Legalizing Marijuana

[CGA_88]

I found this article recently:

latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/marijuana-legalization-initiative-headed-for-2010-ballot-organizers-say.html

 

So what do you fellow California's think about this? Do you think pot should be legalized under the age restrictions and amount allowed to be carried according to the article? What about people from other states, do you think it should be legalized nationally?

[atem122]

Even with laws against it, I can't determine how many times I've walked into my school's BRs and smelled that distinct weed smell...plus there are like 3 dispensaries right down the freaking street from my school!

 

I honestly don't care either way, I'm planning on living a drug free lifestyle.

[themeparkman25]

I live in Boulder, Colorado where every April 20th, pot is pretty much legal. About 20,000 people gather on campus and smoke it, and the police literally stand around and watch.

 

I am a Resident Assistant in the dormitories, and we do not allow it whatsoever. So I guess it depends on the day, but most days its a no go here, and this place is as liberal as they come.

 

I have not and will not smoke it, but I guess I am not against it. Its your life, do with it as you choose. I mean, really, every person on this site gets their high off of (intamin) airtime.

[CGA_88]

I'm a supporter of it and I think it has many economical benefits. It can also affect people who get busted on petty possession charges, and get those charges dropped.

[ebl]

I don't know enough about the medicinal benefits of marijuana or how long the effects of it last, but what if they kept marijuana users overnight in facilities after they've used it? That way, at least anyone who's had to use it would not leave the facility high after their session.

 

Eric

[BaMiTsPaT]

If they put a tax on it like cigarettes the government could regulate the price of it which i think would perhaps lower drug dealing and crime as well as generate tax revenue to be used on whatever the government wants... That's my general response to it

[paintballer]

It makes you stupid. Stupid people are Stupid. /thread

[metrock]

If they put a tax on it like cigarettes the government could regulate the price of it which i think would perhaps lower drug dealing and crime as well as generate tax revenue to be used on whatever the government wants... That's my general response to it

Exactly. And we would also save a lot of money that is currently going toward this "war on drugs."

[spaceace12]

But if you legalize it, it has a stronger effects then cigerretes and unless you keep someone in one place until the high is worn off. They could kill someone on the road while cigerettes don't have any major effects other then addiction.

 

I don't think they should legalize it.

[HCLcoasters]

Why did they legalize it in DC! I really don't want to have to deal with the same problem Cali has.

[KrakenKing]

I don't see why so many people are against it besides the propaganda that's put out by the government to make it seem bad.

 

Marijuana became illegal because the inventor of the paper machine found Hemp (Not necessarily the marijuana) to be a huge competitor of paper.

 

Hemp has many benefits, for example, the clothes I'm wearing now are made out of hemp. It's lighter than normal cotton/polyester, much more durable, and the colors don't fade!

 

I have awful stress issues sometimes, to the point where I basically have a nervous breakdown. A few puffs of marijuana, and I stop shaking and can sort things out, it really does help. It's a natural substance that grows from the ground, it was never artificially made. I don't like taking conventional medicine that was made in a chemistry lab somewhere if there's a more natural way to fix the problem.

 

Now, I know it's not for everyone. It does in fact make some people seem stupid. But for example, I have a 3.7 right now in my Junior year in college, it has not affected my grades at all.

 

I know a few people that are burnouts whom I've known since elementary school even. The reality of it is though, they weren't very enthusiastic about much of anything even when they were younger, it kind of seemed that they were destined to turn out that way. It just seems that people see the lazy "Pot heads" and throw that stereotype out to others that use it for recreational or medical purposes.

 

Now, take this as you will, but this is just my observation of it.

[metrock]

But if you legalize it, it has a stronger effects then cigerretes and unless you keep someone in one place until the high is worn off. They could kill someone on the road while cigerettes don't have any major effects other then addiction.

 

I don't think they should legalize it.

What about alcohol? It's legal and you could cause a lot more damage being drunk and driving than being high and driving, I'm sure.

 

That is why, like with alcohol, we educate the public about the negative effects and when to not use it.

[spaceace12]

It is legal to a point. Once you hit .08, it is illegal to be on the road. You can drink all you want in the bar or home.

