[Back-space]

Yeah. Well it's like dealing with drunks. If yo've been drunk before, you can kind of predict reactions.

[-LiA-]

To me there are two kinds of people who smoke weed..I've met both kinds..the people who have smoked such a ridiculous amount they can barely hold a normal conversation because their brains are practically locked up so it takes them 10 years to say one sentence...and the people who use it once in a while and are actually very smart and fun to be around. I guess it depends on the person using it...but it is not fun to hang out with a person who just sits there and can't really talk about anything! I'm torn on whether it should be legalized, though it would help the economy, it would probably have a poor impact on society in general. Sure people may be less stressed, less people going to jail, but it makes it more readily available for kids in high school. Then we may end up with less people going to college and doing something with their lives. They may have helped the country more in the future by doing something with their lives instead of the benefits of taxing weed in the first place. There's so many pros and cons that we could go over.

[higloss]

Perfectly harmless, cleaner than tobacco and safer than alcohol.

Hopefully with our current president it will be legal soon enough (not to mention how much the tax would help the economy).

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[xxxxpradaxxxx]

Weed is not the bane of human society.

I don't see why it can't be legalized.

It's not like if it were, then our society would just implode on itself.

All the people that want to smoke weed, pretty much do so already-

Whether it's legal or not- and everything is perfectly fine.

Besides, it's not like Pot heads go around doing anything besides jamming up the drive thru at White Castle.

But, for the record- I'm fine with pot heads.

Just steer me clear of crack heads/hoes.

[BlackBerryBob]

It's been years since I smoked the stuff and I doubt I ever would again but...treat it like alcohol...just don't make it illegal to grow your own.

[roeod4]

I am probably not going to make friends on either side of this issue, but here is what I think.....

I think it should be legalized, regulated and most importantly taxed. The money spent on the fight against marijuana is absolutely absurd. The U.S. federal government spent over $19 billion dollars in 2003 on the War on Drugs, at a rate of about $600 per second. They have spent over $13 billion so far this year. I know that this is dealing with every drug across the board, but much of it has to do with pot too. Police arrested an estimated 872,720 people for marijuana violations in 2007, the highest annual total ever recorded in the United States. Of those charged with marijuana violations, approximately 89% or 775,137 Americans were charged with possession only. An American is now arrested for violating marijuana laws every 38 seconds. This does nothing but fill our prisons and waste even more money.

The way I look at it, the money that our U.S. Government is wasting while fighting pot along with the tax revenue from pot sales could really help us all. It doesn't matter if you use it or not. I personally don't (I don't even drink), but I would like to see the money being wasted go to better uses. The estimated tax revenue from legalized marijuana sales is currently soaring to upwards of 26 billion dollars a year. This plus the reduction in federal spending to fight marijuana would be an estimated 30 to 32 billion dollars a year.

[12MaNy]

It does have some long term negative affects on lung function and just like any stimulant/narcotic it alters brain function while under the influence. I don't feel that Marijuana has the same affects as meth, heroin, crack.....etc. though. In fact, I don't really consider it a drug at all. It's more like an unprocessed, all natural stimulant IMO. Its less potent than alcohol and less harmful than cigarettes. I don't smoke, but I feel it should be legalized.

However, I don't feel that people with large amounts of responsibility should smoke it daily. Every once in a while would probably be ok though.

[fiveonethird]

I'm shocked at the replies to this thread, and I mean that in a good way!

I thought for sure the Flanders family would be all over this thread, personally I have no beef with trees. I have a really good friend who smokes daily and I mean like he has to or he like flips out.

He went to UCLA to become an entertainment lawyer, he graduated top of his class so I don't see how this effected him in a bad way at all.

[Dirtbag]

It's safer than booze! I'm for it

[KasiCatastrophe]

Only reason die from alcohol is cause they drive there's a lot of drugs that cause hallucinations which cause death or there's addicts that slowly die... And maybe one drink every six months what about you hmmm..

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This thread wasn't started to start a debate, but it's going to happen anyway.

People die because of alcohol for more reasons than just drinking & driving.

Alcohol causes liver disease. If your liver shuts down, you are going to die. There is no question about it. Your liver filters your blood and processes nutrients and it suffers the most life-threatening damages from alcohol. It causes heart disease, damage to the pancreas, bone damage, and can even increase the risk of getting certain cancers.

People drink to the point of poisoning. College and High school students binge drink. This can lead to unconsciousness, coma, and death. A person can pass out and end up choking to death on their own vomit from drinking so much. Drinking can cause sudden strokes which lead to death.

