Legalizing Marijuana

Themasta - posted on 08/03/2012

um no and i can tell most of u people have smoked weed and no it would not be a good idea

Ashley - posted on 10/31/2010

I say LEGALIZE it!!!!

Barb - posted on 10/31/2010

Joy, i love your post LOL abusing many bags of cool ranch Doritos. hahahaha.



I personally do not partake. I just don't care for it. I'd rather have a glass of wine, but that is just my personal stance on it. And this isn't all about me.



Legalize it already! It is not a gateway drug. I have friends and family members that have smoked pot for 40 some odd years, still hold down really good jobs, have nice houses, and the only other drug they have done is prescribed.



I recently went on a visit to a friend's house in California. She has worked hard all her life as a school teacher and at 60 years old has a painful, debilitating, back problem that puts her in tears about 60% of her day. She refuses to take the oxycotin and percoset the dr's give her because it "zombifies her". Instead, she has medical marijuana.



She was able to function, be productive, go for walks on the beach, lunch with friends, take her dog for a walk, clean her house, do laundry, etc, things we take for granted when we don't have horrible back pain. She didn't steal anything, hurt anyone, or become violent. She didn't effect anyone but herself.



This made me realize, since marijuana is more accepted here, people are experimenting with it and making it more or less potent to help in various areas with different problems. They are also making it more safe, more regulated, more accountable if there is a problem. She wasn't going to some uncaring unaccountable drug dealer.



If we are worried about it getting into the hands of children, consider this: Who is more likely to sell your child drugs? An established business with a license, accountability, government standards, or a drug dealer from the street?



A good point brought out in the link is not only would it generate revenue for the state by taxing it, it would also save money by no longer, arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating marijuana criminals. It is estimated to cost up to $50,000 a year per person to keep someone incarcerated.



Another great point brought up by someone in this thread is it would raise money via tourism. Market California as the American Amsterdam. You would have more than one person coming to visit.



Just some thoughts.

Joy - posted on 10/08/2010

As a former heavy pot smoker, I can attest to the fact that while I smoked pot, I never missed work, I never stole anything, I never ONCE got into a fight or did anything illegal (except for the actual smoking of the pot lol). I may have abused many, many bags of Cool Ranch Doritos but....I was still a responsible, productive human being. Alcohol? I've missed several days of work in my life from hangovers, gotten in fights, even went to jail overnight once, slept with people I never would have sober, and a great multitude of other things that I normally wouldn't do. I understand that the question was "should pot be legal?". But I also think that if we're going to have an intelligent DEBATE, we also have to consider other things that are supposedly "comparable" to pot. How can alcohol and cigarettes not be part of the discussion? It's called looking at all sides and listening to the "other side" of the debate.



Edited to add: Legalize it, tax the crap out of it and pay off some of our national debt!

Charlie - posted on 10/08/2010

Legalize it !

And i disagree that is the "dregs of society " that smoke it , i know plenty of pot smokers CEO's , teachers , lawyers , famous singers , architects , the list goes on , ive smoked with all of them back when i used to smoke pot , they are all able to perform their jobs and do it well and go home and relax with a little toke of a joint , some of them did it for medical reasons too .

I mean you can steryotype it and say " oh well its just lazy dregs who smoke " but i find that to be a little naive , people from all walks of life enjoy Marijuana and contribute to society , that would be like saying only dregs drink alcohol .

Joy - posted on 10/08/2010

Legalize it!

Dawn - posted on 10/08/2010

Jenny, I loved the video you posted...thank you!!

Krista - posted on 10/06/2010

I do believe alcohol is just as bad though and i would like that to be banned because i live right by a pub and the crap we have to put up with is ridiculous.

And with both pot and alcohol, you're looking at the worst-case scenarios and extrapolating from there. As Jenny said, there are PLENTY of recreational pot users who are perfectly functional and contributing members of society. And there are plenty of recreational drinkers who are perfectly functional and contributing members of society.

