Marijuana has many safe and effective medicinal purposes. It's a naturally growing substance on our earth. Legalizing it will help many people get the relief and treatment to pain, suffering, ADD and other forms of illness like cancer. Legalizing it will also create a tax revenue for the state/country to pay down our debt. Legalizing it will also save billions of dollars from a pointless and ineffective "war on drugs" <- LOL
that is an epic failure. Legalizing it will save millions in our judicial system and reduce the overcrowding of jails for "no victim" drug crimes.

"The poll found that 55 percent of respondents said no to making marijuana legal"
At least 55% of people obviously have not studied empirical data confirming all of the above.

Yet..... Big Tobacco companies remain in business and cigarettes remain legal...

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/tobacco_related_mortality/

****** More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined. ******

I don't use nor plan to use it, but legalize it already.

Who voted no on the measure? Senior citizens and church going citizens? How about taking the votes to the streets and i bet it would be 80 yes and 20 no! Those polls dont do anything but waste time and the inevitable relatzation that marjuana will be leagalized eventually! Btw i dont do drugs! But i would say yes to leagalization of majahuana! A big of the doobie brothers and mary jane candy and white castle!

we have enough losers. now you want them high?

Daylin Leach is a typical Progressive; i.e., willing to sell out our culture and citizens in return for votes and tax revenue.
It is estimated almost half our population ingests some form of mind-altering prescribed drugs (Zoloft, Prozac, etc.) and again almost half use some form of illegal drugs. Now this government and amoral representatives such as Leach want to capture the few remaining citizens who can think clearly by preaching the benefits of marijuana. Legalizing yet another substance will result in a society of zombies willing to follow the dictates of people such as Daylin Leach.

Amused that many people believe that marijuana being illegal means people aren't getting high. As if alcohol prohibition kept people from drinking. Just resulted in more crime, that's all. But that's a good tradeoff? :-/

CHEECH & CHONG FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT. YO DUDE.
SPICOLI FOR GOVENOR!!!

No brainer. Leglaize, regulate, tax. It's less harmful than alcohol or tobacco, our laws are asinine.

Not only marijuana, but HEMP should be legalized.

The Latin name for hemp is cannabis sativa. Sativa means "useful" in Latin, and was given to only the most resourceful staple crops. Paper was invented from hemp in China over 2,000 years ago and a US Department of Agriculture report, Bulletin No. 404, "Hemp Hurds as a Paper-Making Material," states that a waste product from producing rope, linen, lace and fine paper, this hitherto waste product, the hemp hurd, or the core of the hempstalk, produces more than 4 times more paper than trees per land area cultivated.

The hempseed is higher than any other plant source for protein (though soybeans have more protein, hempseed is more readily usable by people). Hempseed, with 30 percent oil by weight, has an oil that is high in the good cholesterol, GLA, or gamma lineolic acids, and raw hempseed oil can also be used without any modifications to power existing diesel engines. Thousands of new natural food products are being made with hempseed too, everything from chips and pretzels to cheese and milk.

http://www.hemp.org/

More kids find it easier to get their hands on marijuana then alcohol. But why? Alcohol is legal, right? It's because the production and sale of alcohol is REGULATED and ENFORCED.
Keeping marijuana into the illegal black market, only allows the gangs/cartels to regulate the plant, and we all know they would sell it to ANYONE, ANY WHERE, at ANYTIME.
Plus, marijuana is far less dangerous then tabacco, alcohol, and even prescription pills that our trusted doctors push on us. Wake up, people!
"No death from overdose of marijuana has been reported." http://www.justice.gov/dea/druginfo/drug_data_sheets/Marijuana.pdf

There are hundreds of efffective compounds (patents owned by the US Government) from this plant that will be of routine use and non controversial to society, sooner than later.

If the govenment can make money from it, it will become legalized.

