weed..whats the big deal??

[iamironsam]

Originally posted by FoB_Ed
Umm maybe because weed is illegal? Sounds like you've had a few too many brain cells killed

Yah, no shit it's cause it's illegal that second hand weed smoke is less of an issue. What's your point?

 

[FoB_Ed]

the point of my post was flaming you, bahahaha

 

[Skullhair]

Pain Killers > Weed. Not by much though :cheers:

 

[Xtasy0]

so what do you people have to say about medicinal marijuana?

 

[Brian Damage]

Useful stuff. I already mentioned it.

 

[Prince of China]

Don't drugs mess up your life?

 

[nw909]

Medicinal marijuana is how you buy the seeds man, man, man, we say man because we're hiiiiggghhhh man.

 

[Rico]

Originally posted by crabcakes66
evil ewok and rico are the same people that are religious zealots and homophobics


they are better than you ....and whatever they say is right......


end of discussion.....

Wow i must have struck a nerve or something to get you on personal insults... Shows how mature you are.

Just to make things clear, i am far from being a spiritual person or a homophobic, but i really don't have to prove anything to you so just keep your mouth shut unless you have a good argument or something to add that isn't totally lacking in intelligence to add to this discussion.

 

[MrMethane]

Hey look, it's my brain on drugs!

 

[MrD]

Originally posted by iamironsam
Yah, no shit it's cause it's illegal that second hand weed smoke is less of an issue. What's your point?

They should both be a non-issue really.

Folks who smoke in public places piss me off big-time. I really feel like getting up and FARTING IN THEIR FACE.

"There how do you like it, you stinky bastard?"
Now f*ck off and do that somewhere else.

 

[crabcakes66]

Originally posted by MrD
They should both be a non-issue really.

Folks who smoke in public places piss me off big-time. I really feel like getting up and FARTING IN THEIR FACE.

"There how do you like it, you stinky bastard?"
Now f*ck off and do that somewhere else.

cry about it.....

 

[oldi1knoby]

Originally posted by Warbie
oldi1knoby wrote:

'Oh and it's bad for you? HAHA. NO ONE HAS EVER DIED FROM MARIJUANA! It kills brain cells? YOU REGROW THEM! A clinical study proved that people who smoked pot for extended amounts of time regained all of their intelligence after quitting for 1 year. You gain back everything after you quit. Yeah, you are a little dumber while you smoke it, but that is only hurting YOU!'

That is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. Clinical studies my ass - noone has a bloody clue what's going on. I've personally known many ppl who have been screwed up (one put away) because of weed.

Sure if you smoke very occasionally it's not gonna do any harm - but anything in moderation is relatively safe.

After a decade of use I can tell you that things dont return to 'normal' (infact it was after giving up that things got really trippy) I'll go and tell the ppl I know who have to see psychiatrists regularly, and neck loads of pills, 'to stop all this nonsense and don't worry - they're gonna grow back soon'!!111

I think you fall into the 'smoked little weed but have much to say about it' category. Sorry to be offensive but ppl who trivialise what they don't understand (something so pertinent to my life) makes me angry.

Fact #1: I smoked pot for 7 years.
Fact #2: I some times smoked over an Ounce a week.
Fact #3: I am fully "recovered" and is PROVEN by the fact that I have a 4.0 GPA in college as of now.
Fact #4: You never did anything BUT marijuana? If not, you might have had a pre-exsisting condition. ( Persons with mental disorders are predisposed to have problems with substance abuse. My father had a big problem with drugs when he was young, but thats not what made him crazy... hehe)

To be short, I understand pot. I have probably smoked more than most people here. But, Don't get me wrong. I am NOT a poster boy for pot. I don't do it anymore, but I don't think it is the government's business, much less yours, what I do with my body.

As for the clinical trial, it was in the news this year. I will look it up, and be right back....

 

[oldi1knoby]

http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/summaries/reader/0,1854,564506,00.html


Read that link. It is actually on a web site AGAINST substance abuse, so take it for what it is...

There haven't been many trials done on LONG-TERM effects of Marijuana, so what they have told the public to date is what they have known. Which is short term data. Let me reiterate, I don't smoke pot, and I don't suggest you do unless you want to be stupid. It IS your decision though....

 

[MrD]

Originally posted by crabcakes66
cry about it.....

?

 

[No Limit]

Originally posted by oldi1knoby
http://www.jointogether.org/sa/news/summaries/reader/0,1854,564506,00.html


Read that link. It is actually on a web site AGAINST substance abuse, so take it for what it is...

There haven't been many trials done on LONG-TERM effects of Marijuana, so what they have told the public to date is what they have known. Which is short term data. Let me reiterate, I don't smoke pot, and I don't suggest you do unless you want to be stupid. It IS your decision though....

Very interesting study.

 

[Warbie]

Maybe I judged too quick oldi1knoby, which I appologise for. That study was an interesting read.

However, I do know alot of ppl who's life has been adversely affected by cannabis use. Smoking every day for years is going to change a person, messing about with your brain chemistry can't be a smart move.

