Dianavan, you hit it on the nose when you wrote: "Its the pharmaceutal companies and the criminals that do not want it to be legalized. Everyone else is just afraid of losing control over others."

Precisely. They're afraid of losing control over others...or they are simply terrified of a drug that they probably have heard lurid tales about...tales which bear little resemblance to the truth.

Get serious, people. There are an enormous number of things which are legal...and still dangerous...and most of them are more dangerous than pot. What makes them dangerous is their misuse BY the user. Reckless, irresponsible, addictive people do dangerous things with substances. And they will do it with alchohol and tobacco and cocaine, ert....regardless of whether or not they have access to marijuana.

The vital thing to do in the case of marijuana is NOT to allow it to be mass marketed (legally or illegally) but it is completely asinine to go after and persecute the user for their own self-abuse!!!! AS I HAVE SAID again and again, but GUEST isn't listening, it seems.

Dear GUEST...who exactly is trying to "justify their own self-abuse", as you say? Not me. I detest the smell of marijuana, I pity the people who rely upon it daily to fill up their empty heads, and I do NOT use it!!!! Get off your self-righteous throne and smell the fresh air.

The reason I advocate not prosecuting users is because it simply causes more harm in society and does not address the problem in a workable or useful fashion. I advocate the law leaving the casual user alone, banning the public sale of the substance...and thereby preventing the following people from cashing in and addicting thousands of people...

a) criminals
b) the pharmaceutical industry
c) the government (who would love to tax the sale of legal marijuana and get more revenue...if it was legal to sell the stuff...therefore they flirt with the idea of legalizing it now and then)

Don't fucking accuse me of trying to justify my nonexistant self-abuse! I don't even drink coffee, for God's sake! Substance abuse is not my style.

Furthermore, someone who does use marijuana occasionally...and has never done any harm to anyone else because of it should not be harassed by you for doing so. Are you already perfect and totally free of all self-indulgent habits and addictive behaviours? I wonder.