I used to think US alcohol age was crazy high, but when I spent some time there I was surprised at how many teens were driving on a daily basis (guess distances are something else in the US out of the big cities, and public transportation also not quite like in Europe), so 21 makes some sense in the context.

Exactly, much of tax revenue is meant to be used for treatment purposes.

Yes. Marijuana is a gateway drug. It is a soft drug that dealers sell to people to get them on to heavier stuff. If you cut out marijuana, you cut out their gateway drug and so they lose a lot of business. I believe this strategy worked in Portugal, where drug dealers ran out of business and the amount of people doing drugs did not increase, despite being decriminalised.

legalising marijuana also has the added benefits of governing bodies being able to monitor the contents and the farming, as well as added tax benefits.

That post made no sense. Non-hackers? Whiskey tango foxtrots? What does that have to do with anything? And why do you have to be a hippie to smoke pot? And why would people be out of work if marijuana was legalized? If anything, it would put drug dealers and criminals out of work, and give more money to pharmacies and farmers (who can sell and grow it, respectively).

You really think people are in deep cover anti-drug ops over marijuana? This is amazing. I always find it interesting to read the opinion of people who are entirely disconnected from the issue at hand. I suggest you actually explore what anti-drug measures are being used, and which drugs are seen as a problem by anyone. You have to get way out of hand with weed selling before anyone bats an eye. You would be astonished at how many narcotics officers are frequent customers of the local pot seller.

Pot was legal in the 70's, acid too I think. A lot of this only goes back to the Regans TBH.

Yes. Although in regards to Australia the legal age would be 18 not 21.

I voted I'm sick of people going to gaol for useless crimes.

But hell alcohol is worse for the body so I could have easily have voted for that. Drinking beer doesn't land me in gaol smoking some marijuana shouldn't either.

Yes Marijuana should be legal. As the system is set up now, criminals who take the risk to run the grow ups and the dealers are making an absolute fortune off of growing and selling pot. I love it how some people think we should raise penalties like it would discourage this behavior. Most involved in the drug trade wouldn't really be opposed to bigger penalties for growing/dealing as it would inevitably put some of their competition behind bars and raise the price they can get for their product.

Anyone who says Marijuana should remain illegal because of health risks / unknown side effects needs to wake up that being a health risk isn't a good enough reason by itself to keep it illegal. Look at junk food and obesity rates. Surely there is nothing that is more detrimental to the health of Americans than poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyles and the well-documented health problems that ensue. I doubt anyone here thinks that junk food or the entire culture that allowed obesity to keep growing should be outlawed or fundamentally changed. I'm sure most would chalk it up to personal choice and willpower. Why can't we take the same attitude for Marijuana? I see it as something that adults should be able to use freely and take responsibility for any problems that arise from its use.

Yes

Yes.

Its like Prohibition in the 1920's at the current time. Its widly accessable and the money is flooding into the Mexican Drug Cartels.