i cant tell if some of the people in this thread are trolling or genuinely ignorant about marijuana entirely.

TetraDigm : I used to think the same thing. Over the years, I've been continually astonished at the misconceptions people have over marijuana. Many people who really should know better seem to think it's some sort of horrific drug that controls peoples lives, steals cars, and murders children in the night, when in fact it is fairly benign and has quite a bit of medical potential. I really want to know where they're getting these notions that can easily be dispelled by just a bit of basic research.

To my opinion, I think they should, because I don't really do it or planning on doing it, because to my point of view, mostly if it doesn't involve my life, I really don't care on that person that smokes pot. Some people has said it's a really stupid law, which I do happen to agree with, I don't think it should be illegal to smoke pot, because they say that it's less harmful than smoking and beer, but I don't really believe that, but I still don't mind if they legalized pot, because like I said, as long it doesn't affect my life, I really don't care on what's going to happen to those pot smokers, if they die from some weird thing, it ain't my responsibility.

TetraDigm : It is a bit baffling some of the things that I've read on here, some people just genuinely don't know anything about pot, and put it in the same category as meth, crack or heroine. They've been told it's an illegal drug and that it's "bad" and apparently haven't given it much thought beyond that.

Though I wish I would have made this thread about prohibition in general, people tend to get stuck on the topic of whether or not pot is good or bad for you, which is beside the point.

Yeah I don't think it should either because it is illegal for a reason and it isn't really important in my life and I never plan on doing it, so it wouldn't have an affect or influence on me. I mean it isn't the worst thing out their and there are several other drugs that are worse than pot that come from plants that aren't good for you. But I still think that it shouldn't be legalized because it is horrible and it is illegal for a reason. 

That is just my opinion on the matter though. 

sloanstar1000 : thats because most of these people are little children. nothing wrong with that, but they are still in the stage where they believe everything they have been told, without ever seeing evidence to show the truth in someones words. hopefully this thread will cause a few of them to actually stop for a second, and do some research into these falsities they perpetuate.

I would be fine with marijuana being legalized as long as it is given restrictions and penalties similar to alcohol.

-One would need to be of a certain age to purchase it (exception in prescriptions)
-Driving under the influence of marijuana would result in similar penalties as driving while intoxicated.
-Not allowed to smoke up in public (similar to not allowed to drink in public; only in bars, at home, or designated areas).
-Perhaps even limit how much one could purchase per month; they are doing that with some over-the-counter medications since they can become addictive or made into more harmful drugs
-Should also be illegal to give/sell marijuana to those who are forbidden to have (namely minors, but also wherever it may apply such as abusers of the drug).

When I was younger, it was easy to get your hands on weed. My best friend of the time had several connections and offered it to me often. I refused because I was too nervous about it hurting my health at the time, but these days, I have realized it's not that harmful. I drink alcohol once in a blue moon, and that is known to have harmful effects. They may as well legalize marijuana.

I'm going to be a party pooper here and say no because I feel like more people would abuse it then use it for good. Not to say that some people don't already abuse it I feel as if more people would start abusing it more. However, I would be open to the idea as long as there are limitations as ruesen stated. Also, lets admit sometimes too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. 

Sidewinder : pot is not additive ... and sorry to say kids right going to do it anyway it not hard get pot now if i wanted to go to down road walk to up person ask for some and get it ... it that easy ... but with it legal that could stop the drug dealer from selling , there will be no money make the he/she needs ... why would someone buy pot from someone when they can just get it legally ... look i understand where you come from but ask yourself this what better pot or  alcohol ill tell more ppl die because of alcohol then any other drug legal or illegal that is fact not opinion  

SmokinPurple :

yes, it is addictive. just like caffeine, nicotine, heroin, aspirin, and any other drug. even those that have no seeming effect are to some, addictive. addiction is a thing of the mind. while some things are more addictive, nothing is without addiction. 


lets all try and stop making baseless nonsenseical claims shall we? this would go much more smoothly if some of you people would pick up a book, or do some private research once in a while. especially when youre talking about a topic that all of you against it, seem to have no actual experience with, and no knowledge aside from what you have heard from potheads(not the best source of information), or the tv.

