Legalization of Marijuana?

Edit: Oh, could a mod please throw a poll up as well and make it public? Thanks


I can't believe I've never thought of this before.



Alright let's start off on the two sides of Legalizing Marijuana.

There's the side of people that DO NOT agree with it. Basically this side of the group has nothing to stand upon other than the fact that Marijuana honestly can be a gateway drug and kids can get hooked on much worse shit, look back in the late 60's early 70's when marijuana took off, the amount of kids on ACID skyrocketed, and it's no different today.

I PERSONALLY can't stand 'stoners'. They're arrogant to me. There are a few levels of stoners, of course. A portion of them are the ones that smoke like once/twice a day, which is alright, they may do it for stress or what-have-you, and that's really not too bad. Then you have the people that are STONERS that are lighting it up basically every chance that is presented to them. These are the people I can't stand, the people that have been smoking so much for so long that basically they're always in the "duuuuuuuuuuuude state where you can't talk to them without them becoming spacedout and on the opposite side of the world while your trying to ask them a simple fucking question.




And then there's the other side of Legalizing Marijuana which has some benefits. For one, our jail systems would clear out which would be GREAT for our economy not having to pay for the massive amount of drug users that wouldn't be incarcerated anymore. I feel as this is the best point about it, but is it worth it?

Also, taking away the illegal aspect of smoking Marijuana takes away the fun of it, hence making new kids not want to start up doing drugs. Because let's be honest, once you try pot your mind does start to wonder what effects will happen with the usual of different drugs such as acid, heroin, cocaine, etc, even different types of pot.



I personally feel that most of the people I KNOW that fall into the 'stoner' category are basically morons before the fact of them smoking pot and becoming addicted to it. No it's not very harmful to your body, actually it reduces stress in some cases, but is it worth turning into a sloth and having no control of your life while your buzz is going on, constantly, every day for no reason other than you just feel like getting "fucked up". And better yet, when is the time to grow up? Basically what i'm saying is my friends that smoke pot, are basically morons anyways, before they're high, before they ever even tried it, so basically I feel if you smoke, you are a moron.

I know a few people on here will disagree, but that's great. I'd love to hear other aspects of this argument. I just don't feel that legalizing marijuana will be a good thing or not, I know that it has helped in other countries like Amsterdam, but then again they've had so many morons flock over there that they had to make it for citizens only, America isn't the right place for Marijuana to be legalized for recreational use.

I'm kind of in between. I can't decide whether marijuana should be legalized, or whether alcohol should be illegal. Either way, they should be consistent.

I can go both ways. As a personal choice, I think there's absolutely nothing wrong with either. You should be allowed to put whatever you want into your body. And neither of them are significantly harmful to you either way when done in moderation.

On the other hand, both substances can be detrimental to society when consumed by immature and irresponsible people; an inevitable consequence of legalizing marijuana.

I do think that a legitimate compromise could be reached, however. Perhaps in a private setting they should both be legalized, however if caught publicly inebriated on either marijuana or alcohol there should be a fine. Any crimes done while on the substance could carry a more severe sentence.

Not too sure. Just some of my thoughts.

Well that is an excellent look at it, but I feel it'd be much more complicated than to just throw down those laws, it'd really have to be one way or the other.

I mean i'll all down for listening to some KMK, Bob Marley, Sublime or even 311/Tool whatever, but the ramifications from smoking pot and being stoned for hours on end just drives me crazy, and when people around me are high I can't stand them.

I PERSONALLY can't stand 'stoners'. They're arrogant to me. There are a few levels of stoners, of course. A portion of them are the ones that smoke like once/twice a day, which is alright, they may do it for stress or what-have-you, and that's really not too bad. Then you have the people that are STONERS that are lighting it up basically every chance that is presented to them. These are the people I can't stand, the people that have been smoking so much for so long that basically they're always in the "duuuuuuuuuuuude state where you can't talk to them without them becoming spacedout and on the opposite side of the world while your trying to ask them a simple fucking question.

Gonna have to agree with you there. I know a guy that's practically perma-stoned. He smokes, on average, 10 blunts a day. He's a fucking retard. You can just tell that he's missing some very important brain cells. You have to maintain moderation. Anything that is abused on a daily, even hourly, basis is going to be detrimental to your cause. Just like alcohol. I'm sure you guys have some friends that are alcoholics and are drunk all the time -- they're annoying. Same goes for people that are completely encompassed by marijuana. Marijuana should be a hobby, a past-time event that helps you deal with stress, make a specific activity more exciting, or to get away from 'it all.'

