Marijuana: The Great Taboo Topic

[L33tsauce_Marty]

I find it hard to imagine a world where it is legal. It would definitely decrease productivity.

 

[Raven's Nest]

Until recently so was homosexuality. Are you saying that when it was illegal, anybody who practiced same-sex intercourse was doing something bad? Law is not driven by science or reason, it's driven by irrational mood.

1. The subjects are so completley unrelated I am frankly outstanded you brought it up.
2. My reasons for supporting one law will be completely different to that of another law.
3. The reason cannibis is illegal and the reason homosexuality was illegal are so completley different from eachother they are completely incomparable.

If homosexuality used in this manner could invoke Godwin's law [http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law?wasRedirected=true], you would be found guilty of invoking it. Your opinions in this debate would be voided.

 

[Internet Kraken]

All I know is that weed is illegal, so I'm not going to go near it. As for legalizing it, well I really don't care.

 

[Ganado_Headshot]

Until recently so was homosexuality. Are you saying that when it was illegal, anybody who practiced same-sex intercourse was doing something bad? Law is not driven by science or reason, it's driven by irrational mood.

1. The subjects are so completley unrelated I am frankly outstanded you brought it up.
2. My reasons for supporting one law will be completely different to that of another law.
3. The reason cannibis is illegal and the reason homosexuality was illegal are so completley different from eachother they are completely incomparable.

If homosexuality used in this manner could invoke Godwin's law [http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law?wasRedirected=true], you would be found guilty of invoking it. Your opinions in this debate would be voided.

I won't speak for benylor, but I'll say that simply the comparison of the two debates is not getting as far off topic as you might think. They WERE both illegal, so are you saying that gay people didn't have the right to practice homosexual intercourse as much as marijuana users don't have the right to smoke marijuana?

 

[fanklok]

its illegal in the us because way back in the day logging companies figured out plants in the cannabis genus made higher quality paper so they lobbied to have it illegal which passed though

im all for it being legalized because it will fix 2 major problems in our country national debt and prison crowding

national debt since its going to have a sales tax on it, and prison crowding because well alot of people get locked up for having pot

 

[benylor]

Until recently so was homosexuality. Are you saying that when it was illegal, anybody who practiced same-sex intercourse was doing something bad? Law is not driven by science or reason, it's driven by irrational mood.

1. The subjects are so completley unrelated I am frankly outstanded you brought it up.
2. My reasons for supporting one law will be completely different to that of another law.
3. The reason cannibis is illegal and the reason homosexuality was illegal are so completley different from eachother they are completely incomparable.

If homosexuality used in this manner could invoke Godwin's law [http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_law?wasRedirected=true], you would be found guilty of invoking it. Your opinions in this debate would be voided.

Are they unrelated? My friend, it is you who has invited this comparison. I repeat your wording:

Weed is illegal in most countries, what does that tell you?

Here you claim that the illegality is enough to justify it being a bad decision to take it. Now, with the justification you've provided, this argument applies in precisely the same way to homosexuality up til a few decades back.

Now, if you want a valid way of attacking my point, please feel free to use any of the following:

a. That law was based off of irrational hatred caused by improper application of religion.
b. Clearly you've not thought this through, as marijuana can harm those not involved while homosexual love cannot.
c. Scientifically, it's been proven that marijuana is harmful, *insert evidence here*.

At which point, there could be a civilised discussion to be had.

---
This next section is frankly argument ad hominim, and I would rather it not be used as part of the discussion:

Going back to your point 2 - "My reasons for supporting one law will be completely different to that of another law" - this seems to imply that you support law unconditionally? While you may have a different reason to support each law, you will still support the law anyway? Or, you will support it insofar as to follow it? I feel like (and hope that )I'm massively off-track here, but I'd like you to confirm that anyway.

 

[Cakes]

I'm against the smoking of weed

Why?

and I think your friend's parents have acted in an entirely non-ignorant manner.

How so, when it's an entirely harmless drug?

Weed is illegal in most countries, what does that tell you?

THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS ALWAYS RIGHT, GOD DAMMIT!
But no, really...I'm not going to do your research for you, but read up a bit on how and why it became illegal in the first place. Hint: It wasn't to protect society from mean, nasty, society-destroying marijuana.

