Tell me why you think marijuana should be illegal!

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Rieceposted 13 years ago
I personally think it is ridiculous that it's not allowed. But according to polls the majority disagree with me! Surely there must be somebody on here that favors the outlawing of marijuana. Tell me why!
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  psycheskinnerposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I don't really care one way or the other. But grass impairs driving, thinking in general and can have effects on sperm and eggs that aren't good for fetal health. Si it isnlt completely harmless.
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  DoorMattnomoreposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  what polls?
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  tony0724posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Just to let you know there was a scientific study done like a year ago and the gist of it was that men who smoke alot of marijuana have a higher propensity for testicular cancer. I would rather keep my nads.
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  bsscorpio8posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  WHAT?!!!! WHY?!!!
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Sab Ohposted 13 years ago
We have enough legal vices already.
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  Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  
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lorlie6posted 13 years ago
Bring back prohibition and legalize weed!!!!
REALLY!
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Sab Ohposted 13 years ago
Anyone more than 25 years old needs to have a drink and get over the whole 'pot head' thing already. All the 'arguments' for legalization are just poorly-veiled excuses from people who their smokey-smokey.
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  lorlie6posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Hey Sab-I'm a recovering alcoholic who doesn't smoke weed, and alcohol is far worse than weed could ever hope to be.
  Booze is a demon...almost killed me 2 years ago.
  PS: Luv ya, hon!
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  By all means, lay off the booze as well then. Glad to hear of the "recovering" part. You are a strong person for beating it. Good on ya.
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  lorlie6posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks, Sab, I shall!
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  Rieceposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Hey Sab. Actually I think it should be legal, and I've never smoked a joint in my life, and don't plan to. I just don't think that the government should have the authority over what a person does to their own body.
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Ok, then why should the government make it illegal for someone to put meth in their body? Why make it illegal to own plutonium? Why make it illegal to remove your kidney and sell it?
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  nightwork4posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  the examples you are using are completely irrelevant in comparison. how about why shouldn't something that is a lot less harmful then booze or smokes be illegal. why do we give up personal choices because propoganda has made pot look worse the herion. why do some people still believe pot is so dangerous. why do mainly studies that show supposed side effects of pot make the news so often. why should the government be allowed to tell an individual what they can smoke . finally why is it that though people who have smoked most of their lives still have the ability to live properly , anti-pot people make it sound like all smokers are useless.
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  nightwork4posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  i can't argue why it should be illegal because it shouldn't be. why do people so love to let the government decide what they can do with their bodies? do these people like being controlled?
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kirstenblogposted 13 years ago
The prohibition on marijuana is criminal in my eyes. The money being made by international drug cartels fuels much human suffering and misery around the planet. The effects of banning a substance that is much in demand are enough to break my heart. I would much prefer to see the innocent protected from drug cartels then see the willfully ignorant protected from themselves and that is what banning a substance like weed or booze is all about. It's for your own good cause your to stupid to be trusted to make your own decisions or be held responsible for your own decisions. I find the whole thing evil and insulting.
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Uninvited Writerposted 13 years ago
It should be legal since there are so many good medical reasons for using marijuana.
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  kirstenblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  another reason why I find the prohibition on marijuana tantamount to evil
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  If people were really concerned with medical applications they would support the production of pill forms that allow for the control of potency and provide longer-lasting effects without the dangers of smoking and do not get users 'high.' How many people who make a lot of noise about 'medical marijuana' are really just using sick people as cover for getting their high?
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  Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  A common thread in all of your posts is the denial of another person's freedoms.
  
  Why do you hate freedom?
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  nightwork4posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  probably quite a few people use the medical marijuana excuse to be able to smoke it. why does it bother you that people want to get high is my question. have you ever seen a stoner go around fighting, beating their spouses, causing riots etc. in canada we had a rally in june for people for the legalization of pot. 25,000 people attended. there were no arrests, no violence and not vandalism. try that with 25,000 drunks.
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Ben Evansposted 13 years ago
I think it has become popular to support the repealing of the marijuana laws. It is actually for the most part legalized. If someone gets caught, then it is a slap on the wrist. It is very much like when I was in high school. If you didn't smoke pot, you were out of the scene.

If everyone wants to repeal the laws, that is their prerogative. I believe most people are just doing it to jump on the band wagon.

Now with that said. I don't want to employ someone who smokes marijuana. Unfortunately, most people who smoke marijuana also tend to do crack and meth. It may sound like a hard strict policy but it does hold statistically true that someone who test positive for any drugs performs poorer.

If everyone wants to legalize it, I will say that is their choice. I, however, in this bit of freedom want to be able to exercise my right to hire and fire based on testing employees. I know it sounds harsh and people who do test positive do perform poorer.
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  b_fueposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I would just like to argue against 'most people who smoke...also tend to do crack and meth.' That's actually not true. I am unsure of the percentage of smokers who use other drugs, and I'm not even sure that can be studied in any way. There are definitely people who get into hard drugs after marijuana, but most, MOST do not. This is a good article/ study on marijuana users: http://legalizelouisiana.com/ebooks/The … mokers.pdf
  
  Also, it has been proven that performance level is lower in caffeine users than marijuana users. But performance is at peak when no substances are used. Here's that study: http://thinkorthwim.com/index.php?tag=caffeine
  
  That's just the one I think, and there are more reputable reports on the same study.
  
