Is it time to legalize Marijuana?

• I Wear Pants

  If you're indifferent to the situation then you're indifferent to the money being wasted on the "drug war" (as it relates to marijuana).
  
  I just don't see how you can not care if people do something yet not be outraged when billions of taxpayer dollars are spent combating that activity.
  
  Edit: I don't care where KISS got inspiration from, they blow.
• CenterBHSFan

  

  Right.
  
  Let me repeat myself, ok?
  
  I don't care if people smoke. I don't care if they do it legally or not.
  I think this issue is one of the lowest priorities we need to be worried about right now. In fact, I'll say that this doesn't even make my top 20 list.
  You or anybody else can make this a top priority and/or worry about it all you want, it matters not to me.
  Therefore, I'm indifferent. It is NOT important as ____________________________(pick something).
  Healthcare, war, buying votes are some of the things that should be placed higher in the scale of things, IMO.
• I Wear Pants

  CenterBHSFan wrote: Right.
  
  Let me repeat myself, ok?
  
  I don't care if people smoke. I don't care if they do it legally or not.
  I think this issue is one of the lowest priorities we need to be worried about right now. In fact, I'll say that this doesn't even make my top 20 list.
  You or anybody else can make this a top priority and/or worry about it all you want, it matters not to me.
  Therefore, I'm indifferent. It is NOT important as ____________________________(pick something).
  Healthcare, war, buying votes are some of the things that should be placed higher in the scale of things, IMO.

  Lots of things aren't as important as other things, doesn't mean we need to ignore them.
  
  The leak in my shower isn't as important as my gas bill because it's cold outside and I need to cook things, but that doesn't mean I should ignore the problem however small it may be in the grand scheme because after a while those pennies dripping into the shower add up.
  
  Oh yeah, and the pennies running down the drain in the case of the drug war are billions of dollars. It isn't the trillions we've sadly gotten used to hearing lately but it's still a huge damn number.
• CenterBHSFan

  

  Again, you're putting words in my mouth Pants. And it's getting quite old. We could have a better discussion if you would stop doing that.
  
  I specifically said that I was indifferent. I specifically noted that I was indifferent because there were other things more important according to my own opinion on priorities.
  I NEVER said that it should be ignored. Not once.
  
  Now, when you can get my words right, then we can pick up where we left off.
• Glory Days

  

  I Wear Pants wrote:
  Lots of things aren't as important as other things, doesn't mean we need to ignore them.
  
  The leak in my shower isn't as important as my gas bill because it's cold outside and I need to cook things, but that doesn't mean I should ignore the problem however small it may be in the grand scheme because after a while those pennies dripping into the shower add up.
  
  Oh yeah, and the pennies running down the drain in the case of the drug war are billions of dollars. It isn't the trillions we've sadly gotten used to hearing lately but it's still a huge damn number.

  You mean like cracking down on cocaine but not weed? weed isnt as bad as cocaine, doesnt mean we need to ignore it. or are you in favor of legalizing all drugs?
  
  funny thing is, cocaine actually has a legit medical use. marijuana doesnt. there are plenty of other drugs more effective than marijuana, you just dont hear about it.
• I Wear Pants

  You put words in our mouths when you acted like we thought this was the most important issue out there. I sure don't and I'm positive none of the other posters in the thread do either. I don't get why you had to post, and I'm paraphrasing here, "there are more important things". It added nothing to the conversation except to imply that we shouldn't be talking about the subject because there's a war and a battle over healthcare happening.
• I Wear Pants

  Glory Days wrote:

  I Wear Pants wrote:
  Lots of things aren't as important as other things, doesn't mean we need to ignore them.
  
  The leak in my shower isn't as important as my gas bill because it's cold outside and I need to cook things, but that doesn't mean I should ignore the problem however small it may be in the grand scheme because after a while those pennies dripping into the shower add up.
  
  Oh yeah, and the pennies running down the drain in the case of the drug war are billions of dollars. It isn't the trillions we've sadly gotten used to hearing lately but it's still a huge damn number.

  You mean like cracking down on cocaine but not weed? weed isnt as bad as cocaine, doesnt mean we need to ignore it. or are you in favor of legalizing all drugs?
  
  funny thing is, cocaine actually has a legit medical use. marijuana doesnt. there are plenty of other drugs more effective than marijuana, you just dont hear about it.

  I'm not claiming marijuana to be an effective medicine.
  
  Also, I don't think anyone who isn't trolling would argue that cocaine use can be compared to marijuana use. For one, it's physically addicting.
• NNN

  

  Can anyone make a case for legalizing pot with an argument that doesn't refer to what other countries do or a comparison between pot and either alcohol or tobacco?
• krazie45

  

  NNN wrote: Can anyone make a case for legalizing pot with an argument that doesn't refer to what other countries do or a comparison between pot and either alcohol or tobacco?

  Sure, I don't see why the government should prohibit/waste millions of dollars prohibiting the cultivation/selling/smoking of a natural plant that existed on this earth for thousands of years prior to the foundation of this country when the results of such actions have no negative effect on society as a whole. If someone chooses to smoke pot, they are not harming anyone else and therefore that choice should be left to them.
  
