Legalization of the evil weed

[CrazyAunty]

Who else here thinks marjuana should be made legal?

I won't lie...I like to "bake". Drinking gives me a worse attitude than I already have and gives me a hangover.

Baking makes you laugh, think and then eat. When you are done laughing, thinking and eating, you sleep. What's the harm in that? And I don't want to hear about the whole you-gotta-smoke-it-and-you'll-get-cancer-from-it crap.

I wanna know.

Who else likes to bake?

[PatrickHenry]

This belongs in Society and Rights...

Legalize? No, just decriminalize it. No need for regulation and taxation.

[Gorgo]

What is 'baking?'

Yes. Legalize all 'recreational' drugs. I have no problem with taxation and government oversight of quality, sales to minors, etc.

[FIFI]

Now, I used to smoke it alot when I was young (think:13-16yrs old) but I DO NOT think it should be legalized. Marjianua (aka "Pot") is much more dangerous than people think, and I am not talking about the smoke inhaliation = cancer cernario. I am talking about addiction, harder drugs, minors and just the time and money you may waste on this "baking" you do.
It IS addictive, maybe not as physically as cigarettes or herion, but phycologically, it is a crutch. I have seen people waste there lives on getting "high" everyday. It leads to drinking, and luckly in my case I stopped, but to many others it leads to worse drugs, such as meth, herion, pills like special K and ecstasy, and much, much more. People steal, starve and sell everything they own for this stuff.
I WOULD be the first to vote NO ON LEGAL MARJIUANA!!!

[Chris]

Smoking is bad though and is not the best way to consume pot.

Consuming it by mouth is, i.e. brownies.

[bishop]

i agree with gorgo.. legalize it, tax it and regulate it.

i don't buy the notion that it is a gateway drug. definitely not in my case - i tried lots of stuff before i got around to pot. there's nothing in pot that forces people to turn to harder drugs, or to become loser stoners. the problem as i see it is that since it's sold on the black market, it naturally comingles with other drugs sold on the black market. when you go to your (regulated) liquor store, you can't find anything other than liquor and tobacco (which is also regulated).. if pot were legal and regulated, you wouldn't find anything other than that in a shop. plus, most people would prefer to get their goods from a legitimate business, rather than some black market dealer.

[The Dunedan]

FIFI:

1: Marijuana is not physically addictive. Period. It's impossible.

2: Marijuana is not the "Deadly Gateway Drug Of Doom." If someone smokes pot, it's because they want to. If someone shoots H, it's because they want to; NOT because the "demon weed" made them do it.

3: Get rid of the black-market, and the associated crime falls. Murder-rates took a nosedive after the Volstead Act was repealed, for instance. Legalizing a thing drives the price of the thing -waaay- down: not only is it no longer a profitable criminal enterprise, but it is now affordable. Nobody's gonna break into someone's house and kill 'em for cigarette money, because cigs are cheap and easily obtained.

[Gorgo]

I've never totally understood the concept of these drugs being thought of as "physically addictive." No one 'needs' heroin. No one 'needs' a cigarette. Yes, your body chemistry is changed when you poison it, but that's not a need. It's not a reason to continue, it's a reason to stop. Yes, certain things seem pleasurable in the short term, but that in and of itself does not create a physical need.

Addiction seems to me to be nothing more than the choice to do something repeatedly which has greater harmful effects than are required to keep one healthy.

[Catch 22]

Quote by: Gorgo I've never totally understood the concept of these drugs being thought of as "physically addictive." No one 'needs' heroin. No one 'needs' a cigarette. Yes, your body chemistry is changed when you poison it, but that's not a need. It's not a reason to continue, it's a reason to stop. Yes, certain things seem pleasurable in the short term, but that in and of itself does not create a physical need. Addiction seems to me to be nothing more than the choice to do something repeatedly which has greater harmful effects than are required to keep one healthy.

Actually gorgo that's psychological addiction such as with food or gambling or something like that. Drugs like heroin on the other hand, physically alter your brain chemistry and practically force you to keep taking them. If it wasn't physically addicting i'm surepossible people would kick the habit a ell of a lot more. Instead they relapse numerous times and often never fully recover.

[Gorgo]

I'm not an expert, Catch 22, so you may have it right, as I said I'm sure it's me that' s confused, but what you seem to be saying is that it is physically addicting because it's physically addicting.

