NationStates Jolt Archive

Normally, I'm against the legalization of marijuana. However, in the shower this morning, I thought up something.

Damn, 15 minutes in the shower already? Hmm...don't legalize marijuana...scientists prove cigs are bad...wait...marijuana isn't a scientist-approved substance....what if scientists were able to mess with marijuana, and make it a healthier substance? Slap the Surgeon General's warning all over a box of marijuana crap and prove to the people that it's scientist-approved!


If you didn't get it, basically just have the scientists deal with the marijuana like they do with cigarettes, figure out the side-effects, figure out the most dangerous substances in the pot, mess with it a bit, produce a better version of marijuana. A healthier cigarette! No more illegal pot smokers, instead satisfying their urges in a healthy way, no more worries of pot, and the voters can't complain, without banning cigs!

Sorry to burst your bubble, but marijuana has already been tested by chemists and doctors and other such professionals. They use it for glaucoma treatment, remember?

Besides, no one's going to stop smoking pot, because it is less harmful that tobacco. There's less chemicals, and there's no addictive agent. People don't smoke 20 joints a day, but you can do that with cigaretts, and that's why they're so harmful.

Cigarettes don't have that warning because of the tobacco, you know...

Sorry to burst your bubble, but marijuana has already been tested by chemists and doctors and other such professionals. They use it for glaucoma treatment, remember?

Besides, no one's going to stop smoking pot, because it is less harmful that tobacco. There's less chemicals, and there's no addictive agent. People don't smoke 20 joints a day, but you can do that with cigaretts, and that's why they're so harmful.
God damn I'm always slow on things like this.

And getting people to stop smoking pot wasn't my plan here at all.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but marijuana has already been tested by chemists and doctors and other such professionals. They use it for glaucoma treatment, remember?

Besides, no one's going to stop smoking pot, because it is less harmful that tobacco. There's less chemicals, and there's no addictive agent. People don't smoke 20 joints a day, but you can do that with cigaretts, and that's why they're so harmful.
Actually THC is addictive, less addictive but still it is.
Actually a safe alternativ to smoking Pot is the pot pill which has all the benfits with none of the drawbacks of Pot. I read about it when researching my argument for my research paper in English last year.

Well, since some of the major health risk of cannabis are associated with it being hand-rolled, selling it as cigarettes would mitigate a lot of this. Manufactured cigarettes are nothing short of an engineering masterpiece and mean much lower amounts of tar reach the lungs compared to handrolled. Anyway, I fail to see how tobbaco and alcohol can be legal while cannabis can't.

BTW, there's never been any screwing with the tobacco itself in cigarettes, unless you believe conspiracy theories, apart from the addition of chocolate, molasses and vanilla for flavour, which has been going on for donkeys' years.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but marijuana has already been tested by chemists and doctors and other such professionals. They use it for glaucoma treatment, remember?

Besides, no one's going to stop smoking pot, because it is less harmful that tobacco. There's less chemicals, and there's no addictive agent. People don't smoke 20 joints a day, but you can do that with cigaretts, and that's why they're so harmful.

How much would 20 joints cost?

Well, since some of the major health risk of cannabis are associated with it being hand-rolled, selling it as cigarettes would mitigate a lot of this. Manufactured cigarettes are nothing short of an engineering masterpiece and mean much lower amounts of tar reach the lungs compared to handrolled. Anyway, I fail to see how tobbaco and alcohol can be legal while cannabis can't.

BTW, there's never been any screwing with the tobacco itself in cigarettes, unless you believe conspiracy theories, apart from the addition of chocolate, molasses and vanilla for flavour, which has been going on for donkeys' years.
because there is alot of illegal money changing hands thats why

and the other guys right people, its not the tobacco thats killin people

Actually THC is addictive, less addictive but still it is.
Actually a safe alternativ to smoking Pot is the pot pill which has all the benfits with none of the drawbacks of Pot. I read about it when researching my argument for my research paper in English last year.

THC is addictive, but only in the strictest sense, no one could conciously addict themselves to THC, as you would fall asleep, or just wander off by the time you would get to the dosage

THC is addictive, but only in the strictest sense, no one could conciously addict themselves to THC, as you would fall asleep, or just wander off by the time you would get to the dosage
The dependence isn't physical either, its only mental. No jitters, ect.

The main reason why I'm against Marijuana is because it gets you high. I'm against cigarettes because it's just stupid how harmful they are.

