I certainly believe that prostitution should be legalized. I think that creating standards, health requirements and actual laws governing the profession would protect the women who choose it as a way of life. I also think that regulation would help to control, reduce, and perhaps even, in some cases, stop the activity of street prostitution.

There is a world of difference between women who make $300 to $1000 a customer for their work, and women who walk the streets soliciting johns in cars. If the former choose to sell sexual services to make their living, it is absolutely of no concern to me. These women do not work out of "hot sheet" motels, in alleys and parking garages, taking on several partners a night and sometimes cleaning off in puddles before the next "client". Sometimes they offer far more than sex, including a listening ear, or just simple companionship. They frequently are freelance, and not part of someone’s "stable". They are in business, and i have no issues with what they do. 

I have compassion for many of the women who work the streets. So many come from hopeless situations, were runaways, or throwaways. So many are hopelessly strung out, tweakers, crackheads, junkies. They usually have pimps who abuse them mercilessly when they don’t produce, and they don’t have the luxury of turning down "customers" who revolt them. By legalizing prostitution, by actually having a set of laws in place to govern the activity, we might be able to do more with and for these women than simply slapping them with a solicitation charge, then turning them back out onto the street again. 

I do not think that being a highly paid prostitute denigrates a woman at all, no more so than marrying a man one does not love, or even much like, and sharing his bed because of the wealth, status and prestige it will bring one. I do not think that having sex for money is immoral, or disgusting, and I do not think a person who goes to prostitues is "sick", a loser, or morally corrupt. As for the street girls, is it any worse, in some ways, than working in a slimy sweat shop for pennies, or being tied to a spouse or significant other who beats you bloody on a regular basis, screws you when he has the urge, leaves you pregnant constantly in some hole with no money and no escape except the same crack pipe or crystal the "working girls" use?

I think that a lot of women (no, I’m not a man, btw) are intimidated and threatened by prostitutes, quite irrationally. I think that the farther right a woman swings, the greater this fear grows. I refuse to explore possible reasons why, because, with all due respect, the right seems to be ultra-sensitive on this site, and given to griping about posts that directly challenge them. I do not think that married persons ought to go to prostitutes, but then I do not think that married persons ought to have internet relationships of a sexual nature with persons not their spouse, or hang out at clubs sans wedding ring. But the onus to prevent this is not on the prostitute. So legalize it, regulate it, and tax it.

As for marijuana, yes, legalize it, but I see a slippery slope ahead if we do. I agree with Dona Howlett regarding the Forbidden. If we take away that status from the evil weed, what will Young folks turn to next? What will they add to the mix to improve the buzz?

Also, it irritates me beyond belief when people declare that pot is harmless. Not. True. It causes testicular cancer in men. Chronic use can also cause sterility and chromosomal defects in men. Recent studies indicate that moderate use amongst teenagers, whose brains are still developing, may have a significant effect on cellular growth and synaptic function. There are a number of chemicals identified in marijuana whose effect on the human body is not yet clearly understood. And, finally, inhaling ANY kind of smoke into your lungs on a regular basis is deleterious to your health. Smoke contains carbonized matter, which, in turn, contains carcinogens. Particulate matter and carcinogens are not good for your lungs. Even monks in temples and monasteries in which incense is burned continuously have been proven to have elevated incidences of lung cancer and emphysema. 

I will not say the smoking pot leads to "harder drugs". I will say, as a partier of old, that said drugs (usually cocaine and maybe acid tabs) were frequently found at said parties. I have no idea what kind of crap turns up at parties these days, but I’ve heard it can be quite varied and creative. A curious, slightly brain-damaged (I have a teen, and I can attest that for most such creatures, rationality is not a well-developed brain trait as yet), peer-pressured person might just try something he/she oughtn’t to try. It could be okay, or not. A lot of addicts attest to the fact that it started in all innocence…and then spiraled all out of control. O, alcohol is also present at many of these events. Yes, I know it’s legal. Yes, that might not be fair. Point taken.

Finally, some chronic pot smokers are getting along all right. I can agree with that. But I have known many who were not. Chronically late for work, vaguely irresponsible, unable to really get it together, living life in a constant haze of mellow. Of course, there is also the myth that chilling with a blunt makes everyone mellow. Um, not so. Personally, I become moody, surly, aggressive and paranoid. I’ve known lots of people who became paranoid after toking up, or vaguely antsy, or a little punchy.

But I am disgusted with the way the law has handled marijuana based arrests. If you catch some doofy bozo with a dime bag, or even enough to deal a little, just confiscate his dope, slap his wrist and have done with it. Don’t bust his ass and incarcerate him with felons so that he can learn to be a REAL criminal. I think that the President’s advice that milder state laws trump harsh Federal laws regarding marijuana is a very real improvement over previous administrations’ idiocies. Penalizing potheads for carrying their personal stash (dumb, yes. A felony, hell no), or imprisoning someone for their tiny, indoor, hydroponic garden is not any kind of solution and makes the DEA look like a bunch of stooges. 

