It's against the law. Get over it.

That's my opinion, and I'm sticking with it!

edited to add: There are plenty of things that ARE against the law that I wish weren't, but this isn't one of them.

Unfortunately to achieve real change getting over it doesn't work very effectively. Persistence works better, and with 75,000 signatures on just that petition it's obvious people want to make this happen, just have to keep at it. Personally if we could switch marijuana with alcohol it would make much more sense.

I agree, the common people were given the power to petition as a check on the government. If they don't recognize the petition, then they are abusing their power, and we might as well go to a dictatorship...

It's against the law. Get over it.

That's my opinion, and I'm sticking with it!

edited to add: There are plenty of things that ARE against the law that I wish weren't, but this isn't one of them.

Oh. Ok. Since you say so.

I'm all for it. I don't even consume marijuana myself (I don't need the appetite stimulation lol) but for all the reasons you mention, I think it should be legal. It's "decriminalized" where I live, which means possession of small quantities (less than 3g) is tolerated.

I agree. I haven't smoked it in more than 30 years and have no intention of ever smoking it again. Still think it should be sold legally much the way alcohol and tobacco are sold.

and if it's sold legally, it can be regulated so people can't put whatever the hell they want to in it.

It's against the law. Get over it.

That's my opinion, and I'm sticking with it!

edited to add: There are plenty of things that ARE against the law that I wish weren't, but this isn't one of them.

you know, at one time, voting was against the law for African-Americans and women. We didn't just get over that. And no reason why we should have, thank God there are some people out there who really do stand up for what they believe in. If we all just got over it, we may as well live in a place where we have no control over our lives at all.

I hardly think that marijuana is a human rights issue. There really is no comparison between these two things in my opinion.

i'm not siding with the current illegal status of marijuana if that's what you're thinking. i'm answering why they have it illegal.

It's all good! This was the official White House response to the reasons why marijuana would not and could not be legalized in the United States:

"When the President took office, he directed all of his policymakers to develop policies based on science and research, not ideology or politics. So our concern about marijuana is based on what the science tells us about the drug's effects.

According to scientists at the National Institutes of Health -- the world's largest source of drug abuse research -- marijuana use is associated with addiction, respiratory disease, and cognitive impairment. We know from an array of treatment admission information and Federal data that marijuana use is a significant source for voluntary drug treatment admissions and visits to emergency rooms. Studies also reveal that marijuana potency has almost tripled over the past 20 years, raising serious concerns about what this means for public health -– especially among young people who use the drug because research shows their brains continue to develop well into their 20's. Simply put, it is not a benign drug.

Like many, we are interested in the potential marijuana may have in providing relief to individuals diagnosed with certain serious illnesses. That is why we ardently support ongoing research into determining what components of the marijuana plant can be used as medicine. To date, however, neither the FDA nor the Institute of Medicine have found smoked marijuana to meet the modern standard for safe or effective medicine for any condition.

As a former police chief, I recognize we are not going to arrest our way out of the problem. We also recognize that legalizing marijuana would not provide the answer to any of the health, social, youth education, criminal justice, and community quality of life challenges associated with drug use.

That is why the President's National Drug Control Strategy is balanced and comprehensive, emphasizing prevention and treatment while at the same time supporting innovative law enforcement efforts that protect public safety and disrupt the supply of drugs entering our communities. Preventing drug use is the most cost-effective way to reduce drug use and its consequences in America. And, as we've seen in our work through community coalitions across the country, this approach works in making communities healthier and safer. We're also focused on expanding access to drug treatment for addicts. Treatment works. In fact, millions of Americans are in successful recovery for drug and alcoholism today. And through our work with innovative drug courts across the Nation, we are improving our criminal justice system to divert non-violent offenders into treatment.

Our commitment to a balanced approach to drug control is real. This last fiscal year alone, the Federal Government spent over $10 billion on drug education and treatment programs compared to just over $9 billion on drug related law enforcement in the U.S.

Thank you for making your voice heard. I encourage you to take a moment to read about the President's approach to drug control to learn more."

Maybe my phrasing "why is marijuana illegal" was a poor choice of words. I am mostly interested on people's opinions of legalization - sorry about that!

Such a rubbish excuse, it's a well known scientific fact that weed is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, especially if they sold "pure" weed, instead of modified skunk etc

I agree that it should be legalized for medicinal reasons. That is not what I meant. I was talking about those who use it recreationally.

I don't really get the distinction. It's a matter of the right to choose what I do and do not put into my own body. Why is it perfectly legal to unwind with an alcoholic drink at the end of the day and not a joint?

I guess that I just don't care. If you choose to use a drug that is illegal, then that is a crime. And I don't see why it shouldn't be. I'm pretty indifferent about the matter, really, so if it ever becomes legal, fine. But for now it's not, and I'm perfectly okay with that.

well thats fine. I support your right not to smoke it if youre not interested.

Why cant i smoke it if i like it and its not bothering anyone else though?

Same reason we had prohibition and a hundred other ridiculous laws AND half the problems on this forum.

People want to control others. VERY much. Don't ever doubt this.

I just don't want the actions of others to effect ME. Do what you want, leave me out of it and I promise to do the same for you.

Should I choose to indulge in marijuana it makes no difference in your life. Please allow me the same freedoms I allow you.

Ken Burns recently did a great documentary on prohibition. How it was passed by a vocal minority of busy bodies. How it made most law abiding citizens into criminals. How it created the mafia. Anyone who could watch that and not see the correlation today..well I just don't get it.