Legalization of Marijuana

[For-Life]

I have had this debate plenty of times before, but it is usually with people around my age and such, so the opinions tend to be standard. I wanted to hear your unique opinions.

How do you feel about loosening the laws on the drug or legalizing it. I do not touch the stuff. I find that it turns people into downers, and I like to party more. But nonetheless, I agree that it should be decriminalized, at least in smaller quantities (Canadian government considered decriminalization under 15 grams). Here are my reasons why:

- I find that its effects, both long and short term are safer than alcohol. Someone who is high on weed tends not to be violent, as it tends to just actual subdue them. The health effects of alcohol can also cause tremendous damage if abused over a long period of time.

- The costs of policing is through the roof. I have talked to a few police officers, and they tell me how much time they waste (their word, not mine) on someone who has marijuana. This does not even take into consideration the cost to our prison systems.

- The biggest argument against the drug is that it is a gateway drug. I honestly do not believe this. There has been little to no proof of this. Many people use the drugs without using something harder. Plus, I can tell you that I can see a drinker turn into a coke head easier than a smoker. Why? Because apparently coke is an upper. So is drinking. You would better match the effects of drinking with coke versus weed. Weed will just make you lounge around.



So thoughts? Opinions? I would prefer to listen to a few before I reply. Keep in mind, this is from someone who does not use marijuana, but does drink. So it is not like I am arguing for my benefit.

[GAgal]

I agree with you that is should be legalized for some of the same reasons that you stated. I believe that there would be an economic benefit to legalizing and taxing marijuana in addition to the cut in costs of putting a marijuana user in the correctional system. My personal belief is that I would rather have the police tracking down violent criminals instead of busting the 17 year old kid who is getting high at a party. The only thing I've ever seen a pot head attack is an order of 20 piece McNuggets.

[cocoisland58]

I don't particularily care for it myself except on rare occasion but many of my friends enjoy it and have done so for over 30 years, many of them on a daily basis. We are all over age 50 and professional people. Not one of us has a criminal record, we all own homes, are responsible citizens and have raised well adjusted children who are either in college or raising their own families. I thought the stigma would have passed by now. Maybe it's because the elderly generation (our parents) still think of pot as the gateway to heroin and they still vote. Michigan passed a medical marijuana law last year. You can posess it if you are a card carrying member of the pot Rx club but you can't grow it unless you have a license. They haven't figured out who is going to grow it yet and buying it on the street is still illegal. So how do they think the growers are going to get the seed? So much fuss over nothing if you ask me.

[obxeyeguy]

Here are my reasons why:

- I find that its effects, both long and short term are safer than alcohol. Someone who is high on weed tends not to be violent, as it tends to just actual subdue them. The health effects of alcohol can also cause tremendous damage if abused over a long period of time. Given

- The costs of policing is through the roof. I have talked to a few police officers, and they tell me how much time they waste (their word, not mine) on someone who has marijuana. This does not even take into consideration the cost to our prison systems.

- The biggest argument against the drug is that it is a gateway drug. I honestly do not believe this. There has been little to no proof of this.

Not saying one way or the other, but please back up your statements with facts, and then we can talk.

[Jacqui]

I too would like to see facts presented and not just opinions.

[For-Life]

Not saying one way or the other, but please back up your statements with facts, and then we can talk.

that is fine. You will see for the first one, it is mostly observational. What I would like to see is how many people commit violent crimes when high on marijuana versus alcohol. Probably the easiest way to find this out yourself is to talk to a police officer.

The second one is simple. Look at home many people are in jail for marijuana and how much time police spend on it. Again, for the latter, maybe talking to a police officer would be best.

I really do not think anything I said was statistical based, and I really do not think the opinions are much in dispute with those involved.

[DragonLensmanWV]

Let me say that I have seen lives ruined by alcohol due to it's effects, and lives ruined by marijuana due to it being illegal.

