Topic awaiting preservation: Legalization of Marijuana

Do you think it should be? If so do you think they should put restrictions on its access to minors, ticketed if under thie influence?

I personally think that it should be but be regulated by making it illegal to drive while under it or to sell it to minors.

Marijuana does less harm than beer or tobacco. Yes ive felt shitty after smokin a blunt but that's just because i smoked way too much before that. It just seems ridiculous that we have made it illegal but does wonders for different sick people. I know cancer patients smoke it to increase their appetite so they eat.




Cell 650

I don't think theres really a good reason for it to be legalized. Perhaps for medicinal purposes but thats about it.

Jestah

I don't think there's really a good reason for Alchohol to be legalized either, but it is.

Marijuana does less damage? Short term maybe...but have you ever heard about Drug-Induced Psychosis?
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/BHCLang.nsf/0/DE7359E9B719779E4A256B640083BBC5?Open

And I will point out that this has been studied and entensivley tested all over the world...and all the results were more or less the same.


Perosnally I'm with InSiDeR...I can't see good reasons why Tobacco or Alcohol are legal, but they are. Personally, I think many of the users of these drugs out there start using them becuase of the fact they're illegal. It's the whole 'forbidden fruit' thing. It's the reason why if you last till the age of 18 or 21 (whichever is the legal age in your area) without having a cigarette, you're less likely to ever start. But many young people, even pre-teens, start smoking becuase they've been forbidden to do so. It's the dawning (well, not really) of the age of rebeliousness. If you're told not to do something, that's a damn good reason to go out and do it! I mean, who knows better than you what's good for you and what isn't! Fuck the experts...you're young...you know everything!

Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, are all dangerous. The question is, as it was already suggested, a matter of maturity and intelligence. I think adult people, who understand the consequences of their acts, shouldn't be hindered to use these drugs. They know what they are doing with their life. On the contrary, people who don't understand these dangers, for example teenagers, shouldn't be allowed to use such products before they are really aware of their acts. Therefore, forbiddening these products to young people is in my opinion good. Of course, there is still this forbidenning thing. "Laws to suppress tend to strengthen what they would prohibit.", Dune. It is not bound to the 'age of rebelliousness', it is a compulsive aspect of the human nature. Take a look at our world nowadays : there is an everlasting quest for exceding what is existing. Humans always seek new experiences, new feelings, what Daft Punk titled Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. I think we have to live with it... In the end, people are ultimately responsible for their lives.

Patrick: The arguement that alcohol and tobacco are worse isn't an arguement for cannabis more and arguement that they should be banned.

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Emps

The Emperor dot org

People have enough accidents when they are DUI. Lets add more problems, legalize Marijuana and bring in other stuff to have problems with.

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"The Mystery of Life"
Vol. 841, Ch. 26
"All life begins with Nu and ends with Nu. This is the truth! This is my beleif! ...at least for now." - Chrono Trigger
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Alrighty, I used to be a major pothead and stuff. I just recently quit smoking Marijuana for a while because it's too expensive and getting boring. I just don't need it anymore. It probably won't be the last time I smoke it but, not for a while at least.

I did a lot of research before even touching this drug, and out of all the websites I saw, not one of them mentioned long term Psychosis. And I have yet to experience this Psychosis, and last week I was high at least three days non-stop (72 hours of being high, that's a lot of weed). And to be honest with you I haven't seen it hurt the way I think, or disable my cranial capacity.

While I don't really think Marijuana should be legalized, if we take a look at our ever growing neighbor, Canada. They've decriminalized Marijuana. And from what I've seen/heard from people that I know that live in Canada, it really hasn't made an effect on the number of people that smoke it. So I'm all for decriminalizing Marijuana in America, though very unlikely.

Alchohol and Tobacco. Well, I don't drink much, but I smoke cigarettes almost every day. I'm not really addicted and I plan to quit that here pretty soon as well. I imagine that in the long run Tobacco probably hurts you more than Marijuana. To my understanding, one hit from a joint of Marijuana is equivelant to four cigarettes at once. As for alchohol, well that's just a party thing here. And a lot of people are smart enough not to drive when drunk. I've been to parties, been wasted, high, sober. It's all great fun until you hit bottom, and then you realize you can't go any lower. That's when you know what you have to do, and when you have to do it.

All of the above can be great and such, but you have to do them smartely.


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Prying open my third eye.

Insider...in law there's only two sides to the coin...you're for decriminalisation, yet you're not for legalisation? How can that be...when you decriminalise something it becomes legal, so since you're against one and not the other you're all for the vanishing of all weed everywhere?

Decriminalizing something doesn't automatically make it legal. To my understanding in Canada it's still illegal to sell it, but you can't get in trouble if you only possess a small amount outside of the home. I think you can grow it there as well. I'm not entirely sure of this, we'll wait until Synax finds his way to this thread.

[This message has been edited by InSiDeR (edited 10-12-2003).]

All it means .... is that possession for personal use is no longer a 'criminal' offence.

If you're caught you'll still be charged... you will go through the 'system'... but will most likely come out of it with a 'fine'.... you will not however end up with a 'criminal record.' It is still 'illegal' to possess AND grow AND sell.

What is often referred to as 'simple possession' has been removed from a long list of 'criminal offences.'



[This message has been edited by NoJive (edited 10-13-2003).]

