Legalization of Marijuana/Hemp

[Slasher]

Hemp is fine, as it has a use, just so long as it doesn't really contain any THC.

THC makes everybody I know stupid beyond end, it's annoying.

The thing is THC isn't what makes them stupid. They probably were already stupid to begin with among many other factors. They allow the marijuana to engulf every aspect of their life and some decide to take on the typical stoner stereotype.

On the flip side, it's interesting to read about incredibly smart people who use marijuana and it doesn't affect them negatively at all.

I think alot of it has to do with how responsible you are.

 

[NoEffex]

The thing is THC isn't what makes them stupid. They probably were already stupid to begin with among many other factors. They allow the marijuana to engulf every aspect of their life and some decide to take on the typical stoner stereotype.

On the flip side, it's interesting to read about incredibly smart people who use marijuana and it doesn't affect them negatively at all.

I think alot of it has to do with how responsible you are.

That's the word, stoner. Big difference. I know several people who seldom smoke pot and they're fine, it's the stoners that get me. Most of the time they end up being stoners, however. Don't see too many people who just smoke every once in a while.

And they were perfectly "smart" people who got dragged in and didn't realize how dumb it made them.

 

[Mr. Beefy]

I smoked pot for the first time a couple weeks ago. Pretty fucking sweet. I don't know why I would ever drink anymore. It's that fun.

e:so fuck yeah legalize it

 

[Slasher]

That's the word, stoner. Big difference. I know several people who seldom smoke pot and they're fine, it's the stoners that get me. Most of the time they end up being stoners, however. Don't see too many people who just smoke every once in a while.

And they were perfectly "smart" people who got dragged in and didn't realize how dumb it made them.

If I read what you wrote correctly, you just said that you "know several people who seldom smoke pot and they're fine", and then you just turned around and contradicted yourself by saying that you "don't see too many people who just smoke every once in a while"...
In my experiences anyways, I know lots of people who just smoke every once in a while and they stay that way.

Tbh, yeah, some people turn to the stoner lifestyle and it makes them incredibly stupid and they end up having no real goals in life. Their priorities are fucked since they rely on marijuana for nearly every aspect of their life. I've seen it happen numerous times.

I'm not saying people who are smart are somehow immune to being dragged into being a stereotypical stoner, but I am saying that some people seem to handle it just fine with seemingly no negative consequences. Why is that? What I'm seeing is that a certain level of intelligence/responsibility/self-control plays a big role.
Scenario 1: If a person has great grades and is more or less a school "smart" student, then turns to the stoner life after smoking pot and starts failing school, that student obviously doesn't have any amount of self-control or has made any sort of responsible decisions by deciding to push school to the side and begin to act dumb (since that's what the stoner stereotype portrays). [This is apparently what you are seeing, right?]
Scenario 2: On the other hand, a person who could be a smart student tries pot, and he can still be intelligent enough and be responsible enough to realize that pot isn't everything in life and that school is still priority #1 - that said student can still smoke pot seldom and continue to be smart. [I see this play out way more often than I see the other scenario]

The student in scenario #1 is obviously lacking in something - whether that's intelligence, level of responsibility, or amount of selfcontrol, I really don't know for sure. Marijuana can lead to that path that leads nowhere, but so can other things too, right? Like too much gaming, or too much spending time with your friends and not doing school work. More times than not I see people virtually unaffected by their smoking behaviours.

I don't know what it's like down under (the US), but I know that around here in high school pretty much everybody has atleast tried it, and I'd say a solid 60% or more do it atleast once a month or more. It's quite prevalent here and is pretty much considered accepted. Sure, there's a handful of stoners, but for the most part everybody is pretty smart and normal despite this fact. Hence, marijuana doesn't necessarily make you "dumb".
A few years back the government was actually very close to legalizing it, but another government was put into power since there was a lack of confidence vote and the government was a minority government. If it comes to experience on how marijuana might effect people or cause them to act, I have plenty of it. Perhaps different communities/people react differently to marijuana, I don't really know what your situation is like.

 

[NoEffex]

If I read what you wrote correctly, you just said that you "know several people who seldom smoke pot and they're fine", and then you just turned around and contradicted yourself by saying that you "don't see too many people who just smoke every once in a while"...
In my experiences anyways, I know lots of people who just smoke every once in a while.

By several people I meant a few. I generally stop talking to the stoners, as it's pointless.

Tbh, yeah, some people turn to the stoner lifestyle and it makes them incredibly stupid and they end up having no real goals in life. Their priorities are fucked since they rely on marijuana for nearly every aspect of their life. I've seen it happen numerous times.

