Should weed be legalized?

[another day]

Quote by: Kleekl I Live in Holland, and most of the people here are tottaly over reacting. I never used pot myself, but a lot of my friends do it all the time. Most of them study the highest vorm of high school. or the singe highest. They're quite smart. THe effect is that you will get slow and boring. None of them get aggresive when they're stoned. But when we drink beer, they get in fights quite often (with each other, just having fun you know not serieus fighting) So it seems like it issn't as bad as alcohol. During exam periods it's quite easy for them to stop. Only one of them failed this year. 3 other people that I know that failed, didn't smoke pot. It would be good if you are able to carry around 5 grams. That's enough for one or 2 joints.

5 grams is enough for at least 8 -10 joints.

As for the government wants you to smoke weed? Reeaally. Marijuana always made me think alot more then when I wasn't high. The idea that it turns you into a brain dead moron with nothing but empty static in his head is an illusion brought on by the outside perception of a stoned person. Droopy eyes caused by relaxed face muscles, reduced ability to speak caused by severe dry mouth, and reduced desire to speak caused by increased social awareness and increased inhibitions, etc. But inside the mind it stimulates critical thought about your life, about society, etc. Why do you think the stereotypical stoner conversation tends to revolve around things like is there a god etc? The pointless giggling and laughing tends to happen to people when they first start, but I've never met a seasoned smoker who reacts like that anymore. If anything it makes a lot of people more serious and ruminant.

[Derach]

Quote by: Ljay23bling Like someone previously mentioned, there's no way to label it or tax it, thus it will never become legal.

Why can't the government tax or regulate marijuana like they do coffee, tobacco, or tomatoes? If it is because you think it can be grown and harvested individually, that's a false premise ... because mass producers will make it cheaper and better quality than the average gardner (besides, a commercial farm could produce it almost all year with greenhouses, etc).

Quote by: Ljay23bling What is the big deal with weed anyway? I tend to weigh and work out my problems.......why cannot everyone else?

The big deal isn't weed, it's FREEDOM. Why you don't do weed, and why someone else does is none of the gov't's business. Do you listen to music to relieve stress? ... or work out? ... or drink coffee? ... or eat sweets? or whack off to internet porn (sorry about the lewdness)? ... whatever it is shouldn't be legistlated by the government unless it hurts somebody else.

Quote by: Ljay23bling The government wants you to smoke you're weed. So that you're distracted from what they're really doing, and won't ask any questions.

The approach to alcohol, cigarette smoking and 'legalized' gambling prove that if the intent was to hypnotize the masses, legalizing and regulating it strictly are the best way to do that.

I support regulating behavior directly ... not causation. It's my fundamental problem w/ really harsh drunk driving laws. If you kill a family behind the wheel of the car due to negligence ... I don't really care if you were drunk, eating a big mac, or puting makeup on ... all actions resulted in the same horrific result ... it should be equal punishment regardless. Same w/ pot. If you steal or behave recklessly on pot, I think the behavior should be punished regardless of why it was done.

[MariKine]

I smoke weed, and I question the Government and their actions daily.

Marijuana is a peaceful herb. How many cases have you heard about in which a husband beats the crap out of his wife.. while stoned? Now how manty cases have you hard about in which a husband beats the crap out of his wife.. Drunk?

Big difference, I'm sure. I'm not asking for complete legalization. If there's an age limit, like with alcohol.. cool. If I can't walk around smoking a joint in public.. fine. I just want to be able to have weed, without getting thrown in jail with thieves, and rapists.

Marijuana is different for a lot of people. As some of you may know, Medical Marijuana is legal in California now. You can have multiple problems to obtain it. Isomnia. Because well, weed makes you sleepy. As Katt Williams said.. "That's the side effects (of weed) : Hungry, Happy, Sleepy." =P Also.. Anorexia, AIDS, Cancer. Etc. I smoke to relax and have a good time after school/work. Usually, it helps me chill back and study as well, because history and math become more interesting for some reason. Lol.

Things are changing, whether you want to believe it or not. The days of "weed makes you kill people" are over. =]

[Suburbanite]

Quote by: another day 5 grams is enough for at least 8 -10 joints.

I'm just assumig he meant hash

[nm420]

Quote by: Suburbanite I'm just assumig he meant hash

It depends on who's doing the rolling, and the smoking. You could easily turn five grams into one joint with the right papers and fingertips!

[another day]

Quote by: nm420 It depends on who's doing the rolling, and the smoking. You could easily turn five grams into one joint with the right papers and fingertips!

Well, a giant chonger as long as big as a huge cigar yeah.. But that's not what you think of when you think joint... And much much more then one person would need to get high... five grams could last me a few weeks.

