2nd March 2007, 7:23 PM
(This post was last modified: 3rd March 2007, 9:47 PM by Sacred Jellybean.)
Two-and-a-half-years? Aw, hell no. I've refined my self-confidence and debate skills since then (I'm the president of my school's chapter of NORML - National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws :)), so I'll revive this topic (especially since there's been a frenzy of topic-revival going on in the past week). It randomly crossed my mind, so I decided to look at it again. Be prepared for a monolith of a post that's usually unlike me (since it's a topic that interests me; unfortunately, my interest in video games has waned in the past few years). Sorry for replying to posts from so long ago, as your viewpoints may very well have changed, but I saw some things that couldn’t go unanswered.
To me, "drug problem" encapsulates more than just the damage caused to the user. I won't argue about the legalization of all drugs, because I'm still quite ambivalent on the subject, but there's clearly a problem wrong with the policy of locking up non-violent drug offenders. Most drugs are linked to crime because they exist in the black market. Addiction is also certainly a problem with hard drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, and crystal meth, and I could see how theft and armed robbery is an issue with that. I think that's the extent of the argument I agree with, though. With controlled dosages, over-dosages would be a thing of the past, unless proper administration was circumvented. Purity would also no longer be a problem, as the FDA would treat these substances like our currently legal drugs. Also, if they were carefully regulated, a person could have a greater chance of intervention if the habit goes out of control. Of course, as a personal choice, I would never take a highly addictive drug. The libertarian in me says that drugs should be legal, but my compassion for fellow-man says otherwise.
I know you're not around anymore, but you're an asshole. I shouldn't have expected more from you. "OMG HE USES POT HE MUST BE A BURNOUT LOSER DUMMIEEIEEE!!!!11`1" As a regular cannabis smoker of more than 3 years, I resent that, you fucking idiot. I'd be more willing to take advice from a flower child who's lost his mind from taking too much lsd than you, buddy.
What a stupid ad. Kids shouldn't be smoking to begin with. I don't see how anyone could be high enough to willingly shoot himself with a gun, unless an emotional disorder (say, clinical depression) were exacerbated while under the effects of cannabis (in which case, he shouldn't be taking drugs that adversely affect his condition to begin with). The ad was clearly created by people who have minimal (if any at all) experience with marijuana.
Unfortunately, you can't blame drugs on your lack of grammar and logic.
Don't be so quick to put alcohol and grass into the same category. It's easy for me to hide the fact that I'm high, but it's typically easy to spot a drunkard within seconds of witnessing him.
Wow. Just, wow. Not only does that reek of (willful?) ignorance of the Temperance era, but it completely lacks compassion. Drug addiction is a disease, not a crime. The massive failure known as the War on Drugs should tell you that harsh sentences don’t stop people from using substances. Legislating morality of actions that don’t harm others is quite difficult, and in the case of addictive substances, people don’t even care as long as they get a fix.
Maybe… because… people… enjoy it? I’m going out on a limb here. Fast food is also unhealthy, but people still eat it, either out of convenience or enjoyment.
A common misconception not supported by facts. Marijuana is sold in small amounts in Amsterdam, and if I correctly recall, they have LESS of a percentage of people who smoke cannabis (at least a smaller percentage of teens – I’ll find a reference, if you wish).
Truth is, you’re already having your tax dollars wasting money on locking people up for a drug that’s hardly even a social hazard.
Good thing we're not talking about morphine!
Good thing anecdotal evidence is hardly pragmatic or empirical. The gateway and amotivational myths have never been proven by sound science. Your friends sound like idiots (they’re also minors using drugs, something I don’t condone). I can counter that with the same amount of credence with the fact that I’ve never met a single person (and this is out of dozens of potheads) who have stolen to support their habits.
What about tequila, vodka, rum, everclear, etc? What about schwag (low-potency weed) or middies (moderate-potency weed)? Why am I even replying to this?
THC metabolites stay in your system days after you’ve smoked. The high from cannabis typically only lasts a couple hours max (depending on dosage, potency, etc, of course).
…are you serious? Really? Ooookay… people like to alter their consciousnesses for a variety of reasons, most among them are relaxation and curiosity. I’m hoping that was rhetorical, though. Pot doesn’t make you more stupid (haha, I love irony) unless heavily abused (being high every minute of every day) OR kill you.
Ah, I can’t even address this type of ignorance from a poster who no longer visits.
