Marijuana

[Mer_de_Noms]

The government here in the U.S. make more money with the drugs being illegal than they would if it was legalized.

Prove this. Show us the numbers. A graph even.

 

[CaptDeath]

well if you want "proof" if you were a dealer and dealing can/will get you in jail wont you charge more than if you wouldnt?

 

[Seb!]

well if you want "proof" if you were a dealer and dealing can/will get you in jail wont you charge more than if you wouldnt?

Nope. The competition doesn't care that you're in jail, their prices reflect that. And even if you did, the United States government would be no better off.

 

[The Helper]

The only dealers that get busted are ones that are not with it. If a CIA OP needs funding it just goes as Source. That is a top level deal that does not show up on anything but filters down to the extreme.

Sorry, I dont have a graph on that.

 

[RoarMan]

I personally think that it should be legalized because:

-It's a lot more harmless than alcohol and cigarettes
-I hear a lot about smoking and driving dangerous, where I live smoking and driving is already banned and should be in places where marijuana is illegal
-The whole brain damage thing was an inconclusive study (and this is where a lot of people are negative towards marijuana)

Also I think the reason people are against marijuana is because they are uninformed fully about it and just believe all the shit they hear at school and on TV. It's really a lot more harmless than it is portrayed and should be legalized. And the addictive factor, there is really no physical addiction(as in sickness, light headed) and it's I personally think it's a lot less worse than video game addiction (Face it, we all fucking looooove video games.)

Having marijuana taxed and having stores that are licensed will also ensure that it is under control as said before. And that tax money can also go to things like schools, healthcare (I live in Canada so this shit is awesome), better transit and blah blah blah.

It just seems like a no brainer thing to me.

 

[Seb!]

It just seems like a no brainer thing to me.

Doesn't it always?

 

[NotTheHelper]

I think it should be legal, it helps you relax when your under a lot of stress.

 

[Varine]

Is this getting anywhere?

 

[Darthfett]

Is this getting anywhere?

Debates are not going to be solved through one online forum if the debate is so controversial it can't be solved in regular society.

Are you expecting to finish off the debate with a statement that reflects everyone's point of view together in one universal law? You're not going to get one.

I think it should be legal, it helps you relax when your under a lot of stress.

This post could be left out of the debate completely and I don't think it would lose anything.

 

[CatCat]

Legal in the netherlands, Amsterdam is a popular destination for people that think the forbidden fruit tastes so much better.

People are making a deal out of nothing... oh well more "tourist" revenue for us I guess?

 

[nabbig2]

I don't smoke weed, and I'm not sure if I want it to be legalized.

But the thing is that weed is less harmful than alcohol...then why is alcohol legal? Weed can cause terrible car accidents, but so can alcohol.

 

[Zakyath]

This is an interesting debate, and I would like to revive it. I have just had a long discussion with a friend of mine, and I hate to admit that he taught me a thing or two.

He proved to me that:

1. Cannabis DOES make you stupid. In one way. The THC can stay in your body up to a month after smoking. And while the THC is in your body - you ARE stupider. I am not convinced that having THC in your body a few days after makes any noticeable difference.

2. THC in cannabis IS addicting. The reason why people seem to think that cannabis isn't addicting is that, well... you won't be addicted by just smoking. You really have to try to get addicted. And, it can be psychologically addicting. Just like sex and a real great merry-go-round.

3. You can get a hangover. It just takes a while.

4. Comparing it to tobacco and alcohol is uninteresting. You "can't" make tobacco and alcohol illegal. It would be an outrage. Just because we already have worse things legal - is it a reason to make something, still not good, legal? No. It is not. It may be a reason for one to use cannabis as a substitute for those, but to legalize it? If cannabis is legalized, tobacco and alcohol won't be illegalized. Tobacco and alcohol has not got anything to do with anything. To illegalize tobacco and alcohol is another debate. There is enough upsides for cannabis already, we do not even need to compare it to anything.

What I still think:

It is none of anyone else's business what I do. I do what I want. If anyone has a problem with that, s/he should stay away from me. Just like I do with people I do not like. It makes me happy. Why should anyone mind?

And, oh yeah. Everything I have written now is based on the assumption that everyone smokes cannabis. I am not aware of the differences in eating it and smoking it. (My guess is that it is better to eat it, though.)

