Discuss Patt Morrison's Dec. 4 Op-Ed column

The Rev. Sam Small, an evangelist and temperance advocate said that Prohibition had created "an orgy of lawlessness and official corruption." John D. Rockefeller, a teetotaler, observed in 1932, "drinking has generally increased, the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has been recruited and financed on a colossal scale." This is exactly what has happened with cannabis prohibition. Except for the saloon part. Cannabis use just wasn't a problem, until prohibitionists turned it into the 'forbidden fruit'.

Mark Entry @ 10:00 AM PST, Dec 5, 2008

Prohibition has not prevented cannabis use, it has increased it. Cannabis use has gone up 4000% since Nixon declared the war on drugs in the 70's. Cannabis use is widespread, commonplace and it's not going away. Our kids say they can easily get cannabis within one hour. In fact, kids say that it's easier to get cannabis than alcohol or tobacco because licensed merchants card for age. Drug dealers don't.

Mark Entry @ 9:52 AM PST, Dec 5, 2008

Here are some of the evils of prohibition. It creates demand for the 'forbidden fruit'. Prohibition makes it extremely profitable to meet the demand the prohibition creates. Meeting this demand has made drug cartels wealthy, powerful, corruptive and deadly. Prohibition prevents our government from taxing the sale of cannabis. Prohibition puts 750,000 people in prison each year for non-violent possession of cannabis. Federal, State and local taxes support the famailies of many prisoners.

Mark Entry @ 9:43 AM PST, Dec 5, 2008

The reason you can go and by a drink is because alcohol prohibition was repealed. Prohibition was causing far more harm to our nation than drinking did itself. Plus, Americans refused to obey the Volstead Act because it was an bad and unenforceable law. The reason you can be sure your drink isn't adulterated and won't poison you is because alcohol is regulated.

Mark Entry @ 9:37 AM PST, Dec 5, 2008

Reply to Comment #24. Sara, cannabis prohibition makes it easier for our kids to get cannabis than alcohol or tobacco. Because, licensed merchants card for age and keep our kids from buying alcohol and tobacco 90% of the time. Drug dealers gladly sell cannabis to kids. Cannabis is readily available, commonplace and prohibition is'nt a deterent. Only 5% of the cannabis market goes to our kids now. A regulated market combined with calm, fact-based cannabis education will reduce cannabis use even more. Prohibition plays little role in teens decision to abstain from using cannabis. http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7748

Mark Entry @ 9:29 AM PST, Dec 5, 2008

That was one of the the most pathetic, lamebrained, and underinformed "articles" I've ever come across on the subject of prohibition. How dare you inflict this miserable wishy-washy tripe on the people and call it "journalism?" With opinions as poorly thought out as yours, why the hell are you working as a columnist? Seriously, Pat, these are tough times and if you're expecting to stay employed I suggest you improve the quality of your work, because this was awful. If I was your editor I'd probably fire you. Perhaps you could start a new career doing something more to your level of intellect, I'm thinking manicurist.

Typhoon McGoon @ 9:26 AM PST, Dec 5, 2008

I respectfully disagree with the Rand researcher's analysis of the price point for marijuana in a legal and controlled market (she claims that the price of marijuana will decline substantially should it become regulated because more people will grow their own marijuana). This argument is demonstrably untrue: California already has an essentially legal regulated market for medical marijuana, and the cost of marijuana for many patients is higher than the average cost for marijuana buyers in other states.

Poor Analysis in Article @ 8:43 AM PST, Dec 5, 2008

This is the weakest, least researched article I've recently seen printed in any serious medium. You talked to one person with no figures? I talked to another guy that completely refuted your claims...

Charles Graham @ 2:12 AM PST, Dec 5, 2008

Gotta say, I'm pretty disappointed in Patt "I think I'll go have a drink" Morrison. And, boy, does the marijuana decriminalization movement have a long way to go when it gets this kind of flip, cursory treatment from people that you would hope would be more empathetic and incisive, like the usually judicious and generous-minded Ms. Morrison.

Toni @ 10:40 PM PST, Dec 4, 2008

I don't buy the argument- tobacco is very cheap, the cost of cigarrettes is something like 80% taxes. So, yes, the cost of producing pot would go down, but that would just leave lots of room for the taxes.

sean @ 9:48 PM PST, Dec 4, 2008

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