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Should marijuana be legalized?

Should we legalize pot?

  • Total voters
    113
Ethereal said:
And just who the hell are you? You going to come to my house and take the booze out of my fridge? You going to come over and take the weed out of my pocket? If you're not willing to do something yourself then you shouldn't be asking the government to do it for you. Keep you BS morality to yourself, please.
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Knowing full well there's no support for it. He rather enforces his morality on others. It's immoral.
 
roderic said:
Nope, I purposefully excluded this misinterpretation of my argument. It's right there in the text you quoted;
"That's not a sufficient reason on its own, but it adds ..."
Can you back this claim up, I have not read about this.
How large and significant is the group of people for whom mental health problems are a consequence of pot-smoking?
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BBC NEWS | Health | Cannabis link to depression

THE MEDICAL DANGERS OF MARIJUANA USE

Marijuana - InfoFacts - NIDA

Schizophrenia.com - Marijuana Cannabis and Schizophrenia


These articles seem pretty even handed. As I stated,it is the high thc cannabis that imo is a problem but just how many people need to be at risk to deny you your spliff?
 
Ethereal said:
So what? Who are you to stop me from smoking marijuana? If I want to take the risk it should be my choice.
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The negative externalities are the problem, it's not a risk which only affects the individual user.

Ethereal said:
Nobody gets schizophrenia from using marijuana. Please stop making absurd claims.
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Well, not directly, but there are studies which show a largely increased risk, mainly for adults who were heavy pot-smokers during adolescence. And psychedelics including marijuana can trigger a latent psychosis.
But from my understanding these are marginal occurrences. I'd like to see some material from those who keep bringing this up as to how significant this is.
 
roderic said:
So, you mean to say use in public should be prohibited?
I can go along with this, and of course the same restrictions concerning driving, handling machinery etc. as with alcohol should apply.

The risk and danger is there, whether it's legal or not, one cannot search everybody who enters a bar.
The manufacturer's response to this is that the original brand has a strong colouring agent and will turn a drink blue, it's the illegally produced stuff which is of concern.
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Laws pertaining to search and seizure are well established and I don't think they need to be changed to make drugs legal.

I didn't know about the coloring agent. That makes sense. Making it legal, then, would be the thing to do.
 
roderic said:
The negative externalities are the problem, it's not a risk which only affects the individual user.
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What negative externalities? How am I hurting anyone by smoking marijuana?

Well, not directly, but there are studies which show a largely increased risk, mainly for adults who were heavy pot-smokers during adolescence. And psychedelics including marijuana can trigger a latent psychosis.
But from my understanding these are marginal occurrences. I'd like to see some material from those who keep bringing this up as to how significant this is.
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Marijuana can increase the risk of schizophrenia in people who were already predisposed towards the disorder, but it cannot cause it. If that were true, then several millions of Americans would be schizophrenics.
 
Ethereal said:
What negative externalities? How am I hurting anyone by smoking marijuana?
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The main areas in which a portion of pot-smokers impact on society, a risk carried by all users:
social and health-care costs, loss of productivity

To cite the con-side of the argument:
"Smoked marijuana damages the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system. It impairs learning and interferes with memory, perception, and judgment. Smoked marijuana contains cancer-causing compounds and has been implicated in a high percentage of automobile crashes and workplace accidents. Marijuana-related visits to hospital emergency rooms have tripled since 1990. Marijuana is also associated with gateway behavior leading to more extensive drug use. This phenomenon poses serious concerns given the significant increase in marijuana use by teenagers.
~ Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2000"
While this sounds worse than I think it is, it can not be entirely dismissed.
Marijuana can increase the risk of schizophrenia in people who were already predisposed towards the disorder, but it cannot cause it. If that were true, then several millions of Americans would be schizophrenics.
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Well, it's not clear if and how much it is causative for adolescents who use heavily in their formative years.
It does not follow that millions would be schizophrenic if pot can indeed be more than just a trigger.
As I said, I consider it to be a marginal phenomenon, but one can not dismiss it. Age restriction is a must when considering legalising.
 