As you said - nobody really understands the long term effects. How do you know that if you'd smoked for another year or two things wouldn't have been different? If my m8 had given up after 7 years he'd have been an excellent advertisment that cannabis does no harm (unfortunatley after 12 years of heavy use that is far from true :/)

I believe that smoking leads to harder drugs (not saying for everyone ......... but many) simply because of the company you end up hanging out with. There's also the ever increasing desire to get 'wasted' on something. As an ex-long term smoker i'm sure you understand that once the novelty has worn off, and you have a high tolerance, smoking weed doesn't really do alot :/ .... it just becomes something to do (like biting your nails)

According to my doctor cannabis completely messes with your immune system (havn't read this any where else tho) It got to the stage that I developed many illnesses - constant colds, weird rashes (ergh) and shingles. Then polyarteritis (a virus that gives you artheritis in pretty much every joint in your body) How ironic then that cannabis has been hailed as as a wonder drug for relieving the symptoms of artheritis ........... someone up there has a really shitty sense of humour :/

Plus it funds crime and makes your salmon not swim up stream /o\

 

[Warbie]

Also - as weed becomes more accepted and 'cool' users are getting younger and younger (i've seen 11-12 years olds smoking in the street these days :/) This is certainly a big deal.

 

[HA|G_Alucard]

weed is something that people wth alot of time do. there are proven facts that one mushroom increases your cancer risk the same as smoking one cigarette... are mushroms ileagle? no, now there is also facts that more peple die from the causes of cigarettes in a week, then marijuana in a year, by FAR i dont do it alot, last time was about 5-6 months ago, there are much worse things out there ie: cigs, alchohol, coffee, anything like that. now the think that makes pot bad is the fact that it's illeagle thats it.

 

[Mcn@sty]

Well here in South Africa it is illegal, however it's freely available for dirt cheap prices and if the cops catch you, you get sent to a rehab programme. I can get White Widow, Citrus Skunk or pretty much any other name brand ganja for about 3US$ a gram (three nice biiig heads). The stuff that grows wildly here is really cheap and pretty good for wild 'erb. A recent servey showed that South Africa is the second biggest supplier of weed to Europe and the far east, next to America.

I too smoked every weekend, then I stopped for a month. Just to make sure I wasn't addicted. It's all good baby

 

[L33731]

<---------- Everyday smot p0ker !!!

 

[mikado]

Wow, lots of good stuff here. I do wish people would learn to carry out a decent discussion from time to time though. A lot of points were made on both sides, but both sides resorted to insults, flames, and accusations. It's sad to see such a topic ruined by these occurances. I think this is an important topic for our society as a whole, mainly for the subsequent laws and ideals that could be brought into practice determined by the outcome of this debate. Many of you have stated that the bottom line is one way or the other, for or against. However, I believe the bottom line is that it doesn't matter either way.

Right now the leaders we have in office choose to keep the substance illegal, however, as our leaders age and are replaced we may see shifts in the countries policital views. Violence in video games is one such topic of debate that I feel will shift over time. Let me explain, right now the political leaders in office see games as a threat, yet many of them didn't grow up with the games in question. Video games in general have only been around for roughly 20 years. That means that our next generation of leaders will have grown up with games, and more than likely played many of them up until their time in office. With a shift like that, you could suggest that the argument against violent video games will disipate.

I believe the same could happen with the legalization of marajuna. As more policital leaders are elected to office that have used the substance on a regularity that many of you claim to use, we could see a shift in polictical policies. Perhaps our next generation of leaders won't see weed as the threat many leaders currently see it. Though that still doesn't give us a clear right or wrong, good or bad answer.

There will always be people for it, and people against it. But it all relies on which majority elects the appropriate leaders into office. The only way to change legal legislation is to get out there and vote for the candidate that has similar views as yourself. Once the majority of users gets a majority of politicians elected who see benefits to legalization, will it ever become so. Until then, I see no change in our current policies.

I personally believe our current legislation needs to be upheld. I don't see strong enough benefits to promote the legalization of marajuna. I don't see how something that is detremental to a person's physical or mental being should be widespread and promoted. I've done my share of smoking in the past, and I've known more than my share of people who smoke and continue to smoke this very day. Not all people who smoke are happy go lucky, sunshine and lollipops. Weed effects much more than just your current mood and emotional status. If effects your inhibitions, motor skills, and thought process. You as a smoker may be ok with subjecting your body to such changes, but you're also responsible for any actions you take while under the influence of said drug. The moment your actions intersect with those of others, it becomes much more of an issue than it was before.

The argument shouldn't be, "No one has the right to tell me what to do". That's something I'd expect from a 2 year old, or a rebellious teenager. Where would society be if there were no law and order? How would people turn out if their parents never told them no? How far would people take advantage of a situation if nothing existed to prevent them from doing so? Weed is harmful when in the hands of the wrong person, plain and simple. For that reason alone it would seem wise to place restrictions on such a product to limit the number of negative effects originated from the source. I think cigarettes and alcohol needs more restrictions as well, but that's a different topic. Once again, it doesn't make a whole of sense to add another potentially dangerous substance to the legal mix.

