Marihuana: for, against or neutral?
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It is also the pharmaceutial industry that is trying to shut down the legalization of cannabis in the US. They will lose billions of dollars. It is the same reason they have been going after the supplement manufacturers. Again, I know quite a few in the supplement industry who have been raided and sent warning letters because X company was running clinicals and was about to get approval from the FDA for an extract of things that have been available OTC for years. Red Yeast Rice is what was studied to develop statins that are high dollar cholesterol drugs. Manufacturers are no longer allowed to state that RYR contains statins or can help naturally reduce cholesterol even though it has been around for centuries. Pharma was trying to shut down the ability to buy fish oil capsules because there is a prescription drug that has purified it and is on the market. This happened with vitamin B6 in 2009. Some company saw how great it worked for diabetes and kidney failure, along a list of other things, purified it and sent it to clinicals. Now any company that was selling B6 cannot it will be classified as an adulterated drug and every single supplement company that sold it was sent a warning letter. I read stories like this each and every day. I used to work in pharma and probably will be again in the very near future. If you have money the FDA can be bought. It is sickening but it is true. I ask those who are so against it, are you against it because that is the way you were raised or do you have experience with someone in your life that it has harmed? Ther are so many other things on the market that we eat and drink on a daily basis that are so much worse for our bodies. Caffeine is a HUGE one but we don't even consider it as harmful. How many of you have ever stopped drinking coffee/tea/pop that contains caffeine. Lets talk about the withdrawls. Cigarettes anyone? MJ has been around just as long if not longer and the reaction that is stimulated in our bodies from nicotine is much greater than that which is created from marijuana. But I digress once again with scientific mumblings.....
azblanco ·
I think if MJ becomes legal it will only be a matter of time they start to add chemicals to it like ciggarettes to maximize their profit. They already have these chemicals out to mimic the effect of THC. Mojo, spice, serenity are just some names of the synthetic marijuana. It has become a major problem, especially in my state... My point is tobacco in its pure form is not neccessarily bad, but there are so many chemicals in a ciggarettes now... This will probably happen in the US over years if it become legal... And then people who truely enjoy to smoke every now and then are stuck with manufactured garbage weed with chemicals in it.....
Chem, you have my love! Not only is the pharma part of the war against drugs, but so are the drug cartels! If drugs were legalized, the drug cartels would lose their huge profits, so they want it to stay illegal.
I completely forgot about eating it (thanks Amy)! Oh yes, i had my share of hash brownies in the day as well.
I have been to The Netherlands and the way that it is handled there is quite remarkable. They do have a few issues, however the plant is tested and graded and actually sold based on the type of buzz you will get (THC/CBD/CBN content). They also have an agency that will test any street drug that you purchase anonymously to be sure of its purity (at least they used to). The natives are not who they have issues with; it is all of the tourists that come over and get drunk and high and crazy. This is the same thing with alcohol in foreign countries; it is not a big deal to have a drink with dinner when you are young so there is less of the problems that we see as kids turn 21 or go off to college. It is always the wanting to do things that are taboo. And think of it, how many of you like pole because of the taboo?
I don't care why anyone smokes, medicinally or recreationally. There's nonreasonforthr penalties for it to be so high. What I am against is the systematic ruining of young lives over nothing but pot use. The legal penalties need to reflect that this is a substance somewhat on par with alcohol and in no way on par with other illegal substances. It is potentially pschologically but not chemically habit forming. The risks to the public from cannabis use are essentially non-existent. It makes me so angry when I see some 20 year old whose life is over because they got a felony possession charge because a cop saw them smoking in their living room through a window and one corner of their property is within 1000 feet of a school zone. Generally I am against mandatory sentences and you find a lot of that in drug laws.
And I am going to add my typical disclaimer: I am not trying to be a wench here. I do know that when I start talking all analytically it causes issues. This is what i do for a living. My world is facts and numbers and data and analyzing that data to find the flaws. I am also very interested in people's response to heated issues. Are your views based on something that happened in your life or are they based on something someone told you over and over so you believe it to be fact? If you have opposing data I would love to read it. I am a knowldge junkie through and through and if my beliefs are incorrect I want to learn why and what backs up that untruth. So please do not be offended by my banterings and questions.
