Do you pass on grass?

[Guest Anonymous]

In other words have you willfully used the drug marijuana? Or smoked, burned, sparked dope, pot, buds, cannabis, grass etc etc. I know this has absolutely nothing to do with cars except theyre dangerous to drive when baked.

Remember, a lot of things that people say about marijuana is not true. I did a research paper on it a while back. It is my personal belief that it is mostly harmless and that there are far worse things that one can do to themselves.

I do support legislation of the drug.

This is for a number of reasons:

The economical benefits of hemp are worth it alone (an acre of cannabis sativa can produce 4 times as much paper as an acre of trees) Yes, you did read that right, hemp can be used for paper that is indistinguishable from wood pulp paper. hemp can also be used for clothing rope etc etc and not only is a renewable resourse but is far easier to produce/regrow.

The chemical structure of THC(the active ingredient of marijuana) is such that in order to overdose one would have to ingest over 1,000 times the amount neccesary to be high. Compare that to alchohol, where the number is about 10. It is therfore physically impossible to OD on weed...

The psychological effects of marijuana promote cooperation, tranquility and empathy. Far opposed to the competitive and agressive efects of alchohol and more notably caffiene.

Nicotine is a far more deadly drug, yet is legal. Nicotine is both physically and mentally addictive. Nicotine is responsible for an obscene amount of deaths each year. I'm not going to get in to the incredible nastiness of that drug except to state that marijuana smoke is significantly less toxic and has no added chemicals(such as ciggarettes) and users, due to its potent effects tend to smoke at least 50% less actual material. With legalization, marijuana growers could ramp up THC content, individuals could use vaporizing devies and the healthyness of smoking marijuana grow exponentially.

 

What i have learned are that there are only a few basic arguments against marijuana.

 

1. It is illegal for a reason, so it should stay illegal.

A. So was african american voting before 1960

2. Marijuana is a terrible health risk.

A. Much less so than politcs would have you believe, with enourmous improvements coming from better technology(accessed if drug was legal)

3. Marijuana sucks all drive and upward mobility out of people.

A. Somewhat true, yet as all things in life, the drug can be used in moderation, and people have control over their own damn selves.

4. Legalized marijuana would cause widespread crime and havoc.

A. False. Example: Amsterdam. The duch have been legal for quite a while and the crime rate has actually dropped...

 

Something like 20% of federal prision imates are incarcerated for marijuana related offenses only.

Our govenment spends uncounted billions fighting marijuana traffic domestically and abroad. Why?

I don't feel that it's neccessary to start comparing marijuna to coke or crystal meth. Or heroin. Those drugs are a million times more habit forming, destructive, violent, unhealthfull and worthy of disgust. Marijuana almost seems benign in their light.

These arguments are not qoutes. they are pieces floating around my mind. If anything, i've undercalculated the numbers. If this script raises questions in you, seek out both sides of this issue. Crack open some books. i will try to post some online refernces later.

 

No doubt that serious legal overhaul would be neccessary in case of legislation. But it's easily possible, thanks to our wonderful political system.

 

My question to you is: What are we scared of?

Too often we become complacent. Change can be scary but it is what drives our lives, our nation and our planet.

[CruxGNZ]

I agree with you on all points. One thing you didn't mention though was the "window drug". Weed is NOT a window drug. I have not wanted to do anything else besides the casual smoking of marijuana and have a few beers now and then. I've seen to many people go nuts on the hard stuff, don't want to end up like that.

My buddy also did a research paper on marijuana and came up with the same points as you. There are so many good things to come of this plant, but nobody cares enough to make a change. Peope are affraid to legalize it and be looked down on by the "I think this way so all of you should too" people. I don't get it.

 

!M!

[Guest Look A Z]

Well the points that you stated were something that I have known for a long time but people against making weed legal would not listen. Yeah I personally tried crystal meth and IMHO I would never do something like that again. VERY SCARY!!! Yeah so I just stick to smoking weed once in awhile when I just want to relax. I use to know people in my old high school that would smoke weed every single day but they were 4.0+ GPA studens and on the honor roll for the whole 4 years.

[Guest spunkysandoval]

This sort of thing has happened before. In Zurich. The government there legalized drugs, and the beautiful city was turned into some sort of nightmare. Junkies shooting up in front of childeren, needles everywhere, and god knows what other sorts of horrible things. I know that marijuana is not heroine, but it's the same concept. Think of your childeren. Just think of how easy it is for them to get the stuff now, and then imagine what it would be like once it becomse legal.