  Just so you know - don't judge people by marijuana use
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IzzyMposted 13 years ago
It should stay illegal. The unemployment rate would climb sharply if all the drug pushers lost their jobs.
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Shadesbreathposted 13 years ago
I don't even smoke pot and can't think of a single reason not to legalize it other than some reflexive prudishness based on total ignorance. I can think of many reasons why we should.

1. Tax revenue (yes, many people would grow their own, so taxes wouldn't be as high--lol--as some want, but that doesn't negate the fact that the revenue would still be considerable.)

2. Stop sending all that pot money to a-holes (both at home and abroad).

3. Side effects are less severe than most of the crap we already do (booze, fast food, sodas, cigarettes, driving cars, bunji jumping, riding motorcycles, horseback riding, skateboards, gymnastics, football, ... etc.) and take a lot longer to happen than injuries/death from these other things too.

4. There are some actually proven medical benefits despite how poor the research is to support most of the claims. Pain reduction and weight loss benefits appear to be pretty well supported, as I understand it.

5. Cops not wasting their time and resources chasing down pot growers can chase down someone doing something that is actually harmful instead.

6. Legitimate business can pop up and employ people and create a network of industry supporting sub-industries etc.

7. As Lorlie says, it is far less harmful to the body than alcohol--I've had doctors for years trying to tell me, "If you must have a vice, smoke pot." I have to explain to them I like beer very much thanks, but their point is not lost in the context of this conversation.

8. Freeing up hemp restrictions might allow for other U.S. products from hemp varieties for textile and oils... adding more jobs, wealth, and tax revenue.

9. People are far less violent and asinine on pot than booze.

10.Lots of people like it - who are we to tell them what they can do when there are pretty much no downsides?
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  "Cops not wasting their time and resources"
  
  It would end up "wasting" far more of their time and resources.
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  Shadesbreathposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  
  Nuh-uh.
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Think about it. Legalizing pot would not put a stop to police work involving drugs. Heroin, meth, etc. would still be around so drug task forces and all related efforts would go on unabated and it would double all the time and effort that currently goes to preventing underage drinking, drunk driving, and related activities. Then you would have to add in time and effort preventing black market growers and sellers anyway, a whole new government bureaucracy for testing, inspection, quality control, etc. a whole batch of new laws for minimum levels for driving, age of use, technology to test impaired drivers in the field, courts stuffed with cases challenging all of the above and untold millions to the lawyers representing the accused.
  
  And that's just for starters.
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  Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  You are getting increasingly desperate. Why not simplify your life by not getting your knickers in a knot about issues that don't concern you. Respecting other people's privacy is a big step toward becoming an adult.
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Why don't YOU stick to the topic instead of concerning yourself with me personally? We can avoid more trouble that way, don't you think?
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  Doug Hughesposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Buzz - You may be the only hubber on the forums less popular them I am. But enjoy - it's somethng you earned. You insist on trying to impose yur morality on abortion and prohibition on the majority who don''t agree. You make arguments that are berift of all logic - that legalizing grass would make MORE police pork. C'mon - nobody is really that stupid.
  
  But we don't want you to go away. You're a walking illustration of the falicies of wingnut philosophy.
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Address the topic rather than me personally, ok?
  
  And maybe read all the posts before responding, as I have addressed how legalizing pot would add to the burden of law enforcement, among other things.
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  Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  His response accurately pointed out the absurdity of your argument.
  
  Please stop the personal attacks.
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  If you are being at all serious, please show me where I posted a personal attack so I can correct it.
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Yeah, I didn't think so.
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  Doug Hughesposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Your argument about adding to the burden of law enforcement made no sense. They currently know how to test for grass - ever hear of drug screening? The additional costs of the regulatory aspects of cultivation and distribution would be offest (100-fold) by the revenue.
  
  You want to write your tripe and censor the replies - that dog won't hunt.
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  " They currently know how to test for grass "
  
  Really? What's the field sobriety test for the minimum allowable amount of pot in a driver's system? Is there a breathalyzer for pot to measure the amount?
  
  Oh, there would be so many happy lawyers...
  
