How do you feel about the change taking place in concern with marijuana laws?

[GhostSlug]

"Plus the state and federal government should realize they are missing out on great tax revenue by insisting on keeping pot illegal."

I am exceedingly tired of the government becoming the drug pusher of record. If something is legal, it is legal. "Sin" tax's are nigh onto violating people's right to make money from their own labor. And what happens if the industries just decide to fold? Or worse, just ACTUALLY fold?

We are taxed at a rate far exceeding that which prompted the revolution. It is getting ridiculous.

Very true. I think one of the main reasons marijuana is still illegal is because it is so easy to grow. Any one can put some seeds in the ground and wait a little while and poof, there's pot. Pharm companies cannot make money off of something people can grow on their own. That's why so many medicines are synthetic. Plus, the government does not want to create a slippery-slope; if we make marijuana legal when will we make all other drugs legal? I think with any drug the legality should be based on the physical harm and the likelihood of dependence.

 

[Reborn_thru_him]

that's quite a random assortment of drugs to be comparing 0.o

 

[TheBear]

Pot may be harmful and maybe not, but it should be legalized nonetheless.

First of all, right now, even with it being illegal, anyone who wants it, gets it. I've never heard of anyone saying, "Gee, I'd really like to smoke some, if only it were legal. Darn it!"

But because it's illegal, it creates a black market rife with murders. It puts law enforcement and innocent citizens in harms way. It puts a huge strain on state and federal budgets with all the prisons, legal procedures, customs, DEA, Border Patrol, and on.. All these problems and many more would disappear overnight, if it were made legal.

I think the California idea of making it a legal commodity and generating tax revenue is an excellent idea.

I don't smoke that stuff, but even if I wanted to, I don't like the idea of a nanny state making those decisions for me. I'm an adult and can make those decisions for myself.

 

[Verv]

Marijuana is a lighter drug than alcohol.

Alcohol kills people en masse, you can overdose on it and die, poeople often become violent and commit sexual assaults while on alcohol.

It would honestly be better if more people were pot-heads and not alcoholics.

 

[Protocol11]

I am not against it for those whom it is prescribed, only because I am not a doctor and can't make that call.
But I am hoping not to see it on store shelves along with the ciggarettes. Bad for your health and knowing many drug addicts I do believe it is a gateway drug..leading to harder stuff eventually. jmo

It's a gateway drug because to get it, you usually have to get it from the guy that sell harder drugs. Once you realized people lied to you about pot, you think they lied to you about all drugs, so naturally, you want to try them. Legalize it and quit lying about it, suddenly it's not a gateway drug.

"Cannabis produces more tar ( up to 50% more) than an equivalent weight of tobacco and is smoked in a way that increases the accumulation of tar.The carcinogen benzopyrene, for example, is 70% more abundant in marijuana than in tobacco smoke. When cannabis tar is applied to the skin of experimental animals, it causes precancerous lesions similar to those caused by tobacco tar.

Yet no hard indepentant study shows that it causes cancer. Not to mention, there are many way of getting high that circumvent that risk, if it exists.

Special white blood cells in living lung tissue-alveolar macrophages-play a role in removing debris from the lungs. When exposed to smoke from cannabis, these cells are are less able to remove bacteria and other foreign debris.

Smoking only a few marijuana cigarettes a day up to 6 to 8 weeks can significantly impair pulmonary function. Heavy use causes cellular changes and that users have a higher incidence of laryngitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, cough, dry throat. "

"Drugs and Society" (Hanson, Venturelli, and Fleckenstein)

The problem with pot studies is that they usually have an agenda behind them. Anything you read that was by, or sponsored by the government is almost guarenteed to be a lie.

Pot creates apathy and selfishness. I don't care how healthy it is. I know a lot of people who won't drink alone but they'll stay perpetually stoned all day, morning to night. Legalize it like alcohol and you dope the masses faster than television can. The prince of the power of the air would celebrate if pot-use were more prevalent. Don't believe them when they say it's harmless or safer than alcohol. It's different but more subtle in it's destruction.

That's why pot use in Holland is lower than use in the states?

Why do you use pot? Is it just to calm down? If so, what about deep breathing relaxation techniques, exercise, meditation?

Deep breating isn't nearly as fun.

I got pulled over in for suspected drunk driving. It was around midnight and I was taking my girlfriend home after a concert. I touched the white line on the shoulder ONCE because the road was being repainted and there were dual lines, and the cop followed me for about five miles before pulling me over.