[Suburbanite]

Quote by: Halofan48 it's relevant to the regard of smoking marijuana in public or not. I think it should remain illegal yes, but before you comment on something, make sure you know enough about what was said, ok.

likewise.

in california its no big deal to get caught with weed. I've been caught by cops twice, and I won both cases. possession is a ticket, you pay money, less than speeding usually. Its mostly legalized now anyways, you just need a card from the doctor, which costs about $100. Call 1-866-KUSH if you live in LA.

[Suburbanite]

Quote by: nm420 It depends on who's doing the rolling, and the smoking. You could easily turn five grams into one joint with the right papers and fingertips!

well not everyones got the money to burn... get it... burn.

[another day]

I see no reason why smoking pot in public should be illegal if marijuana were legalized. Provided it be subject to the same regulations or perhaps simple courtesy of cigarette smoking (ie: not inside, not in crowded bus shelters, not outside someone's window)...

Unlike public intoxication, being high in public makes you no risk to anyone. And the myth of a "contact high" is complete crap, and if you say otherwise it was placebo effect because thc is completely absorbed and gone in the exhaled smoke.

[theFreewheelin]

Yes. The prohibition of marijuana servers no purpose apart from throwing hordes of small-time offenders into jails and criminalizing a relatively low-risk activity.

Marijuana is neither chemically addictive nor deadly. In fact, there is no known lethal dose, and no one has ever died from marijuana alone. Certainly, the drug is not harmelss, as there is the potential for negative health effects and abuse. However, in general, society seems to think it's okay to allow adults to take such risks. For instance, alcohol, tobacco, caffiene and fast food all pose potential health risks, but none of them is outlawed. Certainly, as a mind altering substance, marijuana should be regulated and not sold to children. But medically speaking, the risks are low enough that there is no reason it should not be allowed.

[Suburbanite]

Quote by: another day I see no reason why smoking pot in public should be illegal if marijuana were legalized. Provided it be subject to the same regulations or perhaps simple courtesy of cigarette smoking (ie: not inside, not in crowded bus shelters, not outside someone's window)... Unlike public intoxication, being high in public makes you no risk to anyone. And the myth of a "contact high" is complete crap, and if you say otherwise it was placebo effect because thc is completely absorbed and gone in the exhaled smoke.

I dont get why you cant be drunk in public. god knows i've been drunk in public, and it never made people around me unsafe.

[MariKine]

Quote by: Suburbanite I dont get why you cant be drunk in public. god knows i've been drunk in public, and it never made people around me unsafe.

There was recently a stabbing at a bar in my town, so even if you don't make people unsafe.. some people aren't so responsible. =]

(Edit: In which the basketball player, from a different city died, by the way.)

[Suburbanite]

Again, I am no threat to anyone around me, why can't I be drunk in public. "I" being the operative word, not some stab happy gangster. Look violent people are just that, they may use alcohol to build up their courage but they by no means require it to get the job done. I live in a violent shitty part of town they call the ghetto, and its rampant without drinking.

[MariKine]

Just imagine them all drunk then. o.O

[another day]

Quote by: Suburbanite I dont get why you cant be drunk in public. god knows i've been drunk in public, and it never made people around me unsafe.

Yeah possibly. You'd think they could just arrest you once you actually commit a crime while drunk in public. But again, it's a preventative measure. You could argue it should be legal to drink and drive and only will you get arrested when you commit vehicular manslaughter, or plow into a storefront, but that would probably lead to alot more drunks on the road thinking they won't get in an accident and therefore can't be arrested.

[The Bacon Guy]

The main points of this thread have been addressed, but there's been a load of myth and misinformation posted which hasn't yet been debunked.

• Marijuana is not addictive. There's no potential for physical dependence at all. The term "psychological addiction" is often used in the media, but this is nothing more than a scare-mongering way of saying that weed is enjoyable.
  
  
• There is no causal link to schizophrenia (or even to skitsophrenia). There's a correlation, but this can easily be explained by other factors and doesn't even come close to proving that marijuana causes mental problems. In actual fact, there's some neurochemical evidence suggesting that cannabis is helpful in the prevention of Alzheimer’s.
  
  
• The idea that cannabis causes lower school grades is based on research which is both correlational and unreliable in nature. No causal link has ever been shown.
  
  
• Finally, despite numerous studies, no one has ever been able to prove that marijuana impairs driving ability. Some studies have in fact shown it to improve driving ability by making people more cautious. As Bill Hicks so nicely put it "you crash when you're drunk and there's a good chance you'll kill someone. You crash when you're stoned; who cares? You're only going at four miles an hour."

Seriously folks, do a little research of your own instead of just believing the crap you're fed by agenda driven media. If people would stop accepting all the lies and junk science as truth, maybe we'd have a chance of getting weed legalised.

