Should Pot be Legal?

[Otto 83]

This age-old argument never fails to prove there are two kinds of people in this world...

• Those that have a stick up their a**
  
• Those that don't
  

[Alex+R 0]

This is a touchy subject. Let's change the thread to sharing our funny pot stories

[doodlebug 3]

what's your favorite food when you're baked?

[GaryC 7]

As someone that used to smoke regularly I say it should be legal. If used appropriately it is no more dangerous than booze. In fact I think we have it all wrong when it comes to legal/illegal when it comes to pot/alcohol. I know many people who have totally ruined their lives with booze but I know of no one that has ruined their lives with pot.

[Chuckles 0]

I'd have to agree with Gary. The only thing that I have seen ruin peoples lives associated with pot is getting arrested, fined and jailed. That really hurts families. Sure, I'd rather no one smoked pot, but its their lives and really none of my business. We wasted enough money trying to police a drug that only harms the user. The only reason it is a gateway drug is it has introduced people to unsavory criminal types because they have to go behind the law to use it.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Yes, legalize it, regulate it and tax the hell out of it.

If pot really was a gateway drug the Netherlands would have the highest population of heroin users in Western Europe instead of one of the lowest.

[MrsBruce5 0]

While it may be a great thing for some folks, I find that other folks have a tendency to allow it to get in the way of living with purpose. Sitting around stoned doesn't accomplish much or get many things done. I have to say, I don't remember much from 1992 to 1995. The last thing I remember was the Clinton election, and then I woke up and it was 1995...Felt like I never left the sofa. That's when I decided it was time to pull up my big girl pants & get on with it. I was in my early 20's at the time, and it had it's run-but it was time to move onward...

I have friends & family in their 40's and 50's that STILL smoke on a regular basis, and I see their accomplishments in life. No savings, no retirement fund, dead end job, and live in squalor. They go to work, come home, sit on the sofa, smoke, eat-eat eat, gain weight, etc- in a nutshell-no ambition.

I also agree with Welshcookie, in that certain individuals which have brain chemistry issues may be adversly affected-ie, paranoid induced psychosis....

So, I am one of the ones who said, "nae"...

Rose

[me_4_musa 1]

Legalize it!!!!!! :

Edited April 9, 2007 by me_4_musa

[Otto 83]

Economics Reports

With marijuana prohibition costing the U.S. government billions of valuable tax dollars annually.

The societal costs of propagandizing against marijuana and marijuana law reform, funding anti-marijuana 'science', interdicting marijuana, eradicating domestically grown marijuana and industrial hemp, law enforcement, prosecuting and incarcerating marijuana smokers costs U.S. taxpayers in excess of $12 billion annually.

Of the many numerous arguments that can be advanced by law reformers and advocacy groups like NORML, is the self-evident truth that marijuana prohibition, an utterly failed public policy, costs taxpayers too much and delivers few discernible social benefits.

As President Jimmy Carter told Congress in 1977:

"Penalties against a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private for personal use. The National Commission on Marijuana and Abuse concluded years ago that marijuana use should be decriminalized, and I believe it is time to implement those basic recommendations.

Therefore, I support legislation amending federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana."

source

Edited April 9, 2007 by Karin und Otto

[Marilyn. 340]

What are the common side effects of marijuana use?

The following are some of the common side effects of using marijuana:

* Trouble remembering things

* Sleepiness

* Anxiety

* Paranoia (feeling that people are “out to get you”)

* Altered time perception

Using marijuana for a long time makes some people lose interest in school, work, relationships and other activities. It may also cause legal problems. Using marijuana can be especially dangerous in certain situations, such as when you are driving.

How can marijuana affect me physically?

The following are some of the common physical effects of marijuana:

* Tremors (shaking)

* Nausea

* Headache

* Coordination becoming worse

* Breathing problems

* Increased appetite

* Reduced blood flow to the brain

* Changes in the reproductive organs

Like tobacco, marijuana contains many chemicals that can hurt the lungs and cause cancer. One marijuana cigarette can cause more damage to the lungs than many tobacco cigarettes because marijuana has more tar in it and is usually smoked without filters.

http://familydoctor.org/485.xml

Short-term effects of using marijuana include:

*

Sleepiness

*

Difficulty keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short-term memory

*

Reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration and coordination, such as driving a car

