legalize marijuana?

[BIGBADjuggalo420]

56% of voters in B.C think they should legalize marijuana, some think that this will increase crime rate because the sale of marijuana is linked to gangs and so on, u think they should legalize it? or atleast let u carry a certan ammount.

[swayside]

no.

[A-Carrot-By-Dr-Riot]

What is wrong with marajuana? I have never had a good argument for it to be illegal that could not be similiarly applied to alchohol or nicotine.

[Loser95]

I feel Canada is taking a step in the right direction in decriminalizing it. Me I don't smoke weed, I did somewhat a few years ago but nothing anymore. anyways, The argument is that it leads to crime, but alcohol leads to probly more crime than weed but yeah. The other reason is that the Government can make money off of it so why don't they just tax it like cigarettes? By decriminalizing it, they are not really making it legal, just legal to carry 30g. so I dont see what the problem is.

[swayside]

At 1/3/03 05:10 AM, Dr_Arbitrary wrote: What is wrong with marajuana? I have never had a good argument for it to be illegal that could not be similiarly applied to alchohol or nicotine.

that's because nicotine and alchohol should be ilegal as well.

[L33TGlenn]

Marijuana should be legalized, but that would eliminate the crime related to it. Is there crime associated with tobaco? yes maybe a little, but i don't see people dying over tabacco.

[IamjustSci]

At 1/3/03 03:23 AM, BIGBADjuggalo420 wrote: 56% of voters in B.C think they should legalize marijuana, some think that this will increase crime rate because the sale of marijuana is linked to gangs and so on, u think they should legalize it? or atleast let u carry a certan ammount.

If marijuana is sold by drug stores, grocery stores, gas stations and so on, it has no more connection to gangs than alcohol. Think back to the 20's, prohibition. The minute alcohol was made illegal, gangs made tons of money selling it on the black market. People STILL bought it. When prohibition was repealed, the connection between alcohol and crime was shattered because most people would rather buy their drug of choice somewhere safe at a cheap price (because even if you tax it 200+% of cost of production it's still cheaper than buying it on the street). The implications for tax, medicinal value, and hemp product exports are so great, the only reasons governments keep it illegal these days are a combination of pushing their personal moral values on the people, and reasons of government funding.

[Myopinions]

probably never gonna happen

[Myopinions]

people ruin things for others
'

[swayside]

At 1/3/03 09:10 PM, myopinions wrote: people ruin things for others
'

you could have easily posted both of those statements in one post. n00b.

[Ted-Easton]

At 1/3/03 05:10 AM, Dr_Arbitrary wrote: What is wrong with marajuana? I have never had a good argument for it to be illegal that could not be similiarly applied to alchohol or nicotine.

Wether the arguments against marijuana can be applied to alcohol or nicotine is irrelevant. All three of these things should be criminalized, and the decriminalization of marijuana would be a step in the wrong direction. The argument that it would decrease the drug rate by taking it away from the gangs is just a "if you can't beat em, give up" mindset of society, and if we decriminalize marijuana, that would be giving up.
Wether we can beat them or not is unimportant, what we need to do is continue to fight against possesion of controlled substances and all other forms of crime.

[swayside]

At 1/3/03 09:52 PM, Ted_Easton wrote:

Wether the arguments against marijuana can be applied to alcohol or nicotine is irrelevant. All three of these things should be criminalized, and the decriminalization of marijuana would be a step in the wrong direction.

it's so nice to see someone with a little sense these days.

[IamjustSci]

At 1/3/03 09:52 PM, Ted_Easton wrote:

At 1/3/03 05:10 AM, Dr_Arbitrary wrote: What is wrong with marajuana? I have never had a good argument for it to be illegal that could not be similiarly applied to alchohol or nicotine.

Wether the arguments against marijuana can be applied to alcohol or nicotine is irrelevant. All three of these things should be criminalized, and the decriminalization of marijuana would be a step in the wrong direction. The argument that it would decrease the drug rate by taking it away from the gangs is just a "if you can't beat em, give up" mindset of society, and if we decriminalize marijuana, that would be giving up.
Wether we can beat them or not is unimportant, what we need to do is continue to fight against possesion of controlled substances and all other forms of crime.

Oh and while we're at it, let's get rid of everything that can harm a person. Close down McDonalds because it serves fatty food, never let anyone own a SUV because it's bad for the enviornment and you can possibly tip over and crash when you turn, hell while we're at it, let's ban sky diving...you never know when that parachute won't open. Let people make their own mistakes. It only harms themselves. Yes, I hear about people killing other people for crack money, but as an example marijuana, you never hear about someone robbing a bank to buy a nickel bag or two extra. Oh and have I yet mentioned how (if you want sources I have em) marijuana has been found to not only not be degenerative to the human lungs as originally suspected by anti-legalization fanatics, but also the only PROVEN side effects (apathy, loss of motor skills, and short term memory loss) both go away as the individual sobers up.