It makes no sense to take the percentage of people who abuse it, and use that as a reason to draw a blanket ban on these substances. I can enjoy a glass of wine with my dinner, and Jenny's neighbour can have a toke on Friday night after work, and I'm sure that neither of us would appreciate a ban on these things, simply because SOME people abuse them.

Hell, some people abuse shopping. Or sex. Or food. You gonna ban those?

Jenny - posted on 10/06/2010

Well come to BC some time. You'll meet teachers, business owners, doctors, police officers and all sorts of contributing citizens who smoke marijuana. One of our local fire chiefs was a known grower. The husband and kids of a mayor in a town in the Kooteneys were just caught growing too. Stereotypical pot smokers act like stereotypical pot smokers, most pot smokers do not though. If you project a judgemental attitude towards tokers, they will likely not admit it to you and you will never know.



...and alcohol is NOT "just as bad" as marijuana, it is FAR worse. They just have a better marketing team.

Susanne - posted on 10/06/2010

Smoking pot where i live to me represents the scummy dregs of society who havent got jobs and never intend to do anything except sit on their backsides all day smoking it. I dont know if legalising it would be a good idea or not but i dont think its an unharmful substance and i definately dont want my kids smoking it when they are older. I do believe alcohol is just as bad though and i would like that to be banned because i live right by a pub and the crap we have to put up with is ridiculous.

Johnny - posted on 10/05/2010

My friend developed schizophrenia during high school and he didn't smoke any pot. Now he lives under a trailer and has tried to commit suicide twice. This isn't evidence that not smoking pot leads to schizophrenia any more than Jayde's anecdotal story indicates the opposite. The late teens is commonly the time when schizophrenia presents itself in males. Drug use has not be shown as a causal link in any study. The only thing that has been demonstrated is that those who are beginning to suffer the early signs of schizophrenia are more likely to seek out drugs, as an escape.

Jenny - posted on 10/05/2010

Your friend had a predisposition to schizophrenia. Most people do not. It is also a prime reason why minors should have restricted access to marijuana as that is the prime time for schizophrenia to escalate due to prolonged marijuana use. Drug dealers don't check ID.

Jayde - posted on 10/05/2010

my friend in high school developed schizophrenia from all his pot smoking & killed himself. NO IT SHOULD NOT BE LEGAL!!

Jenny - posted on 09/13/2010

I do understand where the other side comes from. Drugs can destroy lives, I've had it happen in my family too. It's very easy to come to the cocclusion that we must get tough on crime and keep drugs away from our children. However, when you look closer at the issue you realise it is much easier for kids to get drugs from a dealer than a pharmacy. It is more effective to treat drug addiction through detox, rehab and outpatient facilties than with jail. In countries with the death penalty there is still drugs available and always will be.



Harm reduction is the most logical conclusion. We will never eradicate drug use ever. It would be some much more productive to take the vast amount of money in the drug industry and put it towards education and treatment options. But to do that we have to stop .looking at the issue emotionally and start thinking practically.

Amanda - posted on 09/13/2010

That is actually one i have watched.. and found very informative unfortunately alot of people on the other side of the debate do not have an open mind when going into it.

Jenny - posted on 09/13/2010

Amanda, if you're looking for a good doc on marijuana I recommend this one:

Amanda - posted on 09/13/2010

I am going to give one tidbit of advice sherri, you should do your research on BOTH sides of this not just on the government studies.. because the government WANTS you to believe it is bad and that is why they made it illegal. This debate inspired to watch some documentarys this weekend and after doing so i am even more prolegalization because the pro's outweigh the cons 50 to 1. And let's face it our economy needs a boost.. legalization will open up ALOT of jobs.. growers, harvesters, sales... Not to mention all of the other things it can be used for besides smoking. It has NO long term side effects..in the study the government did on monkeys saying ti kills brain cells they were putting gas masks on monkey and pumping in the equivalant of 60 joints in 5 minutes which suffocated the monkeys, therefore killing brain cells.. new studies actually show no long term brain cell damage.

LaCi - posted on 09/13/2010

Aspirin in children, teens and young adults is linked to reyes syndrome. You wanna talk about some negative side effects?