For those conspiracy theorists, has anyone thought that perhaps the tobacco industry has their hand in keeping marajuna illegal? That industry is one of the largest in the nation, with little to no competition. With it's ties to governemnt and politics, could it possibly be that using lobbying and political donations that they've been able to keep marajuna illegal? Wouldn't they have a lot to lose if another smoke related product entered the market? Just something fun to try and keep this debate a little light-hearted. Maybe cool some tempers that have risen.

 

[mchammer75040]

Originally posted by mikado
I believe the same could happen with the legalization of marajuna. As more policital leaders are elected to office that have used the substance on a regularity that many of you claim to use, we could see a shift in polictical policies. Perhaps our next generation of leaders won't see weed as the threat many leaders currently see it. Though that still doesn't give us a clear right or wrong, good or bad answer.

There will always be people for it, and people against it. But it all relies on which majority elects the appropriate leaders into office. The only way to change legal legislation is to get out there and vote for the candidate that has similar views as yourself. Once the majority of users gets a majority of politicians elected who see benefits to legalization, will it ever become so. Until then, I see no change in our current policies.

I personally believe our current legislation needs to be upheld. I don't see strong enough benefits to promote the legalization of marajuna. I don't see how something that is detremental to a person's physical or mental being should be widespread and promoted. I've done my share of smoking in the past, and I've known more than my share of people who smoke and continue to smoke this very day. Not all people who smoke are happy go lucky, sunshine and lollipops. Weed effects much more than just your current mood and emotional status. If effects your inhibitions, motor skills, and thought process. You as a smoker may be ok with subjecting your body to such changes, but you're also responsible for any actions you take while under the influence of said drug. The moment your actions intersect with those of others, it becomes much more of an issue than it was before.

The argument shouldn't be, "No one has the right to tell me what to do". That's something I'd expect from a 2 year old, or a rebellious teenager. Where would society be if there were no law and order? How would people turn out if their parents never told them no? How far would people take advantage of a situation if nothing existed to prevent them from doing so? Weed is harmful when in the hands of the wrong person, plain and simple. For that reason alone it would seem wise to place restrictions on such a product to limit the number of negative effects originated from the source. I think cigarettes and alcohol needs more restrictions as well, but that's a different topic. Once again, it doesn't make a whole of sense to add another potentially dangerous substance to the legal mix.

For those conspiracy theorists, has anyone thought that perhaps the tobacco industry has their hand in keeping marajuna illegal? That industry is one of the largest in the nation, with little to no competition. With it's ties to governemnt and politics, could it possibly be that using lobbying and political donations that they've been able to keep marajuna illegal? Wouldn't they have a lot to lose if another smoke related product entered the market? Just something fun to try and keep this debate a little light-hearted. Maybe cool some tempers that have risen.

Im not saying there shouldnt be any law and order, im saying everyone should be there own. If you cant (no offense or flame intended) understand me when i say everyone should have the freedom to destroy their bodies then i dont know what to say. Weed is a dangerous thing in the wrong persons hand? So is a baseball bat. And so is a drunk driver in a car. Im not saying everyone rebel against their parents and all that, but i do believe people should be able to make their own choices on what they want to do with their lives once they leave the nest.

We could easily place restrictions on these drugs, again you are either assuming im saying we shouldnt or talkin to someone else. If we had the same restrictions as cigs and beer then that would be fine.

I agree when it comes to the affairs of others, but saying this is why its illegial is naive. If thats so then why is drinking and cigerattes still legal? Infants die yearly from second hand smoke and ive already lost a friend to a drunk driver. These are effecting others other day, so how do you justify legalizing one or 2 then saying no you cant do this? When its already been proven that its not as deadly as the alchohol or cigs?

Much like dis said we could save all this money on chasing dealers around and educate people on drugs better.Education is the answer. Both of my parents have always been deep into drug problems, but im not i learned its not what i want. I smoke weed everynow and then to calm me down from all the shit that goes on around my neighborhood and house but never crack and i dont even drink or smoke cigs.

The idea is not for us to decide for others, but to let them decide what they want to do with themselves. People are going to do it anyway you cant stop them. Whether the outcome is good or bad people will recognize, this is why cigeratte sells are going lower.

Because of education people are noticing everything that the cigerattes are doing to their bodies and they decide if they want that or not. So we need to take drugs out into the open and educate them, stop pushing it underground when you do that you destroy the purpose of stoping it all together. Drugs are such a taboo and its only going to grow into a bigger problem if its not looked at seriously.

 

[No Limit]

Warbie and Mikado, thanks for the posts. I fully agree with you both that weed is bad for you, no one in this thread is disagreeing with that. The issue at hand is if weed should be legal or not. Here are the points, weed is a lot less intoxicating than alcohol is, yet alcohol is legal. Weed also doesn't make you violent like other drugs and it really doesn't do harm to society as a whole. Yes, there will be idiots that ruin it. However, these idiots exist in anything including drinking, smoking, driving, whatever, but you can not make something illegal simply because there is a small percentage of idiots that will ruin it. If you could everything that can kill someone indirectly would be outlawed, this means we would be back in the stone age. Having another drug in our society in addition to alcohol or cigarettes is not a good thing, but that other drug is already here. Making it legal or illegal will not get rid of it and we will all have to face it one day. If a person has a right to have a drink (which they should have that right) then a person should have the right to use a less dangerous substance such as marijuana.