Statistics even show that Alcohol is the #1 abused drug in America - yes I said drug, because that is what it is considered (even though its legal) along with weed. It affects more people than diabetes, lung cancer, breast cancer, or heart attacks, and is about as common as hypertension. Over 30,000 students each year need emergency health care for alcohol overdose.

Sure weed does have it's negative effects too. Most of the long-term effects of marijuana use are emotional, intellectual, and psychological. But none of them are as life-threatening as the ones alcohol pose.

[SevereDeceit]

Weed is not the bane of human society.

I don't see why it can't be legalized.

It's not like if it were, then our society would just implode on itself.

All the people that want to smoke weed, pretty much do so already-

Whether it's legal or not- and everything is perfectly fine.

Besides, it's not like Pot heads go around doing anything besides jamming up the drive thru at White Castle.

But, for the record- I'm fine with pot heads.

Just steer me clear of crack heads/hoes.

Great post man, right on...

[-LiA-]

This thread wasn't started to start a debate, but it's going to happen anyway.

People die because of alcohol for more reasons than just drinking & driving.

Alcohol causes liver disease. If your liver shuts down, you are going to die. There is no question about it. Your liver filters your blood and processes nutrients and it suffers the most life-threatening damages from alcohol. It causes heart disease, damage to the pancreas, bone damage, and can even increase the risk of getting certain cancers.

People drink to the point of poisoning. College and High school students binge drink. This can lead to unconsciousness, coma, and death. A person can pass out and end up choking to death on their own vomit from drinking so much. Drinking can cause sudden strokes which lead to death.

Statistics even show that Alcohol is the #1 abused drug in America - yes I said drug, because that is what it is considered (even though its legal) along with weed. It affects more people than diabetes, lung cancer, breast cancer, or heart attacks, and is about as common as hypertension. Over 30,000 students each year need emergency health care for alcohol overdose.

Sure weed does have it's negative effects too. Most of the long-term effects of marijuana use are emotional, intellectual, and psychological. But none of them are as life-threatening as the ones alcohol pose.

I agree. My Aunt passed away due to alcoholism...her liver was completely shot...she was only 63 and could have lived at least another 20 years had she not been an alcoholic. She was Greek..lived in Greece..ate healthy Greek food. Most Mediterranean people are incredibly healthy except for the excessive cigarette smoking...that's a whole other topic though. Anyway that's why I try not to drink too much these days...ever since she passed away I've looked at it in a completely different light. Besides that I don't like not being able to control my body or situations due to being completely intoxicated. I've tried weed a couple times...but honestly I never really felt anything, I'd rather have a couple beers. =)

[Keirkhaart]

I don't believe weed or many other drugs are any worse than alcohol or tobacco. Some people seem predisposed to being affected by certain things, but I've never had a problem with tobacco, booze, weed or anything else. Yet my sister is an alcoholic, my mother can't stop smoking, I know plenty of people who've had drug problems. It's more about the individual and their ability to handle themselves instead of the drug itself being the problem. Some people have no willpower/control and so are best steering clear of anything that they can't control. I've enjoyed what I've done, then stopped and got on with my life.

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[Swoopster]

Our marijuana laws are a fluke. Too many people are incarcerated for the use/selling/distributing of marijuana in our prisons and jails. Instead; this incarceration space could be used for perpretrators who TRULY ARE CRIMINALS. Heck, come to think of it...our ENTIRE incarceration system needs to be revamped...the U.S. roughly has 5% of the world's population; yet comprises of 25% of the world's inmate population.

Many times; individuals who get sentenced for a crime...serve a much lesser amount of time than they should only because room needs to be made/conserved for people in jail for marijuana-related charges. These criminals who serve a less amount of time than they should; are actually individuals who should stay incarcerated LONGER; but aren't...to make room for marijuana-related offenders.

Additionally; these marijuana-related charges can and do remain on the 'offenders' rap sheet for some duration; during this duration it can become difficult to attain many things (e.g. job) because of these charges that appear. Our nation needs to overhaul our laws mandating marijuana; the consequences of these very laws are undermining our society in MANY MORE ways than the drug these laws were created for do.

Marijuana is also a money/bureaucratic juggernaut in politics. For example; the distribution/production/consumption of alcohol was under fire during prohibition many years ago; then it was reneged on...the reasons for the reversal aren't as innocent as one would think. With that said; it's Friday night and I'm going to proceed to indulge in what prohibition didn't allow.

