Quote Originally Posted by xring View Post
As I have stated earlier I believe marijuana to be a powerful drug with significant addiction risk. Marijuana is the drug of choice for about 8 out of 10 illicit drug users. It is my opinion that if marijuana was to be legalized a large percentage of users would be content with use of only legal drugs, just like many citizens are content to use only alcohol now. In my opinion there would be limited demand for the illegal "powerful, toxic designer drugs" you describe. Are 80% of illicit drug users going to abandon their drug of choice once it becomes legal and seek out illegal "powerful toxic designer drugs"? What I believe will happen if marijuana becomes legal is the majority of illicit marijuana users will have a strong incentive to use the only two legal drugs,marijuana and alcohol, shun criminal activities, and be overjoyed that they are no longer a criminal.

1;Its their drug of choice to begin with
2;They would not have to associate with the scumbag criminals to obtain it.
3;They would not face the risk of criminal prosecution .

The motivation is exactly the same that keeps the majority of citizens using the one legal drug available now, alcohol. In my opinion illicit drug use would strongly decline with the legalization of marijuana and the power and profits of the cartels along with it. The real question in my mind is whether legalization of marijuana and its subsequent addiction problems is worth the benefits of decriminalization of marijuana users. Imho the answer is overwhelminly yes, despite my distaste for potheads, or drunks for that matter.
So I take it you don't have kids...

For many, the "forbidden" IS the drive. Legalization, in total, probably won't change the total use, but it will likely change the demographics. The number of people who "start" using pot under the age of 18 is staggering, and significantly higher than alcohol, so there may be some merit there.

However, the one thing we have all left out of this discussion is the "why". A kid does not take a drink or a hit to "escape" the first time, it is usually peer pressure. Continued use of drugs, for most, is the escape from reality, a reality that is not attractive. The greater the social decline, the more drugs will be desired, used and controlling of our society. If parents would spend more time with their kids instead of chasing the drug of money and consumerism, maybe drug use could be curtailed. A person who respects others and treats them with dignity does not desire nor pursue recreational drug use, legal or otherwise, because that person values others and their future.