 

This is why I stay out of these debates, they have a tendacy to get locked because it won't end in a good way.

 

And for the record, if they made alcohol and tobacco illegal, it wouldn't bother me anyway because I use none of them. In fact....I will stop there as this could be another debate.

[Angry_Gumball]

Personally, I'm getting tired of all of this pot stuff...I think none of it should even be around, as I've seen it affect people I'm close with...turned them into total monsters, and turn me and the rest of us away for their drug habit. So with that said, get rid of all the pot, find another solution.

[astroworldfan1]

If you need pot to solve your problems, you need some SERIOUS help.

 

Don't smoke pot, or marijuna. It'll ruin your life.

[metrock]

And prescription drugs are any better? More people are addicted to prescription drugs than are to illegal narcotics. A perfect case - Michael Jackson. Just because it isn't illegal doesn't mean it is any better or any safer.

 

The drug companies don't want to to see marijuana legalized for the same reason they don't want doctors prescribing anything "natural." If you can grow it in your backyard, there isn't as much money in it for these drug companies.

 

I say this as a person that was pumped full of methylphenidate, or Rittalin, when I was a kid. Millions of children across America are taking this drug. A drug that is almost chemically identical with cocaine, having very similar effects as well.

[Angry_Gumball]

From what I've seen, it seems that (the one that I know) does it because of what he's around. I know that's not the case with everyone, but it is also the case with a lot of the younger generation...and sadly, they get so addicted that they 'need' the pot to stay sane.

 

Regarding the law, people are going to still do it regardless of being legal or not. I really don't see it going any higher or lower...maybe tone down a bit as it won't be as 'fun' to break the law (for those who do it to be 'cool' and fit in).

[Wes]

I've been prescribed medicinal marijuana by my doctor. My lungs are such that I cannot smoke, but I was able to ingest it, either in baked goods or in pill form (Marinol). I will say the medical benefits were quite positive, although I stopped taking it because I was supposed to take the pills every day, and I found it it interfered with being completely functional in the workplace. That being said, when I took it at home, I would say I preferred the feeling of being high versus the feeling of being drunk.

 

As with any substance, you just have to be smart about when and where you take it, as well as how much. If people aren't going to be responsible with pot, they probably aren't going to be responsible with alcohol either.

[ebl]

Strange as it sounds, even using insulin can produce some pretty strange results. Blood sugar that is too high causes symptoms that mimic a person under the influence of alcohol---slurred speech; slow, clumsy movements. Blood sugar that is too low causes chills, sweating, shaking. Both conditions can be brought on by an incorrect dosage of insulin.

 

Many drugs can produce strange side effects and ideally would be better taken in a place where the patient can be monitored. (That's why I suggested it earlier.)

 

But, of course, such treatment centers would cost a lot of money that would more or less have to come magically out of a hat.

 

Eric

[ParkTrips]

I say legalize it, even if its not for me.

 

200 million people drink alcohol in this country, which carries similar consequences, and most do so responsibly and without harming others. Those who do harm others are punished appropriately for the most part, as should those who abuse marijuana or any other drug.

 

It costs way too much to house minor drug offenders in prisons - especially when an ounce on a third strike law will get you decades in jail.

 

Marijuana as a "gateway drug" is a load of crap to me. Most people are completely satisfied with the high they get off marijuana, not everyone will move on to worse things.

 

Who is the teenager lighting up when his parents aren't home really hurting?

[PKI Jizzman]

I've been prescribed medicinal marijuana by my doctor. My lungs are such that I cannot smoke, but I was able to ingest it, either in baked goods or in pill form (Marinol). I will say the medical benefits were quite positive, although I stopped taking it because I was supposed to take the pills every day, and I found it it interfered with being completely functional in the workplace. That being said, when I took it at home, I would say I preferred the feeling of being high versus the feeling of being drunk.

 

As with any substance, you just have to be smart about when and where you take it, as well as how much. If people aren't going to be responsible with pot, they probably aren't going to be responsible with alcohol either.

 

My cousin who lives in Trukee was prescribed too. He said it was VERY helpful with his different surgeries. He's a big snowboarder, so he's quite a few spills.

