Should marijuana be legalized?

[Sweet & Intellectual]

Should marijuana be legalized??

Thanks for the idea on a new thread Goku!

I have to admit I haven't researched in depth, however in my opinion, I think that ANY drug that can cause brain damage as expressed somewhere on this page http://www.amenclinic.com/ac/default.asp shouldn't be legal. It is said to cause short term memory loss, and like a lot of other medical problems there is typically more than one treatment for each one. Therefore, I would rather not bring something that is potentially harmful into the hands of an MD, let along the mind of a sick person.

 

[i_wish_i_was_smart]

ya sure, more income for the government

 

[Gokul43201]

Smoking causes lung damage and drinking causes liver damage. In fact, watching TV for long periods leads to deterioration of eyesight.

Should they all (and virtually every other act known to man is harmful in some way) be criminalized ?

Legalization allows regulation, which allows (some) control over distribution and consumption. Clearly, criminalization hasn't made a dent in the trafficking or consumption of marijuana.

 

[Sweet & Intellectual]

To me, that just seems like more reason not to smoke, drink, or watch too much tv? I mean, I don't plan on living in a whole my entire life, so if my eyes deteriorate a little over 100 years, I am OK with that. However, I am not OK with liver damage, lung cancer or memory loss. I guess it's just all about what you want out of life.

 

[i_wish_i_was_smart]

Smoking causes lung damage and drinking causes liver damage. In fact, watching TV for long periods leads to deterioration of eyesight.

Should they all (and virtually every other act known to man is harmful in some way) be criminalized ?

Legalization allows regulation, which allows (some) control over distribution and consumption. Clearly, criminalization hasn't made a dent in the trafficking or consumption of marijuana.

exactly my thoughts, although i don't do it myself on a regular basis, well all except drinking lol, i don't see why people should have a criminal record for a grame of pot, it makes no sense

 

[Kerrie]

To me, that just seems like more reason not to smoke, drink, or watch too much tv? I mean, I don't plan on living in a whole my entire life, so if my eyes deteriorate a little over 100 years, I am OK with that. However, I am not OK with liver damage, lung cancer or memory loss. I guess it's just all about what you want out of life.

it would seem sweet, that you know little of marijuana...in fact, it was legal up until the 30's and hemp-a bi-product of marijuana was used as a sturdy fiber in many industries.

you probably don't know the underlying reasons why marijuana is illegal-the stuff the general public doesn't know without research. please do realize first that hemp has nothing to do with the drug content in marijuana-THC is what gets a person high, but smoking hemp will do no such thing. hemp has been proven to be a better resource for the paper, lumber, cotton and even oil industry. it can be made into paper, a sturdy fabric and even a fuel. if marijuana is legal, then these industries can easily be shut down, thus hurting corporations needy for the american consumers ignorance.

sure marijuana can cause lung cancer-if you smoke 20-40 joints a day. which is the same as a pack of cigarrettes. if you have any experience with it, you will soon realize most don't smoke more then one a day due to its potency. that is a ridiculous amount that most "addicts" hardly achieve, let alone extremely expensive.

also, here's an interesting link of how marijuana was proven to fight brain cancer in mice:
Brain cancer and marijuana
i truly believe more research needs to be done on the medicinal usage of this basic plant that can grow anywhere in this world. those who shout out how horrible it is, are truly uninformed at it's positive uses. and a general rule of thumb about this substance and ANY substance (from alcohol to sugar):
EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

sweet, i don't advocate doing illegal things, but please think for yourself and don't believe everything television puts in your face. it would seem clear to me that you are bowled over by the propaganda from the media from those who don't want you to know the real truth.

 

[decibel]

I don't think marijuana is necessarily bad for you if you do it once in a while. I smoke marijuana almost once every couple of days, and it doesent really effect me at all. I have grades in the 80% range, and will be going to university next year for engineering, i also have a job, and it doesent effect me there either. It really let's me relax, clear my mind up, ease the tension, you know...just letting go of reality for an hour and zooming off elsewhere, the high is just temporary, and your back to your normal self in an hour or 2, this is one of the main reasons why so many people choose cannibus over other drugs, its cheap, safe, effective, and the best part, its not even very addictive!