 

[pat_thetic]

I love these discussion, junkies versus non-junkies. Anyways, I am agianst pot, and I have one question. How will legal marijuana usage help society as a whole?

 

[pat_thetic]

Originally posted by L33731
<---------- Everyday smot p0ker !!!

These are the kinds of morons that make me hate junkies....

 

[No Limit]

Originally posted by pat_thetic
I love these discussion, junkies versus non-junkies. Anyways, I am agianst pot, and I have one question. How will legal marijuana usage help society as a whole?

This is the problem, people put legalization and actual usage together. Simply because weed is legal doesn't mean everyone will go out and get high, this has been debated before and this point seemed to win, read back in the thread if you need to go over it. Smoking marijuana will not help the society but people are already smoking marijuana and there is no way to stop it. However, illegal marijuana smoking is much worse for society than legal marijuana smoking. If its legal violant dealers will disappear, organaized crime will take a big hit, and a few billion dollars from the underground economy will now go into the mainstream economy. Also, smoking cigarettes has declined in the recent years because of education, the fact its legal does not mean more people will do it. If we make weed legal and spend part of the money on education and commercials against pot we could probably cut down the amount of people that smoke pot drastically. Buying weed legally is also a lot safer, if you are getting weed from an authorized dealer (a little too high class of a word for this but whatever ) the chance of the weed being laced with other chemicals is eliminated. If this happens weed would be much harder to get for minors as stores require IDs, this would mean that the minor would need to get a fake ID or find a friend over the legal age limit.

 

[r4z0r_bl4d3]

I skipped a few of the last pages hope this applies/hasnt been said before.

It only takes common sense and insight to realize that legalizing yet another harmful intoxicant will lead only to negative consequences.

Remeber a littler thing in the 1920's called prohibition?

alcohol was perceived as harmful to society, but after it was illegal we saw that it generated more crime than before.

What did we get from prohibition?
Gangs, Al Capone, prostitution, money laundering, etc.

All because alcohol was illeagal.

When something is illeagal, the cost of it goes up, hence making it profitable. The mob/gangs capitalized on this, and made lots of money.

it doesn't matter if someting like alcohol is legal or not, people will use it.

The only difference is Who makes money off of it; criminals or law abiding buisness men that the goernment can tax and regulate.

After they repealed the law of prohibiton, crime went DOWN significantly.

There was no more gangs, etc. Because alcohol was not profitable.

And if weed is made more available, it will only increase how often these things occur.

Weed would have the same availability if it is leagl or not the only difference is who gets the money.

I think thatEvilEwok, had only stated his opinions that weed is harmful to society, but he had failed to give reasons as to WHY he thought that way. then he kept repeating his opinions without reasons to give proof to his argument.

you can theorise about how not as many kids will smoke it if its legal(which is bullshit), how crime involving weed will decrease(which is bullshit) and the rest.

Again look at the 1920s and what happened, you are incorrect.

If you make weed more available to the public, then you spread its use. If you spread its use, then the negative aspects spread with it. Legalizing weed doesnt abolis hthe negative aspects of weed, it gives them free reign on our society. Weed is harmful lto our society in its controlled state, making it uncontrolled will only increase how harmfull it is. Anyone can see this.

When weed is illegal the drug lords control it, but when it is legal the government can control it which I think would be much safer.

If you legalize it, it would not decrease the amount of negative aspects of weed, it would increase them.

Again look at the 1920s you are reversed on what will happen.

A certaint percentage of weed smokers are very harmful lto the greater populace. If you legalize weed you increase the amount of weed smokers, thereby increasing the amount of smokers who are harmful to the general populace. This is unacceptable.

in the 1920 the use of alcohol was about the same as 10 years before and after.


This debate is an important one, and sometimes we need to step back and really look at what we are saying, and why we are saying it.

 

[pat_thetic]

Originally posted by No Limit
This is the problem, people put legalization and actual usage together. Simply because weed is legal doesn't mean everyone will go out and get high, this has been debated before and this point seemed to win, read back in the thread if you need to go over it. Smoking marijuana will not help the society but people are already smoking marijuana and there is no way to stop it. However, illegal marijuana smoking is much worse for society than legal marijuana smoking. If its legal violant dealers will disappear, organaized crime will take a big hit, and a few billion dollars from the underground economy will now go into the mainstream economy. Also, smoking cigarettes has declined in the recent years because of education, the fact its legal does not mean more people will do it. If we make weed legal and spend part of the money on education and commercials against pot we could probably cut down the amount of people that smoke pot drastically. Buying weed legally is also a lot safer, if you are getting weed from an authorized dealer (a little too high class of a word for this but whatever ) the chance of the weed being laced with other chemicals is eliminated. If this happens weed would be much harder to get for minors as stores require IDs, this would mean that the minor would need to get a fake ID or find a friend over the legal age limit.

Harder to get? If it's legal it would be sold in stores. How would that be harder to get?

 

[pat_thetic]

Originally posted by r4z0r_bl4d3
I skipped a few of the last pages hope this applies/hasnt been said before.




