Should weed be legalized?

[Fez]

i think its reatarded that in many states of the U.S. it is illegal to smoke weed.
marijuana has been proven to be a lot less dangerous the alcohol. And it isnt physically addicting like cigarettes are. Cigs have nicotine, marijuana doesnt have nicotine.
its expensive shit, i agree. but getting arrested for it while you payed like $300 bucks for an ounce. thats ridiculous. you dont even get your money back. screw the money. what about the rest you haven't smoked yet?
I mean seriusly who would you rather see in jail? A child murderer that made the lives of many families miserable.. or a pothead that did nothing but just sit there and smoke some plant, that caused no harm to any other living thing?
or ask a cop who they rather deal with. this dipsomaniac with atleast an 8.7 alcohol level all crazy and uncontrollable or the pothead. whos just all high.. and can't even stand up straight.
your rights should end when it envolves messing with someone else's lives. but smoking weed wont bother anyone else. then why prohibit it?:gtfo:

[Shane]

It's ruined my brother's life so no. I don't think it should be legalised. It's just stupid.

[Innamorata]

No, I don't want people smoking around me.

[lucille]

I think it should be legalised, not just because I enjoy it but then they'd have the chance to put an age restriction on it. Loads of minors start smoking weed because they know they won't get ided, and end up getting themselves in dangerous situations from drug dealers. I also know from experience that drug dealers take advantage of young kids and gradually get them on stronger stuff like coke, which wouldn't happen so much if weed was legal. Also, the government could control what goes into it, because the stuff you get from dealers is sprayed with fibreglass. It could also stop so many people from smoking skunk, which is stronger and much more dangerous.

[fraggled]

Marijuana is physically addicting, it does have WORSE effects then Cigarettes and in actuality there are very few true studies on it because most Marijuana users don't enter into rehab.

[lucille]

Yeah to be fair four spliffs is the equivelant of smoking a twenty pack of cigarettes. But it is no worse than alcohol and much safer if legal.

[neb]

Lazyboy said it best really..


Why is marijuana not legal? Why is marijuana not legal?
It's a natural plant that grows in the dirt.
Do you know what's not natural?
80 year old dudes with hard-ons. That's not natural.
But we got pills for that.
We're dedicating all our medical resources to keeping the old guys erect,
but we're putting people in jail for something that grows in the dirt?

You know we have more prescription drugs now.
Every commercial that comes on TV is a prescription drug ad.
I can't watch TV for four minutes without thinking I have five serious diseases.
Like: "Do you ever wake up tired in the morning?"
Oh my god I have this, write this down. Whatever it is, I have it.
Half the time I don't even know what the commercial is:
people running in fields or flying kites or swimming in the ocean.
I'm like that is the greatest disease ever. How do you get that?
That disease comes with a hot chick and a puppy.

[Fez]

It's ruined my brother's life so no. I don't think it should be legalised. It's just stupid.

mind if i ask how?

[xMissIzzyx]

I've known Danny for ages n can understand why Shane would think that tbh.

I think weed should be legalized cos of everything peach said. It's not healthy n stuff but then my mother smokes more than twenty fags a day. I enjoy it n I won't deny that but a lot of kids get themselves in stupid situations with dealers etc, and get in with dangerous groups of people who won't do them any good.

Plus there's harsher stuff such as skunk etc, which peach also mentioned, n fucking fibreglass, that's just ridiculous. My ex got some weed which was laced with coke and fuck knows what else but he went fucking crazy on the shit.

I dunno tbh, I think it'll take a long time and a lot of persuasion to make it become legal. It might help get kids off it though because they never get questioned, a lot of them do it secret and if age restrictions were applied and it became legal, kids would lose interest.

[Kerry]

No way, I think it's just gonna get people into trouble and hooked. I think people should take care of themselves more and the more drugs illegal the better. :)

[Forumfavorite]

Let point something out. If it's illegal, it's probably illegal for a good reason. If it was good for you it would be legal. No it should not. I've seen how weed affects people and it is not good. It also smells gross.

[lucille]

Let point something out. If it's illegal, it's probably illegal for a good reason. If it was good for you it would be legal. No it should not. I've seen how weed affects people and it is not good. It also smells gross.

Is alcohol good for you? No. Is it legal? Yes.

What about cigarettes, fast food, painkillers?

That's incredibly ignorant.

[Fez]

No No No No No!!! >_<
weed thay let it be legalized.
in some states its already legal... screw florida

[arcticbliss]

I am not a weed smoker at all.

But I think it should be legalized as it is less harmful than cigerettes.

Just my two cents.

[fraggled]

Is alcohol good for you? No. Is it legal? Yes.

What about cigarettes, fast food, painkillers?

That's incredibly ignorant.
Its only legal in certain quantities though, there is a scope of definition for Alcohal here in the U.S. But you are right because that scope only applies to public situations and not on your own property. Pain Killers over a certain level are illegal here, Tylenol III is a prescription and its one of the most prescribed low level Pain Killers around. Fast food is steadily starting to get against the law, they enacted certain laws in New York that prevented certain kinds of fat known to cause heart problems in fast foods. Not to mention they are starting to ban words that cause racial issues and in Michigan to help stop smoking and pay for "rehab" for smokers they raised the tax of cigarettes to I think it was close to %50 I was paying almost 8 bucks a pack when I lived in Michigan.

[Gardens]

there has been very few studies on it, but one of them proved that marijuana infact kills off cancer cells. And another thing. People dont make weed in a factory or go buy OTC drugs to cook it up in their basement. Its natural. The side effects of man-made perscription medications are sometimes far worse than the effects of Smoking weed. And im in total agreement with BiteThePeach. If we made it legal, there can be age restrictions. With it being illegal, anyone can do it whenever. My parents did it, and said i couldnt. I found that hypocritical being theres no age limit on it. And also it being illegal. And Hell, the govnt would make a killing off the taxes.

The only reason that its not legal is because the govnt is afraid the mindless people that work for a living and pay taxes will start smoking weed and get lazy and not work anymore. Hence, the government loses money. So, is it for your health that they make it illegal? Surely not. Alcohol and cigarettes are legal. And alcohol, which in my opinion is the worst, is advertised on TV. So obviously they dont care if they are advertising alcohol use and killing your liver. (or potentially someone else)

[NewAbortion]

I thoroughly support pot being legalized (or weed, whatever you want to call it). While I realize it's not healthy, so is pretty much everything we do, so, yeah, that doesn't mean anything.

Also, I don't agree with those that claim it has even the slightest addictive quality. However, even if I did, alcohol and cigarettes are probably much more addictive and still legal.

I see no reason to keep it illegal, really. There's the argument that it's a "gateway drug", but that's because of people's stupidity, not because of the pot itself.

It's ruined my brother's life so no. I don't think it should be legalised. It's just stupid.Your brother ruined his life, not pot. My brother is a pothead and has been for years, but he's doing rather well for himself and hasn't let it greatly affect his life.

Besides, alcohol, gambling, smoking, etc. "ruins" people's lives, too, but only if they're stupid enough to let it do so.

~Maggot

[Forumfavorite]

Is alcohol good for you? No. Is it legal? Yes.

What about cigarettes, fast food, painkillers?

That's incredibly ignorant.

yeah? ok. That's my belief. you don''t have to go by it.

[NewAbortion]

yeah? ok. That's my belief. you don''t have to go by it.This is a debate thread. If you're going to bitch and whine about people challenging your beliefs, don't post here. Hokay? Hokay.

~Maggot

[Forumfavorite]

look I'm not "bitching" I'm explaining what I believe in.

I know this is a debate. I'm not blind

I think weed should be illegal because I know people who flunk out of high school cause of it and get suspended.

[NewAbortion]

look I'm not "bitching" I'm explaining what I believe in.

I know this is a debate. I'm not blind

I think weed should be illegal because I know people who flunk out of high school cause of it and get suspended.You're complaining about bitethepeach challenging your beliefs and just saying, 'well, they're my beliefs.' Yeah, we gathered that, considering you posted it. Be ready to defend them.

People don't flunk out of high school because of pot; they flunk out because they just don't give a damn. It has nothing to do with pot, people just like to assume it does because that's what we get shoved down our throats by the authorities.

~Maggot

[fraggled]

there has been very few studies on it, but one of them proved that marijuana infact kills off cancer cells. And another thing. People dont make weed in a factory or go buy OTC drugs to cook it up in their basement. Its natural. The side effects of man-made perscription medications are sometimes far worse than the effects of Smoking weed. And im in total agreement with BiteThePeach. If we made it legal, there can be age restrictions. With it being illegal, anyone can do it whenever. My parents did it, and said i couldnt. I found that hypocritical being theres no age limit on it. And also it being illegal. And Hell, the govnt would make a killing off the taxes.

The only reason that its not legal is because the govnt is afraid the mindless people that work for a living and pay taxes will start smoking weed and get lazy and not work anymore. Hence, the government loses money. So, is it for your health that they make it illegal? Surely not. Alcohol and cigarettes are legal. And alcohol, which in my opinion is the worst, is advertised on TV. So obviously they dont care if they are advertising alcohol use and killing your liver. (or potentially someone else)
I think you are rather confused, it does NOT kill cancer cells, in fact it does cause cancer but it does NOT cause Lung Cancer they believe, they have stated that this study is insufficient as far as lung cancer is concerned, as well they have stated that there is no increased effect over cigarettes in causing other types of cancer besides lung cancer, and it helps kill aging cells (because of the THC) which prevents them from becomming cancerous. This is not preventing cancer because its already been proven that only 1 out of 10 people will get cancer from aging cells, thats a really low percentage. As well, if it doesn't exist you can't prevent it, they have done little studies on that, this information was aquired by a much larger study, they are currently going to look into doing a full term study on Lung Cancer and Aging cells with Marijuana to prove and backup the data before people get more mislead then they already are. Again, I state, it does not prevent cancer, it does not kill cancer it just doesnt have any more effects then cigarettes and the THC helps you as you get older, but hell we can Isolate THC so what would you say then?