That holds no relevance to marijuana, but it is indeed sad. Some people are just plain stupid. Research the things you put into your bodies, folks.
That’s too bad, buddy. I think people who don’t smoke weed are missing out on a very relaxing, amusing, and spiritually-fulfilling hobby. Of course, I don’t get up on a high horse and call them stupid.
There’s that self-righteous and misguided “OMG ALL POTHEADS ARE RETARDS” bullshit again. How about this – I respect your standpoint, and as long as I'm giving thoughtful and reasonable arguments, you respect mine. 'Kay?
Admittedly, you’ve got me there. But don’t forget about sequels!
You can do that with marijuana.
This is a problem with the law, not the hobby. What if the shoe were on the other foot and video games were illegal? What if there were unrealistic commercials depicting people sitting on their couches like zombies, playing round after round of Melee, ignoring their health? Well, I guess you’d be as dumb as me smoking weed for not being a good little drone who believes every single thing our government tells us! I’m not a huge conspiracy theorist, btw, but with marijuana policy, our government is FAR off the mark.
Ahh, don’t you love that? When you get addicted. You clearly have no experience with marijuana, aside from bullshit from D.A.R.E. and concerned parents. Allow me to make this nice and sparkingly clear – clear as an azure sky of deepest summer, clear as an unmuddled lake – POT IS NOT LIKE HEROIN. You do NOT get addicted from a single puff; not even close. However, I digress. It’s my choice what I spend my money on, just like it’s a fashion-freak’s choice to “waste” money on 20 wardrobes, and a gamer’s choice to “waste” money on video games, and a spectator's choice to "waste" money on attending sporting events.
Nope, can’t let this one go. Weed doesn’t make you do stupid things, like alcohol. Pot tends to increase caution and introspection from my experience, and if you take a look at the scientific abstracts or youtube video on driving with marijuana that I list further down the post, you’ll see some evidence on that. I have made the conscious choice to not drive when I was too high, even when peer-pressure was an issue. I have smoked and driven, and have had problems with it less than %2 of the time.
Stereotyping of cannabis smokers does nothing better than reveal the author’s ignorance on the subject. This is probably why I didn’t even bother responding to this before. Jackass.
Don't take all of this too personally, Eden. I still respect you, but if you really believe all this, then I simply cannot respect those particular beliefs. They reek of opinionated ignorance. It'd be one thing if you knew what you were talking about...
It doesn’t kill you in any way. Marijuana is not life-threatening itself. Nope, it doesn’t cause cancer. In fact, there's a NEGATIVE correlation with incidence of cancer (once again, I'll dig up a link if you desire).
Incorrect. As a completely different species of plant, the smoke from combusted tobacco has different effects on the body. Marijuana can perhaps inflict irritation to bronchial tubes, but emphysema and cancer are not an issue.
Not so fast. Sports CAN be harmful. People who have heart problems can be damaged from participating in sports. Some contain flying projectiles. Hunting can be dangerous - just ask Dick Cheney! Football, Rugby, Boxing, and Hockey are considerably dangerous to even healthy and fit people. How about extreme sports, like sky-diving, skateboarding, etc.? And pot doesn’t slowly kill you. There was a woman in India (I’ll find the article if you want) that reportedly lived to be over one-hundred years old who smoked weed every day.
Reality is a crutch for people who can't cope with drugs.
I don't believe that per se, but it's a funny saying nonetheless. How can you make such a statement, though (perhaps you've gained some common sense in the past two-and-a-half years, or at least greater caution to use blanket statements)? Perhaps it could be applied to heroin, something I don't have experience with (and never want it). But marijuana is arguably less harmful than alcohol. I'll propose the same question comedian Bill Hicks proposed: You're at a ball game or concert, and someone's acting really rowdy, violent, loud, and obnoxious - are they high or drunk? Mankind has had an interest in altering his own consciousness for millenia. There sure are a lot of weak-minded and weak-willed people out there for wanting to experience a different and virtually harmless mindset!
Have you ever seen people under the influence of cannabis get into fights? Unless a person is crazy to begin with, I can't imagine him under any circumstances smoking a joint and beating his wife and kids. Alcohol is an intoxicant, in the true sense that it's a toxic substance to your body. Cannabis is non-toxic, and impossible to overdose on. It's LD-50 is estimated to be in a range that's substantially greater than the normal dosage, or even the couch-lock, giggly, incapacitated-because-you're-still-a-newb-and-smoked-way-too-much dosage. You'd sooner die from drinking too much water.
