Why I changed my mind on weed

[THORAX]

Good man.

Common sense is always the right path.

 

[auditor0007]

I have no problem with the medical use of pot for legitimate treatments, in fact I sent the link to my congressman and suggested it may be time to rethink federal law on medical marijuana. I'm still undecided on the recreational use, I don't want anyone out there operating cars or other machinery while their high on anything and it's much harder to test for marijuana impairment than alcohol.

Treat it the same ya know?

No problem as long as you have an accurate field test. Breathalyzers are very reliable for alcohol, I don't think they have equivalent test for pot.

I think this is the biggest concern currently, that there is no good way to determine the level of impairment for those who may choose to drive under the influence.

 

[dilloduck]

Treat it the same ya know?

No problem as long as you have an accurate field test. Breathalyzers are very reliable for alcohol, I don't think they have equivalent test for pot.

I think this is the biggest concern currently, that there is no good way to determine the level of impairment for those who may choose to drive under the influence.

Good point but unfortunately money is more important than an individual. It's just the way it works.

 

[eots]

Treat it the same ya know?

No problem as long as you have an accurate field test. Breathalyzers are very reliable for alcohol, I don't think they have equivalent test for pot.

I think this is the biggest concern currently, that there is no good way to determine the level of impairment for those who may choose to drive under the influence.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6gLrnJxS8c]How high is too high? KIRO tests pot-smoking drivers to find out - YouTube[/ame]

 

[DigitalDrifter]

Pretty soon they'll be saying pot cures cancer, and makes you likely to win the lottery.

No, what they are saying is that it does provide medicinal benefits to some people, and that it is nowhere near as dangerous as it has been made out to be. Sure, if you smoke it every single day three times per day, then I'm sure it will have adverse effects on that person. But that isn't what we are talking about. Besides, getting drunk every day for twenty straight years is going to have serious effects on people. Why don't we ban alcohol?

Banning alcohol would be fine with me, although it didn't work before, and just because it's legal is not a good argument to legalize other drugs.

The bottom line to me though, we have way too many people in this country high on something already, making pot legal will only increase the #'s.

 

[DigitalDrifter]

EATING Marijuana GROWS Brain Cells & CURES Cancer! - YouTube

Okay, but does it help you win the lottery ?

 

[The Rabbi]

Good Gawd not yet another pointless thread on this crap.
The chances of the US legalizing pot are about zero. Get over it and move on to something more product. The right of people to ruin their bodies is not a cornerstone of our society.

I cant wait for you to be wrong

because it hasn't happened yet.

 

[editec]

Marijuana is the poster child medicine showing us why captialism is also evil, citizens

This perfectly harmless herb has been part of mankind's materia medica for at least 6,000 years, but as it is an herb that cannot easily be monopolized by to our society's medical mafia?

It has be demonized and prohibited by law.

What are we up to now, 17 states where it is now a legally recognized medical herb?

It'll be a lot more than than soon.

 

[Derideo_Te]

The demonization of marijuana has been an abject failure. Trying to claim that it will cause "reefer madness" is debunked as soon as anyone tries it for the first time. It needs to be legalized and treated like alcohol, namely for adult use only and with all of the same fines and penalties for DUI and selling to minors. As far as medical use goes it is probably as beneficial as having a glass of red wine a day. Used in moderation it can relieve the nausea from chemo treatments and help sick people to get a good night's sleep. Dr Gupta has taken a look at the facts and made a logical and rational decision. So have 1/3rd of all US states. From a fiscal conservative point of view legalization also makes sense. Lower taxes for courts and incarceration and allowing the cops to focus on real crimes instead. Plus there is taxable income from the sale of marijuana. From a Libertarian standpoint no one should be telling an adult what they can do with their own bodies. The benefits outweigh the costs when it comes to legalization in my opinion.

 

[BlindBoo]

Come on people. Is the radical pot smoking medical profession stating that there is nothing in the entire medical field that addresses medical concerns better than inhaling the smoke from a freaking unregulated weed? The notion is ludicrous.