[CruxGNZ]

I would like to add one more thing. What would you rather have, a bunch of kids getting drunk and creating problems and possibly driving drunk or getting high, sitting around the T.V. playing video games and eating chocolate chip cookies? I mean the kids now days are getting so bored, they will do something to pass the time and when the parents aren't around...? Seriously, what did you do when you were young? I'm talking about kids, because older people have more control of their lives than the youth and can make better decisions.

 

!M!

[Pop N Wood]

I'm bored so I'll bite.

 

You forgot a lot of reasons why marijuana is going to stay illegal:

 

1 The majority of the people in this country simply don't care.

2 The more expensive it is, the less available it will be and the less likely my children will come across it.

3 Cigarettes will soon be illegal or so highly regulated that they might as well be.

4 Who needs it? Why should we care?

5 Few things are more annoying than trying to communicate with some burn out working behind the counter at a 7-Eleven.

6 I have seen what it has done to my friends.

7 Unlike the African American voting rights (which incidentially came before women's voting rights), marijuana was legal in this country before prohibition came into being. Alcohol is now legal, weed isn't. See #1 and #4 above.

8 If it was legal, it wouldn't be cool anymore.

9 Amsterdam has one of the highest suicide rates in the world (check it out, I didn't make this up)

10 Arguging "marijuanna is less of an evil than (fill in the blank)" is like arguing "syphillus is less evil than AIDS". Who cares? I don't have a use for either. See #4 above.

11 You don't go to prison for marijuana unless you are doing something else EXTREMELY stupid.

12 The part of the plant you use to make rope is not the same part you use to get high. What does midwest ditch weed have to do with high grade dope?

13 Did I mention most people don't care?

14 Most pot heads hardly lead lives of "cooperation, tranquility and empathy". Most pot heads I have know lead lives full of ridiculous, self inflicted problems.

15 Marijuana has more tar than tobacco.

16 If you want "change", why can't you seek change that promotes, positive, more tangible benefits than "this stuff isn't that bad"?

 

A message to decriminalize marijuana might be much more appealing to the mass of people in this country. I don't want it legal for reason #2 above. I know it doesn't help much, but the less prevalent and open it is in our society the better my children's chances are.

[Mudge]

7 million people die each year from smoking and drinking, so I hardly see pot as a serious threat other than its pretty hard on the lungs. I dont smoke it though, and I dont smoke anything.

[denny411]

I smoked it on two different occassions about 10 yrs ago. The only effect I got each time was a splitting headache.

I personally think it should be legal, extremely regulated, and taxed beyond belief.

1)You MUST be 21 to buy or possess it.

2)It should only be sold in state liquor stores.

3)the penalties for selling UNTAXED pot should be the same as selling untaxed alchohol(people are much more afraid of the IRS than the DEA)

4)By the time it is taxed, the price per oz, should be the same or higher than it is now.

5)DUI offenses should carry mandatory jail time,and a 3 strikes clause.

 

The taxpayers have to foot the bill now for the drug wars. Why not let the tax revinue generated from legal pot pay to enforce and regulate it?

[Guest spunkysandoval]

Mat73GNZ:

 

In response to your question about what i did when i was young, which i still am (i'm 17), I would like to say that I was no stranger to marijuana. It was very easy for me to get it because i lived in bad neighbor hoods where everyone does those sorts of things. My parents did it on a daily basis. It did nothing but harm to our family. I am now adopted buy a 60 year old single man, that I didn't even know existed less than 2 years ago. My family has been torn apart. Five innocent children split, and placed in seperat homes. It has been a wild ride since we were taken away when I was nine, and it is one that I would never want to put children of my own through. I believe there is no justification whatsoever for putting innocent children through the sort of torment i've been through because of an addiction. That's what will happen If this stuff becomes legal. It will be like alcohol, only worse. Alcohol is addictive, but marijuana is REALLY addictive. The American family as we know it will continue to degrade to a level of unimaginably low standards.

 

Jim Powers:

 

Jim, your stand on this issue is well placed. I agree fully on what you've stated.