  Pot heads never consider details
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  And as for tax revenue covering the expense of a new government bureaucracy, LOLOLOLOL!!!!!! Are you at all familiar with our government?
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  jcarlson099posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  YOU are the one that is ignoring the details...most of the people i know have smoked or smoke on a regular basis, and would be happy to pay taxes for their habbit. how many tax dollars do we spend on the enforcement of the MOST POPULAR illicit drug in america? way too much in my opinion, because if we were to legalize marijuana, i gurantee that usage would skyrocket, and the taxation of it would probly generate millions of dollars that is now in the underground market
  
  my guess is that you have never even read an article about marijuana and the actual effects it has on people...so after you have smoked a joint and understand what pot is really all about, then come back and try and talk shit about it...
  
  it really sickens me how much bias and hypocracy there is in this country regarding weed and something like alcohol which kills more people everyday than weed ever has. look it up
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  "my guess is that you have never even read an article about marijuana and the actual effects it has on people...so after you have smoked a joint and understand what pot is really all about, then come back and try and talk s**t about it..."
  
  More illogic from the pot crowd...
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  bsscorpio8posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Who wrote the articles? Smokers?
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  Shadesbreathposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I agree those would still be there. However, if the cops aren't chasing pot guys (which they do now) then the time they would have spent chasing pot fiends they can now spend chasing crack fiends, thus reducing the number of those guys. OR, they could chase actual bad guys like identity thieves, rapists and murders.
  If I accept your figure of "double" (which I don't but will for the sake of this argument) I still say: So? They are preventing pot smokers from driving now. People already smoke pot. This law is not changing that. Like I said above, teh only people not smoking pot now that want to are the kind of people who abide by laws, which is why they aren't smoking pot. Which suggests they wont drive stoned either, given said respect for the law.
  
  They are spending money RIGHT NOW on preventing black market growers and sellers. What do you think the whole point of this discussion is about? As for the testing and inspecting, yes, they will. And from that control, actual research can be done because for once they can control potency levels so people WITH medical use will know what they are getting and can actually get the same dosage from one baggie to the next. Research will be more easily conducted. Furthermore, the cost of those agencies and the rest will be covered through the taxation on the end product and on the businesses that produce it, not to mention the income, property and sales taxes that are paid by the people who now have legitimate jobs and therefore can/will pay those things.
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  "actual research can be done because for once they can control potency levels so people WITH medical use will know what they are getting and can actually get the same dosage from one baggie to the next. "
  
  If you're really concerned about that, focus on supporting actual medical research developing pill forms of medication that controls potency, lasts longer, but doesn't get people 'high' and doesn't come in a "baggie"
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  Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Is always a brilliant rebuttal.
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  nightwork4posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  so what your saying is that it would create jobs, give the police more time to investigate real criminals and help ensure that pot is safer and less likely to be tampered with. your right , what a horrible concept.
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  Jeff Berndtposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Bingo, Shades. Legalization of marijuana would save us tons of money (and opportunity cost) on enforcement, freeing up dollars and police man-hours to pursue harmful activity. Any revenue gained from regulation/taxation would be minor at best, and not a good reason in itself to legalize.
  
  Even more importantly, industrial hemp production would be a boon to America's farmers, textile industry, domestic energy production, and water table: hemp grows like a--well, you know. Its fibers are supposedly stronger and more durable than cotton. Hemp oil is cheap to refine and is a good deal when you compare how much energy it costs to refine it vs how much energy it produces. And finally, hemp requires very little water for irrigation.
  
  It's win-win-win-win. Plus, the phishheads (can't really call 'em deadheads anymore...) will be able to light up a bong or whatever they do at concerts, and the cops can just wave and throw up a peace sign, man, no need to harsh anyone's mellow. (Am I square or what?)
  
  One reason I've heard for pot being illegal is that back in the day, black musicians liked to smoke it before performing, and since most white folks didn't smoke it, pot was a convenient excuse to send the cops over to harass some black people. I do not know this for a fact, but I find it plausible.
  
  Anyone with good research-fu will be able to confirm or bust me. I can't be bothered right now, man.
  
  Joking aside, I don't smoke pot, and wouldn't if it became legal. But I don't get why it remains illegal.
  
  And while I wouldn't want to be working with someone while they were stoned, and would fire someone who was stoned on the job just as quickly as if they were drunk on the job, I don't see what business is is of mine what legal activities someone does when they're not on the job. If it affects their performance, can 'em. If it doesn't, why do you even care?
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  Sab Ohposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  "Legalization of marijuana would save us tons of money on enforcement, freeing up dollars and police man-hours to pursue harmful activity"
  
  The opposite is more like it.
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  nightwork4posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  how?
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  kerrygposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Yeah, hemp would be a real boon to American farmers, considering the stuff grows like a weed here anyway.
  
  Re: the racist enforcement of marijuana laws, there was a new report just last week indicating that blacks get arrested for pot possession at a rate up to four times that of whites in California, despite being less likely to use it:
  
  http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/mari … a-arrests/
  
  I've never done pot in my life and never plan to, but add me to the list of people who think it should be legal. I don't do tobacco or alcohol either, but of the three, my experience has been that marijuana is by far the least harmful.
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  Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Is hemp the same as marijuana? I smoked a length of rope once when my illegal immmigrant pot dealer/abortionist was hiding out for awhile.
  