So legalize it and be done, with a caveat. Soon, the "cocaine lobby" will want consideration…and do you really want a bunch of coked-out yuppies in behemoth V8 SUV’s speeding around your residential streets running over big wheels and grannies with walkers? Then it will be the "heroin lobby", with junkies on the nod OD’ing in the mall and tying up the ER. And the "crack and meth" lobbies…we really need crackheads and tweakers, who are not known for sane, rational, non-violent behavior, legally having their fun and you can’t do a thing about it? You will say, "Well, legalized drug use works in Europe". This is true, but this isn’t Europe. American’s have a very ego-centric, entitled view of personal freedom as compared to Europeans. Europeans tend to stick to their designated areas to get wasted, shoot up, whatever. They seem to understand that you shouldn’t crap all over your neighbor, and if you do, you’ll actually get in trouble. Americans, however, will cheerfully dump all over whatever, and when they get called on it, they will say "Hey! I’m an American citizen! I’ve got my rights! It’s a free country!". They tend to forget, however, that the other millions of American citizens all around them have rights too, and have to live with their swinish behavior. For example, a guy (sorry guys, not being sexist), gets drunk, hops in his status-mobile, revs the engine, gets on his hand-held cell phone, cranks his stereo and heads off down the highway, where he broadsides some generic person who got in his way, you see, and gets pulled over by an over-worked LEO to whom he immediately declares "It wasn’t my fault, he cut me off!". The LEO asks for his DL and registration, informs the man that he was going 90 in a 55 mph zone, weaving around the road, and broadsided a man legally entering the highway. He also notes the alcohol fumes wafting out of the car. He asks the fine fellow if he will get out of the vehicle, and has him do the FST, which the drunk fails miserably, protesting all the while. He then requests that our inebriated "victim" blow into his breathalyzer, to which he replies "I got my rights!". In the meantime, the other fellow, whose car has been totalled, has been taken to the ER with multiple fractures. Our fine friend might later hire a sleeze ball lawyer to try to get him out of his citation, and to avoid having his insurance pay anything to the injured man. This is the ugly American…the kind who would load his nose and run over your little leaguer. Europeans tend to be more accountable, not quite so entitled.

But, yeah, legalize the weed. Just be very, very careful.

Yea!  Upscale brothels of male prostitutes … healthy studs for [some] ole gals who are sick and tired of being [ripped-off] betrayed by the men they meet on line or ‘incidental like’.  What a hoot that would be!

It is interesting that the debate about the legalization of marijuana was held earlier this week on The Bill O’Reilly program.  John Stossel, after 28 years with ABC, recently joined the network and he and O’Reilly held a quick debate.  Stossel, an admitted Libertarian, held the view ALL drugs should be available for purchase by adults.  O’Reilly countered the debate with his view that legalization of drugs would increase drug use and consequently the rise of adult abuse against children would increase.

Good debate.  Two opposite point of views argued and neither party called the other a Nazi, or a miscreant or any other derogatory name.

If both were legalized, it would take alot off the street, and behind closed doors. And would help with paying taxes. But would make other problems that would only surface if we did legalize them. So I do feel that it should be allowed if a county or township wanted to legalize it in there own area’s by vote of there own people. This is the only way that it could be selected for the area’s that this would benifit most.

I keep noticing that the main arguments against are "because I don’t like it" or "because I find it morally reprehensible."

If you don’t like it, don’t do it. Leave everyone else alone. One person’s morally reprehensible is another person’s joy. As long as the people engaged in prostitution or smoking pot are willing participants in responsible situations (e.g. not in the same room as a child), I truly believe that those actions are covered under the freedoms given in our constitution. You don’t have to like it.

Stop worrying about what other people are doing in private and get a hobby.

Marijuana has definate uses medicinally. It is an extremely effective pain killer and unlike perscription ones that tend to be very specific as to the types of pain they target marijuana handles all pains. It also seems to be very effective in helping ADD and ADHD type personalities focus but without the loss of drive and motivation that is a given side affect of Ritalin, Adderall and other psychotrophic drugs. With research I beleive that many more medical conditions may be found to be good canidates for treatment from some deritive of marijuana.  

As for the recreational usage of marijuana I am absolutely against it. It’s affect on people is very individualized. Several people may smoke the exact same amounts and have very different results. I personally am not someone you would want behind the wheel of a car after smoking just one joint. As a teen I found that I could never enjoy it the same as many others did. While they were animated and active I turned into a vegetable that could not finish a sentence or even get up to go to the restroom. But neither could I just go to sleep for while my body turned into stone my mind was racing and winning the Indy 500. So given my own personal experiences and observations I say YES to medicinal and NO to recreational marijuana.

