Re: the schizophrenia connection, a very limited correlation between marijuana use and schizophrenia has been noted, but schizophrenics often self-medicate with any number of substances so that’s hardly noteworthy. Schizophrenia and first time marijuana use both tend to occur in young adulthood, but this does not mean that one causes the other.

Not just the ones making the insane profits from marijuana sales. The police also benefit. And alcohol interests (Witness the unholy alliance of cops and beer distributors in California teeming up to oppose Prop 19).

Miron and Waldock in the new Cato Institute report on the ecomic costs of marijuana prohibiton suggest the self-interest motivating law enforcement resistance to repeal of marijuana prohibition:

“About half of the budgetary improvement from legalization is due to reduced criminal justice expenditures. But for this component of the impact to show up in government budgets, policymakers would have to lay off police, prosecutors, prison guards, and the like. Because such a move would be politically painful, it may not occur.”

Then there are the treatment centers who profit from court mandated treatment for persons charged with marijuana possession.

And politicians who can engage in demagoguery against marijuana use, turning pot into political hay.

I’m sure I’m leaving someone out…

Back in the 1960s, an Ocean Shores group kept trying to legalize gambling on a local basis. There was plenty of money to campaign against it. People thought it was churches.

It was Nevada money.

I read the article and there’s not much with which I would argue. There is a small group (up to 9%) who develop a dependency on marijuana which significantly and negatively impacts their life and they find it difficult to stop.

I think there are health risks associated with smoking marijuana.

On the other hand, there are people who use it as a medicinal herb and find relief.

And true, smoking marijuana and driving is not a great idea, but less dangerous than someone driving and being under the legal limit of intoxication.

But really, these things are beside the point for me. I do not advocate the use of marijuana. But I strongly oppose the government’s policy of marijuana prohibition. As succinctly stated by William F. Buckley, Jr., “Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could.”

Marijuana simply does not constitute a sufficient public safety risk to warrant the extravagant and ineffective interventions to stop its use, nor is the personal risk beyond that which is tolerable for other substances.

The article stated, “And if Californians do legalize marijuana, they should insist that revenue from its taxation be applied toward any problems that arise from its increased use.” This provision was included in legalization bill introduced in the last Washington State legislative session.

Let’s get sensible. Legalize-tax-regulate.

YET WE DON’T OUTLAW TOBACCO … we even subsidize tobacco farmers with our tax dollars.

Marijuana may block Alzheimer’s
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4286435.stm

Marijuana Unlikely to Cause Head, Neck, or Lung Cancer
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/23/1728_57309

Rheumatoid arthritis, cannabis based medicine eases pain and suppresses disease
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=33376

Why are governments and religions so bent on telling us how to live our short lives?

“I’m the one that’s got to die when it’s time for me to die/so let me live my life the way I want to.” If 6 was 9 – jimi hendrix