 

[Gokul43201]

it would seem sweet, that you know little of marijuana...

Why should that be sweet ?

sweet, i don't advocate doing illegal things, but please think for yourself and don't believe everything television puts in your face.

Aah, you mean Sweet.

 

[humanino]

I don't think marijuana is necessarily bad for you

If you really do it every two days, you should be aware that it affects your concentration, and more badly your memorization capacities.

 

[KaneOris]

Speaking from a lot and a lot of personal expirience(i use to smoke about 2 grams a day)

Society would be so stuffed up if marijuana was legalised
Think of how many kids have binge drinking problems in america
Here in australia, one of the greens policies is to legalize marijuana and ecstasy, i mean with a policy like that, its obvious they couldn't run a country

 

[decibel]

If you really do it every two days, you should be aware that it affects your concentration, and more badly your memorization capacities.

i'm going to have to disagree, i'v been doing it for about 5 years, and my memory has had no negatives towards it, i'v recently (thursday) had a 6 page history test, which i got 90%. It does however badly effect you if you smoke it and not compensate for the "highness" in other way such as studying and working out, i work out everyday and can run long distance very well, the marijuana doesent effect me in that either. But if you just smoke everyday all the time and not do anything else (also known as being a bum), then that my friend, is not a very healthy life.

 

[JasonRox]

Weed won't affect memory loss at a young age, besides those 2 hours of idiocy. I say idiocy because this is the feeling I get, which is great, when I tried it.

Humans are given a large supply of brain cells, and more than enough to last a life time. Of course, it is assumed someone would live a normal life, and lose some brain cells from banging head and what not.

The problem here is that people who do not notice it yet, are only young. They haven't lived very long. You still have a long way to go with those brain cells, and if you get rid of them all in the first 20-25 years of your life, the next 30-40 years, well let's just say you won't remember them.

Have you ever noticed why the old guy in That 70's Show is dumb? He smokes just as much as everyone else right, and everyone else is fine.

Think about it.

Note: I did it half a dozen times, and it is better than getting drunk, in my opinion.

The other reason why you think you don't have memory loss is because you have nothing to compare to. Comparing it to before? You can't do that because before you never thought about memory loss before hand, so the only way to test it now is to quit for a bit. Everyone I talked to, who were heavy smokers, admitted an increase in concentration and memory after quitting for awhile(month or more). I never met anyone who disagreed, and I'm including the potheads who support it 100%.

Try it for yourself! You probably won't have to study to get 90's.

 

[humanino]

I agree. I used to do it before, and I thought I was fine, because I was at the top of the class, and I needed not much work either. I have nothing to regret. It is even worse : the reason I began, was that, being at the top without working much made the other think I was not normal. I kept havoing interests in things outside the program, and I was considered different, and of course nobody wants that. So I decided to hang around with those messy guys, so that I was not normal only because I had good marks, but still I was a "cool dude". I am only definitely positive : even once every other day as I did at that time, you are already seriously affected. You can afford it : great ! Quit it, you won't miss it at all, you will save money if you have to pay for it, you will gain concentration and memorization capabilities, you will have two more hours every other day to read. Or maybe everybody is different.

 

[Zantra]

weed, just like any other type of drug doesn't cause damage to the body in small qualities. However, when used over a prolonged period of time in large quantities it CAN damage the body. If you have 6 beers in your lifetime, you won't get addicted or die of scirrocis- but how many people have JUST 6 beers in their lifetimes? It's the mentally addictive property leading to heavy use and/or abuse which leads to problems. Just like you won't get lung cancer if you smoke 1 pack of ciggarettes your entire life- but who smokes just ONE pack? Addiction starts with justification of temporary use-but it never stays that way. unless your familiar with the psychology of addiction, you can't understand the reasoning behind it.