I'm not saying people who are smart are somehow immune to being dragged into being a stereotypical stoner, but I am saying that some people seem to handle it just fine with seemingly no negative consequences. Why is that? What I'm seeing is that a certain level of intelligence/responsibility/self-control plays a big role.
Scenario 1: If a person has great grades and is more or less a school "smart" student, then turns to the stoner life after smoking pot and starts failing school, that student obviously doesn't have any amount of self-control or has made any sort of responsible decisions by deciding to push school to the side and begin to act dumb (since that's what the stoner stereotype portrays). [This is apparently what you are seeing, right?]
Scenario 2: On the other hand, a person who could be a smart student tries pot, and he can still be intelligent enough and be responsible enough to realize that pot isn't everything in life and that school is still priority #1 - that said student can still smoke pot seldom and continue to be smart. [I see this play out way more often than I see the other scenario]

The student in scenario #1 is obviously lacking in something - whether that's intelligence, level of responsibility, or amount of selfcontrol, I really don't know for sure. Marijuana can lead to that path that leads nowhere, but so can other things too, right? Like too much gaming, or too much spending time with your friends and not doing school work. More times than not I see people virtually unaffected by their smoking behaviours.

I don't know what it's like down under (the US), but I know that here in high school atleast pretty much everybody has tried it, and I'd say a solid 60% or more do it atleast once a month. It's quite prevalent here. A few years back the government was actually very close to legalizing it, but another government was put into power since there was a lack of confidence vote and the government was a minority government.

Around here they do it to rebel, from what I can tell. That's why I generally don't do anything, because I have no reason to rebel, as I'm free to do pretty much whatever I want.

 

[Lampworker]

....

 

[ServerPlague]

Personally I voted no based on the damage that it can cause in it's current state. If it were modified so that it had less of a negative effect on addicts then it'd be okay but not at the moment.

 

[Slasher]

Personally I voted no based on the damage that it can cause in it's current state. If it were modified so that it had less of a negative effect on addicts then it'd be okay but not at the moment.

Huh?

Marijuana is one of the least addictive drugs out there, and it's also one of the least harmful. It's miles better then cigarettes/alcohol in those respects anyway.

The only problem I have with marijuana is outlined here. If marijuana were to be legalized and were to be used in a responsible manner, I would be 100% fine with it. The discreetness of being high though is what gets me. I know that there are always going to be people who use it irresponsibly regardless of what the law says, but I think in this particular case it'll be abused much more than say smoking or alcohol laws just because it's so easy to not be caught being high on marijuana.

 

[ServerPlague]

The discreetness of being high though is what gets me.

That's what I meant by damage, physical damage is only one aspect. It's just a bit of lexical ambiguity that most people slip-up on.

 

[Teverek]

To be honest I voted yes. But there's a huge downside to legalization if you know how they make cigarettes then you know what I am talking about if not google or youtube a video of them manufacturing big brand tobacco products. 50+% of the cigarettes are paper scraped off the factory floor. If they legalized marijuana it would be chalked full of government approved chemicals and probably filled with addictive chemicals the same way tobacco is.

I only voted yes on your poll because I couldn't find a decriminalization option. This avenue in my honest opinion should be the one taken. That way marijuana users are assessed a small fine for getting caught basically instead of filling prisons like they are in some regions. Treating marijuana like a dangerous drug is just silly in my opinion mainly because its not. 1930's anti-marijuana adds and propaganda have diluted the facts greatly and the studies that are done today are mostly ignored by governments even when they prove marijuana would be one of the least dangerous recreational drugs even safer then drinking coffee.

Grass was a very good documentary as well as The Business Behind Getting High. Those are two VERY well done documentaries although Grass is slightly dated the facts are still facts. The Business Behind Getting High just came out a few years back and is very well done and explores almost every aspect of marijuana, hemp, drug dealing medical marijuana, and the marijuana culture. Anyone interested in the subject should definitely watch these films.

 

[El Diablo]

Even before I started smoking, I thought it should be legalized. It is less harmful than other drugs and intoxicants, and it is a natural growing plant found in the ground. People should be allowed to make their own decisions in their own life. If they feel they are responsible to smoke it and use it in an un-abusive manner, or if they are "abusing it" they are at home and not out in public, I see no reason why it should be illegal. Alcohol is the same way, yes you have people who can not use it responsibly, but those people get arrested and get fines which is exactly how marijuana should be.

