Like I said in the last MJ thread:

Quote Originally Posted by Odd_Nonposter View Post
"If the words "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" don't include the right to experiment with your own consciousness, then the Declaration of Independence isn't worth the hemp it was written on."
- Terence McKenna

My reasons for legalization:

You cannot overdose. A 160lb man would have to consume around 3 lbs in 15 minutes to even approach the LD50.
It is less intoxicating than alcohol.
It is much less addictive than nicotine. Less addictive than coffee, even.
It does not cause cancer. In fact, it has anti-cancer properties.
It can help with opiate-resistant pain. MMJ patients can cut their opiate intake in half.
Vietnam veterans have noted that cannabis is the only thing that has helped their PTSD.
It's easier for many high school kids to get MJ than beer.
It would destroy drug cartels.
Police would stop hassling people for doing something that does not harm others when used responsibly.

The "gateway effect" could also be said about milk. People start on milk before they move on to bourbon, right? Drug users are more likely to start with MJ because its cheaper, more accessible, milder, and less harmful than crack or heroin. For those whose quote statistics that "some high percentage of cocaine users also use marijuana," think about this: fewer than 1% of marijuana users use cocaine. Less than that for heroin.

And what's more, there's a 100% synthetic THC drug on the market already: Marinol. It has been approved by the FDA for many years now. But, it's in pill form. Why synthetic? Because a drug company can't patent a plant. Monsanto doesn't patent plants: it patents genes. It's all about the money.

Prohibition of anything does not work. In fact, the US is producing just as much as Colombia: http://www.ww4report.com/node/7605


But what I'm more interested in is the legalization of industrial hemp:

It makes superior paper to wood pulp and needs fewer bleaching agents.
The fiber is the strongest natural fiber aside from spider silk.
Clothes made from it are extremely durable and can be made as soft as cotton.
The seeds have all of the essential amino acids in proportions that humans need them.
The oil can replace crude oil in most applications.
Unlike cotton, the plant is good for the soil and needs no herbicides, few pesticides and little to no fertilizer. The roots hold the soil in place and break up any fragipan that stands in their way.
Its huge biomass makes it an effective cellulosic ethanol source.