legalizing weed: What are your thoughts?

Alucard_FoN · Post by **Alucard_FoN** » Fri Dec 27, 2002 11:05 pm

I'll tell you why it's not legal. Because if it were to be legalized, all of the conservative christian mothers of america (and there are lots of them) would bitch and moan until the government undid it. The government hates controversy, which is why they never do anything about any issues that matter.

Cardinal.jpg · Post by **Cardinal.jpg** » Fri Dec 27, 2002 11:10 pm

And most people in places of power either are or are married to so called christian mothers.

Flint the Dwarf · Post by **Flint the Dwarf** » Fri Dec 27, 2002 11:10 pm

Short and long term effects of marijuana mainly lead to memory loss.

To quote Tool...

"F*** all you junkies and f*** your short memory."

I don't know why I felt like quoting them, but back to discussion.

Some say it leads to cancer, but most studies have shown that marijuana and cancer are, or can be, unrelated to eachother. I've read about why the government hasn't legalized it and to tell the truth, the reasons are far less than they should be. The main reasons that weed is still illegal and nicotine or alcohol aren't is that making either nicotine or alcohol illegal would cause a huge uproar and an economic rift. Keeping weed/pot/marijuana (whatever you want to call it) illegal keeps it in the background and forces people to work around it. Which they do quite easily and comfortably in many cases.

I guess the whole marijuana issue doesn't mean too much since it is still easy to get. But the main problem is it not being legal in hospitals. That's definitely an issue that should be addressed.

Cardinal.jpg · Post by **Cardinal.jpg** » Fri Dec 27, 2002 11:19 pm

Also you may remeber the quote from the end of Ænima in the secret track. Which talked about musicians and drugs, this also relates to any form of art and drugs.

The links with cancer are mainly throat cancer from smoking as smoke inhilation is understandbly bad for your throat regardless of whether it is nicotine, maryjane or just plain fire smoke.

The only problem with availabilty to the public is that unless you have good contacts you are likely to get shit.

y2kwizard · Post by **y2kwizard** » Fri Dec 27, 2002 11:46 pm

Cardinal.jpg wrote:The only problem with availabilty to the public is that unless you have good contacts you are likely to get shit.

I'd sure hate to smoke THAT!

Cardinal.jpg · Post by **Cardinal.jpg** » Fri Dec 27, 2002 11:49 pm

Okay maybe i should have been more careful with my words.

MistyCaldwell · Post by **MistyCaldwell** » Sat Dec 28, 2002 12:11 am

kthulhu wrote:I say legalize it. Then grade it, tax it, and sell it like cigarettes over the counter. If people get in an accident while high, treat it the same as alcohol.

I'm certain in our lifetimes, it will be legalized (I predict 7 years, 40% of all states) and when it does I hope that is the ways it's handled.

My opinion however, is that the last thing I need is more impaired drivers on the road to act stupid and I don't think it does you any good. Coming from someone who never drinks outside her own home, I guess it's pretty uptight but I also don't care what anyone does behind closed doors so long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. Play nice now

TheRealNeoHentaiMaster · Post by **TheRealNeoHentaiMaster** » Sat Dec 28, 2002 12:16 am

Alucard_FoN wrote:I'll tell you why it's not legal. Because if it were to be legalized, all of the conservative christian mothers of america (and there are lots of them) would bitch and moan until the government undid it. The government hates controversy, which is why they never do anything about any issues that matter.

Sigh.....uhh...no. This kind of very black and white steriotypical thinking never solves anything. There are two big reasons for it not being legal. One, a lot of people still do think its bad and dont want it legalized, regardless of their religion. Ignorance is universal, it really has nothing to do with spiritual beleifs. Second, is of course money.

If marijuana were legal it would become a pretty commonly used to drug to treat certian illnesses. Now, big pharmisutical companies dont want this to happen because unlike the drugs they sell now, Marijuana can be easily grown and doesnt need to be produced in a fancy lab. So now we have people simply growing their own medicine, and not buying, so the big companies dont make money. Now before you go off and say how greedy these companies are and how horrible they are, keep something in mind. Its the profitability of medicine that keeps big companies doing researsh and development. When big pharmicutical companies start making less money, first thing they become inclined to do is scale back R and D and raise prices on other drugs. This not only hurts people waiting for new cures, its hurts those paying for cures that exist now. It basically hurts everybody. Im not really trying to argue their position one way or the other, im just bringing it up for thought.