[SevereDeceit]

I completely agree Swoopster, you're correct, our prisons are packed with non-violent drug offenders. They have been for some time. I'm talking about a decent guy who gets caught with a couple ounces of weed in a "Zero Tolerance" area and gets five years in jail for it, that's so f'n wrong man...

[Username0223]

I think its harmless UNLESS you are an addict like me (in recovery almost 7 years). Maybe it should be legal, certainly it should be decriminalized. But for me no pot (or anything else) since july 23rd, 2002.

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good for you PK! glad to see your keepin yourself up to par!!! i love hearing success stories regardless of wat there about.

i personally would not touch the stuff, if cigarettes are harmful, why wouldnt marijuana be also.....it has more side effects on your body than cigarettes do. so im NOT for it. and i dont judge those that do-to each his own.

[cdaiscool]

I haven't read quite all these posts, but I know a lot about pot. Like the reason it was originally illegalized was Mexican - New Mexico hated them and most had it on them. Or a study in the '50s said that it was bad, though not mentioning the terrible conditions the kids and adults they tested (ghetto kids and adults in NYC).

Additionally, a study from a year or so ago of long-time cigarette, pot, both, and neither smokers had some interesting results. They found that the pot smokers, even both pot and cigarettes, had the lowest lung cancer rates. Why? Because THC kills old cells. Cancer is old cells that are supposed to die that instead, grow at a rapid pace. So, pot may actually HELP prevent lung cancer, which is the #1 preventable death in America.

Essentially, its a ******** set of laws based on racist ideals. Any questions, PM or BBM me. I would post my pin but don't know it off the top of my head, and don't remember the code for the phone to put it in for me.

Or e-mail me at [email protected].

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[anon(19759)]

Alcohol is so much more dangerous than weed. It should be legalized, sold through controlled channels like alcohol, and hey, it can even be taxed and the gov could make some money on it. No one ever died from a weed overdose or weed poisoning. What happens when you smoke way too much weed? You fall asleep. Too much alcohol? You choke to death on your own puke.

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[Back-space]

Lol, on your cellphone just type mypin just like that with no space. Then hit space and it should insert your pin for you

[vinnie_dugan]

Throw all the facts you want around about weed and it doesn't change things. Weed is taboo, it has a stigma surrounding it. Legislators vying for votes want to be hard on drugs so they leave marijuana illegal.second thing, how do you tell a guy that is spending the rest of his life in jail that what he did is now legal? Thirdly, do you know how much revenue the gov. Brings in from weed? Lastly, the government sees no feasible way to tax the sale of weed.

Hope this helps

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[ChefKitty]

good for you PK! glad to see your keepin yourself up to par!!! i love hearing success stories regardless of wat there about.

i personally would not touch the stuff, if cigarettes are harmful, why wouldnt marijuana be also.....it has more side effects on your body than cigarettes do. so im NOT for it. and i dont judge those that do-to each his own.

You obviously haven't done your research. Pot does not have more side effects on the body. Take for example : pot smoke contains a compound that inhibits a coughing response. Whereas cigarette smoke triggers an inflammatory response in every. Single. Organ in the body.

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[MidwestKevin25]

Yeeeeeaaaaa Seattle got the best, I just moved here from St. Louis and never smoked bad... Exotic everyday that's all they got here... lol..

[MidwestKevin25]

For the folks that said Pot Heads are stupid and won't amount to anything etc.. Dude I worked at the Four Seasons Hotel and to anybody that knows the Four Seasons knows it's really plush and expensive.. With that being said we got alot of Celebs, Sports Players, Musicians you name it just flat out rich ****s, and the people you won't believe smoke weed smoke like a Chiminy.. So many Celebs room would just be smelling like that ohh wea.. And those people are well established so I don't think it's weed that makes people stupid and unmotivated it's the person.. Would run down the Pot Smoking Celebs I met but don't wanna get nobody in trouble.. Ok going to name 2 sorry I got to but did you know Robin Thicke smokes and so does Kamora Lee Simmons..

[BLAZE X]

Weed>Alcohol

Its that simple...Drinking has more effects then weed,but since it is considered "legal" people think it is fine..Both should be legal or both should be illegal in my book..

People that say most pot heads are stupid are somewhat right..Except they forget to mention most of them were stupid from the start,way before they did drugs..

[sodakitty]

I personally believe that marijuana did cause my anxiety problems. It's not unheard of, and I never had problems prior to use. And now I get to pay the price.

However, I know many people who smoke, my fiance included, and all it does is mess with memory.

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