Why is Weed Illegal?

[MR_Candyman]

if weed was legal just like alcohol then there would be a law about no driving while stoned... and would that stop people...well it doesn't stop people who shouldn't drink either but the beer is legal

umm...it IS illegal (at least here in Canada, but I'm positive it still is in the USA. I's still driving under the influence of an illegal drug. Could also be considered driving with undue care and attention, and negligence. Being high itself isn't illegal, BUT being high and operating a motor vehicle, machinery, working with kids, in a hospital, etc. are still illegal.

Think of it this way: Would you trust a doctor who's operaing on your brain who's baked? I know I sure wouldn't, I'd rather let a 6 year old do the surgery.

[darksoul]

Its funny , that 10 pages have gone by and no one has really answered warwagons questions, all I hear is that high people , driving are dangerous, weed causes cancer , over and over again, the question here is SO WHAT? Cigarettes cause cancer , alchohol causes drunk driving accident, why shouldn't weed be legalized along with those other substances, the answer is it should. If someone gives me a link to a news story were someone dies from a weed overdose I will change my stance, alchohol on the other hand kills people, my grandfather died alone in his house choking on his own barf from too much alchohol, all I see is people like username spilling bull, about how weed is evil, weed is bad, in moderation weed is no worse than cigarettes or alchohol at least you can't overdose.

Now for my thoughts on the real reasons weed is illegal.

1) It is a form of self medication and America is against self medication? we need to protect out doctors you know.

2) If weed was legal it would be real hard to justify keeping hemp illegal and the cotton and paper industries lobbyists can?t have that.

3) What I call the Iraq conundrum. We have spent so much money and energy saying it is wrong we can?t change our position without loosing face. So even though we know we are wrong, we are too deep in it to climb out.

[Meshuggah]

warwagon: its an unhealthy, addictive drug that nothing good can result from it use (non medical), end of story

we get it, you like pot, and sure some people can use it and function fine; however, the majority cannot which leads to other drugs, mental and physical impairments, crime... enough said

i always loved the kids who tried to debate this one in comm class

CRIME, BECAUSE IT IS ILLEGAL

why are most people completely obvlivious to this....its criminal because its illegal

IF MARIJUANA WASNT ILLEGAL WE WOULDNT HAVE BUSTS, we WOULD have LESS crime

your idea is very flawed, and much like most people that are against drugs

as far as a gateway drug, i beleive that is bull****...i smoke pot, i have done other drugs, and i stay with pot, i dont like other drugs, period.

as far as mental and physical impairments, in the long run, yes it will deteroriate your brain and lungs and throat, but there is another thing called MODERATION

i always loved the kids who tried to tell me weed was bad in my classes, i laugh at their stupidity and arrogance

smoking is smoking, yes it is unhealthy, compared to NOT doing it, but so is drinking...liek i said it is something called Moderation...some people have that, some people dont....addiction is a weakness

Sky Diving is addictive, want to know why? it releases natural things into your body to get u a euphoric feeling- a high- Stop listening to your 20 second commercial about "you let your team down because you cant help them win the big game...because you were smoking" ....hmm maybe if it wasnt illegal you could

1. still play

2. possibly win the game

everything i have seen saying pot is bad, is all market... Now granted, yes there is a fine line between the truth, but Who cares?

I think the term "gateway drug" is used because, at least for most americans, the day the take the first puff of weed, and get high...they realize something...mairjuana isnt as bad as the government has been trying to force down your throat your whole life...so you think to yourself "if weed isnt THIS bad, then i wonder what else they are lying about" ...thats what caused me to expirement...its the fact that when you realize you have been lied to for a long time, you get spiteful

Finally, i know you wont agree with me on a lot of things, and quite possibly everything, but seriously, light up a joint, find out how bad/good it really is, but dont talk about something until you have tried, otherwise it's just a bunch of HOT AIR

[Meshuggah]

Now for my thoughts on the real reasons weed is illegal.

1) It is a form of self medication and America is against self medication? we need to protect out doctors you know.

2) If weed was legal it would be real hard to justify keeping hemp illegal and the cotton and paper industries lobbyists can?t have that.

3) What I call the Iraq conundrum. We have spent so much money and energy saying it is wrong we can?t change our position without loosing face. So even though we know we are wrong, we are too deep in it to climb out.

100% agreed with this statement

[+Warwagon MVC]

....hmm maybe if it wasnt illegal you could

1. still play

2. possibly win the game

LOL

Loved it ... laughed out loud ..funny yet so right

[Video_9]

Can you smoke pot and still amount to anything? I have never heard of a successful pot smoker.