Taking these drugs is a choice. I've heard it said that smoking is more addictive than heroin. I quit smoking when I realized the way that I felt without cigarettes was my body cleaning itself up, not my body craving anything. It felt like my whole body was buzzing for two weeks.

Sure if you take a lot of heroin you'll have a physical illness for a while without it. Best to do that with a doctor. But there is nothing about illness which makes one takes drugs.

Sure some of the effects are pleasurable and you're going to want to do pleasurable things a lot. So is ice cream. I love ice cream, but I don't spend thousands of dollars eating gallons a day.

[Osborn F Enready]

I feel marijuana should be as legal, or less restricted than alchohol.

[Catch 22]

Quote by: Gorgo I'm not an expert, Catch 22, so you may have it right, as I said I'm sure it's me that' s confused, but what you seem to be saying is that it is physically addicting because it's physically addicting. Taking these drugs is a choice. I've heard it said that smoking is more addictive than heroin. I quit smoking when I realized the way that I felt without cigarettes was my body cleaning itself up, not my body craving anything. It felt like my whole body was buzzing for two weeks. Sure if you take a lot of heroin you'll have a physical illness for a while without it. Best to do that with a doctor. But there is nothing about illness which makes one takes drugs. Sure some of the effects are pleasurable and you're going to want to do pleasurable things a lot. So is ice cream. I love ice cream, but I don't spend thousands of dollars eating gallons a day.

no you don't but ice cream doesn't lower your serotonin levels so that in order to opperate properly the brain needs ever larger ammounts of drugs. There are some people like you who have the will power to get past this major problem, but then there are many others who don't have said willpower and have immense trouble. Hell man, I know it's not logical but then again , many a folks aren't to logical on other issues. Case in point GW

[Gorgo]

Again, seratonin levels do not force behavior. People quit every day. It is a choice.

[Catch 22]

Quote by: Gorgo Again, seratonin levels do not force behavior. People quit every day. It is a choice.

But many many many more don't quit because of the addiction. I remember reading something a couple months ago about opiate based drug's addiction and it spoke a lot about how for some, the drug is not that hard to quit because their brains keep neurotransmitter levels well in check. However many addicts have a natural deficiency of some sort of neuro chemical (I think it's serotonin, I'm not totally sure) which makes getting off these drugs especially hard. I’m inclined to agree as most people I know who have gotten into drugs do want to get off the stuff that’s addictive, but have a real hard time doing so.

Again as I’ve said before if this truly were just a rational choice there’d be a hell of a lot more people quitting. But there isn’t, only a small fraction of users can quit without quite a bit of help and even then it’s a high probability of relapse. There some kind of definite and compelling physiological component here gorgo. People don’t willing precipitously fall into addiction and death in such massive numbers.

[bishop]

how do you really know any statistics about people who smoke pot?

since it's a black market operation, and illegal, i wouldn't instantly believe what you read (even if it supports your opinion).

also, the way you toss out the word "addict" is extremely misleading.. a pothead is MUCH different than a crackhead, junky, and/or alcoholic.

[Gorgo]

Most people quit on their own. http://www.peele.net/faq/know.html

[bugsbunny04]

I think pot law should be the same as alcohol. Id like to add that I think the drinking age should be the states age of majority, not the nation wide 21, and it is that age that I think pot should be available too.

[Catch 22]

Quote by: bishop how do you really know any statistics about people who smoke pot? since it's a black market operation, and illegal, i wouldn't instantly believe what you read (even if it supports your opinion). also, the way you toss out the word "addict" is extremely misleading.. a pothead is MUCH different than a crackhead, junky, and/or alcoholic.

Not talking about pot bishop. pot isn't addictive at all it's less addictive than cheese. All THC does is chemmically tickle yuor brain cells. What I'm talking about is research studies done on recovering drug addicts who used opiate derivatives (heiron, opium, morphine). However that's not to say I'm against legalization of any drug, cuase I'm in favor of full legalization across the board.

[Morgan_Freeman]

I know some people who've quit smoking and others who can't, no matter how hard they try.
It just depends on the person. Of course, it's hard to say how much is chemical and how much is psychological.

[Lou Minotti]

Quote by: FIFI It (pot) leads to drinking

How is it that "pot lead to drinking"? How do you know drinking doesn't lead to pot? Stupidity and stupidity alone leads people to do heroin and coke. Place the blame where it belongs, please.