[Angryjeff]

it doesn't matter if they side affects go away after awhile it matters is what the person does when they are there. Driving a SUV and eating mcdicks is also not addictive. I have never heard of SUV anounymus. Alchoal and nicotine and marjiuanna are harmful substances. I don't think they should be banned but saying there jsut the same as eating at mcdonalnds is a very ignorant statement

[Metal-Man]

i heard on the news that only 5% of the pot grown in BC stays in BC the rest goes to the US

[BIGBADjuggalo420]

i was reading the news papper today and i saw an artical about the topic of legal marijuana, it said the US is warning us not to do it, if we do they will shut down trade...so i dont see it happening in the near future although it would be nice to see the charges droped a little

[mulder-xuk]

At 1/3/03 06:31 PM, L33TGlenn wrote: Marijuana should be legalized, but that would eliminate the crime related to it. Is there crime associated with tobaco? yes maybe a little, but i don't see people dying over tabacco.

tabacco is the only leagal thing that can kill if you use it correctly

[Ted-Easton]

At 1/3/03 10:35 PM, Scaletail wrote: Oh and while we're at it, let's get rid of everything that can harm a person. Close down McDonalds because it serves fatty food, never let anyone own a SUV because it's bad for the enviornment and you can possibly tip over and crash when you turn, hell while we're at it, let's ban sky diving...you never know when that parachute won't open. Let people make their own mistakes. It only harms themselves. Yes, I hear about people killing other people for crack money, but as an example marijuana, you never hear about someone robbing a bank to buy a nickel bag or two extra. Oh and have I yet mentioned how (if you want sources I have em) marijuana has been found to not only not be degenerative to the human lungs as originally suspected by anti-legalization fanatics, but also the only PROVEN side effects (apathy, loss of motor skills, and short term memory loss) both go away as the individual sobers up.

McDonalds, SUVs and Skydiving don't effect how your brain works, and don't have any degenerative qualities LIKE MARIJUANA.
Marijuana does indeed degenerate a person's lungs. It's smoke. Think about it. Go inhale the air over an open fire pit, and tell me it didn't hurt you at all.
And the short term memory loss isn't as temporary as you think. The more marijuana is used, the more the effects seep into long term memory, until short and long term memory are both seriously impaired.
And I'll take those sources you've offered, so I can go berate them for false information.
And just a question. Do YOU smoke weed?

[Tool-Of-The-System]

On the crime rate comment because marijuana would become legal is bullshit. Some crime is because of marijuana being outlawed. Have you ever heard of the Dead Jesus Network?

Click here and see what they say on the marijuana issue.

[mulder-xuk]

oh go on then it would keep george w doped up (even more so)

[aistjames]

there's never been any valid reason for marijuana to remain illegal. yes, it's a mind altering substance but so is alcohol and that's legal (if you're of proper age)...and if anything alcohol is just as if not more dangerous than marijuana because the worst that can happen to you while high (medically) is that you'll get migraines from a bad stash, or feel sick to your stomach. while you can't overdose on marijuana, you can die from alcohol poisoning. but anyway, there are no studies that support the claims that marijuana makes you stupid, kills volumes of brain cells, or prevents your body from performing normal human functions...as disinfo.com writes:

"Lab Report" reveals what has happened when the forces of science have investigated grass. "Hundreds of studies have attempted to measure everything from the psychological effects of the pot high to the long-term health consequences of heavy use. Stoned subjects have had their memories tested, their motor skills evaluated, and their lungs probed. Others have merely been observed to see how much they eat while suffering attacks of the munchies. The net result of all this lab work is that most of the data on marijuana is inconclusive. A good part of it, in fact, is contradictory." However: "In the past century, there have been four comprehensive studies on the effects of marijuana. All have concluded that moderate marijuana use is not dangerous."

and while that hasn't stopped the government from filling the media with propaganda such as the anti-drug or war against drugs campaigns directed towards marijuana -- think about it. the government lies to you all the time. it promises tax relief but doesn't deliver. it promotes freedom yet targets you for speaking your mind and cracks down on immigrants worse than any member of the secret police. so why should you believe everything they feed you? the anti-drug campaign isn't any different. what they are doing is coating the masses in a layer of false protection in the belief that as long as the drugs are illegal because all drug users wind up crack hos with disfigured babies, the streets will be safer and kids will think twice before accepting that joint. and as long as the general population is comfortable in that false protection and willing to believe and be spoonfed more propaganda...that tiny flicker of hope that it will one day be legalized once and for all only grows dimmer and dimmer.

but don't fret. when all else fails, you can always hop the border on either sides...or go jet setting to amsterdam :)

[Ted-Easton]

At 1/5/03 02:40 AM, somedudeTMB wrote: On the crime rate comment because marijuana would become legal is bullshit. Some crime is because of marijuana being outlawed. Have you ever heard of the Dead Jesus Network?

