Although I am an Obama supporter, I think the president who "likes to know what he's talking about before he speaks" might have offered a better answer to the question at his town hall meeting about legalizing marijuana.
I think most people fail to see the big picture. There are people--sick people--who can benefit from legalization of pot. I do not smoke marijuana but I think legalizing it WITH WELL THOUGHT OUT provisions and caveats would not only jump-start the economy but provide those who can benefit from it medically, a means of obtaining it without being blacklisted. People who have qualified for medical marijuana status are generally discriminated against and many have lost their jobs because of their use.
People who have cancer, glaucoma and AIDS must now take unaffordable prescription drugs to relieve their pain and suffering. Let's get real: it's the pharmaceutical companies and drug cartels who benefit from the non-legalization of this substance. People should at least be allowed to grow their own cannabis and, just as with alcohol, there should be strict enforcement of driving under the influence.
There are people who come to work high on cocaine but that substance can be flushed out of the system in a matter of 24-48 hours whereas pot can be detected for months, depending on usage. Which is worse? Going to work high on coke (and "refilling during the day without being detected) or casual recreational use in the privacy of your home on your day off. By the way, there are thousands of people--most of them women and minorities--who are incarcerated for a single incident of pot possession--even in amounts of less than an ounce. Look it up.
And if the legislation were handled state by state, rather than on a federal level, guess which states would prosper?
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