Keep in mind, I do not consume alcohol. My family has a long history of alcoholism, and it made me decide at a young age that I would not even press my luck at drinking.

So, the officer talks to me for about fifteen minutes, and I'm not slurring my speech, I'm speaking clearly and accurately, and describing the concert. I was STILL required to do a field sobriety test followed by a breathalyzer test. Surprise, surprise, I have a blood alcohol content of... 0. He lets me go, but tells me I was lucky this time.

Cops are generally scumbags.

 

[Maren]

Zoinks.

Touche'.

You really wouldn't care for the German laws. There you can be charged with drunk driving if you get into the driver's seat while intoxicated -- even if you don't have the keys. It is considered intent to drive drunk. If you get into the car to sleep it off, make sure you get into the back seat; again, laying down on the front seat shows intent per the law. Not to mention their drunk driving punishments are much more severe than the US drunk driving laws (this story of a first time offender lost his license for 6 months and ended up paying about €15000 total between fines, fees, and a lawyer).

 

[Protocol11]

You really wouldn't care for the German laws. There you can be charged with drunk driving if you get into the driver's seat while intoxicated -- even if you don't have the keys. It is considered intent to drive drunk. If you get into the car to sleep it off, make sure you get into the back seat; again, laying down on the front seat shows intent per the law. Not to mention their drunk driving punishments are much more severe than the US drunk driving laws (this story of a first time offender lost his license for 6 months and ended up paying about €15000 total between fines, fees, and a lawyer).

Does sound much different than America. I got charged with a DUI for sleeping it off in my car. Keys were in the ignition, radio going, and they said I had Actual Physical Control. Nevermind the fact that my car was stuck in the sand they had to call in a special crane tow truck to pull it out.

 

[mpok1519]

marijuana produces more tar, yes, BUT, that tar is also low in free-radicals, which your body has a very difficult time metabolizing. Cigarettes and alcohol contain more free-radicals which your body has an intense time trying to get rid of.

A joint has more tar than one cigarette; but consider the other factors; people dont normally smoke twenty joints a day; however, people are known for smoking 20+ cigarettes in a day, which equates way more tar than in one joint. So, the whole marijuana has more tar argument is kind of lame, because think of the variables; who normally smokes a cigarette? one person. Who smokes a joint? More than likely the joint is being shared. How many cigs does that one person smoke? could be 15+ a day. How many joints does that person smoke in a day? Probably not nearly as many cigarrettes that are consumed by the average smoker.

cannabis can affect one's immune system, but so do cigs, and alcohol, but those are legal. Prescription drugs can kill you without even getting you intoxicated. there seems to be alot of unfair treatment when it comes to cannabis.

Also, taxing marijuana could result in an extra $16B+ tax revenue, and thats only is they tax it on a minimal level. Also, the tax payers would save around $5-10B in money that doesnt need to be spent on the enforcement of prohibition.

 

[IzzyPop]

I heart vaporizers. No tar...

 

[mpok1519]

oh yeah; you cant vaporize a cigarette to get the nicotine, ALTHOUGH, e-cigs which are becoming popular, which is why marijuana can be carcinogenic-free. pure cannbanoids without the free-radicals isn't dangerous to your health at all.

 

[andy1078]

God gave us all seed bearing plants and herbs to use. (Genesis)

 

[mpok1519]

see, theres even biblical evidence that weed is good!

oh no, how could the Bible promote something, gasp, illegal?! ~faints~

 

[andy1078]

LOL!!! you're funny!!

see, theres even biblical evidence that weed is good!

oh no, how could the Bible promote something, gasp, illegal?! ~faints~

 

[mpok1519]

LOL!!! you're funny!!

yes, i am funny. =)

the status quo of America's entire taboo-influenced mind set on drugs is funny too. The unethical criminal legislation of marijuana was influenced by political motives and racial attitudes towards minorities as immigrants were more likely to indulge in marijuana, as it also became introduced to the mainstream in jazz clubs in the south during prohibition. Today, its still the same; if you are a minority caught in possession of illegal drugs you're more likely to recieve a conviction and more likely to recieve a harsher sentence than a white person. If you're caught in possession of illegal drugs, you're more likely to be arrested if you're a minority; if you're a senator's son caught with weed, cops might not even report your illegal actiivty. Its almost as if from the beginning drug laws are in a form of minority control, which is scary.

Its funny that the Bible says marijuana is a good thing too. Who'da thought huh?