Poll: Should they legalize pot?

[Sebass]

You're on a roll, mate. Sentences that don't make sense, putting words in my mouth, bringing up points that have never been mentioned... you're having a field day.

Legalisation of a substance means that the government has made a concious effort to say that consumption of said substance is fine. Stop bringing up cigs because they have ALWAYS been legal, I can't tell whether you're ignoring everything I say on purpose or if you just don't want to hear it. The biggest consequence of legalisation is the attitude of the next generation, not this one, Christ, you'd think I'm proposing the change the nature of reality or something. Bizarre absolutes are awesome!

What's this about people doing something because it's bad for them? Oh I see, you put it in quotes so it seems like I said it... too bad it never happened. What are you on about, really?

And you did not just say law doesn't dictate how people see things. I mean, you've got to be kidding me. Do you really believe that?

I'm rereading your post again and again and it just doesn't make sense. Please try to make your sentances more coherant or I'll find it difficult to discuss with you. I just don't understand what you're saying.

Yeah, I'm sorry for the incoherence in my previous post, I was agitated (not by you) and sort of in a hurry and I have some difficulty dividing into sentences and paragraphs. I'll pay more attention to make a decent post this time.

You see, while I sort of understand your point about the government endorsing illegal drugs when they are legalised, it's a bit more complex than that. If they decided to just legalise everything and be done with it, yes this could give indeed the impression that the government approves of drug use, but like the anti-drug programs they have today, they could educate and warn the populace of the dangers.

I don't know why I can't include cigarettes because they illustrate this very clearly: as you said cigarettes have always been legal, but through new scientific findings and government education about the risk, people know how harmfull it is to smoke. This does not stop everyone from smoking, but it does discourage many people even when smoking tobacco is legal.
This graph for example illustrates that from 1965 trough 1998, the percentage of people who quit smoking rised significantly, even amount youth, and this was solely due to health-risk and government and society discouraging smoking, not because of prohibiting it.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=hssurggen&part=A6393&rendertype=figure&id=A11884

On the other hand, the illegal nature of drugs clearly does not stop people from using them (evidenced by the netherlands as pointed out by many people here), but I am convinced that the majority of people who do not use illegal drugs do so because of the known healthrisks, and whether drugs are illegal or not, these healthrisks are a constant.

So if the government stated for example, when legalising these substances:

"The illegal nature of these drugs have not helped our society, because people use them anyway. So by making them legal, putting a quota the amount a user can buy and educating our younger generations we hope to regain some control. This does not mean we condone drug use but as people use these substances anyway, it's in their best interest to create a safer environment etc"

Now, there might be a slight increase in use, but I think this will be more than offset by the positive aspects that legalisation has. Because again, the amount of people that use a substance is not a problem, it's the way they use it.

About my statement that the law doesn't dictate how people view things: yes, that was an oversimplification. The law certainly has a role but I believe that it's minor and that individual and societal morality plays a bigger role than the law. Now these are obviously linked, but the law will change according to how the people feel the law should be, rather than that people's mentality changes because of the law. Murder and stealing are for example things that people frown upon, not because of the law, but because the morality in our culture condems this as bad. Promiscuity on the other hand(especialy for women) is not against the law, but it certainly is frowned upon by many people. And illegaly downloading music and movies is done by many people who would otherwise not steal but feel that they can download what they want. The people that do not illegaly download don't do this, because they see this as theft.

Also, I reread my previous post and I realize I must have come of as aggressive/condesending. That was not my intention.

 

[Savagezion]

As always when I see those posts that are positive to marijuana/hash (or comparing it to alcohol/tobacco and saying it's less dangerous) I seriously get worried. I personally know a guy who's friend got a psychosis from smoking marijuana (yes, it's a real danger, you take the risk every time you use marijuana/hash) and he hallucinated the rest of his life, hurting himself and attacked his best friend when he came to visit because he didn't recognize him. Hell, he didn't even recognize his family. After several years in that state he apparently one time actually was him (he recognized his mother I think, but only for a few seconds, then went back to the way he was before.) A few weeks after that he committed suicide.

That, to me, makes it the worst drug out there. The first time you smoke it, you could become like that.