And then there's the other side of Legalizing Marijuana which has some benefits. For one, our jail systems would clear out which would be GREAT for our economy not having to pay for the massive amount of drug users that wouldn't be incarcerated anymore. I feel as this is the best point about it, but is it worth it?

Absolutely. Do you know how overcrowded America's jails are? Do you know how much the American public is being taxed because we have people in jail for years for a harmless drug? In the history of this drug, there has not been ONE single, documented case of it killing somebody. Can you say that about alcohol? Cigarettes? Hell mothafuckin no you can't. Why are drugs that kill thousands of people a year legal, while marijauna, which has MANY medicinal purposes, labeled as 'evil' and illegal? Basically, money. Do you know how much the government makes off of potheads when they get busted? Last year, I was busted with 2 (TWO) grams of weed. It has cost me ~$3,000 out of my own fucking pocket for TTTWWWOOO measly grams. Multiply that by the number of people that get busted everyday. We're talking billions.

Also, taking away the illegal aspect of smoking Marijuana takes away the fun of it, hence making new kids not want to start up doing drugs. Because let's be honest, once you try pot your mind does start to wonder what effects will happen with the usual of different drugs such as acid, heroin, cocaine, etc, even different types of pot.

Not true. If marijuana were made legal, it would still be the number one consumed drug in America. I, personally, would still smoke it. The only people that would stray away from it are the types of people that don't need to be smoking anyway. You know who I'm talking about. The idiot kids that brag about smoking weed because they think it makes them look cool. They're portraying the wrong image anyway. Smoking weed does not make you cool. I do not brag about smoking. It is a personal choice of mine that I use for my own gain. Not anybody else's. I could give a fuck what you think of me. I don't judge you, what gives you the tenacity to judge me?

I personally feel that most of the people I KNOW that fall into the 'stoner' category are basically morons before the fact of them smoking pot and becoming addicted to it. No it's not very harmful to your body, actually it reduces stress in some cases, but is it worth turning into a sloth and having no control of your life while your buzz is going on, constantly, every day for no reason other than you just feel like getting "fucked up". And better yet, when is the time to grow up? Basically what i'm saying is my friends that smoke pot, are basically morons anyways, before they're high, before they ever even tried it, so basically I feel if you smoke, you are a moron.

Marijuana does different things to different people. As KA has said in another post, for some people, it makes them creative. It makes them think of things they wouldn't normally think about while sober. How many movies, albums, TV shows have been created because the writers were sitting around passing a doob and thought, "Hey, I have a great idea." And they received millions for their ideas. The only harmful effect of weed goes straight to your lungs. Smoking anything is harmful to your lungs. If you straight up baked marijuana all your life, you wouldn't see a single harmful effect done to your body.

Basically, moderation is the key.

I'm pretty sure this has been done multiple times on Zelaron, but I'll respond anyway.

I personally don't care either way, but I dislike people who are stoned just as much as I hate people that are drunk. It would have to be implemented just like alcohol currently is regarding smoking in public/etc, because there are people who simply don't want anything to do with it.

As long as it carries the same penalties as alcohol, I wouldn't really care. I'm pretty much in agreeance with Mj.

I'm jumping on the MJ/Volls bandwagon. I don't see the physical effects of marijuana being worse than those of alcohol. I will say that I prefer the company of stoners to that of drunks, perhaps because I spent many years as a stoner myself. Drunks are more obnoxious by my estimation.

As for pot being a "gateway" drug, I think that classification has been applied not because of the inherent physical/mental effects of marijuana itself. It seems to me that the likelihood of coming into contact with other illegal substances increases when interacting with marijuana dealers (because nobody "just sells pot"). If marijuana were no longer confined to illegal channels of distribution, it would no longer be tied up in markets that promote the use of harder substances.

That's just my opinion, though.

I agree that marijuana is a gateway drug because the same dude who sells you pot can sell you other shit too. If they were selling pot at gas stations, that would no longer be a problem.

I agree that marijuana is a gateway drug because the same dude who sells you pot can sell you other shit too. If they were selling pot at gas stations, that would no longer be a problem.

That's another amusing question; how would it be distributed? I imagine states who currently regulate alcohol sales directly (via ABC stores) would likely have marijuana restricted to such stores as well.

The idea of purchasing it at a gas station is pretty funny, but probably accurate for California.