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/05/26/MNGAKJ2S481.DTL&type=science

[Paideia]

I personally never got into the whole drug scene (I didn't even know the term 'cannabis' until last year) but I know a lot of rich-daddy-pays-for-everything teens down in SoCal who go clubbing every day in LA and who have drug-themed parties and who are now total addicts. Laws never restrict their habits because their families are in positions of power and wealth...

As long as they do drugs in the privacy of their own place, so as to prevent it being exposed to other involuntary smokers, then I don't see why it shouldn't become legalized. It's their choice if they want to risk knocking a few years (or several) off of their lives; it will help the issue of overpopulation in this world.

Then again, if drugs were legalized, then there would be less fines for those preposterous imbeciles (no offense) who spend their money on weed and pot. Over 50% of the population in sub-saharan Africa is living on less than $1 per day and what is money being used for in more privileged areas?

[iaxa]

i couldnt care less. i rather enjoy watch the stoned dumb arses getting busted. but i hate the shit.

[sarahgirl_88]

ok in someways i think it should be legalized because.. well in the US although it is a Federal Law, not a State Law The Government can Tax it. Teens want the weed because it is Illegal. In Amsterdam, weed is legal. Not everyone does it there. We have more people who do it here than there. I believe the reason is because it is Illegal, we as people tend to want what we cant have. It can be taxed and you should be a certain age. take the money away from the Dealers! the government can use the taxes to fix schools, roads and such.

On the Flip. it shouldnt because it hurts people and it kills people and it ruins relationships and ruins lives!

[Fez]

dude the cannabis grows almost everywhere in the United States. thats why its most common here.
its kind of rare to find someone who doesn't do Mary Jane in the US. illegalizing isn't really doin anything to stop people from doin it

[sarahgirl_88]

dude the cannabis grows almost everywhere in the United States. thats why its most common here.
its kind of rare to find someone who doesn't do Mary Jane in the US. illegalizing isn't really doin anything to stop people from doin it

i agree. lol but actually i dont do mj. never have..
doesnt draw my attention
although my girlfriend did kush and it nearly killed her cuz of the LSD in it. i was on the phone wit her while she was on it she couldnt breath n she was crying n starting 2 lose it.. i was scared for her n cryin myself cuz i wasnt there i was calmin her down..

[Kate]

Stuff smells rather nice actually.

Are we talking about 14 year old Danny, Danny i've met?

[iaxa]

mmm i dont know about this. plenty of people smoke it. but over in australia normal smokes are pretty much banned in public areas so meh.

[Fez]

Stuff smells rather nice actually.

Are we talking about 14 year old Danny, Danny i've met?

danny?
i dont think anyones talking about a danny here..

[Kate]

Shanes brother.

[Deimos]

Drugs = Bad.

Whee.

[tvcokecan]

but lets face it... they damage peoples lives and I speak from what has happened in my life, they are not something that you want a whole nation doing. However that in no way means I don't think some drugs should not be illegal. Marijuana in my view has been proved over and over again not to seriously damage life and I am not going to go out on a wim and say I have not done it, afterall I am a 17 year old working class teenager. Marijuana should be sold with slighty more rules than Tabacco is sold at the moment, making sure that people who do it know what it does and how it effects you, and indeed it should be explained at a school level. It however does bring the problamatic issue of where would the British people get it from? Simply it would need to be controled in a way that the people who make profit are not the same people who are producing guns and selling women. It is one of the many problems which Britain will need to look at, however if controlled and worked into the country in such a way that it helps those not on it

[g36calex]

I didn read anyhting in this post but just saying if weed were legalized Kurt Cobain would come back from the dead so yes legalize it!!!!!

[Leon]

I didn read anyhting in this post but just saying if weed were legalized Kurt Cobain would come back from the dead so yes legalize it!!!!!Then within a week die of drug abuse.

[Daniella™]

no it's still not good for you no matter how much "better" for you it is than alcohol, in my opinion nobody should be smoking or even drinking for that matter.

[Fez]

Then within a week die of drug abuse.

haha lol. but false.. unless there was an accident in which you get run over by a car cuz your reflexes and thinking slowed down..

[Sweetest.x.Sin]

Me not smoking drugs or drinking or anything of a sort and how I never plan to as of right now, I don't do it so it wouldn't matter for me so I couldn't care less.
But I think for other people who are addicted to it, sure, it should be legalized. There's nothing wrong with smoking a joint here and there, and people are just going to do it anyways so it doesn't matter.

[lucille]

I don't think it should be whether smoking is 'good' or 'bad'. Its the reality that most people do it regardless of whether it is legal or not, but at least acknowledging the huge numbers of people who smoke weed will help make it a safer habit, because people aren't just going to quit. All that legalising weed will do is help prevent so many young kids begin smoking, as an alternative to alcohol, as there would be an age limit. But it does seem like a strange time to discontinue the ban, as the public smoking ban just comes in.

[Shakedown]

Read up on the facts artards, Marijuana itself in its pure form has NO chance of creating a physical dependance, it is the nicotine that most people use in their joints that CAN get people hooked! As for mental addictions, this can only be achieved when their is higher than a 9:1 ratio of ganja in the joint, and even iin this extremely rare instance it only occurs in 10% of people...also there are no long term side effects!

[fraggled]

Read up on the facts artards, Marijuana itself in its pure form has NO chance of creating a physical dependance, it is the nicotine that most people use in their joints that CAN get people hooked! As for mental addictions, this can only be achieved when their is higher than a 9:1 ratio of ganja in the joint, and even iin this extremely rare instance it only occurs in 10% of people...also there are no long term side effects!


You sir are a fucking moron, when you can get your facts straight, I will continue to refute everything you say above letting you know you are a moron.

[lucille]

Read up on the facts artards, Marijuana itself in its pure form has NO chance of creating a physical dependance, it is the nicotine that most people use in their joints that CAN get people hooked! As for mental addictions, this can only be achieved when their is higher than a 9:1 ratio of ganja in the joint, and even iin this extremely rare instance it only occurs in 10% of people...also there are no long term side effects!

I actually know three people who have developed psychosis because of smoking weed. But legalising weed could mean that a lot more people will smoke marijuana in its pure form which is a hell of a lot safer than smoking the skunk sprayed with fibreglass that is fucking people up. There are long term side effects though, my mum herself admits that her memory is terrible because she smoked so much weed as a teenager.

[michelle]

No way should it be made legal, its ruined people's life. Its been made illegal for a reason it should stay that way.

[Shakedown]

Key point being that the side effects etc are not developed when it is 'in its purest form', if we are talking about sopebar or with like fucking pesticides or something on it then thats a different story. Also dont call me a moron if you arent going to put up any facts of your own, retard.

[fraggled]

I suggest you do your research better, there are more and more studies every day ;)

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro05/web3/emadresh.html

[Shakedown]

<sigh> yeah there are more and more studies everyday i agree and thanks for the link by the way...although i cant actually give you a link i had to do stuff on this for some retarded 'coolschools' survey......'Chances of Getting Hooked on Cannabis
There is some, yet limited psychological dependence with cannabis (where there is a desire to keep taking the drug even in spite of possible harms however these do not tend to derive from the purest form of the narcotic itself) and this occurs in about 10% of users. There are no physical withdrawal symptoms from cannabis use.
If you've only been using for a short while there should be no problem stopping but with continued regular use of cannabis, this can become more difficult due to heightened risk of getting addicted to nicotine if you roll your spliffs with tobacco.

Back to the actual question itself though and i do believe that marijuana should be legalised as it is a persons own legal right to (go about their business for want of a better phrase) and do as they like as long as it is not negatively effecting others. This does however discount the emotional trauma for families etc however i still believe that if alcohol and nicotine are legal its sort of choosy to prevent marijuana usage

[Sleepy]

I don't really care as I don't smoke pot. But I mean, that'd be weird if they legalized it. You'd turn on the tube and you'd see commercials for Royal Blunts or something, ahahah.

[lucille]

Could you imagine how amazing it would be if weed was legal instead of alcohol? There would be no fights on a Friday night, everyone would just laugh at each other and share cookies and shit.

[Fez]

Could you imagine how amazing it would be if weed was legal instead of alcohol? There would be no fights on a Friday night, everyone would just laugh at each other and share cookies and shit.

fuck no dude.
no bar fights. nothing interesting to keep going on

[fraggled]

Bar fights are crazy. Especially when they piss off the whole bar and even the not-so-drunk people are throwing down.

[Shakedown]

Bar fights should be a pre-arranged and televied event :P

[SolomonTB]

hahahaha...if weed was legalized I would be smoking that shit everyday when I get out of school. =]

so yes it should be.

[adam_smith]

nah im not to keen on getting it legalized it would just mess up everybody life and (if your live in england) where would you smoke it because im guessing that weed comes under the whole no smoking in public places thing

[God.]