 

[Raven's Nest]

I'm against the smoking of weed and I think your friend's parents have acted in an entirely non-ignorant manner. Weed is illegal in most countries, what does that tell you?

It tells me the government loves obedience, and nothing else. Ignorance may be bliss, but bliss is not logic.

The government loves obedience of course, civillized society is grounded on the basis that people will be obedient and law abiding citizens. Now i'll give you a handful of truly corrupt governments but marijuana is usually legal in these countries anyway. The fact is, nearly all governments think the use and sale of marijuana is a bad thing. That tells me it probably is...

[
If all countries decided to make alcohol illegal because a very small minority scared them into thinking it was bad (like pot was as well as alcohol during the 1920's), how would many people react to this?

They'd call it insane, and many would object to it because the consumption of alcohol is and always has been normal to do, but when people attacked pot most of the public had no idea of its existance, so when it was called it evil, there wasn't much support for it, and so it became illegal.

ITS JUST WEED! its less harmful than alcohol! GAH!

Exactly, You can do a lot worse things than weed. At least weed is a natural drug, rather than Cocaine, Meth, etc. Why does it seem to be implanted in people's minds that Weed is the worst drug ever. Oh please.

The biggest problem with weed today is that it is often of poor quality and very often mixed with other ingredients such as cocaine, bleach, starch, rat poison, amphetamines etc... It is simply not safe to do any drugs anymore because you are effectively playing Russian roulette with your life. Now unless you happen to own a pure marijuana farm in Colombia, the chances are you have never even smoked pure marijuana. That's right, the stuff your parents smoked and their grand parents before them was almost a different kind if plant entirely. Even the plants you grow yourself are the results of many years of cross-breeding.

If marijuana was legalized I would think the risk would fall to a point but the Black Market will always exist and smuggling will continue rather than paying the government all their profit in tax. The same people that buy it illegally will not stop buying it off their regular dealer if it means paying doubly in the shops.

Weed is as much a natural drug as cocaine and heroin, so I don't get your point on that one ActionDan... I've never met anyone who thought we'd was thee worst drug ever.

Bottomline is, I don't care why people smoke weed. I've tried it many times, it wasn't for me. I don't judge why people smoke it no matter how pathetic their reasons maybe. But I am of the opinion it should remain illegal. Simply because I cannot think of a single reason anyone would need to use it when it has been scientifically proven to cause problems in later life such as psychosis, flashbacks, and other mental problems. Save for extreme medical reasons.

My ex-girlfriends brother suffered from marijuana induced psychosis. Let me tell you, the results are frightening. He will be living in secure care for the rest of his life...

 

[benylor]

The biggest problem with weed today is that it is often of poor quality and very often mixed with other ingredients such as cocaine, bleach, starch, rat poison, amphetamines etc... It is simply not safe to do any drugs anymore because you are effectively playing Russian roulette with your life. Now unless you happen to own a pure marijuana farm in Colombia, the chances are you have never even smoked pure marijuana. That's right, the stuff your parents smoked and their grand parents before them was almost a different kind if plant entirely. Even the plants you grow yourself are the results of many years of cross-breeding.

If marijuana was legalized I would think the risk would fall to a point but the Black Market will always exist and smuggling will continue rather than paying the government all their profit in tax. The same people that buy it illegally will not stop buying it off their regular dealer if it means paying doubly in the shops.

Weed is as much a natural drug as cocaine and heroin, so I don't get your point on that one ActionDan... I've never met anyone who thought we'd was thee worst drug ever.

Bottomline is, I don't care why people smoke weed. I've tried it many times, it wasn't for me. I don't judge why people smoke it no matter how pathetic their reasons maybe. But I am of the opinion it should remain illegal. Simply because I cannot think of a single reason anyone would need to use it when it has been scientifically proven to cause problems in later life such as psychosis, flashbacks, and other mental problems. Save for extreme medical reasons.

My ex-girlfriends brother suffered from marijuana induced psychosis. Let me tell you, the results are frightening. He will be living in secure care for the rest of his life...