The gateway drug argument is retarded. I have been smoking for 2 years and never once though about doing anything harder than it. I originally never even planned on smoking but I tried it once and liked it. I don't smoke to be cool or fit in, or only do it when I'm around a lot of people to try and look cool. I do it at home or with a couple close friends because I like how it makes me feel. I'm perfectly happy with what it does to me, do not abuse it, and have never thought about anything harder, so I find that argument bullshit. People who are going to do hardcore drugs will do hardcore drugs. I know people who started off drinking Robitussin, and went right from that to acid and cocaine and only smoked weed a couple times, and after they tried all that other stuff. People who say they needed a better high because weed didn't do anything to them are either 1. making up excuses for why they wanted to do other drugs and did them, or 2. they smoked weed almost all day every day (abusing it) so obviously it would have less of an effect on them

It all comes down to how responsible you are with it, and I think there are a lot worse cases of alcohol abuse and how badly it affects you than marijuana does. If alcohol is legal as long as people use it responsibly, there is no reason why marijuana shouldn't be as well.

 

[chrono6456]

and it is a natural growing plant found in the ground.

So is tobacco.

Sorry, I'm not trying to make a case against for or against legalization, but I hate it when people make that argument, its the stupidest thing one can say trying to support legalization. Just because its "natural" means nothing, there are loads of natural things that are extremely poisonous and toxic.

 

[El Diablo]

And tobacco is 100% legal, so why shouldn't this be?

 

[eighty4]

And tobacco is 100% legal, so why shouldn't this be?

It makes some people incapable of the simplest things.

 

[El Diablo]

Yet again, so does alcohol, and much worse in terms of it. By your logic, alcohol and tobacco should be illegal.

 

[Adiuvo]

Tobacco hardly makes people do stupid things. Alcohol was also banned previously, however that resulted in riots and smuggling of alcohol. If that never happened, alcohol would probably still be banned to this day.

 

[amrcidiot]

[qimg]http://www.saferchoice.org/images/SAFER/comparingdangers.png[/qimg]

Now... we can question the source of such information, but anyone believing that alcohol or nicotine are safer than marijuana are lying to themselves. Alcohol and smoking kills people and is legal.

A gateway drug argument is about the weakest casual connection I've ever seen in any argument ever. I breath, and that leads to harder things like food, which leads to harder things like death... because you are alive after all. Clearly air should be made illegal. :mellow:

Now, there are different types of users of marijuana. The problem of course is in the extreme end of the spectrum. Movies like "Half Baked" and other media outlets show this: people that use pot sitting around laughing like idiots and doing foolish things. Take anything to this level of extreme and we will find these people to be idiots. Ever seen that really fat guy that eats too much? Yeah, he's killing himself faster than someone using pot. Those people you know that always have to have a cup of coffee? There's serious addiction there.

The point being, regulation of a plant that has never been know to kill anyone in relation to activities like over eating or consumption of alcohol: Is absurd.

Do we knowingly allow things that are bad for us to be legal? Yes we do. Is anyone going to argue that there are not some possible negative effects associated with marijuana use? Well... nobody I'm going to listen to for long. However in terms of regulation of it, clearly legalization is the better alternative. Or, we could get all crazy and ban those other more dangerous drugs like tobacco and alcohol. Then we can move on to red meat, and then anything potentially dangerous. You will then be allowed to sit in your paddled room eating your protein shake through a straw.

Education people. There are reasonable marijuana users.

I.... think I love you.

 

[Sullivan]

I can't stand cigarette smoke, its horrible.

I went to the dave matthews concert, and I had this damn puffing dragon crowd around me. It was so disgusting, I would rather of had it be pot, cause it smells better.

 

[dubmonkey]

It makes some people incapable of the simplest things.

some people, yes... i'm just as functional when i smoke as when i'm not... in fact, i smoke to ease anxiety before meetings and some events where i need to focus. of course some people don't smoke in moderation and it inhibits their abilities greatly.

it's like saying alcohol makes some people incapable of the simplest things. do one shot and drive home. now do six and drive home. as your friendly local officer will tell you, big difference, eh?

or, how about a basic human ability, like sex? once every day, you're ok. bang all day, you're not gonna be doing much else. we're not making that illegal any time soon. at least i hope not!

 

[eighty4]

Yet again, so does alcohol, and much worse in terms of it. By your logic, alcohol and tobacco should be illegal.

I've never seen tobacco do anything that's crippling anyone. Alcohol makes you incapable of doing the simplest things, but you can look at someone and tell that they're drunk - whilst with weed it's not always the case.