  All I got was a sore throat.
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  kerrygposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  No, industrial hemp doesn't have enough of the psychoactive substance found in marijuana to give anyone a high, but it's banned by association in this country anyway, despite being one of the most useful plants in existence. It's completely ridiculous.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp
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  saddlerider1posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I DITTO all 10 points by the Shades...need not say anymore. Make it legal . blah blah blah:0)
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  lorlie6posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I ditto both of you...yadayadayada!
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wildernessposted 13 years ago
I'll joint Ben in being the bad guy. I don't want to work with someone stoned out of their mind or even a little high. I don't want to drive on the same highway with them either. I also believe it to be a gateway drug; I don't think you'll find many crackheads that didn't start with pot somewhere along the line.

I just think we have enough trouble with people in full possession of their faculties to encourage them to try and function while under the influence of a drug that changes their perceptions, attitude or responses to the world around them. People that need prescription drugs to function are one thing, and people that simply want to live an alternate reality for a while are something else. We need only to look at the carnage from drunk drivers to see why.
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  Shadesbreathposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  It should be a firing offense to work high just as it is to be drunk. I'm not sure why you think this would be a legitimate problem. I don't think anyone is suggesting that pot should be legalized and that there should be some additional mandate requiring companies to allow use at work or states to allow use while driving. So you don't need to worry about that one.
  
  As for the gateway drug, the problem with that argument is that those people also probably started with alcohol, so alcohol is the real gateway, right? Except they probably started with coffee or soda before that. SO, caffeine... that's probably the gateway drug. Or wait, no, they probably started with sugary cereals. Sugar is the gateway drug... I'm sure you can see my point. The coexistence of something does not necessarily make a causal relationship. I think what you are trying to pin to pot use is really a function of a person's decision making processes. There are far more people who smoke pot and have for decades than there are people smoking crack. Why are all those pot people not moving on up the line?
  
  And, given what I said above about laws not mandating driving or working under the influence, why is it that we get to tell others how to spend their time on earth if they do no harm? Just because we aren't interested in it is hardly reason to tell others how they get to live. That's just so tyrannical.
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  wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Gotta disagree with you, Shades. There are laws against drunk driving but the death toll is huge anyway. I wouldn't expect any difference from pot - it is illegal now but still used, after all. Legalization would simply mean more people smoking and legal or not more people smoking and driving.
  
  In the work place - I would fear that with the common attitude of it being a mellow drug that doesn't cause a person to go crazy as alcohol can that businesses would also have the attitude that it isn't so bad and be lax on enforcement. I still wouldn't care to work live 480 volt circuits next to someone high whether it "isn't so bad" or not.
  
  You make some good points in your post, but the negative effects on surrounding people from negligible to deadly outweigh the freedom issue in my mind.
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  Shadesbreathposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Have you ever seen how people drive stoned? They go slow. And that's only if they leave the house, which most don't do.
  
  As for the pot at work, I stand by my original point. Any company that allows people to work stoned (and it's not hard to spot) deserves what it gets. That would be a pretty horrible company. I wouldn't blame pot for that, I'd blame terrible management.
  
  I see your point, but since people are already driving stoned anyway, I just don't think the benefits of legalizing are remotely outweighed. The only people who aren't smoking dope right now that want to are the kind of people who abide by laws, which is why they aren't smoking dope. I think this group will be less likely to drive than you suspect.
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  wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  And your last paragraph is a very telling point, although I would also that if it were legal and probably cheaper there would be more smoking by the same smokers that now do it. Nevertheless a good point.
  
  A slow driver that doesn't watch what they're doing also causes accidents whether slow or not. And as for staying home, do they stay home so as not to get caught smoking?
  
  And lastly, I find it ironic that "the people" are pushing for legalizing pot smoking while working continually to criminalize cigarette smoking.
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  Shadesbreathposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I know. People are stupid.
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  Ben Evansposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I agree. This will probably pass some states. The sad thing about is that people will ask the state to protect them from employers who want to terminate the employment of people who want to use marijuana.
  
  For the most part, in manufacturing I have seen people who don't show up to work and cut their fingers off and they get a drug test and when they test positive the state wants the employers to keep their hands off and rehabilitate these people.
  
  I am not trying to be a stick in the mud but people want these rights and then they also want the state to regulate me. I hate this. I don't dislike the people.
  
  Yes, it affects driving for up to 6 hours. I don't really want to drive the same roads either.
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  Green Lotusposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Shades you never cease to amaze me with your intelligent, well researched responses. bravo. I've done some research on the subject too and agree in full. Legalize. If marijuana was legalized in the State of California alone, the state would receive a $50 per ounce tax on the sale of the product (about a dollar per joint), which will go into drug education and rehab programs. The rest of the estimated 1.3 billion dollars in additional state revenue will help save California from its enormous debt. Think of the positive fiscal implications of a country wide legalization!
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  Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I wrote a hub on the subject over a year ago, but new studies since then have altered my view a bit. It should be legalized for the simple fact that it does no harm to anyone (except for possibly the smoker but that's their choice).
  
