legalize pot
- Thread starter gteeitup
- Start date
Yes - and I think I'll stick with reputable studies. Something that someone with a minor in Psychology cooked up in some hybrid course - who knows how long ago - doesn't quite do it for me.
Also - I'd like some quantification to the study. If motivation is diminished, and memory damaged, .001% each - then technically the claim is correct, but to a magnitude that is not worth even discussing.
To me, this is so easy. If alcohol is legal, then marijuana should ABSOLUTELY be legal. Alcohol is flat-out deadly... if you don't consume in moderation. Pot never killed anyone. No overdosing, no withdrawals, not addicting, grows out of the ground, the hemp is industrious, it even cures diseases! It's an absurd notion that it is illegal! People in 100 years will say "Can you believe they outlawed this stuff back then???"
Maybe not directly, but...
http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/marijuana-and-lung-health.html
That would be incorrect.
https://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/marijuana-withdrawal-real
Wrong again.
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive
I'm not saying that weed should be illegal, but you're not helping your argument by saying it's none of those things when it is. It may not be as prevalent as other drugs/alcohol/tobacco, but that doesn't change the fact that it is.
Wonderful... those are objective sources for sure! The very institution that makes it illegal says that it's addicting and has withdrawals.
http://www.healthline.com/health-news/marijuana-addiction-rare-but-real-072014
Those are RARE instances. Extremely rare! Watching television CAN be addictive.
The studies were done by third parties, not the government.
Then my suggestion would be to edit your previous post to say rare as opposed to saying it doesn't happen. There are reasons to legalize it, but you can't deny that it can cause some issues.
Pot being illegal is absolute nonsense !!! Personally, I believe it is your body and you should be able to chose what you put in it or not. To me there can be no greater example of a personal freedom that what you decide to put in to your own body. And yes, I do include ALL drugs. I would want you to understand what could happen so you can be informed on what to expect but I will ALWAYS BELIEVE IN TOTAL PERSONAL FREEDOM THAT DOES NOT EFFECT THE WELL BEING OF OTHERS.
How much of your personal freedom are YOU willing to give up because someone else told you it was bad? In NY, the mayor made Big Gulps of sodas with sugar illegal? At what point does enough become to much? When they start locking people up because they put on 10lbs last year will that be enough for the people in this country to stand up?
The very question of should pot be illegal is silly to me, it never should have been illegal in the first place. If people have a drug problem and need help to deal with it, jail is the very worst place for them to be, they should be in a rehab not a jail cell. If we took the money we waste on locking people up for drug convictions we would easily be able to pay for FREE Rehab for anyone needing it and actually help people for a change rather than mark them for life as a criminal...
I'm not trying to say it should be illegal. Strum said none of those issues exist, but that's not the case. I was just trying to point that out. There are good and bad things that can happen when you use pot. The question is, does the good outweigh the bad? That, I think, is a personal decision.
I didn't not intend to aim that reply at you, I just used your post as a springboard to offer my position. Of course there can be side effects to the over use of pot, there are unhealthy side effects from eating a steak, there is a potential extremely un-healthy side effect from driving home from work. But who would agree that eating a steak or driving home from work should become illegal acts?
I am saying, if I chose to smoke a joint knowing that it could potentially result in some memory loss it should be mine and only my own decision to make. Look at legal perscription drugs advertized on TV, ever notice the side effects they have to warn you about, watch a Viagra commercial and tell me that taking that little blue pill is totally safe but if ya need it do ya really think the warnings over come the reason you take it? LOL
Lets see now, would I rather carry my stress around with me and allow it to build every day or lose it in a hail of pot smoke? I am gonna take smokin the blunt for $100 Pat and HOPE I get the daily double! LOL Is not releasing your stress in some way healthier than smoking a joint? Not to me it isn't...
After living and working in Atlanta for the past nine years I might just be in favor of that. @TarHeelNation11 can back me up on that.
I agree with your whole poast, but need to rib you a little bit: the host of Jeopardy! is Alex Trebek... Pat Sajak hosts Wheel of Fortune.
I generally agree with this sentiment, but these choices almost inevitably have consequences for others.
What happens when a Medicaid patient develops lung cancer from long-term marijuana use? His medical bills are going to be paid by you and me, the taxpayers.
What happens when someone without health insurance is injured while riding a motorcycle without a helmet? By law, he can't be denied access to emergency medical care. The hospital will have to write it off, but they will pass along the cost to other consumers of healthcare services.
Playing devil's advocate here but you get the idea.
You mean as opposed to him developing lung cancer from smoking cigarettes? News flash, if he develops cancer from smoking pot we pay for it today, the legality issue of pot is not a factor.
