Are You Interested in The Topic of Marijauna?

[SifuPhil]

You cannot legislate morality.

Yet that is precisely what our government wishes to do, and is succeeding.

The main thing wrong (to me, my opinion, not god's word...) with pot is that it has the 'lure' to some of being 'able to do something we really should not do'

There is no fruit so sweet as that which is forbidden.

What I am DEAD SET against...is marijuana in candy or other 'sweets' form

Not all patients can ingest marijuana by smoking - the edible forms are fine if prescribed and used properly. The few cases of OD'ing were from young children gaining access to their parent's stash, and not all of those were fatalities - in fact, VERY few were.

I totally agree with legalizing all drugs and letting Darwin determine the outcomes.

 

[Debby]

Marijuana is really defined by the old adage of its a 'nuetral' thing and what is DONE with it makes it either good or bad. I agree with this. It is a total miracle for children with epilepsy...and I have a friend who is finally pain free from her Lyme disease because of it ... I don't believe it is a 'cure all miracle' as some would proclaim...but it needs credit where it is due.

Does it do more damage than alcohol and tobacco??? NO. ... I feel exactly the same way about pot as I do about alcohol... and many see nothing wrong with an occasional drink (or two) after work or whatever... Why do they need it? Why is IT ok????

The main thing wrong (to me, my opinion, not god's word...) with pot is that it has the 'lure' to some of being 'able to do something we really should not do'...like premarital sex in the back seat of a car... and its not as casually accepted as drinking.

What I am DEAD SET against...is marijuana in candy or other 'sweets' form...this has KILLED people because it is not test or regulated and I think its a STUPID idea....
In some ways I have this mean sounding idea: let ALL drugs be legalized (for over 21'rs)...why should anybody be responsible for other people lives? Like those who believe the "government should take care of me" and then they bitch about 'being controlled...' Let those who die from drugs, do so... eventually Life Itself would teach the lesson and things would normalize... Breaking the rules and the thrill of getting away with something and playing with the devil...this is the lure of drugs until addiction takes over...then IT rules.

A bit like: why should we make cans of icing unavailable or illegal...because someone has diabetes and might kill themselves if they keep eating it... I probably shouldn't write this...and I honestly do not mean to offend anyone... its just the way I honestly feel... and a lot of what I have learned is just from observing life. People die every day from alcohol...but you don't hear the people who would ban all marijuana saying ALL ALCOHOL should be illegal! You cannot legislate morality.
And now let us sing hymn number...... heh!

Hi Betty,

Your idea of legalizing all drugs has sort of been done in Portugal except they have decriminalized it, not legalized it. They treat the use of all drugs as a health issue and when someone is caught with small amounts they are offered treatment rather than being thrown into prison. The long and short of it is that in the 14 years since that changed happened, their overall drug use has gone down.

 

[QuickSilver]

Hi Betty,

Your idea of legalizing all drugs has sort of been done in Portugal except they have decriminalized it, not legalized it. They treat the use of all drugs as a health issue and when someone is caught with small amounts they are offered treatment rather than being thrown into prison. The long and short of it is that in the 14 years since that changed happened, their overall drug use has gone down.

That would never fly here... WE have allowed most of our prisons to be PRIVATIZED.... and the profits of these Corporations depend on a steady stream of prisoners with longer and longer sentences.. Decriminalization of drugs and the elimination of manditory sentencing would cut into those profits... and we simply CAN'T have THAT!! The palms of politicians are generously greased in the form of campaign donations to keep the status quo. Don't be fooled into thinking it some sort of MORALITY going on here... it's Corporate greed pure and simple.. The politician hide behind the guise of morality and concern for public health to keep the pockets of their wealthy friends full.

 

[Just plain me]

Never tried it but then I have never tried arsenic. I think you can't tell a young person that it is okay for you to do your drug of choice and then wonder why they are shocked when you question their choice of drugs.
After all your parents probably were horrified at your choice. If it were strictly medicinal and nothing else helped I would say yes. But we all know that isn't the way it will be and if people want it they will get it. But I am not handing them a license. I wish someone had thrown me in jail the first time I smoked a cigarette! No, our parents raised it , smoked it and we followed. Now Cancer is the leading cause of death in this state. Now kids parents smoke pot and want to hand it to their kids. But the kids want more; crack, herion, meth. Why don't we stop repeating history! Sorry sore subject for me.

 

[QuickSilver]

So.... Are you saying that Alcohol should also be illegal JPM? It doesn't even have a medicinal purpose.. Didn't we try that once? Should we go back to prohibition?

 

[Debby]

That would never fly here... WE have allowed most of our prisons to be PRIVATIZED.... and the profits of these Corporations depend on a steady stream of prisoners with longer and longer sentences.. Decriminalization of drugs and the elimination of manditory sentencing would cut into those profits... and we simply CAN'T have THAT!! The palms of politicians are generously greased in the form of campaign donations to keep the status quo. Don't be fooled into thinking it some sort of MORALITY going on here... it's Corporate greed pure and simple.. The politician hide behind the guise of morality and concern for public health to keep the pockets of their wealthy friends full.