I guess I don't see the difference between allowing an adult to choose to drink alcohol and allowing the same adult to choose to smoke tobacco and/or marijuana? Ultimately the user must be responsible for the resulting behavior/ consequences, I have no interest in smoking anything, but would not object to property tax relief based on legalization.

uhhh....i don't see the big deal. weed is cool

Legalize!!!!! Better than alcohol, weed can't kill
you nor can it kill somebody nearly as much as alcohol can, most Americans drink alcohol because they have to work @ jobs that drug test, & a lot of these adults were mostly born in the hippie era, & they turn to alcohol because they need to relieve stress when all they need is a little bit of marijuana & they are stress free... Ntm a lot of car accidents are caused due to drunk driving, marijuana doesn't give you the spins or make you puke, or fuck up driving, unless you're just effing stupid... I believe its very inspiring, it makes you more creative, & makes you actually think straight instead of thinking hecticly, & helps you to focus on making your dreams come true!!! LEGALIZE IT!!!!!!!!!

Unless there will be a test, on location, when someone is pulled over, to test if they are high or under the influence, it shouldn't be legal.

i would like to meet hayden. she sounds hot

the word, marijuana, is a stumbling block in many people's minds, a deliberately deceptive foreign sounding term employed to conjure up fear among the simple minded of some mysterious bogeyman invading their safety, the use of this pejorative term for the proper botanical name, cannabis, introduces a not so subtle bias to the poll's questions, the phrasing of questions always influences the results, it would be interesting to see the results of taking this poll again but substituting the word cannabis for marijuana

The headline should read 'Majority of PA residents polled say YES to medicinal marijuana' as this is a fact. Sue, are you high? Joking... There is NOT a reliable test regarding the bioavailability traces of psychoactive ingredients. Not even an agreed upon standard. Why? Well it is a natural substance and human beings process substances differently. It is not possible to set a true standard, only detect it. There is a reason why we are approaching critical mass in the medicinal and legalization fight... It works for many people. I am scared driving in a car with the driver on Lexapro and like, insane compounds. Legal or not. That's bad stuff, it really is.

How can 622 people speak for the whole state. They need to more then that to hold a word.

I think they should legalize it and make who ever pays for license to pay taxes on was sold. Its not like they stopping it now,they just locking people up making tax payers that's most are smoking it anyway pay for it one way or another. Putting people in jail or paying taxes,its how can we reduce our taxes

Have NONE of you watched the movie "Reefer Madness"?

Drugs are bad, mkay? - Mr Mackey

I had to answer this question once from a phycologist,
Do you ever feel like killing your self or others? He asked me that because I smoked pot and he was my rehab so I could keep my job. Lets look at this shall we. I never did Heroin, Meth, Downers Alcohol or Cocaine wasn't a big thing with me, none of those drugs were something i liked doing. I smoked pot, so I said to him, "Let me ask you a question. Did you ever see on the front page of a newspaper, Man kills family while driving under the influence of Marijuana?" And you know what he said? He said "No I see your point." So don't tell me its worse than Drinking and driving cause I will NEVER believe that and you know It got relieved my Migraine headaches. By the way find the DUI death Marijuana stats. And Reefer Madness was a movie not real in this scenario.By the way I've been drug free for the last 21 years. Cold turkey the same way I did it with Cigarettes. And it doesn't lead to other drugs if you don't want it to.They just want you to believe it does, you can start with any drug and say it leads to other drugs. I had a friend that was 5 years younger than me, he died from Heroin OD, he did start with pot and work his way up he drank then someone hooked him on Heroin.

So certain drugs have no value as a medicinal, But some do open up your minds and allow yourselves to understand what people with glaucoma go through and it helps cancer patients with pain it has many uses it also calms people down, the possibilities are endless.

This stuffs been legal in my house for years.

Yeah weed has THC in it, but you can't kill yourself from smoking too much marijuana. You can kill yourself from drinking too much alcohol. If smoking it makes someone feel good and happy, let them. Ever think they don't have enough dopamine?

