Reply #42: I think some research into THC specifically and marijuana in general

[EvolveOrConvolve]

might yield some surprising results. For pain, there are few over the counter pain meds that can do what a little mary jane can. Unfortunately, very few pharma companies or educational institutions are willing to do the research to find out how it could actually benefit patients. The "war" on drugs has placed marijuana in the same class as heroin and methamphetamines, and there is a stigma surrounding it that no amount of anecdotal evidence can overturn. It will take a concerted effort to get past the rhetoric and force folks to look at the drug rationally.

Some points to be made (especially when talking to conservatives):

* Our prisons are filled with non-violent marijuana offenders. Even fiscal conservatives (which I consider myself) can see that spending 30K - 40K per year for these non-violent offenders is insane when they could be out working and be productive members of society.
* Both tobacco and alcohol have much more devastating effects than marijuana. Were marijuana to be legalized, the government could regulate it and make a boatload of money. Again, this appeals to fiscal conservatives.
* Non-medical uses of marijuana products (namely hemp) provide an easy to plant and maintain crop that is profitable for even the small time farmer. This is an issue that appeals to both fiscal conservatives and the red state agriculture conservatives.
* The amount of money that could be made from the taxing of marijuana could pay for treatment facilities for the drugs that do real harm - heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines, etc. This has a cascading effect when you consider the number of first time offenders we could keep out of prison, saving ourselves billions of dollars a year.
* Nowhere in the bible does it prohibit the use of marijuana (use this against the religious conservatives that have some nebulous idea, probably propagated by their minister/priest/etc., that the bible restricts marijuana use)