So if you can't stop with just one beer or one pack of ciggarettes, why would you stop at a couple of joints? Mental addiction can be as powerful as physical addiction. Can you lead a normal life and smoke weed? I know quite a few people- sucessful people who smoke it. I've done it a few times in my life before- enough to know that it wasn't a big deal, or something I wanted to do on a regular basis. beer is cheaper. And if you legalized weed, it would be even MORE expensive than it is now- if you can imagine.


About that Australian green party bill.. THC and MDM, or X aren't even in the same drug category, and can't be compared. X releases all the seratonin in your brain which causes your body to heat up. use too much and you will die. Prolonged use causes depression, mood swings, and does all sorts of things to your mental stability- and it DOES affect your brain functions by overheating your brain basically.

I put people who use MDM in the same category as hardcore drug users and people who sniff aeresol cans to get high. They are idiots, plain and simple, and lack basic common sense. And if you're justifying using it, you're an addict.

 

[humanino]

Maybe I did not consume much, but I never missed weed one single second. When I decided to quit cigarettes, it was another business. I did not really miss it, but I have been nervous for several days.

I really think I had a small consumption, and I did notice a difference, without rationnaly asking myself "is it different now ?", no, the difference was forced to my eyes.

 

[Loren Booda]

Pot interferes with socialization, memory and emergency reaction. A hallucinogen, it can precipitate underlying mental illnesses. The "better" it makes you feel, the more chance you will eventually not be able to function without a joint, bong and bag on your person.

THC is fat-soluble, staying in the brain for at least a month. If you feel you need to self-medicate, try asking a doctor for more appropriate talk- or drug-therapy; every major pharmaceutical has a billion dollars worth of research behind itself. The legal medical uses of pot - for cancer, AIDS and other primarily terminal diseases - indicate that only in extreme cases is active marijuana warranted. Marinol, for instance, is one hemp extract for nausea (antiemetic) that doesn't get one high.

Industrial hemp can be bred with very low THC content, and the only legal use of its seeds is by those sterilized for bird food. It has been conjectured that THC arose to disorient birds attacking the marijuana plant. Did human brains evolve to poison themselves? Trip you must, but take the challenge of finding how to without street drugs.

 

[Moonbear]

It does seem to have some medicinal value, so I'd like to see it legal for dispensing by prescription for those who can benefit from it. Afterall, if the terminally ill can be pumped full of morphine, or given a bottle of percodan or vicodin to take home, it seems marijuana, or at least an extract containing the active compounds, should be available by prescription too if it can alleviate some of the symptoms of debilitating illness. I don't think recreational use should be legalized. On the other hand, I also think that those who do abuse drugs shouldn't be treated as criminals, but instead provided access to treatment programs (save the criminal charges for those who illegally distribute the drugs and smuggle them into the country).

 

[wasteofo2]

I've heard that it's actually easier for kids to get Marijuana than Alcohol, since Alcohol's ususally only made and sold legally to people with a permit, wheras Marijuana's sold to anyone who'll pay for it pretty much. Holland hasn't fallen into chaos since Marijuana's been legalized there, and they have ridiculously low rates of hard drug usage too, must be something magically calming about the Marijuana...

 

[Zantra]

Maybe I did not consume much, but I never missed weed one single second. When I decided to quit cigarettes, it was another business. I did not really miss it, but I have been nervous for several days.

I really think I had a small consumption, and I did notice a difference, without rationnaly asking myself "is it different now ?", no, the difference was forced to my eyes.

weed doesn't have any physically addictive properties too it- so I always laugh when I hear people say "but I NEEED it". Yes you can stop any time with no side affects. So then why are there so many regular users? Addictive personality. For those people, if it wasn't weed it would be ciggarrettes(and frequently is in addition) or alcohol. For yougner people, weed is seen as a gateway drug to harder substances. Some people use it infrenquently and have no short term side affects. But you can smoke ciggarrettes for 20 years and suffer no side affects(or at least no major ones) Of course when cancer comes calling are we surprised? nope.

