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The idealist in me thinks it should be legal, as what people should put into their bodies should be there choice. The pragmatist thinks it should stay illegal.

The idealist in me thinks it should be legal, as what people should put into their bodies should be there choice. The pragmatist thinks it should stay illegal. We know it’s bad for people’s brains, especially developing minds. That’s compounded by the fact that many people think the primary danger from drugs is death, and since it won’t kill you it must be basically harmless. I’m sure a good portion of us also know people that have become psychologically addicted to it and have wasted a good portion of their lives. I have friends that didn’t do any pot until they went to a state where it was legal, and they decided they liked it enough where they risked bringing some back with them. It seems clear legalization will lead to increased use. In short, it’s a battle of individual rights vs. what’s best for society. I’m not sure what the answer is. It also seems like a slippery slope - if weed is legal, shouldn’t most other drugs be? If that’s the case, should prescriptions still be necessary for things like stimulants?

edmundsauto 5y ago
> We know it’s bad for people’s brains, especially developing minds To clarify, we know its bad for developing brains, but I don't think we know the effect on people who start smoking > age 25. There have been studies that show different things, but I don't think we have any consensus about the impact of cannabis usage on brains > 25 y.o. Also, if we're going to base it as individual vs. society, its important to include the cost of enforcement as a negative on the societal part. For me, that makes the decision pretty easy - in both cases, we have harm caused either by the drug or by the drug + enforcement.
- AuryGlenz 5y ago
  I don’t think the distinction matters much for the first point. Not many people are going to wait until they’re 25 (or later) to start, and I haven’t heard of anyone pushing for legalization only for >25 year olds.
JohnFen 5y ago
> It seems clear legalization will lead to increased use. I live in one of the states that legalized it quite a while ago. Statistically, there has been no significant increase in use (probably because everyone who wanted to use it already was).

edmundsauto 5y ago

> We know it’s bad for people’s brains, especially developing minds To clarify, we know its bad for developing brains, but I don't think we know the effect on people who start smoking > age 25. There have been studies that show different things, but I don't think we have any consensus about the impact of cannabis usage on brains > 25 y.o. Also, if we're going to base it as individual vs. society, its important to include the cost of enforcement as a negative on the societal part. For me, that makes the decision pretty easy - in both cases, we have harm caused either by the drug or by the drug + enforcement.

AuryGlenz 5y ago
I don’t think the distinction matters much for the first point. Not many people are going to wait until they’re 25 (or later) to start, and I haven’t heard of anyone pushing for legalization only for >25 year olds.

JohnFen 5y ago

> It seems clear legalization will lead to increased use. I live in one of the states that legalized it quite a while ago. Statistically, there has been no significant increase in use (probably because everyone who wanted to use it already was).