No.

That was an intriguing debate.

[*Jess*]

Should it hell.
I remember everyone having a discussion about this in a chemistry lesson (my teacher never actually stayed on topic and taught, but would go off on one). People said that by legalising it it would reduce drug orientated crimes, yeah it would but it would increase the crimes committed by stoners whos self control has been flushed down the toilet.
It would also increase the dangers of our streets at night more so than they already were. And an increase in the amount of deaths from just taking the drugs which would make healthcare more expensive.
People always seem to think change in laws will create a better world but it would not. I wouldnt want my future children to grow up where I not only have to worry about them rotting their livers and lungs from binge drinking and smoking but their brains also rot from taking weed. The laws are always there for a reason.

[Anomie]

Let point something out. If it's illegal, it's probably illegal for a good reason. If it was good for you it would be legal. No it should not. I've seen how weed affects people and it is not good. It also smells gross.

Wait seriously? Ok, I know you're only 16, but really? You think the fact that marijuana is illegal has anything to do with whether or not it's good for you? If that were true, then there would be no double cheese burgers, venti caramel frapacinos, onion rings, milk shakes, cookies, or ding dongs. Honestly, think about all the crap an average American puts into their body on a daily basis. Think about all the drug ads on the TV now that say "take this pill for the rest of your life" and you'll be ok. Let's assume these new diseases and aliments are not fictional... don't you think the cause is probably linked to our diets. Cows and Chickens are pumped full of hormones and the vegetables are laced with pesticides. Don't even get me started on the air quality. So, we do all this to ourselves, and still marijuana is illegal? So, do you think it's worse to be high or drunk? I personally don't think there is a difference. I wish America would wake up and realize that the so called "war on drugs" was lost a long time ago. This country wastes millions (maybe billions) of dollars on fighting drugs to no avail. I'm not saying I have the answers, but clearly this hasn't worked. Perhaps if we stopped going after small time marijuana pushers and used that money for education, we might actually see a difference. I don't know... it's just a thought. Well, here is bit of history lesson for all of you. Way back when this land was first raped by Anglo settlers, the biggest cash crop was tobacco. Tobacco farmers saw hemp as a threat to their profits... let’s face it; hemp has way more use than tobacco. Hemp has been cultivated for thousands of years for non-drug uses. In fact, I think the Declaration of Independence was drafted on hemp paper (feel free to check that out). So, to eliminate that threat, hemp was outlawed. The US is the only country in the world that hemp is outlawed. So, I guess the US is right and everyone else is wrong, right? PLEASE DON'T BE NAÏVE!

sorry for the long post

[Bleeding-dagger]

sum1 in my class would say yes cuase he smokes weed.
i would say no.

[Anomie]

Oh, sorry... two more things. If marijuana was legalized, I highly (pun intended) doubt that there will be a greater influx of people smoking. It is so abundant easy to get, that if you want it you can easily get it. So, I don't know why people keep using that excuse that everyone will be high out of their minds and the society itself will cease to function. The legalization of weed will not lead to anarchy. Calm down! Maybe you should smoke a joint and relax. J/K And just in case you were wondering, I'm not a smoker. :-)

[lucille]

I don't get why people can't see that either way people are still going to smoke weed, but at least if its legalized we can put an age limit on the purchase of it and stop fucking 13 year old kids getting stoned.

But with the smoking ban I'd be incredibly suprised if that happened.

[Darts]

I think the only person who has put up a decent argument for the legalization is Lucille, but I still don't think it should be legal.

And just to clarify, alcohol is legal because it's a lot more physical than weed. Everyone knows exactly what damage it can do, and the only disorder that isnt entirely physical is plain alcoholism.

Weed fucks with your mind. It fucks up the neurotransmitters, therefore making you think differently. And if you smoke it you won't realise anyway because your actual cognitions themselves are affected by this. As peach mentioned too it can cause untold numbers of psychological disorders, and is more dangerous because we don't know exactly how these and smoking weed are related because psychological studies are a lot more difficult, mainly because cause and effect are sometimes even impossible to establish.

There are tonnes of disorders connected with smoking weed, like Schizophrenia for one. But it really does alter your personality and can make you far too laid back, and stop you being serious about things you really need to be serious about if you want to get anywhere in life.

Has no-one ever noticed how dope smokers seem to just drop out of society? Some make it to successful places in life but I've seen loads of people that haven't fulfilled their potential just because they'd rather chill out and smoke a J. And it really is that that causes it.

[lucille]

But the stuff most teenagers smoke today is usually skunk, which is a lot stronger than weed and has links to shizophrenia. At least this way people would know what they're smoking, and that its not sprayed with fibreglass or contains god knows what else.

[Gemrlou]

I enjoy smoking cannabis occasionally, like once a week or so. I think that if weed was legalised, and an age limit put on it like with alcohol and cigarettes, it would mean that the government would have more control over it than they do now, I mean I know 9 year olds that have smoked cannabis, and if it was legal, I doubt that would happen. Cannabis is legal in Amsterdam, and they have very strong differences between 'hard' and 'soft' drugs, which enables people to smoke weed, but they can't move onto harder drugs as easily. Amsterdam can only sell cannabis to over 18's and can only sell each person 5grams or under, I think that this is a really good idea, and should be adopted elsewhere. Just my opinion.
(the facts may be wrong, the internet lies)

[Anomie]

But the stuff most teenagers smoke today is usually skunk, which is a lot stronger than weed and has links to shizophrenia. At least this way people would know what they're smoking, and that its not sprayed with fibreglass or contains god knows what else.

totally agree with you... if you're going to do it, know what it is and where it comes from.

[-Michael-]

It's absolutely fucked up my girlfriends dad to the point where he has gone to rehab and nearly commited suicide because he has schitzophrenia (sp?).

Also making bad decisions while high and coming back down affect the whole family. I also have to give emotional support to Jessica because he does the weed (well, used to).

/rant.

[GordonC]

Those with mental disorders sure as hell shouldnt use it. Otherwise, I say yes legalize it. More research needs to be done on cancer causing effects as well as effects on the brain however.

Marijuana, as far as ive seen, will not ruin a life unless you are irresponsible with it, but that applys to everything.

Its a wonderful tool for those going through chemo... which would be kinda funny if it caused cancer.

As said before, marijuana may have more tar than the average ciggarrette.. but it also kills off those aging cells and will reduce tumor growth in the lungs. Even so, its best to use a vaporizer, which eliminates nearly all the carcinogens.

It may give a slightly increased chance of breast cancer, and may help prevent brain cancer.

And to the person who said it wouldnt be illegal without a good reason.. its illegal due to racism and ignorance, I dont believe thats a good reason.

[-Michael-]

Those with mental disorders sure as hell shouldnt use it.

Weed CAUSED it...

[Leon]

Those with mental disorders sure as hell shouldnt use it.

And to the person who said it wouldnt be illegal without a good reason.. its illegal due to racism and ignorance, I dont believe thats a good reason.And why not, do you have something against people with mental disorders as I take your attitude posting that as quite offensive.

No it isn't, it's illegal because of the effects it causes you idiot.

[lucille]

I just don't think saying its illegal for the effects is a good enough reason now we all know that many legal drugs are just as bad, even worse. You can't overdose on marijuana but you can overdose on ibuprofen bought in any newsagent or pharmacy, it just doesn't make sense.

[kaisernick]

And why not, do you have something against people with mental disorders as I take your attitude posting that as quite offensive.

No it isn't, it's illegal because of the effects it causes you idiot.
I dont think he has a problem with peopel who have mental disorders but depending on what disorder they have it can have really bad reactions to smoking it. I herd it can help with a illness, i cant remember what it was. It should be legal sure its bad for you but so are a lot of things plus the UK loves to tax things think of the money they would make if they put a tax on it.

[fraggled]

Are you really that ignorant thom-91? Do you have a brain?

[lucille]

yes it should, if cigarettes and alcohol are legal which kill thousands of people per year, then why isnt pot legal. Honestly how many people has pot killed, ZERO. If you get into a car accident while your high it doesnt even matter cause your only going like 10 km/h, unlike drinking and driving which get thousands of people killed.

You made a good point up until there.

You know its incredibly dangerous to drive too slowly as well? You can usually spot out a drunk driver because they're going so slow.

[VraiCanon]

I'm not a fan of weed myself but I still think it should be legalized so at least people will be smoking 'proper stuff' instead of some herbs or whatever the dealer gives them.
It hasn't been proven that weed leads to schizophrenia , I don't think. I thought that was skunk.
Weed isn't as dangerous as some people make it out to be anyway.
Then again, if it was legalized people would smoke it in public and I can't stand the smell - but ho hum, in general I think it would be for the best.

[Leon]

I still think it should be legalized so at least people will be smoking 'proper stuff' instead of some herbs or whatever the dealer gives them.Whatever they are given, it's their own fault for getting it off a dealer to be fair. Serves them right if they get something dodgy.

[lucille]

Whatever they are given, it's their own fault for getting it off a dealer to be fair. Serves them right if they get something dodgy.

Just because they like the occasional spliff doesn't mean they deserve to be smoking fibre glass, you wouldn't say that an underage drinker deserves to drink a glass of bleach instead of vodka. There is a huge difference between skunk and weed; most people I know are pretty aware of the dangers of skunk and never smoke it at all.

