toke (Marijuana, Pro or Con)

I see it on the same par as drinking. Not to say alcohol and weed is something people should do (I drink, used to do weed occassionally, not really anymore). I guess I'm a firm believer in everything in moderation and/or be SMART about it like if your gonna get high don't go driving your car or do something dumb...just stay at home.

I think it should be legalized though because honestly its about the same as alcohol and both things are addicting and alcohol is legal, same with cigarettes. If people chose to want to do these things they shouldn't be put in jail for it. There's much worse stuff out there people could be doing.

Yeah thats a weak arguement but thats how I feel about these things. I honestly don't see weed as anything that bad.

There is a "pro" if you can even call it that, it can be used to "ease the pain" medically as a last resort in what may be a hopeless case. That's the only "pro" I've ever heard.

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Originally Posted by Arrianna

And we can't keep people from killing others so I guess we shouldn't have laws against that as well. Sorry I don't buy it.

Anyone that tells you that drug use only affects the user is either someone who uses or is in denial. That's like saying that suicide only affects the person that dies. Until you can live in complete isolation from any other person never seeing, talking, or touching them anything you do will affect others. To refuse to admit that your actions have unintended consequences is both self centered and self absorbed and tends to show an irresponsibillity toward taking responsibility for those same actions and consequences. If you want to know the affect of alcohol or drugs don't ask the users, ask their families, and then tell me if there are no victims.

Now can all of you who are supporting this actually name a 'Pro' since that is the question? I have seen alot of opinion but little facts to back them. Give an actual counter to the 'Cons' and you may be alot more convincing.

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Notice I said wide scale. There are too many people doing marijuana for us to be able to enforce the law effectively for a such a minor crime. Murder is not only a serious crime, it is committed NOWHERE near as much as marijuana usage. Widespread usage was why Prohibition in the 1920's did not work and was done away with because so many people just drank anyways. Comparing marijuana usage to murder is not exactly valid. Unless you can prove to me that someone always dies everytime someone lights up some marijuana.

So, for my clarification Arrianna, do you support the illegalization of both alchohol and marijuana? If you don't, isn't that hypcritical? I'd like to live in a world where other people didn't have to succumb to weakness and try to escape from reality with alchohol, marijuana, other drugs, and we made laws against these things, but if we aren't going to illegalize alchohol (and we aren't almost no one would support it) we cannot at the same time illegalize marijuana without being contradictory. I would think the effects on those around you are the same for both drugs.

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Originally Posted by dark_glaive

So, for my clarification Arrianna, do you support the illegalization of both alchohol and marijuana? If you don't, isn't that hypcritical? I'd like to live in a world where other people didn't have to succumb to weakness and try to escape from reality with alchohol, marijuana, other drugs, and we made laws against these things, but if we aren't going to illegalize alchohol (and we aren't almost no one would support it) we cannot at the same time illegalize marijuana without being contradictory. I would think the effects on those around you are the same for both drugs.

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Good point. However there is a difference between legalizing something and makeing something illegal. If you agree both are a problem why woud you make something legal just because something else that is equally a problem already is. Isn't that taking a step back? Add that to the fact it is alot harder to make something illegal then it is to legalize it. Legalizing Marijuana would just add to all the same regulation problems we already have with alcohol and make it just that much harder to justify those same regulations. A socially acceptable way to kill yourself. It's sad really. I'm doubtful alcohol whould ever become illegal again but if it did it wouldn't hurt my feelings any. I have met to many people in AA or who have lost family to alcoholism to be at all sympathetic to those who want to drink.


(PS. Yes, I know murder was an extream example. I overemphasized to make a point. If you think about it there are alot of things that are illegal that are difficult to regulate or enforce. They are illegal because of the affect upon both individuals and society. Drugs are one of those things. Just because it's difficult to enforce a law doesn't make it unworthwhile. In fact, often the most difficult laws to enforce are the ones that are the most important. That was my point.)

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Originally Posted by Arrianna

Good point. However there is a difference between legalizing something and makeing something illegal. If you agree both are a problem why woud you make something legal just because something else that is equally a problem already is. Isn't that taking a step back? Add that to the fact it is alot harder to make something illegal then it is to legalize it. Legalizing Marijuana would just add to all the same regulation problems we already have with alcohol and make it just that much harder to justify those same regulations. A socially acceptable way to kill yourself. It's sad really. I'm doubtful alcohol whould ever become illegal again but if it did it wouldn't hurt my feelings any. I have met to many people in AA or who have lost family to alcoholism to be at all sympathetic to those who want to drink.