You ever drink too much and feel like complete trash the next morning? Yup, it happens to the best of us who have a few too many. Headaches, nausea, depression, lethargy. You know what typically happens after I smoke too much weed? ...when I go to sleep, I don't awaken for perhaps a few hours later. I got light "hangovers" when I first began smoking, in the sense that I became slightly depressed the day afterwards (and no, not because I didn't have any more pot, so no smart-ass remarks ). They recently passed a meaningless (I'll get into why that's so if anyone here's interested, but probably not) cannabis paraphernalia ban here in Philadelphia. Thank god they're trying to protect children from people who giggle, relax, binge eat, philosophize, and take copious naps! Boy, that deadly cotton-mouth would be the downfall of society if weed were suddenly legalized, let me tell ya.
This is true, and to anyone who wants a reference, I'll be glad to find one for you: cannabis is less physically addictive than alcohol, tobacco, and caffiene. Psychological addiction is another ball of wax, but I'd still say such is comparable to alcohol.
I'm not saying grass is harmless (notice, I used the word virtually before). Moderation is the key, and there are substances out there (alcohol and tobacco included) that are MUCH more difficult to moderate. Do you know what the biggest barrier to easily moderating marijuana is? The fact that it doesn't make your body and mind feel like shit. The fact that you normally don't have to apologize for your unruly behavior the next day. The worst thing that marijuana could do to you is exacerbate predisposed mental illnesses. There is a strong correlation between people with mental illnesses and people who smoke, but correlation is not causation, and I think any reasonable person can agree that those with mental illnesses are more prone feel desire to find a substance that soothes them from their mental turmoil than an emotionally stable person. Marijuana does lower sperm count (but still makes for a poor contraceptive, I'm sure), but that reverses when the user quits. A long-term, heavy user could perhaps experience permanent but insubstantial deficits in short-term memory after quitting, but again, moderation is the key. If that's the worst that could happen from smoking too much, why the hell isn't it alcohol that's illegal? (rhetorical question - it's obvious that cultural significance is the reason it's legal)
If cannabis were legal, not only would we be giving people a better choice in consciousness-altering substances (sorry, I can't bring myself to use the word "intoxicant"), but we'd stop wasting money on non-violent drug offenders, effectively taking a huge cash crop out of the hands of criminals and other members of the black market. Our national deficit is at 8.7 trillion dollars, and I think it's high time we not only infuse some common sense in a rigid and hypocritical drug policy, but help combat our debts. The economical benefits to cannabis legalization isn't even an original idea, either. Milton Friedman, Nobel laureate and all-around brilliant and well-respected economist, supported this idea in a Forbes article in 2005.
For those of you jumping to say "But Dan, if weed were legalized, more people would be toking up and driving killing people and it'd be a huge disaster! What if there are CHILDREN IN THE CAR?!!?"
(sorry to pigeon-hole anyone who would have brought up marijuana and driving, but this is a common and specious argument that appeals to emotions instead of logic)
There are laws in place for drugged driving, in case you haven't noticed. Simple tests given by the police officer should determine if a person is incapacitated to a degree in which operating a motor vehicle is unsafe. How does that contradict what substances should be prohibited? Now, while I absolutely do not condone altering one's consciousness while operating machinery that puts the lives of others at risk, I can tell you with 100% certainty that, given a pair of options that I *must* choose from, I would much rather take a ride with a high driver than a drunk driver (if they're on, roughly, the same level of dosage). I'll include the appropriate references:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-b...1&SRETRY=0
http://www.ukcia.org/research/driving.htm
And, in case your attention span is short:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfcRyruo91Y
Here's a few other myths that I'm willing to dispel, if anyone disagrees:
-Marijuana is a gate-way drug
-Marijuana kills brain cells
-Marijuana causes cancer and emphysema
-Marijuana is a drug without therapeutic value
-Marijuana today is much more potent and harmful than back it the 60s (my father, who has again taken to smoking since retirement on a bi-weekly basis, was there and has told me personally that this is bullshit)
-Marijuana causes amotivational syndrome (perhaps true to a small extent, but I doubt a greater threat than alcohol)
Whew! Okay, I'm done. Sorry for such a long post. I hope someone is passionate enough on this subject, be it a position of concurrence or discordance with my viewpoint, that they'll actually read through it. Hopefully, ultimately, someone will learn something (but being that this forum doesn't contain many drug-users, including alcohol which is most certainly a drug, that likely isn't the case).
