Reason.tv has a short video on 3 Reasons Why Pot Should Be Legalized. In brief the reasons are:
1. Tax revenue and savings in law enforcement costs.
2. It’s going to happen anyway.
3. Keep your laws off our bodies.
I’d like to add a 4th.
4. When anything is illegal, it adds another SIGNIFICANT block to individuals being able to seek out help if they want to eliminate or balance out their use.
I am interested in helping people live an incredible, thriving life. We know that many people in their hunger to feel better turn to substances that change their state: alcohol, drugs, food, sex, caffeine, glue, smoking,… anything to get away from or help bury traumatic feelings and memories. For many the healing journey starts with admitting that the substance and its use has become a problem (perhaps even a bigger problem) in its own right.
But who wants to admit to behaviors that are illegal? Often with drugs the admission only comes when the problem has become severe and life-altering. PERHAPS if it were safer for people to talk about what they use to self-medicate, it would be easier to address the underlying root causes.