Click here and see what they say on the marijuana issue.

What the hell kind of a source page is that?
It's a bunch of facts, some of them not even relevant.
What does the amount of identified plants in the rainforest have to do with legalizing marijuana??
But the facts stand. It's still smoke. It's still harmful to your health. No matter what these pot smoking "analysises" say, it's still harmful to your health.

[OsuBuckeyes]

At 1/5/03 10:06 AM, Ted_Easton wrote:

At 1/5/03 02:40 AM, somedudeTMB wrote: Click here and see what they say on the marijuana issue.

What the hell kind of a source page is that?
It's a bunch of facts, some of them not even relevant.
What does the amount of identified plants in the rainforest have to do with legalizing marijuana??
But the facts stand. It's still smoke. It's still harmful to your health. No matter what these pot smoking "analysises" say, it's still harmful to your health.

Hey Ted_Easton,
The facts are what is going to get marijuana legalized. And remember that a bong removes a lot of the harmful things in smoke. And another thing, smoking is not the only way to get "high" off of pot. You can eat it, brew tea with it, and many other things. Just because a joint has carcinogens in it does not mean another way of taking it has them. Also, the amount of carcinogens depends on when the pot is harvested, what strain it is, the soil conditions, and many other variables. You may say when you see my profile that I am 14, this means nothing. Just because you are 22 does not mean I could not sweep the floor with your ass in a debate. The pro-legalize will almost always win in a debate, as it is much, much easier to defend. Seriously, I would love to see your little punk ass beat me in a debate on marijuana. Oh wait, that will never happen. Guess I got my hopes up. And another thing, what is their backing up keeping it illegal? Please, I would love to hear of a study that found marijuana was harmful in moderation that was not lop-sided, and biased. Oh and what political party do you support besides the United Drunken College Idiot party? If your stupid (like Ted_Easton), that last part was a joke. Please reply Ted_easton. And your PPCC should read "Producing People to Crush Cannabis." And might I add that you do it through a screen of lies.

Do your homework before you spew bullsh*t on the forum about marijuana:
www.norml.com
www.marijuana.com
www.mpp.org
And many others. Search on Google.
Non-Marijuana Related:
www.boortz.com
We seriously need a libertarian president.

[Ted-Easton]

At 1/5/03 01:30 PM, OsuBuckeyes wrote:

At 1/5/03 10:06 AM, Ted_Easton wrote:

At 1/5/03 02:40 AM, somedudeTMB wrote: Click here and see what they say on the marijuana issue.

What the hell kind of a source page is that?
It's a bunch of facts, some of them not even relevant.
What does the amount of identified plants in the rainforest have to do with legalizing marijuana??
But the facts stand. It's still smoke. It's still harmful to your health. No matter what these pot smoking "analysises" say, it's still harmful to your health.

Hey Ted_Easton,
The facts are what is going to get marijuana legalized. And remember that a bong removes a lot of the harmful things in smoke. And another thing, smoking is not the only way to get "high" off of pot. You can eat it, brew tea with it, and many other things. Just because a joint has carcinogens in it does not mean another way of taking it has them. Also, the amount of carcinogens depends on when the pot is harvested, what strain it is, the soil conditions, and many other variables. You may say when you see my profile that I am 14, this means nothing. Just because you are 22 does not mean I could not sweep the floor with your ass in a debate. The pro-legalize will almost always win in a debate, as it is much, much easier to defend. Seriously, I would love to see your little punk ass beat me in a debate on marijuana. Oh wait, that will never happen. Guess I got my hopes up. And another thing, what is their backing up keeping it illegal? Please, I would love to hear of a study that found marijuana was harmful in moderation that was not lop-sided, and biased. Oh and what political party do you support besides the United Drunken College Idiot party? If your stupid (like Ted_Easton), that last part was a joke. Please reply Ted_easton. And your PPCC should read "Producing People to Crush Cannabis." And might I add that you do it through a screen of lies.