Are people really clueless to how drugs work?

Cannabis is addictive. Period. (See here, here, and here, for example)

Thank being said, caffeine is ranked higher in terms of dependance than pot is.

So it's not the dependance that I think is "bad" about pot, it's the health effects it has on your health, especially in terms of mental health. Like more than moderate alcohol consumption, and cigarette smoking, pot can have negative consequences.

I don't really care if they legalize it or not, it's certainly not worst than cigarettes, but I won't be smoking them up either way.

Light Knight : That's an odd thing to say considering marijuana has consistently been shown to have anti-cancer properties. It has has a very wide range of potential and realised medical benefits. All plants have secondary metabolites that are carcinogenic when burned. There's virtually nothing intrinsically harmful about the marijuana itself.

Traduweise : You are absolutely right, cancer is certainly not the example I wanted to use. How I love the fact that on the internet I can edit and take back my words.

TetraDigm : I smoked pot most of my life ... I put it down a year ago with no problem at all cold turkey dude ... addicting no dependent yes ... it was nice to have it calm me down but did i need it no i could have put it down anytime ... now cig i cant i want to but just cant that what i call addicting something that you cant put down or something that you have to have ... 

Light Knight : The links between marijuana and mental diseases are tentative at best. As that study you cite says, marijuana may predict later depression and anxiety. Whether or not it causes it, and if it does, the extent to which it is harmful, is unknown. It's not good to jump to hasty conclusions, although it's fair to say that minors should not be overusing marijuana.

just for the record, i smoke constantly and have for at least 10 years now. im also very much....off...in the head. marijuana helps me manage my "symptoms" far better then risperidone ever did, and i wouldnt go on the other mind numbing soul destroying drugs they use for "mental illness" under any circumstance.

though i have bad memory, i always have. long before i started using any drugs. i tend to be more well spoken then nearly anyone i ever meet, more knowledgeable about nearly any subject that dosent encompass "twerking" or what the newest hot fashion is. i tend to react better, and more quickly, than those around me(not while im high) whenever an event occurs that is unexpected and requires immediate or fast reaction to. none of your copy/pasted marijuana propoganda applies to me. why is that? why is an insane person apparently the only person who weed dosent turn into a brain dead drooling moron watching cartoons while hallucinating that hes flying and the world is full of colors that arent really there? oh right. because    EVERY negative effect youve read about weed aside from slightly delayed motor skills while under the influence, is complete and utter garbage.

@smokin purple
you joined this site 50 days ago, and named your account after the act of smoking purple haze. i highly doubt youve quit using anything.
but your personal experience with quiting a drug means nothing. were not saying it is addictive to YOU, though for a time it was, or youd have not continued use after the initial smoking session. were talking about addiction overall. anything is addictive.also please stop throwing around ellipsis if you dont know how to properly use them. they are not periods or commas. there is nothing more annoying then that. nothing.

TetraDigm :  Well that is a problem, risperidone is some evil stuff.  I had an anxiety episode once and the doc. gave me some and it was the opposite of helpful.  It made my anxiety literally hundreds of times worse and led to the worst few hours of my entire existence.  

As to the marijuana debate I think it extends farther than marijuana.  I think it is more about freedom.  Can marijuana be harmful, yes but so can eating ice cream every day, are they going to control that as well?  In a society where technology makes it increasing possible for the government to monitor everything, over how much in my life are they going to take control?  

fightorace : That's a good point... a lot of people seem to make the argument that since marijuana can be harmful, it should be prohibited, which just derails the actual argument. It might have been better to make a thread about prohibition in general. There are many harmful things that are perfectly legal to buy, like guns(at least in America).

I agree with the statement that "people kill people, not guns" because I think people should be allowed their own moral choices, so on the same level I think people should be allowed the freedom to put whatever they want into their own body, whether it be drugs or cyanide(children and young teens excluded of course). It's your own body and I think you should have the right to put whatever chemical you want into it, with a warning label of course