[fraggled]

I'm gonna buy some weed and mix it with dog shit and sell it as "uber skunk weed"

[Leon]

There is a huge difference between skunk and weed; most people I know are pretty aware of the dangers of skunk and never smoke it at all.Can you tell the difference between them before you smoke them?

If so then I stick with my previous statement.
If not, I guess if they only have the occasional one, but if they smoke regularly, I have no sympathy for them.

[lucille]

Some people can, but a lot of people can't.

Its just a fact that people are going to smoke weed whether it is legal or illegal, especially dumb kids and at least if its legalized it won't necessarily increase the amount of smokers, just control the nasty dangerous shit that can go into it.

[Fez]

yes it should, if cigarettes and alcohol are legal which kill thousands of people per year, then why isnt pot legal. Honestly how many people has pot killed, ZERO. If you get into a car accident while your high it doesnt even matter cause your only going like 10 km/h, unlike drinking and driving which get thousands of people killed.


you know you can also get a ticket for driving too slow in some roads right?

[fraggled]

Driving more then 15 miles slower or 5 miles faster on any marked road is cause for a ticket. Cops usually don't push it till 20 and 10.

[thom-91]

Are you really that ignorant thom-91? Do you have a brain?
lol obviously i was kidding about the driving high part

[thom-91]

yes it should, if cigarettes and alcohol are legal which kill thousands of people per year, then why isnt pot legal. Honestly how many people has pot killed, ZERO. Unless it was laced with another drug, and they had too much of it, but then it wasnt pot that killed them. There is also good things about it, for instance if someone is anorexic or has an eating disorder, they can smoke weed which will make them feel hungry, and there you go problem solved to ALL people with eating disorders. The THC (main thing in pot that gets you high), acaully reduces the chance of getting lung cancer, also great pain killer for people who have cancer. Marijuana is there for a reason, and its meant to be smoked, enjoyed, and help people with medical problems.

[Rob_Dob_89]

I don't know about you guys, but I find alcohol a much bigger problem than skunk.

[lucille]

Skunk is bad.

[thom-91]

why is skunk so bad? Isnt it just strong weed?

[ridiculous.]

I vote no. My sister knew a guy who smoked weed with his mom all the time and he's just so slow now. Weed screws up your brain. I've searched info on it. It sucks.

[Darkness]

lol obviously i was kidding about the driving high part
Good job covering up your own failure, faggot.

Personally, I think that weed should NOT be legalized, because it's known as a gateway drug. As a gateway drug, it'll most likely cause people to think, "Oh. Weed is legal. Why isn't cocaine? Or heroin?" Starting on something small (weed) will usually end up in using something much more stronger. Unless that persons will-power is well-developed, which is rarely the case.

Yes, I know a few people that smoke weed occasionally. They've told me that they've been using it for multiple years, and that it sort of opens a creative side in them.

With that said, I know more people that have used weed, gotten addicted, and then wrecked themselves by indulging in stronger drugs.

It's just a matter of self-control.

Also. If you say something like, "Only a straight-edge would think of something like that," let me tell you that I've tried weed and ecstasy. I was having a bad day when I used the weed; not feeling well when I took the X. Neither of them produced the desired effect. In fact, they both sucked. Therefore, I've been straight-edge ever since.

[lucille]

Its as much of a 'gateway' drug as alcohol is, the only reason people begin to experiment with stronger drugs is because they are associating themselves with drug dealers. If weed was legal, this wouldn't be an issue.

I don't think for one second that people would begin to question why heroin and cocaine are still illegal, I think anyone with half a brain can see that there is a huge difference between weed and heroin. A surprising amount of people smoke weed without spiralling into drug addiction, just as not every drinker becomes an alcoholic.

[Nirvana_rox]

we should all move to holland

[^*^*stacey*^*^]

as long as poeple dont smoking around me i dont seee why not and the face of that its Betta for you then speed or whatever :D


love stacey !!!!

[Nirvana_rox]

HOLLAND IS THE FUTURE!!!
oh yea

[Fez]

as long as poeple dont smoking around me i dont seee why not and the face of that its Betta for you then speed or whatever :D


love stacey !!!!

Them white boys got me on crystal meth one time! O:

[^*^*stacey*^*^]

Them white boys got me on crystal meth one time! O:


ok :S lol !!!!

[Nirvana_rox]

we want weed!
we want weed!

[Fez]

smoking may cause bladder cancer.. haha ahem.. o.O

[Jekyll-Hyde]

I voted for 'nah'.

Sure weed is perhaps less dangerous than alcohol but in the end, it still destroys people's lives and it's absolutely no fun being around people that smoke that stuff!

[tramp]

I believe marijuana should be legalized, but sold in government stores. Here's an interesting article on the economics of the subject: Click. (http://economics.about.com/od/incometaxestaxcuts/a/marijuana.htm)

[eukaryote]

I think it should be legalized for people who would use it for medical purposes (for example, I've heard it supposedly helps with cancer patients). But for your every day person, no.

[kralian_Wings]

Hell no!
What good will that do!?
It would only make it "ok" for people to get jacked up on drugs all the time..gees.

[Hells_Zargon]

No it shouldn't. If your argument is that cigarettes and alcohol kill many people each year, then why legalise another which could potentially kill or damage even more? No good could come of a legalisation.

Medicinal purposes with valid reason, that's perfectly fine.

[GemmaJamPot]

I originally said yes... but im not so sure... I kinda sit on the bench of this one...
X

[coolbreeze]

Personally, I think that weed should NOT be legalized, because it's known as a gateway drug. As a gateway drug, it'll most likely cause people to think, "Oh. Weed is legal. Why isn't cocaine? Or heroin?" Starting on something small (weed) will usually end up in using something much more stronger. Unless that persons will-power is well-developed, which is rarely the case.
I was about to say something like that. It's definitely a gate-way drug for a lot of people and I believe that if it is legalized then people will be thinking up of what is next to be legalized also, but there isn't really anything that I could think that is equivalent to weed because heroine and cocaine are pretty harsh drugs. However I don't know enough about drugs to think of another drug that could have the same side effects as marijuana.

Okay, so I had to do some of my own research because I have seen a lot of people putting up what they think are facts or from what they've heard.

There have been studies that it increases the risk of mental illnesses like psychosis, schizophrenia, stress, and depression. It also increases the risk of bullous lung disease, which is a type of blister on a lung. This is caused by inhaling the smoke and holding it in for a long time, which can even happen to people who smoke cigarettes, but they don't hold in the smoke like people who smoke weed. Those are proven facts. As for the increase in risk of cancer, that is still unsure. There's still an on-going debate whether it increases the risk of cancer or not. There is a more recent study from this year that it definitely does increase the chance of lung cancer, but that's for people who smoke either one joint a day for 10 years or 2 joints per day for 5 years.

As for addiction, I have found an article that points to yes it can be addictive and just as addictive as smoking cigarettes. However, I don't know if it's as addictive as cocaine and heroine, I would think not.

Before I even read about this information, from what I have heard there hasn't been enough studies on long-term users of cannabis. I imagine that people who smoke weed regularly have a greater chance of developing these medical problems, but doesn't that go the same for people who drink alcohol or smoke regularly? I think there needs to be more studies on people who smoke weed rarely, like once a year to a few times per month.

I think another problem is that most people aren't sure how everyone is affected by weed if it becomes legalized. Some people may smoke it once in a while and then there are others who do it multiple times everyday. However, if it becomes legalized how many people would actually do it? Would there be less or more? Since the temptation of doing something illegal is gone for some and then there are others who have always wanted to try, but it was illegal.

I don't know if I would want it to be legal or not. I point to no because it is a gateway drug, it does increase the risk of mental and physical side effects and it may possibly lead to another drug to be legalized. I point to yes because I do see how it is enjoyable and I don't think people who use the drug a few times a year will be have as much of an increase of risk of side effects. However, I don't trust that everyone will smoke weed at a recommended amount. There are going to be people who abuse weed as much as people abuse the amount of alcohol they are recommended to consume, so I can sort of agree with the

[zakarius]

It's ruined my brother's life so no. I don't think it should be legalised. It's just stupid.


lol far back quote there.. but sorry to hear that shane.. i knew of the situation with your brother but dont actually know alot =(

anyways my view on teh whole weed front is that even with upsetting examples such as well.. above that it should indeed be legalised taxed and the strains should be governmently controlled and sold kinda like alcohol..

this would A) stop people doing it coz it is "cool" and B) stop police wasting bare time tryin to catch some pothead who just fancies a spliff

i didnt read much of the thread before i replied but ive just gandered over the previous few posts and yes i do agree with it being a gateway drug.. *bows head in shame* but you cant just ban weed for that sole reason, its like banning people learning how to drive, just incase they hit someone once they have a car, yeh they mite try new drugs after weed, but with a sensible head you can see what is and what isnt a good idea, afterall this is what teenage years are for, experimanting and fukking your body up in many amusing ways either thru physical activities n messin about or through drugs.

about the mental side effects.. tbh i dont have much of an argument for that really, theres always a risk, theres a risk with almost any activity you do these days i suppose, tho long term effects do have side effects *bows head in shame* but this can be solved pretty easily by simple self control

and yeah i know i probably sound around 5 with this post looking at how the last poster has put forward his point, BUT im in a rush and i cant be bothered much with typing it all out in perfect english =)

hope its good nuff to undertstand.. im a lil high xD

[Teddy Bear]

I find it disturbing that the people that get the majority of votes in a country believe themselves to be smart enough to tell everyone else what they can and can't do. If people want to smoke weed they should be allowed to. People know that things like cigarettes and alcohol can be bad for you but they do it anyway, sure they should that's a choice they make and they have to live with it afterwards. I just hate people telling me what I can and can't do just too bad I live in a society where I'm not allowed to choose for myself but are given a set amount of choises to choose from instead to make it appear as if I really do have the freedom of choice.