  TK is absolutely wrong in his insistence that it's anyone else's business but the toker's. It seems the extreme right is all about smaller government except in the cases where rights can be trampled, or other countries can be invaded.
  
  It almost certainly will not produce the tax revenues projected by legalization's backers. The price is projected to drop to about $35.00 per ounce which would drastically reduce the tax revenues forcast.
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  Green Lotusposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Oh well, that's too bad. November should be an interesting month! We can only hope the vote moves in the right direction.
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  Shadesbreathposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Thanks Green Lotus. And I'm with you. I can't see one single reason why this shouldn't pass except for some sort of remnant Victorian prudishness lingering in the cultural air.
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SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago
marijuana is a natural herb...many, many people smoke it...many, many are in the closet about it....many don't care and just smoke it to relax - better than taking legal medication for various reasons like anxiety etc....not everyone is a 'pot head' - some just have a few tokes every now and then when it is needed or just because they want to enjoy it - nothing wrong with that. many, many people do not use chemicals or other harsh drugs just because they smoke pot....the harsh drug thing is a different matter.

marijuana is used for medical purposes all of the time - so why would you want to take it away.

our medical system in Canada consistently takes away various legal chemical medications that people use for years to help with mental health issues for example, because some drug comes along that is less expensive on health care (and no doubt influenced by drug co.'s)....so then those that need a particular drug to function can no longer afford to buy it and then have to figure out whether or not the one our health care system deems better (cheaper) - works....and it doesn't always work... different topic - but if people have found that a natural remedy works - why take it from them?

unfortunately, some in the media that advocate smoking pot...put the wrong face forward for the majority of pot smokers...like Mark Emery - the idjut!
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IzzyMposted 13 years ago
I'd agree with what you say about cannabis NOT being a gateway drug, Shades.
I used to think it was when I lived in a city full of smackheads, but now I am living a tranquil life in the country and many of my middle-to late aged neighbours use cannabis and have done so all their lives.
They are all incredibly gentle and relaxed people.
There are one or two coke users around, but they are few and far between, and NO-ONE at all is interested in smack here (Thank God!)
By far the biggest groups of users around are the alcohol drinkers, and they and the coke group are the only ones who ever cause any trouble.
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  saddlerider1posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I agree lzzy pot smokers are gentle, relaxed and in a Euphoria state. Alcohol and hard drug users are argumentive, fighty, can't function while drunk, act stupid, do acts of violence and crime. If any drug should be banished and made ilegal it should be booze. Yet I am not boycotting drinkers, but for god sakes leave smokers alone they offer the less resistance and at least have their sanity and where with all, unlike drunks who also leave their vomit spewed in public toilets. Ewwwwwww...give me a smoke please and then I will pass it to the right. DUI's also KILL people with their drunkness driving check the stats.
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SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago
hmmmm....i wonder how many people take legal medication that is the wrong dosage..some doctor's prescribe stuff all the time and don't follow up very well - don't care to either - they're just making money....i see it at work lots...and they are out driving, working, etc.....i always have that in mind btw when I'm on the road...it's not just alcohol, etc. out there on the roads and where you work.

I always remember this one man that looked like he was going to fall over anytime....too strong of a dosage...and his dr. kept his supply up...he finally died - 'accidental' overdose of his legal meds....hmmmmmmm.....that's another topic
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  SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  ...off to work...
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aguasilverposted 13 years ago
If hash were legalised it would also be standardised in quality and content, allowing measured dosage which would allow smokers to control how relaxed they wanted to become.

Most smokers know their limits, especially if they stated 40 years ago! as I did.

Never arrested, never fired, at least not for being relaxed, and never been in a fight. Only three car accidents, none whilst drunk or stoned, driving 40 years also.

Legalise it and stop the criminals and the CIA from getting hold of black money to use in other illegal ways.
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ilmdamailyposted 13 years ago
I might make the point here that marijuana doesn't negatively affect everyone's ability to work well.

I've just spent the day working alongside a guy who had about 5 joints today, as we installed a new kitchen in my sisters house.

After years in the construction industry, I can say his workmanship, pleasant attitude and general affability was exceptional! Maybe he'd be just as good if he wasn't stoned? But he sure wouldn't be as easy to get along with.
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  aguasilverposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I'll add that in design and creative fields, hash is a distinct advantage, and I've found that it extends the ability to focus and be more creative.
  
