Legalizing Marijuana

[AllenA07]

Yeah while I'm not in favor of making it legal, I also don't really think comparing pot to rape is such a good idea.

[phazan]

I'm sure if it's been illegal for decades, it'll remain illegal.

 

If a bunch of people say that their doctors say raping someone would make them feel better, would people be rallying to legalize rape?

 

Oh my gosh, I literally just lol'd right now...At both of those statements

[KrakenKing]

I'm sure if it's been illegal for decades, it'll remain illegal.

 

If a bunch of people say that their doctors say raping someone would make them feel better, would people be rallying to legalize rape?

 

This is quite possibly the dumbest thing I've ever read. Anywhere.

 

Quoted for truth. Amazing!

[phazan]

He's gotta be trolling...

[Angry_Gumball]

I'm sure if it's been illegal for decades, it'll remain illegal.

 

He's kind of got a point. The rest of what was said...I don't think I want to touch that with a 50 ft pole. (sounds kinda disturbing too).

 

For years now, people have been trying to get Ferrets legalized in CA (wrote a research paper/did a speech on this topic). Due to an outdated law with false facts, this ban is still taken into effect. Not to mention, there is no hurry to rid this ban regardless of how unfair/lame/outdated it is. Don't know if that makes any sense.

[metrock]

In the words of Peter Tosh -"Legalize it, don't criticize it"

[the ghost]

I think pot will be legalized simply because people will actually vote for it. Many people say teen/young adults dont vote, but if its for something as awesome as pot we will come running to the polls. Also, pot will be a major cash drug because of its effect but few affects. If you use a bong there is no tar, it is not addictive in any way, there are zero reports of people dying from it. There are also no reports of it making people more violent(like alcohal) making people depressed(like alcohal) or damaging any vital organs(like alcohal) so in the end pot always comes out on top. Also, marijuana myths are pretty much what dare officers get paid to do. I know this guy who used to be a dare officer and at my elementary school reunion(no joke) he asked how many people had smaoked(the teachers were not there as they were getting food for graduation). About 50 percent of the kids raised there hands, he said "Good, yoor being kids and rebelling just like your supposed to. I'm not saying I support it and if you get caught that sucks for you, but its not gonna kill you." Dare is a stupid thing to even teach kids, because did anyone ever really think I gave a flying **** when the Dare officer was like "This is daren the lion, he does not give in to peer pressure." Daren is clearly the kid that does not get invited to parties and is hated by everyone.

 

Stupid Daren.

[paintballer]

Think about the people who use Marijuana, most of the time fat losers, who barely pay the rent. Do we really want them having easy access to it?

[Top Thrill Dragster]

^If they want to use it they should be allowed to.

[metrock]

What about fat losers that hardly pay rent and DON"T smoke weed?

[paintballer]

Well, with or without weed there just failures.

[monsterfan99]

Maybe I'm dumb, but if we are really are a 'free' country, shouldn't people be able to do whatever they want to do to their bodies, as long as it's not harming anyone else? I say legalize pot, legalize all drugs. If you want to use it, go for it.

We are not a truly free country, never have and never will be.

 

Weed really is a thing where taxes and the Republican's core voting base are the only thing keeping it illegal. The biggest hurdle is people will not pay more (aka taxes added on) for something that they already use illegally.

 

I look at it like illegal music downloads. People did it to begin with because there was no easy way to get the music onto a computer. Then the songs went online for a decent price. However, it has not stopped most people from getting songs illegally mainly due to the fact of "why pay for something we were getting for free" idea.

 

One thing people bring up is it will decrease crime. Apparently everyone missed the mobs continuing to flourish after prohibition ended. All it will mean is the people making $$$ off weed will move to something else. The only crime it ends is people going to jail for using.

 

I don't use, never have and never will. However, I've seen an almost infinite amount of problems with alcohol compared to weed. I honestly could care less what they do as it will mean nothing more then A) getting tax dollars or not and B) big companies getting bigger. No law has stopped it so far.