(PS. Yes, I know murder was an extream example. I overemphasized to make a point. If you think about it there are alot of things that are illegal that are difficult to regulate or enforce. They are illegal because of the affect upon both individuals and society. Drugs are one of those things. Just because it's difficult to enforce a law doesn't make it unworthwhile. In fact, often the most difficult laws to enforce are the ones that are the most important. That was my point.)

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You've almost convinced me I'm wrong. I'll think it over and get back to you.

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Originally Posted by asraiwaters

i know this is a dangerous subject, but i thought id list some facts about marijuana and see how people respond to it.

first of all, marijuana is NOT better for you than tobacco cigarettes. (ps- that rebuttal only works against smokers. non-smokers will just look at you like youre stupid.)

it has 50% more tar in it than cigarettes. (tar coats your lungs, killing the aveoli and making it almost impossible for your body to clean the air you breathe before its sent to your bloodstream)

it causes emphysema much faster than cigarettes does. (emphysema kills your ability to exhale and, in turn, your ability to release CO2 which means its stuck in your body....and thats bad)

it contains 400 chemicals and rises to 2,000 when smoked.

heavy users do experience physiological withdrawl symptoms (ie: headaches, nausea, irritablility, inability to focus, tremors, night sweats, etc.)

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yes but look at it this way. Long time smokers usually smoke between 1 or 2 packs a day, most weed smokers (usually) only smoke 1 or 2 bowls, and the point of smokeing weed is to get high, not to smoke. There isnt nicotine (however you say that) the only addiction is mental. I assure you that deaths related to smoking cigarettes are far more, then weed.

On the other note, weed makes people lazy and kills alot more braincells. And the fact that it does have cancer causing materials in it doesnt make it better. Any drug is bad, but weed isnt as bad as people think it is.

Honestly i think the Anti-drug comercials are funded by fabric companys. Because hemp is far stronger and can be used for alot more, and its cheaper than most fabric on the market. And if weed were to be legal it would put alot of companys out of buisness.

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Originally Posted by mamimi_rue

Marijauna is much better for you than ciggerettes, no matter what a report may say. I smoke 'pot' periodically, I used to be a daily smoker though.. but when I quit smoking ciggerettes, marijauna kinda went along with it. Whenever I feel like it though, I tend to toke with some buddies or myself. It isn't as bad as 'they' say, in my opinion legal drugs are worst, and myself I wouldn't caterogrize pot as a drug anyway. It can bring insprational thoughts, and beautiful music. A good thing.

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Ive never seen anyone support the smokin of pot besides you so i guess then that you have a good reason and i see where you are goin with it too ^_^...yes it can be good according to what u say but les jus say that it goes hand in hand..can go either both ways..the good side are the reasons that u jus gave which it brings about inspirational thoughts and beautiful music (though its odd how that happens but o well), but u cant say that its a completely good thing as it does harm you in some way and sure does make ur life shorter..causes a buncha body problems so i guess u could say that is something that has good things about it and has bad things, from good things come consequences as well no matter what..

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Originally Posted by Fate

Honestly i think the Anti-drug comercials are funded by fabric companys. Because hemp is far stronger and can be used for alot more, and its cheaper than most fabric on the market. And if weed were to be legal it would put alot of companys out of buisness.

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Actually the "Industrial" Hemp plant (that fabric and rope is made from) is a completely seperate and distinct variety of the cannabis plant then marijuana. Not only won't you get high on hemp, if you tried to smoke it it would give you a whopper of a headache. Likewise it is impossible to make fabric with marijuana fibers. The two plants are not interchangeable.

There is right now a renewed interest in the hemp industry world wide especially in Europe, Canada, and the US. China would probably prefer that the Hemp industry not be rebuilt however since they are the number 1 producer of hemp fabrics world wide. Also right now the low number of hemp producers actually makes it more expensive then cotton. Low supply/high demand=high price. If other countries succeed in rebuilding their hemp industries it will cut into China's profit.

U.S. Hemp Fiber and Fabric Imports

Canadian Hemp: A Plant With Opportunity