[notchbak]

5. Marijuana is much more dangerous than tobacco

Smoked marijuana contains about the same amount of carcinogens as does an equivalent amount of tobacco. It should be remembered, however, that a heavy tobacco smoker consumes much more tobacco than a heavy marijuana smoker consumes marijuana. This is because smoked tobacco, with a 90% addiction rate, is the most addictive of all drugs while marijuana is less addictive than caffeine. Two other factors are important. The first is that paraphernalia laws directed against marijuana users make it difficult to smoke safely. These laws make water pipes and bongs, which filter some of the carcinogens out of the smoke, illegal and, hence, unavailable. The second is that, if marijuana were legal, it would be more economical to have cannabis drinks like bhang (a traditional drink in the Middle East) or tea which are totally non-carcinogenic. This is in stark contrast with "smokeless" tobacco products like snuff which can cause cancer of the mouth and throat. When all of these facts are taken together, it can be clearly seen that the reverse is true: marijuana is much SAFER than tobacco.

taken from here ... http://www.drugtext.org/sub/marmyt1.html

[Dave Veteran]

Can you smoke pot and still amount to anything? I have never heard of a successful pot smoker.

Of course a pot smoker can "amount to something". In my opinion the biggest hurdle for a pot smoker to amount to something is the possible criminal effects of smoking, not the act of smoking itself. With a criminal record, good jobs often become out of reach.

I think in general people would be amazed how many fully functioning drug users there are in even the upper echelons of society. Of course you won't hear about them because they don't make the news, and they won't volunteer information about their drug use because of the stigma attached to it.

There is no story in someone who lives their whole life smoking pot works everyday, raises a family and then passes away with out becoming anything remotely resembling raving drug addicted lunatic. Normal people's stories are boring because they are, well, normal.

But you can sell newspapers every time with the story about someone who does indeed snap from their drug use, by virtue of the fact that it is a rarity.

And the whole discussion about health concerns is just plain silly, who is one person to tell another, what they can do to their body? Just because you may disagree with someone's choice does not take away their right to make that choice. The government is not our parents (and I'm surprised that more adults aren't even more insulted at the implication that we would require a guardian anyway) nor are they our preacher.

[b mitchell]

Can you smoke pot and still amount to anything? I have never heard of a successful pot smoker.

This is quite possibly the most moronic comment I have seen in this thread yet....

Do people who drink amount to nothing??? NO. My god. As long as you dont abuse it, you can do whatever you want. It is called control, and most rational, success people have it.

[OPaul]

So could name a successful person who smokes pot?

[Dave Veteran]

So could name a successful person who smokes pot?

Are you implying that I am unsuccessful?

Of my circle of friends, that smoke pot, some of their professions include; an engineer at Lockheed Martin, designing satalites for the government, a cameraman/videotape editor, I myself am a network administrator for bank in the process of become a VP of Information Technology.

Not that I don't have friends that are not successful, but that is not a result of smoking pot as we have all smoked together and on occasion still do. This is just their lot in life.

I could go on to ramble off a multitude of artists (of all sorts writers to musicians) who smoke(d) and were quite successful.

Edited April 23, 2004 by DivADPArADox

[hornett]

I bet Bill Gates has had the odd dooby in his time :)

[Meshuggah]

Can you smoke pot and still amount to anything? I have never heard of a successful pot smoker.

ok....i could go two ways with this comment...i could call you a ****ing moron, because you are....OR i could name some "successful pot smokers"

Brush off some of that ignorance

granted....i hate rap...BUT PRACTICALLY ALL RAPPERS SMOKE AND THEY HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THEIR BANK ACCOUNT...some people look at that as successful, some dont, but im pretty sure they have much more money than you and smoke....and do worse drugs

*stops himself before urge to flame comes back*

[Video_9]

Well, I am just sorry you have some type of void inside you that must be filled by smoking pot. Gives you a false sense of happiness, when the real thing is all around.

I could be wrong. But I see no other reason to use it even in moderation, same goes with alcohol. Goes to show you, money isn?t everything, even a rich rapper who seems to have everything still feels the need to use drugs. Is it worse that alcohol, not really, worse than cigarettes, still not really. But just like everything else is it needed, no. Of course it is your choice and you can do what you want. But choices effect everyone not only you.

[Meshuggah]

Well, I am just sorry you have some type of void inside you that must be filled by smoking pot. Gives you a false sense of happiness, when the real thing is all around.

I could be wrong. But I see no other reason to use it even in moderation, same goes with alcohol. Goes to show you, money isn?t everything, even a rich rapper who seems to have everything still feels the need to use drugs. Is it worse that alcohol, not really, worse than cigarettes, still not really. But just like everything else is it needed, no. Of course it is your choice and you can do what you want. But choices effect everyone not only you.

excuse me? who the **** said i had a void and who the **** gave you permission to judge MY life?

I'm a social smoker really....i get high with my friends , i chill out, relax after a bad day and enjoy a funny movie THAT much more

yes you are wrong, 100% wrong.

