Why is marijuana illegal to consume yet we are allowed to drink alcohol which is literally like poison to our bodies? And why can we smoke cigarettes that are unhealthy for us? Alcohol puts someone in an impaired state, and cigarettes may increase health problems, marijuana is basically the combination of these two things with a few exceptions: when you are under the influence of marijuana, you are aware of your state and have more control than say someone who is drunk, you can literally die from drinking too much alcohol yet only one documented person has ever died form smoking too much marijuana, marijuana has no physically addictive chemicals like other drugs, and while marijuana has 400 chemicals, cigarettes have 700. So what's the big deal? Why do people blow it up into something it's not?
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Marijuana compared to other drugs...
- Thread starter nightdweller25
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There's a lot of history involved with plenty of collusion between business and government. If alcohol and tobacco had only been discovered yesterday, they'd probably be illegal in most countries as well.
Think about it. There's no way to make money from Marijuana. It's called weed because it grows like a weed, so anyone could just grow their own rather than pay for it. If there were some easy way to capitalize off of it then it would definitely be legal today.
1) Because the government can't regulate it to get its cut (sin taxes). It takes a lot more effort to cultivate tobacco or brew alcohol than it does to put a plant in a pot and watch it grow.
2) Because society has decided that it doesn't want it around. Then again, I have a hard time trying to figure out why I would want to ingest something that a) makes me needlessly hungry, b) compels me to sit in the corner for three hours contemplating the wonders of string, c) impairs my ability to count and do other basic math, and d) provides a false escape from the world around me.
Just my opinion.
2) Because society has decided that it doesn't want it around. Then again, I have a hard time trying to figure out why I would want to ingest something that a) makes me needlessly hungry, b) compels me to sit in the corner for three hours contemplating the wonders of string, c) impairs my ability to count and do other basic math, and d) provides a false escape from the world around me.
Just my opinion.
CorvusCamenarum has it in 2. It could be grown anywhere, but then again beer and other alcoholic drinks can be brewed anywhere. Albeit I don't think it's as good as real stuff.
Plus the whole social thing. Alcohol has become a 'social' drug. where cannabis is anti-social, doesn't it make the user isolated? Locked in their own mind? with tunnel vision etc. I think that it's some kind of social easer it makes it more accessible and less threatening.
i dunno, I don't take any so I can't really say.
I've only seen the hugely negative effect it's had on my family. My brother is a heavy drug abuser and it's destroying our family. At first he only took cannabis, but went onto speed and ecstasy but has gone down to cannabis only now - through lack of finances! He is single handedly ruining our family home through constant arguing and violence. Plus through cannabis he developed some nasty mental problems. *shrugs* "drugs are teh r0xx0rs"
Plus the whole social thing. Alcohol has become a 'social' drug. where cannabis is anti-social, doesn't it make the user isolated? Locked in their own mind? with tunnel vision etc. I think that it's some kind of social easer it makes it more accessible and less threatening.
i dunno, I don't take any so I can't really say.
I've only seen the hugely negative effect it's had on my family. My brother is a heavy drug abuser and it's destroying our family. At first he only took cannabis, but went onto speed and ecstasy but has gone down to cannabis only now - through lack of finances! He is single handedly ruining our family home through constant arguing and violence. Plus through cannabis he developed some nasty mental problems. *shrugs* "drugs are teh r0xx0rs"
nightdweller25 said:
I dont believe there are any documented cases of anyone kicking the bucket from a marijuana overdose... if there is one, i would like to see it...
raggedjimmi said:
i used to brew my own beer in college... mmmmmm those were the days...
i think it was better than the real stuff!
Peyton said:
I'm 18 and I've never done it. I've been prescribed narcotic pain killers for kidney stone pain, but that's it.
I'd rather like to remember the party I was at, than get trashed and wake up, forgetting what happened.