Quote:I know Jean Cretin is pretty stupid even for a commie lib, but the logic of this makes no sense to me. Decrease the drug problem by making them legal? Wow hey, great logic. You know, if you inject cyanide into someone's veins, their malignant cancer or HIV won't be bothering them very long either!
To me, "drug problem" encapsulates more than just the damage caused to the user. I won't argue about the legalization of all drugs, because I'm still quite ambivalent on the subject, but there's clearly a problem wrong with the policy of locking up non-violent drug offenders. Most drugs are linked to crime because they exist in the black market. Addiction is also certainly a problem with hard drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, and crystal meth, and I could see how theft and armed robbery is an issue with that. I think that's the extent of the argument I agree with, though. With controlled dosages, over-dosages would be a thing of the past, unless proper administration was circumvented. Purity would also no longer be a problem, as the FDA would treat these substances like our currently legal drugs. Also, if they were carefully regulated, a person could have a greater chance of intervention if the habit goes out of control. Of course, as a personal choice, I would never take a highly addictive drug. The libertarian in me says that drugs should be legal, but my compassion for fellow-man says otherwise.
Quote:Plus I dont see why the PM would want to take advice from people who smoke weed.
I know you're not around anymore, but you're an asshole. I shouldn't have expected more from you. "OMG HE USES POT HE MUST BE A BURNOUT LOSER DUMMIEEIEEE!!!!11`1" As a regular cannabis smoker of more than 3 years, I resent that, you fucking idiot. I'd be more willing to take advice from a flower child who's lost his mind from taking too much lsd than you, buddy.Quote:This new bill was not needed as pot isnt a problem , I like that anti drug abuse ad in the U.S were a kid shoots himself dead being so high on weed thought the gun was a cap gun.
What a stupid ad. Kids shouldn't be smoking to begin with. I don't see how anyone could be high enough to willingly shoot himself with a gun, unless an emotional disorder (say, clinical depression) were exacerbated while under the effects of cannabis (in which case, he shouldn't be taking drugs that adversely affect his condition to begin with). The ad was clearly created by people who have minimal (if any at all) experience with marijuana.
Quote:Jean Chreitian undoubtly smokes weed , why else do such absurdity.
Unfortunately, you can't blame drugs on your lack of grammar and logic.
Quote:Alcohol in my opinion is far more dangerous and destructive than tobacco, and it's funny how not only does the government ignore alcohol, it also is sympathetic to weed, both being substances that can rob you of your cognitive ability and can impair your ability to operate a vehicle or even walk straight
Don't be so quick to put alcohol and grass into the same category. It's easy for me to hide the fact that I'm high, but it's typically easy to spot a drunkard within seconds of witnessing him.
Quote:Actually, I'm in favor of making illegal drug trafficking a capital crime, as that practice is responsible for (wild guess) a good half of the murders in America. Our legal system needs to get it's priorities in check and start going after the root of the problem. In China, possession of weed carries a mandatory seven year sentence, and dealers of that and others are executed. For once, they have the right idea.
Wow. Just, wow. Not only does that reek of (willful?) ignorance of the Temperance era, but it completely lacks compassion. Drug addiction is a disease, not a crime. The massive failure known as the War on Drugs should tell you that harsh sentences don’t stop people from using substances. Legislating morality of actions that don’t harm others is quite difficult, and in the case of addictive substances, people don’t even care as long as they get a fix.
Quote:To be honest, my plan would just make it impossible to get a cig, not make it illegal . I just wanna know why they don't just all get on the patch. They get nicotine, and they don't HAVE to quit then, plus I don't have a single complaint. I think the main reason alcohol is still legal is because we all know just how well making it illegal went last time they tried it...
Maybe… because… people… enjoy it? I’m going out on a limb here. Fast food is also unhealthy, but people still eat it, either out of convenience or enjoyment.
Quote: As for Canada decriminalizing marijuana, its not a good step... for one it'll mean it will be far easier to get it into the US -- like we needed a bigger drug problem! And for Canada, while it'll lead to less crime because of drug lords, probably, it will also increase the number of addicted people... NOT A GOOD THING!
A common misconception not supported by facts. Marijuana is sold in small amounts in Amsterdam, and if I correctly recall, they have LESS of a percentage of people who smoke cannabis (at least a smaller percentage of teens – I’ll find a reference, if you wish).