  Probably wouldn't want to work on a high rise and smoke though, but then I wouldn't do that anyway!
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  saddlerider1posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  LOL...I have smoked over the past 40 years and fulfilled a productive career in various fields, never been fired, no accidents while driving after a few joints. Happy most of the time, much more creative and productive with my hobbies. I could do none of the above while drunk from alcohol, NOT A CHANCE. I am so happy that it's becoming legal, taken long enough for sure.
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  earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  43 years for me, no breaks in my business pursuits, no problems with addiction. ( I quit for months on end quite often)
  
  My lungs are still pretty clean!
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  saddlerider1posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I played hockey at a professional level, ran two marathons, took kick boxing for 4 years and smoked while doing all my sports, my lungs are fine my mind is clear and I enjoy life in my semi retirement years. Good for you EARNESTHUB your looking mighty fine and glad to read that your lungs are fine as well. Keep smokin...weed that is...not cigarettes:0))
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  Randy Godwinposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  A long time for me too, Earnest! I like to do logic problems and expert crosswords while imbibing! Plus, I have glaucoma! $100 a month for medicine, with the insurance, to do the same thing a couple of joints will do. Another reason some want to keep it illegal, it makes many people rich, especially pharmaceutical makers!
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  nightwork4posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  35 years of smoking. i own my own renovation company and i do quite well with it. my kids are well behaved, i don't get high around them just like i would never get drunk around them.
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Home Girlposted 13 years ago
Alcohol is much more dangerous, but it is a social habit and people just ignore its addiction. People who smoke marijuana usually take drugs (street drugs), that's why it has bad rap. In reality it is just a plant with powerful qualities - nothing less, nothing more.
I don't smoke it but I don't drink alcohol either. I am afraid of its addiction, as I saw the power of it(addiction)in my family.
I don't think it should be illegal.
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Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years ago
It should be legalized so the price will come down. Do you heartless bastards realize how much of my welfare check I am forced to spend on weed and papers?

It's an outrage!!!
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  kirstenblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  
  OMG I am rolling on the floor laughing!
  
  You are too much!
  And I bet you are serious too
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figmentposted 13 years ago
Great answers for pro-marijuana. Got to love it

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Pcunixposted 13 years ago
I'd legalize everything, but I'd want to change some other laws.

If you have a car accident while using drugs, you go to jail.

If you hurt anyone, steal from them, same deal. Mandatory sentences.

Those who can use drugs responsibly should have no problem. Those that cannot, will.
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  jcarlson099posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  agreed...responsibility is one of the key issues here aside from the pot itself! lol
  
  if someone can use a drug (like marijuana) to better themselves and to help aid in their everyday stress and issues, then there should be nothing against them
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Jeff Berndtposted 13 years ago
Louie Anderson had a great idea about drugs legalization:
You can have all the drugs you want. But you gotta stay in this room...
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Doug Hughesposted 13 years ago
Here's three reasons to make it legal.

1) It would be harder for kids to score. You doubt me? Ask any HS kid if it's easier to get an ounce of grass or a 6-pack. He will tell you Budwiser is harder to get.

2) Tax revenue. The profit on illegal grass is enormous. Make it legal (Ron's right) and you can actually have the price to the adult consumer go down, regulate how much an individual can buy - while the government - not organized crime - reaps the profit.

3) No single move would hurt organized crime so much. The Marajuana market is huge - some estimate that it's the biggest cash crop in the US, almost all for illegal tax free use. I grass was legal, the cartels would have to rely on income from coke, meth and smack. It would be like taking hamburgers off the McDonalds menu. Do you think they would survive on fries and shakes?

Prohabition has not worked. Anyone who wants to smoke, does. Kids can get it. People buy to sell it- not the free enterprise system I approve of. Make it legal and kick organized crime in the nuts while you build tax revenues.
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  Ralph Deedsposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  "2) Tax revenue. The profit on illegal grass is enormous. Make it legal (Ron's right) and you can actually have the price to the adult consumer go down, regulate how much an individual can buy - while the government - not organized crime - reaps the profit."
  
  Aha! A solution to the deficit! A patriotic toke for the deficit!
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  Evan G Rogersposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  There's another argument that no one seems to be addressing...
  
  ... Smoking a joint and resting at home in no way whatsoever infringes on any other person's rights.
  
  The law is unjust! No more needs to be said about it!!
  
  "It'll generate tax revenue" - true, but unneeded.
  
  "It'll stop drug cartels" - yes, very true... but once again, we don't even need to mention this.
  
  "Prohibition of alcohol failed" - no arguments there. But that's more than what needs to be said.
  
  Two rules of thumb when deciding if something should be legalized:
  
  1- Does the partaking of said activity / ownership of said item INHERENTLY infringe on the rights of others? If not, then it should be legal.
  
  2- is there an underground market / black market for said product? If so, then the law is unjust. -- just as prohibition spawned a black market, so has the drug war.
  