 

[ElderKingpin]

It is none of anyone else's business what I do. I do what I want. If anyone has a problem with that, s/he should stay away from me. Just like I do with people I do not like. It makes me happy. Why should anyone mind?

That is a very good point. But, people still try to outlaw it and others. And, im a bit on both sides here.

Im mean, they are outlawing it for the "good of the people" if that is their true intent, they are just trying to help the community/country. And you cannot exactly get mad at people who care for your well-being. Can you?

You see teachers punishing kids, but people listen to them (kinda) right?

 

[sqrage]

>>1. Cannabis DOES make you stupid. In one way. The THC can stay in your
>>body up to a month after smoking. And while the THC is in your body - you
>>ARE stupider. I am not convinced that having THC in your body a few days
>>after makes any noticeable difference.

Where are your sources for this? Recent studies show the opposite and there have even been studies showing that it helps regenerate brain cells, which is the complete opposite of what the population was lead to think just a couple of years ago. I haven't noticed myself get any "stupider" after I smoke or hell, even when I'm high. Sure sometimes I like to act dumb and have a good time laughing at ridiculous things, but I do that sober and drunk as well.

>>2. THC in cannabis IS addicting. The reason why people seem to think that
>>cannabis isn't addicting is that, well... you won't be addicted by just
>>smoking. You really have to try to get addicted. And, it can be ?
>>psychologically addicting. Just like sex and a real great merry-go-round.

Well anything can be addicting depending on what kind of person you are. But I think you pretty much said that yourself already.

>>3. You can get a hangover. It just takes a while.

Depends on your idea of a hangover. You can be a little dazed the next day but that's about it. You don't wake up with puke next to your face and a killer migraine that's for sure.

>>4. Comparing it to tobacco and alcohol is uninteresting. You "can't" make
>>tobacco and alcohol illegal. It would be an outrage. Just because we ??
>>already have worse things legal - is it a reason to make something, still not
>>good, legal? No. It is not. It may be a reason for one to use cannabis as a
>>substitute for those, but to legalize it? If cannabis is legalized, tobacco and
>>alcohol won't be illegalized. Tobacco and alcohol has not got anything to
>>do with anything. To illegalize tobacco and alcohol is another debate.
>>There is enough upsides for cannabis already, we do not even need to
>>compare it to anything.

There is already outrage about the prohibition of marijuana. Look at the war on drugs. I don't have any figures of how many lives this war has claimed, but I'm sure it's in the millions. And I'm assuming roughly 60% of those were related simply to marijuana and not other drugs.

Anyway, the points you raise are health concerns, not exactly concerns about whether or not it should be legal. Regardless or health implications (of which you mention have no evidence), people ARE still smoking weed. And it is comparable to something like cigarettes or drinking yet people can serve YEARS in prison for simply happing a small bag of weed in their pocket. THAT is reason to legalize it. Of course it should still be discouraged and advertising should definitely not be allowed but those who wish to smoke it and already do so should be allowed to freely.

 

[Zakyath]

>That is a very good point. But, people still try to outlaw it and others. And, im a bit on both sides here.

Im mean, they are outlawing it for the "good of the people" if that is their true intent, they are just trying to help the community/country. And you cannot exactly get mad at people who care for your well-being. Can you?

You see teachers punishing kids, but people listen to them (kinda) right?


Honestly, I do believe that it is not based on what is right for the people. Decisions, such as this, are more based on what the people think is right.

>Where are your sources for this? Recent studies show the opposite and there have even been studies showing that it helps regenerate brain cells, which is the complete opposite of what the population was lead to think just a couple of years ago. I haven't noticed myself get any "stupider" after I smoke or hell, even when I'm high. Sure sometimes I like to act dumb and have a good time laughing at ridiculous things, but I do that sober and drunk as well.


Search "cognitive cannabis" on google books and you will find tons of sources. In my and my friends discussion we looked at wikipedia, some non-english websites and these:

http://www.google.com/books?id=IiOw...annabis&lr&hl=sv&pg=PA171#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.google.com/books?id=bL2u...ctioning&lr&hl=sv&pg=PA29#v=onepage&q&f=false

As far as I have understood, THC temporarily (as long as it remains in your body) worsen your short-term memory and your concentration - and what are those if not necessary while thinking?

>Depends on your idea of a hangover. You can be a little dazed the next day but that's about it. You don't wake up with puke next to your face and a killer migraine that's for sure.

