This is brilliant. I feel fortunate to be alive during the internet age.

A new study claims that smoking marijuana can increase your risk of psychosis by 40%. That sounds frightening until you read further and it says that it is 40% greater than 3%. Put another way, it raises the percentage to 4.2%. The article does a good job of pointing out the possible sampling error - which is that people prone to psychosis may be more inclined to smoke marijuana. Although this is deeper in the article than most conservatives will read.

I have one question: What percentage of people incarcerated in prison develop psychosis? I am not a psychiatrist, but I have spoken with hundreds of people who spent the majority of their lives in prison. I believe that prison is a much more potent psychosis inducer than marijuana. I therfore suggest that we make prisons illegal, and possessing prisons to be a felony - punishable by up to an eternity in some… hmmm… existential prison - where you are constantly reminded that Jesus didn’t believe in prisons.

My second point is that alcohol can also induce psychosis. This will be a theme for the blog. Whatever anyone says about marijuana, you can always point to alcohol. So, either make alcohol illegal too, or act like a sophisticated culture that doesn’t make decisions based the fear that your daughter will try marijuana. You should fear your daughter drinking alcohol much worse. Can you believe that people are constantly advertising a psychosis inducing drug (alcohol) to your daughter? On TV, in magazines, on billboards, on the radio, on the internet?

I suppose I should add that the study may be 100% accurate. Or, it may even be too conservative. I am not suggesting that anyone should disregard it. It should simply be put in perspective. The scientists who did the study are probably good people in search of the truth. However, the people that report it (without context), and use it to justify absurd prohibitionist policies are not people in search of the truth - or, rather they are not logical and rational people. Or, just brainwashed to the point of not being critical thinkers.

In short - I’m not saying you should smoke marijuana- it could be bad for you. I’m saying that it shouldn’t be arrested for it - which is certainly bad for you (and our dream of a rational society).

Welcome to my blog. The obvious starting point is legalization. I am not really an ‘activist’ about this because I am a busy guy. And there are about 1000 more important things that need to be addressed in our culture - health care, homophobia, and racism masquerading as the ‘illegal immigration issue’ - before we get to marijuana. However, marijuana prohibition is an excellent example of the irrationality of our culture. And if we are going to survive the next 100 years, I think pursing rationality should be encouraged.

What is the basis for my claim that marijuana prohibition is irrational and/or schizophrenic? Alcohol, alcohol, alcohol, & Vicodin.

Alcohol causes more damage to the human race in one day than marijuana does in a decade. No, I can’t prove that, I just know it because I’ve been paying attention.

When I used to interview court-appointed clients accused of assaulting family members, my first question was often “So, the day you punched your wife, when did you start drinking?” Incredulous, they would respond “How did you know I was drinking?”

But, before you marginalize me as a nut, ask Justice Stevens what he thinks about it. I can now say that I’m only as nutty as a United States Supreme Court Justice. I love saying this. It is far more effective than claiming that I’m only as nutty as Woody Harrelson. (No disrespect to Mr. Harrelson)

The only exception that I take with Justice Steven’s comments is his claim that the people arguing for legalization are “inarticulate”. While some pot smokers are profoundly inarticulate, there are many doctors, lawyers, judges, novelists, artists, and musicians who can easily and articulately point out the absurdity of prohibition. In fact, I will accept any invitation to formally debate on this issue.

Finally, I’d like to point out that I don’t encourage anyone to smoke marijuana. I’m not a doctor. Like Justice Stevens, I am saying that Marijuana should be legalized, taxed, and regulated. If you can’t picture that in your head, think about the way we treat the sale of alcohol or Vicodin. Do we give alcohol to children? No. Do we allow people to fly airplanes while intoxicated on alcohol? No. Would we elect a president that is addicted to alcohol? Uh… two times in a row.