I believe that marijuana should be legal (discussion)

[lordofthereef]

Think about all the new perscription drugs that come out and how many get recalled get recalled. They cause things like heart disease, blood clots, blindess, seizures, and sooooo much more. But weed is too dangerous to be legalized?? Come on!

There is a big difference here. How many OVER THE COUNTER DRUGS does this happen to? Very few. We are talking about being able to walk into a store and buy these things, not be given a prescription. In the case of the prescription, it is the prescribing physician's job to first of all be educated about the drug and second of all educate their patient. That said, RX drugs are also given as medical necessity, and not as a recreational product. Again, a bit of a difference there.

 

[tommy_ed]

Well, when Wellfare Joe is being treated for lung cancer on my dime (tax payer $$), I have a big problem with it. That is equally true for any substance.

so you also think sugar, caffeine, aerosol, anything that can cause any kind of disease or cancer should be made illegal? because that's what you're saying here...

 

[tommy_ed]

There is a big difference here. How many OVER THE COUNTER DRUGS does this happen to? Very few. We are talking about being able to walk into a store and buy these things, not be given a prescription. In the case of the prescription, it is the prescribing physician's job to first of all be educated about the drug and second of all educate their patient. That said, RX drugs are also given as medical necessity, and not as a recreational product. Again, a bit of a difference there.

the thing is... marijuana has less side effects than most over the counter medication. and in fact, it's safer.

 

[KingOfGreen]

There is a big difference here. How many OVER THE COUNTER DRUGS does this happen to? Very few. We are talking about being able to walk into a store and buy these things, not be given a prescription. In the case of the prescription, it is the prescribing physician's job to first of all be educated about the drug and second of all educate their patient. That said, RX drugs are also given as medical necessity, and not as a recreational product. Again, a bit of a difference there.

If you took tylenol everyday, you could destroy your liver and stomach. Look at the diet product commercials. You remember when those got recalled??? We are cooking up chemicals all the time and they are given out like candy. Not all of which are rx and some on the shelves are known to cause issues (tylenol can destroy your liver) Sooo many get recalled and soo many have the possibility of horrible side effects, my point is that weed isnt like that.

YES when youre high you are a bit slow, short term memory not so great and after years and years of SMOKING you could give yourself cancer. But outside of that there is no real harm. So long as youre not behind the wheel. Or evidence of such as you cant really prove it doesnt exist. But cigarettes will give you lung cancer much easier. And all these new chemicals just may give us all cancer. From the time i was 6 to about 16 (when i chose to stop taking them) i was perscribed at least 7 or 8 different psych drugs, yeahhhh thats safe!!!

When i was young sooo many kids were perscribed riddlin (sp) and now adderrall (sp) im sorry, that shit is phamacuetical grade meth and 6 year old kids were on it on a daily basis. And dont tell me its not because if you know someone who has taken any of this it will have you wired as shit for 12+ hours, you wont eat or feel hungry, you are twacked out! And yes those are rx but they are wayyy over percribed and drs dont know shit about knew drugs. They get mass sample packs, pens, notepads and start perscribing. Im not saying they know NOTHING but a year or 2 of research on a new drug isnt nearly enough to be given out the way they are as soo many recalls prove.

You cant tell me drs should be able to perscribe thousands of 6, 7, and 8 year olds something like riddlin, adderral, prozac, or sooo many other psych drugs new and old, with parents who dont understand what their kids are taking. but me as a GROWN ASS MAN cant smoke or eat some weed if i so please. Thats bullshit.

Im not trying to say weed is good for you. And for the most part the medcinal thing is BS, yes it can ease pain nausea and help you eat. But the rest is still up in the air. There is always someone somewhere doing research on it and you know what they HAVENT FOUND, that its detrimental to your health, it doesnt cause cancer (other than smoking can=lung issues) or heart disease, it doesnt give you blood clots, seizures,or so many other things that soooo many LEGAL drugs RX or OTC can. Smoking it does have carcinogens but eating it doesnt, and one or the other its my choice.

 

[lordofthereef]

I keep repeating myself here.

1.) The fact that something is less dangerous than something that is legal is a poor argument for legalizing it. It's a GREAT argument for the illegalization of the already legal substance.