Anika - posted on 09/12/2010

Sherri, Sherri, Sherri. I don't care what the New England Journal of Medicine says. If I eat a whole bag of lollies (and I have on a handful of occasions), I get very hyper and excitable. I really do. You might not. Your kids might not. But I do. And I've had sugar 'hangovers' too.

Katherine - posted on 09/12/2010

They've already legalized it in Michigan (my state) I thought they legalized it in CA a loooong time ago. Sorry to jump in in the middle :/

Sherri - posted on 09/12/2010

Actually the whole sugar making you hyper is a myth documented by the New England Journal of Medicine.

I am done arguing about this you have your view I have mine. You are not convincing me I am not convincing me. This is what makes the world go round.

Starr - posted on 09/12/2010

Anika pretty much summed up what I was going to say. And also Sherri, wether or not it is legal is not really going to affect you and your children. If they want to try it they will. Its not harf to come across. And if you really dont like it then you will express that to them and hopefully for you they will follow your beliefs.

Anika - posted on 09/12/2010

Aspirin thins the blood so can be harmful in high doses (though can be helpful if you're prone to blood clots). Caffeine and sugar do affect your mental state. I myself am not affected much by caffeine but many do, hence why they drink it. Sugar on the other hand, if I have it in excess, it makes me very, VERY hyper and excitable. And that's pretty much the argument for marijuana. For some people, they can take it once and awhile, get a wee buzz and it's fine. For a select few they get addicted. Same with alcohol. Most of us can have a drink or two, get a nice buzz and be fine, but for a select few, they get addicted, violent and aggressive. Some people can play the lottery every now and then and be fine. Others gamble all their money away. Why should some people's vices be legal and some not just because a few people can't handle it? Some people can't handle fast food and have McDonalds every night. Does that mean we should ban all junk food? No.

Sherri - posted on 09/12/2010

Why is asprin bad? I give my children asprin it is no different then tylenol. I also don't think sugar or caffeine affect the brain or cause you to act differently.

Well I guess we will have to agree to disagree as I will never change my stance on this and nor will you.



P.S. I don't actually care what you do with your own self. However, I do care that at some point it may be okay for my children to get a hold of marijuana legally. My children and my family now they are the ones I am fighting to protect it from. Heck I don't even buy food in my home unless it is organic I certainly don't want them allowed to have recreational drugs.

Jenny - posted on 09/12/2010

"Because I think it negatively effects the brain and will cause more problems then any good that could come of it."



I don't agree with this.



Why should YOU believing a substance is harmful result in ME being incriminated by putting a substance into my own body. Why do you get to make that choice for me?

Starr - posted on 09/12/2010

"Because I think it negatively effects the brain and will cause more problems then any good that could come of it"
As well as sugar, caffiene, asprin, so many things can negatively effect the brain. BUT, they can also positively effect us as well.

Anika - posted on 09/12/2010

If used in excess then possibly yes. But if used recreationally like you might alcohol, I don't think their is much harm, at least no more than legal drugs. What about the proven health benefits? You will never get rid of it, so wouldn't it be safer to moderate and regulate? To me it's like prostitution. Not most people's cup of tea but you'll never stop it and it's better to have guide lines, regulations and health care for the workers.

Sherri - posted on 09/12/2010

Because I think it negatively effects the brain and will cause more problems then any good that could come of it.

Anika - posted on 09/12/2010

@Sherri -no one is denying that it is a drug. Other drugs are legal though, such as nicotine, caffeine and alcohol. Why should marijuana be classed as 'bad' and the latter group be classed as 'ok'? Wouldn't it make more sense to legalise it and bring it more out into the open so it can be monitored and regulated?

Sherri - posted on 09/12/2010

I NEVER said it was better don't put words in my mouth. I am just saying that this thread is simply discussing Marijuana, I think alcohol is a completely different subject and could use a thread all on its own.

Stifler's - posted on 09/12/2010

Alcohol IS a drug. But because it's legal you think it's better than marijuana even though it causes more problems and anyone who smokes pot is evil? I'm not picking on you I just don't get that reasoning either.