Legal or not, I still get it. The government should totally be making money off me though.

Wait a minute 622 polled do not represent millions of Pa voters unless you are voting for president then it doesn't matter how many say yes or no
.

Matt...THE POINT is any poll can be manipulated! No diversion.....it's a little thing called an ANALOGY!

Sue - Understood! A poll is just a poll... Unfortunately, the winning side of any vote on legislation of this kind is usually just a result of who successfully manipulated who. Ah well, a conversation for another time.

If it's not legal, no one smokes it right? just like alcohol? get real.

Not a pot smoker myself, nor do I see any reason to make yet another " abusable substance"? readily available to those what feel like buying it. My question....how will making pot legal raise revenue considerably? From what I gather, it's quite simple to grow yourself, why wouldn't I just grow my own? Why would I purchase something that is very likely going to be heavily taxed if for a minimal investment I can grow it right in my basement. Sure go rant about people still buy alcohol, alcohol is not easy to make in your own home. It takes up a fair amount of room and doesnt always turn out drinkable. Oh, but people buy cigarettes! Yes, yet another product that is fairly well impossible to manufacture start to finish in your own home. I've heard for such a long time the Mantra of the potheads of " It'll get the country out of debt!".Well, it is apparently already available in quantity,which tell me SOMEONE is already growing it....are you telling me that you would instead buy it from the Wa Wa as you would a pack of cigarettes when you can go buy what will be a perfectly legal product from someone you've been buying from for years and just bypass the tax?

Alcohol is legal and kills how many???? How many pot related deaths can we count?? I'm all for it for medical reasons but give me medical reasons behind alcohol???

@Ann- ask Amsterdam how many people purchase marijuana instead of growing it themselves. And you're overlooking the obvious savings from reduced incarceration. Why does it not affront those who would call themselves "conservatives" that our government imprisons it's own citizens for using a harmless plant? Why are they not in arms over the cost to the taxpayer? I though smaller, less intrusive government was core to their platform? Legalize. Regulate. Tax. Cease incarceration.

And like the link Matt posted earlier, growing evidence is beginning to indicate that ingesting cannabis may help fight cancer. Where's the moral outrage?

No to items that cause: additive behavior in 64% of people, blurry vision, reduced reaction time, and causes the lungs and heart to be injured. There are about two hundred documented substitutes for medical weed. That's just a silly notion that only it gives relief to some cancer patients.

There is an obvious point being overlooked. Like tobacco and other drugs, many people have to pass testing in order to secure and hold jobs in this country. The real controls is now shifting to the corporate world. The "golden rule". If you want to work, keep yourself clean and sober. We won't see a flood of new users rush to buy the stuff because those who already are restricted still won't be able to toke-up. If it wasn't for the fact that I am tested, I would be smoking. It actually helps my mild seasonal depression symptoms. Government is simply acknowledging that they can't control it but the corporate world can. And yes, there are those who will fake the tests, so don't all jump on that now. There will always be rule breakers. But there will only be a shift in control. If you want to work any job at St. Luke's, you have to submit for testing and be 100% tobacco free. This is a trend we will start seeing more and more. Insurance companies don't want to pay for cancer treatments so they are controlling who gets benefits. They will do the same with the rest of the drugs. Big Brother is just watching from a different window now.

Legalize marijuana, regulate marijuana, tax marijuana. Help put the Mexican drug cartels out of business. Legal pot would mean no business for them. Eliminate arrests for marijuana possession. This would allow police to focus on more dangerous crimes. It would reduce the cost for locking people up for possession of marijuana. Jails would have less overcrowding. The cost savings for not jailing people for possession could be used for infra structure repair. Bridges, roads etc.

It is not a gateway drug. People who smoke marijuana do not go on to use heroin, meth or other hard drugs. People who smoke marijuana usually stay home, smoke, get hungry and sleepy. Hardly a reason to make it illegal.