*

Increased heart rate

*

Potential cardiac dangers for those with preexisting heart disease

*

Bloodshot eyes

*

Dry mouth and throat

*

Decreased social inhibitions

*

Paranoia, hallucinations

*

Impaired or reduced short-term memory

*

Impaired or reduced comprehension

*

Altered motivation and cognition, making the acquisition of new information difficult

*

Paranoia

*

Psychological dependence

*

Impairments in learning, memory, perception, and judgment - difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving, and forming concepts

*

Intense anxiety or panic attacks

Long-term effects of using marijuana include:

*

Enhanced cancer risk

*

Decrease in testosterone levels and lower sperm counts for men

*

Increase in testosterone levels for women and increased risk of infertility

*

Diminished or extinguished sexual pleasure

*

Psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same effect

http://www.marijuanaaddiction.info/effects-of-marijuana.htm

Edited April 9, 2007 by MarilynP

[Fandango 1,439]

Yes, legalize it, regulate it and tax the hell out of it.

If pot really was a gateway drug the Netherlands would have the highest population of heroin users in Western Europe instead of one of the lowest.

Took the words right outta my mouth.

Here's one: why is smoking tobacco legal? What benefits come from ciggies?

[Fandango 1,439]

Grr, hit submit too soon...cos all those who are waxing lyrical about wasted lives and lethargy and all that (with the exception of WC cos that sounds like more than just the bog-standard response) what about those who have wasted their lives smoking ciggies, getting ill, etc? If the true goal was worrying about the health risks of legalizing weed...why not start a movement to make tobacco illegal? Marijuana has far more benefits than ciggies.

Edited April 9, 2007 by LisaD

[Fuzzness 2]

I love the kitty Lisa!

[Otto 83]

Common Drugs (not pot/marijuana), Common Side Effects

Rask and colleagues studied the rates of medication side effects in about 400 patients. All participants lived in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Roughly half of the group was taking medications generally considered to have a higher risk of side effects in the age group. The other participants were taking common prescription drugs viewed as less risky.

In telephone surveys, nearly one out of four participants (24%) reported they'd had a side effect from their medication in the previous six months. A total of 134 side effects were reported.

The researchers show that participants taking potentially riskier medications had no higher rates of side effects compared to participants taking commonly prescribed drugs.

"The vast majority of adverse drug events were attributable to commonly prescribed medications," says the study.

Most Common Side Effects

None of the episodes were fatal, but four patients required hospitalization.

Here are most common side effects reported by participants, along with the number of cases:

Gastrointestinal symptoms: 44

Fatigue/dizziness: 31

Limb pain or weakness: 19

Medication not effective: 14

Mouth/throat symptoms: 10

Bleeding: 10

Frequent urination/kidney problems: 10

Peripheral edema: 6

Mood alteration: 4

Chest pain: 4

Eye symptoms: 3

Hot flashes: 3

Other: 13

Most cases (79%) were reported to the patients' doctors and changes were made in prescriptions for most events (66%), according to the study.

Types of Drugs Linked With Side Effects

The study doesn't name specific drugs. Instead, it lists the drug type and number of adverse events:

Heart disease medications: 38

Pain relievers: 18

Cholesterol-lowering drugs: 11

Antidepressants: 8

Blood thinners: 7

Sedatives: 7

Antibiotics: 7

Water pills: 6

Narcotic pain relievers: 5

Drugs used for stomach or intestinal problems: 4

Unknown: 9

Other: 14

The study appears in the March issue of The American Journal of Managed Care.

So...there!

[Niels Bohr 72]

...I know many people who have totally ruined their lives with booze but I know of no one that has ruined their lives with pot.

No. That is not quite it.

People who uses pot don't do their best. Many Americans who do, don't do their best. If you're a pot user, then why don't you earn A's in school? There is no excuse that you cannot earn A's. Pot makes people dumb. For those who used pot in the pass, you must've experienced many times that you must read multiple times to absorb information or had to have people repeat back what they said a few times. I personally do not use pot, but I do know that people who used them tend to have people repeat what was being said.

Overall, it affects everybody's thinking ability. They become less detail orientated, and more laid back. This is the consequence of pot. The effects of being less detail orientated, and laid back is the lack of comprehension from understanding a complex sentence, or the inability to understand abstract thoughts. Hence, shortsightedness.