[the ghost]

Maybe I'm dumb, but if we are really are a 'free' country, shouldn't people be able to do whatever they want to do to their bodies, as long as it's not harming anyone else? I say legalize pot, legalize all drugs. If you want to use it, go for it.

You just became my hero... sorry big mike, your now tylers side kick in heroness.

[ParkTrips]

I do agree that it has about as good of a chance of being legalized universally in this nation as a ban on abortions does

 

Re: the republican party keeping this from getting done. I agree with you, HOWEVER, the demographics are changing. People under 40 are much more likely to be in favor of legalized marijuana. As far as I'm concerned, its a fiscally conservative move that promotes personal freedom, I don't understand why the GOP doesn't think this is a good fit for their agenda. BUT, what I'm saying is that eventually the majority of people in this nation, red or blue, will want to legalize it. Still not saying it will happen, but a real increase in numbers and pressure on the guys in the government can make this happen. Lawmakers like to keep their jobs.

 

This is one of the many reasons I started giving my money to the Libertarian Party instead.

[therooboy]

I just wanted to add a bit from the Australian perspective.

In some states it is not a crime to have a small amount in your possession.

In South Australia you can grow 1 or 2 plants at your residence without worry of persecution.

On road drug driving tests for canabis & some other drugs are also in operation here, much like booze buses.

They come up positive if you show a relatively high reading, suggesting recent intake.

These laws were brought in to stop the many people from getting criminal convictions & to also free up court time.

Though many do frown on the act, i'd say the general opinion here does not view it should be judged anywhere near harshly as some other drugs & certainly most don't see it as a criminal act.

[BeemerBoy]

Maybe I'm dumb, but if we are really are a 'free' country, shouldn't people be able to do whatever they want to do to their bodies, as long as it's not harming anyone else? I say legalize pot, legalize all drugs. If you want to use it, go for it.

You just became my hero... sorry big mike, your now tylers side kick in heroness.

I don't know about you rebels, but I'd prefer not to pay for the repercussions this anarchistic point of view would inevitably bring to society.

 

If people were able to "do whatever they wanted to their bodies," I'd eventually be paying for their stupidity out of my own wallet. One day, you two might figure this out, and change your mind.

 

Some laws actually do exist for a reason.

[AllenA07]

it is not addictive in any way

 

I would argue that this isn't true. While it might not by physically addictive, I know a lot of people who simply can't get to sleep without it. Might not by physically addictive, but it sure seems to be mentally addictive.

 

there are zero reports of people dying from it. There are also no reports of it making people more violent(like alcohal) making people depressed(like alcohal) or damaging any vital organs(like alcohal) so in the end pot always comes out on top.

 

Zero reports of people dying from it? How about in car accidents caused from driving while high? Is that not direct enough? Just because everybody seems so confused by this concept, DWI (DUI depending where you are in the country) is not only an alcohol offense, there are many ways you can be under the influence. Also I can say from personal experience that the single time in my life I tried it I ended up being very uptight, not the extent of violent but still I was at minimum irritable. Lastly in terms of damage to internal organs. I don't really know much here, but long term exposure does at least make people seem a lot slower. But maybe it's just their sunny disposition on life from all the pot their smoking makes that makes them take life at a slower pace.

 

I know this guy who used to be a dare officer and at my elementary school reunion(no joke) he asked how many people had smaoked(the teachers were not there as they were getting food for graduation). About 50 percent of the kids raised there hands, he said "Good, yoor being kids and rebelling just like your supposed to. I'm not saying I support it and if you get caught that sucks for you, but its not gonna kill you." Dare is a stupid thing to even teach kids, because did anyone ever really think I gave a flying **** when the Dare officer was like "This is daren the lion, he does not give in to peer pressure." Daren is clearly the kid that does not get invited to parties and is hated by everyone.