And then there's the other side of Legalizing Marijuana which has some benefits. For one, our jail systems would clear out which would be GREAT for our economy not having to pay for the massive amount of drug users that wouldn't be incarcerated anymore. I feel as this is the best point about it, but is it worth it?

i dont agree with this entire statement. Most people that sell pot sell other drugs too. So they would be in jail anyways.

Oh, and another fringe benefit I seemed to have left out would be the taxation of the drug and extra money the government could make off of it, they would probably have a ridiculoous tax like cigarettes, however, so illegal marijuana would probably never go away.

The cost of illegal marijuana is so high due to the illegality of it. It would cost so much less, even with huge taxes on it, if it were being farmed or mass produced like any other sort of crop.

The cost of illegal marijuana is so high due to the illegality of it. It would cost so much less, even with huge taxes on it, if it were being farmed or mass produced like any other sort of crop.

Since America doesnt grow the best pot, it will remain illegal until they figure out how to make it the best. THe day that they figure out how to create the best weed, then mass production will begin and then prices will go down.

Just imagine, in twenty or thirty years, when oil has been replaced by proper fuel, who will America be invading? Why! The countires that grow the best weed, of course!

I can't say that smoking weed is a big problem around here. The legalisation of it would achieve little.

...

No one country produces 'the best weed.'

And, the best I've smoked was grown right down the street in this old dude's hydroponic system. One hit I was a goner.

I dunno if I've commented or not, but I'm for it.

Obama two terms = Legalization.

Obama two terms = Legalization.

Doubt it.

At best, national decriminalization.

Er, yes that's what I meant. Legalization probably will never actually happen, but Decriminalization may be sooner than we think.

Weed in DC?

http://www.mpp.org/states/district-o...closer-to.html

As well as.

Two Washington State Lawmakers Offer Pot Legalization Bill

http://www.mpp.org/states/washington...ton-state.html

A pair of legislators in the state of Washington have submitted a marijuana legalization bill much like the one introduced by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D- San Francisco, back in February. The bill was introduced by state Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, with Rep. Roger Goodman as the principal coauthor. The two Democrats represent Seattle-area districts. Four other legislators have also signed onto the bill. Goodman was scheduled to join Ammiano on a conference call with reporters Thursday morning. While there have been numerous bills to decriminalize marijuana, advocates say these bills represent the first two times a full legalization bill has introduced in a state legislature. Ammiano’s bill, which would not only remove criminal penalties but set up a regulatory and tax structure for pot sales, was the first such bill to get a full committee hearing, according to Stephen Gullwig, California state director with the drug policy alliance. “This is virgin territory,” Gullwig said. Goodman has long advocated changes in drug policy, and became something of a hero to legalization advocates during his first election campaign in 2006. His Republican opponent, Jeffery Possinger, used attack ads and mailers in an attempt to label Goodman as soft on drugs. This included the charge that Goodman wanted to be the state’s “director of drug dealing.” But after these ads hit, Goodman’s numbers went up, and he ultimately became the first Democrat to win the suburban district since the 1960s. The Seattle House was already set to debate a decriminalization bill. But Goodman said his bill is “very different, and much more important.” “Decriminalization is a step in the right direction,” Goodman said. “We’re still punishing people, but were punishing them less. But meanwhile the illegal market thrives.” Like the Ammiano bill, the Washington bill will be introduced lacking some necessary specifics until it’s amended. For instance, Goodman said he wants to introduce a clause that would forbid marijuana being sold in any outlet that also sells alcohol. The bill is currently written to bar advertising, and tax proceeds would go to fund drug treatment, rather than being put into the general fund. Goodman said he’s also looking for ways to craft the bill to make it compatible with federal policies, though this probably won’t be possible. The Ammiano bill has been widely written about, but was also widely viewed as dead-on-arrival. Indeed, it has yet to move in the California Legislature's Health or Public Safety committees, the latter of which Ammiano chairs. Goodman said he thinks his bill may have a better chance—though it will also have to survive a trip through a public safety committee, this one chaired by a law-and-order legislator who doesn’t want to let it out. He said that polls show support for marijuana legalization in Washington is in the high 50s, similar to California. The bill is also more ambitious than the California legalization initiative sponsored by Oaksterdam University, Gullwig said. That measure was written “defensively” in order to allow it to survive an election campaign in which numerous law enforcement groups will spend big to defeat it. Gullwig also took aim at the idea that legalized pot will solve either state’s financial woes — something most serious advocates aren’t claiming in the first place. “Marijuana prohibition is such a colossal failure that it needs to be ended regardless of how much money could be made regulating it,” Gullwig said.