Sounds to me like he got some laced stuff. This reminds me of Katt williams "Regular Weed" standup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUD-8Xe1IPI

 

[RIOgreatescapist]

we'll start getting somewhere as a society.

I actually want to smoke because I don´t give two fucks about society.

... No, that's not what I meant at all, but you completely made my first part of what I said completely true. You're so, "cool and edgy"! What I meant was that without a bunch of politicians pandering to the dumb, religious masses, we would get somewhere as a society. If the government didn't restrict choice so much as simply work to inform instead, we would move forward as a society.

Yeah without a bunch of politians you could go out and kill someone and rape their mom and nothing would happen to you. Limits exist for a reason, and so do people who enforce them.
Get yourself informed kid and read carefully what I just wrote.
POL.

 

[Jonabob87]

Marijuana is a cause for many mental health issues, it also generally deteriorates conditions that were already there.

My mother is a psychiatric nurse, she knows. Plus I lost one of my friends to Marijuana for 2 years of his life which he spents going to work then coming home and smoking himself to sleep then waking up the next day and doing the same thing.

 

[Plurralbles]

we'll start getting somewhere as a society.

I actually want to smoke because I don´t give two fucks about society.

... No, that's not what I meant at all, but you completely made my first part of what I said completely true. You're so, "cool and edgy"! What I meant was that without a bunch of politicians pandering to the dumb, religious masses, we would get somewhere as a society. If the government didn't restrict choice so much as simply work to inform instead, we would move forward as a society.

Yeah without a bunch of politians you could go out and kill someone and rape their mom and nothing would happen to you. Limits exist for a reason, and so do people who enforce them.
Get yourself informed kid and read carefully what I just wrote.
POL.

Reread what you wrote. It was stupid and immature and proved my point that if society condoned smoking, one couldn't smoke to flip society the bird. I never said get rid of politicians completely, ever. Not one word of my post said that. At all. Not one word of my post asked that there be no law or order in society, at all. And politicians, when that word is used, is to talk about people who MAKE THE LAWS. How about you inform yourself instead? As in, know the branches of government.

 

[CrystalMethods]

weather it's legal or not people are still going to do it, and the country is just wasting money to stop it. It's not only a huge part of culture now, but it's a culture that's growing. It's been here before government used by the natives and by no ways of man will it be eliminated. Besides it feels good, enjoy it.

 

[Gotham Soul]

Legalize everything. I mean...look at Ankh-Morpork.

On a serious note, I vote to legalize it. Lots of financial support from taxes and we can backhand the illegal drug trade, since legitimate places will start selling it at (relatively) legitimate prices. No reason to go to that guy who lives in a box in an alley thirty miles away.

 

[crudus]

Yes it should. Use would believe it or not go down, just not initially. There would still be a huge stigma behind it though. It is less dangerous than smoking tobacco or alcohol. I am pretty sure to OD on weed is to smoke about 15,000 blunts in 20 minutes or so. That is just what I hear though.

Got any Oregano?!

I was hoping more for Paprika.

I prefer the green Paprika myself.

 

[Marowit]

Yes, it should be legalized. The only reason it's not is because of the population that uses it is easy to marginalize, and vilify (especially the populations that predominately used it in the early 1900s).

It has a far smaller negative social impact than alcohol or tobacco (or even high fructose corn syrup - diabetes). It just doesn't make sense that it is illegal.

 

[caprisun]

Yes, no question. There is no reason for it to be illigal, and its criminalisation is causing huge ammounts of crime.

 

[RIOgreatescapist]

we'll start getting somewhere as a society.

I actually want to smoke because I don´t give two fucks about society.

... No, that's not what I meant at all, but you completely made my first part of what I said completely true. You're so, "cool and edgy"! What I meant was that without a bunch of politicians pandering to the dumb, religious masses, we would get somewhere as a society. If the government didn't restrict choice so much as simply work to inform instead, we would move forward as a society.

Yeah without a bunch of politians you could go out and kill someone and rape their mom and nothing would happen to you. Limits exist for a reason, and so do people who enforce them.
Get yourself informed kid and read carefully what I just wrote.
POL.

