Are We Becoming a Nation of Pot Heads?

In a recent change, the Obama Administration has ordered federal authorities to not go after medical marijuana facilities in states where they are allowed under state law. This comes after a recent Gallup poll showing that support for legalization has reached a new high. So what will this do to America?



A common thing cited by people in favor of legalization is that it could be taxed, providing a large income for states. What they forget to mention is the well known "Marijuana Amotivational Syndrome" and its effects on the work productivity of the populous. Yes, that's right, weed makes you lazy, duh, but that fact is unanimously ignored by legalization proponents.


The addictive properties are also often understated by liberals, who as the Gallup poll shows are the largest group pushing for legalization. Legalization would create a huge influx of new users, and therefore a sudden flood of addicts. This is not to mention what will happen when most of these new users eventually move on to harder drugs.


These things are negatives for the country, so why support them? Is it just a fad? Is marijuana legalization a "cool" thing to push for? There are many possible reasons for why both the Obama Administration and the left in this country are pushing for legalization, more than I could cover in one post. But what I can say is that they're treading on dangerous waters.






UPDATE:
I've had a quick influx of responses to this post immediately after posting it, and I realized I didn't quite make my own personal opinions clear enough.


A few people have accused me of supporting a "nanny state." I can assure you, I don't. I believe that tobacco and alcohol are unhealthy, and in some cases with alcohol, dangerous. Do I believe they should be illegal? No. Do I have a problem with people who say they are completely benign and dump on people who speak about their dangers? Yes.


That is what I see with a lot of the pro-legalization crowd. They say marijuana is completely harmless, that there is nothing wrong with it. It is perfection in leaf form. That is the thing I have a problem with. I was friends with someone in high-school that talked ad infinitum of how all the dangers of marijuana were made up by soccer moms. He died shortly after graduation in a high-speed car crash while high.


Am I against legalization? Well, I think people should have as much freedom as possible, and that they should accept the consequences for their actions. What I see from the left-wingers in the legalization movement (who do make up the bulk of it, but I do admit there are some conservatives who make legalization one of their major issues) however, is a combination of restricting freedoms in a wide range of things they don't like, while glorifying pot as the saint-drug.


There are dangers in pot, just as there is with alcohol and tobacco. Denying that fact while also pushing for legalization is, in my opinion, a bad combination, and could be dangerous for the country.