[Tami]

hell no.
im glad its been re-classified in the uk

[Ed.]

I normally smoke skunk about 3 to 4 times a day, and to be honest, it's easier to get than booze. Although I have been caught with it a couple of times by police, if I am caught once more then I am being put in a cell. It's a fucking joke that booze is legal and the government put a tax on it, when people go out a smash the shit out of each other on it, but if every one went out on a night out and only smoked skunk, it would be a very chilled out and nice atmosphere. But tbh I don't give a shit if they legalize it or not, it's not going to stop me from being able to get it.

[Tami]

it wont stop anyone from getting it.
or wanting to get it
don't get me wrong i don't have anything against people who do do it,
i just wouldn't out of personal preference
i know people who have been majorly fucked up by drugs.
okay some people control their usage,
but even if the drug is not addictive
people start using it more and more to get the effects
it may as well be addictive.
the more you smoke the more you want to
...to be honest if someone is smoking weed around me i walk away
i dont want to be walking roud smelling it
i dont want the tiniest bit in my lungs
even passive smoking of weed can give you mental illnesses [okay you would have to be around it a lot but it can still hapen]
if we leagalised it you think people wont smoke it more.
you think parents will smoke outside their houses, no
they will smoke it in the house, children nearby, so the children ar inhaling it
the children may as well be smoking the joint with the parents
it is wrong
i think lots of people haven't smoked it coz they cant get hold of it
if they leagalised it and put taxes on it it would be available in asda ect.
you think more people wouldn't start smoking?

[Tommeh!!!]

I really think that it shouldnt be legalised, there are way too many implications with it being legal, taxing it would be a joke...you can just grow the stuff. Its smuggled anyway...it will still be smuggled if it were legal. I reckon it probably would cause more problems if it was more readily available.

The only thing i dont agree with regarding the law is the classification. It should be a class C in my opinion.

[kiahrose31]

personally, i dont think it should be. so many people have wrecked their lives using drugs and alcohol. legalising it will promote it as a "good" drug, when in actual fact there is no such thing.

[Wandering Soul]

I was about to say something like that. It's definitely a gate-way drug for a lot of people and I believe that if it is legalized then people will be thinking up of what is next to be legalized also, but there isn't really anything that I could think that is equivalent to weed because heroine and cocaine are pretty harsh drugs. However I don't know enough about drugs to think of another drug that could have the same side effects as marijuana.

Okay, so I had to do some of my own research because I have seen a lot of people putting up what they think are facts or from what they've heard.

There have been studies that it increases the risk of mental illnesses like psychosis, schizophrenia, stress, and depression. It also increases the risk of bullous lung disease, which is a type of blister on a lung. This is caused by inhaling the smoke and holding it in for a long time, which can even happen to people who smoke cigarettes, but they don't hold in the smoke like people who smoke weed. Those are proven facts. As for the increase in risk of cancer, that is still unsure. There's still an on-going debate whether it increases the risk of cancer or not. There is a more recent study from this year that it definitely does increase the chance of lung cancer, but that's for people who smoke either one joint a day for 10 years or 2 joints per day for 5 years.

As for addiction, I have found an article that points to yes it can be addictive and just as addictive as smoking cigarettes. However, I don't know if it's as addictive as cocaine and heroine, I would think not.

Before I even read about this information, from what I have heard there hasn't been enough studies on long-term users of cannabis. I imagine that people who smoke weed regularly have a greater chance of developing these medical problems, but doesn't that go the same for people who drink alcohol or smoke regularly? I think there needs to be more studies on people who smoke weed rarely, like once a year to a few times per month.

I think another problem is that most people aren't sure how everyone is affected by weed if it becomes legalized. Some people may smoke it once in a while and then there are others who do it multiple times everyday. However, if it becomes legalized how many people would actually do it? Would there be less or more? Since the temptation of doing something illegal is gone for some and then there are others who have always wanted to try, but it was illegal.

I don't know if I would want it to be legal or not. I point to no because it is a gateway drug, it does increase the risk of mental and physical side effects and it may possibly lead to another drug to be legalized. I point to yes because I do see how it is enjoyable and I don't think people who use the drug a few times a year will be have as much of an increase of risk of side effects. However, I don't trust that everyone will smoke weed at a recommended amount. There are going to be people who abuse weed as much as people abuse the amount of alcohol they are recommended to consume, so I can sort of agree with the


hah no. first off here is a study from 1992. 15 years after the "studies" you were talking about


THREE THINGS MARIJUANA DOESN'T DO from California NORML Reports, April 1992

(1) NO BRAIN DAMAGE SEEN IN MARIJUANA-EXPOSED MONKEYS

Two new scientific studies have failed to find evidence
of brain damage in monkeys exposed to marijuana, undercutting
claims that marijuana causes brain damage in humans.
The studies were conducted by two independent
research groups. The first, conducted by Dr. William Slikker,
Jr. and others at the National Center for Toxicological Research
in Arkansas examined some 64 rhesus monkeys, half of which
were exposed to daily or weekly doses of marijuana smoke for
a year. The other, by Gordon T. Pryor and Charles Rebert at SRI
International in Menlo Park, California, which is still
unpublished, looked at over 30 rhesus monkeys that had inhaled
marijuana one to three times a day over periods of 6 to 12
months. Neither study found evidence of structural or
neurochemical changes in the brains of the monkeys when
examined a few months after cessation of smoking.
The new results cast doubt on earlier studies
purporting to show brain damage in animals. The most famous
of these was a study by Dr. Robert Heath, who claimed to find
brain damage in three monkeys heavily exposed to cannabis.
Heath's results failed to win general acceptance in the
scientific community because of the small number of subjects,
questionable controls, and heavy doses.
Subsequent rat experiments by Dr. Slikker and others
reported persistent structural changes in the brain cells of
rats chronically exposed to THC. The studies did not show that
pot kills brain cells, as alleged by some pot critics, but they
did show degeneration of the nerve connections between brain
cells in the hippocampus, where THC is known to be active.
Although scientists have regarded the animal evidence
as inconclusive, some critics have cited it as proof that pot
causes brain damage in humans. Thus Andrew Mecca, the
director of California Department of Alcohol and Drug Abuse,
recently stated on the Ron Reagan, Jr. talk show (Sep. 2, 1991)
that marijuana "leaves a black protein substance in the
synaptic cleft" of brain cells, a claim apparently based on
Heath's monkeys. When asked by a NORML member for his
evidence, Mecca sent a list of three references, none of which
turned out to have anything to do with brain damage.
Although the new monkey studies found no physical
brain damage, they did observe behavioral changes from
marijuana. Slikker's group found that monkeys exposed once a
day to the human equivalent of four or five joints showed
persistent effects throughout the day. Slikker says that the
effects faded gradually after they were taken off marijuana,
and were not detectable seven months later, when they were
sacrificed. Autopsies did reveal lingering chemical changes in
the immune cells in the lungs of monkeys that had inhaled THC.
However, Slikker's group concluded that experimental exposure
to marijuana smoke "does not compromise the general health of
the rhesus monkey."

References:

William Slikker, Jr. et al, "Chronic Marijuana Smoke Exposure in the Rhesus
Monkey," Fundamental and Applied Toxicology 17: 321-32 (1991)

Guy Cabral et al, "Chronic Marijuana Smoke Alters Alveolar Macrophage
Morphology and Protein Expression, Pharmacology Biochemistry and
Behavior 40: 643-9 (1991)

Merle Paule et al., "Chronic Marijuana Smoke Exposure in the Rhesus Monkey
II: Effects on Progressive Ratio and Conditioned Position
Responding," Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
260: 210-22 (1992)

(2) POT FOUND NOT TO CAUSE FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME

A new study of children born to marijuana-smoking
mothers found no link between marijuana exposure and the
birth defects of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). The new study,
by Dr. Susan J. Astley of the University of Washington,
published in the January, 1992 issue of Pediatrics,
contradicted a 1982 study by Dr. Ralph Hingson, in which
prenatal exposure to marijuana was found to increase the risk
of FAS.
Hingson's results, which have not been replicated, have
been questioned on various methodological grounds, in
particular the difficulty of controlling for combined drinking
and pot use.
The new study looked for facial deformities
symptomatic of FAS in 40 children whose mothers had smoked
marijuana heavily during pregnancy and 40 controls, It found no
association between marijuana and FAS, but deformities were
observed in children of women who drank 2 ounces of alcohol
per day or took cocaine.

