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It's 420 - What's your opinion on Marijuana issues?

NewtonTrino

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NewtonTrino
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Jul 2, 2007
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Who else is waking and baking for a nice Sunday 4/20?

On a serious note I think it's a shame how many people we have in jail in this country for growing or using this weed. I personally don't think that it's harmful and that it should be legalized. However, I also make the argument that even if it is shown to be harmful that the government has no right to ban it. Both from a natural rights of man perspective and from a constitutional perspective.

So people, what will it be? Is it good? Is it evil? Somewhere in between? I want to hear all about it. I'm especially curious to hear opinions from all over the world, not just an American perspective. What does the average Dutch person, for example, feel about the situation?


(I did debate putting this in social issues but I think of it as having scientific and medical side that's pretty important).
 
:rolleyes:

From a scientific and medical standpoint, marijuana can be addictive and harmful.There's not really much to discuss from that standpoint, is there?
 
It should be legalized and neither regulated nor taxed.

It is none of the government's damned business.

Witholding it from patients who could use it for its medicinal effects, including reducing nausea, is immoral.

I think of it as catnip for people.

I have no interest in smoking it myself - I really don't like the smell.

It does alter reflexes a reasoning ability. As with alcohol, tobacco, or any other drug, a person choosing to indulge in that drug is fully responsible for what s/he does under the effect of that drug and should ensure that s/he participates only in safe activities until the drug's effects wear off.

Strong libertarian here.
 
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replying to Joe:
Really? I always thought the opposite. Can you possibly elucidate on the harm?

Also, in the past I was pretty skeptical of the medical movement. I've since come around after using it as medicine myself and seeing just how useful it is when you have a horrible illness (like one of those 48hr stomach flus). It definitely helps with appetite and helps make your stomach feel better. I'm skeptical of any pain killing properties but it does seem to help you forget your pain a bit.
 
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Pot isn't for everyone. I have panic attacks when I try to use it. Not going to do it again. I don't think teenagers and especially pre teens should use it because their mind needs to develope without it.
 
For medical purposes, I think it should be utilized as it reduces pain and suffering

As for drug purposes... strikes me as a higher lung-cancer risk than regular cigarette smoke. Plus (I'm not sure about this) that the THC itself is carcinogenic. However the short term effects sometimes can cause psychosis in mentally ill (this can be a problem as lots of habitual drug users are mentally ill -- however this only happens to a small percentage) the general effects are nowhere near as harmful as say cocaine, heroin, crack, methamphetamine.

I'm mixed on that one


INRM
 
INRM said:
For medical purposes, I think it should be utilized as it reduces pain and suffering

As for drug purposes... strikes me as a higher lung-cancer risk than regular cigarette smoke. Plus (I'm not sure about this) that the THC itself is carcinogenic. However the short term effects sometimes can cause psychosis in mentally ill (this can be a problem as lots of habitual drug users are mentally ill -- however this only happens to a small percentage) the general effects are nowhere near as harmful as say cocaine, heroin, crack, methamphetamine.

I'm mixed on that one


INRM
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Should people be jailed for "hurting themselves"?
 
I've written up extensive posts on my opinion of the "war on drugs". In regards to marijuana in particular, it seems silly to keep demonizing it.
One of the NPR news shows I listen to had a round-table discussion on the weed last year. Research physicians, clinicians, folks like that. The consensus? Marijuana is the most benign of all the intoxicants. Far more so than alcohol.

The idea that pot is a "gateway" drug makes about as much sense as demonizing coffee or beer. Tobacco, of proven deleterious health effect, is still legal and reaps billions in profit.
MJ reaps billions as well, for narco-trafficers and drug lords. We don't make a nickel in taxes on the stuff.

I listened to Tommy Chong's account of his "paraphernalia" arrest and imprisonment....Absolutely hilarious if it were not also tragic.
 
NewtonTrino said:
replying to Joe:
Really? I always thought the opposite. Can you possibly elucidate on the harm?
Click to expand...

It makes mental issues worse, it causes developmental issues in children, and it is addictive... you know, the same sort of side effects that lots of drugs have. :cool:
 
I'd love for it to be legalized, mostly because I think the social and financial costs of criminalization are larger than the costs of legalization. However, I fear marijuana will never be legalized. The crazies in the legalization movement have discredited the whole idea. Come to Vancouver's "pot block" and talk to some of the people there, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Once, I spotted a "Ron Paul for President" sign in a window of the shop, and I tried talking to the clerks about it. They had no idea what he stood for other than his drug policies. At least they weren't American...