Reread what you wrote. It was stupid and immature and proved my point that if society condoned smoking, one couldn't smoke to flip society the bird. I never said get rid of politicians completely, ever. Not one word of my post said that. At all. Not one word of my post asked that there be no law or order in society, at all. And politicians, when that word is used, is to talk about people who MAKE THE LAWS. How about you inform yourself instead? As in, know the branches of government.

kids and the internet

 

[Fetzenfisch]

If it could be legally sold and the US government taxed it, we'd be out of debt in a year.

Yup the magical tax (Zaubersteuer)could help a lot of countries, here in Germany we even got a song about that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYaObBQTkpk

well its not far to the netherlands from here, so i don't care.
I don't see it way more dangerous than alcohol or all that little happy pills people are gettign addicted to more and more often and still get them prescripted.
Not that i am doin it a lot, twice a year perhaps on fetstivals, but i would appreciate it to give our courts some relief, let the police do something more useful and to give our government the money to stop tuition fees

 

[SomeBritishDude]

I wish it was legal. Maybe then I wouldn't have testicular cancer.


FYI: This will make no sense to anyone who doesn't watch south park. Don't worry yourself about it.

 

[chris89300]

Meh people, when is anyone going to get that it doesn't matter what you pour inside you, be it weed or anything else, we're all gonna die one day...

Every drug should be legal, let people shove in them what they want, that'll only help to differentiate the strong from the weak.

If people do something just because it's cool, then they're idiots and deserve what's coming to them.

I don't know anyone who turns violent while high on weed, I've never been violent, but a lot of legal stuff do make you violent, so what's the point in discussing something that's already been discussed more times than anyone could bear counting?



Edit:

As always when I see those posts that are positive to marijuana/hash (or comparing it to alcohol/tobacco and saying it's less dangerous) I seriously get worried. I personally know a guy who's friend got a psychosis from smoking marijuana (yes, it's a real danger, you take the risk every time you use marijuana/hash) and he hallucinated the rest of his life, hurting himself and attacked his best friend when he came to visit because he didn't recognize him. Hell, he didn't even recognize his family. After several years in that state he apparently one time actually was him (he recognized his mother I think, but only for a few seconds, then went back to the way he was before.) A few weeks after that he committed suicide.

That, to me, makes it the worst drug out there. The first time you smoke it, you could become like that.

How ignorant can you be? Ever heard of Alzheimer's ? Wow, now it makes more sense, doesn't it? But to you, I doubt it.

Seriously, to anyone that's concerned: Get a little more common sense and knowledge before saying something. Posts like this guy's are pretty quick to describe you as an ignorant.

Really dude? Does Weed cause Alzheimer's? Now I'll die a lot smarter thanks to you ...

I've seen a few more posts about weed-induced Schizophrenia, but I'll be damned if I waste my time citing them all.

Man I hate people.

 

[chris89300]

As always when I see those posts that are positive to marijuana/hash (or comparing it to alcohol/tobacco and saying it's less dangerous) I seriously get worried. I personally know a guy who's friend got a psychosis from smoking marijuana (yes, it's a real danger, you take the risk every time you use marijuana/hash) and he hallucinated the rest of his life, hurting himself and attacked his best friend when he came to visit because he didn't recognize him. Hell, he didn't even recognize his family. After several years in that state he apparently one time actually was him (he recognized his mother I think, but only for a few seconds, then went back to the way he was before.) A few weeks after that he committed suicide.

That, to me, makes it the worst drug out there. The first time you smoke it, you could become like that.

How ignorant can you be? Ever heard of Alzheimer's ? Wow, now it makes more sense, doesn't it? But to you, I doubt it.

Seriously, to anyone that's concerned: Get a little more common sense and knowledge before saying something. Posts like this guy's are pretty quick to describe you as an ignorant.

Really dude? Does Weed cause Alzheimer's? Now I'll die a lot smarter thanks to you ... Man I hate people.