2.) Over the counter drugs cannot be abused (generally). If you take tylenol daily, your liver is destroyed. True. If you OD on water, you can also die. The difference is that these products aren't abused and they don't alter your state of mind. It's also worth noting that there have been drugs pulled off the counter in the past, as time has proven them unsafe.

3.) RX drugs can be harmful. True. They also have a purpose OTHER THAN getting high. Notice that plenty of states are already legalizing MEDICAL marijuana. This marijuana is used as treatment, and not recreation.

From Wikipedia

Acute effects while under the influence can include euphoria and anxiety. However, chronic use is associated with some cardiovascular risk factors such as blood triglyceride levels and blood pressure, as indicated in a longitudinal study. The evidence of long-term effects on memory is preliminary and hindered by confounding factors.Concerns have been raised about the potential for long-term cannabis consumption to increase risk for schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and major depression,but the ultimate conclusions on these factors are disputed.

Generally speaking, over the counter medications have the same/fewer side effects.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Think about all the new perscription drugs that come out and how many get recalled get recalled. They cause things like heart disease, blood clots, blindess, seizures, and sooooo much more. But weed is too dangerous to be legalized?? Come on!

True enough. But we are not talking about the legal drugs that for the most part, serve the public well, and with few issues. And if a drug is recalled, how the hell can you twist that to say pot should be made legal?

I see these arguments all the time and they are in no way valid or comparable, so No Souo for You!

 

[Bob Maxey]

YES when youre high you are a bit slow, short term memory not so great and after years and years of SMOKING you could give yourself cancer. But outside of that there is no real harm. So long as youre not behind the wheel. Or evidence of such as you cant really prove it doesnt exist. But cigarettes will give you lung cancer much easier. And all these new chemicals just may give us all cancer. From the time i was 6 to about 16 (when i chose to stop taking them) i was perscribed at least 7 or 8 different psych drugs, yeahhhh thats safe!!!

When you say, "Or evidence of such as you cant really prove it doesn't exist," perhaps you might also consider that you pro pot people use stats and "facts" that cannot be proven, either.

Your first part is quite humorous because you admit there is a problem with pot, all the while pushing for legalization because one bad thing is not as bad as another bad thing.

Fact: both are bad, period. And this comes from a dedicated cigar aficionado.

I'll tell you this for the record and stated as an absolute FACT: we do not know how bad MJ is, and if you think it is not as bad as tobacco, you do not know it for anything that approaches a fact.

 

[Bob Maxey]

RX drugs can be harmful. True. They also have a purpose OTHER THAN getting high. Notice that plenty of states are already legalizing MEDICAL marijuana. This marijuana is used as treatment, and not recreation.

Do you suppose if a compound were derived from MJ/THC and it was a simple pill that did what MJ (supposedly) does for cancer sufferers, and MJ were banned totally, would people still push for legamlized medical MJ?

I bet yes, they would raise hell because they want to get high and medical MJ is one foot in the door.

 

[lordofthereef]

Do you suppose if a compound were derived from MJ/THC and it was a simple pill that did what MJ (supposedly) does for cancer sufferers, and MJ were banned totally, would people still push for legamlized medical MJ?

I bet yes, they would raise hell because they want to get high and medical MJ is one foot in the door.

Oh I am sure they would, BUT it would probably be a much harder argument to make. And... we'd probably just do away with said pill after that fact.

 

[KingOfGreen]

Ohh wikipedia, the internets MOST reloable source of information. Do you guys know what stephne colbert did with it??

My point is that its not addictive, its not going to hurt the people around me (2nd hand smoke and impaired drivers aside), i would never say its good for you or that it has NO bad health effects. I just cant believe that anybody would believe that it is soooo bad that i shouldnt be able to make the choice on my own. People drink and smoke ALL OVER THE WORLD. Alot of the world has decriminilized it. As a grown man there is NO reason i shouldnt be able to smoke weed in my own home if i please. It will happen soon enough. 5-10 years max it will be decriminilized or legalized throughout the u.s.

 

[lordofthereef]

Ok, sorry.
Marijuana - InfoFacts - NIDA
Read there, plenty of effects on marijuana for you there, along with graphs/stats. Not a wiki at all. Again, we don't illegalize things simply because they don't directly harm those not using them.