Quote: "Truth is I refuse to have my tax dollars go to Rehab fucks who dont take care of themselves".
Truth is, you’re already having your tax dollars wasting money on locking people up for a drug that’s hardly even a social hazard.
Quote: I was on medicated Morphiene(i dont think I spelled that right).
I can say it is pretty easy to be a heartless killer when your high on that stuff, Your concious is gone for a short period.
I was glad to be off that after my surgerey as I was going nuts.
Good thing we're not talking about morphine!
Quote:But the people who I know who smoke weed are always lazy bastards who are unproductive ,Though I find it amusing to hear their stories about how stoned they were. They always seem sluggish and dead afterwards.Alot of people I know who do weed have also tried Coke and acid, I just feel Marayuna is just the key to further more serious things.
There was a 12 year old boy in our town who broke into houses to steal VCRS and Tvs so he could get enough money to buy some more Pot to feed is drug habbait.
Ive seen tons of freinds steal school equipement to pay off some buddy who gave them that gram of good weed the other night.
Good thing anecdotal evidence is hardly pragmatic or empirical.
The gateway and amotivational myths have never been proven by sound science. Your friends sound like idiots (they’re also minors using drugs, something I don’t condone). I can counter that with the same amount of credence with the fact that I’ve never met a single person (and this is out of dozens of potheads) who have stolen to support their habits.Quote:But unlike weed it isnt potent in such tiny doses.
What about tequila, vodka, rum, everclear, etc? What about schwag (low-potency weed) or middies (moderate-potency weed)? Why am I even replying to this?
Quote:Weed stays in your system and effect you even days after you last toked up, were as beer wares off the next day.
THC metabolites stay in your system days after you’ve smoked. The high from cannabis typically only lasts a couple hours max (depending on dosage, potency, etc, of course).
Quote: Well I have no personal experience with alchohol (I turn 21 in 2 1/2 months, but have no intention of drinking anytime soon), tobacco, or marijuana... and plan to keep it that way. I don't see why people would do those things... all it does is make you stupider and/or kill you...
…are you serious? Really? Ooookay… people like to alter their consciousnesses for a variety of reasons, most among them are relaxation and curiosity. I’m hoping that was rhetorical, though. Pot doesn’t make you more stupid (haha, I love irony) unless heavily abused (being high every minute of every day) OR kill you.
Quote: If you just ate jars full of salt that could kill you if you overdose on it . There is no such thing as recreational or Casual Marijuna you do have a dependency on it.When ever somthing goes bad you go to the drugs , You have a hard addiction you should'nt be a fool to underestimate it.
Ah, I can’t even address this type of ignorance from a poster who no longer visits.Quote:There's this guy in our town who used to be smart, but then he spent lots of time sniffing paint and basically blew out his mind... he's still around but is stupid and can't hold a job or an apartment because of how he is... its sad, but it IS his own fault...
That holds no relevance to marijuana, but it is indeed sad. Some people are just plain stupid. Research the things you put into your bodies, folks.
Quote: Is smoking marijuana evil? Not at all. Is it monumentally stupid? In every conceivable way. I can't come up with a single reason why I'd want to injest something which could potentially be dangerous to myself and others.
That’s too bad, buddy. I think people who don’t smoke weed are missing out on a very relaxing, amusing, and spiritually-fulfilling hobby. Of course, I don’t get up on a high horse and call them stupid.
Quote:I'd rather play Melee. Lets do a comparison, shall we? Try and stay with me, potheads, I'll speak slowly.
There’s that self-righteous and misguided “OMG ALL POTHEADS ARE RETARDS” bullshit again. How about this – I respect your standpoint, and as long as I'm giving thoughtful and reasonable arguments, you respect mine. 'Kay?
Quote: Super Smash Bros. Melee: One time cost, then you can enjoy it anytime you wish.
Admittedly, you’ve got me there. But don’t forget about sequels!
Quote:You can enjoy it with friends or alone
You can do that with marijuana.
Quote:, and best of all, if a cop pulls you over and you've got a copy of Melee, you won't get punished (unless the cop is a PS2 or XBox fanboy)
This is a problem with the law, not the hobby. What if the shoe were on the other foot and video games were illegal? What if there were unrealistic commercials depicting people sitting on their couches like zombies, playing round after round of Melee, ignoring their health? Well, I guess you’d be as dumb as me smoking weed for not being a good little drone who believes every single thing our government tells us! I’m not a huge conspiracy theorist, btw, but with marijuana policy, our government is FAR off the mark.
