If people claim that marijuana isn't bad, why is it illegal?!

Marijuana is NOT bad as compared to the LEGAL things out there (just putting that out there...) it's better for you than alcohol or anytype of cigarette will ever be because it doesn't mess up your liver or give you cancer.
Anyways, it's illegal because it brings in more money than it would legalized. If arresting people and confiscating all they do (when they catch a deal and stuff) didn't bring in any money at all, it would probably be legalized.

Their are many reasons. If you want a more complete answer, click the link below. If you want a shorter answer, read on. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics was established on June 14, 1930. Harry J. Anslinger was appointed its first commissioner. Anslinger realized that opiates and cocaine wouldn’t be enough to support his agency. This is when he decided to start a campaign in an effort to make marijuana illegal at a federal level. He would use themes of violence and racism as the basis for the lies he would tell the public. Here are some examples of statements Anslinger told the public. “Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death.” “You smoke a joint and you’re likely to kill your brother.” “Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind.”

Harry Anslinger got some additional help from William Randolf Hearst. Hearst owned a huge chain of newspapers. He had invested heavily in the timber industry to support his newspaper chain and didn’t want to see the development of hemp paper in competition. One acre of hemp can actually produce as much paper as 10 acres of trees, so their was reason to be concerned. Telling wild lies in his newspapers about drugs that turn men into murderers help him sell newspapers, which in turn, made him rich. Here are some quotes from his news paper. “Marihuana makes fiends of boys in thirty days — Hashish goads users to bloodlust.” Marihuana is a short cut to the insane asylum. Smoke marihuana cigarettes for a month and what was once your brain will be nothing but a storehouse of horrid specters. "THREE-FOURTHS OF THE CRIMES of violence in this country today are committed by DOPE SLAVES."

Hearst and Anslinger were then supported by Dupont chemical company. Dupont had patented nylon and wanted hemp cloth removed as competition. On August 2, 1937, marijuana became illegal in the United States.

Today it remains illegal because pharmaceutical company's, tobacco, and alcohol would all stand to lose vast amounts of money if it were legalized. Marijuana is a nonpatentable herb. Pharmaceutical companies will not substantially profit unless there is a patent. Marijuana could replace a large amount of prescription drugs sold today and thus, cost the pharmaceutical company's millions. If marijuana were legalized tobacco and alcohol would also stand to lose millions if there was an alternative that has zero recoded deaths associated with it.

http://www.jackherer.com/thebook/

Political bs.

In the US, it was criminalized in a racist campaign that associated its use with illegal immigrants and black jazz players. There was a lot of yellow journalism involved, and they literally said things like it makes the black men rape the white women, and so forth.

At the time, industrial hemp, (no recreational value, from the male plant, mj comes from the female plant) threatened several industries from paper to cotton.

Before that time, it was legal recreationally AND avail as a med over the counter.

Today, it remains illegal because of the number of people making money off it being illegal... law enforcement, the court systems, the corrections system.

Pharmacuetical companies make a ton of money off harder narcotics that are chemically addicitve where as mj is a softer narcotic and NOT chemically addictive. They scream that mj cant be medicine because its smoked, but no doc recommends smoking, they recommend vaporizing and cooking. All the while, the ama, fda, and dea all back marinol, which is synthesized thc sold in pill form at EVERY pharmacy nation wide, at something like 50-100 times the price of real marijuana. Since its synthetic, it sucks, and its only thc not the other cannabanoinds in mj, so it literally isnt as effective.

Pharmaceutical companies and illegal drug dealers are the largest groups lobbying against it becomming legal. Followed by alcohol and tobacco companies, followed by still yet, cotton and paper.


Some are afraid of loosing tax money - people caught with it are charged an arm and a leg in taxes in many states, which adds up to TONS of money for large busts. There would obviously be a higher sales tax, but they are afraid most people will grow their own as opposed to purchasing it and paying that tax.

Whether it is bad or not, it doesn't matter what the people say. It matters what lab tests show, who is going to distribute the marijuana, how it might affect the medical industry, who is going to grow it, who is going to make how much on the sales, the impact on the medical insurance plans, etc. Until all this and more is figured out, and approved of, it is going to remain illegal.

They say that because it's not as bad as other drugs because it is not addictive and doesn't make people crazy and live on the streets and steal from family members. However, it does make people lazy and unmotivated, and gives them memory problems. I think it's just as bad as alcohol though.

There is a seven part video series on YouTube that explains, in detail, the answer to your question. I posted the link to it in the "What's your source?" section.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjhT9282-…

Marijuana is bad period. That is why it is illegal and will remain illegal.

Its not bad at all. I smoke it. It is mild compared to harsher drugs. If it were to be legalized, it would be taxed for profit!