Do your homework before you spew bullsh*t on the forum about marijuana:
www.norml.com
www.marijuana.com
www.mpp.org
And many others. Search on Google.
Non-Marijuana Related:
www.boortz.com
We seriously need a libertarian president.

I don't care that you're 14. 14 year olds can be great debaters. I'm not going to debate with you, though. I use these forums to express opinions and make myself heard to the kind of people I want to be heard by.
Wether you think marijuana is harmful or not, I know it is.
It has twice the tar of ciggarettes (you know the sticky black lungs you see in health class? those are yours).
Not only in health is there a correlation, as schoolwork and behaviour, and all factors of a person's life.
I'm not saying if you smoke marijuana you will totally fail in life, but it isn't helping you any. Marijuana users do 1/4 as well in school (on average and are twice as likely to skip class.

IMMEDIATE EFFECTS:
* Faster heartbeat and pulse rate
* Bloodshot eyes
· * Dry mouth and throat
· * Altered sense of time/disorientation
· * Forgetfulness/inability to think
· * Impaired reflexes, coordination and concentration
* “Acute panic anxiety reaction” – extreme fear of losing control.
LONG TERM EFFECTS:
* Chest pain
·* Irregular menstrual cycle
·* Temporary loss of fertility for both sexes
·* Premature babies/low birth weights
* Cancer
* Marijuana “burn-out” (dull, slow moving, inattentive, and unaware of surroundings)

The facts are in front of you. Marijuana is a harmful drug, and I'm not going to support it's decriminalization.
Oh, and BTW, I'm Liberal.

http://www.pnp.gov.ph/pnporg/Operational/ang/prohibited_drugs.htm
http://www.nida.nih.gov/
http://www.drugstory.org/pdfs/MJAndYouthFacts.pdf
http://www.everlastinglife.net/smoking_mar.htm

[Slizor]

It has twice the tar of ciggarettes (you know the sticky black lungs you see in health class? those are yours).

It may have twice the tar of ciggarettes, but you only smoke one(or maybe a few more on a good day) spliff while you smoke like packs of ciggarettes.

Not only in health is there a correlation, as schoolwork and behaviour, and all factors of a person's life.
I'm not saying if you smoke marijuana you will totally fail in life, but it isn't helping you any. Marijuana users do 1/4 as well in school (on average and are twice as likely to skip class.

That would e useful information if A) it told you what they did before smoking B) the socio-economic situatation they are in

The facts are in front of you. Marijuana is a harmful drug, and I'm not going to support it's decriminalization.

Caffiene is a harmful drug, alcohol is a harmful drug, infact there probably isn't a "drug" without harmful side effects.

[Ted-Easton]

Comparisons to alcohol, cigarettes, and other such legal, harmful drugs are irrelevant. None of them should be legal, so comparisons to the can't be taken into account.
And I didn't mean to imply that marijuana is only for idiots, or any such thing, I'm just pointing out that there is a clear correlation between low marks and marijuana use.

[IamjustSci]

McDonalds, SUVs and Skydiving don't effect how your brain works, and don't have any degenerative qualities LIKE MARIJUANA.
Marijuana does indeed degenerate a person's lungs. It's smoke. Think about it. Go inhale the air over an open fire pit, and tell me it didn't hurt you at all.
And the short term memory loss isn't as temporary as you think. The more marijuana is used, the more the effects seep into long term memory, until short and long term memory are both seriously impaired.
And I'll take those sources you've offered, so I can go berate them for false information.
And just a question. Do YOU smoke weed?

Nope, believe it or not I haven't had a puff of smoke in my lungs in over 4 years, and I don't plan on doing it again... But most pro lifers haven't gotten pregnant before, considering more than half are males. What's your point asking me if I smoke? Just because I'm for letting people do what they damnwell want... I wrote a motherfukkin' 18 page report on this crap for my Comp II thesis, nearly 30 cited sources over a dozen noteworthy medical journals, trust me I know my shit. It is NOT degenerative to the lungs, I've got two medical journals cited as saying that.

How about this, ever heard of Lancet? Really big medical journal, one of the world's foremost sources on medical and health news... Look it up, I'm sure your mommy and daddy have heard of it.

Here's a DIRECT quote “The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health...It would be reasonable to judge cannabis of less of a threat...than alcohol or tobacco.”

Or maybe one from the British Journal of Psychiatry?

“The available evidence suggests that the removal of the prohibition against possession itself (decriminalization) does not increase cannabis use...the prohibition inflicts harm directly and is costly. Unless it can be shown that the removal of criminal penalties will increase use of other harmful drugs,...it is difficult to see what society gains.”

Get over yourself people. You want to stop others from enjoying their life as they see fit in their eyes because it doesn't suit YOUR beliefs.

