My opinion is that if the action does not inflict pain or injury upon another person, then there should be no law against it. These are two actions that I think only the people involved have any kind of negative effect, of which is almost completely negligible, so they should be self-regulated.
Ice Queen
Favorite Answer
They should be legalized and taxed, regulated by gov't.
Only hell mama ever raised
First of all, marijuana should be legalized. It is much safer on the individual and the public. Lets face it, not too many folks high on pot driving fast enough to cause any major damage to anyone if they accidentally "coast" their car into them! Prostitution on the other hand (forgive the pun) is a different matter all together. With the advent of AIDS and some of the Hep. viruses out there prostitution does pose a very real health risk to the general public. Let's face it, there have been, I am sure, over the course of several years some innocents who have directly been adversely affected by diseases spread as a result of prostitution.
So, while I am inclined to agree that a good joint never really hurt anyone, prostitution does need to be regulated.
BabyBear
But they can be dangerous- smoking and drinking alcohol are technically "victimless", but what about drinking & driving or lung cancer? What about prostitutes that have been forced into the sex trade or what about the spread of STDs? Marijuana I actually have less of a problem with than any of the others, because people who are high tend to just sit around and not do much- the only problems I can see with it are when people try to drive high and kids who fail out of school because they are high all of the time. At the same time, simply outlawing any of those things won't get rid of them; they will still be done and sold behind the back of the law enforcement, or sometimes with the help of the law enforcement, as happened during Prohibition. I guess the best solution would be to have them regulated, as we do with alcohol & cigarettes- to make sure that nothing besides marijuana is in your joint, or to enforce regular STD tests & use of condoms with sex workers.
Tara M
Yes, both should be legalized and regulated by the government. Prostitutes should file as independent contractors--and pay taxes in that form. Everyone growing marijuana would suddenly be eligible for subsidies from the government!!
On the down side, major corporations would patent marijuana seeds and start to file lawsuits against independent growers and such...just like with corn and soybeans. This would result in chemical tampering and non-organic marijuana.
Just Some Guy
I wholeheartedly agree. Of course, the opposition would contend that marijuana is a gateway drug, and that prostitution contributes to the spread of disease, crime, and the undermines family values.
Personally, I'm a firm believer in personal responsibility. Make laws against hurting others - and enforce them. Don't worry about why a crime was commited, just that it was (one reason I think hate crime legislation is a farce).
The money spend locking up people that smoke a little weed or sleep with a hooker could be better spent on educating the masses and letting them make up their own minds.