No, 100% of the people who smoke pot in the United States are criminals, by definition. It is illegal to smoke it, which you did, which means you broke the law, which means you are a criminal.
The main reason that I see for legalizing marijuana is purely economical. The amount of your and my money that is spent on enforcing its illegality could be put to a much more productive use such as hiring more and better teachers, fixing roads, installing and upgrading mass transit as well as policing other criminals who actually present a threat to our society. This is the main problem I have with keeping the drug illegal. The ability to tax it would be a bonus.
Other arguments are that it's harmful effects are not particularly dangerous compared to other drugs, especially with regards to those around the users. It is also not chemically addictive, and only mildly mentally addictive.
The main argument I have for keeping it illegal is that it kills productivity. You look at most people who smoke on a regular basis and the over all tendency is that they are lazier and less motivated then those who do not smoke on a regular basis, as with everything there are exceptions or outliers, but over all those who use marijuana tend to be lazier then those who don't. Having a bunch of lazy unmotivated individuals is really not a good situation for any society. It is also possible to smoke yourself retarded, or at-least dumber then you were before.
Overall I am in favor of legalizing it, but less so then I was before I read that article the creator posted.