I read anstudy a while back that claimed no-one has ever died of marijuana. They also worked out how much marijuana you would have to smoke before it killed you. The quantity was astronomical, so they approximated it at roughly the size of a small room. Not only that, it needed to be smoked within an hour.
Other than for a high, the marijuana plant is really useful for other things, such as clothing, and ropes. Extremely durable material. It is a wonderful plant.
Other than for a high, the marijuana plant is really useful for other things, such as clothing, and ropes. Extremely durable material. It is a wonderful plant.
CorvusCamenarum said:
Hah, that's the parts I like.
a) It makes food tastes better. You don't always get hungry, when high. But if it's there, it makes it that much sweeter.
b) Sometimes it's nice to just space out. You think about things you would never think about when you're sober. It makes you seriously think about life, even though I forget most of the time, but if you write it down, you'll be amazed at what you've thought about.
c) If I had to do math problems, I wouldn't be getting high.
d) I guess you could say that, but so does alcohol. I wouldn't consider it a "false" escape, it's just altered. I'm always aware of my surroundings when intoxicated. Maybe a little slow, but I'm always aware.
Peyton said:
I know plenty of people that don't drink or smoke. It's not that big of a deal.
One major problem is that any use of Marijuana is considered drug abuse.
In other words, in the eyes of the government use = abuse.
You can have one drink for an occasional nightcap and no one would see that as a problem or consider you an alcoholic, but God help you if you get caught with even the slightest trace of Marijuana and suddenly you're guilty of drug abuse.
As mentioned above, it would be very difficult for the government to control taxation of a weed that anyone with a green thumb could cultivate for their own personal use.
How many times have you read an article blaming the use of Marijuana for a tragic accident.
In most cases, the person involved was also drinking or taking other harmful drugs, but the publicity spin will blame Marijuana and ignore the fact that the responsible party also had 3 DWI's drank a six pack, and is one of those people who's primary goal in life was to stay as wasted as possible.
BIG PHARMA also has a problem when they can't profit from selling you something that you can easily grow yourself to ease stress or control nausea.
The worst part of all is how prohibition of Marijuana has fueled organized crime. The cost to buy Marijuana and the profits to be made are the worst evils. It's not the plant, but the profits and the people making those profits
that need to be controlled.
In my opinion, there should be no law prohibiting cultivation for limited and responsible personal use.
The downside to Marijuana, is that it either motivates you or completely demotivates you, depending on the person and circumstances.
Occasional recreational use won't do any harm on it's own, but regular use
can definitely make you lose focus of the important things in your life.
There should also be the same restrictions on age and use while driving
or in the workplace where safety is an issue.
It's a shame that the govenment continues to ignore the benefits of Marijuana legalization while continuing a well funded spin to support prohibition.
It's all about money.
In other words, in the eyes of the government use = abuse.
You can have one drink for an occasional nightcap and no one would see that as a problem or consider you an alcoholic, but God help you if you get caught with even the slightest trace of Marijuana and suddenly you're guilty of drug abuse.
As mentioned above, it would be very difficult for the government to control taxation of a weed that anyone with a green thumb could cultivate for their own personal use.
How many times have you read an article blaming the use of Marijuana for a tragic accident.
In most cases, the person involved was also drinking or taking other harmful drugs, but the publicity spin will blame Marijuana and ignore the fact that the responsible party also had 3 DWI's drank a six pack, and is one of those people who's primary goal in life was to stay as wasted as possible.
BIG PHARMA also has a problem when they can't profit from selling you something that you can easily grow yourself to ease stress or control nausea.
The worst part of all is how prohibition of Marijuana has fueled organized crime. The cost to buy Marijuana and the profits to be made are the worst evils. It's not the plant, but the profits and the people making those profits
that need to be controlled.
In my opinion, there should be no law prohibiting cultivation for limited and responsible personal use.
The downside to Marijuana, is that it either motivates you or completely demotivates you, depending on the person and circumstances.
Occasional recreational use won't do any harm on it's own, but regular use
can definitely make you lose focus of the important things in your life.