Sherri - posted on 09/12/2010

I actually wouldn't care if it was I very rarely drink it anyways and never more than a drink or two anyways. But my point is it isn't so the discussion right now is about marijuana that is!!

Rosie - posted on 09/12/2010

even though alcohol is obviously worse, and you don't wish that to be illegal? i don't get the reasoning.

Sherri - posted on 09/12/2010

However, we are not talking about alcohol we are only taking about marijuana and there are enough reasons in my opinion why it is considered a drug and why it is still illegal!!

Stifler's - posted on 09/12/2010

Have you ever heard of alcohol related dementia Sherri? Liver cirrhosis? Heart disease? Drink driving and subsequent crashes?

Anika - posted on 09/12/2010

And how about this (from the same website)

Alcohol use contributes to aggressive behavior and acts of violence, whereas marijuana use reduces the likelihood of violent behavior.

Alcohol is clearly the drug with the most evidence to support a direct intoxication-violence relationship.

Cannabis reduces likelihood of violence during intoxication… Source: Hoaken, Peter N.S., Sherry H. Stewart. Journal of Addictive Behaviors. 28, pages 1533-1554. Drugs of abuse and the elicitation of human aggressive behavior. Dept. of Psychology, University of Western Ontario. Dept. of of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University.
Alcohol use is highly associated with violent crime, whereas marijuana use is not.

About 3 million violent crimes occur each year in which victims perceive the offender to have been drinking at the time of the offense.

Two-thirds of victims who suffered violence by an intimate (a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend) reported that alcohol had been a factor.

Among spouse victims, 3 out of 4 incidents were reported to have involved an offender who had been drinking. Source: U.S. Department of Justice. Bureau of Justice Statistics. National Crime Victimization Survey 2002.
Alcohol use contributes to the likelihood of domestic violence and sexual assault and marijuana use does not.

Of the psychoactive substances examined, among individuals who were chronic partner abusers, the use of alcohol and cocaine was associated with significant increases in the daily likelihood of male-to-female physical aggression; cannabis and opiates were not significantly associated with an increased likelihood of male partner violence.

…the odds of any male-to-female physical aggression were more than 8 times (11 times) higher on days when men drank than on days of no alcohol consumption. The odds of severe male-to-female physical aggression were more than 11 times (11 times) higher on days of men’s drinking than on days of no drinking. Moreover, in both samples, over 60% of all episodes occurred within 2 hours of drinking by the male partner. Source: Fals-Stewart , William, James Golden, Julie A. Schumacher. Journal of Addictive Behaviors. 28, pages 1555-1574. Intimate partner violence and substance use: A longitudinal day-to-day examination. Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York

I know I would rather be around someone stoned and chilling out than someone smoking cigarettes or an aggressive drunk.

Anika - posted on 09/12/2010

@Sherri - I can copy and paste too
From http://www.saferchoice.org/content/view/...

Long-term marijuana use is far less damaging than long-term alcohol use.

Excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States and is associated with multiple adverse health consequences, including liver cirrhosis, various cancers, unintentional injuries, and violence.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported 20,687 “alcohol-induced deaths” (excluding accidents and homicides) in 2003. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/alcohol....

The CDC has no reports of “marijuana-induced deaths.” (In reality, there may be 2-5 deaths each year attributed to marijuana, but this article -- http://bbsnews.net/bw2005-02-01.html -- describes how these are actually deaths attributable to other causes but “blamed” on marijuana due to the way the data is collected.)

There is little evidence, however, that long-term cannabis use causes permanent cognitive impairment, nor is there is any clear cause and effect relationship to explain the psychosocial associations.

There are some physical health risks, particularly the possibility of damage to the airways in cannabis smokers. Overall, by comparison with other drugs used mainly for ‘recreational’ purposes, cannabis could be rated to be a relatively safe drug. Source: Iversen, Leslie. Current Opinion in Pharmacology. Volume 5, Issue 1, February 2005, Pages 69-72. Long-term effects of exposure to cannabis. University of Oxford, Department of Pharmacology.