How about we make alcahol illegal. It is after all a very dangerous substance that has zero positive use. Also how about cars? There are thousands of car accident fatalities every year. The fact that pot is illegal is silly. The ludicrous amount of money spent on keeping drugs out of this country should stop. As far as that goes I say legalize all drugs just to curb the funding of gangs and terrorist orginizations. I don't do drugs and wouldn't even if they were legal but the people that do will whether or not its legalized. And from what I know about druggies they are lazy and would go to the store to buy drugs just out of conveiniance.

Not to be such a downer on a high subject, he he (mockingly stated) but does anyone know anyone with cancer, chronic pain and other horrible conditions where medicinal pot truly does help. It's a huge list of side effects other pain management tools just don't help that pot does in leafy form as of now. More and more it is edible and different compounds such as CBD that is not a 'high' but studied as real medicine. Do people know there are about a dozen publicly traded marihuana companies? I unfortunately know people who have cancer, it has helped them and family members tremendously. Honest to god it does- why put them in the slammer? Why? Why? You are an ignorant fool with zero compassion to do so. It is black & white simple as that. Most above have good points but pls live your own life and don't impose yourself on others over a plant.

The old saying, "Too much of anything isn't good" should apply here. Too many drinks, too many cigarettes, too many bong hits, too many french fries, too many slices of pizza. The number of "social" pot smokers is HUGE in this state and across the country. I just do NOT understand why the government doesn't get it - legalize it, tax it, regulate it, and our national debt would be just about zero within ten years. Pot CAN be harmful if it becomes a person's crutch on a daily basis. To smoke it on occasion in the privacy of your own home and then say it's harmful is total and complete nonsense. It's a natural substance, it tends to make a person very non-combative, passive, and I cannot say the same for the effects of alcohol. How many tragic vehicle accidents are caused by someone "high" on weed? I've never ONCE read of a case yet every single DAY I read about a drunk driver hurting or killing someone. This is such a ridiculous debate. Legalize it for pete's sake, and take control of it's use. Not legalizing pot is NOT going to decrease it's use and legalizing it is NOT going to increase it's use. Come on people - the arguments against it are so pathetic. Eliminate the obscene national debt with the tax dollars. It's simple math.

Glad to see a semi-thoughtful debate on this subject. I predict that PA will witness the:
a) savings in reduced criminal procedures, and
b) increases in revenues
from Washington and Colorado. Unfortunately, I fear that given the resistant, traditional thinking of the majority of our state's population, we won't take advantage of these savings until over half the country has eliminated prohibition. As Ani Defranco says, "We are locking our sons and daughters in cages." The USA has nearly 25% of the world's prison population with less than 5% of the world's population. Something isn't right, people.

Legalize all drugs. Gov't has no right to dictate what I can and cannot put in my body in my own home. Socialize it and treat it like the healtcare issue it really is instead of a criminality issue. You want to stop gun violence? The #1 way to reduce gun violence would be to legalize all drugs. Stop the funding of the cartels, the gang turf wars and drive by shootings, dealers ripping off other dealers, funding of terrorism through heroin sales. The list goes on and on. Then some say everyone will be whacked out on drugs... I completely disagree... are you going to start smoking crack or shooting H just because its legal? or is the reason you do not do drugs no because they are illegal? Prohibition does not work. We can't even keep drugs out of our prisons which is a controlled, dictatorship closed society, how in the heck do you think you are going to keep them out of a supposedly free society? Its time for a real solution to the drug problem. Obviously its not working now. I would like to hear a few good arguments why they should be illegal besides its "bad" for you... Let people make up their own mind and half the things that the gov't said is bad for you is BS.... I am still awaiting those flashbacks from all the LSD I took when on dead tour that the gov't promised would happen to me.. unfortunately that hasn't happened yet, nor did I get chromosome damage.