That said, I don't actually use it myself anymore. I don't like being associated with those people, even if it is an unfair association. Also, I can never remember my dreams after smoking it, which is a pretty big drawback in my opinion.
 
JoeEllison said:
It makes mental issues worse, it causes developmental issues in children, and it is addictive... you know, the same sort of side effects that lots of drugs have. :cool:
Click to expand...

I won't dispute the first two... but cannabis is about as addictive as chocolate. There are some minor physical withdrawal symptoms after ceasing heavy usage, and of course a psychological addiction that goes with any habit. But you should qualify the term "addiction" with some term that distinguishes it from drugs like heroin, alcohol or even caffeine which all have significant withdrawal symptoms.
 
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JoeEllison said:
From a scientific and medical standpoint, marijuana can be addictive and harmful.
Click to expand...

JoeEllison said:
It makes mental issues worse, it causes developmental issues in children, and it is addictive.
Click to expand...

INRM said:
As for drug purposes... strikes me as a higher lung-cancer risk than regular cigarette smoke. Plus (I'm not sure about this) that the THC itself is carcinogenic. However the short term effects sometimes can cause psychosis in mentally ill
Click to expand...

Can you two please show a source for these statements?
 
Marijuana is not addictive - habituation is not addiction. Marijuana is not harmful in any significant way; such harm has been looked for by the government for ages, and they have found nothing. Yes, smoking it might be bad for you if you use enough of it, but if you are smart you cook it up with butter and EAT it, avoiding that problem in its entirety.

It is safer than alcohol or tobacco, both legal drugs.

It is a CRIME to arrest and prosecute harmless pot users.
 
JoeEllison said:
It makes mental issues worse, it causes developmental issues in children, and it is addictive... you know, the same sort of side effects that lots of drugs have. :cool:
Click to expand...

It is possible that for some individuals it can be psychologically addictive, just like chocolate, but I have never seen a study claiming that it is addictive in the sense of nicotine or cocaine. Can you provide such a reference?

It is certainly not a good idea for children to use any drugs, even "legal" mind altering ones. And, those with "mental issues" should stay away from any drugs, including alcohol.
 
The ONLY documented indication that Cannabis is even remotely physically addictive (and about a billion was spent trying to find some justification for keeping it illegal) was that when a habitual smoker quits he or she has about ten days of less-than good sleep.

That's it.

Nothing else.

Yes, people use it to self-medicate.

But they do that with chocolate and tobacco and alcohol and unsafe sex now... And those are all still legal.
 
JoeEllison said:
:rolleyes:

From a scientific and medical standpoint, marijuana can be addictive and harmful.There's not really much to discuss from that standpoint, is there?
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From a legal and medical standpoint, alcohol is far more harmful. 80% of the violent crimes are alcohol-related.

And in almost a month, summer will arrive to Sweden. Yay! Beacuse of some pinko laws, even the police are entitled to 5 consecutive weeks of vacation in the summer. So when the need for the police is greatest with all those idle people milling around more or less hammered and with borderline sunstrokes, there's only a skeleton police force to deal with the violent crimes.

The only way to make those pinko laws add upp would be at least to legalize pot in Sweden, so that people are peaceful on doobie instead of violent on fermented grape juice.
 
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As others here have said, pot is not physically addictive, it can be psychologically addictive. However if you are going to use that as grounds for its illegality, then someone needs to call the FBI and tell them about World of Warcraft, which is a MUCH more powerful addictive agent in this regard.

In terms of causing lung cancer, there is no link. The government has spent a lot of money trying to link marijuana to negative consequences other than *laziness*, and they have not come up with much. I can recall one study done a while back with 64,000 participants in which pot was found to be in NO WAY linked to the causing of cancer, but it did speed up the growth of tumors in those who smoked cigs and had the cancer from that. I think that was the worst one I ever saw in terms of the negative health implications of getting stoned.

The only bad thing I can say about it, is that it can be hazardous to operate a vehicle while under the influence of any such substance.

Alcohol is legal and it is MUCH more detrimental to both individual health and public safety.
 
And note, alcohol is legal specifically because the cost of prohibiting it was higher than the cost of using it. I think the same thing applies to pot except even more because pot if far less harmful but the cost of prohibition is huge (both human and $$$).
 
:rolleyes:Why do these discussions always turn non-scientific almost immediately? Anyone who mentions alcohol is off-topic and actively avoiding the topic. The same goes for anyone who injects legalization politics into the discussion.
 
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