Remeber a littler thing in the 1920's called prohibition?

alcohol was perceived as harmful to society, but after it was illegal we saw that it generated more crime than before.

What did we get from prohibition?
Gangs, Al Capone, prostitution, money laundering, etc.

All because alcohol was illeagal.

When something is illeagal, the cost of it goes up, hence making it profitable. The mob/gangs capitalized on this, and made lots of money.

it doesn't matter if someting like alcohol is legal or not, people will use it.

The only difference is Who makes money off of it; criminals or law abiding buisness men that the goernment can tax and regulate.

After they repealed the law of prohibiton, crime went DOWN significantly.

There was no more gangs, etc. Because alcohol was not profitable.



Weed would have the same availability if it is leagl or not the only difference is who gets the money.

I think thatEvilEwok, had only stated his opinions that weed is harmful to society, but he had failed to give reasons as to WHY he thought that way. then he kept repeating his opinions without reasons to give proof to his argument.



Again look at the 1920s and what happened, you are incorrect.



When weed is illegal the drug lords control it, but when it is legal the government can control it which I think would be much safer.



Again look at the 1920s you are reversed on what will happen.



in the 1920 the use of alcohol was about the same as 10 years before and after.


This debate is an important one, and sometimes we need to step back and really look at what we are saying, and why we are saying it.

More people did not drink alcohal, but the people who did got in trouble. Making something illegal doesn't always make everyone want to use it

 

[Xtasy0]

Originally posted by pat_thetic
Harder to get? If it's legal it would be sold in stores. How would that be harder to get?

i guess you didn't read the rest of his sentence huh?

If this happens weed would be much harder to get for minors as stores require IDs

pretty self explanitory, yes?

 

[pat_thetic]

Pfff, like couldn't get someone to buy it for them....

 

[Rico]

How exactly would legalizing ganja eliminate or even reduce crime? All it would do is move the current drug dealers onto another drug just like it did from alcohol to mariuana, what makes you think they won't just move on to cocaine. It is human nature to take things one step further... always taking things one step further. Why stop at alcohol when you can do weed? Then weed is legal, why stop at weed if you can do cocaine? I can already hear an argument forming for that "weed is legal, besides, cocaine isn't nearly as bad as LSD and you don't run as much of a risk of dying with it!".

One thing i always wonder about is why people who are pro-legalization always ask the side bent on keeping it illegal on reasons on why it should remain illegal, instead of realizing that since they are the ones demanding change, they should tell the government exactly WHY should it be legal. How exactly will legalizing weed help society? what benefits will it bring? I'm not asking about speculation here because this is a damn big change you're asking for, so if you expect changes to be made, you better get some proof and some reasons unless you want to be blown off like you always have been.

Also, what makes you think that checking ID before selling it to kids will keep it at bay? Do you realize that those same dealers that sell you your current drugs right now don't care whether you're 60 or 6 years old? Do you think drug dealers will just magically dissapear after weed is legalized? No, the simple truth is that they will always be there because unlike alcohol, there are hundreds of different drugs out there with a lot of people willing to buy them because they want to be "cooler than everyone else". Don't tell me you started smoking weed because you thought it would be good for you, all of you people started because all your friends were doing it or you just wanted to be cool and get some attention. Anyone saying otherwise has to either be lying or be a 70 year old man with a condition that requires him to take weed to dull his pain or increase his apetite.

Now on to the whole "Alcohol was illegal and look what happened!!" argument.

Alcohol was legal before it was made illegal right? Do you think this didn't change the results of it being made illegal at all? Did you know that a lot of the alcohol industry that had begun growing in America before the prohibition era was booming and setting up a new kind of business before it was prohibited? Do you think this had no impact on the legalization of alcohol later on in that century? Of course it did, a lot of breweries and other companies (bottling companies, workshops, you name it) were depending on the alcohol industry to stay alive. A lot of these companies became very influential before the prohibition era thus allowing them to have some leverage on the ban of prohition. Simply enough, alcohol was legalized because:

A) Americans were used to having alchohol as a part of their everyday lives.

B) A part of America's economy depended on it.

C) Prohibition was too hard to enforce due to the incredibly large amounts of people who still drank.


Now explain to me why keeping drugs like weed illegal is such a bad problem? Don't sell me that "jails are overcrowding" crap because you simply have no facts to back that up. Weed is a toxic substance that does your body no good unless you are ill, and i can assure you that all the people who want it legal don't want it for the medicinal purposes. How about one of the other arguments "Why should the government tell me what to do with my body?" i'll tell you why, because your rights end where the other person's rights begin. I have the right to walk down the street without fearing that some guy who is both stoned and drunk will run my ass over. I already have enough with second hand cigarrete smoke, why the hell do i need another kind of smoke to **** my body up even more, just because someone needed it for their personal amusement?

Your rights end where your fist meets the other person's face, this is why the government can tell you what you can or cannot smoke. The day i see someone driving while they are stoned off their ass (and i have seen it even now)is the day i draw the line. I do not need more health hazards than what i already face, i will not give you "the right" to enjoy yourself at the expense of my health and emotions.