(3) NEW STUDY FINDS POT DOESN'T LOWER TESTOSTERONE

A new study by Dr. Robert Block at the University of
Iowa disputes the commonly held notion that marijuana alters
the level of testosterone and other sex hormones.
The study contradicted a widely publicized 1974 study
by Dr. R.C. Kolodony, which reported decreased testosterone
levels in men who smoked marijuana chronically.
The U. of Iowa study found that chronic marijuana use
had no effect on testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle
stimulating hormone, prolactin and cortisol in men or women.
Noting that six other studies had failed to show
lowered testosterone levels in men, Dr. Block concluded: "It
appears that marijuana, even heavy use of the kind that's
typical in the United States, doesn't alter testosterone levels."
However, he cautioned that heavy use might have other
adverse effects, including "possible effects on reproductive
function and mild, selective cognitive impairments associated
with heavy, chronic use."
Block's study is published in Drug and Alcohol
Dependence, Vol. 28: 121-8 (1991).

so... gateway drug. you find hard factual scientific evidence that marijuana is a gate way drug
i'll shut up. but until then. it has NOT been proven to be a gateway drug.

oh yes i think legalized

[Wandering Soul]

oh by the heres a little more. please note i have sources

http://www.drugtext.org/sub/images/ssb-silv.jpg
MARIJUANA MYTHS

by Paul Hager

Chair, ICLU Drug Task Force

1. Marijuana causes brain damage

The most celebrated study that claims to show brain damage is the rhesus monkey study of Dr. Robert Heath, done in the late 1970s. This study was reviewed by a distinguished panel of scientists sponsored by the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. Their results were published under the title, Marijuana and Health in 1982. Heath's work was sharply criticized for its insufficient sample size (only four monkeys), its failure to control experimental bias, and the misidentification of normal monkey brain structure as "damaged". Actual studies of human populations of marijuana users have shown no evidence of brain damage. For example, two studies from 1977, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed no evidence of brain damage in heavy users of marijuana. That same year, the American Medical Association (AMA) officially came out in favor of decriminalizing marijuana. That's not the sort of thing you'd expect if the AMA thought marijuana damaged the brain.
2. Marijuana damages the reproductive system

This claim is based chiefly on the work of Dr. Gabriel Nahas, who experimented with tissue (cells) isolated in petri dishes, and the work of researchers who dosed animals with near-lethal amounts of cannabinoids (i.e., the intoxicating part of marijuana). Nahas' generalizations from his petri dishes to human beings have been rejected by the scientific community as being invalid. In the case of the animal experiments, the animals that survived their ordeal returned to normal within 30 days of the end of the experiment. Studies of actual human populations have failed to demonstrate that marijuana adversely affects the reproductive system.
3. Marijuana is a "gateway" drug-it leads to hard drugs

This is one of the more persistent myths. A real world example of what happens when marijuana is readily available can be found in Holland. The Dutch partially legalized marijuana in the 1970s. Since then, hard drug use-heroin and cocaine-have DECLINED substantially. If marijuana really were a gateway drug, one would have expected use of hard drugs to have gone up, not down. This apparent "negative gateway" effect has also been observed in the United States. Studies done in the early 1970s showed a negative correlation between use of marijuana and use of alcohol. A 1993 Rand Corporation study that compared drug use in states that had decriminalized marijuana versus those that had not, found that where marijuana was more available-the states that had decriminalized-hard drug abuse as measured by emergency room episodes decreased. In short, what science and actual experience tell us is that marijuana tends to substitute for the much more dangerous hard drugs like alcohol, cocaine, and heroin.
4. Marijuana suppresses the immune system

Like the studies claiming to show damage to the reproductive system, this myth is based on studies where animals were given extremely high-in many cases, near-lethal-doses of cannabinoids. These results have never been duplicated in human beings. Interestingly, two studies done in 1978 and one done in 1988 showed that hashish and marijuana may have actually stimulated the immune system in the people studied.
5. Marijuana is much more dangerous than tobacco

Smoked marijuana contains about the same amount of carcinogens as does an equivalent amount of tobacco. It should be remembered, however, that a heavy tobacco smoker consumes much more tobacco than a heavy marijuana smoker consumes marijuana. This is because smoked tobacco, with a 90% addiction rate, is the most addictive of all drugs while marijuana is less addictive than caffeine. Two other factors are important. The first is that paraphernalia laws directed against marijuana users make it difficult to smoke safely. These laws make water pipes and bongs, which filter some of the carcinogens out of the smoke, illegal and, hence, unavailable. The second is that, if marijuana were legal, it would be more economical to have cannabis drinks like bhang (a traditional drink in the Middle East) or tea which are totally non-carcinogenic. This is in stark contrast with "smokeless" tobacco products like snuff which can cause cancer of the mouth and throat. When all of these facts are taken together, it can be clearly seen that the reverse is true: marijuana is much SAFER than tobacco.
6. Legal marijuana would cause carnage on the highways

Although marijuana, when used to intoxication, does impair performance in a manner similar to alcohol, actual studies of the effect of marijuana on the automobile accident rate suggest that it poses LESS of a hazard than alcohol. When a random sample of fatal accident victims was studied, it was initially found that marijuana was associated with RELATIVELY as many accidents as alcohol. In other words, the number of accident victims intoxicated on marijuana relative to the number of marijuana users in society gave a ratio similar to that for accident victims intoxicated on alcohol relative to the total number of alcohol users. However, a closer examination of the victims revealed that around 85% of the people intoxicated on marijuana WERE ALSO INTOXICATED ON ALCOHOL. For people only intoxicated on marijuana, the rate was much lower than for alcohol alone. This finding has been supported by other research using completely different methods. For example, an economic analysis of the effects of decriminalization on marijuana usage found that states that had reduced penalties for marijuana possession experienced a rise in marijuana use and a decline in alcohol use with the result that fatal highway accidents decreased. This would suggest that, far from causing "carnage", legal marijuana might actually save lives.
7. Marijuana "flattens" human brainwaves

This is an out-and-out lie perpetrated by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. A few years ago, they ran a TV ad that purported to show, first, a normal human brainwave, and second, a flat brainwave from a 14-year-old "on marijuana". When researchers called up the TV networks to complain about this commercial, the Partnership had to pull it from the air. It seems that the Partnership faked the flat "marijuana brainwave". In reality, marijuana has the effect of slightly INCREASING alpha wave activity. Alpha waves are associated with meditative and relaxed states which are, in turn, often associated with human creativity.
8. Marijuana is more potent today than in the past

This myth is the result of bad data. The researchers who made the claim of increased potency used as their baseline the THC content of marijuana seized by police in the early 1970s. Poor storage of this marijuana in un-air conditioned evidence rooms caused it to deteriorate and decline in potency before any chemical assay was performed. Contemporaneous, independent assays of unseized "street" marijuana from the early 1970s showed a potency equivalent to that of modern "street" marijuana. Actually, the most potent form of this drug that was generally available was sold legally in the 1920s and 1930s by the pharmaceutical company Smith-Klein under the name, "American Cannabis".
9. Marijuana impairs short-term memory

This is true but misleading. Any impairment of short-term memory disappears when one is no longer under the influence of marijuana. Often, the short-term memory effect is paired with a reference to Dr. Heath's poor rhesus monkeys to imply that the condition is permanent.
10. Marijuana lingers in the body like DDT

This is also true but misleading. Cannabinoids are fat soluble as are innumerable nutrients and, yes, some poisons like DDT. For example, the essential nutrient, Vitamin A, is fat soluble but one never hears people who favor marijuana prohibition making this comparison.
11. There are over a thousand chemicals in marijuana smoke

Again, true but misleading. The 31 August 1990 issue of the magazine Science notes that of the over 800 volatile chemicals present in roasted COFFEE, only 21 have actually been tested on animals and 16 of these cause cancer in rodents. Yet, coffee remains legal and is generally considered fairly safe.
12. No one has ever died of a marijuana overdose

This is true. It was put in to see if you are paying attention. Animal tests have revealed that extremely high doses of cannabinoids are needed to have lethal effect. This has led scientists to conclude that the ratio of the amount of cannabinoids necessary to get a person intoxicated (i.e., stoned) relative to the amount necessary to kill them is 1 to 40,000. In other words, to overdose, you would have to consume 40,000 times as much marijuana as you needed to get stoned. In contrast, the ratio for alcohol varies between 1 to 4 and 1 to 10. It is easy to see how upwards of 5000 people die from alcohol overdoses every year and no one EVER dies of marijuana overdoses.
WHAT IS THE ICLU DRUG TASK FORCE?

The Indiana Civil Liberties Union (ICLU) Drug Task Force is involved in education and lobbying efforts directed toward reforming drug policy. Specifically, we support ACLU Policy Statement number 210 which calls for the legalization of marijuana. We also support an end to the drug war. In its place, we favor "harm reduction" strategies which treat drug abuse as what it is- a medical problem-rather than a criminal justice problem.
The Drug Task Force also works to end urine and hair testing of workers by private industry. These kinds of tests violate worker privacy to no good purpose because they detect past use of certain drugs (mostly marijuana) while ignoring others (e.g., LSD) and cannot detect current impairment. In situations where public and worker safety is a legitimate concern, we advocate impairment testing devices which reliably detect degradation of performance without infringing upon worker privacy.
For more information about the activities of the Drug Task Force, call the ICLU at (317) 635-4059 or call Paul Hager at (812) 333-1384 or e-mail to hagerp@cs.indiana.edu on the InterNet.
SOURCES