Confections are rapidly increasing in popularity. No smoke involved.

Cannabis is one of the oldest known crops grown by civilized humans.

 

[Edgetho]

At the very least, we need to decriminalize pot.

I wouldn't even have a problem with legalizing it.

If people want to ruin their bodies and destroy their brain, Pot is neither going to slow nor speed up the process.

There's just too many other ways to accomplish that. Way too many ways.

I am 65 years old, spent almost 6 years in the Army and 2 Years in Viet Nam.

I've been around. I've seen a lot. And I see no reason to keep putting people in Jail for pot.

Is it bad for you?

Sure, if you abuse it, it is.

If you abuse ANYTHING it is. Anything.

And there are always the people out there who are going to abuse it. Always.

Another thing. Unless we want a Police State, we can't stop the distribution and use of pot. Can't be done.

And I'd much rather have a few stoned people running around than a Police State.

Any day

 

[BlindBoo]

Marijuana is the poster child medicine showing us why captialism is also evil, citizens

This perfectly harmless herb has been part of mankind's materia medica for at least 6,000 years, but as it is an herb that cannot easily be monopolized by to our society's medical mafia?

It has be demonized and prohibited by law.

What are we up to now, 17 states where it is now a legally recognized medical herb?

It'll be a lot more than than soon.

20 States so far. 40%

Legislation in the US House of Representatives to prohibit federal officials from prosecuting state-compliant medical cannabis patients and their providers – House Bill 689, the State’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act – remains stalled in committee and possesses a mere 20 sponsors. (No corresponding Senate legislation has been introduced.) This total equates to fewer than four percent of all federal lawmakers! By contrast, a March 2013 nationwide Fox News scientific poll reported that nearly nine out of ten Americans – including 80 percent of self-identified Republicans – believe that marijuana should be legal if a physician authorizes it.

Read more: Medical marijuana efforts soldier on without Congress' help | The Daily Caller

 

[Derideo_Te]

Marijuana is the poster child medicine showing us why captialism is also evil, citizens

This perfectly harmless herb has been part of mankind's materia medica for at least 6,000 years, but as it is an herb that cannot easily be monopolized by to our society's medical mafia?

It has be demonized and prohibited by law.

What are we up to now, 17 states where it is now a legally recognized medical herb?

It'll be a lot more than than soon.

20 States so far. 40%

Legislation in the US House of Representatives to prohibit federal officials from prosecuting state-compliant medical cannabis patients and their providers – House Bill 689, the State’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act – remains stalled in committee and possesses a mere 20 sponsors. (No corresponding Senate legislation has been introduced.) This total equates to fewer than four percent of all federal lawmakers! By contrast, a March 2013 nationwide Fox News scientific poll reported that nearly nine out of ten Americans – including 80 percent of self-identified Republicans – believe that marijuana should be legal if a physician authorizes it.

Read more: Medical marijuana efforts soldier on without Congress' help | The Daily Caller

Politicians are spineless. They are afraid that someone will use it against them in the next election.

 

[Edgetho]

Come on people. Is the radical pot smoking medical profession stating that there is nothing in the entire medical field that addresses medical concerns better than inhaling the smoke from a freaking unregulated weed? The notion is ludicrous.

Confections are rapidly increasing in popularity. No smoke involved.

Cannabis is one of the oldest known crops grown by civilized humans.

It's hemp. Grown for rope. Been around a while

 

[Ava]

At the very least, we need to decriminalize pot.

I wouldn't even have a problem with legalizing it.

If people want to ruin their bodies and destroy their brain, Pot is neither going to slow nor speed up the process.

There's just too many other ways to accomplish that. Way too many ways.

I am 65 years old, spent almost 6 years in the Army and 2 Years in Viet Nam.

I've been around. I've seen a lot. And I see no reason to keep putting people in Jail for pot.

Is it bad for you?

Sure, if you abuse it, it is.

If you abuse ANYTHING it is. Anything.

