Re: Legalization of Marijuana
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Priestess Angel 
I think I will start with the drug marijuana because their are those that think it is a very dangerous drug. It in fact is less dangerous then the two legal drugs out on the market, tobacco and alcohol. Both tobacco and alcohol have caused the deaths of millions but marijuana hasn't been found to be the cause of any fatalities. Now you may argue that marijuana is a gateway drug to more serious drugs such as cocaine and crystal meth. Well, 75% of serious drug users have said that their start-out drugs were tobacco and alcohol not marijuana.
Good point. I say we regulate alcohol and tobacco to medical purposes. If they can't find any then tough.
Points of interest on subject:
Steer Clear of Pot
Quote:
# Marijuana affects concentration, perception, coordination and reaction time, many of the skills required for safe driving. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana.
# An ongoing study of a large shock trauma unit found that 19 percent of crash victims under age 18 tested positive for marijuana.
# An estimated 38,000 high school seniors in the U.S. reported in 2001 that they crashed while driving under the influence of marijuana and 46,000 reported that they crashed while impaired by alcohol.
# Alcohol and marijuana are also frequently used together, which results in a dramatic decrease in driving performance and spike in impairment levels.
Fact Sheet
Quote:
A roadside study of reckless drivers (not under the influence of alcohol) showed that one in three tested positive for marijuana and an additional 18 percent tested positive for marijuana and cocaine.
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A study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry showed that perceptual motor speed and accuracy, two important parameters of driving ability, are impaired immediately after marijuana use. They also found a significant decrease in the ability of impaired subjects to use acquired knowledge from earlier driving experiences.
THC may Cause Schizophrenia-like Symptoms Quote:
Yale University researchers have shown that active ingredient in marijuana can cause transient schizophrenia-like symptoms ranging from suspiciousness and delusions to impairments in memory and attention in some patients. The study was an attempt to clarify a long known association between cannabis and psychosis in the hopes of finding another clue about the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Study: Marijuana Can Produce Schizophrenia-Like Symptoms Quote:
Symptoms included suspiciousness, unusual thoughts, paranoia, thought disorder, blunted affect, reduced spontaneity, reduced interaction with the interviewer, and problems with memory and attention.
Cannabis and mental illness: is there a link? Quote:
Does cannabis trigger an earlier onset of psychosis in predisposed people? - Yes
Does cannabis exacerbate the symptoms generally> - Yes
Does cannabis use worsen the outcome and progress the illness? - Yes
Is there a causal link? - Possibly, in those who are vulnerable.
"Medical" Marijuana - The Facts Quote:
Medical marijuana already exists. It's called Marinol.
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There are no FDA-approved medications that are smoked. For one thing, smoking is generally a poor way to deliver medicine. It is difficult to administer safe, regulated dosages of medicines in smoked form. Secondly, the harmful chemicals and carcinogens that are byproducts of smoking create entirely new health problems. There are four times the level of tar in a marijuana cigarette, for example, than in a tobacco cigarette
Should marijuana be legalized? NO.
Re: Legalization of Marijuana
They can say what they want to about marijuana, but have these people that have made these charts smoked it as long as me and half the people I know? They haven't proven their facts..Yes, when your high on marijuana it has the EQUAL effects of being drunk. It may have a long-term result but it's not as addictive as alcohol. Yet they legalized the shit and not marijuana. A PLANT THAT IS JUST GROWN AND PICKED OFF! The only effects you get over time from it is mabye cancer. Most people I know fall out after more than three joints. My mom smokes way more than just 15 ciggerates a day. (That's equal to three joints) So should it be illegal? No. People suck on them every day.
Yeah and something else. If they say people on marijuana are all stupid and shit by 10 years of using. Ask them what all they used. No one can do illegalized stuff without doing something else extra. Common Sense. It's human nature. They probaly are tripping every night on Chronic.
So take your little internet facts off and get some real proof.
Re: Legalization of Marijuana
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Peachi It may have a long-term result but it's not as addictive as alcohol.
So, I'll be honest, I'm not an expert in the area but, I don't see how smoking marijuana can be any less addictive than alcohol
Re: Legalization of Marijuana
Up here in Canada, marijuana isn't 'legal,' but it's not entirely illegal. Pretty much how it works is the police won't make a big fuss depending on how much marijuana you have on you. If you have a small amount that is obviously only for personal consumption, then the police will let you off and will just confiscate it at the very worst. However, if you're caught with a decent sized amount, then it does become a criminal issue because there's the potential of selling it, in which case the police will probably arrest you.
Technically there is a limited tolerance up here for using marijuana. But if the police catch you selling or growing it, then it becomes criminal.
As for marijuana's medical use, it's a bit of a joke....it simply acts as a mild sedative (government regulated marijuana is specially produced so that there's less THC and whatnot in it), so it's not really healing in anyway. It's simply numbing you for a bit.
Quote:
A roadside study of reckless drivers (not under the influence of alcohol) showed that one in three tested positive for marijuana and an additional 18 percent tested positive for marijuana and cocaine.
