I am not a pot user, medical or otherwise but the battle against people using it has been lost long ago. I sure am not for making it easy for people to do something illegal but the police could be used for far better things. The little dopers are going to get it and to get it they have to rob a house, auto or person to get a little money or things to sell and then it’s easy to find a seller. If they get arrested and a free ride to jail, booked in, bailed out, go to court it really adds up in tax payer dollars with absolutely nothing accomplished. It’s like filling a hole by digging another hole beside it. It should be controlled and taxed so the “pot heads” can walk into someplace and buy a small amount. Instead of smuggling it in, just let the government buy it as an import and tax the heck out of it. It would be a fair tax(unlike food that we all need). No one would be forced to buy it, and only the pot heads would pay the tax and it would be cheaper for them than to be in danger on the streets whether buying or selling.
I am no expert on the medical benefits of marijuana. Pot Heads can probably convince a doctor that it really relieves their pain and get a prescription. There is no argument that marijuana has some sort of effect on the brain. It must make people feel good or they wouldn’t use it. A few stiff drinks has the same effect. It dulls your thinking, makes you dance when you otherwise would not etc. It does not mean you are really dancing, it just releases your inhibitions some how. So if it were legalized so anyone could go to a place and buy it without fear of arrest, it does not mean you can do whatever you want when you are under the influence of it. Like go to your job or drive your car. It just means you can buy it and take it home. Workers can be fired from their jobs for using medical pot. I believe most everyone would agree that that is a good thing, except the “pot head”. If they are in such pain that they have to take pot to work then they are too sick to go to work. period. Just because you can walk into a liquor store and buy a bottle and drink til all your pain is gone does not mean you can drive or do anything that could cause you to get a DUI. Pot is the same. If you look at it from a non pot user or boss they don’t want to be around some one who’s head is screwed up on dope. I don’t want someone sawing down my trees, while he is looped on medical pot, or to drive my truck or to take my tonsils out. No sober person wants to have to hold up the end of a board with a looped up person holding up the other end. If you buy it at a marijuana store or a doctor prescribes it you are still walking around with a fuzzy brain and should not be on ANY job. But I think the day has came to make it legal. It would cut down so much crime and its doubtful anyone who is not prone to use it anyway would head out and buy some. Most normal people do not want to be fuzzy headed.
Gosh I think you’re right on with this. We have to treat it like alcohol and if you go to work drunk then you get sent home or fired. It’s the same with marijuna in my opinion. We would generate some much money in taxes, crimes would go down, court expense go down, free up police resources to focus on bigger issues, and perhaps even end the war in Mexico (which would save money). I think the only reason it’s not legal is because a politic figure would have to stand up and support it (thus putting is re-election on the line). Seattle needs to step up to the plate and collect this marijuna tax money just sitting there.