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The fact of the matter is that minors have access to it, it doesn't matter wither or not it's legal, certainly there can be a socially acceptable age (16 to 18) but we're afraid of what that could mean. It's time that we realized that this plant is the thing that can save us from our debt. The millions of uses of Hemp, it's fast and bountiful harvests, and the Medical applications of Cannabis out weigh all the hype, and fear regarding this dangerous, yet not harmful, plant.

Marijuana was outlawed based on prejudice, the failure to prohibit Alcohol, and the big money interests of DuPont and their development of the synthetic fiber nylon.

History tells us all these things, and history also shows that legalization will not directly lead to an increase in usage. Just because it's legal doesn't mean everyone is going to do it, granted there are some out there who will give it a go now that they're not going to be horribly punished as a drug dealer, terrorist, and any other sort of propaganda we've sold to the public. The tax on marijuana could bring us out of the several trillion dollar deficit we face, and in tern the money used in the war on drugs could say be used on schools.

Yet we cannot allow that to happen for some reason, no matter what we can't take the plunge and deal with a plant that grows naturally, a plant that has been with us since 8,000 BC.

How is it that in the Netherlands they have a greater respect for freedom, and guard it better then we do? This is the United States of America! Life, Liberty(Freedom) and the Pursuit of Happiness, these are the things that we stand for and believe in, more than fighting terrorism or communism, we need to defend our selfs from our own government.

This cry for sanity falls of deaf ears, and it's a sad day for everyone that it does.

Ramiro Chavez
American Born 1987

Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.John Maynard Keynes
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The "war on drugs" was initially set up as a war on minorities. Opium Poppies, Pot, etc were used in homeopathic remedies by indigene healers. The AMA saw that people would rather go to these healers than go to a "real" doctor. So that needed to be stopped, first to go was hemp & poppies, then on to the other homegrown plants. Then when the "drug czar" office was created, the best elements of those illegal drugs were extrapolated; hence: morphine, marenal etc.
I really love the double standard: if you are poor then it is a moral failing; however, if you are wealthy it is a indulgence.
In Denver CO it legal to have up to 1 oz; but most cops prefer to bust you anyway because the Federal laws allows them to bust you for Medical Marajuana plants; the ounce or less, etc. Why? because they get to possess all of your property. For each bust they do they get paid from the sales of your property because it was "used in the commission of a crime". This is capitalism at it's best!
Carry Nation really helped the tight assed so called moral right in drafting the prohibition laws; most of those laws are still upheld today.

Marijuana, as you know, has never killed anyone ever.

The Food and Drug Administration kills the sickest among us by making them wade through Byzantine federal law and go through the hell of waiting for unnecessary clinic trials.

For many cancer or AIDS patients, time runs out before they can get live-saving or ameliorating drugs.

Here's an article about it from the Tenth Amendment center along with my favorite paragraph:

The mandate of the FDA is to protect American consumers, but this is based on the assumption that bureaucrats know what’s best for you. It’s based on the assumption that you are an idiot, and that you are unable to research what’s good and bad for you. It’s based on the assumption that you aren’t capable of making responsible choices for yourself. It’s also based on the assumption that all drug-makers and physicians are either unethical or criminal.

I've never been able to see what's wrong with marijuana or any of the other miracle drugs we have available.

Chuck Johnson is a student at Claremont McKenna College. Feel free to contact him.

Criminalizing Marijuana has always been ridiculous. I know a guy who spent 10yrs in Federal prison for being a successful horticulturist. Stop the madness.

Marijauna should share the status of alcohol. Legal to use, but stiff penalties for driving under the influence.

The issue of Medical Marijuana should become moot, except for possibly a tax exemption for medical, rather than recreational, use.

Though I personally never liked the stuff. I can giggle like a fool and eat too much without herbal reinforcement.

Even though the People of California voted to have medical marijuana made legal, the DEA still harasses legal cannabis places.

Here's my not so modest solution: Government out of drugs.

You should be able to decide your own dosage of a whole host of things. We should abolish the FDA, which kills more Americans than marijuana ever could.

Chuck Johnson is a student at Claremont McKenna College. Feel free to contact him.

That would have been a great idea back forty years ago. Now too much damage has been done. They should decriminalize, but there will be no social benefit. Too many people in jail, too much property seized, too many lives ruined by the harsh laws.

What should be done, is to allow any drug in its natural state, as a plant or un-distilled extract. Marijuana, not hash, coca leaves not cocaine, beer and wine not hard liquor, opium not heroin. That might slow down some of the deadliest abuse, give people a chance to survive an addiction or self medicated depression.

But it will never become law. Too much money in repression, too much money in hard liquor.

And decriminalization is obsolete. The street drugs are pills now, coming right out of Big Pharma.

So forget about it. Take a few Oxy's and chill out.