You said it yourself... The weed that exists today is all too often contaminated with what you have mentioned (although, uh, that's dependent on your source). People will smoke it no matter what the law says - we've seen in countries like Portugal and Holland that where the legal risk for smoking it is removed, usage doesn't increase - it actually falls. So, considering that, what's the harm in opening the weed up to proper quality control to stop the foul contaminants from spoiling the weed?

I believe there has been no evidence that marijuana inherantly causes psychosis. They've proven that it can exasperate schizophrenia and its ilk, but only when the person is already at risk of developing it. I can't say whether that's true for the weed available nowadays, but how many people would choose to get this tainted weed if pure weed's available? I certainly would choose the clean weed.

EDIT: Sorry, fluffed up on the quoting.

 

[Cakes]

I'm against the smoking of weed and I think your friend's parents have acted in an entirely non-ignorant manner. Weed is illegal in most countries, what does that tell you?

It tells me the government loves obedience, and nothing else. Ignorance may be bliss, but bliss is not logic.

The government loves obedience of course, civillized society is grounded on the basis that people will be obedient and law abiding citizens. Now i'll give you a handful of truly corrupt governments but marijuana is usually legal in these countries anyway. The fact is, nearly all governments think the use and sale of marijuana is a bad thing. That tells me it probably is...

You are again using the "it's illegal, it must be bad!" logic. Homosexuality is illegal in a lot of places too. Hell, it's even punishable by death in several countries! These queers must be terrible folk, eh?

I don't judge why people smoke it no matter how pathetic their reasons maybe.

It, uh...kinda looks like you do.

But I am of the opinion it should remain illegal. Simply because I cannot think of a single reason anyone would need to use it

The numerous medical reasons? Just for shits and giggles? I can't imagine why anyone would want to smoke or drink either, but those are legal for some crazy reason.

when it has been scientifically proven to cause problems in later life such as psychosis, flashbacks, and other mental problems. Save for extreme medical reasons.

...though is still significantly less harmful than alcohol, tobacco, etc. Do you want those illegal as well?

 

[Lullabye]

Drugs are bad for your health physically. But good ofr your health mentally presuming you dont get really addicted.
Im for legalizin it. Producing high quality marijuwanica and selling it to people is better then letting people buy it off dealers.

 

[Lullabye]

I'm against the smoking of weed and I think your friend's parents have acted in an entirely non-ignorant manner. Weed is illegal in most countries, what does that tell you?

It tells me the government loves obedience, and nothing else. Ignorance may be bliss, but bliss is not logic.

The government loves obedience of course, civillized society is grounded on the basis that people will be obedient and law abiding citizens. Now i'll give you a handful of truly corrupt governments but marijuana is usually legal in these countries anyway. The fact is, nearly all governments think the use and sale of marijuana is a bad thing. That tells me it probably is...

You are again using the "it's illegal, it must be bad!" logic. Homosexuality is illegal in a lot of places too. Hell, it's even punishable by death in several countries! These queers must be terrible folk, eh?

I don't judge why people smoke it no matter how pathetic their reasons maybe.

It, uh...kinda looks like you do.

But I am of the opinion it should remain illegal. Simply because I cannot think of a single reason anyone would need to use it

The numerous medical reasons? Just for shits and giggles? I can't imagine why anyone would want to smoke or drink either, but those are legal for some crazy reason.

when it has been scientifically proven to cause problems in later life such as psychosis, flashbacks, and other mental problems. Save for extreme medical reasons.

...though is still significantly less harmful than alcohol, tobacco, etc. Do you want those illegal as well?

those were illegal at one point too. then made legal. weed will follow suit.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

First off, I know this has been done before, even without using the search bar, and I'm fully aware this topic is very heated and not a lot of people like to touch it, but please....Humor Me! Think of me not as a pothead, or a law enforcement officer. I am merely a mediator on this subject. I'll express opinions from both perspectives, and I hope you do to.

Recently, a friend of mine was caught with marijuana by their parents. The ignorant guardian immediately grounded my friend, giving them no say in the matter. It seems to me, that authority figures are quite ignorant when it comes to this subject matter. How can they lock their own child up, and throw away the key, when they know very little of the drug that we all call marijuana. It makes me angry when injustices like this happen. A few fun facts that you might not have know

1. Marijuana is not toxic to humans.
2. Prohibitions have been trying to rid the world of weed since before MY generation was born.
3. It's the most annual grossing cash crop in America.