You can feel the hangover when you have the most of the THC in your body. Let's say it takes a month for your body to get rid of the THC - then it will also take a month until the hangover. e.g., let's assume you smoke weed every day, and every time you smoke, parts of it remains in your system for a month. Then, after a month, you'll have as much as you can in your body. And that, in some strange way, is supposed to lead to a hangover.

>Anyway, the points you raise are health concerns, not exactly concerns about whether or not it should be legal. Regardless or health implications (of which you mention have no evidence), people ARE still smoking weed. And it is comparable to something like cigarettes or drinking yet people can serve YEARS in prison for simply happing a small bag of weed in their pocket. THAT is reason to legalize it. Of course it should still be discouraged and advertising should definitely not be allowed but those who wish to smoke it and already do so should be allowed to freely.

I do agree that it should be legal. Not because cigarettes and alcohol is legal, but because it won't harm the system - more likely something on the contrary.

 

[sqrage]

I read your links, and they are referring to chronic use. Though I guess, even if it is chronic use, it cannot be denied that it happens. I still have trouble believing these studies 100% though, as they were usually done by (directly or indirectly) by the government in very biased manners.

And Elder, the government most definitely didn't ban marijuana for the greater good of the people. Watch The Union, I personally haven't seen it but it does go into great detail about reasons for its prohibition I believe.

 

[Zakyath]

>I read your links, and they are referring to chronic use. Though I guess, even if it is chronic use, it cannot be denied that it happens. I still have trouble believing these studies 100% though, as they were usually done by (directly or indirectly) by the government in very biased manners.

Does it matter if it is chronic use? Of course, it is a completely different matter how this applies to reality and how normal this is, but there is a proven (and kinda accepted) possibility. Though, since it is so rare, it is commonly regarded as "false".

 

[sqrage]

Well I'd say it matters. Chronic drinking of water can be deadly though under normal circumstances we need water to live.

 

[Magentix]

Legal in the Netherlands, decriminalised in Belgium...
Sounds like this debate doesn't really affect us Dutch speaking lads

Yes, I use it.
No, I don't use it a lot. I don't smoke regular cigarettes either.

Do I think other countries should legalise? Perhaps.
The main issue is the unnecessary controversy about it if you ask me.

If other countries can function perfectly with legalised drugs, are they more evolved or
do they just think it's not worth getting so upset over like, for example, quite some people in the United States do?

 

[MasterOfABCs]

Please pardon any spelling or grammatical errors seeing as I'm extraordinarily high.

BudSmoke, you never fail to make me laugh.

In a sea of "srs bsns" you are a beacon of awesome.

+Rep

But, on the subject of schmokin' dose weeds;

All of this should be illegal. And, cigarettes too.

Every person I've ever meet who smoked anything*

*Yes, anything, including but not limited to plastics, house hold plants, cleaning chemicals, ashes of the deceased, and melted down pokemon figures.

died, within three to five days, of brain cancer, heart disease and both plane and car crashes all at the same time.

It really is sad when you see this happen, time and time again, over nine-thousand times everyday in your local community.

Also, I'm sick of hearing this "Well, alcohol kills people everyday." argument.

These are lies fed to you by which ever of the following is applicable. (And, I know for a fact one is.)

A. Those radical, right-wing, and psychopathically -religious yet fair and balanced nut jobs over at FOX.

B. Those weak liberal, socialist and communistically-sympathetic yet genuinely concerned snakes over at MSNBC

You don't even need a master's degree in Human (not animal) Alcoholic Statistics to know that, on average, only 34 people die every year as a result of "Drunk Driving" which, by the way, isn't even real.

Fun Fact : Drunk Plane-ing kills 3,598 people on average every year, which is not only only way more people than "Drunk Driving" kills but also plane crashes are way more awesome. (They are, at least, a solid 3.5x more cool, for reference.)

As soon as we make smoking, as a whole, illegal, we will find an alternative energy source, fix the oil spill, and cure aids.

This is a pure and simple fact.

And, you can expect the progress to follow not within years, months or even days, but only mere minutes. (My research indicates approximately 7.28 minutes.)

I really don't understand how any one can be opposed to the illegalization of smoking.

But, if you have any questions concerning my factual evidence, I implore you to take me on my word.

However, if you are a true skeptic, you can check all of my information at www.google.com.

Google is an extremely reliable internet source that I promise you can trust!