I don't don't mean to lecture(ok you I do) but hey, if a substance only gives you temporary escape, but then causes long term health affects that are much worse than whatever you're trying to esacape from, is it worth it? Maybe that's an american mentality: buy now, pay later...*shrug*


I'll just add on that I have many friends who use it, and I don't lecture them, or tell them how to live their lives, but they know the consequences of their actions just like a smoker does

 

[KaneOris]

Anyone who has smoked weed, and says that it doesn't affect them at all, apart from the desired effects, is either lying, or they don't know where its effecting them, id advise you to a get a sperm count!

 

[JasonRox]

I thought lowering the sperm count was a good thing.

 

[Kalimaa23]

I thought lowering the sperm count was a good thing.

For some people, yes

 

[Loren Booda]

THC is similar in form to some female hormones - thus less aggression, male breasts and lowered sperm count?

 

[Adrian Baker]

Loads of comments here about possible harm/dangers/need etc but what about FREEDOM? What right does a Govt have to decide what substances a citizen can put in his/her body? Who owns my body - me or the Govt?

If I smoke pot and mess myself up, so what? It won't affect you or anyone else. Do we really need a nanny state dictating what we do? What right do the Govt have to interfere in such a basic human need as getting high now and again?

If I really need protecting from myself then perhaps we should also ban tobacco, alcohol, motorcycles, mountain climbing, polar exploration, hand gliding, racing, etc...

And if the Govt is SO concerned with citizens health, how come they have an army who can be sent to parts of the world where people want to kill them?

Pah!

 

[Kerrie]

Loads of comments here about possible harm/dangers/need etc but what about FREEDOM? What right does a Govt have to decide what substances a citizen can put in his/her body? Who owns my body - me or the Govt?

If I smoke pot and mess myself up, so what? It won't affect you or anyone else. Do we really need a nanny state dictating what we do? What right do the Govt have to interfere in such a basic human need as getting high now and again?

If I really need protecting from myself then perhaps we should also ban tobacco, alcohol, motorcycles, mountain climbing, polar exploration, hand gliding, racing, etc...

And if the Govt is SO concerned with citizens health, how come they have an army who can be sent to parts of the world where people want to kill them?

Pah!

it's not about freedom, it's about legalizing a substance that would endanger big business that support the government (lumber, cotton, and oil)

 

[humanino]

but they know the consequences of their actions just like a smoker does

Are you certain they realize the effects on the concentration and memorization capabilities ? I was not aware of the extent of those. Only experimentating it can make you realize. But then you need to quit. And then you realize how stupid it was.

I keep getting drunk once in a while. I can have one or two puffs from time to time whenever I have the occasion, and those give me a real funny effect I can appreciate, whereas it required more back when I smoked it several times a week.

 

[Moonbear]

While I was driving home today, and thinking about PF as I always do, :tongue2: it occurred to me there is another reason for the government to stop people from doing things to harm themselves...the rising cost of health insurance! The more insurance companies have to pay for the stupid things people do to themselves, the more we all pay in premiums. Alternatively, if these people don't have insurance or if insurance carriers just refused to cover "self-inflicted" injury, then it's likely the hospitals will be the ones to get stiffed, so then we pay the added expense in rising cost of hospital stays or doctor visits. In the end, we all wind up paying for their stupidity.

 

[JasonRox]

While I was driving home today, and thinking about PF as I always do, :tongue2: it occurred to me there is another reason for the government to stop people from doing things to harm themselves...the rising cost of health insurance! The more insurance companies have to pay for the stupid things people do to themselves, the more we all pay in premiums. Alternatively, if these people don't have insurance or if insurance carriers just refused to cover "self-inflicted" injury, then it's likely the hospitals will be the ones to get stiffed, so then we pay the added expense in rising cost of hospital stays or doctor visits. In the end, we all wind up paying for their stupidity.

Which leads me to believe that the average IQ is not 100, but more like 75ish.

 

[wasteofo2]

If I smoke pot and mess myself up, so what? It won't affect you or anyone else. Do we really need a nanny state dictating what we do? What right do the Govt have to interfere in such a basic human need as getting high now and again?

