07-8-2011 at 3:46 AM

Marijuana gets you high. Being high isn't like being drunk or being on a hard opiate. You're still in control of all your inhibitions...people don't generally get into fights when high, either.<br /> <br /> You still shouldn't drive, obviously, but high people are no more a danger to society than anyone else, and certainly less so than someone who has had too much alcohol.

07-8-2011 at 3:41 AM

but what about getting high? i mean pot does get you high right? i mean, the reason i don't do drugs is because i like to be clear headed and constantly in complete control of my actions and getting high gets in the way of that

07-8-2011 at 12:30 AM

<em>"Actually, it IS good for you. If you read back through the earlier posts you will see why."</em><br /> Well, that's good to know. Just another reason to support the legalization of weed, I suppose.

07-7-2011 at 4:28 PM

<i>"I don't really care if people damage their bodies with any kind of drug."</i><br /> <br /> Thankfully, with marijuana, there is no damage to be done from it.<br /> <br /> <i>"I read that there are no/very little deaths that had anything to do with weed."</i><br /> <br /> That's half correct. :) There has never ever been a death from smoking/eating marijuana and this is even admitted by the government.<br /> <br /> <i>"weed isn't all that bad for you, either (not that it's good for you)."</i><br /> <br /> Actually, it IS good for you. If you read back through the earlier posts you will see why.

07-7-2011 at 7:27 AM

I'm all for legalizing weed. I read that there are no/very little deaths that had anything to do with weed. And if my memory is right, weed isn't all that bad for you, either (not that it's good for you).

07-7-2011 at 7:22 AM

I don't really care if people damage their bodies with any kind of drug. It's their body, so they can do what they want with it. I see no logical reason why weed hasen't already been legalized. And seriously, it's a plant. Is it just me or does it seem silly not to be able to own and/or smoke a PLANT.<br /> <br /> 100% support legalizing weed

06-16-2011 at 8:18 AM

For most people, there is no real "smoked way too much" stage. You can't OD on marijuana, and smoking enough to try would likely just get you a really good night's rest.<br /> <br /> Ahh, debate forums. How I've missed thee.

06-13-2011 at 12:05 AM

I think it should be legalized. But maybe like if the cop can easily tell that there is just something screwed about the person like if they smoked way to much then action could be taken.<br /> <br /> My oldest sister smokes but rarely, and only a little to go to bed. She's 28 with 2 kids and a husband and sometimes it's just hard. <br /> <br /> Legal 100%

06-12-2011 at 7:00 AM

Enter Geist, thread killer!

06-12-2011 at 12:35 AM

Smoke medically due to pain. My brains are not seeping out my ears, my heart is in dandy condition, it's not as hard on my lungs as smoking was, and I've only grown in intelligence as it hasn't prohibited me from learning new things. I'm also not a frequent smoker- only when the pain gets excruciating.<br /> <br /> Don't buy into everything D.A.R.E. tries to feed you.<br /> <br /> Oh, and it's helped me artistically, too. ..But that seems like a given.<br /> <br /> Let me tell you, alcohol and tobacco were a thousand times more harmful to me. I don't do either of those. I've watched alcohol ruin lives and I've watched people die of liver failure. Weed on the other hand, even weaponized military grade (look it up), doesn't kill people.

06-11-2011 at 7:20 PM

I'm not going to bother reading this thread, because I don't care much about this issue. Which is where I stand. Do whatever you want with your body, just do it responsibly. On a forum I'm on, there's a thread for people to discuss drugs they've done and want to try in the future. I don't think less of any of them. It's their body and they can do what they want.<br /> <br /> Legalize it. Seriously.

06-11-2011 at 5:55 PM

Here's where I stand: drugs are bad for you if you take bad drugs or overdo the "good" drugs. Marijuana comes from a plant and has been proven to help people who are suffering various ailments, so it can't be all bad. Granted, I don't know much about the drug and what it's capable of, but we're not the first race to use it - Native Americans (in both North America and South) used it (and if not marijuana, another narcotic), and tribes in many parts of the world still use drugs for religious ceremonies and healing rituals.<br /> <br /> I think the legalization of it would cut down on the number of drug dealers we've got rotting away in prison right now. It would also ensure that drug users would be getting "good" drugs and not drugs laced with bad things. I think it would actually be healthier in the long run, and after an initial surge of "Oh boy, we can now get high legally!", I think the allure would drop off drastically and it would just be another thing. Sure, you'd still have addicts, but people are addicted to alcohol and <i>it's</i> legal. <br /> <br /> Edited: I just glanced down and saw Carni's argument about making paper out of the plant - that's pretty cool, and I'd never heard it was possible!