All polls are push polls. This poll is no more reliable than the ones you hear during the election season. I would like to see the mexican drug cartels put out of business.
Hemp does have many uses. Take Cotton. Requires tons of water, pesticides, and fertilizer. Hemp - grows like a weed without much irrigation, fertilizer, or pesticides. The cotton industry doesn't want to legalize hemp. Nor does the alcohol industry.

I say Yes!

People will NEVER be truely happy until they start putting God's will ahead of their own selfish desires. Look at Charlie Sheen. That is what drug abuse looks like (messed-up Loserville). If it were legalized there'd be more and more of him in the world. Donald Trump NEVER tried alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. He's smart and successful. You may not like his beliefs but he is on the top of his game.

I think our drug laws do a great job of highlighting the hypocritical nature of our lawmakers. Sure, the president used to smoke weed, but surely the average Joe can't be trusted to use his own judgement on such matters.

B. Strong, are you bringing the Don into this debate on Patch? That is hilarious! Thank you. We should ban chemicals he spreads around from his hair. Love his reality TV shows, but the Don and this debate? Ha! The facts are what they are. People listed most of the topics. Our state senator is doing a good thing introducing his bill knowing the outcome is hopeless because of 'toothless' middle PA. Take away the meth labs and oxy's and see what happens. How about all the starving children? Don't we have real problems in our state? Aren't we missing millions of revenue from pot already bought, sold, traded, grown in PA? Can we have a heart and help patients, families and everyday normal people. Help fund: Education. Poverty. Jails. Roads. Jobs. Mental illness. Lets be done with it and gosh forbid get real. How much revenue would Hemp bring our farmers? Land value? Re-Forest? Manufacturing jobs? This debate is over. Regulate and tax, no more BS. We lived in CA for 7 years. Even that system is not abused like they say in press reports. It just is not. Will never be. CA has a surplus of $ ! It really works. Get real people. Thanks senator. There is hope....

Most people do not understand the residual effects of the legalizing process, if the government legalized it this would put more money into the government, it would take away a lot of the gun violence it would allow people to use the herb, yes I said herb because it is technically not a drug, for so many things not just smoking it. But people assume when they hear marijuana that its all about the high, its not, it could be a money maker, it can do so much for the economy. But the ignorance in the society pertaining to issues such as this is still mind boggling

Ryan, you bring up just a few of the issues we face for sure. I don't know enough about all of them, I do understand the forever battle over our liquor laws. Friends from other states are floored when they find out they can't buy wine or beer at the market. I believe the number one financial contributor to state politicians are the many organizations supporting local stores that sell six packs at 15/20 a pop. Thus the great brewing revolution of our day. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I do enjoy going out with my friends and family to a small batch brewer, like Tired Hands in Ardmore or even the Iron Hill big guys now. SEPTA is an issue, but I think they are turning it around, right? As to this issue PA will be left in the dust as all other surrounding states roll in money generated from MJ/hemp. Then we might have a shot electing a better gov for social causes/ yes Corbett was absolutely involved in PSU cover. Gross and ugly, but no perp walk in my opinion.

I know this has been said but to take a poll of only 622 people is absolutely absurd. Not only is this lazy but now it is going to be used as a discussion point for legitimacy. When this statistically is a completely invalid study.

Any any word on how they determined the 3.9 margin of error points? Nope.

I'm sure if you took a poll in the southern states back in the 6os, you'd have found tons of support for segregation. Didn't make it the right thing to do.

It should be legal. It is no worse then alcohol. We spend too much time and money on law enforcement to keep it illegal. I would rather spend their time on real crime. And we are clearly losing the war on drugs; the effort should be spent on public safety and education. Drug addicts deserve resources to “kick the habit”, not be in jail unless they committed a crime while they were high. It would be a good tax base, and I would feel safer knowing that people knew where their drugs came from instead of leaving it to chance and risking "bad" batches from some dirty drug lab. As far as driving while under the influence, well, people shouldn't be driving impaired, period, regardless of their poison!