Chem said it well. When you take away the taboo/ risk factor for kids, suddenly certain things become less appealing. I've even heard some people say that they do drugs becasue they are illegal...
GiedreB ·
Chem, they actually stopped selling any marijuana products to tourists in the Netherlands.
Chem - I'm the same way (being a bio major and all...) Need the data to support claims!
"Chem, they actually stopped selling any marijuana products to tourists in the Netherlands." But the coffee shops are not really abiding by it. That is like them banning smoking in bars in many cities but bars have found ways around it.
Haha, I gotta say I LOVE this discussion. Almost as much as I love my green! For me, smoking calms me down after a hectic day at work. I liken it to someone who comes home at 5 and drinks a beer (or wine) or two with dinner to relax. I am always sober when I work, and I have never been addicted. I can quit whenever I want for as long as I want (and I have multiple times in the past) and it doesn't bother me, but I'd rather have the fun of smoking. Alcohol leaves me with major headaches and hangovers, even when I am not overconsuming. Pot does leave me feeling a little lazy, but that's after a couple hours since smoking and it definitely doesn't put me out like drinking does. I also agree with those who have said they'd rather hang out with pot smokers than drunks, way more fun to be around whether you are sober or not. :) And it's true that it's not for everybody, some people don't react well to it and that's okay too. But like sensual I also believe that all drugs should be legal, people should have the choice about what to put in their bodies. Just like in the animal kingdom...survival of the fittest! If you put crap in your body and die, well, I hate to sound like a dick, but now that person can't pass on bad genetics/knowledge. We are the only species that puts major resources into protecting all the weaker individuals. I'm not saying that's always a bad thing, (I have a cousin with cerebral palsy, I'm glad people protected him and allowed him to grow up to be a productive member of society) but seriously, there is a limit to everything. The world is heavily overpopulated, and somethings got to give. There are no easy answers here, but it's a great discussion! :)
azblanco ·
I will say I do not have any further reasons other than MY OWN LIFE experiences that disagrees with legalization of MJ. All of you ladies feel strongly on your stand points and have a lot of support to back up your arguements. I will admit that I have my hands tied on your points and how I feel because there are so many people that CANNOT control themselves. As mentionend before, I do not blame Marijuana for this or any other drug for that matter. With that being said, if it were ONLY a question of infrigement on our own personal rights and freedom- I say legalize the hell out of it. And it would help get us out of some the debt.
when i went to amsterdam, i totally thought i was going to be surrounded by annoying sloppy stoners, but pot's not a big deal there--- i guess it's not a big deal because it's not breaking any laws. my friend smokes at the end of the night, responsibly, like a nightcap. i agree with chem- the tourists are the problem smokers. kinda like tourists in new orleans during mardi gras puking, pissing, and trashing everything. the locals dont act afool. i love maryjane. i rarely smoke tho because i have asthma- and i know people claim that mj is supposed to help with that, but for me, it does not. I even use a vaporizor, but still my lungs feel tight the next day. i also dont like to smoke to often because i will EAT EVERYTHING IN THE HOUSE. then i fall asleep. i cant get anything done. and the worst thing about mj is that i cant pole if i'm high! >:-/
Charley ·
I believe one of the reasons it will not be legalized is because there is no way to test for it if someone is driving. No one should be driving under the influence of any kind of drug including pot, alcohol, perscription drugs, etc. So until they can test for it they probably won't legalize it. The best solution is decriminalizing it which would be mean it would be a misdemeanor and not a felony - though I don't think a doobie is a felony any more - and pocession would not end with jail time but fines. In our current conservative world - I can't see pot being sold in stores although it should be and regulated like alcohol. There are too many people there are too many that would fuss over this - we as a country aren't ready for it. I concur - far too many people in the system over pot - sad!
Well 3 states have legalization measures on the November ballot: Colorado, Washington, and Oregon...
