Is Legalizing Marijuana Worth the Risks?

[Kerrie]

It's a lost cause. It's like talking to a brick wall. People who smoke weed do so no matter what damage it does, so they obviously don't care about the legality or morality surrounding it's use. I didn't expect to convince anyone. To each his own.

Cheers.

i wouldn't assume anyone advocating this smokes ...what i am advocating is how ridiculous it is for this substance to be illegal so the common taxpayer dollars can house those in prison for it and the police waste their time on these users. you are right, it won't change-so why do we continue to keep it illegal and pay for a system that will never change? i agree with adrian..if you drink or smoke, you are a hypocrite if you claim that marijuana is horrible for you-sure, if you consume 20 joints a day! users who smoke will smoke maybe 1-2 a day average...recreational users, that in a week! in my opinion, those who assert the "claim" that it is a dangerous drug (assuming you are not operating a motor vehicle) are completely brainwashed by the stigma society has cast upon you...think for yourselves

 

[Zantra]

No the problem is that since it's illegal, the people who DO use the drug are more often than not irresponsible, and the kind of people who DO do stupid stuff like drive high...legalizing it wouldn't improve the situation because then you'd just have responsible people and MORE irresponsible people using it.

que sera sera

 

[Adrian Baker]

No the problem is that since it's illegal, the people who DO use the drug are more often than not irresponsible

Hmm... interesting point backed up by what?? Your personal prejudices maybe? Quick Question - is it better to take a dangerous and harmful legal drug promoted and taxed by the Govt, or an illegal drug that is less dangerous?

and the kind of people who DO do stupid stuff like drive high...legalizing it wouldn't improve the situation because then you'd just have responsible people and MORE irresponsible people using it.

You were correct earlier - it is like banging your head against a brick wall!
My arguments are based on principles such as freedom, and evidence such as lawlessness due to Prohibition, prisons full of drug users, streets with territorial drug wars going on, and our present drug laws.
Your arguments seem to be based on what you think may or may not be good for people, and on rash statements about people being irresponsible if 'allowed' to take drugs that are already availiable on every street corner and in every school (I speak from experience here).

Must go now, being irresponsible I'm off to smoke some crack and then race around the roads at 100mph...

 

[Zantra]

Hmm... interesting point backed up by what?? Your personal prejudices maybe? Quick Question - is it better to take a dangerous and harmful legal drug promoted and taxed by the Govt, or an illegal drug that is less dangerous?

You're going to refute something that is common knowledge? Turn on the news and watch for the reports of "accident was caused by intoxicated or under the influence driver".

How many examples would you like? I can probably go to any local paper's website and get you some links in about 5 minutes. It's common knowlege.

You were correct earlier - it is like banging your head against a brick wall!
My arguments are based on principles such as freedom, and evidence such as lawlessness due to Prohibition, prisons full of drug users, streets with territorial drug wars going on, and our present drug laws.
Your arguments seem to be based on what you think may or may not be good for people, and on rash statements about people being irresponsible if 'allowed' to take drugs that are already availiable on every street corner and in every school (I speak from experience here).

Must go now, being irresponsible I'm off to smoke some crack and then race around the roads at 100mph...

Not every user is irresponsible...No I didn't say that.. but let's think about it.. if you're using an illegal drug, what other laws do you see as "loose guidelines?" You can't assume that though they may use illegal drugs, they are upstanding and smart enough not to use the illegal drugs responsibly.

Crack and guns are available widely too... should I pick some up for you? Just because it's there, doesn't mean you need to have it. You're the one going wth the anarchist "screw everyone else as long as I get mine" premise. Of course if you accidentally take my weed and I kill you for it, I shouldn't be punished, because that would restrict my personal freedom

But I guess I'm just trying to annoy you with all this talk about laws and moral and such. I have to run too as I'm late for my bible thumper meeting where we talk about your satanic misogynistic ways, and how to use prayer to change things

 

[Kerrie]

You're going to refute something that is common knowledge? Turn on the news and watch for the reports of "accident was caused by intoxicated or under the influence driver".

How many examples would you like? I can probably go to any local paper's website and get you some links in about 5 minutes. It's common knowlege.




Not every user is irresponsible...No I didn't say that.. but let's think about it.. if you're using an illegal drug, what other laws do you see as "loose guidelines?" You can't assume that though they may use illegal drugs, they are upstanding and smart enough not to use the illegal drugs responsibly.

Crack and guns are available widely too... should I pick some up for you? Just because it's there, doesn't mean you need to have it. You're the one going wth the anarchist "screw everyone else as long as I get mine" premise. Of course if you accidentally take my weed and I kill you for it, I shouldn't be punished, because that would restrict my personal freedom

But I guess I'm just trying to annoy you with all this talk about laws and moral and such. I have to run too as I'm late for my bible thumper meeting where we talk about your satanic misogynistic ways, and how to use prayer to change things

zantra, still waiting for your statistics on your opinion of "The problem with MJ, just like anything else is that people don't use it responsibly, and cause injury to other people. This gives it a bad vibe."

i doubt you have any personal experience with the plant yourself...and if you did, most likely you would remain sitting home watching a good movie eating cheetohs...marijuana does not make anyone feel aggressive-in fact, many people use recreationally because of how relaxed they feel. honestly zantra, you need more OBJECTIVE understanding of it before you spout off how irresponsible users are. i am not comfortable having people with no objective understanding of the substance making the laws of it-thus why we have our drug war problem. i have supplied plenty of evidence of why marijuana being illegal IS a big problem, and i am still waiting for your evidence to show that marijuana causes injuries to others. if you are unable to provide evidence, then i can assume you have a moral and uneducated perspective against it-something this science forum ironically does not endorse.

we all know religion is not a way to run a free government such as america-why let those who are religiously against a substance that is less harmful then alcohol dictate the law? if marijuana suddenly became legal zantra, where would you then stand on the subject? are you against it because it is illegal, or because of a percpetion that has been planted within you by what others have told you? i am confident it is not because of any evidence you have, otherwise i am sure you would have provided by now.

 

[Zantra]

I gave up- as it there's no point. Even if I post these statistics it won't change anyone's mind, so I'm not wasting anymore space. For me the topic is closed. I stated my opinion, and that's good enough for me.

Oh and FYI, I've burned down my share of fatties, thank you very much-Way more than you, I'd wager. I know exactly what it does...though I personally prefer ritz and cheese to cheetos... but I digress..