Ryan - here's the deal with liquor, the correct question to ask (at risk to your well being perhaps) is WHO is behind the liquor law changes. I don't know all the details but I DO know it is being handled by the inner circle of the inner circle and there are billions on the line. SEPTA- just don't know enough about it.

JCC- DUI is an issue not just because one shouldn't do it to begin with, but for pot there is no standard to base the intoxication levels, unlike alcohol. Any non obvious MJ DUI can be thrown out of court unless the person is blowing smoke at the check point... Which per some folks posting is apparently how stupid dirty hippies are. I worry more about those invincible teens and younger drivers as well as the angry drunk old people, too :) I also think one must then lump in 50% plus of society on Ritalin , head meds, so forth if you lump in pot. Either way we have a senate majority not changing anytime soon and we are all thus thinking as criminals. Isn't there a law that negates useless laws?

That college poll is b.s. how about a statewide poll, there will be a lot in favor

Like the prohibition on alcohol in the 1930's, this "War on Drugs" is failing. People continue to seek and use them. Many users (not all) are nonviolent. There are too many nonviolent users taking up space in prisons better occupied by violent offenders. I say, legalize and tax. We already have a State Store system (for now) it could be marketed there.

The only thing we've proven solidly in the US is that banning anything people won't will never work. We waste billions upon billions fighting to make things illegal and get no where. In fact the war on drugs has ruined more lives than it could ever possibly help. By keeping marijuana illegal, the government is saying that everyone who has ever tried marijuana should be in jail and this is a frightening thought, since studies show that more than 70% of Americans have tried Marijuana at least once in their life. I'm not exactly all about marijuana, but I'm damn well going to defend something that hurts our nation as much as this ban has. Our country imprisons more of it citizens than any other nation in the world including communist countries like China. Does that not frighten anyone else? More than 50% of those prisoners are non violent offenders when they went in, but when they come out they are hardened criminals who more often than not will never be able to have a good career again and will end up going back to prison. So in 2009 (4 years ago and god knows how many new prisoners ago) we had roughly 2.5 million citizens in prisons across the nation with a rough average cost of $28,284 a year, which works out to roughly $70.7 Billion, yes billion dollars. We also spent $90 Billion fighting the war on drugs that year, we're talking about over $160 billion dollars in one year. Granted they aren't all non violent, but more than half of them were at one point...

pa voters vote?
the only thing i saw on the ballot was the people to vote for if their was any thing else on the ballet i did not see it. i did not vote on legalizing ..i will vote here and now.
i vote Yes to legalizing marijuana......

What the feds want is to take your money and your civil rights. The war on drugs and the war on terror are perfect excuses for them to do both. Revenue is no incentive for those that print the fiat money. They relish kicking in your door at three a.m. and flying drones overhead to spy on your backyard and bedroom. Our very reason for being is war. Drugs, terror, oil, it makes no difference so long as we feed the military industrial complex whose dollars grease the election machine. Forget the rule of law, its about money and control, power for the tyrants, and raising sheep to turn in their guns. It's all about war no matter the flavor.
What a disgrace our once great nation has become.

Do a state wide poll... Bet ya 80 for, 20 not... And the I's have it. Just legalize it, make money off it and enjoy it... Simple.

55 percent of the "voters" are clueless sheep that can not do their own homework and reading. 55 percent of the voters of spoon fed propaganda by Anderson Pooper and Wolf Sh!tzer.

"Just legalize it, make money off it and enjoy it... Simple."
^
the problem with that is they are already raking in massive profits with it illegal on the black market, if you think the "good" guys are not involved, think again. Where do you think the big banks cash flow comes from (drug money laundering). Not to mention the Pharmaceutical drug lords will fight this tooth and nail (as they are now).

