Should Recreational Marijuana Be Legalized?

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My concern is what if others are around recreational marijuana smokers, they don’t want a contact high? Let’s say some guy lights a joint at a bus stop and there are little kids there? My friend at university almost failed his 3rd year due to it, he just lost all motivation and just got high every day. This is the uk as well many people can barely handle their weekend alcohol they don’t have the self discipline to have open access to weed.
 
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Aquinas11 said:
Clearly there was a need.
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Why? You object to a ban on alcohol on practical grounds “practically too ingrained to ban it”, I’m against it because I believe it would be wrong in principle to legislate morality that way.
 
So where do you think the line should be? Cannabis? It can’t go both ways.
 
If you make the case that marijuana should be prohibited, then a consistent position is to outlaw alcohol. Alcohol kills way way WAY more people than marijuana.

Substances are morally neutral.
Abuse of any substance is not good. That goes for opium to twinkies.
 
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We can definitely agree that smoking weed is the worst way to do it. I prefer the approach where the active compounds are put into an oil you can consume.
 
Well, let’s be honest. Marijuana did not have a cozy cultural attachment where Chesterton lived. No problem. I love a pint. In moderation.
At the same time there are peoples who enjoy marijuana, hopefully in moderation.
 
A definite weak point of my loaning of words from Chesterton. I’ll grant you that.
 
And a huge network of violence surrounds marijuana, because it is illegal.
Marijuana being illegal is just plain stupid on all fronts. And as Christians we are not called to be stupid…
 
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It’s usually mixed with alcohol. Responsible use is not the goal. Drink responsibly? They want you to “drink more” of whatever it is. Responsible drinking would affect sales. Can’t have that. The same with marijuana being offered in various forms.
 
So the violent drug trade which deals in crack, heroin and a bunch of other things will just stop being violent? Strange thinking.
 
At any rate I’ve said my peace, and its late in my country so I’m packing it in. Thanks for the discussion everyone.
 
Ed, look at history as an indicator of human behavior.
Have you ever heard of the 18th amendment?
 
edwest said:
So the violent drug trade which deals in crack, heroin and a bunch of other things will just stop being violent? Strange thinking.
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Well I dunno, but again, if history is any indicator, the legalization of marijuana takes at least that sector away from violent gangs.
 
edwest said:
It’s usually mixed with alcohol. Responsible use is not the goal. Drink responsibly? They want you to “drink more” of whatever it is. Responsible drinking would affect sales. Can’t have that. The same with marijuana being offered in various forms.
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So then you are infavor of banning alcohol again…
 
The main problem with this issue is stigmatization of a substance.

Everyone: substances are morally neutral.
Acts of abuse are evil.
 
A month ago, I would have said yes for the same reason I used to have no problem with same-sex civil unions. “I disagree with it personally on religious grounds, but what do I as a citizen care what other people do so long as they aren’t hurting others?” But I’ve been changing my positions a lot, in just the past few days, to correspond more with the Church.

So on American principles, it is not my say whether should or should not smoke weed. That is, IMO, the merely logical conclusion from American liberty and small government principles. But on the basis of our Catholic faith—immensely more important than American first principles—no, recreational marijuana in its current state should be legalized. That said, it should not be punished so harshly as it has been in the past.

EDIT: But then, the Prohibition didn’t work well…

I’m at an impasse.
 
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You are extrapolating. Violent gangs will remain violent. Turf wars will still happen. Crack and heroin are worse than marijuana and they will be pushed to sell more. Not to mention the pills they sell.
 
That’s what investors are hoping for: a decrease in the stigma. They are putting the health risks on the back burner. Money first.
 
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