Basic Facts About Drugs: Marijuana

Have a look there for more. Also not a wiki

Marijuana addiction: side effects & signs of Marijuana use & abuse | Clear Haven Center Montreal Canada

Last one. Promise!

As a grown man there is NO reason i shouldnt be able to smoke weed in my own home if i please. It will happen soon enough. 5-10 years max it will be decriminilized or legalized throughout the u.s.

FWIW I don't disagree. I am sure this will happen if/when we can get a relaible test that shows whether you are under the influence (ie DWI, etc.)

 

[Tommy78]

This is not directed at anyone in particular.

Pot is for depressed dopes, don't be a dope. Why would a person want to live their life in a drug induced coma-cloud acting like a moron all day? Get a life instead.

 

[KingOfGreen]

Again im not disputing its not good for you. I just had to hate on wiki. My biggest thing is that what i do to my body is my choice. You can get a dwi for driving on pain killers, or just cough syrup for that matter. Im pretty sure the officer that pulls you over can make the decision based on the sobriety tests. Blood tests on something like pot are iffy to say the least since it lingers much longer than alcohol.

And its not for depressed dopers, youve been watching too many above the infuence commercials. Just about everything i do, i also do high. Its not like i smoke some herb and waste 6 hours on my couch. Same goes for most of my buddies.

No doubt theres those people who are self medicating and use it as an escape from the world. But thats their choice. High or not those people will be doing the same shit. When i smoke ill go out with friends, party, swim, go hiking. Just about everything you non smokers do for fun, i do high. And theres alot i have to good sense not to do under the influence, like riding quads or jet skis and anything of that sort.

And not everyone who smokes is always high. My cousin has her masters and her husband has a phd. I bring them herb once in a while, we smoke in the back yard and bullshit for a couple hours. And the rest of the time they work 50+ hours a week and take care of her daughter. Not all weed smokers and young jobless folks wasting away doing nothing. Just like not everyone who drinks is an alcoholic.

 

[lordofthereef]

You can get a dwi for driving on pain killers, or just cough syrup for that matter. Im pretty sure the officer that pulls you over can make the decision based on the sobriety tests. Blood tests on something like pot are iffy to say the least since it lingers much longer than alcohol.

You aren't always going to fail a sobriety test if you are using marijuana. Furthermore, it is your right to demand a blood test if the cop states you are intoxicated. Currently, anyone that has smoked within two weeks time would fail said test.

 

[KingOfGreen]

You aren't always going to fail a sobriety test if you are using marijuana. Furthermore, it is your right to demand a blood test if the cop states you are intoxicated. Currently, anyone that has smoked within two weeks time would fail said test.

Anyone who smokes regularlly, if you smoke once in a while its still only a few days. And i believe that it would end up having to be up to the officer to determine whether or no you are impaired. NOT the blood test because of this. They just passed a medicinal mj law in az where im at and thats what it came down to, whether or not the officer believed you were under the influence. And i do believe that most (hopefully all) would be able to make that call correctly if need be. I know in my personal experience they have been able to before the drug test.

 

[Aggie12]

Do you suppose if a compound were derived from MJ/THC and it was a simple pill that did what MJ (supposedly) does for cancer sufferers, and MJ were banned totally, would people still push for legamlized medical MJ?

I bet yes, they would raise hell because they want to get high and medical MJ is one foot in the door.

It's been done. And yes. People would rather smoke. But who cares. Dronabinol - PubMed Health
Main ingredient is delta-9-THC, the main component of pot.

This is not directed at anyone in particular.

Pot is for depressed dopes, don't be a dope. Why would a person want to live their life in a drug induced coma-cloud acting like a moron all day? Get a life instead.

I don't think you can just make such a blanket statement like that. For startes the people that use this for medical purposes such as MS among others use it to get through the day and live a life without pain. As for myself, I have a life thank you. It's Great! I'm going for my PhD in chemistry and life couldn't be better. Ok maybe I could lose a few pounds but meh. People that are lazy when they smoke pot are inherently lazy when they don't smoke pot. It's all in your attitude prior to smoking. Pot just doesn't magically make you lazy. I consider myself pretty active.

 

[B2L]

It's been done. And yes. People would rather smoke. But who cares. Dronabinol - PubMed Health
Main ingredient is delta-9-THC, the main component of pot.