Many things are not needed, take for instance this forum, yet you are here. TV is not needed, but yet almost every American has at least 2 TV's in there house now

Come on, seriously, think about what you are saying

[OPaul]

One thing I've noticed about you pot smokers, you sure do anger easily, doesn't take much to rile you guys up. Which is kind of ironic seeing as you guys say you use it to "chill out".

[Meshuggah]

One thing I've noticed about you pot smokers, you sure do anger easily, doesn't take much to rile you guys up.

im actually a pretty calm person...ive just been having some bad days this week...but someone talking about something and not knowing really anything about it is my biggest pet peeve(sp)

[darksoul]

Well, I am just sorry you have some type of void inside you that must be filled by smoking pot. Gives you a false sense of happiness, when the real thing is all around.

I could be wrong. But I see no other reason to use it even in moderation, same goes with alcohol. Goes to show you, money isn?t everything, even a rich rapper who seems to have everything still feels the need to use drugs. Is it worse that alcohol, not really, worse than cigarettes, still not really. But just like everything else is it needed, no. Of course it is your choice and you can do what you want. But choices effect everyone not only you.

that is comical...

i guess you could look at it that way but you do things to "fill the void" do you like riding roller coaster, driving fast, being outside, being with family. It is just what people enjoy doing... They might or might not enjoy it and continue doing it but everything people do could be said to fill a void in one way or another.

[Video_9]

Never said I was right. You are actually right, like you said nothing is needed not TV, this forum or the Internet. Who said you had a void, well obviously I did. Who gave me permission, well I got it the same way you got permission to smoke weed. Is it wrong to judge people, well yes. Its easy to judge other people and hard to judge yourself. Flaws are easily seen in others, and hard to see in yourself. I am sorry for judging you. Just as you don?t understand why people make a big fuss over drugs, like weed. I am also confused why people use it and don?t make a big fuss over it. And yes we are all filling a void trying new things and experiences, trying to find the right "filling". Its just hard to realize that there never really was a void.

[darksoul]

im actually a pretty calm person...ive just been having some bad days this week...but someone talking about something and not knowing really anything about it is my biggest pet peeve(sp)

exactly, the only thing most people know about weed is what they see in sensationalist commercials and from the "potheads" they know. You would be supprised how many people smoke pot and you can't even tell... They aren't living in a ditch or anything :o

[OPaul]

I guess one thing I've learned then is that marijuana is like alcohol, it can be abused and lead to devastating results. But on the flip side used properly in the comfort of your own home can cause no harm to others or yourself. Now cigarettes on the other hand I can not figure out at all. What exactly does someone gain from smoking a cigarette?

However I don't think it would be a good idea to legalize marijuana all of a sudden, the younger population would not be able to handle it in my opinion. What sort of things happened after the re-legalization of alcohol?

[Dave Veteran]

However I don't think it would be a good idea to legalize marijuana all of a sudden, the younger population would not be able to handle it in my opinion. What sort of things happened after the re-legalization of alcohol?

Organized crime left the bootlegging business, people stopped going blind from drinking bathtub cocktails, the government got a new source of income, and people went back to work in brewries and wineries.

All the while drunks and lushes remained completely unchanged, some got help, some panhandled for their next drink.

[darksoul]

I guess one thing I've learned then is that marijuana is like alcohol, it can be abused and lead to devastating results. But on the flip side used properly in the comfort of your own home can cause no harm to others or yourself. Now cigarettes on the other hand I can not figure out at all. What exactly does someone gain from smoking a cigarette?

However I don't think it would be a good idea to legalize marijuana all of a sudden, the younger population would not be able to handle it in my opinion. What sort of things happened after the re-legalization of alcohol?

i agree that if it were made legal it should be restricted to 18 or over. but the money made from taxing it and the end of that significant legal burden could be used in better ways to educate and have free or almost free rehab centers and groups. I don't neccessarily think weed is good, but i am a realist and i don't think it is as bad as many make it out.

[darksoul]

Organized crime left the bootlegging business, people stopped going blind from drinking bathtub cocktails, the government got a new source of income, and people went back to work in brewries and wineries.

All the while drunks and lushes remained completely unchanged, some got help, some panhandled for their next drink.

actually alcohol related crime went up, and the mob moved into other criminal activities. but a high person doesn't commit crimes like a drunk person.

[Dave Veteran]

actually alcohol related crime went up, and the mob moved into other criminal activities. but a high person doesn't commit crimes like a drunk person.

Uhm I didn't even mention alcohol related crimes after prohibition (haven't read anything about it to be completely honest)

The Mob lost a huge source of income, plus took a PR hit too now that they were no longer primarily helping break an "unjust law" in the eyes of the general populace.