Legalization Debate

Anything you breathe into your lungs that is not Oxygen, Nitrogen or Carbon is a carcinogen. Period. THC is what is called a secondary metabolite. So is nicotine. Secondary metabolites are things plants produce that are intended to be poisonous and are to a lot of animals - but not humans. A lot of people like to think that they smoke weed and, since its "natural", it wont hurt them but it causes the same thing as smoking natural tobacco.

I'm a cigarette smoker and have cut down and don't smoke regular cigarettes now, I roll my own that is grown and sold by a tobacconist here in town. It goes from having about 23 carcinogens to having 2.

The thing is - EVERYTHING causes cancer. And nobody can agree on anything. We all drank water out of Nalgenes thinking this is better for the environment because we are wasting plastic bottles etc... but those have BPA.....which causes cancer.

A study was recently released that states coffee can prevent certain types of cancer. But its addictive. Tomatoes can prevent certain types of cancer but can also cause horrible acid reflux and be really painful. Fruits like bananas and kiwis are good for you but are from a latex-based tree which can cause an allergy to latex.

My point being - everything has good parts and bad parts. Anything in excess is bad. Pot has been medically shown to help with a lot of things. Each individual needs to decide whether the bad things are worth it for the good. Right now, my smoking tobacco - lung problems outweigh the possibility of me going postal on someone lol. So anytime my parents tell me that its bad for me I say "would you rather me kill people? Cause you take away my nicotine and it will happen" lol

And I think that saying that all meth heads have smoked pot is a slippery slope. You can't say that pot is a gateway drug because hardcore drug users have all smoked it. Those people have probably done everything under the sun. I know many more people that smoke pot without ever moving on to anything else than people who use it and suddenly go "oh my....crack would be good!" It's just not plausible.

Someone should really go look up the history of hemp and weed and why it was originally outlawed in the first place. Hemp proves to be useful for everything timber is, and for much cheaper. The timber industry was in danger of loosing their business because of this crop that could take over for everything timber did. So a lot of money was put into campaigning for how awful it was (Hence the movie Reefer Madness).

And no thats not a conspiracy - my bf has a masters in forestry and confirmed this after I researched it and has done work in the timber industry himself.

P.S. this thread is making me want to smoke pot and then right afterwards go do some meth and maybe even some heroine. Maybe I'll try coke too, never know! (that was sarcasm)

...ignorance is NOT bliss........here are the facts Lynn...............

my main gripe is this..........weed and trauma do not mix.....(cognitive)

on my last job(many years ago)......I worked with a pothead.......he could not do anything right, let alone,remember the tasks I immediateley assighned him.....thats why he could not do anything right....he was all smoked up and could not remember.......and I asked very nicely to not smoke dat crap on the job..........he stayed smoked up all day/everyday and clearly made my job more difficult..........

I believe the answer to your question is no........its about 1/2 way down the page.................

btw.....I am an ex-pothead


http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/

Myth: Marijuana Impairs Memory and Cognition. Under the influence of marijuana, people are unable to think rationally and intelligently. Chronic marijuana use causes permanent mental impairment.
Fact: Marijuana produces immediate, temporary changes in thoughts, perceptions, and information processing. The cognitive process most clearly affected by marijuana is short-term memory. In laboratory studies, subjects under the influence of marijuana have no trouble remembering things they learned previously. However, they display diminished capacity to learn and recall new information. This diminishment only lasts for the duration of the intoxication. There is no convincing evidence that heavy long-term marijuana use permanently impairs memory or other cognitive functions.

...wwwooohhhooooo!!!!.......me toooooooo!!!!!.....but......not today!!