 

I think this will do more good than harm, I'm a big supporter.

[the ghost]

^ I'm a BIG supporter to, if you know what I mean. I just support it in a less legal way. Assuming I am not going to get banned for posting this I have smoked once or twice in my life. I am in no way addicted and while it was "fun" I am in no rush to do it again. I did not drive or do anything irresponsible, it was just kind of "fun." I am totally for the lagalization of marijuana, my friend had a 4.0 and he is perscribed with medicinal marijuana and he is really smart. He is at the top of his class, and he smokes at least once a day. My other friend is a great athlete. We are in high school so he is not tested and is occasionally high during/before his games. It does not make him better, but it in no way makes him worse. I just dont see why alcohal can be legalized if pot cant. I am all for the support of preventing driving while high, but also you cant overdoes from pot or die from smoking it. As someone mentioned before it is completely natural and has great medical and pleasurable uses.

 

The YAY POT Ghost

[Goliath513]

I believe it should be legalized all around, including for recreational purposes. Think about it, states like California where the economy is about to go under could use extra revenue from something like pot. A tax on it like they do with cigarettes could do wonders to states' budget problems in this economy. Minor drug offenders would not be locked up and costing taxpayer dollars, prison overcrowding could be reduced, fewer people would have education or job opportunities ruined because of drug offense charges to name a few of the benefits of legalization. Colorado here, especially my home of Fort Collins, also has lots of pot smokers. Many of my friends smoke, and I have no problem with it whatsoever.

 

The effects of being high of marijuana are far less dangerous than that of alcohol. Being high tends to make people lazy, which means none of the out of control behavior that results from drinking too much. Marijuana use does not give hangovers, nor is it possible to die from over consumption like with alcohol. Those who say people being high is bad for society really need to consider what alcohol does too. One hit of marijuana will not get most people high just like one beer will not get most people drunk. Driving in any not-sober state of mind, whether it be from being high, drunk, or tired from not getting enough sleep is always dangerous, not just something dangerous from smoking pot.

 

But as always, these comparably minimal effects compared to some other legal substances are overlooked by government propaganda fueled by drug company lobbyists who do not want to see declines in profits if people could grow their own treatment/medicine (whatever you want to call it) at home, and parents' groups who see marijuana as equally bad as more dangerous drugs like heroin.

 

That being said, government propaganda and drug company lobbyists are probably the main reason why it is still illegal. At the very least, imagine how many trees could be saved if paper was made from hemp instead.

 

 

If you need pot to solve your problems, you need some SERIOUS help.

 

Don't smoke pot, or marijuna. It'll ruin your life.

What about caffeine? Many adults would not be able to function properly without their daily cup of coffee. Do you think this drug ruins lives as well? And for the record, pot and marijuana are the same thing - just different names for the same plant.

 

 

One more thing to add, the ski town of Breckenridge in the mountains recently legalized possession of small amounts (1 ounce or less) of marijuana for people over the age of 21. This move was directed at law enforcement to stop busting small-time pot users. In a small town like Breck where the economy is centered around the ski resorts, there are always people injured from accidents on the slopes. I'm sure medical marijuana would be preferable in some cases than large amounts of drugs for painkillers in treatment.

[AllenA07]

I just want to hit on a single point of this conversation. The entire concept of these long sentences for "minor" drug offenses is really not the true story. I can tell you that seldom do we send "minor" offenders to jail. It would be such a strain on our system to attempt to send all these people to jail, that it just can't be done. If you pick up a possession charge for a small amount of marijuana, you're going to get a citation, a drug offenders class, and generally 10-20 hours of community service. Now when you come back over and over with the same charge, it is going to tell the court that you respect the law, and then things are going to start getting worse.

 

Most of those "minor" offenders in jail have either continued to defy the court and refuse to obey the law, or they were not that minor of an offender to begin with.

[Sir Clinksalot]

As one of probably very few people in my generation who has never tried Pot, I have to say that I think it should be legalized.

 

I've probably had more "contact highs" than I would like to count but honestly, I've known more people who were daily pot smokers and could still function rather than people that were drunk daily and could not function at all.