 

Yeah that officer shouldn't really be doing the dare program. Their job is discourage the use of drugs. As for if it has an effect, I've always doubted it to some degree, but schools don't know how else to deal with the problem. Lastly on the argument that if you don't smoke pot (at least I think that is where you were trying to go with your Daren analogy) you're going to be hated by everybody, I never smoked (except for once in 8th grade) and I was popular and was invited to several parties.

[Cameron]

I look at it like illegal music downloads. People did it to begin with because there was no easy way to get the music onto a computer. Then the songs went online for a decent price. However, it has not stopped most people from getting songs illegally mainly due to the fact of "why pay for something we were getting for free" idea.

 

Sure, the same 2% of the population probably still does download music illegally, but the other 98% downloads legally, and there's a crapload of money to be made there. (I totally made up those numbers, but you get the point).

 

Zero reports of people dying from it? How about in car accidents caused from driving while high?

 

What about people who die driving because they fall asleep, or at level crossings (trains) .. should level crossings be illegal too? Do you realize how much money it would cost to turn every level crossing in the country into a bridge? We'd have to find something that people really, really like and tax it .. perhaps weed?!

 

I agree that some people can't handle pot, but lots of people can't handle alcohol, or sugar, or even eating! It is unrealistic (and unfair) to suggest banning something just because some people can't deal with it.

 

Cameron.

[King of Ka]

If people were able to "do whatever they wanted to their bodies," I'd eventually be paying for their stupidity out of my own wallet.

 

I'm interested in how this would happen; I don't mean that I don't believe you, I'm just not sure what you mean. Healthcare costs?

 

As I think was quoted in another thread, a study recently showed that combinations of sugar and fat were addictive at a level just below cocaine to lab rats, and presumably above weed. Does this mean that unhealthful foods should be illegal? And alcohol? What about fast cars? All these things could cost you money, but none of them are illegal.

 

IMO, not repealing the marijuana law because it's already there and there isn't a compelling reason to seems to go against many of the ideals of justice in this country. Should a potentially unjust and unreasonable law be kept solely because it's already there? IMO we should strive to constantly change and improve our system

 

I hope I'm understanding everybody's arguments correctly and adding something to the topic, this thread has thus far been home to some fantastic, healthy debate.

[phazan]

 

there are zero reports of people dying from it. There are also no reports of it making people more violent(like alcohal) making people depressed(like alcohal) or damaging any vital organs(like alcohal) so in the end pot always comes out on top.

 

Zero reports of people dying from it? How about in car accidents caused from driving while high? Is that not direct enough? Just because everybody seems so confused by this concept, DWI (DUI depending where you are in the country) is not only an alcohol offense, there are many ways you can be under the influence. Also I can say from personal experience that the single time in my life I tried it I ended up being very uptight, not the extent of violent but still I was at minimum irritable. Lastly in terms of damage to internal organs. I don't really know much here, but long term exposure does at least make people seem a lot slower. But maybe it's just their sunny disposition on life from all the pot their smoking makes that makes them take life at a slower pace.

 

I think he means you can't overdose. You can get in a car wreck yeah, but it's the car wreck that kills you..Not the weed. It's possible to drink too much alcohol and die. Also, the first time you try it isn't really how it is all the time. A lot of people have to smoke a few times to start getting the normal effects. Some people don't even feel anything their first time

 

Think about the people who use Marijuana, most of the time fat losers, who barely pay the rent. Do we really want them having easy access to it?

 

 

 

 

Maybe I'm dumb, but if we are really are a 'free' country, shouldn't people be able to do whatever they want to do to their bodies, as long as it's not harming anyone else? I say legalize pot, legalize all drugs. If you want to use it, go for it.

We are not a truly free country, never have and never will be.

 

Weed really is a thing where taxes and the Republican's core voting base are the only thing keeping it illegal. The biggest hurdle is people will not pay more (aka taxes added on) for something that they already use illegally.