Another thing- Lots of the anti-pot people, when you point out that it's not as dangerous as alcohol or tobacco, say, "But people have been killed by just one joint!" That's because they're laced with something (often formaldehyde, I believe) to make them stronger, and sometimes to make them addictive, so people come back for more. But if marijuana were government regulated, you wouldn't have to worry about the joint being laced (or about your weed being cut with oregano or some crap).

"Psychological addiction" is a myth and a lie. Not to mention a contradiction in and of itself.

"Psychological addiction" is a myth and a lie. Not to mention a contradiction in and of itself.
what about the insane cravings for food? Don't tell me that's a lie, I'm positive it isn;t.

Colodia, what the hell does that have to do with what they're talking about?

"Psychological addiction" is a myth and a lie. Not to mention a contradiction in and of itself.
Nope. Tolerance to the chemicals that cause pleasure is entirely different from actual physical dependence.

CSW, I can't tell if you're agreeing or disagreeing with me...?

The first step that has to be taken is Decriminalization of small amounts, (1/2 gram or less). Here in Canaduh, some dude on the street caught with an 1/8th gets a small fine, (a ticket bacsically), and thats it. No criminal record if ya pay up. This removes the concept of marijuana being 'taboo', but it gives the police force the money and resources needed to take down the dealers. Since this law was introduced, over a dozen million dollar-plus drug busts have been made in the city of Calgary alone.

The next step is legalization, with government-controlled crops being grown.

"Psychological addiction" is a myth and a lie. Not to mention a contradiction in and of itself.
I'm not so sure about that. I'm pretty sure I'm psychologically addicted to Ramen. And chili. And.... my teddy bear. And do you have any idea how many lives are ruined by those three things each year?!?!

CSW, I can't tell if you're agreeing or disagreeing with me...?
Disagreeing.

HOLY HECK!

Don't you people value life and intelligence anymore? THC has been discovered by scientists to shrink the brains of monkies as well as having the effect on the lungs of five ciggarettes smoked at a time. The chemicals are worse, the THC is addictive (gee I hate to tell you all, but it is. Ask a former regular pot smoker if it was easy to quit) even if just on an emotional and psychological level, whose issues I have delt with on other fronts, and are no more easy.

In my opinion, ciggarettes are just as bad, and alcohol makes me cringe. Marajuana isn't the end of drugs either. It seriously is a drug which can take you one step to far, and then you start messing around in other things. I've spoken at length with druggies on this subject.

I don't care how much you refine it, it's still self poisen and it takes billions out of our healthcare systems that could go to the actually deserving instead of folks who expect society to take care of them once they have made the bad choice. Maybe I'll make folks mad by saying it, but I refuse to support any alcohol, ciggarettes or other drugs of the ilk. It saddens me that there are people who still would.

-Fury

RNF, you really don't know what you're talking about.

I'm a pot smoker. And yes, it IS easy to quit. The only withdrawl symptoms I've experienced was... Boredom! Oh my god! And what the hell do you mean shrinks brains? Cannibinoids shrink tumors by slowing the growth of blood vessels that feed the tumors. Show me where you found that bit and I might believe you.

And not once has it led me to try another drug. I hate alcohol, cigarettes, heroin, cocaine, meth (don't even get me started on how much I hate hard drugs), and pretty much every other "street drug" out there.

The average drug education of most people is mediocre at best. So in an attempt to free your mind a little (Yeah. Far out man.) here's a reliable, non government controlled site: http://www.marijuana.com/myths.php3

I seriously challenge anyone to prove those wrong.

So, CSW, you are saying that tolerance and dependence are the same thing? Didn't you say the exact opposite of that a few posts back?

Actually EXCESSIVE pot-smoking has been correlated with long-term loss in congitivie capacity...but nutri-sweet has also been shown to cause cancer. You have to be careful with studies like these...the amounts can be insane.

So, basically, if you smoke a joint a day for 10 years, you'll probably incur some brain damage. And if you get drunk everyday, you'll destroy your liver.

Physical damage caused by pot is a silly argument really. It is basically as damaging to your lungs as smoking (the 5 joints to one cigarette thing wouldn't hold if pot cigarettes were made) but doesn't damage the heart nearly as much, and it can do some brain damage in the long term. We do damage to ourselves through our actions everyday.

