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Originally posted by Desert_Rat:

I keep hearing over and over again that the majority of Americans want it to remain illegal.

You got any numbers on that one? Each time the medical referendum has come up in Arizona and California, it's passed. It passed in Arizona by over 60% both times and both times it was killed in the courts. I can't speak for other states, but I believe this to be a false statement.
Part of the problem with your statement is that you are equating legalization of pot with the medical marijuana issue. They are separate issues.

While much of the public probably would support medical marijuana, they would not support complete legalization of marijuana.

I'll go even a step further. I would say the majority of support for legalizing pot comes from white middle class and upper middle class people.

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Let's talk about schools and kids. I have a teen with a drug problem. It's one of the worst things you'll ever go through as a parent, and no amount of coaching and direction you can provide as parents makes a difference in some cases. Arrests, fines, legal expenses, rehab....I know the whole routine, and yet I'm still for legalization. Why? Because the shit is easily obtainable regardless. The difference is there's not regulation or quality control on the shit they get in schools. I've spent many, many evenings in Intensive Outpatient therapy with a group of teens with drug issues. I was shocked to learn how many heroin addicts were in these sessions.

While I'm not that concerned about pot, the other drugs that are easy to get in schools scare me - how do you know what you're getting? Are you getting an LSD tab with a load of strycchnine on it? Are you getting Heroin or Coke cut with something else? What if they got the meth recipe wrong? Kids can and do die. At least if this shit were legalized, there would be manufacture standards and you'd know that a dangerous drug is at least clean. That might not come as much of a relief, but the bottom line is this shit is available. Anyone who wants it can get it now, and users are not concerened with legality.
Considering what you have gone through, I find your position on this subject somewhat surprising.

Of course users are not concerned about legality. However, legality and more availability will create more users.

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Having your own kids go through this shit rips your heart out. On the other hand, the legality issues....those don't help. Throw a kid in jail and he'll probably learn it's a place where he doesn't want to be, but the downside is that you've put something on his record at age 18 that'll be there hindering his opportunities for the rest of his life. I'm sorry, but that's bullshit if it's just a pot bust. In Arizona, possession of any amount of pot will net you at least 2 class 6 felonies. You'll get possession for whatever quantity you have, and whatever it's stored in (a bag, a rolling paper, a pipe - etc.) is another charge - possession of drug paraphenalia. These laws are too harsh when you consider the crime.
I don't know what the laws are in Arizona, but here in NY pot is not handled the same way as other drugs. In some circumstances it is a felony, but people with small amounts for personal use receive misdemeanor charges.

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To Shahram's point, NYMM, by your logic, you should have turned yourself in for smoking. You think whomever you got that from (probably one of your friends) is, by definition, a drug dealer, and in your own words, you think he deserves to be locked up. Think about what you're saying. If I do it occasionally, it's OK, but other people should be treated as criminals for it.
When I was young I knew a couple of guys who dealt pot. If they had gotten caught, I wouldn't have felt sorry for them. You want to play, you have to be prepared to pay.

I wouldn't consider myself a criminal for smoking a joint. Yes, I broke the law. I committed a misdemeanor offense. I'm sure it wasn't the only criminal offense I committed as a kid either.

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What makes you, the few time user, any better than the chronic user who comes home after work and lights up and rides the high until he goes to bed? Who are you to judge anyone? Why should our government, or anyone else care what he does?
It makes me better because I don't have a drug dependency.

People who smoke pot on a daily basis can lie to themselves until the cows come home, but they have an addiction. They are drug addicts.

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NYMM, thanks for the props. I'm right there with you on the political threads usually, but on this one, we're way off. I think you need to re-read some of the things you've said and reconsider your position.
I don't need to reconsider my position on the subject. I think the law is fine as it stands. I think marijuana should remain a Schedule I drug and remain illegal.

Yes, we will just have to agree to disagree regarding this subject.
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