[Neferiel]

I actually did a speech for school (which i got full marks on. hoorays!) on this very subject. it was an open (any topic) persuasive speech. Imo, BEST. ASSIGNMENT. EVAR. Anyway, here it is, below. feel free to deconstruct and debate it, as i'll keep tags on this thread and counter refute



Marijuana: A Dream… or a Danger?
“Give me Liberty or give me death!” Is a famous quote from Patrick Henry, one of the people who helped found our country, a country based on liberty, a country based on freedom, a country based on protection of rights. However, we have to draw the line somewhere. As we all know, the law is in place for many reasons. One of these reasons…. Is protection.
Ashley Johnson, a rape victim of a peer who was high on marijuana. “I could smell the weed on his breath, says Ashley “I can still recall the exact tone of his voice as I woke up to him leaning over me in the dark with a knife at my throat. As soon as I opened my eyes, his first words were ‘you’re about to be raped.’ Those words still bring a chill to my body just thinking of them.” This case happened a year ago, and Ashley has required therapy attends rape victim support. Do we want to make marijuana more accessible, and make it even easier for crimes like rape to occur?
Many people believe that marijuana doesn’t hurt anything. These people are, unfortunately literally in some cases, dead wrong. According to FDA Office of Statistical Science, 279 deaths annually have been caused by marijuana. It doesn’t sound like much, but, these are only people who are DIRECTLY hurt by marijuana, and not mentioning the ones affected BY the user. NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) says marijuana has been proven to increase risk of heart attack, do brain damage, and can even impair the immune system. Another big issue is that American citizens cannot be trusted to use this drug in moderation. Look at the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, which shows that 8-10% of the US population is ALREADY under the influence and addicted to alcohol, or tobacco, and you will realize how dangerous giving people another drug is. Many people say that drug dealers get all the money from marijuana, and at least this way the government would get the tax money. That is faulty reasoning. firstly, we cannot worry about money, when lives may be at stake. secondly, drug dealers also have ecstasy, heroin, etc. the bottom line is, if you take away a child's toy, and they still have 50 more toys they like just as much, they won't be sad, because they still have the others. And really, can we justify legalizing PCP, heroin, or meth, just so we can get a bit more money? It’d be a train wreck! However, some do not agree with me on this issue, which is why it is an issue in the first place. Lets hear what they have to say.
Here are several of the more clichéd arguments for the legalization of marijuana, and also, the reasons why they are faulty. One of the foremost arguments of legalizing this drug is that we can save a great deal on law enforcement, because police would not have to work as hard or at all in situations where marijuana may be involved. However, economics is no reason to endanger our citizens. If we made bank robbery and murder legal we could save a lot on law enforcement. . Many people cry out that it hurts individual rights, which it does! However, we need to do that for a working society. I could say "the government's laws against murder are an infringement on my inborn right to kill." however, obviously, these laws are in place for our own protection, and because of these laws, I can’t murder. Because of these laws, I can’t steal. Because of these laws, I can’t use marijuana. Another popular one is “Marijuana doesn’t kill”, or “You can’t overdose on marijuana!” what these people are ignoring is the fact that it can kill people, albeit indirectly. If we look at NIDAs statistics again, smoking marijuana causes a 400% increase in your risk of a heart attack. So, by this logic, I could say AIDS doesn't kill anyone. After all, all it does is weaken the immune system. The viruses that invade your body afterwards do the actual killing. Another argument people like to bring up is how much worse alcohol, or tobacco is, than marijuana. However, to all the people who say "alcohol is so much worse than marijuana, therefore marijuana should be legalized." that's like saying " look, since I’m already doing something bad, lets do something else that's bad too!" if you really feel that way, why don’t we move for another prohibition instead of legalization of marijuana? After all, two wrongs don’t make a right! Another part of this is the number of people who use alcohol vs. the number who use marijuana. According to The Drug Information Association, or DIA., the number of users of marijuana is a little less than half the users of alcohol! If that’s the case, then of course there’s going to be more drunk driving incidents than stoned driving incidents because there are more users of that drug.
The right to a pursuit of happiness should never outweigh the right to life. Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of happiness was put in that order for a reason; because that is how those values should be prioritized. The US protects as many rights as possible, but the right to smoke marijuana is not, and never should be, one of them.

[MariKine]

I don't really know where to start.

Who is Ashley Johnson? I don't know this person, 'nor their story, or claims, so even if using her in your paper might've helped, she really won't help in this debate.

