mark thorpe said:
you said it yourself.. if its a gateway drug, thats a very good reason to ban it.. smoking pot leads you onto harder drugs, which aint good.. if you ban the gateway drug, people dont get onto the harder stuff (well, not as readily)
I do see your point, however I do not think the drug itself leads you to harder drugs, the individual does. Marijuana is a drug that allows the mind to become less stressed, and more relaxed. For those who have had extremely bad days, and know of marijuana, find this as a God send.
Everyone has their own way of dealing with things, for some it's a pill, for others it's marijuana, and for some it might be something completely different then indulging their body with something.
Marijuana is mainly a social thing, however, like everything else in the world, people like to do it on their own. Contrary to what you said, I think banning the drug would only strengthen its use. The people who smoke pot are generally 14-25, from what I can tell at least, and at those ages you're far more rebellious then older people. Banning the drug would make younger people want it even more, as people want what they can't have.
I will say though that I see everyone's points as valid and clear as you make them, I'm just addressing everything with an open mind and with my own personal experiences, as a lot can be learned from drug use, and whether or not you are for or against it.