posted
The reason it's illegal in the first place? Hemp threatened the timber industry since it is a far superior product. In fact, the first two copies of the declaration of independence are written on hemp and they have yet to yellow and distort. So the government took it upon themselves to launch a smear campaign against hemp and marijuana.
Personally I have smoked pot since I was 13. I suffer from several spinal conditions and have had several surgeries. So up here in Canada, BC particularly, I am prescribed by my physician to marijuana. Some days I can't physically move without it and unlike the heavy narcotics I was given in the past, I am still functional and able to eat.
I can see some peoples problems with the counterculture and stigmas that go along with marijuana. I'm not a huge fan of it either as I feel it does damage to the serious medicinal side of things. However, beer and cigarettes used to be advertised everywhere and beer shirts and hats are still everywhere. Same thing.
The thing is, should it be legal just isn't an easy question. You have to look into the societal issues in more depth. The bottom line, however, is prohibition and incarceration does not work, at all. Prohibition does one thing and that's put the use of drugs and monies from drugs into the hands of criminals. People are incarcerated for drug crimes where they go to jail and continue to use and are exposed to real criminals.
Take Amsterdam into consideration, statistics have shown that complete legalization of all drugs allows for more funding into education and rehabilitation. Also, since children are educated on drugs from an early age with the facts rather than propaganda, the rates in which children use are far lower than in the US/Canada.
Tobacco kills more people in a year then all other drugs and accidents combined and it's legal, 1.5 million annually globally. There is not one medical use for either tobacco or alcohol and they are by far the most destructive drugs available. So yes, marijuana and all other drugs should be legal. People gonna get fucked up, one way or another. Trying to fight this blatant fact only leads to shitty cheap drugs like meth.
-------------------- Never be bought, never be sold... Posts: 143 | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
Yes it should be legal. Cigarettes are legal. And they allow all the old fucks at my job to take "special" breaks outside of regularly scheduled breaks to smoke. Its the biggest crock of shit I've ever seen before...you would think its crack. I smoked alot of weed in my life, and never did I want to smoke again in an hour or 2 or 3 or 4 or 8. Plus back in the day before it was illegal, in the military people smoked before flights, smoked while in the trenches during wars, even the people who worked on planes smoked. And yet in still we kicked ass for the most part anyway(excluding vietnam)...
-------------------- Hip Hop since 1978; Foot fetish since 1981 Posts: 382 | Registered: Mar 2007
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posted
Hey.. back in the 80's, everybody was doin it... KH...
I think they should legalize it. I look at it like this, its no different than coming home & drinking, I prefer smoking, it eases my mind from a hard, stressful day, & I'm relaxed. I've never been one to try different drugs, for me weed was all I wanted to do.. Hell, if they do, maybe it might help bring up the economy, LOL...
For those who love Barry and big government, you probably won't get this.
To decriminalize pot would mean that there are no penalties for its possession and use. It would still not be without consequence as there are laws that cover Driving While Intoxicated but that's rather a side issue.
(Marijuana is an intoxicant and therefore is a drug - for those who use the argument that it is not a drug. For those who say it is "natural", I suppose that you're right...arsenic, cyanide, and snake venom are also "natural" - any of these good for you?)
To legalize it would open up a can of worms that nobody wants. Once legalized, the government seizes control over its production, sale, and use. It will be taxed like crazy, only "government approved" entities will be permitted to grow it and process it. You think that growing your own carries consequences now? Wait until the government has its hooks in it - you'll be intruding on another source of "revenue" for the government. Look at what happens to moonshiners - and that's been going on for nearly a century.
It is no secret that I distrust and despise the over-reaching of our federal government and its deep intrusion into our everyday lives. Though I haven't touched it in years, I have little problem with pot and its use. I simply don't want to hand over yet one more thing to governmental regulation.
I'll address some fallacies while I'm at it. This crap about marijuana's efficacy as a treatment for ailments such as asthma and glaucoma is based on hideously bad science. The studies that are often cited were uncontrolled, not reproduced by other credible scientists/physicians and were often promoted for the sensationalism and not peer-reviewed. Sadly, the hundreds of studies that showed opposite results are never mentioned in the mainstream (it doesn't sell papers and they tell us what we, with any common sense, already know).