There should also be the same restrictions on age and use while driving
or in the workplace where safety is an issue.
It's a shame that the govenment continues to ignore the benefits of Marijuana legalization while continuing a well funded spin to support prohibition.
It's all about money.
I've no problem with the legalization of marijuana, so long as its controlled in similar ways to booze and fags.
I'm not a user myself but I do have one story. I lived briefly near Encinitas, CA. with some friends who were renting a house. In the garden a couple of the guys had pots of weed growing and each Tuesday these had to be carefully placed in the garage before everyone went out 'cause the landlord had contract gardeners looking after his properties and it was assumed these Mexicans would report the pots of pot to the landlord and or police.
One Tuesday the guys forgot to shift the weed from the garden and spent the whole day worried what was going to happen and whether they would get busted as soon as they got home that night.
They needn't have worried though, the mexicans had seen and recognised the marijuana and were obviously unhappy that the guys were growing the drugs the way they were, so unhappy they left a list of instructions on the proper care for the plants such as watering, pruning etc.
Once they had the contract gardeners looking after their crop their yeild and quality improved, so the case for there being no profit in legal production isn't necessarily true. If a professional/commercial product is superior to homebrewed than people will pay for it and income from taxing that commerce I'm sure would be welcomed by government.
I'm not a user myself but I do have one story. I lived briefly near Encinitas, CA. with some friends who were renting a house. In the garden a couple of the guys had pots of weed growing and each Tuesday these had to be carefully placed in the garage before everyone went out 'cause the landlord had contract gardeners looking after his properties and it was assumed these Mexicans would report the pots of pot to the landlord and or police.
One Tuesday the guys forgot to shift the weed from the garden and spent the whole day worried what was going to happen and whether they would get busted as soon as they got home that night.
They needn't have worried though, the mexicans had seen and recognised the marijuana and were obviously unhappy that the guys were growing the drugs the way they were, so unhappy they left a list of instructions on the proper care for the plants such as watering, pruning etc.
Once they had the contract gardeners looking after their crop their yeild and quality improved, so the case for there being no profit in legal production isn't necessarily true. If a professional/commercial product is superior to homebrewed than people will pay for it and income from taxing that commerce I'm sure would be welcomed by government.
I'm not against people smoking it, but you're a fool if you think weed is safe.
They may be no cases of people dying from marijuana overdose, but many people have died or become permanently damaged from reactions to it. A friend of our family smoked it ONCE over five years ago, and the reaction was so bad that he couldn't leave the inside of his house for several years, and still can't go past the front gate. This is a rare case, but would any corporation want to take the risk of the potential lawsuit if it was legalised and organised?
There's a lot of disinformation about marijuana from both sides, the againsts will say it's a stepping stone onto a life of hard drugs (which it is, but only to weak-minded people who would have become alcoholics anyway) and the fors say it's completely safe and not addictive, if it's so unaddictive why do all the people I know that smoke it get cranky when they go without?
They may be no cases of people dying from marijuana overdose, but many people have died or become permanently damaged from reactions to it. A friend of our family smoked it ONCE over five years ago, and the reaction was so bad that he couldn't leave the inside of his house for several years, and still can't go past the front gate. This is a rare case, but would any corporation want to take the risk of the potential lawsuit if it was legalised and organised?
There's a lot of disinformation about marijuana from both sides, the againsts will say it's a stepping stone onto a life of hard drugs (which it is, but only to weak-minded people who would have become alcoholics anyway) and the fors say it's completely safe and not addictive, if it's so unaddictive why do all the people I know that smoke it get cranky when they go without?
