Debunking the most common anti-cannabis arguments

As the debate about Cannabis legalization gathers steam, the neo-prohibitionists will doubtless ramp up their campaign to keep marijuana illegal. Consistency is not the strength of the prohibition movement. They'll happily keep throwing mud (reefer madness! it makes Mexicans homicidal!) until something sticks.

Although the historical assaults on cannabis no longer carry much weight, the prohibition movement has settled upon a few key points that will likely be the most often repeated anti-pot points you'll hear over the next couple of years. Those key points are:

1. Marijuana is much stronger than it used to be.
2. Marijuana causes mental illness, in particular schizophrenia.
3. The economic costs of legalizing marijuana would outweigh the benefits.

All these points are demonstrably false. However, merely demonstrating that they are false isn't enough. On These Ramparts will attempt to demonstrate four things about each of these points:

• Where does this argument come from?
• Why is it false?
• Why does it resonate with people? (in other words, why is it being used?)
• How can this argument be effectively neutralized?