Which brings me to my fellow writers of the escapist. What do you think? Are you for or against it? What do you think about the legalization concepts? If you have something to say...Now is the time to say it. Let's drag this subject into the light, and hopefully everyone will be a little more knowledgeable about the topic.

If your going to state "facts" like those, you might want to have some sources to back them up. I've heard both sides of this debate try to present their opinions as "facts" before, and frankly, its getting annoying.

 

[Kollega]

I'm against the heavy drugs, but marijuana? It's not more damaging to your health than tabacco or alcohol, so i think it should be on the same rights - heavily regulated and taxed. Or if someone does not want to legalise it that way, they can do another good thing - ban tobacco and alcohol. And don't forget - weed is not only for smoking! You can do paper, ropes, and maybe even biodiesel fuel out of it.

 

[Raven's Nest]

For Your Attention

I won't speak for benylor, but I'll say that simply the comparison of the two debates is not getting as far off topic as you might think. They WERE both illegal, so are you saying that gay people didn't have the right to practice homosexual intercourse as much as marijuana users don't have the right to smoke marijuana?

I'm only going to state this one more time. My reasons for supporting a law currently in place, are completely unrelated to my opinions towards the once unlawful practise of homosexuality.

I had nothing to do with the formation of these laws, I have nothing to do with the reasons one is still in place and another is not. So my opinions about homosexuality are irrelevant.

My opinion on whether or not I support a law depends entirely on which law it is. If it satisfies your curiosity, I would always have been against homosexuality being illegal. I do not support laws simply because they are illegal.

In that sentance I was pointing out that one particular law concerning the use or sale of marijuana is stillupheld in the majority of countries across the world. My opinions of why it is a law are irrelevant. Do you need to bring up every single law that was once illegal and obtain my opinion of it to continue this debate? Or are you satisfied with having probed the subject most likely to provide a controversial response from either myself or someone else who wishes to debate the issue of the legalisation of marijuana?

Are we going to have to go over this again?

P.S My apologies for slow responses, I'm typing through an iphone.

 

[Johnnyallstar]

1. Marijuana is not toxic to humans.

True, but I'm deathly allergic to it I found out. So I don't care how much any of you enjoy getting baked, I'm not going to join the "fun."

 

[benylor]

when it has been scientifically proven to cause problems in later life such as psychosis, flashbacks, and other mental problems. Save for extreme medical reasons.

...though is still significantly less harmful than alcohol, tobacco, etc. Do you want those illegal as well?

While I agree with your sentiment, I must disagree with your technique.

For argument's sake, I say yes, they should certainly be illegal. They do society no good either, and they've only been allowed to stay legal due to public demand and tradition. Why should they be legal?

You can't really win that argument easily, without giving a basis for cigarettes and alcohol to be legal. Else it gets bogged down in a philosophical Social Libertarian vs. Paternal Benelovant Authoritarian debate which never actually moves anywhere.

 

[WrcklessIntent]

To be perfectly honest i guess you could say i'm agianst it. I don't mind that much if my friends use it but i won't touch the stuff

 

[flare09]

I don't do any illegal drugs anymore. But I would still like to see some of the lesser ones, such as marijuana, legalized. I'm even for legalizing the heavier drugs a little bit.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

I'm against the smoking of weed and I think your friend's parents have acted in an entirely non-ignorant manner. Weed is illegal in most countries, what does that tell you?

It tells me the government loves obedience, and nothing else. Ignorance may be bliss, but bliss is not logic.

The government loves obedience of course, civillized society is grounded on the basis that people will be obedient and law abiding citizens. Now i'll give you a handful of truly corrupt governments but marijuana is usually legal in these countries anyway. The fact is, nearly all governments think the use and sale of marijuana is a bad thing. That tells me it probably is...

It's more like a reduction of our rights than anything. The drug hurts the users if anyone, not the people around them. Not any more than alcohol at least. The government is not right, we are not free people, consensus between a billion people, even several billion people does not make something "right" there is no "should" be illegal. It is and that's a fact, but it's depriving citizens of their free will.