I looked at the FDA site, about the marijuana deaths ( Marijuana Deaths v. Pharmaceutical Deaths - Medical Marijuana ProCon.org ) and it said marijuana was a PRIMARY suspect of ZERO deaths, and a secondary suspect in 279 deaths. Not only that, it also puts on a disclaimer that says :

"The information contained in the reports has not been scientifically or otherwise verified. For any given report there is no certainty that the suspected drug caused the reaction. This is because physicians are encouraged to report suspected reactions. The event may have been related to the underlying disease for which the drug was given to concurrent drugs being taken or may have occurred by chance at the same time the suspected drug was taken."

Not only that, but how many people have smoked weed? Millions? 297 "possible" deaths from marijuna, out of millions of people.. yet there are thousands and thousands of deaths attributed to alcohol.. (Not counting deaths of people CAUSED by an intoxicated person.)

How can Americans not be trusted with Marijuana, but can be with alcohol?

Let's compare the possible reactions to marijuana and alcohol.

Marijuana :

Lazy.

Happy.

Sleepy.

Hungry.

Giggly.

Easily Amused.

(Personally, when I'm high, things are more interesting, funnier, and I tend to sleep way better.)

Alcohol :

Sloppy.

Giggly.

The "big man complex" where the drunk person thinks they're invincible.. Or a hard ass, that enjoys beating the crap out of their wife.

Slurring words.

Blurred vision.

Loss of coordination.

Mistakes (You know what I mean.)

Black outs.

Vomiting.

Alcohol poisoning.

Those are mostly from personal observations.

Now.. weigh those, and just think on it. Use common sense.

Law enforcement should be worrying about the things that matter. They should stop busting people for smoking a joint, and catch the REAL criminals. Not only that, but when a pot smoker, who simply enjoys smoking weed, gets arrested, and recieves parole time.. What do you think he's going to? He's going to turn to the drugs that stay in your system for a couple of days, instead of a month. They need to catch rapists, and murderers, and bank robbers, instead of us innocent little weed smokers, who mind our own business.

Marijuana does NOT kill. Someone who smokes a bowl, will NOT suddenly turn blue, and stop breathing.. I can smoke 6 bowls, get really high, and when it wears off, I'll eat something, and go to sleep. If I take 6 shots, I'd be getting tipsy, and wanting more.

People can be responsible with weed, just like SOME people are with alcohol. (It's pretty much impossible to smoke too much, once you get high, you're high. Let's say you have some low grade, not so great weed. You're going to smoke, and get high, but you won't be able to reach the high some Grade A weed would get you, no matter how much you smoke of it.) Alcohol, on the other hand, isn't like that. You can either have a couple of drinks, or get completely trashed. It doesn't have a limit, like weed.


Our arguments aren't cliched, they're honest, and realistic. How is marijuana the devil, and alcohol isn't? How is one healthy, while the other - which effects are less dangerous - unhealthy? It's not fair that I can get in trouble for smoking a joint in my house, while people are out right now starting bar fights because they're shit-faced, and being a danger to other people.



Look, when people think about marijuana, they think that it was voted illegal, because it was extremely dangerous to our people, and proven to be through long-drawn out scientific processes.

No.

It's no more dangerous than the drugs we get prescribed to by our doctors, or even tylenol.

Legality :

According to the NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), ten states currently legalize or decriminalize the medical use of marijuana in some manner.

"Since 1996, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington have passed legislation that removes state-level penalties from marijuana use by patients who have a doctor's recommendation. In addition, Maryland passed a medical marijuana affirmative defense law in 2003. This dictates that if a person is arrested for marijuana use but is found to be using marijuana out of medical necessity, she or he will only face a modest fine.

These state laws specify that marijuana can be used to treat diseases such as arthritis, cachexia, cancer, chronic nervous system disorders, chronic pain, Crohn's disease, epilepsy and other seizure disorders, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other muscle spasticity disorders, and help patients cope with severe migraines, severe nausea, and the side effects of chemotherapy. The requirements for patients and doctors to be protected by these laws vary from state to state.

Unfortunately, the legal status of such measures is debatable. The U.S. government has challenged the California law in several cases. Federal law does not recognize a medical use for marijuana and maintains that the drug is a controlled and banned substance under all circumstances."

When you look at the medecine doctors are prescribing for pain relief, with all their "side effects" that are even worse than what the damn pill is being prescribed for, you can see why marijuana is an obvious, alternate choice.

[Neferiel]

Firstly, Ashley Johnson is simply an example. an emotional appeal in my speech. reading through your whole post, all you really speak of is marijuana vs alcohol, which i covered in my speech. You talked later on about medical marijuana, and sure, i am not going to condemn its usage in medical and helpful ways. But it does not medically help people who smoke it for entertainment.

[Technosoul]

Quote by: mike7816 be legalized? yes or no and why?

No, I got a bunch of weeds that just came into my yard without permisson and occupied my lawn. Illegal imigrants thats what they are.
Not citizens of my property. And I would not make them legal citizens because they are not green enough. Off with their heads!