  IF you really want one more "utilitarian" argument (instead of my "libertarian" argument), here's one more to add to your arsenal:
  
  The reason why drugs are so bad is simply because it's illegal. The same way that people addicted to nicotine can function in our society is because the darn stuff is cheap to come by! - you don't have to spend a year's salary to purchase a month's worth of the product! Imagine if tobacco were illegal - prices would skyrocket, and, suddenly, previously "harmless" people would be labeled "Nicc-heads" as they went around stealing things to sell to pawn shops to be able to pay for their addiction!! And imagine the black market! Gangs would have be fighting over territory to sell Nicotine to people, and, since they wouldn't be able to rely on police forces to protect their property or enforce their property rights, then they'd have to buy up guns to do it themselves! Suddenly Nicotine would be on par with crack!
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Fluffymetalposted 13 years ago
Another reason to legalize marijuana is that people are starting to smoke a SYNTHETIC compound mixed with herbal blends that is sold in head shops. There is little research on this stuff (JWH-018), and it's making some people very sick and you CAN overdose on it. This is what happens when people aren't allowed by the government to smoke marijuana... a very natural and researched plant that also offers medical help.
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  AdsenseStrategiesposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I like this answer. People will smoke it either way - for god's sake let's have someone regulating what gets mixed in with it.
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  Fluffymetalposted 13 years agoin reply to this
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SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago
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  lorlie6posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Awesome...one on every city block!
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SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago
yea...instead of this...

it would be this....but with uniforms on...couldn't find any...

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SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago
vancouver bc canada

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Fluffymetalposted 13 years ago
I love smoking a spliff and getting on great threads like these

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  saddlerider1posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  GREEN is my favorite color, roll me one of those beauties will ya please:0)
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  Fluffymetalposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  mine too
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aguasilverposted 13 years ago
...and another thing....

Genesis 1:28-30 (King James Version)
God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Who am I to argue?
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  SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I'll take your word for it....
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  aguasilverposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  No, you can take His word for it!
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Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years ago
Ron's right; people who spend their lives sticking their noses into other's business are a real pain!

They should reflect on and try to improve their own lives instead of dealing with their personal inadequacies by bashing others.
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Italmeansumthinposted 13 years ago
I have no idea why..
LEGALIZE it!
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habeeposted 13 years ago
Pot vs. alcohol:

1. When you're drunk, you want to fight. When you're stoned, you just want to munch out and chill.

2. When you drive drunk, you speed and cause major accidents. When you drive stoned, you go 5 mph and stay stopped at stop signs and red lights for like 20 minutes - even if it's okay to proceed.

3. When you're drunk, you're loud and obnoxious. When you're stoned, you're loving and contemplative.

4. Growing your own alcoholic supplies is difficult. Growing a few patio pot plants is easy.

5. Legalizing pot would free up police forces to pursue real criminals.

6. If pot were legal, there wouldn't be as much crime associated with the selling aspect, so drug lords wouldn't be so wealthy and powerful.

POT SHOULD BE LEGAL!!
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  Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  
  And those contemplations are completely rational...
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  habeeposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  They might not be rational, but they're almost always harmeless and often very creative!
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  Ron Montgomeryposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  It's good for stokin' the fire too if ya' know what I mean
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  jcarlson099posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  if only we could convince the government to read this thread and understand all of the points mentioned here
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I am DB Cooperposted 13 years ago
It's far less harmful than alcohol, so I don't see why it shouldn't be legal. They could legalize it and tax it and save billions of dollars on incarceration expenses while actually generating revenue. It wouldn't solve all of our problems, but it would be a step in the right direction.
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  saddlerider1posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I am with you on this brother. It should help California get out of the financial mess their in:0)
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SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago
...off to work....have a great day all!

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Mighty Momposted 13 years ago
For the record, medical marijuana does not come in baggies.
It comes in plastic vials that look exactly like pee cups.
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  tony0724posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  MM you missed the point. Is it the good stuff ?
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Mighty Momposted 13 years ago
I'm not sure what the point is, Tony (?)
Medical marijuana is incredibly potent. It smells worse in the vial than it does being smoked!
The medical marijuana dispensaries are the MJ equivalent of liquor stores.
You can name your poison and your potency.
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  tony0724posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Its been about 30 years but my back hurts !
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  Kaabiposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  What do you have against cannabis, Mighty Mom? It has been proven to be extremely effective at helping people deal with a variety of conditions. It makes me so angry that people oppose this, when there are real patients saying it works. You have ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT to tell people what they can use as medicine. And when the science supports what people are saying, it is even more ridiculous to oppose it. Here's a webpage that links to HUNDREDS of studies showing how cannabis can help with dozens of conditions:
  http://www.phoenixtears.ca/article/reso … -list.html
  
  Whether you agree or not, you cannot deny there is science showing cannabis has medical value. And there are thousands of people saying it works for them. To go against it for arbitrary reasons based on fallacies and downright lies is nothing short of evil.
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  tony0724posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  You might wanna take a look at this article from Scientific American.It may dispute some of your argument
  
  http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/ … 2009-02-09
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  SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  ..i'm sure that there is an argument against it...but when you are watching someone suffering from symptoms from cancer and its awful treatment, then I guess it doesn't really matter...if it gives them comfort...that's all that really counts when it comes down to it....i don't care what some scientist concludes.....if it works for the person, it works.
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  Kaabiposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Yeah, that article shows a "slim increase", but if you look at reality, that doesn't make any sense. Despite a huge increase in cannabis use across America, testicular cancer rates have only increased at a rate proportionate to a growing population, not what would happen if this were true.
  
