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Uploaded: Friday, September 11, 2009, 9:34 AM

Pot: popular or not?
Debate over legalizing marijuana use continues, but opinions about pot grow more positive

Posted by AB390, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Sep 11, 2009 at 10:32 am

Marijuana should be legal not only for medical patients but for responsible adults who choose it as a healthier alternative to alcohol. Americans should not be arrested for making healthier choices about their own bodies.

The current laws are unenforceable. Despite arresting 800,000 Americans a year, pot is still easier to buy for high school students than beer.

Keeping marijuana illegal does not benefit our children. It benefits special interest groups: the alcoholic beverage industry, the prison industry, police departments, government bureaucrats, and drug cartels.

Tell your legislators in Sacramento to legalize marijuana now. It’s easy. Visit Web Link

Posted by Someone who dislikes the smoke, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 11, 2009 at 11:32 am

I really do not have an opinion on the benefits of pot, but I do question why it has to be smoked? If it really does have medical benefits, kills pain, etc. then why should it not be made into some type of pill, patch, or other medical ingestion formula.

I hate to see people smoking, whether it cigarettes, pipes, cigars or pot. I hate the smell, the blue air and the second hand smoke. I don't think children should be seeing this regardless of what type of plant is being inhaled.

If it were to be legalised, I would want to see it legalised in a non-smoking form.

Posted by Anonymous, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 11, 2009 at 11:55 am

I don't like pot smoking but the prohibition on its use has created a very profitable underground market. It should be legalized just like alcohol and tobacco products, taxed and regulated. It's not any better nor any worse than these other "legal vices." Let's remove the market forces which enrich the drug cartels.

Posted by chris p, a resident of another community, on Sep 11, 2009 at 1:09 pm

Legalizing and regulating marijuana would ease the burden on overcrowded prisons, gut the Mexican drug cartels, and help the economy. There is no downside.

If we are responsible enough to inbibe alcohol we can handle marijuana too.

Posted by abc, a resident of another community, on Sep 11, 2009 at 11:57 pm

Illegal growing on public lands will still occur if it is 'legalized'. The mexican drug growers will still not want to grow it using their own property, pay for the water and not spoil the land with chemicals and poisons. The business tax and 'fees' of 30-40% will cut into their profit and they'll still be out in parks and open space areas. Mexican growers are just greedy and don't give a darn about what harm they do in America.

Posted by lynn, a resident of Woodside, on Sep 12, 2009 at 7:22 am

Marijuana is out of control in the schools. It is not good for students' attention and motivation and smoking of any kind is harmful for the lungs. If any of you have listened to rap music lately, marijuana is one of the main subjects. I would say that far more than movies music is # number source of indoctrination. And medical marijuana gives the idea to teenagers that pot is benign or even good for you, but it hasn't been proven scientifically. Marijuana is addictive, especially in younger users, and has a withdrawal syndrome with heavy users. We should not complain about our country's education system if we aren't willing to fight the drug problem in th e schools because that is a big source of underachievement and drop outs.

Posted by Conservative, a resident of another community, on Sep 12, 2009 at 8:41 am

Legalize, regulate, and control marijuana (keeping it out of teenage hands unless prescribed by a doctor). This is a plant with positives and negatives. The way we have marijuana listed and prohibited, the negatives greatly outweigh the positives. It creates crime, ruins millions of Americans' lives (examples are not being able to get federal funding for college loans if having any sort of marijuana conviction on your record), and it is solely undermines our Constitutional rights as Americans.

Marijuana remains illegal because of special interests, not because the citizens of this country fear it! Trust me, I think we would all rather ingest, smoke, use a tincture, or inhale vapor of a plant we can grow for nothing than pop pills for this and that. Especially in the economic times we are in... when health insurance companies look at people as investments, not as customers.

Posted by Richard, a resident of Woodside, on Sep 12, 2009 at 8:47 am

Lynn -

You apparently don't realize that the way we have marijuana controlled isn't working. There is still a black market. Do you know anything about black markets? They are unregulated to the fullest degree. If marijuana we regulated and controlled much like alcohol and tobacco, it would be a substance much harder to obtain for teenagers.

Of course there will ALWAYS be use by teenagers... in case you're living with rose colored glasses on... it is time you wake up and meet reality. Teenagers use tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, prescription pills, heroin, cocaine, meth, ecstasy, crack, etc. I guess we have failed in all aspects, especially those who are those user's parents. Parents are the failures; not the addicts and junkies.

Posted by Sharon, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 12, 2009 at 9:25 am

No bodies cares about aged hippies handicapping themselves as long as they do not drive stoned.

The real concern is the damage done to teenagers still developing brain and the dramatic increases in schizophrenia and other mental health problem among teenage users.

Marijuana is now many times stronger than it was 20-30yrs ago.

Those over 21yrs should be able to purchase a license to buy it with certain restrictions, they should higher health and life insurance premiums because of the health risks like COPD and cancer.

It should remain prohibited for those under 21yrs

Posted by scottportraits, a resident of the Palo Alto Hills neighborhood, on Sep 12, 2009 at 11:50 am

Seems like the majority is in favor of legalizing cannabis, and that medicinal use should include other delivery systems besides smoking.

Ammiano is ahead of his time, since his finger is right on the pulse of this popular issue. It would raise liquid-cash state revenues, is the justification.

But there is more. Industrial hemp has been outlawed in the US for

70+ years - and since it threatens firmly established giant industries like corn, livestock feed, vegetable oil, paper, wood, and ethanol, it remains illegal to grow in the USA.

AB390 would start to change that. Hemp is better fiber and more ecological. But it's legalization would drastically alter those above named industrial giants. Change is most slow when money, lots of it, is riding on the outcome. And change is further exacerbated by the morality of whether smoking pot is 'good' or 'evil'.

California is in a unique position to lead the way and set the pace on this new frontier. "Let a serious debate begin", saith Governor 'Rambo' Schwartzenegger. Let it be so.

Posted by Conservative Christian, a resident of another community, on Sep 14, 2009 at 7:08 am

Taxation and regulation of marijuana is in the public interest. The refusal to implement a regulatory program for marijuana in the United States is irresponsible and a violation of the public trust.

The cartels would be poorer, our public lands cleaner, and our children safer if we implemented a Personal Use and Cultivation Permit: $100 per year for a dozen plants. Split the proceeds between the States and the Fed.

It's time to put the cartels out of business.

It's time to let ordinary Americans grow a little marijuana in their own back yards.

Posted by Concerned parent, a resident of another community, on Sep 14, 2009 at 7:12 am

The plan to tax marijuana in California will clean out the drug gangs, put money back into our schools, health care, etc., and encourage tourism as citizens from less reasonable areas come to Cali for a little R&R and chilling out. It's a win-win.