InSiDeR: Your mother would be so proud to read that - I do hope your studies aren't suffering (as far as I'm concerned you can do what you like to yourself but you will kick yourself if you let that kind of thing slip). Oh and this:

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I smoke cigarettes almost every day. I'm not really addicted and I plan to quit that here pretty soon as well.

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Oddly enough I have friends who have been saying the same thing on and off for 15 years since they were your age - I know 'recovered' heroin addicts who reckon that it is the cigarettes that are hardest to kick. Good luck but...........

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Emps

The Emperor dot org

Well thanks for the encouragement Emps. I'm sure that's definitely the kind of thing I need to hear... Truth...

[This message has been edited by InSiDeR (edited 10-13-2003).]

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Insider: I'm not really addicted and I plan to quit that here pretty soon as well.

Emps: I have friends who have been saying the same thing on and off for 15 years since they were your age

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yeah, i know i've been sayin that for about 15 years now.... but i *can* quit...any time i wanna. i just don't happen to wanna

alaska just had a ruling on personal possession:

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"Alaska citizens have the right to possess less than four ounces of marijuana in their home for personal use." - Alaska Court of Appeals, Noy v. State, August 29, 2003

The Alaska Court of Appeals ruled August 29 that Alaska residents may possess up to four ounces of marijuana in their own homes without any criminal or civil penalty. The ruling, which cites a 1975 Alaska Supreme Court finding that the Alaska constitution's privacy provisions protect the personal possession and use of marijuana in the home, once again makes Alaska the only state in the country with legal marijuana in the home. ( After the 1975 Ravin v. Alaska decision, the Alaska legislature eventually removed criminal penalties for possession of less than four ounces, but a 1990 voter initiative cheerlead by then drug czar William Bennett recriminalized simple pot possession. It has taken until now for the appeals courts to rule on a case that challenged the constitutionality of the 1990 vote. )

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i'm all for it being made legal. make it legal then tax the shit out of it just like they do on alcohol and tobacco.

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Cell 1007::

Legalizing weed, will keep more minors busy wasiting money on shit like that,

more and more people will be interested in trying out this crap, and possibly more will start consuming it like tobacco...bringing whole bunch of other problems

I don't see the point in taking that stuff in the first place. They know it's going to destroy them, so why do it?

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They know it's going to destroy them, so why do it?

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RN3: It's statements like this that setback efforts to stop people from toking up in the first place.

It's statements like that which also simply add to the heaps of ignorance on both sides of this issue.

I've seen marijuana turn people into blithering idiots.

I've seen it help make people productive members of society.

I've seen it lead to stronger drug use, and I've seen people go there whole life smoking pot and not doing any other kind of drug.

It's more a matter of the person than the drug...

^ Poorly worded on my part...that's pretty much what I meant. It's one of those 'You'll go blind' .

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I'm not entirely sure of this, we'll wait until Synax finds his way to this thread.

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Exactly what is that supposed to mean?

^ That you may have more information on the situation in Canada. At least that's how I read it.

And to over simplify what has transpired in Canada..

Simple possession has been moved from a Criminal Law offence to a civil law offence.

Synax I hope you didn't take that the wrong way. I just meant it as you being our local teenage (at least I think you're still 19) Canadian .

Alrighty folks. Instead of taking all this negative energy as a large flame... I'm going to take it as eager concern. After I finish these last 10 cigs over the course of probably 2 days, I'm going to attempt to quit smoking. I want to see how long I can go before I desperately need a cigarette. I'll keep you all posted.

I hope I didn't take this thread out of context.

my opinion: drinking is worse than smoking weed, so i think it wouldn't be that bad

i know it has been a while since i posted about this.

I am a smoker of weed yes, but does it afeect my studies? Yes it does. I smoked only on weekend during the first six weeks of this school year and didnt do as well as i would have wished. Five As and one B. Yeah my grades were affected by it but then during the next six i smoke during the week and i made all As. I know some of you may see that as nothing but i see it as a sign. I will continue to smoke during the week, albeit only a little, but i will still smoke till it starts affecting me in a bad way.

I feel that is you just decriminalized it know one would make money, seeing as a person can grow weed almost anywhere, i wouldnt have to buy weed from a major company. Logically, that can be used as a concrete argument towrds why it is illegal.

If know one can make money off weed, then the government couldnt successfully tax it. If the government aint make money off it, then it's illegal.

Now something i find funny is why the feds dont jail cows for the production of psychadelic mushrooms, when shrooms are illegal. They done crazier, why not add to the big pile of bull shit.

You cant arrest mother nature, you can fight it, but you wont win. It is a stupid battle to wage and it waste money that could go to other things.

What makes a person addicted to drugs a criminal, when it isa biological affect on the person, shouldnt they be hospitalized, not punished? You know you got to be real sadistic to put a sick person in jail and think that that will help them.

I dont know about you but sentencing a cancer patient to prison time instead of helping them with their problem seems a little twisted.


Cell 650

Patrick:

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Now something i find funny is why the feds dont jail cows for the production of psychadelic mushrooms

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I didn't realise they did but it appears Gary Larson was right to be suspicious of them all along

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Emps

The Emperor dot org

Patrick - while I am not against smoking marijuana, your post makes a *HUGE* argument against drug use of any kind.

The total lack of logic, grammar, or general coherance totally nullifies any point you might have actually had....

("might" being the key word....)