what is your opinion on marijuana?

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K-1 wrote...
dragonsheart967 wrote...
For the whole acohol thing, there is only one type of acoholic beverege that is healthy, and that is a specific red wine.


Not to derail this thread, but I've heard a lot of times that alcohol in general can be good for you. So many times, in fact, that it's really mind-boggling. Sometimes it's a certain kind of alcohol (like red wine), and other times it's alcohol in general. Here's a very short article saying pretty much that: http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/healthissues/1074864884.html

Most confusing are the studies concerning alcohol's effects on women.

This article says that alcohol can lower the risk of heart disease in some women: http://www.dutchdailynews.com/alcohol-good-for-womens-heart/

This article says that alcohol can increase the risk of breast cancer in women: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article5940695.ece

I haven't delved too deeply into the subject, but it certainly does seem perplexing.


The world we live in, man. Everyone wants to justify why we have something so dangerous, it's like the opposite of what they did with marijuana, their looking for ways to keep alcohol
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Xil Norse God of Sawdust
As time goes on, I notice the number of knowledgeable people discussing Cannabis to be increasing beyond the number of whom have been misled.

As more and more people can see reason on the subject, I feel that the inevitable legalization of Marijuana does indeed draw closer. I've truly never heard a justifiable reason large enough to counter why it should be.

My friend can enjoy his Alcohol.
My co-worker can enjoy his Cigarettes.
Why can't I enjoy my weed?
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It's the same as almost anything else. Don't use it excessively.
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Lots of good points in this thread, Taxation, less harm than other drugs, freedom of choice, et cetera.
In my humble opinion, I think all countries in "the west" will legalise it eventually, first off because people are getting better and better educations demanding better reasoning behind their laws, and if something doesn't make sense, it's going to get changed. in the Netherlands legalisation has given off positive results both in OD-ratings and tax. From what I've heard, Portugal is doing fine with their legalisation so far (has only been a few years, no real feedback yet)

Logical incoherencies will eventually change in a well-functioning "modern democracy"
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I personally see no reason to keep it illegal. I don't think its any more dangerous than cigarettes or alcohol
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Anyone see "The Union: The Business Behind Getting High"? It's a great documentary. Just watch the trailer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HLzmH9VB6A
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Jash2o2 wrote...
Anyone see "The Union: The Business Behind Getting High"? It's a great documentary. Just watch the trailer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HLzmH9VB6A


good link. a bit overly biased, but does raise many valid points.
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Weed documentaries are a funny thing. They showed one on TV here once (finland) and they had cut away all the parts where people said positive things about medical uses of marijuana. And that made me rage (and lol a bit too)
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Jash2o2 wrote...
Anyone see "The Union: The Business Behind Getting High"? It's a great documentary. Just watch the trailer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HLzmH9VB6A


I watched that with a friend a while back. It was good, but Americans should be warned - it focuses more on the Canadian side of things, where weed is legal but growing it isn't, or something. It's a very informative movie, but there can be moments where you're going, "What's all this stuff about Canada?"
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I think they just need to make weed legal so i don’t have to hear my friends tell me about their dumbass getting high stories i mean don’t get me wrong it’s fun to hear them but like they get high like every other day so you could see how that would get annoying.
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tswarthog wrote...
Legalize it, not because I smoke, do you know how much money a country would make off taxing marijuana.


Yes, that's what I'm talking about! US could use a boost in its finances. I'm not a smoker, but have friends who have and/or still do. I'm just not interested in it, I prefer to have a drink.
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SmittenKitten wrote...
tswarthog wrote...
Legalize it, not because I smoke, do you know how much money a country would make off taxing marijuana.


Yes, that's what I'm talking about! US could use a boost in its finances. I'm not a smoker, but have friends who have and/or still do. I'm just not interested in it, I prefer to have a drink.


not only the tax revenue, but the reduced cost of law enforcement and prisons.
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Mr.Shaggnificent wrote...
SmittenKitten wrote...
tswarthog wrote...
Legalize it, not because I smoke, do you know how much money a country would make off taxing marijuana.


