the herb shall lead to the healing of the nations

Of course it should be legalized. Its a matter of freedom and liberty to choose what you put in your body. Its not up to the government and its not a matter of health. Its a matter of freedom.

The people that fight the hardest against legalization of marijuana are the ones that have the most to gain by keeping it illegal...the alcohol and tobacco industries. Wake up people!

I think it is worth noting that the majority of posters were commenting in favor of legalization in Georgia on the original article's comment thread (Feb 25th) from which these quotations were gathered.

And most (save one) were doing so *without* endorsing prostitution.

As for Norman, he is flat-wrong about cannabis not being a medicine. Flat-wrong. The safety and medical efficacy of cannabis is a checkable scientific fact.

As for Robert, I have to suppose he's one of the people who thought the two-strikes laws in Georgia would get paid for with monopoly money instead of my tax dollars. Jailing people is expensive. Property and sales taxes in rural GA have been climbing steadily since two-strikes started filling up our prisons. Now, we're broke, state and county govs are *still* broke, and all our prisons are full of people who weren't criminals *BEFORE* they went to jail. Either Robert doesn't pay taxes, or he really does think a harmless, nontoxic plant is worth this much trouble.

Marijuana should absolutely be legalized like beer and wine. Marijuana is significantly milder, safer and less addictive than alcohol, and we could prevent a lot of the harm that alcohol causes by letting people choose marijuana instead of alcohol.

The prohibition of marijuana causes FAR more harm than what it prevents and makes our children LESS safe. We need to END the marijuana black market and the easy access kids have to marijuana by letting stores sell legally-grown marijuana to adults at prices low enough to prevent illegal competition. We need to put the safety of our children FIRST and legalize marijuana like beer and wine!

I totally agree that marijuana should be legal and regulated. It was not made illegal becuase of health reasons. It was made illegal due to corporate competition. Hemp was killing the foresting industry and this was the way to stop it. It is not physically addictive! I have smoked since I was 15, (45 now) and I have stopped many times over the years just because I wanted too. Or so I could get a job and never have I had any withdrawals. And I smoke several times a day and most people don't even know I got a buzz unless I tell them. These laws are definitely stupid and very costly. It is estimated to cost the tax payers $30,000- $50,000 a year to incarcerate someone. Now you tell me is that worth your tax dollars?

I was born in GA, my family's been here 3 generations and I will have to move to a medical marijuana state! I'm disabled with a spinal birth defect and after 13years at 3 different pain doctors I'm on a large daily dose of pain meds I failed a urine test for THC. My Dr. prescribed me 30 days worth of methadone and told me I HAD to find another Dr. Now is six months later and I am STILL looking for a Dr.! I've been going to a methadone clinic but it takes half my disability check where a Dr. will take my Medicare and so does the pharmacy which together is about $50 every 3 months. Everyone says moving would be stupid & I'd be moving to get high. My parents are late 70's & pa has lung cancer, but last week I failed my second test at the Methadone clinic! How can I take both of my pain meds and not have to choose between the two?!?!

Regulated medical use of marijuana is one thing. The problem with that though is that it will still fall into the hands of those who just want it, not need it. Look at the blak market for oxycontin, ritalin, etc. As to its decreasing crime - why not legalize everything and then we will have no crime at all! I just see this as being farther down the slippery slope that we already are.

I thought it was funny that Robert thinks everyone who believe pot should be legal smokes it. Not true, Robert, I never smoked it but still think it should be ok for others to do so. It should be regulated like alcohol. Just like every other thing that people aren't allowed to do, human nature dictates that they're doing it anyway, in droves.

Ann A. Jones, there's no similarity between cannabis and addictive pharmaceutical opiates and stimulants like oxycontin and ritalin. There's no slippery slope here, and whether it's used for medical or recreational purposes doesn't matter. Cannabis is safer than legal recreational drugs like alcohol, and the reasons it's illegal are based on racism, revenue, politics, paper mill profits, and alarmist propaganda from the 1930s, Mandatory sentencing laws put people in jail for cannabis longer than rapists and violent offenders. It's time to get smart like Colorado and Washington, legalize cannabis fully in Georgia, and stop creating ridiculous victimless crimes.

Voice, there is certainly a dependence characteristic to cannabinoids (Jones, R. T. (1983) Cannabis tolerance and dependence. In Cannabis and Health Hazards (eds K. O. Fehr & H. Kalant). Toronto: Addiction Research Foundation).

In addition, I would posit that given that most serious research on pharmacology of cannabis was done in the 1970s and 1980s, it's more dangerous, given that most of today's "pot" is anywhere from 10 to 20 times as powerful as that of 30-40 years ago.

Ok I don't smoke anymore, did as a kid just like most people. Personally I've never heard of someone getting in a wreck and injuring or killing people because they were smoking pot but I hear about people who are drunk on alcohol wrecking all the time. And also if it was legal it might be less appealing to the younger kids. Kids are always told what to do and what not to do that they want to do what they are told not to do. And I work at a convenience store and I don't mind selling junk food to someone but when these people are coming in looking for glass pipes I don't want them near me or my stuff and I immediately watch for the safety of my other customers.

Well I can't answer for other stores. I know my store doesn't sell that stuff. I completely agree with the comment of not wanting people smoking the fake crap. Weed is all natural. I think it might be safer than smoking cigarettes.

I love the state of ga been here for about 20 years so I call it my home . Never hurt or harmed anyone I was actually nicer to people when I was smoking pot. My mood was better treated people better no side effects or anything would love it if it were legal. There would be less drunk drivers

Great debate here. I'd like to add that the violence of cartels would exponentially decrease and their "business" would take a massive blow. If the country took an approach similar to Colorado and Washington, this massive amount of debt we are in could slowly chip away. I don't know how we'll ever get rid of $17 trillion(?) debt and if its even possible but this could help the economy more than anything I can think of. Also, a lot people are "old school" with this topic just because it's how it's always been. They hear of a well informed documentary or research article and think, "they are just stoners that want to get high." It's the norm to allow cigarette and alcohol because, as I said before, they are used to it. It's what they grew up with. People gripped about Sunday alcohol sales but I guarantee they haven't even noticed it. Just like this would be.

Yes. Marijuana should be legalized in Georgia. Although it won't affect much. Users of marijuana aren't harmful, nor does marijuana change a person. In my opinion marijuana shouldn't be considered a drug and you definatly shouldn't be arrested for the possession of it. Marijuana helps me and a lot of other people. I would love to see it become legal.

I also believe it could bring everyone out of debt. It would bring in millions of dollars. It could help employ a lot of people. There's no reason marijuana should be illegal. If you look it up, all the reason are NOT true. Nobody can come up with an actuall reason marijuana shouldn't be legal. I don't see ANYTHING wrong with it. Either way I'm gonna smoke it ... Legal or not.
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