I don't think you can just make such a blanket statement like that. For startes the people that use this for medical purposes such as MS among others use it to get through the day and live a life without pain. As for myself, I have a life thank you. It's Great! I'm going for my PhD in chemistry and life couldn't be better. Ok maybe I could lose a few pounds but meh. People that are lazy when they smoke pot are inherently lazy when they don't smoke pot. It's all in your attitude prior to smoking. Pot just doesn't magically make you lazy. I consider myself pretty active.

I completely agree with you, not every person that smokes is lazy. I work out everyday, have a full time job, and go out and do plenty of things besides sit at home and smoke all day. It's a pretty vague assumption to think every person who smokes is lazy.

 

[lordofthereef]

Anyone who smokes regularlly, if you smoke once in a while its still only a few days. And i believe that it would end up having to be up to the officer to determine whether or no you are impaired. NOT the blood test because of this. They just passed a medicinal mj law in az where im at and thats what it came down to, whether or not the officer believed you were under the influence. And i do believe that most (hopefully all) would be able to make that call correctly if need be. I know in my personal experience they have been able to before the drug test.

Currently, you have the right to demand a test if the officer believes you are impaired. You MUST have the ability to contest what the officer says. What if his/her judgement is poor? It has happened many a time with drunk drivers. When deciding legally about marijuana, one cannot just say "its up to the officer's discression whether or not he/she THINKS you were smoking recently". That simply isn't good enough, nor should it be for those that want to smoke.

Whether the drug is in your system for days or weeks is irrelevant as well. We will need some sort of system in place that can test levels, preferably on the filed, otherwise this thing just isn't going to get passed.

 

[Bob Maxey]

I completely agree with you, not every person that smokes is lazy. I work out everyday, have a full time job, and go out and do plenty of things besides sit at home and smoke all day. It's a pretty vague assumption to think every person who smokes is lazy.

And not everyone who drinks is a drunk, either. Not every prescription drug is abused and causes death, and not every pot user graduates to hard drugs.

I will agree, not every pot user is lazy, just to be fair.

Fact is, some drive drunk and some drive baked. We can alleviate the second issue by keeping pot illegal. We can't ban alcohol because we have tried and failed miserably.

 

[lordofthereef]

We can't ban alcohol because we have tried and failed miserably.

I think it was a little less a miserable failure and just a whole lot more less strict than it needed to be. If we did the hardcore drug busts against alcohol that we do against other illicit drugs I am sure there would be success. Of course, that wouldn't be the best way to be spending our money in the current climate.

 

[nlsme]

And not everyone who drinks is a drunk, either. Not every prescription drug is abused and causes death, and not every pot user graduates to hard drugs.

I will agree, not every pot user is lazy, just to be fair.

Fact is, some drive drunk and some drive baked. We can alleviate the second issue by keeping pot illegal. We can't ban alcohol because we have tried and failed miserably.

How can you alleviate the issue? The fact that pot is WIDELY and EASILY available NOW means nothing? Pot prohibition has failed the last 90 years straight. So, lets spend another billion putting peaceful, otherwise law abiding citizens into our overcrowded, underfunded legal system.....

 

[lordofthereef]

How can you alleviate the issue? The fact that pot is WIDELY and EASILY available NOW means nothing? Pot prohibition has failed the last 90 years straight. So, lets spend another billion putting peaceful, otherwise law abiding citizens into our overcrowded, underfunded legal system.....

I see two options.
1.) Legalize completely
2.) Make punishments around the board way more strict than they already are.

 

[Tommy78]

I don't recall calling anyone lazy, but that's besides the point. To me, just the fact that a person would have to, or want to use or take something to alter their mind says that they do not like how things are normally. That is a fact in one way or another weather you're willing to admit it or not.

 

[lordofthereef]

I don't recall calling anyone lazy, but that's besides the point. To me, just the fact that a person would have to, or want to use or take something to alter their mind says that they do not like how things are normally. That is a fact in one way or another weather you're willing to admit it or not.

People do that with alcohol, prescription drugs, etc. Hell, if you have ever taken a pain killer, you are altering how your body perceives the pain.

 

[Tommy78]

We're talking about pot. You and some others would rather smoke pot and change your mindset on a regular basis rather than just living normally. What does that say? Give the right answer this time.