Im all for marijuana for recreational or just medical. But if it's, going to be for medical. then make it for everyone, adults & children. there is a rise with in children that have autism. The parents say they try everything, and nothing seems to work and or help. unitl they tryed marijuana. then things seemed to be better. here a story for all to watch, & there are few others like this.
http://blog.norml.org/2013/01/29/marijuana-childhood-autism-and-prohibition/

Matt - ironic but synthetic C2 opioid pain meds do not show up on normal screening exams, and are the number one cause of liver disease and deaths from overall MIS - use have become a leading cause if early death, high hospital costs passed on to taxpayers and an epidemic ripping families apart all over the USA. Plus restrictive laws now push the burden of legit use on the patients not criminals. Someone else mentioned autism, having worked with autistic children I am aware of the studies and all I can say is you are correct, but the east coast is decades behind the thought something as radical as compounds from a natural plant just might help medicinally vs a pill of any type shoved down out throats by big pharma. One thing you can do is profit in the stock market knowing this and donate money towards a cure ( or your own family ) as there are MANY ways to 'play' this knowledge in pharmaland philly...

How many were polled? What was the population, gender, race, age breakdown? The only real way to find out whether or not Pennsylvanians want to end the 75+ year old marijuana prohibition is by asking we vote on it.
In Pennsylvania, we taxpayers cough up more than $325,000,000. a year to arrest, prosecute, and jail street level potheads.

All of you saying keep it illegal, let's look into your fridge. Any beer or wine in there? I thought so. If you want to level the playing field and keep pot illegal, lets bring back prohibition.
Otherwise you are a complete hypocrite.
And no, I don't want my child using drugs, and I don't want to get killed by an impaired driver.
It needs to be reclassified at the very least.

All who said no, was George Washingtin dumb? How about Lincoln? They both smoked and had their own feilds!

It.should 100% be made legal...alcohol is legal and that kills.thousands.of.people every year, also in philadelphia they have methadone clinics all over for people on heroin which is ridiculous.

So many educated opinions on a large string, unusual. Looks like the senator has struck a nerve. So how does he now promote his bill in the tumbleweeds of middle PA? For it is the true start of our great mid west, right? I hope not. I like to think those people are reasonable and compassionate to vote at the very least for medicinal use. Considering the C2 OxyContin hillbilly heroin problems one would think. Pot does not cause these issues not will it ever cause problems such as those. Cartels do. the black markets do, with crack on the side. But our bill- It will create revenue, safely resolve medical issues ( side effects from harsher compounds) and help our budget BIG-TIME.

The researchers noted they had some concerns of bias:
"Generally speaking, two sources of error concern researchers most. Non-response bias is created when selected participants either choose not to participate in the survey or are unavailable for interviewing. Response errors are the product of the question and answer process. Surveys that rely on self reported behaviors and attitudes are susceptible to biases related to the way respondents process and respond to survey questions."

I would like to add that this college is based in Lancaster, PA and surveys were conducted in person by interview. For one, people are less likely to admit in person support of something that many still consider taboo. Also, it does not mention where these people were from. I assume they are mostly from the local rural area which does not represent fair sample of the PA public. Conduct the same poll in Philadelphia and I bet you will find the majority support legalization.

The prohibition of marijuana and everything it encompasses is FAR more detrimental to society than marijuana itself could ever be. Due to marijuana prohibition, self-righteous lawmakers have caused the deaths of countless people involved on all sides of the "war", including law enforcement and bystanders, they have wasted 100's of billions of our dollars, invaded our civil liberties, helped fuel tremendous multinational criminal networks, and have generated a public mistrust and disdain for our legal system, all without any significant reduction in usage or availability.
It is time to put an end to these senseless laws. Legalize and regulate it like alcohol. If enough states legalize we can also force the federal government to change their stance.

Write your public officials and urge them to implement a sensible marijuana policy.