Quote: and when you get addicted, it adds up.
Ahh, don’t you love that? When you get addicted. You clearly have no experience with marijuana, aside from bullshit from D.A.R.E. and concerned parents. Allow me to make this nice and sparkingly clear – clear as an azure sky of deepest summer, clear as an unmuddled lake – POT IS NOT LIKE HEROIN. You do NOT get addicted from a single puff; not even close. However, I digress. It’s my choice what I spend my money on, just like it’s a fashion-freak’s choice to “waste” money on 20 wardrobes, and a gamer’s choice to “waste” money on video games, and a spectator's choice to "waste" money on attending sporting events.
Quote: What kills you is the stupid shit you think you can do when you're high on it, like drive.
Nope, can’t let this one go. Weed doesn’t make you do stupid things, like alcohol. Pot tends to increase caution and introspection from my experience, and if you take a look at the scientific abstracts or youtube video on driving with marijuana that I list further down the post, you’ll see some evidence on that. I have made the conscious choice to not drive when I was too high, even when peer-pressure was an issue. I have smoked and driven, and have had problems with it less than %2 of the time.
Quote: So if you want to smoke pot, you go right ahead. I think of it as weeding out the weak and stupid.
Stereotyping of cannabis smokers does nothing better than reveal the author’s ignorance on the subject. This is probably why I didn’t even bother responding to this before. Jackass.
Don't take all of this too personally, Eden. I still respect you, but if you really believe all this, then I simply cannot respect those particular beliefs. They reek of opinionated ignorance. It'd be one thing if you knew what you were talking about...
Quote: Marijuana may be slightly less evil than other drugs because it doesn't kill you directly. Oh joy. That is such a great endorsement! Its slightly less bad for you !
It doesn’t kill you in any way. Marijuana is not life-threatening itself. Nope, it doesn’t cause cancer. In fact, there's a NEGATIVE correlation with incidence of cancer (once again, I'll dig up a link if you desire).
Quote: Thing about pot is that you're still SMOKING it, and thus all the bad effects of smoke in your lungs are there, thus pot can still kill you using one of the ways cigarette smoking kills people.
Incorrect. As a completely different species of plant, the smoke from combusted tobacco has different effects on the body. Marijuana can perhaps inflict irritation to bronchial tubes, but emphysema and cancer are not an issue.
Quote: Lots of things are "fun" that shouldn't be done. Drugs are one of those. Comparing it to sports? Uhh... sports don't slowly kill you... drugs do. Any drugs. They should all be either illegal or perscription...
Not so fast. Sports CAN be harmful. People who have heart problems can be damaged from participating in sports. Some contain flying projectiles. Hunting can be dangerous - just ask Dick Cheney! Football, Rugby, Boxing, and Hockey are considerably dangerous to even healthy and fit people. How about extreme sports, like sky-diving, skateboarding, etc.? And pot doesn’t slowly kill you. There was a woman in India (I’ll find the article if you want) that reportedly lived to be over one-hundred years old who smoked weed every day.
Quote: Amen.
Quote:Absolutely.
Quote:Drugs are for the weak-minded and the weak-willed
Reality is a crutch for people who can't cope with drugs.I don't believe that per se, but it's a funny saying nonetheless. How can you make such a statement, though (perhaps you've gained some common sense in the past two-and-a-half years, or at least greater caution to use blanket statements)? Perhaps it could be applied to heroin, something I don't have experience with (and never want it). But marijuana is arguably less harmful than alcohol. I'll propose the same question comedian Bill Hicks proposed: You're at a ball game or concert, and someone's acting really rowdy, violent, loud, and obnoxious - are they high or drunk? Mankind has had an interest in altering his own consciousness for millenia. There sure are a lot of weak-minded and weak-willed people out there for wanting to experience a different and virtually harmless mindset!
Have you ever seen people under the influence of cannabis get into fights? Unless a person is crazy to begin with, I can't imagine him under any circumstances smoking a joint and beating his wife and kids. Alcohol is an intoxicant, in the true sense that it's a toxic substance to your body. Cannabis is non-toxic, and impossible to overdose on. It's LD-50 is estimated to be in a range that's substantially greater than the normal dosage, or even the couch-lock, giggly, incapacitated-because-you're-still-a-newb-and-smoked-way-too-much dosage. You'd sooner die from drinking too much water.