 

I look at it like illegal music downloads. People did it to begin with because there was no easy way to get the music onto a computer. Then the songs went online for a decent price. However, it has not stopped most people from getting songs illegally mainly due to the fact of "why pay for something we were getting for free" idea.

 

.

 

Well if you look at being free THAT way, we will never be free. If there are any amount of laws for anything, acording to you, we aren't free. The way we are free is that, we can say we hate our leader and we don't have to worry about being killed for it. That's some reallllllly good freedom, if you ask me!

Also...Illegal music downloads can't really be compared to legalizing weed. Weed will always cost money. Even if you grow it yourself you have to invest in some things, and also put work into it. It would be easier to just go down to your local store and buy some good weed for cheap instead of growing it/buying it from a person selling it tax free

[BeemerBoy]

If people were able to "do whatever they wanted to their bodies," I'd eventually be paying for their stupidity out of my own wallet.

 

I'm interested in how this would happen; I don't mean that I don't believe you, I'm just not sure what you mean. Healthcare costs?

 

That's a small part of it. In my opinion, you can't open up a Pandora's Box like they suggested (legalizing all drugs) without eventual hikes in healthcare cost, insurance rates, local taxes to pay for increased law enforcement, etc., etc. etc.

 

Again, many current laws exist for a reason. Is the system flawless? Of course not. But adding problems on top of problems is no solution, at least in my opinion.

[cal1br3tto]

I've thought about this a lot. Here are some thoughts I've come up with. Not saying they haven't been covered already in this thread.

 

I fully support legalizing marijuana.

However, I've always had some concerns.

 

--First, there are many risks to using marijuana. Just because some risks portrayed by the media are exaggerated or untrue doesn't mean weed is 100% safe. I get really tired of people who seem to be rebelling against the media's message by spreading lies in the opposite direction (unrealistically downplaying or denying risks).

 

--It would be dangerous for people in some jobs to be under the influence of marijuana. How are we going to handle this? Are we going to have testing for current intoxication? What would the consequences be if you test positive? How would we handle the fear of lawsuits for false positives or discrimination? Or are we going to assume that marijuana usage will follow the same levels and patterns as it previously did, so this will be considered a non-issue?

 

--Would legalization actually hinder pro-recreational use folks by resulting in more drug testing? I could see companies testing more frequently and/or ordering random tests more often. So users would experience the same paranoia and fear as always, but as a result of employers rather than the law. This could be even more of a concern in some cases, because people might be able to easily avoid the police, but not their workplace policies.

 

--How will legal growing be handled? If the certified growers aren't growing ALL types and qualities, people will definitely be buying their preferred type on the black market. I mean, will the government restrict THC levels or only permit growing of a few 'standard' types of weed? I know that people are VERY particular about variety.

 

--The dangerous black market growers and distributors aren't going to disappear. There will still be some market for their product (underage kids, people who for some reason can't get weed in the legal fashion). And to cope with the losses that do happen, do we have an idea of where they'll turn? Harder, more harmful drugs? Weapons? Some of these people are probably already criminals, meaning they might be limited to only illegal work since they can't find 'normal' jobs.

 

--A lot of people think it is safe to drive while high. I completely disagree. If the govt. is expecting a sharp increase in marijuana usage after legalization, they better be rolling out ad campaigns about things NOT to do while you're high. I don't want people getting reckless.

 

--Other than safety and responsibility, my main concern is this: whoever the govt. is certifying to grow marijuana had better be able to compete skillfully with the black market, and match or exceed their offerings on every reasonable variable. Otherwise, you're not going to reduce crime by very much and you're not going to raise that much tax money.

[phazan]

I've thought about this a lot. Here are some thoughts I've come up with. Not saying they haven't been covered already in this thread.

 

I fully support legalizing marijuana.

However, I've always had some concerns.

 

--First, there are many risks to using marijuana. Just because some risks portrayed by the media are exaggerated or untrue doesn't mean weed is 100% safe. I get really tired of people who seem to be rebelling against the media's message by spreading lies in the opposite direction (unrealistically downplaying or denying risks).

