Reasons Marijuana should be legal.

[CaptRR]

Originally Posted by darwin

A lot of that stuff happens in downtown Baltimore, but it's not black on white crime, it's just black on black.

Then again Baltimore is the heroin capital of the world, and it's usually the top murder city in the US.

Hehe, ya I was in Baltimore a few weeks ago. The guy at the hospital I was working with told me to make sure I was out of the area before it got dark.

I thought that was but then I relized he was serious.

[darwin]

Originally Posted by CaptRR

Hehe, ya I was in Baltimore a few weeks ago. The guy at the hospital I was working with told me to make sure I was out of the area before it got dark.

I thought that was but then I relized he was serious.

Baltimore is a fucking jungle. That's no .

If there's any example why drugs should be illegal it's Baltimore. Beautiful city ruined by the addicts and their suppliers. Wouldn't be any different if the drug was totally legal-- they'd still be lazy, violent, and terratorial.

[MattyGasCar]

If its legalized will it be cheaper than it is now? If not it will still be involved in drug trafficing.

And I'm sure its been said but if its legalized they will become like cigarettes, commonplace. I dont think employers what their employees going out for smoke breaks all day and getting completley stoned at work everyday.

Also because its legal, it wont be near as cool to do anymore, this will drive teens to do more serious drugs which do have more negative and seriously addicting effects like crack cocaine.

[pyramid]

Originally Posted by darwin

Baltimore is a fucking jungle. That's no .

If there's any example why drugs should be illegal it's Baltimore. Beautiful city ruined by the addicts and their suppliers. Wouldn't be any different if the drug was totally legal-- they'd still be lazy, violent, and terratorial.

Does baltimore not have prohibiton now? What you are describing are the effects of prohibition, not addiction. If the drugs were being supplied in a cheap, clean, safe manner by a legitimate company then you think there would still be turf wars over dealing? When is the last time Budwiser put a hit out on a Miller employee? Has marlboro ever done a drive by on Camel? Has AM/PM ever tried to firebomb 7/11? Do you hear a lot of horror stories about people doing anything at all to get money for cigarettes and alcohol? People make enough panhandling to support their alcohol and tobacco habbits. Gee, I wonder why that is. Alcohol and tobacco are highly addictive drugs too. Perhaps it is because they are made, distributed and sold by legitimate companies at reasonable prices, not street gangs, criminals and drug cartels at artificially inflated prices.

Originally Posted by MattyGasCar

If its legalized will it be cheaper than it is now? If not it will still be involved in drug trafficing.

It is a weed that grows anywhere on earth. It should not cost as much as precious metals like gold ounce for ounce. It should cost about as much as fine organic fruits and vegetables and they go for several dollars a pound, not $20 a gram.

And I'm sure its been said but if its legalized they will become like cigarettes, commonplace. I dont think employers what their employees going out for smoke breaks all day and getting completley stoned at work everyday.

Why would it ever be acceptable to use a recreational drug that causes impairment at work? Alcohol is legal now, do you sneak off on a break and pound a 40 ouncer? Yeah, neither do most people. That is not acceptable now and it would not be acceptable if marijuana were legal. You would most likely be fired and if you put anyone in danger you could go to jail.

Also because its legal, it wont be near as cool to do anymore, this will drive teens to do more serious drugs which do have more negative and seriously addicting effects like crack cocaine.

People do drugs because they like the effects, not because they think it makes them cool. This has already been explained in the thread but the percapita rates of use of all illicit drugs are LOWER in the netherlands where marijuana is tolerated than it is in the united states where marijuana is banned. Also, that's a pretty sad excuse to put people in jail for smoking a reletively safe plant. That's like a whole new spin on the gateway theory. If we let people smoke weed then they won't want to smoke weed, instead they will want to smoke crack. So we have to keep the weed illegal so they will want to smoke the weed, not the crack. What, do you think people just want to do drugs because they are illegal? If that were the case then why don't we legalize everything? then no one will want to do drugs anymore. Brilliant.

[MattyGasCar]

Originally Posted by pyramid

People do drugs because they like the effects, not because they think it makes them cool. This has already been explained in the thread but the percapita rates of use of all illicit drugs are LOWER in the netherlands where marijuana is tolerated than it is in the united states where marijuana is banned. Also, that's a pretty sad excuse to put people in jail for smoking a reletively safe plant. That's like a whole new spin on the gateway theory. If we let people smoke weed then they won't want to smoke weed, instead they will want to smoke crack. So we have to keep the weed illegal so they will want to smoke the weed, not the crack. What, do you think people just want to do drugs because they are illegal? If that were the case then why don't we legalize everything? then no one will want to do drugs anymore. Brilliant.