And there are always the people out there who are going to abuse it. Always.

Another thing. Unless we want a Police State, we can't stop the distribution and use of pot. Can't be done.

And I'd much rather have a few stoned people running around than a Police State.

Any day

That was a good post Edge, and I am starting to change my mind about pot and legalization. I have vacillated for years with my thoughts on it, but a poster sent me some verifiable information about pot the other night, relative to it's use, and high crime, and I am thinking now that it might be less costly and deadly, to legalize it.

It is almost legal here, now, and those that aren't interested in smoking it still won't and those who do use, it still will.

I do agree with another poster here who said they would rather work with a co-worker who had smoked pot the night before than someone who drank alcohol the night before. I would agree with that if the poster meant someone who consumed an amount of alcohol that inebriated him or her.

Pot doesn't seem to have residual affects. I work with ppl who use it and they are fine and productive the next day, but not WHILE under the influence.

 

[whitehall]

Pretty soon they'll be saying pot cures cancer, and makes you likely to win the lottery.

No, what they are saying is that it does provide medicinal benefits to some people, and that it is nowhere near as dangerous as it has been made out to be. Sure, if you smoke it every single day three times per day, then I'm sure it will have adverse effects on that person. But that isn't what we are talking about. Besides, getting drunk every day for twenty straight years is going to have serious effects on people. Why don't we ban alcohol?

We do ban alcohol. Try making anything but beer or wine and see how fast the feds come down on you. The government spends billions trying to convince people to give up tobacco products and the pot heads think that they are going to legalize marijuana. The alleged medical benefits of inhaling smoke from a freaking weed are highly exaggerated. It's a smoke screen.

 

[dilloduck]

When I hear only praises about something I'm immediately suspicious because there is an upside and a downside to everything. Both sides have to be weighed when deciding what is the best course of action. My biggest concern is the effect legalization will have on the dealers themselves. There are a LOT of them and there is a LOT of money involved. What happens to them after legalization. Do they get legit jobs to support themselves and their families ? Do they move on to other illegal and possibly more dangerous activity ?
I'm sure we will learn more about the unintended consequences as times passes in the states that have already legalized it.

 

[Derideo_Te]

When I hear only praises about something I'm immediately suspicious because there is an upside and a downside to everything. Both sides have to be weighed when deciding what is the best course of action. My biggest concern is the effect legalization will have on the dealers themselves. There are a LOT of them and there is a LOT of money involved. What happens to them after legalization. Do they get legit jobs to support themselves and their families ? Do they move on to other illegal and possibly more dangerous activity ?
I'm sure we will learn more about the unintended consequences as times passes in the states that have already legalized it.

Well if it is anything like what happened to the rum running gangsters after prohibition was lifted they all become successful businessmen and politicians instead. Then again the line between those groups might as well not exist given how often they are caught crossing it.

The market for illegal drugs isn't going to disappear but it might take a hit if marijuana is legalized. Fewer customers means lower profits. On the other side the government manpower wasted on marijuana suppression can now be devoted to dealing with the genuinely dangerous illegal drugs. With fewer offenders behind bars for minor possession of weed offenses there will be space in the prison-industrial-complex to keep the dangerous drug criminals locked up for longer periods.

 

[Katzndogz]

The way to sanely handle the subject of legalization is to allow localities to opt out of legalization. Just the same way we did when prohibition ended. There are "dry" counties and cities to this day. More with limitations on the hours liquor can be purchased.

Some cities will become more like Detroit and some cities will flourish. People who do not want to be subjected to the actions of drug addicts will be able to move away to safer places.

 

[eots]

The way to sanely handle the subject of legalization is to allow localities to opt out of legalization. Just the same way we did when prohibition ended. There are "dry" counties and cities to this day. More with limitations on the hours liquor can be purchased.

Some cities will become more like Detroit and some cities will flourish. People who do not want to be subjected to the actions of drug addicts will be able to move away to safer places.

Detroit troubles certainly did not come from pot...