 

[Plurralbles]

As always when I see those posts that are positive to marijuana/hash (or comparing it to alcohol/tobacco and saying it's less dangerous) I seriously get worried. I personally know a guy who's friend got a psychosis from smoking marijuana (yes, it's a real danger, you take the risk every time you use marijuana/hash) and he hallucinated the rest of his life, hurting himself and attacked his best friend when he came to visit because he didn't recognize him. Hell, he didn't even recognize his family. After several years in that state he apparently one time actually was him (he recognized his mother I think, but only for a few seconds, then went back to the way he was before.) A few weeks after that he committed suicide.

That, to me, makes it the worst drug out there. The first time you smoke it, you could become like that.

How ignorant can you be? Ever heard of Alzheimer's ? Wow, now it makes more sense, doesn't it? But to you, I doubt it.

Seriously, to anyone that's concerned: Get a little more common sense and knowledge before saying something. Posts like this guy's are pretty quick to describe you as an ignorant.

Really dude? Does Weed cause Alzheimer's? Now I'll die a lot smarter thanks to you ... Man I hate people.

As you don't have a medical license and neither does he, I'm forced to say you both can't have an opinion based on that story. If the person you quoted has been told by the doctors who were treating the friend of a friend(haha, time to just ignore this story to begin with) that marijuana could have been the problem then we might be getting somewhere but if not, then it's heresay.

 

[chris89300]

Of course the guy's an idiot but whatever. I hate people making posts like his.

Anyways, the problem is: Drugs being illegal is like censorship, and that's that. How come people demand free speech but no one demands the freedom of doing what they want to their own body?
Are tatoos/piercings illegal? No. Is suicide illegal? No? Is beating yourself illegal? No.
Is it really all that different? One's body is theirs at the same title as their opinions.

All we're doing here is trying to prove that we have a sense of logic and that we can think something through. Logic is something that should come on it's own, and I've just proven a lot of people here that their logic is flawed, and I dare you to PROVE me wrong, which is like proving/disproving God, you could try, but you don't have facts, therefore, there is no point in doing it.
And yes, God is a flying spaghetti monster (to all the South Park loving people out there).

Anyways, yes, I want to be able to smoke weed as much as I want to be able to speak my mind, how about you guys?

 

[terrible cheeb]

no stupid people just smoke pot because of the stigma attached to it for being a illegal drug and they want to be rebelious. some of the greatest minds of our time smoke cannabis. its only illegal because of the cotton indusrty at the begining of the 20th centuary, hemp was going to replace cotton.

 

[chris89300]

Indeed man

 

[JLML]

How ignorant can you be? Ever heard of Alzheimer's ? Wow, now it makes more sense, doesn't it? But to you, I doubt it.

Seriously, to anyone that's concerned: Get a little more common sense and knowledge before saying something. Posts like this guy's are pretty quick to describe you as an ignorant.

Really dude? Does Weed cause Alzheimer's? Now I'll die a lot smarter thanks to you ... Man I hate people.

As you don't have a medical license and neither does he, I'm forced to say you both can't have an opinion based on that story. If the person you quoted has been told by the doctors who were treating the friend of a friend(haha, time to just ignore this story to begin with) that marijuana could have been the problem then we might be getting somewhere but if not, then it's heresay.

To clear some stuff up for both of you, the guy I know who had a friend that this happened to actually travels around and lectures about drugs. He knows about as much as anyone can possibly know about drugs, both the good and the bad stuff. He used to use drugs himself until just before his friend got a psychosis, and yes, the people treating his friend had proof that it was because of the drug. Now, I personally don't know exactly how it works, but I know it does. It's not that common to happen, so I guess not that many have heard of it, but it's a risk you take every time you use the drug. (It's just like Russian roulette )

It was not like Alzheimer's, not even close. Does Alzheimer's cause you to hallucinate and try to kill your best friend? No? didn't think so.

Anyway, don't call someone ignorant when you don't have any idea what they're talking about (I presume you don't since you compared this guys psychosis to Alzheimer's)

And who told you I don't have a medical license? WHO TOLD YOU?!?! <.< (ok, I don't.. but I know people who do, and they say the same as me.)

By the way, did I ever say I don't think it should be legalized? I just said I get worried about people having such a positive attitude towards it, but it's their lives that gets ruined, so let them do it. I just think they should know the risks involved first.