I didnt say if its legal people wont want to do it AT ALL, and I didnt say just legalize everything, that was obviously not my point. Of course people will still smoke weed if its legalized, in fact more will probaby smoke weed. Obviously people do drugs for the effects, but teens are alot more into beeing "hardcore" and shit and wouldnt be as cool to smoke weed if it was legal, this would drive more teens to more serious drugs. Im not saying every single teen thats smokes weed will isntantly be like "this isnt cool lets do crack now" but things will start to move that way.

Also many people who dont do drugs b/c they are 1. illegal, 2. they are afraid of getting addicted, and 3. they are afraid of the negative effects of drugs. Will be more likely to smoke weed, after enjoying it they may be alot more likely to try other drugs which are illegal and more serious. Esepecially when they are drunk and stoned at some party which would likely be the case.

[pyramid]

Originally Posted by MattyGasCar

Of course people will still smoke weed if its legalized, in fact more will probaby smoke weed. Obviously people do drugs for the effects, but teens are alot more into beeing "hardcore" and shit and wouldnt be as cool to smoke weed if it was legal, this would drive more teens to more serious drugs. Im not saying every single teen thats smokes weed will isntantly be like "this isnt cool lets do crack now" but things will start to move that way.

When several states legalized weed in the 70s rates of use actually went down in many of them, IIRC Alaska went up but they like their intoxicants in Alaska. Many states now have state laws which regard marijuana possession as an offence like a traffic ticket. Drug use has not gone up in these states in response. In the netherlands, where marijuana use is tolerated, the rates of use for marijuana and illicit drugs are lower than ours. (about half)1 2. The same is true for alcohol prohibition. There was more alcohol being consumed during prohibition than there was just before prohibition. In the case of alcohol prohibition rates were already falling before prohibition and bottomed out shortly after the begining of prohibition, then the rates steadily climbed right back up where they were prior to prohibition. 1 Alcohol prohibition is an excellent study for modern day prohibition because they have has so many identical unintended consequences. Increased: crime, consumption, health problems associated with consumption, spending both to curb the supply and from consumers trying to get it, potency of the product...

Also many people who dont do drugs b/c they are 1. illegal, 2. they are afraid of getting addicted, and 3. they are afraid of the negative effects of drugs. Will be more likely to smoke weed, after enjoying it they may be alot more likely to try other drugs which are illegal and more serious. Esepecially when they are drunk and stoned at some party which would likely be the case.

The part in bold happens right now. As to the rest of what you said, yes, people who use drugs are more likely to try others than someone who doesn't. That's where personal responsibility comes in. Right now many of the same people who sell marijuana sell harder drugs and that is how most people get introduced. That is the gateway effect. There is no such thing as a chemical response from one drug making you chemically crave another drug you have never even had.

[MattyGasCar]

Yah I agree with everything you said, my points are not supposed to be reasons why it should definatley not be legalized, just some negative effects of legalizing it.

[Postal Blowshit]

Originally Posted by kindred

Fuck marijuana. Meth is apparently the drug of choice now. If the Government makes it legal and can control the sales of Meth, they can effectively keep the population drugged and happy.

God damn it this is stupid. The only laws against drugs should ban them in certain cases (such as driving). If someone wants to take drugs, they can take the responsibility for doing that. This "the government can keep the population drugged" is stupid. Prove the government actively does anything to promote drug use.

Originally Posted by Jim Morrison

If someone is using dangerous drugs outside their private residence, yes they should be punished,

I'm agreeing with you, but I don't think anyone should be punished for something that can't be proven harmful to anyone but the user. If a dude is walkin down the street, smoking a joint, he should not be punished just because he's outside his home. He should be punished if he was driving and caused an accident, for example.

Originally Posted by Heinrich Himmler

No one NEEDS to smoke marijuana, good enough reason to not legalize it. I'm up for outlawing cigarettes and booze, myself. Because all they do is kill.

Suppose we find out that smog kills people. (have we? I don't know) Should we then ban industry, as well? Your reasoning is beyond retarded. In addition to making drugs legal, we should make suicide legal too (how do you punish a dead dude anyway?). Fuck it. If that's what they wann do to themselves, fuck them.

Originally Posted by at

There is no victim of marijuana use. Therefore there is no reason for it to be illegal. /thread

True. I'm done with this one.

[at]

I'd post a zillion links and sources and own this thread up tight but pyramid has already done a fantastic job of that.

I'll just chime in as a regular pot user and explain some of its effects to those of you who have never done it and are concerned with people going crazy or dropping their responsibilities. I usually smoke pot 3-5 times per week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Sometimes I go weeks without smoking it at all.

