Why is marijuana seen as a bad drug?

Xanax, vicodin, and Percocet are all prescription drugs and are controlled. They are not "openly welcome" In fact its funny you mention these as they are the three drugs that were mentioned by a CID agent I was talking to the other day as being abused by minor dependents and being skimmed from medicine cabinets. Marijuana is a depressant and causes reduced reaction times. So even though it's legal in some states you still can't smoke dope and work in the construction industry any more than you can drink on the job. As for the lower crime rates I'm pretty sure that is a false narrative, or at least it's too early to have good data to compare since it's not been legal long enough to get good sample statistics. The other thing is that in study after study marijuana has been identified as a stepping stone to use of harder more addictive drugs. While Chech and Chong made a case for this 40 years ago citing the tax profit to be gained by legalization , it's as faulty now as ever.

Actually, possession and use of Xanax, Vicodin, Percocet, and others is just as illegal as possession and use of marijuana under the same conditions; that is, without a prescription. Alcohol and caffeine do not require prescriptions because they are not "controlled". Why? That's a complex subject.

Because it is illegal, and that is pretty much it.

PFC Alexander Oliveira Looks like you have a lot of good responses and debate around your question. Right now there are a ton of employers that won't higher veterans that have Marijuana in their system, so there is a really long road ahead of legalization of the drug and changing drug testing by employers that has to be changed. It won't happen overnight. Unfortunately, as a kid of 17 back in the early 70's I did smoke it and I smoked cigarettes too, but the Army saved and me and Health and Welfare checks kept heading me in the right direction. Now I'm older and wiser (at least I feel that way) and I don't really know if legalizing it will solve all the issues presented by others in this discussion or if will cause 2nd and 3rd order affect yet to be heard of or documented. I'm not for or against it and really don't understand all the medical uses for it that I've heard about, nor have I researched enough to pass judgment on whether it's good or bad. I did enjoy reading all the debate, the good, the bad, and the ugly! That's all I'll say on this discussion!

One thing you have failed to consider in this equation is the problems it creates in neighboring states where pot is not legal. Legal or not, as a service member you are in violation if caught with, using or under the influence of pot. Next neighboring states where pot is illegal are having issues with its residents going to the neighboring states, getting legally stoned and then driving back home. A legal high in Colorado is arrest time in Kansas.

To your original question, the other drugs you mention are legal where under federal law, pot is not. As for the positive effects of legalization and taxation, the numbers don't add up in my book.

Plant vs a chemical made in a lab ; I still get this question aswell

I don't personally advocate the usage/consumption of any mind altering substances (yes that includes alcohol) mainly because people start to get stupid when using them. Now used in moderation when you know your limits, whatever, however I still don't think it (MJ) should be allowed in the military for anything other than approved medical purposes.

Another reason I look down on MJ is for the same reason I look down on smoking and that is because regardless of the source if you are inhaling smoke you are going to be damaging your lungs. It's just unhealthy.

The final reason is simply because all too often the culture itself is obnoxious. It's kind of along the lines as the running joke with vegans or crossfitters. You'll never have to ask if someone smokes pot because they're almost guaranteed to bring it up in conversation for attention. I see it on sites like Imgur a lot. If you want to smoke then go for it but you don't need to announce to the internet that you do.

Marijuana was outlawed because of the lumber industry. Marijuana grows fast and can be made into paper easily. Lumber industry didn't like the competition so they lobbied Congress. end of story until the sixties.

I'd bet the majority of "marijuana bad" studies were funded by the tobacco and alcohol lobby. And no, I'm not a toker of a midnight smoker.