  By the way it should also be noted that when consumed in food (such as brownies) or inhaled through a vaporizer, marijuana has little to no negative effects on the body. Not to mention that though people may believe that it has no medicinal use, marijuana has been approved for medical use in 12 states and studies have shown its effectiveness in relieving glaucoma, relieving upset stomach especially in regards to chemotherapy, and increasing appetite.
  
  Finally it should be noted that no concrete evidence has proven that marijuana is either a "gateway drug" or physically addictive.
• I Wear Pants

  ^^^
  That millions of dollar figure is likely to be in the billions. Especially if we consider hemp production.
• Strapping Young Lad

  

  My friend and i were talking about this and without a doubt I think it (pot) should be legal. I also think opium should be legal. I'm guessing that might get a different response. Opium is addictive but so is alcohol. And I don't think opium use is any more debilitating than alcohol, maybe less. I'd say that opium can help people be more functional into age along with other benefits including relaxation. In fact people around the world grow and use opium to help them work into old age. Of course some would undoubtedly abuse it but thats no different than alcohol. Anyone willing to agree w/me that opium should be legal???
  
  I think it's time to let adults decide for themselves if they want to use drugs and be responsible enough to not abuse. I know plenty of people who do illegal drugs especially opiates and most of the problem is that the drug is illegal therefore less accessible. That leads to petty crime/theft as the user needs to get his hands on someone else's opiates (thats why we've seen an increase in theft from pharmacies). Or the user wants the drug so bad he will choose to steal money and chase drugs instead of working.
  
  I imagine ppl did similar things to obtain alcohol during prohibition.
• Glory Days

  

  krazie45 wrote: Not to mention that though people may believe that it has no medicinal use, marijuana has been approved for medical use in 12 states and studies have shown its effectiveness in relieving glaucoma, relieving upset stomach especially in regards to chemotherapy, and increasing appetite.
  

  the ingredient in marijuana that helps people medically(THC) is a very small percent of what you take in. there are drugs out there that are more effective in treating all of those and can be taken just as easily. and plus, people shouldnt be smoking it. if they have trouble taking a pill form, they should be vaporizing it. smoking is the least effective way of medicating.
  

  Strapping Young Lad wrote: That leads to petty crime/theft as the user needs to get his hands on someone else's opiates (thats why we've seen an increase in theft from pharmacies). Or the user wants the drug so bad he will choose to steal money and chase drugs instead of working.

  thats a pretty good example of addictive behavior.
• CenterBHSFan

  

  I Wear Pants wrote: You put words in our mouths when you acted like we thought this was the most important issue out there. I sure don't and I'm positive none of the other posters in the thread do either. I don't get why you had to post, and I'm paraphrasing here, "there are more important things". It added nothing to the conversation except to imply that we shouldn't be talking about the subject because there's a war and a battle over healthcare happening.

  No.
  
  I said I was indifferent and you are the one who had the problem with it. My responses were to you and you only, not the rest of the people responding. You wanted to know, I guess, why I was indifferent and I told you that it was low on priorities to me as the answer.
  Get it straight, will ya? ughhh!
• queencitybuckeye

  NNN wrote: Can anyone make a case for legalizing pot with an argument that doesn't refer to what other countries do or a comparison between pot and either alcohol or tobacco?

  Easily. The role of government is not to play nanny, to tell us what we can and can't put into our bodies.
• derek bomar

  

  Without a doubt it should be legal...this is something conservatives (get outta my face big gov't!) and liberals (whooaaaaa brah...pass it to the left) can/should all agree on
• believer

  

  derek bomar wrote: Without a doubt it should be legal...this is something conservatives (get outta my face big gov't!) and liberals (whooaaaaa brah...pass it to the left) can/should all agree on

  Based on the overwhelming responses above supporting legalization you are correct.
• Trueblue23

  

  If marijuana is not legal within 5 years I have no faith left in humanity.
• Strapping Young Lad

  

  Glory Days wrote:

  Strapping Young Lad wrote: That leads to petty crime/theft as the user needs to get his hands on someone else's opiates (thats why we've seen an increase in theft from pharmacies). Or the user wants the drug so bad he will choose to steal money and chase drugs instead of working.

  thats a pretty good example of addictive behavior.

  Well addictive substances aren't a problem, obviously, as alcohol and tobacco are both legal addictive substances. If either of those substances were outlawed and therefore difficult to access, I'm sure we'd see addictive behavior in an attempt to obtain them.
  
  They're available to those addicted to them so there's no need to chase them around and steal money to get them. Stop by the liquor store around quiting time and you'll see plenty of self-respecting, law-abiding addicts purchasing their fix.
  
  No one will ever accuse them of being junkies. They may go home and get violent or smash into oncoming traffic, but their addictive drug is totally legal.
• I Wear Pants

  CenterBHSFan wrote:

  I Wear Pants wrote: You put words in our mouths when you acted like we thought this was the most important issue out there. I sure don't and I'm positive none of the other posters in the thread do either. I don't get why you had to post, and I'm paraphrasing here, "there are more important things". It added nothing to the conversation except to imply that we shouldn't be talking about the subject because there's a war and a battle over healthcare happening.