The latest and most comprehensive research on marijuana has concluded that it does not contribute to the development of lung cancer. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...

There has never been a documented case of lung cancer in a marijuana-only smoker, and recent studies find that marijuana use is not associated with any type of cancer. The same cannot be said for alcohol, which has been found to contribute to a variety of long-term negative health effects, including cancers and cirrhosis of the liver.

Barb - posted on 09/12/2010

The problem with any government studies to show how bad marijuana is for everyone is that the government only allows studies to be done with one strain of marijuana that is kept in one place and is all of the same chemical compound and makeup.

Marijuana is not a gateway drug and has many more benefits than have been allowed to be discovered by the US government. It helps with asthma by relaxing the bronchial tubes. It can actually help with road rage by helping the driver to remain relaxed and calm.

Making it legal to smoke is just the least of how it could help economically.

There are literally hundreds of uses for hemp. Everything from rope, clothing, and paper; to lotions, soap, bases for medicines, cooking oils without saturated or trans fat, actually it has more monounsaturated fat than EVOO. The oil could also be used as a bio fuel, the vegetation made into ethanol for gasoline.

How many jobs would this create right here in the good ole US of A? Not just farming jobs but pharmaceutical jobs, manufacturing jobs, research and development.

Think beyond the smoking!!

There is so much more this little plant can do.

Sherri - posted on 09/12/2010

HOW DOES MARIJUANA AFFECT THE BRAIN?
Submitted by SerendipUpdate on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 2:00pm


THC is the main active ingredient in marijuana because it affects the brain by binding to and activating specific receptors, known as cannabinoid receptors. "These receptors control memory, thought, concentration, time and depth, and coordinated movement. THC also affects the production, release or re-uptake (a regulating mechanism) of various neurotransmitters."(2) Neurotransmitters are chemical messenger molecules that carry signals between neurons. Some of these affects are personality disturbances, depression and chronic anxiety.
Marijuana's damage to short-term memory occurs because THC alters the way in which information is processed by the hippocampus, a brain area responsible for memory formation. "One region of the brain that contains a lot of THC receptors is the hippocampus, which processes memory."(3) Hippocampus is the part of the brain that is important for memory, learning, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivation. It also converts information into short-term memory. "Because it is a steroid, THC acts on the hippocampus and inhibits memory retrieval."(4) THC also alters the way in which sensory information is interpreted.
There are two types of memory behavior that is affected by marijuana, recognition memory and free cells. Recognition memory is the ability to recognize correct words. Users can usually recognize words that they previous saw before smoking but claim to recognize words that they did not previously see before smoking. This mistake is known as memory intrusions. Memory intrusions are also the consequence of THC affecting the free cell of the brain. "Marijuana disrupts the ability to freely recall words from a list that has been presented to an intoxicated subject."(6) For example, if a list of vocabulary words presented to the intoxicated subject and few minutes later, they have to recall the words that were on the list. The only words that they remember are the last group of words and not the words that are in the beginning of the list. This is an initiation that their memory storage has been affected. "The absence of an effect at short term delay times indicates that cannabinodis did not impair the ability to perform the basic task, but instead produce a selective learning and/or memory deficit.

Anika - posted on 09/12/2010

@Sherri - Let me just preface this by saying I have never smoked pot, don't smoke and rarely drink, so I'm not saying this to justify my lifestyle. Alcohol and cigarettes are just as bad, if not , worse than marijuana. Cigarettes do affect people's mental state. That's why it is addictive. And cigarettes have no benefits and can harm those not even smoking via second hand smoke. Alcohol kills 20,000 people every year in the US alone according to the CDC. And that's not including the violent attacks, rapes and domestic violence attributed to alcohol consumption. I highly doubt anyone has ever tried to rape someone due to the effects of pot.

