Thread: Legalization of Marijuana

I'm divided on the topic.

No, because it's a drug and has a potential to harm people and can become addictive

but,

Yes, because alcohol (for example) has the potential to harm people as well, it could be said as being a drug, but yet thats not banned.
Same could be said for smoking tabacco

Man, I am dying to give my reasons. I guess I will just go ahead and do it.

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.

Now, I think I will say the benefits we will aquire if we legalize it. If marijuana is legalized then it can be used to help cancer and anorexia patients to gain weight. It would also cut the crime rate down tremendously because most people that have been caught in drug-related crimes have been possessors of marijuana.

I say that we legalize it and put an age limit on it just as we have for tobacco and alcohol.

Im all for it
I mean its the ppl choice to use or not use drugs, not the goverment's... plus its used as a medicin, and it isnt like worse than alcohol or tobaco... so I dont see the prob in legalicing it... but there would have to be some restrictions...

Marihuana will never get legalized, get over with it. If it is legalized it will increase the comsuption and selling of it, leading to the same problems or even worst.

Marihuana will never get legalized, get over with it. If it is legalized it will increase the comsuption and selling of it, leading to the same problems or even worst.

Yeah, but doesn't it seem like marijuana is in the same situation as alcohol was during prohibition? I think having marijuana illegalized is causing more trouble then good and as I mentioned in my earlier post. Marijuana has never been proven to be the direct cause of death other then alcohol and tobacco.

Grumble Grumble Grumble

Originally Posted by Priestess Angel

Yeah, but doesn't it seem like marijuana is in the same situation as alcohol was during prohibition? I think having marijuana illegalized is causing more trouble then good and as I mentioned in my earlier post. Marijuana has never been proven to be the direct cause of death other then alcohol and tobacco.

That's not exactly true at all... as the initially studies are finding...

Marijuana abuse also has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens9,11. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke12. It also induces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form—levels that may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells13. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which increases the lungs' exposure to carcinogenic smoke. These facts suggest that, puff for puff, smoking marijuana may be more harmful to the lungs than smoking tobacco.

InfoFacts - Marijuana: National Institute on Drug Abuse

The collected data on Marijuana isn't as extensive as it is for alcohol and tobacco because Marijuana is still an illegal product, so there is no financial incentive for the medical community to do extensive long term survey studies...

Just to provide a little information on the topic... If my sources are correct (and I'll re-check to make sure it's what I saw), marijuana is now legal in the state of Nevada.