[Mudge]

Sorry but I dont buy that at all, there are people who have problems with alcohol in a big way, I know people who smoked pot and had no addiction problems. Alcohol kills in a big way, and does plenty of damage to familes thanks to abusive fathers and sometimes mothers, who drink, just as my mom had to put up with in her family. To recount, they were a military family and my grandpa was a high ranking officer. He pushed his wife out of a second story window, she lived. One brother shot another when they weren't even 10 years old, right in front of my mom. Alcohol is a huge problem, but yes its legal and I see no reason to change that.

 

However it is still legal, and why do we need to outlaw everything? Do we need to babysit for those who can't take care of thier own well being? If that were the case we'd have to outlaw drills, because some guy stuck one up his nose when he had an itch. We'd have to outlaw pencils because it could be used as a weapon, when is too much just too much? People are going to drink and smoke what they want, and in my experience its kids who prefer to do illegal things because they are young and its cool, more so than now that I'm getting near 30 and I dont see any of this, nor do I hang out with people with those kind of problems.

 

People let things rule thier lives instead of being in control, but I dont see the reason to punish the rest of us for a few people and thier misconduct. This all reminds me of the current ephedra/ephedrine BS, because a couple people overdosed on it and lost thier lives.

 

70 million a year die from alcohol or smoking combined, and there has yet to be a single proven death from ephedra/ephedrine other than the obvious overdosers. Stupid people do stupid things, nothing new.

[Guest spunkysandoval]

mudge:

 

I am in no way advocating the outlaw of alcohol. I simply wanted to voice my opinion on the legality of marijuana. Alcohol has been outlawed before, and drove alot of the amreican public into underminig the law and seeking illegal sources of alcohol. It should not be outlawed becasue it faild once before, and would do no better the second time around.

[denny411]

Prohibition caused the SAME problems with alchohol, that the drug wars are causing with pot.

I`m sure there are plenty of people that can say that alchohol has caused there families the same problems that your famly has gone through, BUT the government finally realized they were fighting a losing battle, and decided to TAX it instead of OUTLAW it.

 

I feel that the people that are going to smoke pot, will do it whether it`s legal or not. The same as the people in the 20`s were going to drink, LEGAL/OR NOT.

 

The debate we are having now is the SAME debate they were having 80yrs ago. the arguements are the same, and the outcome should be the same.

 

My .02 anyway

[Mikelly]

I smoke.... CIGARS! Really Expensive ones!!!

 

Oh, and Jim Powers, You captured it for me. Although I voted that I don't smoke MaryJ and don't care, I do care. I've NEVER smoked pot. I got my TS clearance when I was 20, and before that I was a park ranger. I lived out in the country and had a fear of my parents catching me doing bad things, so I stuck with booz, something they could at least relate to from their youth.

 

I just think that making Pot legal and taxing it would solve the mystical issue of it being "Cool" which would mean it would be MUCH LESS available than it is now. That said, Something else would take its place.

 

However, Pot is NOT harmless... Paint it ANY COLOR you want to rationalize it, but it is NOT harmless... Many of the dopers I knew from the music business, and know from the car scene Drive WHILE HIGH on a regular basis. This is NO DIFFERENT then driving while intoxicated from booz. So, rationalize it for yourself all you want. It is a HARMFULL drug.

 

Jim Powers, YOU DAH MAN!

 

My $.02

Mike

[scottyMIz]

I'll chime in here since a while ago i use to do it alot.I haven't touched the stuff in over 5 years and i have plunty of opportunities to get it if i want.For me it wasn't addictive and i have to say driving while high is prolly safer for me than driving while drunk(never drove drunk) Cuz when your high you think your hauling butt when your only going like 40mph and speed limit is 55 and you are so paranoid that you are scared to make any mistakes so you are totally concentrating on the road. I don't think that it is safe for people to drive while under any substance cuz it's just too dangerous.Really all the stuff didi for me is make me tired and then i'd goto sleep.Everything you do is harmful from eating at mcdonalds to racing either legal or not.The point is that they blow everything out of perportion with everything.They did it with alcohol and now they do it with other drugs alcohol is a drug and it too harms you in many ways.Just like smoking cigerettes are too drugs and harmful.Anymore you can't even go outside with out hurting your self.I do have to say these 5 years have been the safest years of my life since i don't have to worry about going to jail over a plant and not have to worry about hurting someone from it's effects.I think they should make it legal just so like other are saying it isn't so "cool" and kids think they should do it just because.

Just my 2 cents

[Mudge]

Alcohol has been outlawed before, and drove alot of the amreican public into underminig the law and seeking illegal sources of alcohol. It should not be outlawed becasue it faild once before, and would do no better the second time around.