 

--It would be dangerous for people in some jobs to be under the influence of marijuana. How are we going to handle this? Are we going to have testing for current intoxication? What would the consequences be if you test positive? How would we handle the fear of lawsuits for false positives or discrimination? Or are we going to assume that marijuana usage will follow the same levels and patterns as it previously did, so this will be considered a non-issue?

 

--Would legalization actually hinder pro-recreational use folks by resulting in more drug testing? I could see companies testing more frequently and/or ordering random tests more often. So users would experience the same paranoia and fear as always, but as a result of employers rather than the law. This could be even more of a concern in some cases, because people might be able to easily avoid the police, but not their workplace policies.

 

--How will legal growing be handled? If the certified growers aren't growing ALL types and qualities, people will definitely be buying their preferred type on the black market. I mean, will the government restrict THC levels or only permit growing of a few 'standard' types of weed? I know that people are VERY particular about variety.

 

--The dangerous black market growers and distributors aren't going to disappear. There will still be some market for their product (underage kids, people who for some reason can't get weed in the legal fashion). And to cope with the losses that do happen, do we have an idea of where they'll turn? Harder, more harmful drugs? Weapons? Some of these people are probably already criminals, meaning they might be limited to only illegal work since they can't find 'normal' jobs.

 

--A lot of people think it is safe to drive while high. I completely disagree. If the govt. is expecting a sharp increase in marijuana usage after legalization, they better be rolling out ad campaigns about things NOT to do while you're high. I don't want people getting reckless.

 

--Other than safety and responsibility, my main concern is this: whoever the govt. is certifying to grow marijuana had better be able to compete skillfully with the black market, and match or exceed their offerings on every reasonable variable. Otherwise, you're not going to reduce crime by very much and you're not going to raise that much tax money.

 

I think for every one of those points, you can look to alcohol being legal, for the answer.

It's easier to make alcohol than to grow marijuana, like I've been saying, but we don't have that problem with alcohol or tobacco, because underage people can steal it, get it from a friend who's parents let them smoke, get it from someone that's the legal age limit to buy it...It's so easy to get alcohol as someone who's under the age of 21 that you don't need to turn to people illegaly selling homebrew to get drunk.

[BeemerBoy]

^^ Very good post.

 

Let's think here. Marijuana becomes legal, and for argument's sake, all drugs (as some folks would appreciate ). Who's openly comfortable and willing to:

 

- be operated on by your surgeon?

- be flown on a commercial jet (as if it wasn't already risky enough these days)?

- ride on a train?

- trust your local law enforcement?

 

The list goes on and on. Things are scary enough already. I, for one, am against legalizing for these reasons alone. Again, great points made.

[phazan]

^^ Very good post.

 

Let's think here. Marijuana becomes legal, and for argument's sake, all drugs (as some folks would appreciate ). Who's openly comfortable and willing to:

 

- be operated on by your surgeon?

- be flown on a commercial jet (as if it wasn't already risky enough these days)?

- ride on a train?

- trust your local law enforcement?

 

The list goes on and on. Things are scary enough already. I, for one, am against legalizing for these reasons alone. Again, great points made.

 

Just because you are for marijuana being legal, doesn't mean you are for ALL drugs being legal. Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, tylonel (acetaminophen), a.d.d. medication (speed) are ALL drugs. And most people agree they should be legal because most people don't think of any of those as "drugs".

Also I've never been scared of flying on a plane, (Well I was a little scared my first time when I was a kid) riding on a train, I've always trusted my local law enforcement, and I've never been operated on, but seeing that speed is legally prescribed to people, does that make you scared? Or did you even know that ampthemines are legal? Or how about DXM (cough syrup) which can produce effects similar to pcp. And don't even get me started on opiates in the same class as heroin, or even what about Nitrous Oxide given by dentists to patients??