Meghan - posted on 09/11/2010

The ONLY negative to being addicted is some ppl end up laying on the couch all day eating doritos and playing video games rather than working...but I know a lot of people that do that without smoking pot too.
I have never understood how pot is a gateway drug (I am not saying it isn't, I just don't understand). Pot is nothing like other drugs-alcohol, prescription or hard. And the comment that pot heads get into trouble? If we are talking about teenagers, LOTS of teenagers go out a d do stupid shit stone cold sober and even MORE do worse things while drinking.
I don't smoke it anymore but I know quite a few ppl who do (welcome to BC folks) and they are the most laid back funny ppl. I know.

Diane - posted on 09/11/2010

Well I am sorta split on this one....I do believe alcohol is worse. But to say marijuana is completely harmless is just wrong. However natural it is it does have an affect on the system and can cause some health problems, some short term and some long.

If this becomes legal can you imagine the kids memory functions at school?

http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pot/a/eff...

Holly - posted on 09/11/2010

GREAT video giving some GREAT insight...

Brenda - posted on 09/10/2010

look people buy it, people sell it, people use it... its a natural herb from the earth and it does have some benifits to it, If we are taxed at doing the legal jobs then why can't we tax drug dealers and those who usemarijuana??

Rosie - posted on 09/10/2010

@sherri how can you think marijuana is worse than alcohol? have you ever heard of someone overdoseing on marijuana? how about getting addicted to marijuana, it's NOT physically addictive, like alcohol is.
my bio-dad was an alcoholic, who abused us and himself everyday by ingesting that shit. it is what eventually killed him at age 50. have you ever heard of slow death by pot? cause i sure havn't. alcohol is waaaaay worse IMO, and actually is worse just look at statistics instead of just your little life experience with it.
even with all my issues with alcohol, i don't wish for it to be illegal, and i do partake every now and then. i completely understand that people can control themselves, and use it wisely. why so hard up on a substance that is not harmful at all?

Krista - posted on 09/10/2010

So are you also in favour of outlawing alcohol, Sherri? It's addictive, and it leads people to lose control of their actions, and if affects their ability to function in a normal capacity. One drink may not affect YOU in any way, but I can tell you now that if I have one drink, particularly if it's wine, I can definitely feel it.

So should booze also be illegal?

Should prescription meds be illegal? Those are pretty potent, often abused, have led to deaths, and have ruined lives and marriages.

Sherri - posted on 09/10/2010

Because it is a drug that effects my mind. Something I am not for in anyway. I won't even take pain medication because I don't like not being in control of my own actions and being drugged. One drink does not effect me in anyway. You can get addicted to other things but they don't effect your being ability to be able to function in a normal capacity. Marijuana does!!

Starr - posted on 09/10/2010

Plus, Weed is a natural plant grown in our lands. Alcohol, not so much! If you can drink alcohol very very rarely, then why not smoke pot very very rarely, Sherri? I think your opinion on it is more so because it is illegal so you assume it is wrong. I do think it can be a gateway drug but so can any other thing you put in your body, ie cigarrettes. Jenny pretty much summed it up ". People get addicted to food, excercise, collecting hats, their children, all sorts of things"

Krista - posted on 09/10/2010

I agree completely with Jenny. Sure, there are probably some people who get obsessed with smoking pot and let it derail their lives. And the same can be said for alcohol, shopping, gambling, World of Warcraft, sex...need I go on?

And the statement "people who do drugs have problems and need help to stop". Well, that's really a blanket statement, and easily refuted. It would be as though I said, "People who shop have problems and need help to stop." Sure. SOME do. But most don't. SOME people who drink booze have problems and need help to stop. But most don't. And SOME people who smoke pot have problems and need help to stop.

But most don't.

So to fight hard against legalizing something just because a handful of people can't handle it? It's unjust and it's completely counterproductive.

Jenny - posted on 09/10/2010

Drugs affect individuals differently. There are far more responsible people who contribute to society that use drugs recreationally than there are addicts. The addiction rate has remained fairly constant per capita since even before prohibition. Some people have addictive personalities and not just to drugs. People get addicted to food, excercise, collecting hats, their children, all sorts of things.

If you support prohibtion you support keeping the money and power in organised crime's hands. Give it back to the people so we can get some good out of it and stop the needless murdering of our citizens.