1) Marijuana and Health, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, 1982. Note: the Committee on Substance Abuse and Habitual Behavior of the "Marijuana and Health" study had its part of the final report suppressed when it reviewed the evidence and recommended that possession of small amounts of marijuana should no longer be a crime (TIME magazine, July 19, 1982). The two JAMA studies are: Co, B.T., Goodwin, D.W., Gado, M., Mikhael, M., and Hill, S.Y.: "Absence of cerebral atrophy in chronic cannabis users", JAMA, 237:1229-1230, 1977; and, Kuehnle, J., Mendelson, J.H., Davis, K.R., and New, P.F.J.: "Computed tomographic examination of heavy marijuana smokers", JAMA, 237:1231-1232, 1977.
2) See Marijuana and Health, ibid., for information on this research. See also, Marijuana Reconsidered (1978) by Dr. Lester Grinspoon.
3) The Dutch experience is written up in "The Economics of Legalizing Drugs", by Richard J. Dennis, The Atlantic Monthly, Vol 266, No. 5, Nov 1990, p. 130. See "A Comparison of Marijuana Users and Non-users" by Norman Zinberg and Andrew Weil (1971) for the negative correlation between use of marijuana and use of alcohol. The 1993 Rand Corporation study is "The Effect of Marijuana Decriminalization on Hospital Emergency Room Episodes: 1975 - 1978" by Karyn E. Model.
4) See a review of studies and their methodology in "Marijuana and Immunity", Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Vol 20(1), Jan-Mar 1988. Studies showing stimulation of the immune system: Kaklamani, et al., "Hashish smoking and T-lymphocytes", 1978; Kalofoutis et al., "The significance of lymphocyte lipid changes after smoking hashish", 1978. The 1988 study: Wallace, J.M., Tashkin, D.P., Oishi, J.S., Barbers, R.G., "Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subpopulations and Mitogen Responsiveness in Tobacco and Marijuana Smokers", 1988, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, ibid.
5) The 90% figure comes from Health Consequences of Smoking:
Nicotine Addiction, Surgeon General's Report, 1988. In Health magazine in an article entitled, "Hooked, Not Hooked" by Deborah Franklin (pp. 39-52), compares the addictives of various drugs and ranks marijuana below coffeine. For current information on cannabis drinks see Working Men and Ganja:
Marijuana Use in Rural Jamaica by M. C. Dreher, Institute for the Study of Human Issues, 1982, ISBN 0-89727-025-8. For information on cannabis and actual cancer risk, see Marijuana and Health, ibid.
6) For a survey of studies relating to cannabis and highway accidents see "Marijuana, Driving and Accident Safety", by Dale Gieringer, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, ibid. The effect of decriminalization on highway accidents is analyzed in "Do Youths Substitute Alcohol and Marijuana? Some Econometric Evidence" by Frank J. Chaloupka and Adit Laixuthai, Nov. 1992, University of Illinois at Chicago.
7) For information about the Partnership ad, see Jack Herer's book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, 1990, p. 74. See also "Hard Sell in the Drug War", The Nation, March 9, 1992, by Cynthia Cotts, which reveals that the Partnership receives a large percentage of its advertizing budget from alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical companies and is thus disposed toward exaggerating the risks of marijuana while downplaying the risks of legal drugs. For information on memory and the alpha brainwave enhancement effect, see "Marijuana, Memory, and Perception", by R. L. Dornbush, M.D., M. Fink, M.D., and A. M. Freedman, M.D., presented at the 124th annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, May 3-7, 1971.
8) See "Cannabis 1988, Old Drug New Dangers, The Potency Question" by Tod H Mikuriya, M.D. and Michael Aldrich, Ph.D., Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, ibid.
9) See Marijuana and Health, ibid. Also see "Marijuana, Memory, and Perception", ibid.
10) The fat solubility of cannabinoids and certain vitamins is well known. See Marijuana and Health, ibid. For some information on vitamin A, see "The A Team" in Scientific American, Vol 264, No. 2, February 1991, p. 16.
11) See "Too Many Rodent Carcinogens: Mitogenesis Increases Mutagenesis", Bruce N. Ames and Lois Swirsky Gold, Science, Vol 249, 31 August 1990, p. 971.
12) Cannabis and alcohol toxicity is compared in Marijuana Reconsidered, ibid., p. 227. Yearly alcohol overdoses was taken from "Drug Prohibition in the United States: Costs, Consequences, and Alternatives" by Ethan A. Nadelmann, Science, Vol 245, 1 September 1989, p. 943.

[luvikavi]

Only for medical purposes, and there's A LOT OF THEM. The war against drugs is a ridiculous war with no benefits whatsoever.

http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm

[Trollface.jpg]

some people do get a bit millitant when they stand up and oppose drugs its just because drugs allow us to persive the world differently and think in ways that are dangerous to the system while everyone who is oblivious to this carries on like they have been taught to without questioning.

shit i sound like a jumped up hippy

[Wandering Soul]

some people do get a bit millitant when they stand up and oppose drugs its just because drugs allow us to persive the world differently and think in ways that are dangerous to the system while everyone who is oblivious to this carries on like they have been taught to without questioning.

shit i sound like a jumped up hippy

two things one A BIT is an understatement

2 if you sound jumped up hippy... what the hell does that make me sound like

[Trollface.jpg]

yea but its blatantly true (Y)

[Wandering Soul]

um for the record... in your siggy you dont need that extra 3R on |-|4X0R...

[Trollface.jpg]

cheers (Y) bit rusty
not really used the internet for other things other than porn and games cheats in a while

[Wandering Soul]

just teachin the n00bs how its done.

[conor]

Legalisation would cripple many criminal industry and bring many infamous and elusive gangs to their feet, by reducing their dominance of a scarce market, where there are not many reasons to sell drugs.
However, the question is one of whether we would rather fight crime or fight mental and physical illness.

Personally, I wouldn't legalise it... Maybe designate certain areas for it; I couldn't stand people smoking weed on a street or public place in my country.

[Wandering Soul]

...mental and physical illness......... are talking bout the same plant.

[Nammy]

Legalize and tax it. Oh wait, how can you tax something that can be grown anywhere? Hence it's illegal.

[Wandering Soul]

ya know i would live with decriminalization

[conor]

Legalize and tax it. Oh wait, how can you tax something that can be grown anywhere? Hence it's illegal.

I don't think they'd legalise it for monetary reasons. The point is that legalising it would break criminals' hold on the market.

[Wandering Soul]

OI OI OI
where did you draw mental and physical illness from

[Trollface.jpg]

Legalize and tax it. Oh wait, how can you tax something that can be grown anywhere? Hence it's illegal.
good point but why try and make something illigal that can and is being grown at every possible oppertunity

[conor]

OI OI OI
where did you draw mental and physical illness from

The effects of the drugs...

I'm not going to cite experiments with monkeys because they're not humans, I'm not going to quote scientists who poison cells in petri dishes; I'm just going to advise you to head over to your nearest mental hospital and ask the inmates how they ended up there. The ones with all the hallucinations and paranoia...
By physical illness I mean things such as lung cancer, although I concede that it's not as dangerous as cigarettes in this area.

[Trollface.jpg]

It's ruined my brother's life so no. I don't think it should be legalised. It's just stupid.
one of the reasons i hate that i still consume it
i used it for ages as a deterant
its sad to admit im addicted

[Wandering Soul]

yeah im willing to bet the answer ISNT Marijuana EXCLUSIVELY.

[conor]

Well the answer to nic_gs being addicted is definitely marijuana... 0.0
Maybe there were other things, but I'd be willing to bet Marijuana aggravated them. It's the same way nobody ever dies of AIDS.. they die of a cold because their immune system was gone.

[Trollface.jpg]

and i fuck up and get fucked up because
drugs have stripped me of my innocence
my social security
and a large proportion of my sanity

if you spend time with drug takers you eventualy come to the conlusion
everybody spends their time in a constant state of arousal
if somebody does something they will all pick up on it
or at least react
because they are all fucking parranoid

[Wandering Soul]

and im willing to put my soul on it that your wrong

[conor]

Well I find that amusing: You are trying to tell somebody who is hooked on marijuana you know more about it than he does.

[Trollface.jpg]

i think his oppinion is valid

maybe i was one of the people predisposed to having parranoid attacks and that my large consumption of cannabis has only agrovated it

the only thing im sure about is that i cant say no
and before i started smoking it (i dont even realli know exactly when that was)i was happy

and now im very far from that and i cant deal with life properly
and it takes being in a state of arrousal before you will notice others in that state

and it is a truely sad fact that in fact a large proportion of people on the drug scene stay in a state of defence

to be honest i cant realli put across what i mean because its something thats only come to light recently with many parranoid attacks and weeks where iv thought people were actualy plotting against me and thinking the nicest most accepting people hated me

and i was parranoid about how my bacon was cooking i cant explain that either but i was sure it wasnt right (end on a light note:P)

[conor]

Lol That's normal, well for me anyway. Too much black bits :P

[Wandering Soul]

anybody can become addicted to anything. its balancing it out that becomes difficult

[Trollface.jpg]

very true but because weed relieces the feelgood drugs in your brain
and therfore your feeling a chemical happiness
its easy to get hooked on happy

[Wandering Soul]

happy is the people you trust and hang out with... not the substance you do. thats the code i live by

[Trollface.jpg]

true thing just got carried away and didnt relalise untill about 2 months ago

[Wandering Soul]

try it out

[Trollface.jpg]

sorry mate youve lost me there

[Darts]

Sod it, it's not that bad, just legalise it. It's not exactly going to make any difference because it's that easy to get hold of...

[Shane]

sorry mate youve lost me there
Think he means just hang out with friends instead of using substances.

[Trollface.jpg]

i do enjoy just hanging out
just sometimes i need more energy at 5 in the morning to carry on dancing

[jcbangl]

i don't think it should personaly it does kill but i say u wanna fuck up ya life with it go ahead who's to stop ya but ya get busted by the police i'm only ganna say shouldn't have done it n the first place... that all on you...