If you want to do it now go ahead and poison yourself, bear in mind that every action has it's consequences and that what you are doing IS illegal and it shows you have no respect for the law. However silly a law may be, there are reasons why the law exists even though you may wonder about them. Just because you do not understand something it doesn't mean its worthless.


PS: As far as the whole 'jails overcrowding' issue, why do you think the government cracks down on drugs more now? Just because they are already dealing with the "mass murderers" and criminals out on the streets. If you think the crime rate in America is high, i suggest you broaden you views and look at other countries, where the crime is so high that a murder is overlooked by the news stations because there are so many that they can't bother and do them all. A nation that cracks down on drugs is a nation that doesn't have to deal with heavy crime. Look at a nation that has a big crime rate and then tell me whether they crack down or drugs or not... potheads are put in jail because all the mass murderers are already in jail, there is plenty of room out there for everyone else.

 

[Xtasy0]

Originally posted by pat_thetic
Pfff, like couldn't get someone to buy it for them....

he also said that, you sure are mr. selective reading aren't you?

the point is it would be harder than just going and buying it from a dealer who doesnt care at all how old you are.

 

[Rico]

They could stil lbuy it from the same dealer that doesn't care how old you are, the only difference it would make is that it would probably be way cheaper for the dealer to do it since all he has to do is go to the store and buy it so he can sell it to little kids later.

 

[Xtasy0]

Originally posted by Rico
They could stil lbuy it from the same dealer that doesn't care how old you are, the only difference it would make is that it would probably be way cheaper for the dealer to do it since all he has to do is go to the store and buy it so he can sell it to little kids later.

you think they would sell it in enough quantity that dealers would buy it from them? heh.

either way i dont care, weed is decriminalized here in canada, or will be very soon, and thats enough for me.

 

[crabcakes66]

Since you want to act like you know what your talking about ill reply....calling me immature when you have such close-minded opinions on the subject.

Originally posted by Rico
How exactly would legalizing ganja eliminate or even reduce crime? All it would do is move the current drug dealers onto another drug just like it did from alcohol to marihuana, what makes you think they won't just move on to cocaine. It is human nature to take things one step further... always taking things one step further. Why stop at alcohol when you can do weed? Then weed is legal, why stop at weed if you can do cocaine? I can already hear an argument forming for that "weed is legal, besides, cocaine isn't nearly as bad as LSD and you don't run as much of a risk of dying with it!".

It would not eliminate or reduce crime. I doubt we would see any significant impact one way or the other.Is alcohol more or less harmful than weed? which one is illegal? which one kills many times more people? Your one step further argument doesn't work....there is always a line with everything....where we draw that line is up to us.

One thing i always wonder about is why people who are pro-legalization always ask the side bent on keeping it illegal on reasons on why it should remain illegal, instead of realizing that since they are the ones demanding change, they should tell the government exactly WHY should it be legal. How exactly will legalizing weed help society? what benefits will it bring? I'm not asking about speculation here because this is a damn big change you're asking for, so if you expect changes to be made, you better get some proof and some reasons unless you want to be blown off like you always have been.

Do some research on this subject and you might be suprised.....everything from medical uses to taxation of pot sales as a scource of revenue. I'm not going to right a novel on the politics of pot for you.

Also, what makes you think that checking ID before selling it to kids will keep it at bay? Do you realize that those same dealers that sell you your current drugs right now don't care whether you're 60 or 6 years old? Do you think drug dealers will just magically disappear after weed is legalized? No, the simple truth is that they will always be there because unlike alcohol, there are hundreds of different drugs out there with a lot of people willing to buy them because they want to be "cooler than everyone else". Don't tell me you started smoking weed because you thought it would be good for you, all of you people started because all your friends were doing it or you just wanted to be cool and get some attention. Anyone saying otherwise has to either be lying or be a 70 year old man with a condition that requires him to take weed to dull his pain or increase his apatite.

It wont keep it at bay. Why does it matter? People will get it wether its sold overthecounter or not. Drug dealers and prostitutes have been around in some form or another since time began.They will always be there, and i don't know alot of hard-core drug dealers who only sell pot.

I started smoking weed because I enjoyed it, like alot of other people. It seems like you have been raised to believe it evil or something....maybe you were always to afraid to try it. Maybe you were never "cool" and your mad at people who were supposedly "cool" because they smoked pot....i don't know and i don't care....people will do anything because of peer pressure(including jump off a bridge, it happened recently down in Florida)..thats another gaping hole in your argument.....

Now on to the whole "Alcohol was illegal and look what happened!!" argument.

Alcohol was legal before it was made illegal right? Do you think this didn't change the results of it being made illegal at all? Did you know that a lot of the alcohol industry that had begun growing in America before the prohibition era was booming and setting up a new kind of business before it was prohibited? Do you think this had no impact on the legalization of alcohol later on in that century? Of course it did, a lot of breweries and other companies (bottling companies, workshops, you name it) were depending on the alcohol industry to stay alive. A lot of these companies became very influential before the prohibition era thus allowing them to have some leverage on the ban of prohition. Simply enough, alcohol was legalized because:

A) Americans were used to having alcohol as a part of their everyday lives.

