>>>>>>While some police will just toss a joint in the trash if they find it on someone, many (and by many, I mean most) will not.
>>>>
>>>>Fair enough- once somebody reaches the point of being searched, they risk arrest if a joint is found on them.
>>>
>>>IMO Marijuana should be decriminalized but not legalized for recreational use.
>>
>>That sort of defeatssome of the key benefits of it though - if it's still an illegal substance, then no money from the taxes, no regulations on the product, and worst of all the money still ends up in the hands of mass murdering drug cartels.
>>
>
>I don't see ANY benefits in marijuana (except some few medical treatment cases). It is drug that destroys a person's mind, especially a young 20-something person. Money for the taxes is just an excuse. Why not legalize recreational use of cocaine? Even more money. There are other drugs on the street that could bring even more taxes. When some compare marijuana to alcohol, my answer is that alcohol in moderation has health benefits (many study show it). Marijuana has no benefit; it is no better than cigarettes; worse.
>
>>>A person caught with a joint should not go to jail.
>>
>>A person caught with an ounce of pot should not go to jail.
>>
>
>I agree. As I said that people should not go to jail for pot possession; unless they have a huge quantity for distribution. And even there, when you are talking for distribution, jail should not be given. Big fines and public service. Hit them in their pockets. But it is like any bad thing we have in the society, it has to be dealt with. Legalizing recreational use is encouraging young Americans to try it. And I am strongly against it.
>
>>>Confiscating the joint and throwing it in the trash should be enough "punishment."
>>
>>..but there shouldn't be any punishment at all - if you are old enough to have it (like 21 or over - just like booze)
>>
>
>We disagree. Comparing it to booze is just a pretext. Every week we have cases of drunk driving killing and injuring people. I am sure that legalizing pot for recreational use will increase, big time, the cases of auto injuries due to DUI. I am sure even now, before pot is legalized for recreational use, many of the running-through-red-light cases I personally see, are caused by pot. If you let/encourage young Americans to smoke pot, we will have even more.
>
>Marijuana is a drug that affects mind.

In other places around the world where pot has become legal, usage did not go up. It might of for a short time at first - but in the long run it did not. Places like Norway where almost all drugs are legal actually have a lower rate of usage and addition than we have here in the USA. I think part of the encouragement for young American's to smoke pot is the fact that they know they're getting away with doing something that's illicit, but kind of funny because such a huge part of the population does it. If you take away this notion of 'oh Im getting away with something' - then that negates the number of those that will now do it because it's legal. I doubt that you will see too many people who don't already smoke start up just because it's legal. There is too much access to this product - I assume that almost anyone on the forum in the USA could probably sore a joint in less than 24 hours if they wanted too.

And yes - I agree that marijuana does affect the mind - and reflexes, and all kinds of other things that can make driving on it very dangerous and the penalties should be severe for doing so.


>>>But if you are caught with a joint in the car while driving and a strong smell of pot, you should be arrested for DUI, just as if you were driving drunk.
>>
>>The laws are already like this. DUI is "driving under the influence" --- and that means any type of booze or drugs.