Legal Mary Jane

With all the issues at home and abroad, I find it interesting that this is still a top concern for some people.

Should pot (marijuana) be legal for recreational use?

Here is a map of where it is legal in the US as of 7/10/2019

worldpopulationreview.com/states/recreational-weed-states/

Its a herb with some medicinal purposes , i don't even get why this is still an issue since the highly toxic cigarette is still legal...

If "the State" keeps pot illegal because they're looking out for our interests, IE we aren't capable of making decisions to look out for ourselves, then maybe "the State" should make cigarettes illegal as well?

Yes

What about alcohol then?
More people die from alcohol related injuries, usually car accidents, then just about anything else.
Not to mention all the illnesses that come with a lifetime of drinking.

we aren't capable of making decisions to look out for ourselves, then maybe "the State" should make cigarettes illegal as well?

You can give a whole list of products that have some healthhazards , the point remains that compared to alcohol and cigarettes , Weed is a innocent herb , but like sugar and fat , used wrong can be a health hazard aswel. For some odd reason the government likes to single out Weed and not the others as much , they warn against the health hazard of the other products but seem to be uncomfortable with Weed ... Its weird is not it , why single out Weed ??

I cannot think for your government , i can only say that in the Netherlands we see weed for what it is , a herb that needs control and warnings , but not more than fat , salt , sugar , alcohol etc

On the other hand we see some medicines as hard drugs , like Tramadol etc ...its just where the priorities are i guess.

So, I guess the real question is...
Should the government be allowed to tell the citizenship what is good for it or not?

I can imagine arguments made for and against.

I would say that it is one of the primary duties of a government to look after the well being of the citizenship.
So long as in doing so the government does not infringe on the rights of the citizen.

That would mean for each country what is and isn't acceptable would differ.

And when I think about it, I think it is best that way.
Example, if Bob like beer and the country he lives in makes beer illegal, Bob can always move to a country where beer is legal. If Joe fears being shot by a scary gun and they are legal where he lives, he can always move to where they are not legal.

Of course, as all sensible people know, just because something is made illegal does not mean that it goes away. But places where things are legal does make it easier for law abiding citizens to obtain whatever it is.

On that thought... I refuse to live anywhere that makes nachos or pizza illegal. I don't care how fat I get! They are just too good to give up! LOL

Lykeios wrote: The only people marijuana seems to be "harmful" for are those who already have issues with addiction and self-medicating. Those people should be treated for the problems underlying those issues

I completely agree that underlying issues, the "cause" of any problem should be addressed. This concept should cross over to all manor of problem we face in today's political arena. But, unfortunately we tend to spend our time and efforts attacking the symptom and not the cause.

On a different note, I don't know that I would ever refer to marijuana as harmless. Of course I would not consider tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, sugar... and a myriad of other things we casually ingest on a daily basis as harmless. I would caution all things in moderation. And for each person that moderation would differ. What may be okay for one may be an excess for another. And it should be up to the individual to know their body and what they need to maintain a quality level of health and enjoyment. I don't know that we can ever set a "universal limit" for moderation. So, the individual needs to be accountable for their actions in that case. But we live in a society that REALLY likes rules and telling others what is best for them.

I would suggest that a paradigm shift in the culture could result in a more cohesive social structure where unity, tolerance and compassion were more predominate. I just have no idea how that would be accomplished without massive support over a long time frame.