  In addition, other studies show that long-term cannabis users have a 62% less chance of head and neck cancers. That makes sense, since THC and CBD due inhibit cancer and kill cancer cells, although to a very limited extent when smoked. However, I do have friends who have been CURED of cancer using cannabis extract medicine. That is why I find posts like this so ridiculous. This ignorance fuels a genocide unlike anything you can imagine, and it's horrible.
  
  I have a Hub about how hemp oil cures cancer. I don't expect you to believe it based on that Hub alone, but I can tell you that I know for a fact this medicine works, as I've seen it. The unjustified hate of this plant by ignorant people is what has killed my family and forced me to watch others die, and I WILL NOT STAND FOR THAT BULLSHIT.
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Diane Insideposted 13 years ago
Medical Marijuana has its uses I agree, and I think this is fine with a prescription, but just legal marijuana on the street might not be a good idea, as there are implecations like addictions. But by the same token alcohol is addictive as well and it's legal for the most part.
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  bsscorpio8posted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Ahh, he last time I checked, Mary Jane is readily available on the streets, has been for many decades.
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Mighty Momposted 13 years ago
Kaabi,
Please do not ascribe a position on the subject to me that is not mine.
You are reading something into my post that is not there.
I am not against legalizing marijana.
In fact, I have signed petitions here in CA to put it on the November ballot to LEGALIZE it.
Next time, before you attack someone, you might first be sure they're not on the same side of the issue as you.
As to why I know what it smells like, someone very close to me has a medical marijuana card.
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  Kaabiposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  My mistake Mighty Mom, it really did sound like you were against it from your post. I'm glad that you have the right position in your mind, that's good. I don't know why you think it smells bad though, I think cannabis has a delightful and appealing smell. But that really is a matter of opinion, although the only people I've come across who didn't like the smell were anti-cannabis folk. Perhaps that's why I jumped to the conclusion that you were against it, along with the general tone of the previous post. Sorry!
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Caterinoposted 13 years ago
Well in the sixties, um, well I can't really remember the sixties, but in the seventies, ok, hold on a second, what were we talking about again?
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  SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  LOL LOL LOL! and here I thought you were going to say something important! well... maybe you did.
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Mighty Momposted 13 years ago
Kaabi,
Glad you aren't still thinking I'm anti-weed.
"Regular" pot has a nice smell. Perhaps you have not had the distinct pleasure of smelling the super potent kind from the dispensaries. I assure you, it REEKS like skunk. Not appetizing in any way, shape or form.

My main reason for wanting it legalized is the law and order argument. There is way too much cop energy ($$) spent enforcing anti-marijuana laws.
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SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago
...why not make it legal...it is such a huge underground economy...the supply and demand is already there....the next step needs to be taken...Just Do It!

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starme77posted 13 years ago
I Think that the entire topic is like.......... nuts....o.k ....... it like prayer is schools, that is out lawed , but ga got gay groups ........well thats all good in school? what the hell ? why do we have to discuss pot and sex while society as a whole is totally dwindling ? we argue pot and prayer and allow sex groups in school ,,,,,,,, again what the hell? We got bigger probs people.......... really ..we do
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  SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  ..i agree there are much bigger problems to contend with (not necessarily the problems you point out)...economical problems iin NA come to mind...wasting money on fighting wars that maybe shouldn't be fought, etc.. etc......the much bigger picture....like why are there so many people struggling to put food in their stomachs in NA...and instead gov't wants to save the day or as i like to call it the 'flavour of the day' and put a bandaid on some other countries woes....when they have big problems right here at home in NA....people losing jobs, losing homes, health care has become a huge cost because of demographics, etc. etc. the discussion on legaliziing/not legalizing pot is so small compared to everything else....however...there are some resources to be gained through its legalization to put directly towards the people living in NA....in Canada we are taxed to hell...trying to keep up with the costs of an aging and increasing population...so it would be simple for gov't to make some extra dough off legalizing it...and I believe it would be quite a sum....rather, lately in Canada, we're trying to make a lot of money off gambling...and it's happening; and the dollars are rolling in...so why not tap into something else that definitely has a demand....it'd be a really good ROI....if gov't could only get their act together on this resource.....
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Diane Insideposted 13 years ago
Isn't marijuana considered the gateway to harder drugs?
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  SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  i don't believe that...read some of the posts....hey, the legal pain drugs are probably one of the biggest problems we have...most people I know that smoke do not even consider taking harsh illegal drugs....and they are not teens or young adults...they've been smoking for years, have raised families, etc. etc.
  
  btw ....i don't smoke...have...but...i just know there's a big demand by normal folk like you and i.
  
  You should read Bard of Ely's hub about drugs......drugs take on all kinds of forms.
  
  Just the economical/environmental benefits of hemp should be enough to legalize it....but it has such a stigma attached to it.
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  logic,commonsenseposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  I am high on life and it is very addictive!
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SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago
...me too....

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  logic,commonsenseposted 13 years agoin reply to this
  Better not let BP see this kitty, she'll want to add it to her collection of pussy cats!
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