06-11-2011 at 12:49 PM

Well said Carni! :)<br /> <br /> Edit; <a href="http://www.voteindustrialhemp.com/">Here are some other uses for hemp.</a><br /> <br /> <img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N6sA85Z-4cw/SHJ0kb48LGI/AAAAAAAAAKY/WLDXMP8NVOM/S1600-R/hemp+pic2.bmp">

06-11-2011 at 12:41 PM

Marijuana is classified as an illegal drug because of prohibition, -not- because it's actually bad for you. It's actually mainly to do with politics, and almost nothing to do with any actual health concern for the public.<br /> <br /> Also, this "scientist" who handed out pamphlets for a drug free week, was obviously supporting his/her own agenda bred from misinformation, themselves. The drug-free event was already biased against the subject from the start, so of course you wouldn't receive any information in support of it.<br /> <br /> Marijuana has been shown to lessen pain, give better blood flow, restore damaged cells, and is extremely therapeutic for people who suffer from ADD, ADHD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Chronic/Clinical Depression, and is even effective at slowing and even arresting the rate of tumor growth in the lungs and the spread of cancer, and the list goes on and on.<br /> <br /> The only thing you are in danger of from weed is having a bad high, and that will typically only happen if you smoke too much of it, too fast, because you are overloading the cannabinoids/THC receptors in your brain (yes, your brain is already pre-equipped to experience and metabolize THC) in your brain so that the THC overwhelms them. This can lead to paranoia, aggravation, depression, and/or nausea. But to achieve this, you would have to be taking some very powerful weed, and smoking it very quickly.<br /> <br /> When used correctly, marijuana is not only harmless, but beneficial to your health.<br /> <br /> As for anyone who r.apes a person or kills a person, marijuana did not "make" them do it. They would have to be unstable individuals in the first place who already had the intent to r.ape or kill, making their use of marijuana irrelevant.<br /> <br /> The US alone spends billions, on keeping marijuana illegal, putting people who smoke or deal it in jail/prison who are otherwise harmless people now being incarcerated with rapists, killers, and dealers of hard drugs like cocaine and meth.<br /> <br /> Whereas, if marijuana were legalized and able to be taxed, we would eliminate a hefty chunk of people being thrown into jail/prison, which means we're not spending money on incarcerating them, and we're also not spending money on raiding people's homes. And by taxing marijuana, just the USA would be making back the millions/billions of dollars it's spent needlessly prohibiting the plant.<br /> <br /> Rather recently, a drug raid for marijuana was carried out on someone's home, that person was unarmed and did not resist, and yet shots were fired by the raid team, which killed an innocent, unarmed civilian. And this isn't the first time something like this has happened, for the sake of busting a marijuana dealer.<br /> <br /> This video is a good one to watch, to understand the origins of marijuana, and how it came under prohibition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73PZfQdv5Hw<br /> <br /> Another point I must make is how quickly people are tearing down forests to turn the wood into paper. Marijuana/hemp can also be used to make paper, and crops are very easy to grow, since this plant can grow in virtually any climate. We could slow down the rate at which we harvest trees, and use hemp, instead.<br /> <br /> I think someone has also figured out a way to convert hemp into fuel for their car.<br /> <br /> All things considered, it makes a heck of a lot of sense to legalize, not just for the sake of medicine, but for recreation as well.

06-11-2011 at 12:24 PM

Well i'll be d.amned.