[KStraker]

When the cure is worse than the disease something is wrong. These laws were started in an atmosphere of racism and later solidified by the big drug lobby. Why would you need to take Xanax, Valium, Paxil, sleeping pills, etc if a natural alternative will grow in your back yard(especially when these chemicals have negative side effects)? Even if we don't legalize it for medicinal use, we should definitely legalize industrial hemp. It's a huge, billion dollar business. Currently , no distinction is made between growing for fiber and growing for THC content. In colonial America is was illegal NOT to grow hemp. If you had land that was not being planted, you grew hemp to make sail cloth and riggings. For >5,000 years humans have used Marijuana as a fiber and psycho active substance. White America made it illegal in the 1930's. I guess we know better than 4900 years of human history.:hammer:
Despite spending hundreds of millions on Marijuana eradication, the potency and availability is increasing. If you spent this much money on a project with so little results, would you still have a job? The gov't wants to scare people by saying that "this isn't the weed of old, the THC content is much higher". The max THC content I have seen reported in a plant is around 25%. Funny thing is that the Marinol pill, which our govt endorses, is 100% THC. That makes it 4 times as bad, by govt logic. But the pill is made by Merck or Glaxo-Smith Kline, so it's OK. AKA, puts money in the corporate coffers.
We need sensible laws, not reactionary fear mongering based on fake science.

[DestinieNicole]

It will never be legal, because there is no way for the government to control it. Anyone could just grow it if they wanted to at home and there would be no way to tax it. It's a lost cause.

[Dave Nelson]

I don't want to see it legalized....just made not illegal. "legalizing" it adds an air of judicial endorsement, while de-criminalizing it simply means the government isn't trying to legislate what people do in the privacy of their own homes. I have seen many lives ruined with both drugs and alchohol, I do believe marijuana is in fact, harmful, but not enough to warrant goverment intrusion and control of activities that hurt no one but the user.

[HarryChiling]

IMO, legalize not decriminalize it, it should be taxed and can provide revenue for the government. The current system where our government taxes tobacco and uses that money for other things will slowly come to a halt. On one hand tobacco is taxed and on the other hand laws are passed to raise those taxes, money is given in the form of grants to fund anti-tobacco campaigns, and laws are passed making it illegal to smoke anywhere. I don't see how the tobacco taxes are going to keep funding the many programs that it currently does and marijuana would be a good replacement.

BTW - I don't smoke either of them. (except for the occasional cigar when I'm drinking and cursing like a sailor) ;)

[Fezz]

When you understand and have first hand knowledge of addiction, let me know. We can then have a real discussion.

[Bill West]

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!

BIG PUFF of SMOKE:bbg:

cold bottle of BUD Lite:cheers:

[Dave Nelson]

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!

BIG PUFF of SMOKE:bbg:

cold bottle of BUD Lite:cheers:

Dave? Daves not here.

[obxeyeguy]

Try some, there good.

[gemstone]

The biggest problem I see here is a lot of good people lose their job on during the work week for pot they smoked on Sat. night.

Here is a lecture by Michael on the subject. I read a book of his. The "Botany of Desire". The chapter on Potatoes and Marijauana were the only read worthy.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/05/i...bout-weed.html

[tdj]

Legalize not decriminalize. It's no more intoxicating than alcohol and has many fewer side effects as far as damaging organs and neurotoxicity. And it could make the gov't a heck of a lot of cash through taxation and regulation.

and FYI... I don't use the stuff.

[tdj]

It will never be legal, because there is no way for the government to control it. Anyone could just grow it if they wanted to at home and there would be no way to tax it. It's a lost cause.

One could say the same for home beer distillation and tobacco.

[rbaker]

It will never be legal, because there is no way for the government to control it. Anyone could just grow it if they wanted to at home and there would be no way to tax it. It's a lost cause.

You mean like tobacco and booze?

[tdj]

You mean like tobacco and booze?

Exactly what I said ... ha!

Just like tobacco and booze.. if you can buy it at 7-11, 99 out of 100 people aren't going to forsake that convenience for the subjugation of tax laws.

[Jacqui]

When you understand and have first hand knowledge of addiction, let me know. We can then have a real discussion.

Have to agree with Fezz, that's why I wanted to see confirmed statistics (They don't exist). I've been around the block tooo many times to agree with the legalization garbage.

[For-Life]

So should alcohol be made illegal, because it is addictive?

[Jacqui]

There are a lot of statistics and research that show alcohol should be regulated more than it is. Same with tobacco.

[KStraker]

Have to agree with Fezz, that's why I wanted to see confirmed statistics (They don't exist). I've been around the block tooo many times to agree with the legalization garbage.

Sounds like you might live in a neighborhood full of crack heads. Ask your government for confirmed statistics. They 've paid for a bunch of them over the years. :cheers:

[Jacqui]

I'm talking about stats that would help legalize it. The gov't. reports are almost all against legalization, unless something has come up in the last couple of months.