Medical Marijuana and Other "illegal" Drugs

[Tyguy]

Ok, so a number of us have been arguing in the Off-Topic again so I will take Ennuis advice and create a brand spanking new Drug thread. Although these threads seem almost routine, I feel they usually do quite a good job of educating people without the use of scare tactics and such.

So the first issue Id like to address is that of Medical Marijuana Use. Should a drug which has been proven to provide many therapuetic advantages to its user be illegal? The following link is from a medical marijuana pro-con site and is a pretty good read.

http://www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/
Couple others:
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/medicalm.htm
http://erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis.shtml


Second issue is illegality of the rest of them. Are you someone who thinks a person has the right to ingest whatever substance they choose or do you think a person does not have the right to make that decision?

Please do not derail this thread and if you disagree with someone, try citing reasons. I hope this turns out to be helpful.

Have at it! :bounce:

 

[Qonfused]

The legal ban on marijuana is unfounded, and I think that's the real problem. Then there's evidence that marijuana use could actually help people that makes this whole situation stupid.

 

[Tyguy]

That is what aggravates me the most. The fact that marijuana can ease the suffering of people should be reason enough to endorse the legal prescription of it. But no, instead they say "Drink more milk!", and wouldnt ya know it, they have stock in dairy!

Maybe I was a little drastic on that part, but politics and money are the sole reason why people like this and this have to suffer.

 

[Solaris]

No-one has any right to tell me what I can or cannot do with my own body within reason.

 

[Qonfused]

The fact that marijuana can ease the suffering of people should be reason enough to endorse the legal prescription of it.

But if we allow some people to have legal marijuana, someone else might get a hold of it and have a good time. And we can't have that.

 

[Tyguy]

But if we allow some people to have legal marijuana, someone else might get a hold of it and have a good time. And we can't have that.

No we most certainly can not. Instead, lets run some beer commercials and get kids hooked on REAL drugs...

 

[No Limit]

As far as marijuana goes then of course legalize it. I do think that people should not smoke pot but we have no right to arrest the people that do it anyway.

As far as other drugs go I would argue against the legalization of them as the "my body my choice" argument doesn't really fit in there. People on cocaine, crack, meth, and heroin many times end up falling off the deep end to the point where they will harm others to get a hold of their drug. However, I also do not think these people should be arrested. Instead I think they should be treated for their addiction.

 

[Tyguy]

I think heavy fines would be alot more appropriate than jail sentences...

Take a look at this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEdzZaXwf8o

 

[No Limit]

I think heavy fines would be alot more appropriate than jail sentences...

Don't have time to watch the videos right now but...

I don't think fines are the way to go. A lot of this world's addiction happens around our poor communities, having those people pay fines would just **** them over more. I think drug addiction should be treated like a medical problem. So instead of jail you hopefully cure the addiction.

 

[Tyguy]

Don't have time to watch the videos right now but...

I don't think fines are the way to go. A lot of this world's addiction happens around our poor communities, having those people pay fines would just **** them over more. I think drug addiction should be treated like a medical problem. So instead of jail you hopefully cure the addiction.

I agree...

I mentioned fines because I think most people would rather pay a fine then be forever plagued by their "crime".

Then the fine money can be used to fund treatment centers. But no, theres no money for the government to take.

 

[Fliko]

You don't need a sufficient force to damage the brain, sometimes the smallest things can cause a brain to go completely brain dead, while a larger force wouldn't effect it. The brain's VERY inconsistent.
Marijuana does affect the brain, and the way it works. Scientists just aren't completely sure how

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Marijuana-Affects-Memory-Attention-Speech-Thinking-41409.shtml
I find it funny that a guy commented on there

It is a general fact among cannabis users that the drug is mind altering, its the reason they take it in the first place. Now there is preliminary research to kind of support it; but the real question is: Are these changes really 'hurting' the person or are there benefits from its use. Meditation also affects the brainwave functions, does that mean that yoga is bad???

i just hope this isn't "just another propaganda effort."

I think this guy's post can sum up a large portion of the pot smoking community. He obviously didn't read the article.

http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html
Here's a government site for you guys. I hope you all start yelling that this fact is just simple conspiracy to Marijuana and you.

 

[Ennui]

The point is, with hundreds of millions of regular users and probably multiple billions of people having tried it at some point or another, if there were any significant, negative effects on the brain (if it were degenerative or neurotoxic) it would be an extremely large problem and we would be very well aware of it.

 

[Tyguy]

http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html
Here's a government site for you guys. I hope you all start yelling that this fact is just simple conspiracy to Marijuana and you.

Alot of important words such as "possibly" and "might" were used to death.
I like how they even tried to say that a person who smokes marijuana may be worse off than a habitual tobacco user.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ4n7g31RlE

 

[No Limit]

But you can't just flat out say marijuana doesn't have any negative effect on the brain. Anyone that has smoked pot for a significant amount of time knows that it does have profound effects on the brain. The question is are those effects temporary or long term and there really isn't much in scientific data to answer that question.

If you are going to smoke bud then I think that should be your choice, just don't sit there and pretend that it has no negative effects on your physical and mental health.

 

[Tyguy]

There are definitely short term effects, i wont question that. As for long term, im convinced they are minuscule in comparison to smoking tobacco long term.

