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Post by LostPeon™ on Apr 24, 2005 13:59:58 GMT -8
Wow, am I the only one that is for the legalisation of marijuana?
First of all, I have never tried marijuana in any way, nor do I intend to.
Second, Navy, those "rebel" kids you spoke of would probably go onto other stuff whether it becomes legal or not. They're rebels, it's what they do. I've seen my fair share of those types of kids, and marijuana isn't the only thing they do... And also, "borderline bad"? Sure, it might kill a few brain cells, but so will living in Los Angeles or any other majorly polluted city. There have also been many benefits proven for the use of marijuana. There are other ways to use it without it being smoked.
Moving on... Barney, Alcohol CAN be bad for your health. Many studies have shown that alcohol, in moderation can actually help extend the lives of some and help to better their lives. Sure, maybe not by much, but it's certainly not detrimental when used in moderation. As for smoking, whether cigarretes or otherwise, I wholeheartedly believe that should be outlawed. Again, marijuana does not have to be smoked.
As far as the "stoners in public" remark, why not just make laws coinciding with those already in place for alcohol? Make it illegal to be high in public as it is to be drunk in public.
And as for the price dropping... sure, maybe a little, but it would be a good way for the government to get in there. Taxes! Legalise it and charge tax on it. The governmnet's always good for that sort of thing. That way, it could be more controlled and dealt with more easily.
Well, I think that about shows my view on this.
Again, never have I had any association with marijuana, nor do I ever intend to.
LostPeon
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Post by Compbasher on Apr 25, 2005 17:35:20 GMT -8
Well, I was about to write this huge discussion until I saw that Lost had put down about everything that I wanted to. I am for the legalization in marijuana. I do not know if this is entirely true, but I believe that smoking cigarettes is worse for your health than smoking marijuana.
Lost's public intoxication statement(whether it be alcohol or smoking) was exactly what I was thinking. Just instate some laws against being "blown" in public, though I realize it is really not as easy to spot as drunk individuals are.
Most of the people that I know do not smoke it because they want to be "rebels," but they do it because they like to smoke it and they like the feeling. I also know some people that smoke marijuana almost regularly but are whole-heartedly against smoking cigarettes and other tobacco.
Other than these statements, Lost's post pretty much sums up how I feel about this subject and I, again, agree that marijuana should be legalized.
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Post by LostPeon™ on Apr 25, 2005 22:09:56 GMT -8
Nothing like a good liberal mindset to set everyone straight, eh?
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Post by Compbasher on May 4, 2005 8:56:14 GMT -8
I found this editorial the other week and tried to scan it and post it in this thread, but the size was too large. So, since I have nothing else better to do in the morning, I will type it out and basically want to know what others think and feel about the article and the issue itself. (Any and all errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling are probably because of my behalf.)
[glow=red,2,300]High Times[/glow] shouldn't be [glow=red,2,300]High Crimes[/glow]
Decriminalizing marijuana is the economical, logical, and safe thing to do
Imagine going to prison for 55 years. By the time you had paid your debt to society, you would be old and had your life stolen away, if you had not already died behind bars.
What single crime would deserve such a grave punishment? Hijacking an airplane warrants a maximum sentence of 25 years. The maximum sentence for beating a person to death in a fight is 13 years. Had you raped a child, you could expect no more than 11 years behind bars. So what single crime deserves 55 years? The crime of selling a plant people might smoke. Weldon Angelos, a 25-year-old first time offender, was recently sentenced to more time for selling pot than if he had received the maximum sentence for beating someone to death while hijacking a plane and raping a child all at once. Now he will likely spend every year of his life behind bars and be buried in a prison graveyard for no worse crime than selling the flowers of a plant. Unfortunately, his story is not unique. More people are arrested for marijuana offenses than for all violent crimes combined -- 88 percent of them for possession only. Every year, thousands of students lose their federal college money when they are prosecuted for petty marijuana offenses. It is a process that ruins lives and wastes billions in taxpayer resources. For all the hype that comes from the $500 million taxpayer ripoff known as the Office of National Drug Control Policy, cannabis does not even come close to the damage done by legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. In 1994 the National Institute on Drug Abuse published a study that listed alcohol and tobacco as comparable to heroin and cocaine in terms of withdrawal and dependence. The same study found marijuana to be less addictive than caffeine. As of 2000, 520,000 people lost their lives annually as a result of alcohol and tobacco, but a 1988 study by the US Drug Abuse Warning Network was unable to find a single instance in which marijuana was the sole cause of death. Because of its prohibition, the price of cannabis is artificially inflated, making it literally worth its weight it gold at roughly $350 per ounce of quality pot. If cannabis were legal, however, it would barely be worth more than lettuce, thus making it too cheap for