For more info visit:

MPP - The Marijuana Policy Project - http://www.mpp.org/
NORML - National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws - http://norml.org/
LEAP - Law Enforcement Against Prohibition - "Cops say legalize" - http://www.leap.cc/

Colorado's successful "Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol" campaign site - http://www.regulatemarijuana.org/

hahahah the worst thing that could happen is sheetz would run out of food

Wow can't believe this is still going, that's great. Ryan, I agree with many if your points, nobody wins on style :) , but perhaps you might look into the autism issue some / it will open your mind. I agree 100% less meds and patenting, ESP as a father. However, it is true that there are compounds in the flower that truly DO help kids with NO 'euphoria' - ADHD mid diagnosis and treatment is a larger health issue than weed... Autism is devastating. Peace Love Happiness. Oh, that makes potheads sound like dirty hippies! Oh, isn't that judeo-Christian philosophy?

Free your mind, my friend's son and my nephew have autism. My nephew is 20. It hasn't been easy for my sister or the rest of our family. You can get off your moral high ground! I am entitled to my opinion.

Ryan, I didn't propose an all or nothing notion. I didn't even state which side of the debate I was on. I don't have an issue with medical uses. I am on the fence otherwise. I didn't like the suggestion regarding pot and autistic kids...that's it. I was not fueling any flame. I thought I was adding to the discussion. Thank you for your apology.

They are not only blocking me from as honest an occupation as cheese monger or wine or alcohol brewer, but they are also restricting the tax dollars the community can collect. We were not born to be parented all our days. I'm 40 years old. I can make my own adult choices regarding my health. I can educate myself.

This comes down to an ancient tradition long upheld, but only recently lost. We see it every 4 years in the Olympics where it sits as a symbol, but has greater meaning. That symbol is the Passing of the Torch. It's more than the Light of Reason. It's the passing of the Old world to the New, to the Young to be build anew.

The old rules need be updated for the modern day, let the Light of Science guide the way. Nothing comes for free, Cannabis will have some health detractions, but so does bacon and I don't want a politician legislating my rights away for my protection. He can mind his own business and I, mine. I'm old enough to see with my own eyes and think with my own mind. Their fear mongering is just whispers of the boogeyman, it only scares children.

M e - got me confused now - you seem for stopping this never ending wasteful war on pot but its hard to decipher.
Sue- I appreciate and respect your experiences and thoughts. Perhaps you will look into it just a little bit more, ton of literature in the true medical guides. I worked with autism about 18 years ago in the stone ages of treating it, for a pioneering firm that is now sought out, it is unfortunately a program that is so costly it's only a few scholarships per full pay. This is an area all political parties need to unite behind - the study and treatment of autism. If Cana meds help, then why prevent a life from 'blossoming out', a term used by many child autistic oriented profs.

Marijuana by itself; no alcohol, no any other self administered substance added, marijuana by itself is a healing herb, Vaporized, made into food. peanut butter, butter, salad dressing oil, beverages, deserts, All ingested without smoking anything. No carcinogens, just pure THC. Use it if it works for you, I use it to reduce the chronic pain I have suffered these last seven years. Stop blaming the herb for the crimes that are mostly motivated by alcohol, Meth, cocaine, and heroin. Marijuana produces peaceful solutions to life's pains. Study the medicine and then produce an educated decision,with your freedom to choose. Please,do not use some dumb a__ ignorant uneducated cliche, to describe your brilliant uneducated opinion on the issue. The morality of using an herb to bring healing to my body and possibly yours after you study to show yourself approved will be more appreciated. Then if you do not have any need for the medicine marijuana at this time, good, great! Please let me medicate myself with the best medicine I have found for my conditions. Please, I promise I will not show up at the local pharmacy and picket your involvement with drugs you carry out in the little white bag with the paper that lists all the possible bad side effects that I would be totally in fear of taking, and I will stick with my natural, beneficial, peaceful herb, thank you.
Blessings
Michaellr