Seems like when the topic is something like this folks fall back on the health care costs down the road but the fact is live long enough and EVERYONE will burden down the health care system. Do we outlaw a candy bar because to many folks are bogging down our health care system with diabetes? It is the very same logic for both things and yet folks would never consider outlawing candy bars, well folks outside of New York lets say! LOL
News flash #2, right now that fella is in prison for consuming or distributing drugs, who ya reckon is paying for that? Yep, those same tax payers so lets use your argument, tax payers have to pay for the medicare or medicade health coverage for that guy that got lung cancer from smoking pot. Well not only would they have to any way but now we are also paying in addition top the health care cost the cost to imprision him? We pay double and all we get for it is over crowded prisons that cost us more and more to house people that are not dangers to anyone but themselves. Hey, ya want to know how to totally get rid of illegal drug dealing, want to know how to stop the drug cartels in their tracks in a flash, legalize drugs. The government gets to tax the hell out of it, we spend no more money on the WAR ON DRUGS, the cartels are out of business and folks get to make their own choices. Oh and just because you got caught with a ounce of weed and just happened to be pulled by the cop when you were close to a school at midnight, you are not marked a criminal for life, you could actually get a good job and have a quality of life. Now get busted with a ounce of weed in your car and be any where close to a school even at midnight and you will carry that the rest of your life.
Ya know what we are doing folks, we are manufactoring criminals, we are forcing people in to the criminal lifestyle because we take away all of their other options. I work with people every single day where this is their reality. They can not get a job and pay taxes because they are deemed criminals for engaging in recreation, no one will hire them. They become sub-citizens, less than full fledged American citizens.
You can not, not being a smart arse so forgive me if I come off as one on this, but you can not give me a single reason why drugs should remain illegal that I can not refute. Many of your grand parents and most of your great great grand parents could embibe in cocaine, morphine, hash, and yeah the evil weed and yet today we treat those that do as criminals and they are because the law is written as it is. Makes zero sense to me...
Thank you for all the news flashes. You're correct that we're paying for his choices either way, but if marijuana becomes legal it's likely to increase the number of people like him who contract cancer from smoking marijuana.
Yes, everyone eventually burdens the taxpayers, but those who make poor lifestyle choices burden the system much more quickly and more heavily. Again, while I don't personally agree with the decision to outlaw Big Gulps, I understand the rationale behind it.
Yes, everyone eventually burdens the taxpayers, but those who make poor lifestyle choices burden the system much more quickly and more heavily. Again, while I don't personally agree with the decision to outlaw Big Gulps, I understand the rationale behind it.
The problem here, IMO, is that the taxpayers need to pay for anyone's healthcare.
See, the government is not keeping it illegal because they don't want people to get lung cancer, in fact, if that were a concern they would have made it legal a long time ago because we all know they love doing anything to support big pharma. That would be an even bigger gold mine for them. If cancer was the concern they'd also ban being out in the sun too long, eating GMO foods and more. They WILL make sure it's legal n every state when the federal government figures out how to make a ton of money off of it and not just the individual states here and there.
They don't give two bleeps about our health or safety.
They don't give two bleeps about our health or safety.
Was not my intent to come off as a jerk, the news flash thing was just not intended to be taken in a negative way.
But I got to ask you, do we now imprison people for making bad life style choices? Is that your case, that folks that make bad life style choices should be sub-citizens and less than other citizens? Who gets to decide what life style choice goes to jail and which ones don't? Man, that is a real slippery slope you have stepped on to.
Being totally honest, that reads to me like let's outlaw individualism and lets throw anyone not willing to conform and be just like everyone else in jail for the rest of their lives, that is straight out of a George Orwell novel? Have ya really thought that thru?
My 1984 fears aside, let me go back and use your argument again, how much money does this country spend on the DEA? How much money does this country spend on prison housing for drug offenders? How much money does this country spend on fighting drug cartels outside of this country? Add all that up.
Now, how much money is spent by those in this country to purchase illegal drugs? How much tax money do drug dealers in this country pay? Wouldn't you agree that if illegal drugs became legal that the government could and would tax them, that private companies that employee people legally would be able to manufactor them at a profit as well as employ citizens? Would you not then further agree that the job title of illegal drug dealer would automatically vanish? How much money do we not get in tax payments because those with drug convictions can not find a job due to their criminal record of drug offenses? Now you do the math and talk to me about the health care costs as compared to what we are spending now on the war on drugs that we have not come close to winning in over half a century...
And yet we are discussing the rare person that contracts lung cancer exclusively from smoking weed? Come on man, play fair! LOL They didn't pass prohibition on alcohol because it was hurting people's liver...And they darn sure don't keep cigarettes legal because they are great for your lungs...
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Perfectly reasonable stance. I would have a hard time arguing that healthcare is a basic human right.
It is indeed a slippery slope. But let me answer your question with another question. Do you like knowing that your taxes are going to pay for people who abuse alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes? Do you like knowing that your taxes are going to pay for people who are fat, lazy slobs who do nothing all day but eat foods loaded with fat, cholesterol, added sugars, etc?
It seems to me that if the government is having to pick up the tab for these kinds of people, they should be allowed to also have some influence over their choices. What degree of influence is the big question, of course. The other option, as Hark has alluded, is to give people complete freedom but remove the government from the responsibility of bailing them out for their poor choices.