[RichardSimmonsAgogo]

in responce to all those against i cant see how you can think making some that harmless ileegal can be at all helpful, I MEAN AMERICA IMPRISONS MORE PEOPLE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD NOT CHINA, NOT RUSSIA, NOT GERMANY!!!! land of the free my ass, besides taing away marijuana is just their way of bullying us like the big kids did in first grade, taking something that they dont need then throwing it away just to make us feel insignifigant so they can take away more liberties and freedoms from us without us complaining i mean look the first two amendments are basicaly repealed, you cant speak free if it offends someone, you cant write press if its slander, you cant have a reliegon unless it has lots of members and money, and you cant have a gun no matter what, but im getting off topic.

the point is marajuana accounts for most of the prisoners in jail, and it takes 7 people to care for one man in jail, 7 people we have to pay for, were paying out our ASS to keep these innocent men in jail, is there any way you can possibly think of this making sense

btw i also dont use marajauna because im afraid of the corrupt justice system.

[A-Carrot-By-Dr-Riot]

The issue is more than whether or not it is harmful or not, even if it was as unhealthy as most people say it is, that doesn't mean that they have the right to deny us access to it.

This is similar to the "should suicide be illegal" except that suicide is a lot harder to punish. As part of our fundamental human rights, we have the right to life. This means that we OWN our bodies. Just as you have the right to destroy your property if you feel like it, you have the right to destroy your body if you like.

[OsuBuckeyes]

At 1/5/03 02:30 PM, Ted_Easton wrote: I don't care that you're 14. 14 year olds can be great debaters. I'm not going to debate with you, though. I use these forums to express opinions and make myself heard to the kind of people I want to be heard by.
Wether you think marijuana is harmful or not, I know it is.
It has twice the tar of ciggarettes (you know the sticky black lungs you see in health class? those are yours).
Not only in health is there a correlation, as schoolwork and behaviour, and all factors of a person's life.
I'm not saying if you smoke marijuana you will totally fail in life, but it isn't helping you any. Marijuana users do 1/4 as well in school (on average and are twice as likely to skip class.

BULLSH*T. My GPA last semester? 3.8!! Suck on that.
Amotivational syndrome IS NOT a side effect. Studies have been done that show that users work just as hard at work/in school. Sometimes harder because they need money to buy pot.

IMMEDIATE EFFECTS:
* Faster heartbeat and pulse rate
* Bloodshot eyes
· * Dry mouth and throat
· * Altered sense of time/disorientation
· * Forgetfulness/inability to think
· * Impaired reflexes, coordination and concentration
* “Acute panic anxiety reaction” – extreme fear of losing control.

Hey, your 22 right? You probably were drunk last weekend. If you were you know that you get:
A) Forgetfulness/inability to think
B) Impaired reflexes, coordination and concentration
That is if you can remember any of it because you were so wasted. Onto long term.

LONG TERM EFFECTS:
* Chest pain
·* Irregular menstrual cycle

NO. You are reading studies that have been disproven.

·* Temporary loss of fertility for both sexes

NO. Wrong again. This has been disproven.

·* Premature babies/low birth weights

NO. Wrong again (as always). This has been disproven.

* Cancer

It is called a bong, use it. They have double, to even sextuple filtering ones if you want. Thats six water chambers to filter the smoke. Remember, you can eat it too!

* Marijuana “burn-out” (dull, slow moving, inattentive, and unaware of surroundings)

Wrong again, my friend.

The facts are in front of you. Marijuana is a harmful drug, and I'm not going to support it's decriminalization.
Oh, and BTW, I'm Liberal.

Oh, I really did not know that.

http://www.pnp.gov.ph/pnporg/Operational/ang/prohibited_drugs.htm
http://www.nida.nih.gov/
http://www.drugstory.org/pdfs/MJAndYouthFacts.pdf
http://www.everlastinglife.net/smoking_mar.htm

Why don't you get your head out of your *ss and look around. It is MY body. Maybe you can limit what I do until I'm 18 or 21, but the fact remains that IT IS MY BODY. It is not the government's toy. I am me and nobody else. You are you, stop controlling me.
What right do you have to say what I can do in my own home (as long as it does not harm others)? And no, marijuana is not harming others in my house.

http://www.marijuana.com/myths.php3
Go here and see the myths/lies about marijuana. They will tell you when they were disproven and how. Read the facts. And remember, most government studies are to benefit the government. The government has an almost infinite supply of money. They can spend billions on something, MPP or NORML can not.
And hey, if you want a socialism, go somewhere else. I will if this country turns into one.