06-11-2011 at 11:57 AM

<i>"If smoking marijuana is so harmless and nontoxic, than why is it classified as a drug??"</i><br><br /> Please check the links I showed you, they cover this. Mainly the reason behind it was racism (when prohibition started) and greed (then and current). (<a href="http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7305">Locking up a smoker every 38 seconds and keeping it illegal costs taxpayers an estimated $10 billion annually.</a> Think of how overcrowded that makes the prisons, now think of how many government jobs {prison guards, rehabilitators, parole officers, etc.} that are created because of that.) Search "Harry J Anslinger and marijuana" and you will find loads upon loads of information.<br><br>Here is some good info about it...<br><br>"Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of process involving scientific, medical, and government hearings; that it was to protect the citizens from what was determined to be a dangerous drug.<br><br /> The actual story shows a much different picture. Those who voted on the legal fate of this plant never had the facts, but were dependent on information supplied by those who had a specific agenda to deceive lawmakers. You’ll see below that the very first federal vote to prohibit marijuana was based entirely on a documented lie on the floor of the Senate.<br /> <br> You’ll also see that the history of marijuana’s criminalization is filled with:<br><br /> Racism<br /> Fear<br /> Protection of Corporate Profits<br /> Yellow Journalism<br /> Ignorant, Incompetent, and/or Corrupt Legislators<br /> Personal Career Advancement and Greed<br /> These are the actual reasons marijuana is illegal.."<br><br /> You can read the rest of that article <a href="http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/why-is-marijuana-illegal/">by clicking here</a>.<br><br><i>"what if the people who made those sites are for marijuana?"</i><br><br /> A lot of these studies were done by different medical associations and even different government groups, not just "some people who are for pot." In fact, several of them were even against pot until the studies were finished.<br><br /> <i>"and i got my facts from an actual article from a scientist who came to my school during red ribbon (drug free) week and handed us pamphlets. i'll look at those websites right now and do my own googling. and i'll stay away from wikipedia."</i><br><br /> People who go to schools and speak are <i>paid</i> to do so. Nobody wants their children getting into illegal activities and possibly going to jail, and since marijuana has been lied about for so long, it's hard for them to go back and say "OOPS! We made a mistake! Sorry about that." Not to mention all the effort it would take to actually change those laws.

06-11-2011 at 11:45 AM

If smoking marijuana is so harmless and nontoxic, than why is it classified as a drug?? and i've been taught to not read everything i read. what if the people who made those sites are for marijuana? im not saying it's total lies, im not that mistrusting im saying it's a little hard to believe. and i got my facts from an actual article from a scientist who came to my school during red ribbon (drug free) week and handed us pamphlets. i'll look at those websites right now and do my own googling. and i'll stay away from wikipedia. L=

06-11-2011 at 11:16 AM

This was already brought up once before, but good to see it again though.<br /> <br /> <i>" it's bad for your heart and Kills and Fries your brain cells. and frankly i think [most] people are stupid enough as it is."</i><br /> <br /> Incorrect, marijuana <a href="http://www.peak.sfu.ca/the-peak/2005-3/issue9/ne-mj.html">has been proven to actually increase brain cell growth</a>. It does tend to increase heart rate, but nothing to the point of being a problem, unless someone who already has heart problems is smoking it and even then it's still extremely iffy. I have smoked frequently, and I can say that I enjoy learning more and I actually retain information better while under it's influence.<br /> <br>Here is something from British Medical Association's Lancet...<br><br /> "Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking. By comparison, marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose. According to the prestigious European medical journal, The Lancet, "The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health. ... It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat ... than alcohol or tobacco."<br /> <br /> <i>"i don't like the idea of putting them all in jail as i stated before it's too crowded and a waste of tax payers money. i say we fine anyone caught illegally smoking pot. im not saying $75, im saying $500+ (it should cost more then a speeding ticket ;) ))."</i><br /> <br /> Why should people be fined for doing something in the privacy of their own home, that literally hurts no one? Not even the person who is doing the smoking.<br /> <br /> <i>"as for 'medical' pot, don't make me laugh. i hate doctors who proscribe it. there are so many different alternatives!"</i><br /> <br /> Marijuana has no side real effects, according to tons upon tons of studies. The other medicines that are generally used to treat the same things (such as depression, arthritis, glaucoma, scholerosis, etc.) often have very severe side effects that can even lead up to death. <br /> <br /> <i>"Plus i know of cases where a person was high from smoking pot andwhoa thered women and other cases where a person was high off pot and killed a person(s) and people are irresponsible and could be high while doing Anything including working machinery or driving or doctoring or even teaching. "</i><br /> <br /> Marijuana doesn't make anyone do anything bad. I know many, many smokers and most of them absolutely refuse to drive or operate any machinery while high, and none of them would EVER harm another person. I have also never, in my entire life, heard of someone killing someone else just because they were high. Marijuana does not cause people to do stupid things, stupid people do stupid things. It should be treated the same as alcohol, no public intox, no driving under the influence, etc.<br /> <br /> I encourage you to look at <a href="http://www.norml.org">NORML</a> and <a href="http://abovetheignorance.org/">Above The Ignorance</a> as you are very seriously misinformed about marijuana.<br /> <br /> Obviously I am 100% for it's full legalization.<br><br>Edit; Yay html! :p