  No.
  
  I said I was indifferent and you are the one who had the problem with it. My responses were to you and you only, not the rest of the people responding. You wanted to know, I guess, why I was indifferent and I told you that it was low on priorities to me as the answer.
  Get it straight, will ya? ughhh!

  Cool.
  
  Although if I'm indifferent to something I tend to think that it'd be stupid for it to be banned. Especially when it wastes so much money.
• Glory Days

  

  Strapping Young Lad wrote: Well addictive substances aren't a problem, obviously, as alcohol and tobacco are both legal addictive substances. If either of those substances were outlawed and therefore difficult to access, I'm sure we'd see addictive behavior in an attempt to obtain them.
  
  They're available to those addicted to them so there's no need to chase them around and steal money to get them. Stop by the liquor store around quiting time and you'll see plenty of self-respecting, law-abiding addicts purchasing their fix.
  
  No one will ever accuse them of being junkies. They may go home and get violent or smash into oncoming traffic, but their addictive drug is totally legal.

  the thing is though, most people can drink 1 beer and stop and feel no effect. just goto a resturant and look around, people will have 1 or 2 drinks with their meal, not to get plastered. when you do drugs, most of the time you take one hit you are going to feel something or you are going to continue to do them until you get that high. how many people smoke marijuana to not get high?
• Strapping Young Lad

  

  So, alcohol is sold with the intent to not have people get drunk??? Also you can take one hit off marijuana or opium or cocaine for that matter and feel a mild, if any, effect.
  
  But that's not even the point. The point is that people abuse alcohol in great abundance. Walk by a bar on a Saturday night. And that's fine. That's what alcohol is for. It can be used for relaxation. It's used to get drunk.The same can be said for opium. It's a strong painkiller. You can use it in small quantities, to relax and relieve the pain of age and working long hours. You can also use a greater amount and get really high. Just like you can have a drink w/ dinner after work, or you can drink a twelve pack and call ex-girlfriends.
  
  The point is to have adults choose what substances they prefer. Whether they want to use them in small doses or great. The point is to have the government back off and let us be responsible adults. Why have one addictive, potentially deadly substance be legal while others are punishable. Not everybody likes to get sloppy, nauseaous, and feel like shit in the morning. Some people would rather use substances that let them feel good while having a clear head, like opiates.
• krazie45

  

  Glory Days wrote: how many people smoke marijuana to not get high?

  Plenty of people do. Many people smoke it to increase their appetite, or to settle their stomachs after chemotherapy, or to relieve pressure from their eyes if they have glaucoma, or even just for the taste. Not everyone is trying to get high...
• derek bomar

  

  And who cares if they are trying to get high? I drink to get drunk on the weekends...why can't I get stoned if I want? Makes 0 sense.
• tcarrier32

  

  NNN wrote: Can anyone make a case for legalizing pot with an argument that doesn't refer to what other countries do or a comparison between pot and either alcohol or tobacco?

  
  Can anyone make a case for keeping marijuana illegal that doesnt refer to propaganda and actually uses factual information to make a point?
• Glory Days

  

  krazie45 wrote: Plenty of people do. Many people smoke it to increase their appetite, or to settle their stomachs after chemotherapy, or to relieve pressure from their eyes if they have glaucoma, or even just for the taste. Not everyone is trying to get high...

  the number of people who use it for legit medical reasons is a very very small percent of actual users.
  

  Strapping Young Lad wrote: So, alcohol is sold with the intent to not have people get drunk??? Also you can take one hit off marijuana or opium or cocaine for that matter and feel a mild, if any, effect.
  
  But that's not even the point. The point is that people abuse alcohol in great abundance. Walk by a bar on a Saturday night. And that's fine. That's what alcohol is for. It can be used for relaxation. It's used to get drunk.The same can be said for opium. It's a strong painkiller. You can use it in small quantities, to relax and relieve the pain of age and working long hours. You can also use a greater amount and get really high. Just like you can have a drink w/ dinner after work, or you can drink a twelve pack and call ex-girlfriends.

  you are thinking the young adult crowd. i would say the majority of adults arent doing keg stands and getting plastered on the weekend in frat houses....but there are exceptions. i would say the 18-28 age range drinks more alcohol that just about all the others combined....i did find a study that shows 12-20 year olds drink 20% of the alcohol consumed. http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/teenalcoholex.html#onefifth
  

  Strapping Young Lad wrote: The point is to have adults choose what substances they prefer. Whether they want to use them in small doses or great. The point is to have the government back off and let us be responsible adults. Why have one addictive, potentially deadly substance be legal while others are punishable. Not everybody likes to get sloppy, nauseaous, and feel like shit in the morning. Some people would rather use substances that let them feel good while having a clear head, like opiates.

  haha how is that a healthy behavior? thats called an addiction. when you need a substance to do that, you have a problem because you start to rely on the substance. thats the reason why they should remain illegal.
  

  tcarrier32 wrote: Can anyone make a case for keeping marijuana illegal that doesnt refer to propaganda and actually uses factual information to make a point?

  the factual information i present is just propaganda to you anyway, so why present it?