Right now in Canada, we don't have any tools for which to test marijuana use immediately, in the same way we use breathalizers for alcohol (I'm not sure what they use down there). The only surefire way we have is urine sampling, but that's not administered at roadchecks (however, there's new legislation proposed that would allow police to demand urine samples). There's a bit of a conundrum though because unlike alcohol, there is no "legal limit" for when marijuana impairs driving. It's up to the police to make the call whether you're driving is impaired or not. So if you're pulled over and smell of marijuana, the police may or may not do anything depending on the circumstances. But pretty much the government and police recommend not to drive while smokin.
I honestly don't think marijuana should be legalized. I don't care for cigarettes or alchohol either. It wouldn't bother me one bit if they were banned. The problem with legalizing marijuana is that once you do that then it will open the door for other drug users wanting their drug of choice legalized. Not only that, but there's such a movement now to have smoking done away with that it would be hypocritical to suddenly allow marijuana usage.
I'm happy with Canada's current laws on the drug. Limited tolerancy, but the government does swoop down on the criminal aspect of selling and growing. (Actually...funny story. About a month or so ago, the RCMP had a drug raid on Vancouver Island, and seized over $1 million dollars worth of marijuana plants. They put them in the police truck, took it back to the station and went inside to start a fire to burn the plants, and 15 minutes later when they went outside to bring the plants in, they caught a guy who was already trying to steal the plants out of the truck. And it literally was just 15 minutes later).
Re: Legalization of Marijuana
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Peachi They can say what they want to about marijuana, but have these people that have made these charts smoked it as long as me and half the people I know? They haven't proven their facts..Yes, when your high on marijuana it has the EQUAL effects of being drunk. It may have a long-term result but it's not as addictive as alcohol. Yet they legalized the shit and not marijuana. A PLANT THAT IS JUST GROWN AND PICKED OFF! The only effects you get over time from it is mabye cancer. Most people I know fall out after more than three joints. My mom smokes way more than just 15 ciggerates a day. (That's equal to three joints) So should it be illegal? No. People suck on them every day.
Yeah and something else. If they say people on marijuana are all stupid and shit by 10 years of using. Ask them what all they used. No one can do illegalized stuff without doing something else extra. Common Sense. It's human nature. They probaly are tripping every night on Chronic.
So take your little internet facts off and get some real proof.
Oh gosh, it's KenX all over again.
Ok, you tell me how in your 15 years of life you have more experience then the people who have been dealing with this stuff since before the 60's? They have studies on the drug older then you!
I have said it before and I will say it again. When you are discussing the legalization of a mind altering subsance the last people who should have a say in the decision are those indulging.
@Chubz: I was in BC when the decision was being made about the new laws. I'm glad to hear they might be working. The people I knew who had had connections in "the bussiness" were skeptical.
Re: Legalization of Marijuana
Marijuana should definately be legalized,its pathetic that we cant have a smoke in our own homes yet i am allowed to drink myself to death,smoke tobbacco till i die or overeat,its just one more example of a nanny society treating us like little kids our whole lives and telling us how we can socially acceptably kill ourselves with alchohol or tobacco but not with some weed(not that i ever heard of anyone dying from weed).
I think that maybe the main reason weed is illegal is because of the governments around the worlds affiliation with the alcohol industries i.e. if you smoke a couple of joints you wont drink as much,some people wouldnt drink at all so look at this equation:
25,000,000 teenagers from around the world get 8 bottles of drink each on a friday and 8 bottles on a saturday,so we have 800,000,000 bottles of drink sold around the world at say 2.00 dollars/pounds wateva a bottle so that equals 1600,000,000 dollars/pounds in drinks sales to teenagers on those 2 days alone with an average alchohol tax rate of 75% those governments around the world have made in 2 days on alchohol tax 1200,000,000 dollars/pounds.
If those same teens had had a couple of smokes during/before they would not have drunk 8 bottles each,more like 4 bottles at the most,losing governments around the world 600,000,000 dollars/pounds in one night!!!
Obviously this is a mock equation but i think you will all get the point:deal:
Re: Legalization of Marijuana
no they shouldnt legalize it. its not good to take drugs
Re: Legalization of Marijuana
It's not that the government really cares if you smoke it or not. The government is trying to stop everything ASSOCIATED with drugs (i.e the criminal aspect) by stopping the drug itself. For some people, marijuana is a huuuge business run by gangs, which can get pretty violent at times. BC is one of the biggest hot spots for marijuana grow ops. They found an underground tunnel between the American and Canadian border for running marijuana across, and recently a plane carrying a huge shipment of marijuana crashed while trying to fly over the border (I forget if it was coming to Canada, or going to America). Vancouver city also has numerous home invasions, some of them are planned attacks in homes where marijuana is grown and there's been several times where the attacks have gone wrong, and the crooks enter and attack the wrong person and house.
We also have a problem with the "White Snakes" gang from China, who ship people over to Canada to start up grow ops. Because of the money behind the gang, they can afford to have houses specially made that suite growing marijuana. Then we also have numerous Indo-Canadian gangs which have been set up, and constantely murder one another. The only plus side to this, is that they generally only kill each other, and no bystanders have really been hurt yet.
The government lists facts about marijuana to try and stop the individual from doing it, but their main goal is stopping the sale and distribution by criminal gangs. While marijuana isn't as hard a drug as cocaine or meth, it's still a big business which people are willing to kill to protect. Outdoor grow ops are often times booby-trapped, and most times when police make marijuana busts, they find caches of stolen and illegal weapons.
