Check out norml.org – this is a mature group with some legit reasons to legalize.

Study after study shows far fewer side effects than either alcohol or cigarettes, more or less other legal or illegal drugs. There was even an entire issue of Scientific American devoted to it.

The list of medical uses is huge – a real challenge to many multi-billion dollar pharma’s and the stockholders that own shares (including myself).

The risks are far fewer than most “legal vices” today.

The real irony is everyone knows this to be true but continue to deny it, like a gay uncle. Know anyone with cancer? Been to Chemo with them? I do, and I have. Every doctor and every nurse has hemp paraphernalia sitting around and will tell you “Smoke pot – but I can’t give it to you”. I spent two years helping someone through chemo – and it was this experience that really changed my views on it.

The reduction in costs to investigate, prosecute and incarcerate offenders is nearly immeasurable. The potential job creation and taxation is the also tremendous.

It amazes me how many of my conservative Republican (which I am) friends will sip on whiskey, smoke a cigarette or cigar, have an affair, hit a strip club every now and then but then look at me like I am the ignorant Spawn of Satan when I suggest there are numerous reasons to legalize marijuana.

If it was legal would there be “stoners” everywhere? Hmmm…alcohol is legal (with far less controllable effects, far more after effects and far more long term medical side effects.) Is everyone a drunk? In fact, I can say that when it was illegal (when I was under 21 – missed the 18 year old law change by 1 year) it had far more draw to it because of the taboo. It lost much of it’s appeal after I could get it anytime I wanted (sex in marriage?) Yes, there are alcoholics – but alcohol is a physical addiction. Numerous studies show that marijuana has no such side effects. Will it be abused if legalized? Hmmm…can you name one thing that isn’t abused by some segment of the population or another?

The last ridiculous argument I hear is “There are no large scale legitimate studies”. Hmmm…if you were a research scientist would you risk jail time to conduct such a study? The U.S. government does have a single strand of marijuana they make available for studies, but researchers generally laugh at it due to the extremely low quantity and quality of the THC in it – essentially worthless for such trials. (Read the Scientific American issue to see this sentiment over and over again) Other countries, such as the UK are just starting longer term larger scale trials. Most of what is passed off as research today on the subject is from survey groups that are against legalization. In fact, the entire concept that it is a “gateway drug” is from ER admittance surveys of patients who have OD’d on hard core narcotics – “Have you ever smoked pot? Yes! Oh, that MUST have led to your Heroin use!” Hmmmm….I have eaten on McDonalds and yet I am not 500 pounds. I own a handgun and yet have never held up a bank at gunpoint. I own a pen and yet have never written a ransom letter. Interesting….

If you had to pay that much for a ticket, you weren’t just speeding, you were burning up the highway! If only you’d had a SLED agent in the front and the Governor in the back of the car, you’d have been fine…

http://www.livevideo.com/video/rclark23/BD99F66DB89C48A98CD40920FFBD8927/willie-nelson-hemp-and-the-fa.aspx