So, it should be legal. I mean, cigarettes, alcohol and caffeine are all legal...and they have well documented negative health impacts. What makes pot so much worse? Nothing at all...as a matter of fact it is one of the few drugs that have never had documented case of overdose on. You can overdose on sugar, aspirin, and caffeine...and these things are taken everyday...hell you NEED sugar. I would like to point out that I've never smoked pot and never will, so if you think I'm just some doper arguing this side you are mistaken.

Marijuana should be legalized for medical purposes, industrial purposes (hemp), but not for recreational purposes. People caught smoking it without a prescription should be put into rehab (as well as all illegal drug users) instead of jail. Rehab has a higher rate of success than jail does.

As far as cigarettes go, they are slowly making them more illegal, first by Surgeon General's warnings, then by banning smoking in most public places, etc. The trend should continue. And they could start doing the same for alcohol.

reliable, non government controlled site
I'm not sure I trust a site called marijuana.com over the government.

Don't you people value life and intelligence anymore? THC has been discovered by scientists to shrink the brains of monkies as well as having the effect on the lungs of five ciggarettes smoked at a time.
Actually the whole shrinking monkey brain is about as reliable as the Piltdown fossils. It's this kind of widespread misinformation that makes it seem clear that current policies towards narcotics are accepted only because people are largely mislead.

The chemicals are worse, the THC is addictive (gee I hate to tell you all, but it is. Ask a former regular pot smoker if it was easy to quit) even if just on an emotional and psychological level, whose issues I have delt with on other fronts, and are no more easy.
You are mistaken. The term 'addictive' has been as trend applied to all sorts of conditions involving substances or behaviours that are not in a clinical sense 'addictive'. THC is no more addictive in a medical sense than soap. In terms of 'addiction', THC belongs to the same typography as gambling, sex, eating, working, and getting 'skinnier'.

In my opinion, ciggarettes are just as bad, and alcohol makes me cringe.
So do you want to arrest cigarette smokers and alcohol drinkers?

Marajuana isn't the end of drugs either. It seriously is a drug which can take you one step to far, and then you start messing around in other things. I've spoken at length with druggies on this subject.
Cannabis takes you one step further? Wow; a drug that picks up the phone, makes the call, goes and picks up some harder drugs for you (pays for them to I suppose), and then adminsters the harder drugs to you....
Seriously though I'm certain I could prove that 100% of any antisocial group you care to name (ie murderers, terrorists, pedophiles, dictatorial maniacs, the inventors of the reality tv genre) have consumed food on a regular basis at some time. But I think we both know that doesnt mean much since 100% of people who dont belong to any particular antisocial group probably also could be proven to have regularily consumed food at some time. The point I am making is that I dont believe for a moment your anecdotal talks prove anything other than what you expected it to prove before you started talking. I dont see how you have taken into account those who dont take 'hard drugs', so certainly it does not identify the difference between the two groups 'people who take hard drugs' and 'people who dont take hard drugs'.
No robust study has found that cannibas has inherent properties that cause people who consume it to suddenly use hard drugs, and most studies have given good cause to believe that the type of relationship between hard drugs and cannabis (as you describe it) exists.

I don't care how much you refine it, it's still self poisen and it takes billions out of our healthcare systems that could go to the actually deserving instead of folks who expect society to take care of them once they have made the bad choice.
So what about people who have diabetes as a result of their diet? What about people who's heart condition can be linked to thier diet, or to their not having exercised enough? Studies constantly show the link between people self poisening themselves through excessive consumption of foods such as fats, and sugars. Should we legislate people's diets and exercise regimes to save those billions of dollars for the healthcare system?

Maybe I'll make folks mad by saying it, but I refuse to support any alcohol, ciggarettes or other drugs of the ilk. It saddens me that there are people who still would.
People cant support or not support the inanimate things known as narcotics. Maybe you mean 'support their use'? If so then let me say you are not helping. Personally I think that the real facts with regards to most substances should stop a rationale person from engaging in all kinds of behaviour, yet that's not how people work. I support harm reduction. That is the least harm to the least number of people.
The current policy is to hand over control to those who have motivation to push as much as they can to as many as they can, and who cares if they are just kids. We then arrest and criminalise said kids, but it's our fault that a bunch of unscrupilous criminals are in charge of distributing drugs, and if us adults cant take a mature and realistic view of drugs, I cant figure out how we dare criminalise our children for failing to respond maturally and realistically to narcotic substances.