I disagree, I can't think of an argument against legalizing Weed that cannot be applied to Tobacco or alcohol ...
As far as your personal stance, if we banned everything that someone took a moral offence to, there would be little left
No, the comparison to alcohol /other drugs is a detraction from the point at hand. Even if the substances are similar, comparing them does nothing for the argument.
My personal stance
isn't base upon moral offense. It's because of personal experience. No, I'm not an alcoholic, but my father was an alcoholic (as were his parents, his brother, and a number of his other family members), and that substance abuse ruined his life, led him to an early grave, and damaged my mother's life badly. It made my middle school /high school years miserable and held me back as a young adult -- and my stories aren't nearly as bad as some people's stories. Today I've largely overcome those negative influences, but but not all of my siblings have done as well. And for what?
A drink? So pointless. So not worth the risks.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you there. The BMJ has made it clear that when used correctly, with a good quality inhaler and the right mix, vaping can be a decent alternative to smoking and has few side effects. It does quality that there is no such thing as a perfect cure and there are risks, but the are relatively uncommon. Yes, you do get people who get lung damage, but usually they are using cheap inhalers or are sucking the vape instead of just tasting it.
You can't disagree that multiple kids have been taken away from my high school in ambulances because they were vaping at school. Clearly, vaping is dangerous. Sure, it's less damaging than cigarettes, but even if you aren't talking about the time necessary for lung damage to set in, it's far from safe. Our school nurse gave us a talk about staff meeting, and she discussed what it does to the heart rate; specifically, she talked about kids who come in with their heart rates at 200+, and she's scared for them -- but they say they feel great, light as a feather. Scary stuff.
Do you eat solely organic foods without any GMO's? Because some would say doing so is as dumb as smoking. Should we ban all GMO foods? (hot debate)
Do you eat meat? Vegans would tell you that is as dangerous as smoking too. Should we ban all meat?
Yes, it's hyperbole, but it's also another analogy that falls flat. Whether we choose healthy foods or not, we NEED to eat. No one needs these recreational drugs.
Around here, the shops are more expensive than the guy on the corner so I don’t think the black market will go away.
I don't know. If I were inclined to buy drugs -- which I think I've made it clear, I'm not -- I'd buy from a store, even if it were more expensive. You could know a store isn't going to sell you a product laced with rat poison (or whatever else some people put into street drugs), and you'd feel pretty sure the guy behind the counter isn't going to pull out a gun /rob you.
Could be I guess, although I don’t know why they would bother figuring out how. Kids that use are obviously already part of a supply chain and illicit dealers didn’t just give up and go home at midnight on the 17th.
Stupid, stupid question, I know, but I'm really curious about the pricing issue. Here in AB the mandated price is about $10.00/gram for the cheapest variety. Is a gram a lot? Prepared joints start at $7.00. How much would it cost for a modest recreational habit? What kind of money are we talking? (By way of comparison, cigarettes in Alberta are $16.00/pack right now.)
. And the way I understand the government price-fixing, I'm not entirely sure the retail places are free to change it on their own. https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/what-does-cannabis-cost-across-canada-1.4138585