any criminal to want to get involved with it. By legalizing marijuana, we would effectively eliminate funding the gangs and pushers that use it as cash commodity for guns and harder drugs. Legalization would put the pushers out of business overnight. Cannabis should be taxed and regulated in a manner similar to alcohol and tobacco and available for the medicinal and recreational use of responsible adults. Legalizing marijuana would also decrease user crossover to harder drugs. In countries where cannabis is legal, only 20 percent of users say they can get harder drugs from their marijuana vendor as opposed to 80 percent who say they can do the same in the United States. Legalization would then break the "gateway effect" that drug warriors often tout as a reason for continued criminalization of marijuana. This is not an issue solely for marijuana users but for us all. Organizations like the Marijuana Policy Project, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and the Libertarian Party are working to end the prohibition on marijuana. Smokers and non-smokers alike can agree the government should not be allowed authority over what we put into our bodies, so long as we do not harm others. Together, we can change these ridiculous laws that do more harm than the drugs they criminalize and allow people who responsibly use marijuana to do so without the threat of cimrinal prosecution. Regardless of what the ONDCP may say, America can handle personal responsibility. America can handle legalizing marijuana
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Post by navyceals on May 4, 2005 14:09:43 GMT -8
Well I think that article does a good job of summarizing the arguments used by pro-marijuana'ers. And as I've said earlier, I just don't know which way is the best one, but I'll point out some problems with a few of these arguments.
The first thing it mentions is going to jail for 55 years, for selling marijuana. That does sound pretty harsh, especially in regards to the other crimes noted. I'm quite surprised that hijacking a plane is only 25 years. I see something like hijacking a plane, first degree murder, and even selling marijuana as calculated crimes. They didn't just do it by accident, they didn't do it as a result of passion (as the death in a fight would have been). They made a choice, to sell an illegal product to make money, and the government has made it clear, that it is wrong. So to decide that you'll sell marijuana in order to make money, and then cry about spending the next 55 years of your life in jail because you feel it's unfair... that just seems stupid; that punishment should have been in the person's initial cost/benefits analysis.
The writer then says that the price of marijuana would come down drastically if it became legal, there can't be any argument there. But then it says that overnight the gangs and pushers would be out of business, and that seems to be a naive statement. True marijuana will be out, but does that mean that the gangs and pushers are going to go home, cry, and then go legit? Lol I think not! They'll go onto selling bigger and badder stuff. You might argue that some of them won't get into that really bad stuff, but why wouldn't they? Are they scared of harsher laws affecting that? Lol common, they were facing 55 years with marijuana, how much worse is it going to be!!
True the writer of this article has to stick to his side of things, but the problem is that a lot of people can read articles like this and not realize that it is not the whole story.
Good info: The stats they used for how much worse cigarettes and alcohol are, are pretty scary though, I think those are pretty true, as it says, there hasn't really been a death directly related to marijuana.
NavY_Ceals
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dxlightning
Platinum Membership
[ss:LostPeon's Gray][ss:LostPeon's Gray]
Posts: 1,246
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Post by dxlightning on Mar 12, 2006 20:35:16 GMT -8
The way I think about it, we've already legalized one drug, that drug being alcohol. Were we to have laws similar to that with Marijuana, I see no reason not to allow it. HOWEVER, I just don't trust the ability of Americans to restrain themselves when it comes to marijuana, so I'm gonna have to vote no
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Post by grayfox7 on Mar 12, 2006 20:41:31 GMT -8
So you don't consider tobacco a drug?
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Post by Chalupa! on Mar 13, 2006 15:15:27 GMT -8
So you don't consider tobacco a drug? Asprin is a drug, but I think it should be legal. People haven't been known to commit crimes from the effects of tobacco, but marijuana is a different story, although I don't think marijuana is our biggest problem. I'm not convinced that it should be illegal nor am I convinced it should be legal. Chalupa
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Post by LostPeon™ on Mar 13, 2006 19:35:30 GMT -8
It all depends on your definintion of "drug." A drug could be anything from any food one eats to the hardcore narcotics some use.
Or, my favorite definition: The southeastern European definition that drug is a male friend, or comrade.
Can't we all just be drugs?
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Post by technohawk on Mar 15, 2006 3:03:36 GMT -8
Lost posted most of what I had to say as well.
I believe marijuana should be legalized and controlled and taxed by the government. Then use the money for social programs(I'm Canadian) or something else.
I live in British Colombia, self proclaimed pot capital of north America. Yet I don't smoke weed nor will i likely ever. However, i see weed as similar to alcohol in it's effects on the brain. Chronic use of either can result in brain injury. So why not let people injure themselves in a different legal manner.