Once upon a time you couldn't walk into a store and buy pot, but now you can and there isn't a Health Official standing at the door to offer you help, so in at least Colorado its been legalized and Washington State that has or will be legalizing it? Perhaps the tide is turning and moving even past mere decriminalization.

But I understand what you mean. I read an article in Huff Post about police and police unions actually protesting against the changes.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/30/police-eric-holder-marijuana-_n_3846518.html So that's one group whose main concern is continued expenditures on 'fighting the fight'. Then too, consider the pharmaceutical companies who have a vested interest in never having studies done into the plants value as a medicine. If Rick Simpsons discoveries about the cancer fighting properties of the plant are realized on a large scale, that's gotta be worth billions of dollars to Big Pharma.

 

[QuickSilver]

Once upon a time you couldn't walk into a store and buy pot, but now you can and there isn't a Health Official standing at the door to offer you help, so in at least Colorado its been legalized and Washington State that has or will be legalizing it? Perhaps the tide is turning and moving even past mere decriminalization.

But I understand what you mean. I read an article in Huff Post about police and police unions actually protesting against the changes.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/30/police-eric-holder-marijuana-_n_3846518.html So that's one group whose main concern is continued expenditures on 'fighting the fight'. Then too, consider the pharmaceutical companies who have a vested interest in never having studies done into the plants value as a medicine. If Rick Simpsons discoveries about the cancer fighting properties of the plant are realized on a large scale, that's gotta be worth billions of dollars to Big Pharma.

It may be legal in some states... however, it is still against Federal Law... and since Federal Law trumps any State law, due to the Supremacy clause.. IT's still Illegal in the USA. BUT our current administration and the Attorney General have agreed to NOT enforce the Federal Statute.. That's why the Feds are not raiding the Pot stores. A new Administration may see things differently.


And I agree... big Pharma has a lot of profit to lose... as well as the prison system.. So I understand that there are vested interests in keeping Pot illegal.

 

[Debby]

Never tried it but then I have never tried arsenic. I think you can't tell a young person that it is okay for you to do your drug of choice and then wonder why they are shocked when you question their choice of drugs.
After all your parents probably were horrified at your choice. If it were strictly medicinal and nothing else helped I would say yes. But we all know that isn't the way it will be and if people want it they will get it. But I am not handing them a license. I wish someone had thrown me in jail the first time I smoked a cigarette! No, our parents raised it , smoked it and we followed. Now Cancer is the leading cause of death in this state. Now kids parents smoke pot and want to hand it to their kids. But the kids want more; crack, herion, meth. Why don't we stop repeating history! Sorry sore subject for me.

I understand that you are afraid of what you perceive as the ramifications of legalization of pot but all one needs to do is to look at the experience of Portugal, who 12 years ago decriminalized all drugs and today, unlike the US and Canada, drug use is down over all.

http://www.spiegel.de/international...tion-in-portugal-12-years-later-a-891060.html
From the article: "...The data show, among other things, that the number of adults in Portugal who have at some point taken illegal drugs is rising. At the same time, though, the number of teenagers who have at some point taken illegal drugs is falling. The number of drug addicts who have undergone rehab has also increased dramatically, while the number of drug addicts who have become infected with HIV has fallen significantly...."

The fact that fewer kids are experimenting says it all. Portugal hasn't turned into a drug destination.

There's also this article from Time: http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html

 

[Just plain me]

I wish it was sometimes QuickSilver. Just this week 3 kids are in the hospital in ICU fighting for their lives because some drunk driver went across the line and hit them head on. If people had common sense when they drank this would never happen, I know a lot of people who social drink, but it those like thid person who make me wish it was monitored in some form. I know I am an old fuddy-duddy but it seems we give young people way to much liberty at such young ages. We are old enough to take responsibiliy and if we mess up than we should face the consequences. But at 18 they are old enough to say "I am of legal age and you can't tell me what to do" and yet want to be treated like children when it comes to responsibility for their actions. In this stage the legal age is 21,but that doesn't stop them. There is always some responsible grown up ready to buy it for them.

 

[Cookie]

Looking back, I found a few puffs nice for listening to music or hanging out with a friend, but it could also make my mind very active sometimes. These days it is legally used medicinally and as it has become legal in some places, maybe it can be like alcohol - recreational, as long as used with discretion. But I prefer a nice glass of red wine myself.

 

[RadishRose]

I tried it, but I didn't inhale!

 

[SifuPhil]

... but it could also make my mind very active sometimes ...

That's one of the wonderful things about it, especially for those with an artistic or philosophical bent.

Of course, sometimes you might just want to watch old 3 Stooges episodes and eat a few bags of Cheetos.

 

[Cookie]

know what you mean - sense enhancing properties and laughter is healthy too.