legallization of marajuana

[narwhal]

My thoughts: No we should not.

[Rob G]

Hemp's illegal?

yes because it involves the growing of the marijuana plant.

[narwhal]

Nice avatar.

[Utah]

I'm not reading this because I don't have time, but yes I think it should be legalized, and No I don't really smoke, once in a blue moon type shit. I've written several research papers supporting legalization. If I can find someo of them I'll post them...

[TheRealVortex]

i drink but i dont drink and drive. i drink where i sleep and if needed to leave somone sober drives me or i call a cab. frack weed its bad.

[doug]

Same as John, do it every once in awhile, and legalization makes sense. A pothead to me is similar to an alcoholic... everything in moderation.

[$ilky $kim]

Same as John, do it every once in awhile, and legalization makes sense. A pothead to me is similar to an alcoholic... everything in moderation.

It's not something that you should get thrown in jail for but some people don't smoke weed just because it's illegal, and that's probably a good thing to tell you the truth. Just something to think about.

[doug]

Well, give some arguments.

The obvious argument to me that weed should be illegal is the effects are impairing, like alcohol, and people who are high probably shouldn't be driving. But you can't breathalyze weed, so how do you judge that?

[narwhal]

Its easy to be montored. People daily get in trouble driving under the influence of marijuana.

[Utah]

Well, give some arguments.

The obvious argument to me that weed should be illegal is the effects are impairing, like alcohol, and people who are high probably shouldn't be driving. But you can't breathalyze weed, so how do you judge that?

Probabale cause resulting in automobile search and or drug testing if a judge signs off on it...

[doug]

Its easy to be montored. People daily get in trouble driving under the influence of marijuana.

but if it was legal, could there be a legal limit (ie .08 in florida for alcohol)? how would you measure it?

[dan.nj]

so when one of you hippie pot smoking fags hit my truck im going to scream in pain that my neck hurts and sue you for everything you have.

frack weed i lived with 2 fags who smoked all day and i never wanna see it or smell it again your all a bunch of homo's if u smoke. and ill say that to your face and im not joking.

Damn... its a good thing the rest of us dont feel the need to express our hatred for people and twinkie consumption.

[narwhal]

Well I can careless, because the shit should not be illegal.

I smoked some when younger. (I dont see the point)

I rather get wasted.

[Utah]

but if it was legal, could there be a legal limit (ie .08 in florida for alcohol)? how would you measure it?

With todays technology I'm sure there could be, but I don't think there is anything on the market right now that can. Atleast nothing i"ve seen or read about yet...

Lets be honest, everyone knows it all comes down to taxation dollars. Marijuana grows in every single state in the US, and anyone can grow their own. It would be nearly impossible for the government to make a dime off of it, which lets be truthful, thats the only reason proabition was lifted...

[Billy Heilbron]

I know there are people who can smoke it, act normal, and only do it maybe once or twice a week. But the majority of people I know, ruin it for everyone else because they...A) act like complete idiots, B) Never stop talking about it, its like their lives revolve around it, C) move on to bigger drugs, cause weed just doesnt cut it for them anymore. I don't think it should be legalized. I also think that there are so many people getting arrested because our penalties aren't harsh enough. Take a look at singapore, they'll chop your head off if you bring drugs into their county. Thats why they have such a low crime rate and such a clean city, unlike here in the US. Disclaimer: I don't dislike you if you smoke weed, I just think weed is retarded. So don't take this so seriously, This is just an opinion.

[Utah]

C) move on to bigger drugs, cause weed just doesnt cut it for them anymore.

Thats one of my biggest argurments, I don't believe at all that weed is a gate way drug... I believe that some people have addictive personalities, and wheather it be weed, alchohol or porn that is the persons first addiciton, i don't think its the weed itself that is going to turn that person onto other drugs, but their personality itself that will...

[doug]

At some point it really is all about self control.

[sloskimmer]

yes because it involves the growing of the marijuana plant.

Hemp is completly legal. Growing it is illegal though.

[narwhal]

Thats one of my biggest argurments, I don't believe at all that weed is a gate way drug... I believe that some people have addictive personalities, and wheather it be weed, alchohol or porn that is the persons first addiciton, i don't think its the weed itself that is going to turn that person onto other drugs, but their personality itself that will...

From my experience here in North FL is pot heads eventually always become Coke Heads.

[doug]

It's still a choice... I've never been in environment (college) where I can honestly say that most of the people who are sociable smoke weed. Maybe it's just my school, considering the NORML chapter here is huge. Either way, I don't think it's a gateway drug only if the person doesn't have enough self control to stop themselves from doing other drugs, obviously.

I've seen people do coke, I will never touch that shit

[Utah]

From my experience here in North FL is pot heads eventually always become Coke Heads.

I have seen three scenarios, pot heads who have become coke heads, pot heads that continue to remain pot heads, and pot heads that grow out of it... On my own personal observations as well as all of the research I've done, I haven't seen any larger percentage of marijuana users go onto "harder" drugs, than other "addicts" who have gone onto "harder" drugs. I really do believe it is their chemical makeup, their peer infulence, as well as their social surroundings that determine if they go onto use, "harder drugs"...

[Billy Heilbron]

From my experience here in North FL is pot heads eventually always become Coke Heads.