Saphyre ·
Time for me to move..hehe
Add Ohio to that list!
Sorry, spoke too soon. It was approved but for some reason did not make it. Not exactly sure why.
I've gotta figure that at least ONE state will pass the measure. Then the country will see that it's not the end of the world.
adAstra ·
All medicinal purposes aside, I do not agree that marijuana should be used for recreational purposes. Why take something to alter your state of mind? I have been diagnosed with depression and I found that exercise and work help me a lot. There are no toxins entering my airways and it has other great benefits like building strength and endurance. As for orally injesting substances, I shy away from caffeine because I do consider it a mild drug and I know many people addicted to it, so I would not take marijuana or another drug either. For me, it comes down to having positive control over my body and not risking my brain with mind altering drugs. Yes, I will recreationally drink, because I have great control over my drinking, but I also agree with Chem that some people just don't have control and to me, these people should not be drinking. I will also add that I find smoking extremely irritating. It makes me physically sick to be around people that are smoking cigarettes and I did not go anywhere that allowed it when it was legal indoors. I know all my Veeners are respectful people that would not smoke around people that don't like it, but I see people smoking in non-smoking areas almost every day. Sometimes I see employees smoking right outside entrances to their place of work, sitting right next to the non-smoking sign! It would bother me if a big truck was blowing exhaust next the building and this bothers me similarly. I imagine all this behaviour would be be repeated in marijuana users, for the most part. Again, I know you all are more respectful than that :)
There are actually studies that show, i think its under the age of 25 u can do the most damage to ur brain smoking pot ..... but over the age there is not much damage u can do.... I prefer pot smokers over alcoholics by far and cigs BUT if anyone were to have a gene or suffer from a mental disorder meaning anxiety or schitzo? spelling? it actually can bring out ur illness and make u worse!!!!! so for some ppl yes... asuming everything needs to be done in moderation...... i have nothing wrong with it... but i dont believe every one or every age should be smoking it nor do i condone ppl who just smoke it to numb feelings due to it actually can make them worse.... but ... the odd joint once in a while.... i prefer that oer anything else alot less harmful
SashaMae ·
I started smoking pot when I was 14. And trust me when I say, pot was the least of my problems when I was a teen. I was never physically addicted to it...I was a troubled girl who lost a lot of family members in only 4 months and never had the help I needed to cope. So I turned to the one thing that made me giggle, eat, and feel connected to the earth (don't laugh...that mentality really helped me put things into perspective) I was arrested when i was about 16 for posession and had to attend court ordered NA meetings regularly. Here I saw what a real addiction consisted of and this is when I knew I was NOT addicted to pot. I was on probation so I turned to drugs that would leave my system quicker than weed.. It wasn't until I was a sophomore in HS that I started running with the wrong crowd (not my pot friends) and got heavy into crap like coke and pills. That continued until a year after graduation. Then I turned to LSD. I would drop everyday- it got to the point where i could go to work high on 2 or 3 (or 4 or 5) hits and noone would be the wiser. It was an addiction because it consumed my life. I couldn't stand being sober. It was terrible. I have battled addiction with a few substances, weed not being even close to one of them. I'm 4 1/2 years sober (not including marijuana because I never considered that a threat to my health) and I feel great. I do occassionally partake in vaporizing marijuana (not a drinker-alcoholism is "in my blood") as an anxiety reducer. Plus, vaporizing doesn't make me lazy-it often has the opposite effect on me. I'm sorry but when I look at my family's/others' problems/addictions, pot is menial. My mother always tells me she would rather me smoke pot than smoke cigarettes,drink or anything else. I agree with Chem, I know MANY super successful lawyers, docs, and business owners that are regular pot smokers.
SashaMae ·
I should mention that occassionaly is a bit of a stretch as most nights I do vaporize to relax and enjoy my evening. Kind of like a glass of wine! Just thought I'd be honest ( with myself and with you all!) Katana- as Amy stated- you can eat it ;)
Saphyre ·
Sasha, what is vaporizing? Is that like using a bong?