angrybeaver said:
You have a point but making it legal because some people are going to do it anyway is not really a reason to legitimise it
.If legitimising pot brings about a huge rise in mental illness then your argument falls apart. It is known that pot exacerbates depression and makes people delusional if taken in extreme.
Alchohol doing the same is no reason legalise another dangerous drug.
I dont know about the USA but in Europe we have all but made tobacco illegal to be smoked in public places because it is dangerous drug.
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Yeah, but the governments still sanction it for sell. Tobacco should be banned but the governments of Yurp and the rest of the world are making tons of money on t tobacco, the most dangerous drug in the world. It's even more addictive than hard narcotics.

It 's legality is as hypocritical as the bloddy English's Opium War against China.
 
You're all just a bunch of tree-huggin', pot smokin', free-lovin', draft card burnin' hippies! :rofl

That wacky tobaccy has done went and poisoned your mind.

Why do you think they call it dope? It will make your babies come out naked and toothless. That's why! :mrgreen:
 
Erection drugs (viagra) are readily available. Rapists love them. Yet, they are legal and pot is not. Life is unfair.
 
LiberalAvenger said:
Erection drugs (viagra) are readily available. Rapists love them. Yet, they are legal and pot is not. Life is unfair.
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All we need is another rapist runnin' around on viagra and pot! :shock:







:rofl
 
angrybeaver said:
I agree that pot is no more dangerous than alchohol.
I think that having one legal dangerous drug is enough.
There is room for compromise maybe.
A relatively low thc content bud or hash may be an answer.
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How does a low content THC bud answer anything?

A person would do one of 2 things, buy quality marijuana illegally still, and smoke one or 2 hits for the same effect, or buy your legal low THC and smoke several joints.

This is like saying that beer is safer than a scotch, they both get you just as drunk, and have the exact same effects, the only difference is dosage and concentration.

glad I read on before hitting send:

angrybeaver said:
like only allowing alchohol to be sold as absinthe.
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Those are two different drugs you are comparing there, if you wanted a parallel, then your argument would have to say "but pot laced with PCP should be illegal"
 
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LiberalAvenger said:
Yeah, but the governments still sanction it for sell. Tobacco should be banned but the governments of Yurp and the rest of the world are making tons of money on t tobacco, the most dangerous drug in the world. It's even more addictive than hard narcotics.

It 's legality is as hypocritical as the bloddy English's Opium War against China.
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It wasnt just the English it was Britain.;)
Just because tobacco should be banned doesnt mean cannabis shouldnt be.
 
roderic said:
The main areas in which a portion of pot-smokers impact on society, a risk carried by all users:
social and health-care costs, loss of productivity

To cite the con-side of the argument:
"Smoked marijuana damages the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system. It impairs learning and interferes with memory, perception, and judgment. Smoked marijuana contains cancer-causing compounds and has been implicated in a high percentage of automobile crashes and workplace accidents. Marijuana-related visits to hospital emergency rooms have tripled since 1990. Marijuana is also associated with gateway behavior leading to more extensive drug use. This phenomenon poses serious concerns given the significant increase in marijuana use by teenagers.
~ Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2000"
While this sounds worse than I think it is, it can not be entirely dismissed.
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Sorry, but I don't see how this supports your assertion that there are negative externalities which are caused by marijuana. Society is not harmed by mere virtue of my smoking marijuana, and if I become less productive as a consequence of marijuana use that, in and of itself, is not a negative externality because nobody should be depending on my being productive. If I'm face down in the gutter somewhere I'm not harming anyone but myself.

Well, it's not clear if and how much it is causative for adolescents who use heavily in their formative years.
It does not follow that millions would be schizophrenic if pot can indeed be more than just a trigger.
As I said, I consider it to be a marginal phenomenon, but one can not dismiss it. Age restriction is a must when considering legalising.
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Smoking cigarettes causes cancer. We know this because it contains carcinogens and millions of people who smoke cigarettes get cancer.