Actually, and great question by the way, being totally honest, yes, I am fine with knowing my tax money is being spent on even those that make poor choices. And ya know why I am, it is because they are making their own individual choices, they get to exert their own most basic personal freedoms and my personal freedom means pretty much everything to me.
RH, when it comes to personal freedom of making your own decisions over your own body, who am I to judge the decisions you make, who are you to judge mine? Should we lock up gays & lesbians simply because I do not agree with that life style, simply because it does not conform to my own? My friend, that slope only gets more slippery the further you travel down it...My point is you, me, we do not have to agree with decisions others make but we should ALL agree with their right to make them when there decisions effect their own body.If we can not agree on the most basic of freedoms we have as humans then all the rest of our freedoms mean nothing at all.
How much do you think you're actually paying though? If you are writing a check every April 15 then count about 15-20% of that and see. If you get a refund then take the percentage from the amount Uncle Sam kept. Is it that bad? I'm okay with the money I send them going to help Medicaid and Medicare. You never know when you or someone you love might actually need it.
The study is more than "cooked up". #1 Psychology dept in country....Believe what you want. Go look up research yourself. Google is your friend.
I go also with empirical evidence. Those who I know that smoke pot regularly are mostly intelligent people, but they are definitely somewhat "lazy" and have "can't remember shit syndrome".
My own father, who has smoked pot daily since the 1960's. has CRS syndrome bad. It has nothing to do with age. It is from daily habitual pot use. He smoked pot with me with I was a teenager and I despise him for that. I have grown up around pot smokers and it is all the same. I also suffered as a child from severe epilepsy and pot is no help, it made it worse, for me.
IMHO it is a useless drug that has no merit to society. Although, If folks want to legalize it, so be it. I am neutral, but will vote against on referendums.
Sooo, you're not neutral at all.
seless and has no merit to society? Are you serious with that? After your story about your past, your "study" and understanding is clearly biased from your personal experiences. I have negative experiences with it completely, but I know, without a doubt, that it has numerous benefits.
"CRS Syndrome" is hardly a clinical condition. Unless he has Congenital Rubella Syndrome. Lapse in memory is ABSOLUTELY part of the aging process. Your study credibility is sinking fast.
weed is safer than aspartame
not that they need to be compared, but just saying...people drink diet sodas because they believe they're better for them.
not that they need to be compared, but just saying...people drink diet sodas because they believe they're better for them.
Yes, I am neutral, but will exercise my vote against because the effort is dishonest. They claim it is for medical use (bullshit). If they were honest and said it was for recreational use I would probably vote for it.
Also, every study has a bias. If you believe there is ever a pure study, you are naive, Well, nevermind.....
My credibility is fine , how does it feel being slammed down again and being wrong 95% of the time?
I don't think you could find your assh*le with a funnel. If you see me as being wrong, then I feel pretty good. You have some of the most obedient, fear-based thinking of just about anyone on the board.
"They claim it's for medicinal use (bullshit)." You just disqualified yourself from the whole debate.
[QUOTE="strummingram, post: 578997, member: 3314"
"They claim it's for medicinal use (bullshit)." You just disqualified yourself from the whole debate.[/QUOTE]
You are the most obtuse person on this board and everybody knows it. Not even worth debating with you.
You just disqualified yourself form having a relevant opinion or even carrying on a debate with because you pull logic out of your ass.
The Pot legalization lobby in Florida, headed by ambulance chaser, John Morgan. Has spent millions on ads touting the medicinal qualities of marijuana. They have billboards, radio ads, TV ads etc. They called it the medicinal marijuana referendum on the Florida Ballot. If you seriously believe they want it legal for medicinal use only, then you are as naive as you have proven yourself to be. Repeately
I know you are not in FL, but please pull your ass out of the sand before spouting more bullshit.
"They claim it's for medicinal use (bullshit)." You just disqualified yourself from the whole debate.[/QUOTE]
You are the most obtuse person on this board and everybody knows it. Not even worth debating with you.
You just disqualified yourself form having a relevant opinion or even carrying on a debate with because you pull logic out of your ass.
The Pot legalization lobby in Florida, headed by ambulance chaser, John Morgan. Has spent millions on ads touting the medicinal qualities of marijuana. They have billboards, radio ads, TV ads etc. They called it the medicinal marijuana referendum on the Florida Ballot. If you seriously believe they want it legal for medicinal use only, then you are as naive as you have proven yourself to be. Repeately
I know you are not in FL, but please pull your ass out of the sand before spouting more bullshit.
Yet, here you are!
Do some people just like getting high? Of course! Does it help medicinally? Absolutely. I hope your Dad is more laid-back than you are.
Generally speaking, I am too. It's part of living in a society with a government that provides certain social insurances to all its citizens. But I also understand the other side of the argument and get disgusted with people who I feel are terrible, opportunistic human beings.
You're clearly not.
That's incredibly petty. There are obvious medicinal benefits but you'd deny people relief anyway? Yikes.
Whatever your stance on legalizing pot is, it is a PROVEN SCIENTIFIC FACT that it has medicinal benefits. Thats probably why it gets prescribed to people in states where medicinal marijuana is legal. Just a wild guess though.
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