 

People will smoke or drink, or shoot or snort what they want. I realize you weren't starting a "Got Beer?" campaign, but you seemed to downplay that dopers were worse off than alcoholics which I staunchly do not agree with, even though you have had first hand experience with a very negative parental problem apperantly, just as my mom had.

 

Some people are unfortunately weak and they let themselves be ruled by substances, instead of taking control. I for one enjoyed drinking occasionally, or doing other things (acid), but I never enjoyed being out of control of myself for long periods of time, nor frequently, so I never abused anything - it just doesn't suit me. If someone doesn't feel guilty about thier health, or the cost of doing drugs being a waste (on a regular basis), then I think they have a problem.

[fl327]

i had both last night.

[Guest Anonymous]

The poll results are quite interesting. I'd like to point out a few things:

I am not in any way suggesting that marijuana is harmless. it's not. However, the effect it has on you/your lifestyle is largely up to you. I am against driving while blazed. My personal assesment of my driving skills while on the cheeba are that i drive significantly safer yet it is very, very easy to become distracted. And possibly miss a car. or a dog. or some jackass walking in the road.

Another point: Marijuana is ONLY mentally addictive. Its called habit. You have habits of brushing your teeth every morning, drving your car in particular style, cracking your nuckles, drinking coffee, whatever. the human body is easily tricked into beeing accustomed to a particular sequence of events. Now a heroin addict experiences upon withdrawl a fever like effect, with incredible pain, hallucinations, muscle cramps, puking, loss of bowel control--a constant hell for 72 straight hours. oh, and did i mention an all consuming desire to do anything to get a fix. Now that's an addiction

Another point: Weed is not a violent drug by its chemical nature. It is a depressent. Unlike alchohol, which makes people loud and nasty and fight each other.

Another point: I argue that the illegality of it shields us from the possible beneficial effects of it if it were legal. If different cards had been played back in the day, we might be having this discucion about tobbacco...

Another point: I am aware that buds and the hemp containing parts are separate(cmon, I have to pick stems out almost always). Yet they are indeed on the same plant and thus all of it could be utilized.

Another point: If legalization did indeed occur, some model of regulation would need to be in place. I'd say tax the shit out of it. Serious swag there for the gov. No driving/public intoxication/home growing.

Another point: The legality of things has almost no control over what i do, save that of the likelyhood of being caught. If it was legal i agree there wouldn't be so much of a bad boy factor which, i would argue, would actually drive kids away. Its the garden of eden/forbidden fruit deal.

I knew there would be the naysayers. But ultimately what are you afraid of in marijuana? Personal harm to you or your loved ones. I think that would be the basic human fright about it.

I think that if one is emotionally stable and uses good judgement, there is no detriment in smoking pot.

I argue that people who do shitty things do that because they are shitty inside. Weed isn't going to put that stuff in your mind, it has no authority.

It's a scapegoat, much like video games were at the Columbine Shooting. Ban video games, they say, becuase it causes violent urges in children. Well, i say , if its not weed or video games then it's going to be something else.

Some people have detrimental behaviors in their mind. Those behaviors are going to be demonstrated regardless of the other things they do....

To further beat a dead horse, look at alchohol. yes, people can get nasty when they drink. But not everyone does! that means that (gasp) there are actually people with self control who don't immediately act in their own interest and on their emotions.

Human beings are pretty jacked up some times. No one gives enough credit to that in explaining destructive behavior. No, its always the parenting, or insanity, or the bad childhood, or the physical deformity, or weed, or hard drugs or something. Very easy to shield oneself behind excuses. At the core of it you are what is behind your decisions. God made us with free will. But often we all act only in our own self intrests. This is the primary cause of conflict in our society.

Unfortunately, thats how we were built, and our capatalistic free market system is a model of human nature and darwinstic theory-the strong ascend by stepping on the backs of the weak.

So that is my position on that.

 

Anyway, Len, all i have to say is....word. Tonight is friday night after all. Ive got buisness to take care of.

[fl327]

wet campus, and they sell single mini cigars at the school general store next to the blue books, HELL YEAH. do what you think is right for you, thats my two cents worth.

[Mudge]

Why should the masses suffer over a few stupid people, we shouldn't.

[CruxGNZ]

Hurricane2k1 .

 

spunkysandoval,

My questions were not directed at you. They were for the viewers to ponder .

 

!M!