Reality check

[CityBoyGoneCountry]

You wanna know why pot is still illegal? This might sting a little bit, but I'm gonna explain it to you.

The reason why pot is still illegal is because pot smokers keep voting to elect politicians who support keeping marijuana illegal. A vote for a republican is a vote for prohibition. A vote for a democrat is a vote for prohibition.

The usual excuse pot smokers have for doing this is "we have bigger issues to worry about so we have to compromise."

Fine, you compromised, and because you compromised you are still considered a criminal in the eyes of those you voted for. You have no one to blame but yourself when you get busted and go to jail.

[Zimzum]

While that maybe some of it there is still much more holding it back. Large drug companies pay big bucks for lobbyist to keep it down. Why lose out on all the money made off of HIV/Cancer drugs to a simple joint? And allot of or congress is old.. People who grew up with the idea that pot was bad and a gateway drug. When the generation of people who grew up from the 70's onward are the majority in congress, then we might see a shift in position.

[Great Spirit]

You wanna know why pot is still illegal? This might sting a little bit, but I'm gonna explain it to you.

The reason why pot is still illegal is because pot smokers keep voting to elect politicians who support keeping marijuana illegal. A vote for a republican is a vote for prohibition. A vote for a democrat is a vote for prohibition.

The usual excuse pot smokers have for doing this is "we have bigger issues to worry about so we have to compromise."

Fine, you compromised, and because you compromised you are still considered a criminal in the eyes of those you voted for. You have no one to blame but yourself when you get busted and go to jail.This is why I vote Libertarian! I usually vote for state and federal. I hardly vote local unless a Green or Libertarian is running. That way I won't be part of the problem. :p

[medicinal]

Voting libertarian is throwing your vote away. The way to get pot legalized is to get it on your state ballot every time an election is held, and then present it as a harmless medicinal product that a few citizens use for recreational use to relax. Present all the positive aspects of legalization to the local TV audiences and get out the pro legalization vote. the old addage about smokers being too stoned to vote, might not be so far fetched. Here in Nevada I was positive it would pass as the churches had approved of it and the medical field approved and I felt the median age of voters was coming into the range of baby boomers. Unfortunately it went down like 57% to 43% a very dissapointing outcome! I wonder how many stoners either didn't register to vote or were too stoned to go vote!

[Zimzum]

Voting libertarian is throwing your vote away.

That is the mentality that keeps are political system from expanding from a two party system. Which keeps issues that maybe important to most from even being discussed. You are right about getting it on the ballot. Most people who complain its not legalized yet have done little themselves to get it to pass. Spend a few hours and help your local chapter of NORML or whatever go collect signatures. You can debate it all you want on an online forum but it does nothing to actually make it happen in reality.

[CityBoyGoneCountry]

Large drug companies pay big bucks for lobbyist to keep it down.

Who are the lobbyists lobbying? They are lobbying the politicians who don't want weed legalized anyways!

If you refuse to vote for any candidate for any office who does not clearly state during his election campaign that marijuana should be legal, then I guarantee you that those anti-marijuana candidates will start singing a different tune!

[Great Spirit]

Voting libertarian is throwing your vote away. The way to get pot legalized is to get it on your state ballot every time an election is held, and then present it as a harmless medicinal product that a few citizens use for recreational use to relax. Present all the positive aspects of legalization to the local TV audiences and get out the pro legalization vote. the old addage about smokers being too stoned to vote, might not be so far fetched. Here in Nevada I was positive it would pass as the churches had approved of it and the medical field approved and I felt the median age of voters was coming into the range of baby boomers. Unfortunately it went down like 57% to 43% a very dissapointing outcome! I wonder how many stoners either didn't register to vote or were too stoned to go vote!I have heard this argument many times, but a Libertarian vote is sending a message to the other two parties essentially saying that we are sick and tired of your shit and we want to move in a more enlightened and progressive way. I refuse to keep this two party political monopoly over our country and thats why I vote Libertarian, despite you saying that I am throwing my vote away. No...I am making my vote count! If there is a Libertarian on the ballot, everyone has a chance to vote for him and to put him in office.

In order to get Libertarians in office...we have to vote them in!! Duh!!! :p

[Hamlet]

As it stands now voting Libertarian is more than throwing your vote away. It's voting Republican. The Republican party actually donates to the Libertarian/Green parties because they know it splits the Democrat vote into factions.

This could be fixed but neither Democrats nor Republicans would be willing to do it.

[CityBoyGoneCountry]

No one who votes for a candidate they believe in is throwing their vote away.

It's those of you who vote for a candidate who you know in your heart isn't the best choice out there who are throwing your votes away. We've had 30 years of pointless drug war because of people like you. What a shitty way to use your vote.