B) A part of America's economy depended on it.

C) Prohibition was too hard to enforce due to the incredibly large amounts of people who still drank.

err....I agree...because this is all true.

Now explain to me why keeping drugs like weed illegal is such a bad problem? Don't sell me that "jails are overcrowding" crap because you simply have no facts to back that up. Weed is a toxic substance that does your body no good unless you are ill, and i can assure you that all the people who want it legal don't want it for the medicinal purposes. How about one of the other arguments "Why should the government tell me what to do with my body?" i'll tell you why, because your rights end where the other person's rights begin. I have the right to walk down the street without fearing that some guy who is both stoned and drunk will run my ass over. I already have enough with second hand cigarette smoke, why the hell do i need another kind of smoke to **** my body up even more, just because someone needed it for their personal amusement?

Another pointless set of arguments....

1.anything is toxic these days from the plastic in millions of products to the air you breath walking down the street in a city

2. The medical purposes are important, but for the most part it is personal freedom. Its no different than being licensed to drive a car....or being able to buy tobacco when your 18 and alcohol when your 21.

3. someone running you over can already happen weather there on drugs or not....legalizing pot would not change that one bit.

4. Its your choice to be exposed to second hand smoke 90% of the time..so i have the choice to smoke tobacco where its aloud. If you don't like that then become a politician and change it...otherwise its just like the million things you can do that i don't like.

Your rights end where your fist meets the other person's face, this is why the government can tell you what you can or cannot smoke. The day i see someone driving while they are stoned off their ass (and i have seen it even now)is the day i draw the line. I do not need more health hazards than what i already face, i will not give you "the right" to enjoy yourself at the expense of my health and emotions.

If I do it in my own home how does it affect you. Again your argument doesn't stand up......by your thinking we should all live in plastic bubbles inside of padded rooms. Everything should be legal....we should not be allowed to speak our minds...the government should rule with an iron fist. Health hazards!?....your more likely to get killed by some dumb bitch talking on here cell and doing her makeup than be within 10 miles of someone thats driving while there high...."and i have seen it even now" ....and im sure you know exactly what drugs they were on if any....and it wasn't just you being paranoid.

If you want to do it now go ahead and poison yourself, bear in mind that every action has it's consequences and that what you are doing IS illegal and it shows you have no respect for the law. However silly a law may be, there are reasons why the law exists even though you may wonder about them. Just because you do not understand something it doesn't mean its worthless.

So you would blindly follow something? Your argument here is basically "well its a law so it must be bad"....i think its you who don't understand. I guess you believe every piece of propaganda you read.

PS: As far as the whole 'jails overcrowding' issue, why do you think the government cracks down on drugs more now? Just because they are already dealing with the "mass murderers" and criminals out on the streets. If you think the crime rate in America is high, i suggest you broaden you views and look at other countries, where the crime is so high that a murder is overlooked by the news stations because there are so many that they can't bother and do them all. A nation that cracks down on drugs is a nation that doesn't have to deal with heavy crime. Look at a nation that has a big crime rate and then tell me whether they crack down or drugs or not... potheads are put in jail because all the mass murderers are already in jail, there is plenty of room out there for everyone else.

the government doesn't crack down on drugs anymore than they ever have.....what country do you live in....the crime rate in America is very high...Jesus lets at least compare ourselves to other 1st world nations.

"A nation that cracks down on drugs is a nation that doesn't have to deal with heavy crime"

lol....are you yourself on drugs right now.....? your dreaming bro......

 

[MrD]

Jesus christ crabcakes, that was a thread all by itself lol!

Originally posted by pat_thetic
I love these discussion, junkies versus non-junkies. Anyways, I am agianst pot, and I have one question. How will legal marijuana usage help society as a whole?

I guess it means that innocent folks (ie. who just want to have themselves a good time and don't do anyone any harm) wouldn't get locked away in a 4 foot prison cell for a number of years, potentially ruining their life and the life's of their family and friends.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying weed isn't dangerous, but I certainly don't think all users are "junkies" (afterall its not like everyone who drinks is an alcholic now is it). I just think people should mind their own business... if it doesn't directly harm anyone then whats the problem?

 

[symptom]

The fools who are going to get high and drive around running people over are going to do it regardless of whether it's legal or not. Layering law over law and censoring behavior isn't really going to get rid of the real problems with people.

 

[Rico]

You can call me close minded and bash me all i want but the point stands that nobody will ever listen to pro-legalization arguments if you don't have any scientific proof that pot will make society better. As for the crime rates in america, please go to a less developed country and see if i'm not right. I know i am because i was born and raised in Venezuela, one of the better countries around South America and before i moved to america i thought crime was low in my country... here you see stories about a single murder and everyone is outraged, there you see people get killed for the shoes they wear and its just aknowledged and then moved on.


As foar as your "alcohol is more harmful than weed" argument, i completely agree. Alcohol IS pretty bad, but i believe i already stated the reason why it still remains legal in society. Anything done in moderation can be good though so you can't argue the points of legalizing a new drug if you say everyone will use it in moderation. The sad fact is that maybe a few people will, but a lot of people will abuse it hence causing more trouble than it caused before it was made legal.

