What if the laws were the same for tobacco and marijuana?

[XOKCowboy]

I bring this up after reading about all the smoking bans. Me? If they're going to keep restricting where you can smoke, just get it over with and criminalize smoking! Same penalties as for smoking marijuana.

Ya know what I think? I think that most people would just quit cigarettes. There would be no tobacco underground. People wouldn't be buying one hitters for a tobacco hit. They wouldn't draw the blinds at home to smoke a cigarette. Tobacco is addictive but after a while of such small doses and the penalty of going to jail (or losing their kids/homes/cars) for possession I think tobacco usage would go to nothing in a very short time.

Hey I'm a smoker. If tobacco was banned I'd let it go in a heartbeat. OK bad pun.

[rodeodance]

1. lots of local tax money would come in.

[degreesofgray]

2. Rather than criminalizing tobacco

I'd like to see marijuana decriminalized. The so-called war on drugs is a waste of time, resources, and people's lives. Alcohol is much more destructive than pot and it's freely available all through the country.

[GrumpyGreg]

5. Ditto ! n/t

[XOKCowboy]

8. Oh I totally agree with you..

and I know it'll never happen. The tobacco lobby gives way too much to politicians. There's just a lot of hypocrisy with the tobacco/marijuana laws.

[GrumpyGreg]

3. The black market would be one hell of a business to be in if they ban

tobacco.

What on earth would the states do w/o the tax money?

Never happen.

[XOKCowboy]

9. Ya think?

I think that people would just give up on tobacco if their use of it was restricted like that of pot.

[amerikat]

4. Both are medical problems.

But tobacco that kills many every year and is legal. Marijuana causes few death and is illegal. Makes no sense to me.

[XOKCowboy]

10. Me neither...

I don't advocate banning anything. I support personal responsibility. I too am tire of the hypocrisy most of all.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. Yep. Just like nobody smokes pot anymore.

Paaleeeese.

Apples and oranges.

Pot feels good and gets you silly.

Nicotine is a real bad addiction.

Disclaimer: I quit pot because I have to find a new job, so I have to pass a piss test. Sucked, but no real biggie.
I tried to quit smoking (cigarettes) this last week. Failed. That may be clouding my judgment.

edited post: clearing up the confusion

[XOKCowboy]

11. Have you ever been a smoker?

I'm actually forwarding this idea to help people stop smoking. In my mind, there will still be a black market for pot but people would give up tobacco if it was criminalized.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

12. re-read my post please.... I am (was) a smoker of both

I know (intimately) of which I speak.

[mtnsnake]

7. The laws ought to be the same for marijuana and beer

If you can get drunk on alcohol, you should have a perfect right to get high on pot.

[magellan]

13. I'll agree with that

When I first moved back to FL I was stunned to be carded for 31 for a pack of cigarettes while barely-adults could go with as much beer as they could carry out of the store. I've never heard of anyone killing another person with a pack of cigarettes. A six-pack and a car, on the other hand....