As to prositution why is it illegal in the first place? Personally I would rather go hungry than turn a trick. And saddly that personal standard of intrgrity has afford me much hunger and unfilled needs. If I could do such a thing I would not be wearing flop flops in near freezing weather nor would I be wearing clothes out of the dumpster, suffering from inadequate medical care and malnutrition, nor trying to get my oldest daughter to get her personal affairs straightened out so that she can take her daughter back to raise (I have raised her since her birth 7 years ago) so I can end my life and suffering. The truth is that for every hundred people in desperate need (scattered all over the world) there is one person willing and able to help (who is only in one place) and thousands willing to take advantage, rob and kick you while you are down. Prostitution is a way for people to take advantage of someone in need (we all need food, clothing and shelter); but also, a way for someone in need to provide for themselves. Ideally there would be enough jobs paying living wages where transportation, childcare, clothes and other things are not obstacles to those jobs. But this is not an ideal world. How ironic that we despise the woman who finds prostitution her only avenue of support; yet, have less scorn for those willing to accept her services (as long as she is not underage) and have no anger at all towards a system that does nothing to end the necessity of the option of selling onesself in the first place. All that being said; again, I ask why is it illegal in the first place? Consentual sex is legal yet sex for money is illegal. Who had the right in the first place to decide a moral line and make a law of it?

Prostitution has been around longer than rule of law. I don’t like prostitution for several reasons, but the truth is that laws have never made it go away - and never will. If it is going to be around anyway, better to regulate it than leave it in the hands of criminals.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

Has anyone seen “Dangerous Beauty”, or maybe “Mrs. Henderson Presents”?

As for marijuana, that is a very different situation. I would legalize medical marijuana, but I think that legalizing it for recreational use would just trade one set of problems for another - problems that have not been considered or anticipated.
Cartoon (1973)

There sure would be a lot less people in jail, in our prisons (although these crimes get short terms) and in our court system if we legalize both. Tons less…

I used to think we should legalize prostitiuition until I did a paper on it in college.  I thought it would be safer/healthier for the women that do it and would increase our tax base, etc.  Unfortunately, that’s not the case even in countries that allow prostitituition or decriminalize it.  *Human trafficking increases.*  "High-priced call girls" do not increase their numbers; street walkers do.  Pimps don’t go away - even though it seems that their role would be eliminated. 

Initially, my position was pro-legalized prostitution and by the end of my research, I was anti-legalized prostitution.

As for legalizing marijuana, to all those who say that we shouldnt consider this: it is truly a gateway drug but not in the way you think. Every year thousands of teens and young adults are arrented for carrying amounts of pot that would hardly even be enough to get them high. They are sent to adult prisons for months or in some cases years. In prison they are beaten, raped and forced to join prison gangs as the only means of protecting themselves. These gangs train them and use them as soldiers and drug mules and indoctrinate them into a life of gang related violence. When they get out of jail they are often threatened and coerced into staying with the gang on the outside. They become repeat offenders and often wind up in and out of prison and gangs for the rest of their lives. The prisons that we are sending our young people to are breeding grounds for higher crime and violence and we are willing to put them in that situation sometimes for first offences instead of trying rehab programs or community service. Legalizing pot would ease some of the over crowding on our prison systems and spare thousands of teens from exposure to things worse than drugs. Legalize it with a heafty tax!

Legalize prostitution! As women it is absolutly our right to do whatever we choose with our bodies.

I think people have forgotten that when you smoke marijuana that people around you also get high from the smoke.  Think about the children.  The kids under 12 especially.  As for the long term affects, I have a sister who smoked pot as a teen.  I have seen firsthand how it has changed her personality and her quality of life.  And for those who compare it to alcohol, I guess they have forgotten about drunk drivers and men/women who beat up & or abuse others when drunk - also traits of heavy pot smoking.

Here in Canada we have had cell phone use banned in our cars, everything must be bluetooth so we don’t get a ticket….. I can understand the reasoning do to people being distracted……. however if there will be laws in which we are not allowed to use cells then why should it be welcome for people to use an impairing substance while driving or anything else for that matter! I know many people who use it for many different reasons, the only reason I see for it helping is my aunt with 2 types of cancer! Even then she does not leave her home!

 

As for prostitution…… I realize this day in age it’s getting harder to find a consistant job and pay coming in to support yourself or family! In the 6 years I have been a single parent I have never thought once to sell myself inorder to provide for my son! I truely believe that it is belittling to anyone who is willing to think that is the best solution! We fought to hard to have rights and freedoms to be pushed down into such a life. I know how harsh that sounds and I am sorry for it but I strongly believe that as a whole we can make these men and women see their true potential and leave that in their past.

I definitely feel that MJ should be legalized: both medicinally and recreationally. It would cut down on the over-crowding of our prison system, help increase revenue throughout the nation and (hopefully) cut down on drug crimes. Medicinally, its effects have been proven countless times (and have been listed here). As for recreational use, I think one would either need to be 18 or 21 years old in order to purchase it. I personally think alcohol is far more dangerous than MJ. Look at all the alcohol related deaths and diseases. Whenever there is any type of incident where pot was found, there was almost always another drug that was used in conjunction with it. And I’ve never heard or known of anyone that went on a violent rage due only to MJ. It should be legalized and regulated.

As for prostitution… I personally don’t like the idea of it, even if it is regulated. I know we all have a right to choose what to do in life however I know I wouldn’t want my child doing it.