Take a big business mix in a paid for govt then beauracracy & then constant politics and its a sure fire way to have everything screwed up. Our AntiMarijuana laws and enforcement is as ass backwards as.........Border Control & Immigration policy..........Energy Policy(we have none)...............Iraq.............Social Security............Foreign Policy...............Nasa....................Pharmaceutical buy out................Oil buy out ........................ Lets Face it almost everything Govt touches is twisted,abused,cost us taxpayers much more then it should and is allways very wasteful and then they want to do everything in secret because its so SNAFU. Our Federal Govt is a mess,a beauracratic mess. The states and governors should be screaming not only on this but so many things. Federal Govt needs a total overhaul, vote out the ruling party.
........................ Lets Face it almost everything Govt touches is twisted,abused,cost us taxpayers much more then it should and is allways very wasteful and then they want to do everything in secret because its so SNAFU. Our Federal Govt is a mess,a beauracratic mess. The states and governors should be screaming not only on this but so many things. Federal Govt needs a total overhaul, vote out the ruling party.
SpookTheHamster said:
Because it's psychologically addictive, not physically addictive. Besides, how do you feel when you can't be at a computer - especially your own - for a while? (I figured that could potentially work seeing where we are and everything)
Lets pretend I had my own country. Between alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana, I'd legalize marijuana and make the other 2 illegal. The air in my country would be completely filled with pollution, but one that smells a lot better and makes us happy. There would also be a crown corporation called Abstract's Kebab house at each street corner in case we all get the munchies.
There would also be a crown corporation called Abstract's Kebab house at each street corner in case we all get the munchies.SpookTheHamster said:
you speak of people dying from reactions to it.
i know of a girl who kissed her boyfriend. she died i thnk six hours later. he had eat peanuts, and she gets reactions from peanuts that killed her. she cant even have a tiny bit of peanuts, or peanut butter. all this because boyfriend had some peanuts before he kiss her.
this is more commen than you think. that way you say it, we should make peanuts illegal, because people have bad reactions to them.
i had bad reaction when i went to church one. should we make religion illegal?
american "president" bushiebush give my stomach unhealthy reaction when i read things he say. can we assume bush is bad and should be illegal too?
if marijuana was legal, you friend who have reactions to it,he might have know he was allergic. then he wouldn't smoke. but since is illegal, well, he never know.
I read a follow up article to that story. After they did an autopsy it turned out it wasn't the peanuts that killed her, but a heart condition that she didn't know about. Not trying to disprove your point (although I, too, am against legalizing marijuana), just thought you might want to know...pedrov said:
because the harmfulness factor means nothing towards legality. it's ridiculous but a sad reality in a greedy society.
I'm not sure how accurate this is but I was told this is one of the reasons marijuana isn't legal here.
Apparently it's because there is a different amount of THC (the active chemical in marijuana) in all pot and the government has no way to regulate it.
Don't start yelling at me saying that doesn't make any sense because that's just what I'v heard so I thought I'd share.
Apparently it's because there is a different amount of THC (the active chemical in marijuana) in all pot and the government has no way to regulate it.
Don't start yelling at me saying that doesn't make any sense because that's just what I'v heard so I thought I'd share.
killuminati said:
makes sinse to me.
they'd have to be able to control us in every possible way. (land of the free my ass) i'd say the ultimate reason is simply the inability to control the profits made from marijuana. it's fairly easy to grow (they don't call it weed for nothing) and if they can't get their greedy little paws all over it (you know, to pay for useless wars), then it just isn't "the american way". if they can't see dollar bills all over it, then it won't fly here.
SpookTheHamster said:A friend of our family smoked it ONCE over five years ago, and the reaction was so bad that he couldn't leave the inside of his house for several years, and still can't go past the front gate.QUOTE]
can i get some of that
weed out there that would mess somebody like that...
c'mon... this is the kind of ignorant anti-cannabis B.S.
that keeps the stuff illegal...
i say if alcohol and cigarettes are legal they can legalize the
weed... tax it... put an age restriction on it... zero tolerance
for driving... whatever they wanna do... but there is no reason
in the world it should be illegal outside of ignorance and these
kind of "reefer madness" madmen spreading B.S.