I generally smoke at night time out on my balcony. After I'm finished, I come inside, and continue whatever I was doing beforehand. Most of the time I'll play Counter-Strike. Sometimes I'll do work or homework. A lot of the time I end up tidying up my house. If I'm really high I'll watch TV or take a bath, or just sit and ponder things.

Marijuana has two bad effects on me. First of all if I have too much I'll get an anxiety attack. It usually goes away within half an hour, and sooner if I start doing something engaging. Second, it makes it really hard for me to get to bed on time. I generally get so interested in whatever it is that I'm doing, that it's damn near impossible for me to "shut down." I've never had an overdose (that's impossible) and I've never done anything dangerous while high. Most of the time it makes me more cautious than usual.

Sure, smoking pot might not be the best use of my time, but do you really think I belong in jail for it?

[gg]

It would amaze many of the anti-marijuana coalition how many successful professionals smoke regularly or on the weekends.

[Barney]

Originally Posted by darwin

Baltimore is a fucking jungle. That's no .

If there's any example why drugs should be illegal it's Baltimore. Beautiful city ruined by the addicts and their suppliers. Wouldn't be any different if the drug was totally legal-- they'd still be lazy, violent, and terratorial.

how do you figure? legal drugs = major companies producing. major companies producing = much lower prices. much lower prices = drug dealers not needed anymore.

again i bring up alcohol prohibition. do you know why the mob was so powerful? they were the only suppliers. once alcohol became legal again, lots of companies started up/restarted producing it legally, cheaper, and better. people went and started buying from the legit companies. bootleggers faded out basically overnight. if it wasnt for gambling, prostitution, and yes, illicit drugs, there would be no gangs or mob.

[damo]

theres a fine line between proper consumption and abusing weed. a lot of people get sucked into the 420 lifestyle and have their lives fucked over, its not as cut and dry as some of you people talking like your experts claim. all thc does is replace seratonin as a regulator for the brain and in a lot of cases it leads to mental illness. anyone can sit back and say oh its ok for you to puff up once in a while, just like you can say its ok for you to have one or two brews once in a while, but the fact is people abuse it and damage their livelihood. the alcoholic epidemic will just get replaced with a burnout epidemic , its not some magic solution. get real people.

ive smoked a lot of weed in my day and have been around friends who do the same so im not just some armchair analyzer, you people really dont know the effects of prolongeda marijuana use on the brain, it causes ADD and depression and has serious damaging effects on memory and overall brain chemistry. it just doesnt come out as quickly or frequently as alcohol because its not as readily available and costs much more than alcohol . the simple fact is that if you legalize it , abuse will rise and so will mental illness and its not worth it for the overall population. legalization will always be a pipe dream.

[at]

Originally Posted by damo

theres a fine line between proper consumption and abusing weed. a lot of people get sucked into the 420 lifestyle and have their lives fucked over, its not as cut and dry as some of you people talking like your experts claim. all thc does is replace seratonin as a regulator for the brain and in a lot of cases it leads to mental illness. anyone can sit back and say oh its ok for you to puff up once in a while, just like you can say its ok for you to have one or two brews once in a while, but the fact is people abuse it and damage their livelihood. the alcoholic epidemic will just get replaced with a burnout epidemic , its not some magic solution. get real people.

ive smoked a lot of weed in my day and have been around friends who do the same so im not just some armchair analyzer, you people really dont know the effects of prolongeda marijuana use on the brain, it causes ADD and depression and has serious damaging effects on memory and overall brain chemistry. it just doesnt come out as quickly or frequently as alcohol because its not as readily available and costs much more than alcohol . the simple fact is that if you legalize it , abuse will rise and so will mental illness and its not worth it for the overall population. legalization will always be a pipe dream.

none of that is reason enough to throw people in jail.

[gg]

Anyone who thinks marijuana was banned for a valid reason should examine the testimony from Harry J. Anslinger before Congress as the 1937 prohibition was being debated.

The following are excerpts of Mr. Anslinger's testimony before a Senate hearing on marijuana in 1937:

"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others."

"...the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races."

"Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death."

"You smoke a joint and you're likely to kill your brother."

"Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."

http://www.heartbone.com/no_thugs/hja.htm


No wonder this country has such extremist laws regarding cannabis, considering that people like this authored such policy.

[PopeKevinI]

Originally Posted by g

Anyone who thinks marijuana was banned for a valid reason should examine the testimony from Harry J. Anslinger before Congress as the 1937 prohibition was being debated.


http://www.heartbone.com/no_thugs/hja.htm


No wonder this country has such extremist laws regarding cannabis, considering that people like this authored such policy.

You just stole that from the OP, didn't you?