You ever drink too much and feel like complete trash the next morning? Yup, it happens to the best of us who have a few too many. Headaches, nausea, depression, lethargy. You know what typically happens after I smoke too much weed? ...when I go to sleep, I don't awaken for perhaps a few hours later. I got light "hangovers" when I first began smoking, in the sense that I became slightly depressed the day afterwards (and no, not because I didn't have any more pot, so no smart-ass remarks
). They recently passed a meaningless (I'll get into why that's so if anyone here's interested, but probably not) cannabis paraphernalia ban here in Philadelphia. Thank god they're trying to protect children from people who giggle, relax, binge eat, philosophize, and take copious naps! Boy, that deadly cotton-mouth would be the downfall of society if weed were suddenly legalized, let me tell ya.This is true, and to anyone who wants a reference, I'll be glad to find one for you: cannabis is less physically addictive than alcohol, tobacco, and caffiene. Psychological addiction is another ball of wax, but I'd still say such is comparable to alcohol.
I'm not saying grass is harmless (notice, I used the word virtually before). Moderation is the key, and there are substances out there (alcohol and tobacco included) that are MUCH more difficult to moderate. Do you know what the biggest barrier to easily moderating marijuana is? The fact that it doesn't make your body and mind feel like shit. The fact that you normally don't have to apologize for your unruly behavior the next day. The worst thing that marijuana could do to you is exacerbate predisposed mental illnesses. There is a strong correlation between people with mental illnesses and people who smoke, but correlation is not causation, and I think any reasonable person can agree that those with mental illnesses are more prone feel desire to find a substance that soothes them from their mental turmoil than an emotionally stable person. Marijuana does lower sperm count (but still makes for a poor contraceptive, I'm sure), but that reverses when the user quits. A long-term, heavy user could perhaps experience permanent but insubstantial deficits in short-term memory after quitting, but again, moderation is the key. If that's the worst that could happen from smoking too much, why the hell isn't it alcohol that's illegal? (rhetorical question - it's obvious that cultural significance is the reason it's legal)
If cannabis were legal, not only would we be giving people a better choice in consciousness-altering substances (sorry, I can't bring myself to use the word "intoxicant"), but we'd stop wasting money on non-violent drug offenders, effectively taking a huge cash crop out of the hands of criminals and other members of the black market. Our national deficit is at 8.7 trillion dollars, and I think it's high time we not only infuse some common sense in a rigid and hypocritical drug policy, but help combat our debts. The economical benefits to cannabis legalization isn't even an original idea, either. Milton Friedman, Nobel laureate and all-around brilliant and well-respected economist, supported this idea in a Forbes article in 2005.
For those of you jumping to say "But Dan, if weed were legalized, more people would be toking up and driving killing people and it'd be a huge disaster! What if there are CHILDREN IN THE CAR?!!?"
(sorry to pigeon-hole anyone who would have brought up marijuana and driving, but this is a common and specious argument that appeals to emotions instead of logic)
There are laws in place for drugged driving, in case you haven't noticed. Simple tests given by the police officer should determine if a person is incapacitated to a degree in which operating a motor vehicle is unsafe. How does that contradict what substances should be prohibited? Now, while I absolutely do not condone altering one's consciousness while operating machinery that puts the lives of others at risk, I can tell you with 100% certainty that, given a pair of options that I *must* choose from, I would much rather take a ride with a high driver than a drunk driver (if they're on, roughly, the same level of dosage). I'll include the appropriate references:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-b...1&SRETRY=0
http://www.ukcia.org/research/driving.htm
And, in case your attention span is short:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfcRyruo91Y
Here's a few other myths that I'm willing to dispel, if anyone disagrees:
-Marijuana is a gate-way drug
-Marijuana kills brain cells
-Marijuana causes cancer and emphysema
-Marijuana is a drug without therapeutic value
-Marijuana today is much more potent and harmful than back it the 60s (my father, who has again taken to smoking since retirement on a bi-weekly basis, was there and has told me personally that this is bullshit)
-Marijuana causes amotivational syndrome (perhaps true to a small extent, but I doubt a greater threat than alcohol)
Whew! Okay, I'm done. Sorry for such a long post. I hope someone is passionate enough on this subject, be it a position of concurrence or discordance with my viewpoint, that they'll actually read through it. Hopefully, ultimately, someone will learn something (but being that this forum doesn't contain many drug-users, including alcohol which is most certainly a drug, that likely isn't the case).