I feel very strongly that marijuana should be legalised. It's safer than alcohol--you can't die from marijuana (you'd pass out asleep before you were able to smoke/ingest a fatal amount...disregarding the potential for cancer from smoking, because you could always ingest it instead), but you can sure die from alcohol poisoning. Marijuana has also been shown to be not physically addictive (it can be psychologically addictive, but so can basically anything). It has many medicinal benefits, too, e.g. for pain relief. The only downside to weed that I know of is the potential for paranoia and dissociation (these effects can linger after the "high" wears off), but to make them go away one would need to just stop smoking...which isn't that hard to do, generally. Sure, weed is not for everyone, but the same can be said for other legal substances like alcohol, nicotine, and even some herbal supplements. Plus, people are generally less reckless when high than when drunk--ever heard of a stoner driving fast/recklessly or getting into a physical fight? No, stoners just stay home, eat snacks, and play video games. Seems harmless enough--though being a total burnout isn't exactly great, either. But I'd rather hang around with a burnout than with a raging alcoholic.

Wow, this thread's looking good so far! Thanks for all the participation everyone.
I posted this before I went to bed last night, and I wake up, and there's already 3 pages! I was like, wtf, wow!

btw, I found this video. WATCH IT. I post it because sometimes I'll smoke with a friend while she's driving, and while I don't really suggest it if you live in a particularly traffic-busy area that happens to have a high accident rate, we've never had a problem; but then again, it's not very busy where I live. I'm sure if you're in a small town with little to no traffic, it's fine. I say judge accordingly, because pot does slow reaction time, but many people driving under the influence tend to drive MUCH MUCH safer, mostly because they become more, I don't wanna say "paranoid", but they tend to pay closer attention to what's going on around them, and so they avoid any sort of risky driving. Small example, my friend will make sure that there is NO ONE coming before she pulls out, rather than wait for a small opening in a line of traffic and risk hitting someone else. She never speeds, but doesn't too slow either (going slower is actually more dangerous than speeding). I truly feel safe riding in the car with either one of my two friends while they're high. And it makes trips to the mall much more exciting... :P



And the reason why it's so difficult to have conversations with parents or grandparents about smoking marijuana is that they've grown up in this society where the government feeds us false informationpropaganda and uses scare tactics, to convince everyone that marijuana is just BAD. HORRIBLE. The first time I was riding with my friend while she was smoking, I was FREAKING OUT. I was like, "OHMYGOD, I'VE SEEN THOSE ANTI-DRUG PSA'S WHERE THE GUY KILLED HIS LITTLE SISTER BECAUSE HE WAS DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MARIJUANA OHMYGOD I'M GONNA DIE!!!"
But of course, it never happened.

Truth: I got high, NOBODY died.

......I DONT drink or do drugs......but I do smoke ciggy buttes.......and I feel the exact same way you do saluki......I even have dr.'s order to smoke ciggy butttes.....check that out!.....because if it comes to killin' or smokin'.....I'm smokin'.........(ciggy buttes)

..........and ok ok ok.......I'm slidin' down the slippery slope.......
..........maybe I was wrong..........I just read the facts...........
..........but what I posted earlier........about crack/meth/heroin......

......is from my experiance...........................

......paintin........wtf?...........bout time u got up......were rollin'.....

.......

Anything you SMOKE is bad for your lungs. Period. Even if you use a water pipe or a vaporizer (turns out that joints are actually the safest way to smoke it); ingesting it orally is THE safest way to use marijuana. THC itself, though, is NOT carcinogenic. In fact, it's much better if you smoke good quality weed that has a higher THC content, because that means you have to smoke less to get the same effect.
http://abovetheignorance.org/faq.html#a17
And yup, EVERYTHING today causes cancer. Not too long ago, there was that cell-phone scare, because apparently, CELL PHONES cause cancer too. Click link above. ^ ^ ^ Feel free to read the rest of the page while you're there.