But then again, some of the short or long term affect associated with cancer medications is much worse...

 

[Ennui]

It has them, but they are not by any means serious or debilitating.

I feel it's pertinent to point out that I scored in the 99th percentile in both sections when I took the SAT, and I had been smoking regularly for some time by that point. I'm easing up on the smoking lately for other reasons, but I can say definitively that through three years of moderate to heavy marijuana use, the only real negative effect has been that my short-term memory gets cloudy, which clears up if I stop smoking for a couple of weeks. Other effects may be present but are negligible.

I suppose motivation could be a problem for some people, though.

 

[No Limit]

There are definitely short term effects, i wont question that. As for long term, im convinced they are minuscule in comparison to smoking tobacco long term.

But how can you make that assumption with no real research to back it up? I wouldn't be shocked if tobacco had a worse effect than marijuana on your physical health, in fact I would probably gurantee that's the case because of all the additional chemicals added to the process. But my point is in regards to mental health, and I would be willing to bet marijuana has much worse mental effects on the user, what I would like to know is how long those effects actually last.

But then again, some of the short or long term affect associated with cancer medications is much worse...

No doubt, but you are taking cancer medications to help treat your cancer, which is probably worth it. If we leave out marijuana for medical purposes you really are just smoking bud to get high, its a different standard .

 

[Tyguy]

But how can you make that assumption with no real research to back it up? I wouldn't be shocked if tobacco had a worse effect than marijuana on your physical health, in fact I would probably gurantee that's the case because of all the additional chemicals added to the process. But my point is in regards to mental health, and I would be willing to bet marijuana has much worse mental effects on the user, what I would like to know is how long those effects actually last.

From what I have read and researched, they haven't been able to identify any serious long term affects. Obviously that doesn't mean that it is perfectly fine either. Personally, I feel that it does alot more good for me than bad. It helps relieve my anxiety and calms me down alot. Im not about to say that it is purely medicinal as I like to toke up just to feel good.

No doubt, but you are taking cancer medications to help treat your cancer, which is probably worth it. If we leave out marijuana for medical purposes you really are just smoking bud to get high, its a different standard .

Sshhh :smoking:

 

[Fliko]

The point is, with hundreds of millions of regular users and probably multiple billions of people having tried it at some point or another, if there were any significant, negative effects on the brain (if it were degenerative or neurotoxic) it would be an extremely large problem and we would be very well aware of it.

Well, currently the world is full of chavs, gangsters, wangstas, assholes, and idiots. Atleast, that's what everyone's popular belief is

 

[Ennui]

You're right. Marijuana is the root of all of the problems in the world. :upstare:

 

[Tyguy]

Well, currently the world is full of chavs, gangsters, wangstas, assholes, and idiots. Atleast, that's what everyone's popular belief is

yes it is....but im assuming you arent blaming drugs for the world being so messed up....

 

[No Limit]

From what I have read and researched, they haven't been able to identify any serious long term affects. Obviously that doesn't mean that it is perfectly fine either. Personally, I feel that it does alot more good for me than bad. It helps relieve my anxiety and calms me down alot. Im not about to say that it is purely medicinal as I like to toke up just to feel good.

I would love to see more independent research done on this, if you have some studies that you think are intersting please share them. I think its also important not to really go by personal experiance to say what effect a drug has on someone. You say it helps cure your anxiety, the funny thing is from other experiances I've heard of marijuana increasing anxiety, especially socially. This is the case with any drug, each person will react differently to its side effects.

All I am saying is be honest with yourself when you put something in to your body that you know will have effects on you. There is a lot of propaganda out there from both sides that frankly I think is dangerous.

 

[TechnoHippyChic]

Not even considering the many industrial benefits of hemp that are being thrown away due to prohibition, even if it was harmful (which this would seem to show otherwise), it should still be my choice, as no one else is being harmed.

I have the slightly more radical view of believing all substances should be "legal" to ingest, it was good to see those LEAP guys agree, thanks for that vid. Frankly, the concept of "punishment" for altered states of consciousness is completely foreign to me. If you do something stupid (i.e. harmful), then that should be punished, just like with a stupid sober person.

"Incarceration Incorporated" is still the norm, though, as it greatly benefits the few who legislate and prosecute these "crimes". I'm not sure what it will take to break us out of this pervasive hysteria.

 

[15357]

I say we ban smoking and keep MJ illegal. Woo hoo.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

we can cut ourselves can't we? As long as it doesn't affect me aka secondhand bs, which is the annoying part.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

I presonally don't take Marijuana, and I have no intention of until A) it is legal, and B) it has been proven to be not harmful. However, as long as they don't harm others, people should be allowed to take whatever they want.

 

[Glirk Dient]

I presonally don't take Marijuana, and I have no intention of until A) it is legal, and B) it has been proven to be not harmful. However, as long as they don't harm others, people should be allowed to take whatever they want.

http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_faq1.shtml
Read through that FAQ. It is safe...in fact marijuana is one of the safest drugs known to mankind. It is safer than a large portion of prescription drugs, safer than ciggarettes, safer than caffeine and safer than some of the foods we eat!

I find it a real injustice that the side effects of marijuana being illegal are more dangerous than the side effects of the drug itself.