Every vice has its price. Yep, booze & smokes are bad for you; likewise, pot does in fact do physical damage. Apart from the fact that it contains many of the same carcinogens as tobacco and in greater abundance, marijuana does do brain damage. I was part of a well controlled experiment that involved a number of colleges and universities - the results of which I only learned later - that introduced marijuana to a variety of animals. Long story made shorter, the results revealed that regular use not only affected behavior and cognitive function (some individuals fared better than others) but there was a measurable shrinking of the axons of brain cells (this means the gap at the synapse grew larger making communication between cells more difficult). It wasn't a glamorous study, just a good one.
Again, I have no horse in this race. Just wanted to share some thoughts.
I am prepared...take me to task.
Posts: 5067 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Toetapper, I am with you on every point. Most of the smokers I know have major memory problems,Bi-Polarism when off the substance for a length of time, and to an extent impaired muscle and motor skills making them vulnerable to mistakes and accidents when working or driving.
It's the subtleties I notice about them that they do not see, even if they claim Weed makes them "better" at doing what they do {yeah right}, more focused maybe for the 10 mins you are high but the long term effects on the brain aren't good from what I notice from a random sampling of people with different intakes of this drug throughout the day. Decriminalize, not legalize.
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Join thousands of our fans on Twitter @Norcalfeetdotco Posts: 18305 | Registered: Apr 2003
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It coulllllld be argued that government regulation could be the safer way though.
Considering screening processes for purity/potency, the removal of "the middleman" who would likely supply other more harmful and infinitely more addictive substances and...well let's be honest, it would produce a shitload of tax revenue which the government would, hopefully (yeah, I know) put towards healthcare.
I mean I won't have a shit-fit if recreational use isn't legalised, but I think it's absolutely outrageous that medicinal cannabis use is illegal for the most part.
I'll just address "This crap about marijuana's efficacy as a treatment for ailments such as asthma and glaucoma is based on hideously bad science."
Have you any citations for this? I'm willing to believe you, but I need a little more proof than an anonymous post from an individual with personal bias.
It could well be argued that due to it being illegal, no effective lab tests could be undertaken leaving us in a catch-22.
posted
Everything being done to legalize or medicalize weed is just a cop out to get high. Why lie? It's like throwing a sheet over the 500 lb. gorilla in the room and telling yourself it isn't there. I'd like to see reports where it actually cured Cancer or Glaucoma.
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Join thousands of our fans on Twitter @Norcalfeetdotco Posts: 18305 | Registered: Apr 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Wrinklesguy: a in the room and telling yourself it isn't there. I'd like to see reports where it actually cured Cancer or Glaucoma.
The link above would be a good start.
I touched on what you're talking about wanting to see reports on its medicinal uses in saying because it's an illegal substance it's hard-near impossible getting permission to test it for conclusive results.
The US government (as I'm sure would be the only one you're really interested in) has in fact admitted that there are medicinal applications for cannabis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x-3-5P-z24 under the Reagan administration I believe.
Here's a link to some findings (hard to find as the government themselves didn't follow up with any tests to any reasonable degree):
quote:The study, published in 2002, found, "Results demonstrate clinical effectiveness [of marijuana] in these patients in treating glaucoma, chronic musculoskeletal pain, spasm and nausea, and spasticity of multiple sclerosis. All 4 patients are stable with respect to their chronic conditions, and are taking many fewer standard pharmaceuticals than previously." The only meaningful side effect noted was "mild changes in pulmonary function" in two of the patients -- not surprising, given that investigators found the government's marijuana to be a "crude, low-grade product."
In testimony before the Illinois state legislature two years ago, Rosenfeld called himself "living proof that [marijuana] works well. I'm also living proof that the government doesn't want to know how well it works. If they want to do research, all they have to do is contact me."
Federal officials claim they have no bias against medical marijuana research. The government has indeed allowed a handful of small pilot studies to proceed, and the ones published so far have consistently found marijuana to be safe and effective at relieving symptoms such as pain and appetite loss.
quote:Originally posted by Wrinklesguy: Everything being done to legalize or medicalize weed is just a cop out to get high.
I'd half-agree with you on that, but legalising for medicinal reasons is a completely different argument from legalising for recreation. As I said, I won't cry if recreational use isn't legalised - I haven't touched the stuff in a good 5 years. But not even researching the possibility of it being a medically useful substance given a fair bit of "unsanctioned" evidence is just asinine.
posted
It's a placebo, no more...no less. So in other words, if it makes you sleep better at night then I guess it's up to you. To "treat" medical illnesses is different than "curing" illnesses and 2 totally different things.
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Join thousands of our fans on Twitter @Norcalfeetdotco Posts: 18305 | Registered: Apr 2003
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