In a society where the government doesn't pay for your medical costs in any way, that'd be true, but in the USA, the govt pays for a lot of your medical care, so every person who fuks up their own body is an expense to the govt, and every tax-paying citizen, who funds the government.

 

[hypnagogue]

While I was driving home today, and thinking about PF as I always do, :tongue2: it occurred to me there is another reason for the government to stop people from doing things to harm themselves...the rising cost of health insurance! The more insurance companies have to pay for the stupid things people do to themselves, the more we all pay in premiums. Alternatively, if these people don't have insurance or if insurance carriers just refused to cover "self-inflicted" injury, then it's likely the hospitals will be the ones to get stiffed, so then we pay the added expense in rising cost of hospital stays or doctor visits. In the end, we all wind up paying for their stupidity.

I'm not going to do the math, but it seems as if the government could more than make up for such costs simply by placing high sales taxes on the harmful substances in question.

 

[Moonbear]

I'm not going to do the math, but it seems as if the government could more than make up for such costs simply by placing high sales taxes on the harmful substances in question.

Hmmm...maybe. But I don't know for certain. Taxes on cigarettes and alcohol don't seem to cover the cost of treating illnesses related to using those. People won't even allow extra taxes on junk food that is legal and we know leads to health problems when consumed in excess. I guess there would be a fine line between how much you could tax it and when it becomes more profitable to sell it illegally without paying tax as to whether this would work. Then again, we might have an easier time catching the smugglers and dealers if the IRS was going after them instead of the DEA.

 

[humanino]

I'm not going to do the math, but it seems as if the government could more than make up for such costs simply by placing high sales taxes on the harmful substances in question.

Yes, they can do the math, and that is why they might only tax it, as they do with alcohol. Besides, it keeps the people shouting the stupid argument "I'm free to spoil my life" have exactly what they deserve.

 

[gerben]

Yes, they can do the math, and that is why they might only tax it, as they do with alcohol. Besides, it keeps the people shouting the stupid argument "I'm free to spoil my life" have exactly what they deserve.

I think it would be wonderful if they would one day really try to legalise people's choises, and discover how this would solve all the monstrous problems they (the government, etc.) have created by this absurd prohibition.

(I think the present day situation could almost be called a kind of civil war)

 

[Kerrie]

While I was driving home today, and thinking about PF as I always do, :tongue2: it occurred to me there is another reason for the government to stop people from doing things to harm themselves...the rising cost of health insurance! The more insurance companies have to pay for the stupid things people do to themselves, the more we all pay in premiums. Alternatively, if these people don't have insurance or if insurance carriers just refused to cover "self-inflicted" injury, then it's likely the hospitals will be the ones to get stiffed, so then we pay the added expense in rising cost of hospital stays or doctor visits. In the end, we all wind up paying for their stupidity.

the rising costs are due to malpractice insurance and the amount of lawsuits americans file. i know an emergency room doctor who pays 100K annually for his malpractice insurance. also, you have the huge profits of the pharmaceutical companies that the insurance premiums have to cover. and don't forget the mounting problem of the uninsured who are treated regardless and then never pay the bill-guess who gets stuck with those costs down the road? those paying the insurance premiums...

those smoking marijuana are a lot less likely to injure themselves then someone who is intoxicated from alcohol. if anything, someone high has the tendency to do nothing but think. anyone hurting themselves from that is in rare form.

 

[Evo]

Funny, when I was younger everyone smoked marijuana and I could always tell when someone had been smoking because their ability to pay attention was so impaired. We nicknamed one guy that smoked all the time "snap" because he had no snap (attention span).

People that smoke don't realize how their coordination, reflexes and response time are all diminished when they smoke. They think they are reacting normally. :rofl:

I've smoked and I personally don't like the feeling, I prefer to be alert.

I don't consider it any more harmful than alcohol, but it should be used like alcohol. If you drink during the day or while you are working or driving, you are considered to have a problem. Smoking marijuana is no different.