“Say No To Pot”

Right now there’s a really awful advertisement coming up on this website (the ads are served by Google, so I don’t pick them myself, for anyone wondering) that I feel I must respond to in case anyone thinks I support it’s message.

This is an advertisement for a website called “Say No To Pot” which I believe is really just about making someone some money (it’s got ads all over it) but their message is so disgusting that they must be called out on it. And no I won’t link to it. Websites spreading BS like the “Say No To Pot” site don’t deserve to be linked to.

They are, of course, anti legalization and this is an undefendable position that those of us who understand this subject and believe in personal freedom speak out against whenever we see it.

Why should marijuana be illegal when it’s obviously far less harmful than alcohol, cigarettes, and many prescription medications? Hundreds of thousands of Americans die due to these legal substances every year. How many people die because of marijuana use? None. Marijuana is quite harmless in comparison to these other substances. So why are they legal while marijuana is illegal? Do you really think it’s because of the interest in the public health? Or is it because big corporations are making a lot of money selling those other drugs?

The truth is that illegality of marijuana is not only illogical, it also goes against everything that our country is supposed to stand for. Remember that slogan “land of the free.” Is it just a slogan or do we want to actually live that out? Why should the government be concerned with what consenting adults do in the privacy of their own homes?

On top of that, the “war on drugs” is a huge waste of money and resources which has lead to an overstuffing of our prisons (many of our prisons are filled with non violent “drug offenders” who are of absolutely no risk to the community.)

Alcohol prohibition was a failure in the 1920s and marijuana prohibition is a failure today. It does nothing to curb the use of marijuana, it creates crime where it otherwise wouldn’t be, and it’s huge waste of money and time.

Recommended Links

1. Join (or donate to) NORML: help legalize marijuana.
2. LEAP: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition.
3. Why legalizing marijuana makes sense.