I agree wholeheartedly. ANYTHING is bad for you if it's not done in moderation. If you're going to smoke marijuana for recreational use, rule number one, it needs to be done in moderation. Rule number two, it needs to be smoked for the right reasons; if you smoke marijuana to escape from your problems, then it's being used as a coping mechanism and is not getting anything solved. But there is a difference between using it to avoid/escape from your problems and using it as a way to unwind at the end of a hard week with the good company of some friends. People do the same thing with alcohol. Though alcohol is definitely worse for you than marijuana, if someone gets drunk every day after work, then it's probably alcoholism. But if someone goes to a bar every once in a while (for their birthday, for instance) and drinks with friends to have fun, it's not seen as a problem. Like I said, pot is NOT physically addicting. AT ALL. PERIOD. One DOES NOT go through withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing use; while it can be psychologically addicting, people who supposedly go to rehab to recover from their "marijuana addiction" most likely were made to go even though it was not needed, or they were also using harder drugs that actually do require rehab.
http://abovetheignorance.org/faq.html#a20

Here are the uses of hemp. Same page, just feel free to read more... :P
http://abovetheignorance.org/faq.html

This is hilarious...

AGREED.

People who want to smoke pot WILL find some way to obtain it. Making it illegal just forces these people to deal with real criminals who also sell a variety of other drugs, most of which ARE in fact, dangerous. If it was regulated, like you said, we would KNOW what it is we are smoking, and would not have to worry about smoking something that was laced by the dealer with a physically addictive substance to keep the kids coming back for more.

When a kid gets expelled from school because the school drug dog found an eighth in his locker, even though it's the only thing he smokes and he has good grades and a great reputation regardless of his "drug use", then it's just ridiculous. I know SO MANY people who smoked pot, but you never would have guessed because they're such good kids and I had friends who were in National Honors Society all four years of high school, despite having smoked pot all four of those years.

While I was at it, I asked them if they'd ever eaten chocolate. They all had. Alas! Chocolate, too, is a gateway drug and I'm at risk for all kinds of nasty addictions.

I don't really care right now -- as long as I can still score for chocolate at the supermarket I have no interest in moving up to harder drugs. I have no idea what I'll be driven to, though, after the experts figure out chocolate is a gateway drug and outlaw it.

---

........so paint.....I see your point.........

.........but.....my question to you is......

How does one differentiate between using on the job (because it definately affects ones congnitive abilities,negatively,on the job) and recreational use?

because if you roll on my jobsite.....and your high......I'm gonna pissya!

and I'm wrong because your costin' me money,because ya can't think right........or left......

weed affects cognitive behavoir............short term memory

I knew this before the studies were even published.........experiance

AHAHAHA I LOLLL'D...... XD
I had read about these experiments with spiders and the observance of their webs, so I thought this was serious at first, lol... when it got to the part about the THC spider making a hammock, I was just like, wtf?? and then I DIED. with LAUGHTER...

If someone's job performance is slowing, then I say fire them, because, yes, they are costing you time and money. It's not always possible to tell, however, if it's because they are coming to work high or because they're just lazy workers to begin with. Some people work even harder while under the influence, depending on the job and the person. If you have a monotonous factory job, then it might make the job easier or more interesting. If you decide to fire a person because they smoked some pot on the job, but they're still bringing in the money and their performance hasn't been affected, it just doesn't make sense.
If it turns out that smoking weed at work is what's affecting their job, then it's a choice they're going to have to make on their own, and they face the consequences of their own actions -- they may smoke weed, do crappy, get fired because they did crappy. But don't fire someone simply because they smoke the herb. Fire them because they suck at their job.
http://abovetheignorance.org/faq.html#a21

And in response to the short-term memory comment:
http://abovetheignorance.org/faq.html#a16
I find my grades are not affected by pot-use. I've been smoking for about a year. I keeps my A's and B's, and plan to graduate with honors.

Today chocolate,
tomorrow coffee,
by the end of the week... HEROINNNN!! :O

I used to be very pro-legalization, but I ride the fence now, teetering on the edge of not legalizing. Maybe it was because of my own battles with drugs. Most people I know are pro-legalization, and the political party I align myself with is generally pro-legalization too. Now I'm gonna get booed off!