Yes, that's what I'm talking about! US could use a boost in its finances. I'm not a smoker, but have friends who have and/or still do. I'm just not interested in it, I prefer to have a drink.


not only the tax revenue, but the reduced cost of law enforcement and prisons.


yea, well the prison system is a whole other topic, and maybe one you weren't intending to bring up but its relevant. Maybe (very optimistic) it would reduce the costs, but I think unlikely. Taken from Wikipedia (so reliable,... just too lazy to look u the real quotes) on the Prison-Industrial Complex, "“Homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, mental illness, and illiteracy are only a few of the problems that disappear from public view when the human beings contending with them are relegated to cages,” (Angela) Davis says. “Taking into account the structural similarities of business-government linkages in the realms of military production and public punishment, the expanding penal system can now be characterized as a †˜prison industrial complex.’ “[1]

A few months later, Eric Schlosser wrote an article published in Atlantic Monthly in December 1998 stating that "The 'prison-industrial complex' (PIC) is not only a set of interest groups and institutions; it is also a state of mind. The lure of big money is corrupting the nation's criminal-justice system, replacing notions of safety and public service with a drive for higher profits. The eagerness of elected officials to pass tough-on-crime legislation — combined with their unwillingness to disclose the external and social costs of these laws — has encouraged all sorts of financial improprieties."[2]."

I can only hope that this still fictional tax on marijuana at the moment would be used to improve what is necessary for society: creating more jobs or better programs, etc. however I doubt that would reflect in the crime/prison business. And it is a business, just look at the statistics of: how much we spend on prisons a year, how much it costs to maintain a prisoner a year, what business make a profit from prison and how much profit, etc. (Again too lazy, but I could if someone really wants a serious conversation about this) Its not a system that changes easily and I would agree with Davis on whom is going to prison is also a problem. War and crime are just too profitable for big business, and a prison system that is embraced as a societal norm, wouldn't be easy to change, even a little bit. I spent at least a few classes getting into a deep discussion about this and there is no easy solution to solve a societal problem like this. Society's values and beliefs about the system would have to change first. So unfortunately... I dont believe there will be reduced cost in the prison sector at least. We can only hope. I'm not trying to have an argument, lol, despite the long post, but these are things I have learned about and just want to share. :)
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Listen.. I been smoking the pot everyday since I started... it has improved the quality of my life and I do not intend on stoping. Although I should start eating it. lol >
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FinalBoss #levelupyourgrind
I'm gonna be the bigger man and admit that my perception about pot was wrong. I also had false perceptions into believing that the "over the counter" medications are any better than pot. Today is the last day I'm taking my prescribed medication. I already talked things over with my father and he suggested that I try alternative methods instead (That's why I love him, he's understanding and open-minded like me. However I despise him because he comes across as always right.). One of the alternative methods that I'm taking into consideration is smoking pot.
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Honestly I don't like it, but it had become so much part of our culture here in America.
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Fuck this stupid bug is so damned annoying.jake needs to skip a con or two and fix this shit.
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I've only smoked it once because my anxiety made me depressed. It made me feel happy so I am all for Weed being legalized.
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The government spends so much money on this "war on drugs" against weed alone but the amount of money they would make if they controlled the industry is in the billions. Much like canada does w/ the liqour. Now i don't want the government controlling my weed supply but if it happens so be it.
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My country made marijuana legal recently, guess we're all gonna be hippies now...
Drugs won "War on Drugs", deal with it.
Also representative Ron Paul said it best "If we legalize heroin tomorrow, everybody`s going to use heroin. How many people here would use heroin if it was legal? I bet nobody would put their hand up, Oh, yes, I need the government to take care of me. I don`t want to use heroin, so I need these laws!"
Might I add to that "Hey, some1 wants to OD. I call natural selection"
This might sound bad. but maybe the X adult that needed a law to tell him "OD is bad for you" maybe didn't to live that long to begin with.