A popular political argument is that marijuana is more or less harmless and that “the most dangerous thing about marijuana is getting caught with it.” “The most dangerous thing about smoking marijuana is getting caught” was cited in print in 1968 and “the most dangerous thing about marijuana is that it is illegal” was cited in 1969. “The most dangerous thing about it is the law against it” was cited in 1970.
   
   
22 November 1968, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), “Marijuana Seen As a Crutch For Use By Mental Cripples” by Jerry Capp, pg. 7, col. 2:
IN CLOSING Mrs. Horton suggests the most dangerous thing about smoking marijuana is getting caught.
(Kris Horton, in a letter to the editor.—ed.)
 
Google Books
Ave Maria
Congregation of Holy Cross
Volume 110
1969
Pg. 132:
Yet many say even now that pot itself does not bring this about—that the most dangerous thing about marijuana is that it is illegal.
 
Google News Archive
24 April 1970, Milwaukee (WI) Sentinel, “Nixon Aide Warns of Drug Danger,” pt. 2, pg. 18, col. 3:
An adviser to President Nixon on drug problems said here Thursday night that current medical knowledge would indicate that the “most dangerous thing about smoking marijuana now is getting caught.”
(Dr. Carl Lieberman, adviser on drug problems for the President’s Committee on Executive Organization.—ed.)
 
6 May 1970, Lethbridge (Alberta) Herald, “Letters to the Editor: Legalizing Marijuana,” pg. 4, col. 4:
I am sure everyone is getting tired of hearing about marijuana, but articles are still coming out that it is more-or-less harmless. They tell us that the most dangerous thing about it is the law against it, that up to 50 per cent of young people have tried marijuana and that legalizing it would take it away from the Mafia.
(...)
V. M. CLOUSTON
Quebec.
 
Google Books
Stone & Bell Prose Style:
A Handbook for Writers
By Wilfred Healey Stone and J. G. Bell
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
1972
Pg. 248:
Such figures stir disrespect for the law itself, and indeed many critics argue that the most dangerous thing about marijuana is its illegality.
 
20 February 1975, Muscatine (IA) Journal, “One death penalty proposal down, another to go” (AP), pg. 1, col. 5:
But Sen. William Plymat, R-Urbandale, contended the most dangerous thing about marijuana is thai “you can go lo jail for smoking it.”
 
Google News Archive
15 August 1977, The Daily News of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands), “Catching UP: Listening to NORML” by Jere Maupin, pg. 26, col. 1:
“The most dangerous thing about pot is the law against it,” he added.
(Hans Dohm, director of NORML in the Virgin Islands.—ed.)
 
Google Groups: alt.drugs.pot
editorial on “super weed”
CiAtFbIrS
12/13/02
“Don’t lie to your kids and don’t swallow the propaganda. The most dangerous thing about today’s super weed is the same one that we faced in our youth: getting caught.”
 
Marijuana.com
What I think the most dangerous thing about marijuana is.
Discussion in ‘Places and People’ started by FenderGreen, Aug 27, 2010.
I think the most dangerous thing about pot is getting caught with it because of prohibition. The outcome of getting caught with marijuana is much worse then the negative effects (if any at all) if you get caught you can end up in jail or having to pay a hefty fine which is far worse than the very little damage to your lungs from smoking it. Prohibition supporters and the government claim so much BS like
 
Twitter
Kelsey Whittington
‏@_kelseylayne
The most dangerous thing about marijuana is getting caught with it.. #ReasonsToLegalize
from Pocatalico, WV
6:41 PM - 12 Sep 2011
 
Twitter
dan danderson
‏@LightSurfer5
@ImmaNeoHippie as the old saying goes: “the most dangerous thing about marijuana is getting caught with it.”
9:43 PM - 29 May 2014