As for dxlightning's lack of trust in the average American's restraint, this wouldn't change that restraint for better or for good.
Alcoholics don't show restraint, binge drinker's don't. However, they represent a minuscule amount of the population. The majority of people in north America do show restraint, otherwise we'd be in total anarchy already.
I would also theorize that legalizing pot could reduce the crime rate in the country. While some dealers/suppliers would just switch to other drugs, others would pack it in.
As for the comparison to cigarettes, i had read on one site that fully smoking one join is equivalent to 10 cigarettes in the harm that it does to your lungs. Whether that stat is accurate, I don't know.
Anyways, thats my two cents.
To sum it up Legalize It Tax it Give the money to people in REAL need and focus on more important things like making a star trek series that doesn't totally suck.
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Post by ♦Whot♦ on Mar 15, 2006 12:37:20 GMT -8
I think you spelt your own province wrong Technohawk, it's COLUMBIA!
Anyways, marijuana is legal in some places, for others, they need to be for medicinal purposes. Basically marijuana, in my point of view, is that it's the same as smoking. It gets addictive and if it's expensive like the "deadly" drugs, people start to do ANYTHING for it. I mean, I had people stealing leaves/trees/plants/lightbulbs/etc. here in my neighborhood. Pretty sad, so legalization of marijuana would probably increase the crime rate.
Anyways, I'm not going to spend time on this, the society has argued about this for years.
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Post by grayfox7 on Mar 15, 2006 13:12:17 GMT -8
Uh, people stole trees from your neighborhood? How are these people not getting caught? And why the hell would anyone steal a leaf? Can you even get money for a leaf? Hell, can you get charged for stealing leaves? How bizarre.
Really though... trees!?
"Hey, why are there so many cop cars around?" "Somebody stole a tree." "Oh, that's terrible. Somebody stole a hospital from my neighborhood last week."
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Post by technohawk on Mar 15, 2006 13:32:00 GMT -8
yes i misspelled BC intentionally as a failed allusion to our booming drug trade like colombia's.
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Post by cagedinsanity on May 18, 2006 15:09:12 GMT -8
Before i get off on a rant , i'd like the reader to know that i have been a habitual user of the "Devils Weed" for...hmm well its safe to say about 80% of my life. So keep that in mind. Why would you want to legalize something bad to your health? if we legalize marijauna, isn't it the same thing as just letting kids under 15 start smoking cigarrettes? No. Cigarettes have been linked to many diseases lol... in comparison to cigarettes, pot is close to harmless. Although i could be wrong, i severly doubt it. I dont think they have actually 100% confirmed that it has any actual health risks, physically anyways. Mentally is a different story. And we have many things in all countries around the world that are bad for you, yet legal. In comparison, you would be much better off smoking pot than cigarettes, and alcohol as well. Alcohol is even worse since its socially acceptable. "BB Gun" effect as i personally call it, people dont take precautions with bb guns, because its obviously not a shotgun or a rifle. its a BB gun. Thus having people think of it as a toy, and playing with it instead of being responsible with it. I think it should be legalized, but i disagree with people using it. It causes more harm than good obviously. That should be enough to not do it. Besides, u wanna walk around slurring your words and not remembering what you just said 5 seconds ago? Personally thats your choice lol, thats why i think it should be legalized. As long as its used in a responsible manner, (which it hardly ever is unfortunately, which gives it a bad rap). Sorry for reviving the topic, just had to say something about it And sorry to lone if I seemed hostile, it wasnt meant that way was just tryin to throw in my 2 cents
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Post by grayfox7 on May 18, 2006 16:57:30 GMT -8
Before i get off on a rant , i'd like the reader to know that i have been a habitual user of the "Devils Weed" for...hmm well its safe to say about 80% of my life. So keep that in mind. So, uh, how old are you? I thought you were around 20ish, but that would mean you've been smoking since age 4... Why would you want to legalize something bad to your health? if we legalize marijauna, isn't it the same thing as just letting kids under 15 start smoking cigarrettes? No. Cigarettes have been linked to many diseases lol... in comparison to cigarettes, pot is close to harmless. Although i could be wrong, i severly doubt it. I dont think they have actually 100% confirmed that it has any actual health risks, physically anyways. Uh... www.marijuanaaddiction.info/effects-of-marijuana.htmI think it should be legalized, but i disagree with people using it. ... As long as its used in a responsible manner, (which it hardly ever is unfortunately, which gives it a bad rap). Before i get off on a rant , i'd like the reader to know that i have been a habitual user of the "Devils Weed" for...hmm well its safe to say about 80% of my life. So keep that in mind. ...What's going on here? Care to explain this further?
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