The age group that consumes ganja is somewhere around 10 - 25 years of age (there may be some exceptions and i apologize if i'm wrong) and more often than not it's a passing fad. How can anyone say they smoked pot "because they enjoyed it" if you had never smoked pot before? I'm not talking about smoking it for the second time, i'm talking about the first time you ever did it. You couldn't have know if you enjoyed it or not simply because you had never tried it before, so it all comes down to either being cool or having a physical condition.


I really don't mind the current condition on mariuana as it is right now. It's illegal but its not as widespread as some people make believe. and no i am not some holier-than-thou religious freak who doesn't do anything bad, i drink at parties and in moderation, i can honestly say i have been drunk a few times but i haven't done naything stupid or soemthing i would regret during those times because i don't drink simply to 'get hammered'. Heck i have been drinking with my dad ever since i was 9. I am simply stating my opinion on the subject at hand.

As far as personal experience with pot, no i have never smoked it and truthfully i have never felt the need to do it. I have been at parties where almost everyone smoked pot and i was offered to go smoke with them and i simply refused. I have been around pot smokers, heck some of my best friends and my cousin to which im very close to smoke pot from time to time.

To those people who say "pot smokers aren't violent!" i will tell you this story.

Once i was in a party and i was having a great time. During that party a lot of alcohol and drugs were exchanged but i always stayed away from the things i believed were too stupid to do. I simply don't use any kind of drug unless i am sick or in pain, i was neither of those. I was there minding my own business and talking to some friends when some guy approached me, the smell of pot all over his clothes asking me "why aren't you smoking?" I replied i simply didn't like it and i didn't mind if they did it as long as i didn't have to do it. What happened contradicts everything you people say about peaceful smokers. These guys tried to grab me and force me to smoke pot. Being the big guy that i am (im of pretty bulky build, not a bodybuilder but muscular nonetheless) i managed to get away from most of these guys, i had to leave the party smashing people in the face with my fist and i even had to hit a guy with a chair so he would stop chasing me around. Of course i left after that.


Now why would they try to force someone to smoke pot? Of course to get people addicted. Pot works differently for different people. For some people it does nothing, for some it makes them feel sick, for others it gives them that euphoric high which most of the potsmokers are after. Not everyone can get addicted, but face it, pot is an addictive drug, if not why do you think drug dealers make so much money nowadays? I had some friends who dealt drugs, and let me tell you they were making more money than people who actually got college degrees and worked 40 hours a week non stop.

As far as medical use is concerned, i have absolutely nothing against the medical use of pot, heck they already use cocaine as medicine as i already explained in a past post. Selling pot legally would only increase expenses, the government would have to grow it to avoid paying foreign countries and pot does not grow in any climate, it requires a tropical climate in order for it to be grown. After legalizing pot the government would also have to spend even more money on educating the consumer. Ad campaigns cost a lot of money believe it or not.

Then comes then enforcing of safety while smoking pot. Who's going to keep an eye on people who smoke to make sure they don't do anything stupid like drive and smoke at the same time? You can't just hope they won't do it, you need to actively prevent it from happening. all of this costs money, and i guarantee you it will cost a lot more than what you can get from legalizing pot.

I really don't care what you people do with your personal freedom, but the moment that freedom infringes on mine we have a problem. Do as you wish as long as it doesn't affect anyone else but you. Pot clouds your judgement, otherwise you wouldn't use it at all. A clouded mind can do stupid things, things it would not do if it weren't under the influence of drugs. I have seen people kill themselves because the growing paranoia of using pot constantly (pot makes some people slightly paranoid) made them think shooting themselves in the head would solve all their problems.

As far as laws are concerned, i analize everything i am told to do and not to do, if i deem it logical i follow it, if now i recheck everything and actually do my research before bashing such a law. Laws were put in place through a system, a system that i believe to be more credible than the single voice of someone who smokes pot. For a law of this kind to pass it requires analisys by hundreds of people. What are the chances hundreds of people passed a law just to piss people off? Very small... Very small.

When you smoke pot you take a risk, the current risk is being fined or jailed. You make your own decisions and do it anyways. That is your choice. Nobody is saying you can't do it, the yare just telling you that if you do it you will face consequences. If you don't want to go to jail go to a state where pot is decriminalized, i believe florida is one of them, i'm not sure... The point is you already have the choice of using pot, my view as i stands now is that someone who smokes pot and complains about it is very close to a thief who steals something and then demands that stealing be made legal. It's illegal right now, if you cared so much about the legality of the proccess you wouldn't have used it until it was made legal or at least decriminalized.

A fine for smoking pot sounds reasonable to me... heck if they fined alcohol i bet there wouldn't be as many drunk-related accidents either.

 

[MrD]

My argument on this is not really related to hash.

I simply don't like being told what I can and can't do. If I do something entirely within the bounds of my own private space, and no-one else is affected by it, then I see no reason why someone should feel the need to make it their business?!

I simply have no time for the "other people might abuse it" argument. I don't care about the other people. The question I am asking is "why can't I do it?"

Someone answer that please.