in charge know that while there are plenty of responsible people there are plenty of irresponsible people too. The restrictions of freedom you ha en such a gripe with are there to keep you safe. That's the price you pay for living in a democratic country. If you don't like it, you're free to move. I won't be responding from here on out because I already know all your views on this topic and disagree with all of them. Plus it's pointless debating this on an Internet forum. None of us are politicians and we can't change the laws. I guess you're just going to have to put up with the fact that it's illegal.

Yes, and personal experience. You're a genuine fool if you buy the propaganda that smoking a little cannabis is going to eventually make you want meth or something stupid like that. It's never been proven. And no, they started with alcohol, THEN marijuana. Yes, that's exactly what freedom means. Being able to do with your own body whatever you choose, provided you harm no one else. You seem to think anyone is capable of controlling what others put in their own body, no one has such an authority. We are not a democracy, and the majority can not oppress the minority. A safe and civilized environment would not be locking people up for harming themselves, it would be accepting and educating. Again, prohibition is ONLY an expensive waste which even you acknowledged doesn't work, explain how that is sane. What is reasonable freedoms? You're either free or you're not. The people are in charge. Prohibition does NOTHING to keep us safe, it only causes great harm with a black market, gangs and violence while endangering otherwise normal citizens for no good reason. It's infringing on us, which is not at all safe. And again, cannabis is one of the safest substances on this planet, you know what isn't entirely safe? Caffeine, should we ban caffeine, alcohol, doctor prescribed medication and fast food? This is not a democratic country, and I definitely do not have to surrender principle or freedoms. My individual liberty trumps any unjust and tyrannical law. The government has never had the authority to ban substances. Period. Do you think if 51% of people wanted you silenced, you lose your freedom of speech? And guess what? The majority SUPPORT legalization! 57% of this country wants cannabis to be legalized! You literally have NO argument! If you don't like it, you're free to move.I, however, am not a coward. I have principle and will stay and try to make the country better while informing all I can and standing up to tyrants while ignoring their corruption. It's a shame you're not willing to do the same. Actually it's not illegal, the only thing illegal are the prohibition laws.

It's a gateway drug because kids associate themselves with street thugs to get their weed. If they could go buy it with documentation at a nice place with air condtioning, that would all change.

No, it's a gateway drug because once people try it and like it they become more open minded and curious towards other drugs. Most weed dealers don't deal other drugs. The customer asks them if they can hook them up and they make a few phone calls.

Do you realize how much of a blind and naive fool you sound? Quit buying the propaganda. Or keep drinking your kool-aid in your fantasy world.

You musthave missed the part where iI said I was a regular user for years. I know plenty of people that started on marijuana before moving on to speed and meth. I guess that's the kind of proof you keep saying there is none of? Well, you got me to post again. Well done I guess. But now I must leave you to babble to yourself in vain. At least the government knows what's right!

Except it's not proof, that is the fault of their mentality, not cannabis. And I bet they tried alcohol, soda and fast food long before cannabis. You chose the Kool-aid, at least the government will be gone soon because of the collapse partially caused by the senseless and expensive drug wars which help doom our dollar, the only downside is they may take us all down as well.

[quote]No, it's a gateway drug because once people try it and like it they become more open minded and curious towards other drugs.[/quote] Nope. That's incorrect. There are studies contradicting what you say, and everybody I know that smokes weed doen't use anything else. That's how the majority of people are. And if someone wants to try drugs, people are going to try them either way. Legal or not.

Just because you know people who do not use other drugs doesn't mean none exist. I know people who did go from weed to meth. Please link the supposed studies that apparently prove nobody has ever moved up from marijuana.

Dude, cannabis is not a gateway to anything. People go from cannabis to meth because they want to, not because of the cannabis. You're an idiot, keep believing the War On Drugs is helping anybody.