I've seen it as a gateway drug and I think legalizing it could lead to a slippery slope involving harder drugs. I wish the gouv. cracked down harder on all drugs. Perhaps my personal feelings tangle with my logical side and legalization isn't a main issue I'd vote on, but given the choice, I guess I'd say no legalization.

If it ever were to be legalized, I'd hope it would only be for private home use and I'd hope the gouv. could make some money on it. We need tighter smoking bans anyways.

Paintingravens - I'm enjoying your posts but I'm a little confused where you actually stand regarding legalization. What your opinion on the latest finding, regarding pot use and schizophrenia? Personally I think everyone should be free to make their own choice, so it doesn't matter to me if they legalize it. Good thread.

Why thank you!

Myself, I'm all for legalization. As far as I can see, the illegality of cannabis is doing more harm than good. And it's not that if it was made legal, the only thing people would be doing with it is smoking it; Cannabis Sativa (or hemp) has a wide number of different uses that could be of great benefit to our economy (see link). It's growth would lead to the production of a vast number of different products, which would be of great benefit to the unemployed. So many more jobs available!
http://abovetheignorance.org/faq.html#1

Btw, did you know that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew cannabis? They weren't successful at it, but of course, this was a long long time ago. Obviously, we've advanced scientifically since then...
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...grow-marijuana

As far as cannabis use and schizophrenia, like I said, the usage of marijuana depends on the person. It's not for everyone. Same with alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, chocolate cake, etc... :P
Now I don't want to be that cocky college student who thinks she knows everything, because I sure as he11 don't, and I've never knew or lived with anyone who was schizophrenic, so I only have a basic knowledge of it -- you know, what I learned in Psych 101. :P But from what I know, schizophrenia is genetically inherited yes? As well as being a result of environmental influences? This is true for many mental disorders; they're usually already there as a result of genetics or the environment in which one was raised. Many people have a preexisting mental condition and smoke marijuana, and a psychotic episode might be triggered as a result of marijuana usage FOR THAT PERSON, but marijuana did not necessarily cause the mental condition. Research on the subject is still limited, so it's not a sure fact that marijuana causes any sort of mental illness. Of course, research is limited mostly because IT'S STILL ILLEGAL, so many laboratories are not allowed to possess cannabis for research -- another reason it should be legal. People smoke marijuana regardless of whether or not it's legal; making it legal won't change much on that level. But at least if it's legal, there'd be greater public knowledge on the subject, because there'd be more research done on it.
http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/n...rc=rss_foxnews
Maybe if it DOES bring out symptoms of a preexisting mental illness, perhaps unknown to the person or unidentified, then for that person, smoking it is a good thing..? It'd be like living in a house with a termite-infested base, but being unaware of it, and then accidentally knocking a hole in the wall to reveal a huge termite mound, or something like that...(maybe that's a bad metaphor, lol...) Noting early the symptoms of an unknown preexisting condition would mean the person would seek and receive help earlier...? I don't know if that made sense or not; just a thought...

Again, whether or not someone should use marijuana is dependent on the individual and his/her lifestyle. If it's legalized, that doesn't mean everyone has to buy a bong and smoke it. But that's the thing with freedom, it gives us the chance to exercise our god-given free will. If someone suffers as a result of their choices, it's their own decision to make.

I am with Fenrir on this, his thought mirror mine and that is due to personal drug use in the past.

I have read some research studies about marijuana and schizophrenia but certainly not all. I read there was a correlation between smoking weed and developing schizophrenia however there was no evidence to prove causation. Has anybody read anything different?

No matter what , you will usually have some against and some for.
That's just the way it works. I say make chocolate illegal .

Legalizing marijuana?
Sure, why not
ALL drugs?
No.

That's my penny on it at least.
(too little to be 2 cents)