Besides that, theres also the money that goes into the drug war. And beleive me, it is A LOT of money. A lot of people get paid for a living to fight it, and if drugs were legal, they wouldnt have a job anymore. Again, consider for a second the consiquences of what is basically a big industry that supplies a lot of jobs suddenly dissapearing over night.

Now, I have already said that I am for legalization of all drugs. However, you still have to consider the other factors involved in why this isnt a reality now. Its not some big, black and white, faceless evil company against the people. There are faces and reasons behind the way things are and why they dont easily change. If you ever want to change them, first thing you gotta to learn is why they are how they are now, and not just make assumptions the people on the other side are evil, and their motives and needs should be ignored.

Alucard_FoN · Post by **Alucard_FoN** » Sat Dec 28, 2002 1:14 am

TheRealNeoHentaiMaster wrote:Sigh.....uhh...no. This kind of very black and white steriotypical thinking never solves anything. There are two big reasons for it not being legal. One, a lot of people still do think its bad and dont want it legalized, regardless of their religion. Ignorance is universal, it really has nothing to do with spiritual beleifs. Second, is of course money.

If marijuana were legal it would become a pretty commonly used to drug to treat certian illnesses. Now, big pharmisutical companies dont want this to happen because unlike the drugs they sell now, Marijuana can be easily grown and doesnt need to be produced in a fancy lab. So now we have people simply growing their own medicine, and not buying, so the big companies dont make money. Now before you go off and say how greedy these companies are and how horrible they are, keep something in mind. Its the profitability of medicine that keeps big companies doing researsh and development. When big pharmicutical companies start making less money, first thing they become inclined to do is scale back R and D and raise prices on other drugs. This not only hurts people waiting for new cures, its hurts those paying for cures that exist now. It basically hurts everybody. Im not really trying to argue their position one way or the other, im just bringing it up for thought.

Besides that, theres also the money that goes into the drug war. And beleive me, it is A LOT of money. A lot of people get paid for a living to fight it, and if drugs were legal, they wouldnt have a job anymore. Again, consider for a second the consiquences of what is basically a big industry that supplies a lot of jobs suddenly dissapearing over night.

Now, I have already said that I am for legalization of all drugs. However, you still have to consider the other factors involved in why this isnt a reality now. Its not some big, black and white, faceless evil company against the people. There are faces and reasons behind the way things are and why they dont easily change. If you ever want to change them, first thing you gotta to learn is why they are how they are now, and not just make assumptions the people on the other side are evil, and their motives and needs should be ignored.

If people think it's bad, that's fine for them, they don't have to use it. My problem is when they decide to impose their beliefs on others by bitching and moaning until they get their way. I say, legalize it, that way those who don't think it's an evil substance can use it and those who do can just shut their traps and let other people do as they please.

On the issue of money: I don't buy it. Not any of it. Pharmacutecal companies could profit by the legalization of it just as much as anyone else. They would be able to put the marijauna into nice, convenient little pills and such, and make big bucks. And the war on drugs gives people jobs? Bullshit. The police are the ones mainly fighting the war on drugs, and in a world where murderers, rapists, etc. exist, I think they have better things to do with their time than bust someone for growing a few pot plants.

The fact is, their is no real reason why pot shouldn't be legalized in a country where alcohol is legal. I can see keeping the big ones like coke and heroin illegal, as it's far, FAR easier to OD on that, or to pick up some bad stuff that kills you, or whatever. But a little weed now and then never hurt anybody, and that's why I say it should be legalized.

kthulhu · Post by **kthulhu** » Sat Dec 28, 2002 1:39 am

From what I've read, marijuana was criminalized partly because of lobbying by the fabric industries, partly by some public moralists, and even partly because of racist reasons (marijuana was commonly associated with black jazz musicians and Mexicans).

A rather long <a href="http://www.ccguide.org.uk/chronol.html">timeline</a> of marijuana events.

Anyhow, marijuana, from what I've seen, is no worse, and actually somewhat better than, alcohol. Potheads DO tend to be mellow, not prone to arguing or fighting. Whereas alcohol can increase violence tendencies and is just as intoxicating as any drug.

It's stupid to have it criminalized like this. But, so long as we have absolute moralists and brainwashed/conspiring law enforcement, it'd be legalized to justify the large amounts of cash and save face for the War On Drugs, and erode our rights.