If marijuana caused schizophrenia in the same way cigarettes caused cancer then there'd be a schizophrenia epidemic in the US. That is not the case.

I agree that marijuana can increase the risk of schizophrenia in individuals who are already predisposed towards that disorder, but implying that it causes it is just silly.
 
angrybeaver said:
It wasnt just the English it was Britain.;)
Just because tobacco should be banned doesnt mean cannabis shouldnt be.
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And what do you think banning marijuana actually accomplishes?
 
I say yes. Then perhaps the dope dealing dropouts in my street would pack the **** up and ship out.

Paul
 
How are we defining legal? Legal do use for recreational use? medicinal only? Mere posession? Legal to package, sell and distribute? Legal to use while driving?

What?
 
Chuz Life said:
How are we defining legal? Legal do use for recreational use? medicinal only? Mere posession? Legal to package, sell and distribute? Legal to use while driving?

What?
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Legal like cigarettes or alcohol.
 
roderic said:
The main areas in which a portion of pot-smokers impact on society, a risk carried by all users:
social and health-care costs, loss of productivity

To cite the con-side of the argument:
"Smoked marijuana damages the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system. It impairs learning and interferes with memory, perception, and judgment. Smoked marijuana contains cancer-causing compounds and has been implicated in a high percentage of automobile crashes and workplace accidents. Marijuana-related visits to hospital emergency rooms have tripled since 1990. Marijuana is also associated with gateway behavior leading to more extensive drug use. This phenomenon poses serious concerns given the significant increase in marijuana use by teenagers.
~ Office of National Drug Control Policy, 2000"
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Although there is room to dispute some of these claims, we can let them stand for the sake of this argument.

Which is worse, the negative effects of marijuana the drug, or the negative effects of prohibition the policy?

I would dare say prohibition is far more damaging than the drug itself, and this is real harm that we can do something about.

Any of the potential harms caused by marijuana (the drug) occur independently of the legality of the drug, legalization has a negligible impact here.

What we need to be concerned with are the negative effects of the prohibition, which can be drastically impacted.
 
marduc said:
How does a low content THC bud answer anything?

A person would do one of 2 things, buy quality marijuana illegally still, and smoke one or 2 hits for the same effect, or buy your legal low THC and smoke several joints.

This is like saying that beer is safer than a scotch, they both get you just as drunk, and have the exact same effects, the only difference is dosage and concentration.

glad I read on before hitting send:"
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Selling cannabis that is weaker than the skunk or white widow is a compromise as I stated in an earlier post.
If we are going to allow cannabis to be legalised then it would be more sensible to have pot which is less dangerous.
If someone wants to get wasted on alchohol or pot then there is not much we can do to stop them.



marduc said:
Those are two different drugs you are comparing there, if you wanted a parallel, then your argument would have to say "but pot laced with PCP should be illegal"
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Absinthe not only has a high alchohol content but also contains wormwood which has the same effect as thc so my argument stands.
 
Chuz Life said:
The laws concerning those two are quite different from each other.

So which will it be?

Legal like cigarettes? Or legal like Booze?
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Let the states decide for themselves.
 
LiberalAvenger said:
I disagree. I've been smoking over fifty years and I never met anyone it has killed. The dea lies and even says that it is addictive. That's total bull.

Water is more dangerous than pot. A contestent recently died from water intoxication.

I get a kick out of the lies the media tells about it. They often say that so and so was smoking marijuana during a crime but fail to mention that so and so was drunk out of their minds, too. They blame the pot and disregard more abusive drugs.
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Then water should be made illegal. Here are some facts about this dangerous substance.
 
angrybeaver said:
It depends on how much the authorities enforce the ban.
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Ideally speaking, what would it accomplish?

Higher prison populations? Larger, more intrusive government? Those are the only things I can think of...
 
Ethereal said:
Ideally speaking, what would it accomplish?

Higher prison populations? Larger, more intrusive government? Those are the only things I can think of...
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You could make the same argument about enforcing any law.
What it would accomplish is less cannabis on the streets if the law was enforced strongly enough.
 
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