[Wandering Soul]

dude even i go to sleep if i notice its 5 in the morn

[jcbangl]

lol im usually gettin ready for school at 5...

[Trollface.jpg]

weekends i dont tend to sleep on fri and sat night
i go out to freeparties and club nights and after i chill at my mates houses
cant sleep in a field or a warehouse :P

and yea if i get busted its on me
but i know the law
i know i cant get done if i havnt got aanything on me

[jcbangl]

kool... i was just havein a bitch moment.. lol

[Trollface.jpg]

ahhh its fair enough
its a true point
the po-po are getting harsh on drug use
and i could easily face serious court action
but i just dont carry things on me when i dont have to
and im always ready to swallow the lot

[lozflup]

Weed is bad dont do it man! I now dont know my uncle because it wrecked his life and it made him go on worse drugs and now i dont know if hes dead or alive!

i guess its ok for one off occasionally but if you feel you need it to have a good time with mates then you know thats not good, it can mess you mind up.

So defo dont legalize it!

[jcbangl]

im with ya lozflup

[Trollface.jpg]

nah its true should never be legal but neither should any other legal things

[jcbangl]

^^agree there some legal drugs like narcotics shouldn't be legal, that stuff is sooo powerful...

[Trollface.jpg]

i know,
if i realli wanted to get fucked and that was my only ideal
i could toot gas aand sniff glue
drop over the counter pills
drink cough medicine
smoke salvia
:s

[jcbangl]

lol
smoke saliva?
wow, lets hope u won't turn to that.. ;)

[Trollface.jpg]

nah not saliva
salvia divinorum
its a psychoactive plant
similar to cannabis
without the legal status
but less energy draining

[Wandering Soul]

Weed is bad dont do it man! I now dont know my uncle because it wrecked his life and it made him go on worse drugs and now i dont know if hes dead or alive!

i guess its ok for one off occasionally but if you feel you need it to have a good time with mates then you know thats not good, it can mess you mind up.

So defo dont legalize it!

fuck that i refuse to believe someone can say weed is bad. sorry girl may i ask your Religion.

[PrincessAlice]

saliva is fucking rank! thats all i can say plus it does fuck all

[ficti0n]

saliva is fucking rank! thats all i can say plus it does fuck all


Yeah I had what was meant to be a really strong batch, and it was shit.

[PrincessAlice]

the smell reminds me of the smell of old people that musty smell

[jcbangl]

oo ok i guess i misread that.. lol

[Wandering Soul]

yuck salvia (which is the correct spelling of it... yall are spelling it like spit(ha ha Double Pun)) c'mon pronounce it with me SAL VEE UHH. anyways that shit sucks. waste of money really

[Trollface.jpg]

deffinately just trying to prove the point that if druggies were just wasters
they could easily find powerfull legal alternatives

[lozflup]

fuck that i refuse to believe someone can say weed is bad. sorry girl may i ask your Religion.
Whaaa why would you need to know my religion? I dont mind weed and i dont care if people smoke it, just if you get hooked on it like my uncle did and can really mess you up and i dont want that to happen to anyone :)
And i dunno my religion mate church of england?

[Trollface.jpg]

thats a r8 silly thing
someone doesnt like weed so there must be a state indused reason
for this

[Darts]

I can agree with people who hate it because I hated it for years and I appreciate the reasoning lol. Just spent toooooo much time around the stuff!

[Wandering Soul]

well its weak willed people in this world that is dragging everything down now isnt it.

[Darts]

Nope, just very accepting people. And who's to say what's right and what's wrong if it isn't against morals? People are responsible for their own actions with or without the use of substances- it's the people who are doing bad things that are dragging the world down. And I'll be fucked if weed is the decider in that, some of the nicest people I know do it. Some of the most accomplished and lovely people did it at some stage! So people need to take action and not blame things like weed.

[Wandering Soul]

yes and its the weak willed that makes the rest look bad...

[conor]

Nope, just very accepting people. And who's to say what's right and what's wrong if it isn't against morals? People are responsible for their own actions with or without the use of substances- it's the people who are doing bad things that are dragging the world down. And I'll be fucked if weed is the decider in that, some of the nicest people I know do it. Some of the most accomplished and lovely people did it at some stage! So people need to take action and not blame things like weed.

And on the other hand, weed can cause paranoia and anxiety which can lead to or exacerbate violence. I know a lot of weed smokers are harmless and pretty sound people but many aren't; and it's their choice what to do with their life but when you're talking about violence it's other people's lifes they are potentially affecting too.

[Darts]

And on the other hand, weed can cause paranoia and anxiety which can lead to or exacerbate violence. I know a lot of weed smokers are harmless and pretty sound people but many aren't; and it's their choice what to do with their life but when you're talking about violence it's other people's lifes they are potentially affecting too.

That's why the responsibility falls on the people who smoke it, the rule is only there because nobody is accountable for their own actions these days. And they really should be. Of course there will be people who won't, but that's the same with most things that could be banned but aren't. There's only so much you can do before free will takes over, and the irresponsible people shouldn't ruin it for the rest.

Apologies to Wandering Soul- thought you were calling drug users weak willed/people who accept drugs, because I really think tolerance is a good thing.

[Trollface.jpg]

i completely agree
i do stupid things obv
but i take responsibility
i look after my mind by knowing when its getting muddled
cutting down
doesnt work for everybody
might not work for me

[Darts]

I don't do it but I know if I did and it started affecting me I'd know it too, and stop. It's that simple lol

[zakarius]

cutting down for me has helped LOADS
its had about a months time lag, but can alreasy see the effects..
paranoia is seeping away slowly

[Trollface.jpg]

haha same situation for me
high 5 zack

[conor]

That's why the responsibility falls on the people who smoke it, the rule is only there because nobody is accountable for their own actions these days. And they really should be. Of course there will be people who won't, but that's the same with most things that could be banned but aren't. There's only so much you can do before free will takes over, and the irresponsible people shouldn't ruin it for the rest.

Apologies to Wandering Soul- thought you were calling drug users weak willed/people who accept drugs, because I really think tolerance is a good thing.

Yeah. I know where you're coming from.
I still think it shouldn't be legal though, but in the sense that it's illegal to be naked in public - everybody knows it's stupid but you'll still get a few people who will do it anyway, so we need a law!

Actually, you know, I think you might have changed my views slightly. People should be punished if they affect other people, and only according to how they affect them. It's not the drugs that's the crime, it's what the person did to the other person.
I think I might... actually... kind of... support legalisation now :|

[Trollface.jpg]

the law is there not for everybody just for the ones that would react badly to being able to openly smoke it
would let some people just smoke their brains away
:s

[Sinkplug93]

We should be able to do what ever we want...

[Darts]

I wouldnt go that far!

[Trollface.jpg]

nah most people are too stupid to be allowed that level of freedom

[conor]

Yeah. You can't allow stuff like rape, murder or assault @Sinkplug93.

[Beck?]

Should not be legalized


it still does bad stuff.

[Wandering Soul]

Should not be legalized


it still does bad stuff.

oh but tobacco is okay. alcohol is too huh?

[Trollface.jpg]

everything should either be legal or illigal
its all about controlling the masses and making everybody have the fun they want us to have

[Munchy]

It should def be legal, or at least decriminalized. To be fair to everyone who says no there are some negative effects such as anxiety etc but that doesn't mean it should be illegal, think about alcohol, tobacco - even chocolate

I went to Amsterdam last week and if you didn't know you can freely smoke and buy weed there, i realized how calm and civilized the place is despite that you can buy weed, mushrooms, get prostitutes etc. So this proves it is possible and doesn't 'ruin' societies like some say.

However i don't think they will ever legalize in the UK and USA, to start off we're going in the wrong direction as marijuana is being raised to a class B drug in the start of next year. And simply there is too many knots to untangle to legalize as theres been so many anti-weed campaigns to stop it, it would just go against all these people and no one can stand being proved wrong.

I've been smoking weed for a couple years and know hundreds of people that do, although i'm currently trying to cut down for personal reasons i try to support the cause.

:D

[Wandering Soul]

for the record in the states its already a class 1 drug. you can't get much worse than a class one

[Trollface.jpg]

drugs are illigal to force us to have fun in controlled pre designated ways that allows them to segregate those who would choose a different path

[Nammy]

Marijuana is probably illegal because it's so easy to grow. They can't figure out how to tax it so they made it illegal.

[Shane]

Marijuana is probably illegal because it's so easy to grow. They can't figure out how to tax it so they made it illegal.
Brilliant Reply. :)

[Wandering Soul]

i've thought of a pretty simple way for them to make money and help curb poverty. you can make about alot of paper and clothing with the stalks of the plant. so say that every city has a station where you bring in the stalks of the marijuana plant and sell it to the government for like 10 bucks a stalk. (like 8 euros.) which then they take and make paper and textiles in which they export all over the world making billions of dollars. think about it. those who cant afford or cant make it through college would be able to make a living off of farming. it would the second agricutural (yes i know i fscked up that spelling moving on) age. at least for the poor people... but they'd be rich... i could plant, raise and harvest enough plants to live for an entire year.

[Trollface.jpg]

good idea in theory
but to be fair
the guys with the stalks can make money
selling ganja
or they are too stoned

[Wandering Soul]

yeah but nobody would buy it cause everyone with a gram of green in their thumb can grow it. and you can never be too stoned to do anything.