I can relate to this, and thats why I have such a big problem with it. Now whether weed is actually a gateway drug or not, well that can be debated. I definatly do not know for sure, but I believe that for some people it is.

[enigma]

I learned in health class pot is a gateway drug. but i think its only a gateway drug because kids that smoke pot tend to associate with other kids that smoke pot, of which a couple are gunna get caught and sent to juvie a couple times or something. which results in making their parents mad at them and their lives miserable which in turns leads to them smoking more and trying new things to cope with pain. Which then will have influence on their other friends that were only smoking pot to relax with friends, so thats why i think pot is a gateway drug. Weed itself doesn't lead to other drugs, it is the crowd you associate with. And with pot being illegal as of now, stoners and pot drugdealers are synonomous with the word criminal. When I believe it's not weed that is hurting the youth. It's the bad image that is associated with weed.

[narwhal]

Yeah I agree.

except i think pot heads that start to do hard drugs is an alarming number still.

[DT]

From my experience here in North FL is pot heads eventually always become homosexuals.

Dude, you're mixing up the two big threads....

[DT]

...next you'll be saying that gay marriage is a gateway activity to shooting heroin...

[narwhal]

hahahahahahaahaha.

[doug]

gotta ease the butthole pain somehow

[dan.nj]

See thats weird to me... my town is filled with rich kids who have money to waste on drugs and truthfully most dont go beyond pot. instead its a competition of who can get better shit. Only the scumbags and shady characters in my town do harder drugs.

[p.pointe]

I am mixed. I really hate the kids who smoke pot and sit on their couch all day because they are a waste of society. At the same time, i occasionally smoke, but try to do productive things like h.w. or read my world religions book (thats fun). I wish it were legalized because the taxation would bring in so much money for our country, and those who REALLY wanted to smoke would continue smoking because it would be 100/dub. Its a touchy subject, but i doubt it will ever be legalized.

[Fish]

Critics claim that marijuana is a "gateway drug." How do you respond to this charge?
There is no conclusive evidence that the effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent use of other illicit drugs. Preliminary animal studies alleging that marijuana "primed" the brain for other drug-taking behavior have not been replicated, nor are they supported by epidemiological human data. Statistically, for every 104 Americans who have tried marijuana, there is only one regular user of cocaine, and less than one user of heroin. Marijuana is clearly a "terminus" rather than a gateway for the overwhelming majority of marijuana smokers.

For those minority of marijuana smokers who do graduate to harder substances, it is marijuana prohibition -- which forces users to associate with the illicit drug black market -- rather than the use of marijuana itself, that often serves as a doorway to the world of hard drugs. The more users become integrated in an environment where, apart from cannabis, hard drugs can also be obtained, the greater the chances they will experiment with harder drugs.

In Holland, where politicians decided over 25 years ago to separate marijuana from the illicit drug market by permitting coffee shops all over the country to sell small amounts of marijuana to adults, individuals use marijuana and other drugs at rates less than half of their American counterparts.


But isn't marijuana addictive?
Substantial research exists regarding marijuana and addiction. While the scientific community has yet to achieve full consensus on this matter, the majority of epidemiological and animal data demonstrate that the reinforcing properties of marijuana in humans is low in comparison to other drugs of abuse, including alcohol and nicotine. According to the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM), fewer than one in 10 marijuana smokers become regular users of the drug, and most voluntary cease their use after 34 years of age. By comparison, 15 percent of alcohol consumers and 32 percent of tobacco smokers exhibit symptoms of drug dependence.

According to the IOM, observable cannabis withdrawal symptoms are rare and have only been identified under unique patient settings. These remain limited to adolescents in treatment facilities for substance abuse problems, and in a research setting where subjects were given marijuana or THC daily. Compared with the profound physical syndrome of alcohol or heroin withdrawal, marijuana-related withdrawal symptoms are mild and subtle. Symptoms may include restlessness, irritability, mild agitation and sleep disruption. However, for the overwhelming majority of marijuana smokers, these symptoms are not severe enough to re-initiate their use of cannabis.

[narwhal]

Whats up High Times Article? nothin.

[Jaleez]

if im right its already legal here in holland. (but youve got to use it at home or in a special coffeeshop)

[DT]

if im right its already legal here in holland. (but youve got to use it at home or in a special coffeeshop)

Jules: So, tell me again about the hashbars?

Vincent: Okay, what you wanna know?

Jules: Hash is legal there right?

Vincent: Yeah, it's legal, but it ain't a hundred percent legal. I mean, you can't walk into a restaurant, roll a joint and start puffin' away. You're only supposed to smoke in your home or certain designated places.

Jules: And those are hashbars?

Vincent: It breaks down like this: it's legal to buy it, it's legal to own it, and, if you're the proprietor of a hash bar, it's legal to sell it. It's legal to carry it, but that doesn't really matter 'cause - get a load of this - if you get stopped by the cops in amsterdam, it's illegal for them to search you. I mean, that's a right the cops in amsterdam don't have.

Jules: [Laughing] I'm going, that's all there is too it, I'm fracking going

Vincent: Yeah baby, you'd digg it the most.

[skimminOB]

yeah, i'm not down with the raise in price for a sack. it will definitely happen, you can see it in the club. with a dealer its 50 for an eighth of gdp, and at the club they're selling an eighths of gdp for 150 i think my friend said. no thanks, cannabis club.