| Re: Legalization of marijuana
When doing research for this post, I came across studies that suggested that marijuana use actually went DOWN in places where it was decriminalized (I believe England was one example). Thats the "cool factor" you're talking about. More people want to do it because it's illegal, not just because they want to get high.
In fact, this goes back to the prohibition of alcohol in the US, which was a colossol failure. Some people think that alcohol consumption actually went UP during prohibition, because nondrinkers started drinking at underground speakeasys, because it became the "cool" thing to do.
A LOT of people in this country smoke weed. I personally know a school principal and a senior VP at one of the biggest financial firms in the World (a 60-year old man) who smoke weed regularly. And they are GREAT at their jobs. They dont display ANY of the social characteristics that marijuana use supposedly gives you.
Now, I realize that's just two cherry-picked examples, but I have to admit I know a lot more people who have fucked up their lives because of alcohol than because of weed |