Marijuana Legalization. Yay Or Nay.

**Tonya** · 11-19-2003, 10:08 PM

Yay. I vote it should be legal, but not in public places because of second hand smoke. I have lost friends because of alcohol. I have known people to become violent, stupid, or incoherant because of alcohol. I know plenty of people who smoke pot. None of them have ever had an accident or stupid moment because of it. None of them use other drugs either.

**Prairie Purrs** · 11-19-2003, 11:14 PM

If the government wants to prevent me from hurting other people, that's fine. But the government doesn't have any business governing what I eat, drink, or smoke.

It's unhealthy to eat too much. So should the government toss you in jail if you exceed a certain calorie limit?

**Kfamr** · 11-19-2003, 11:16 PM

So are you saying it should be legal for kids and teenagers to smoke and drink, because the government isn't their mother?

**2kitties** · 11-19-2003, 11:21 PM

Originally posted by dukedogsmom
I say no. It's very dangerous and addictive. It causes you to hallucinate and use poor judgement. It's a lot more dangerous that cigarettes or alcohol and we should continue to fight the war against drugs. Would you rather it be like a park I saw on tv? If I'm not mistaken, it was in England. All the addicts were there and free needles were handed out. Isn't that nice?

Pot is neither addictive nor does it cause hallucinations. This is scientifically proven. hallucinations are a product of other drugs, and are not associated with pot. At the park in England you have read about, if needles were handed out, then it wasn't pot. Pot is not injected.
While pot is not addictive, those people who are predisposed to addictions may use it as a stepping stone. Those people could use anything as a stepping stone: pot, alcohole, nicotine, cucumbers.

So, while there are arguements for keeping the plant illegal, addiction and hallucination are not a part.

**Prairie Purrs** · 11-19-2003, 11:31 PM

Originally posted by Kfamr
So are you saying it should be legal for kids and teenagers to smoke and drink, because the government isn't their mother?

I'm speaking for myself, as an adult who is legally able to make my own decisions. The government does have more of a pseudo-parental role where minors are concerned.

But for adults, I think the government spends entirely too much time and money prying into our private lives.

**Kfamr** · 11-19-2003, 11:33 PM

Hm, Ok. If you say so.

I think they have a right to, to some point.
I'd rather not see our country turn into a bunch of pot smoking bums.

**babolaypo65** · 11-19-2003, 11:35 PM

Originally posted by Kfamr
So are you saying it should be legal for kids and teenagers to smoke and drink, because the government isn't their mother?

not sure how we got here from there, but I assume that was not her point. no.

**Prairie Purrs** · 11-19-2003, 11:48 PM

If someone is going to be a "bum," no amount of legislation will prevent it. People may choose to ruin their lives through too much drink, too many drugs, gambling, overeating, overspending, or watching too much TV. If a person is looking for an escape from reality, he'll find it somewhere.

Conversely, many people smoke marijuana and lead normal, productive lives. If you're a well-balanced adult, pot isn't going to single-handedly turn you into a bum.

**Twisterdog** · 11-20-2003, 01:47 AM

This is toooo funny! Just a couple days ago, we had this same discussion on another board I post to. So, I'll just copy my response from over there to here.

I believe that smoking pot is not healthy for you. I also think that drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes and eating fettucini alfredo is not healthy for you.

I think the effect on your health is, of course, directly related to how much you drink or smoke. Obviously, someone that smokes one joint a week is not damaging their body as much as someone who smokes 30 cigarettes a day, or drinks a fifth of vodka a day.

I personally do not see any logic whatsoever in the fact that alcohol is legal, and marijuana is not. They are both drugs, they are both addictive, they are both unhealthy for you if used in excess, they both impair your ability to drive, etc. Why is one legal, and one is illegal? Makes no sense to me.

My own personal experience - when I drank, I was ten foot tall, bullet proof, funny, smart, a great driver, etc. In short, I was dangerous. When I smoked pot, I was sleepy and mellow and just sat around and smiled at people. Pot was much less dangerous for me than alcohol.

I don't do either one anymore. I don't drink because I have little common sense or self control when I drink, I just can't handle it. I don't smoke pot because I have a twelve year old child, and I personally believe I would lose all credibility with him if he found out I did, or, perish the thought, that I would get busted for it.

I absolutely think marijuana should be legal for medicinal purposes. Morphine is.

I also believe you can't legislate vices. You can drive them underground, and create a black market, but you will never, ever make them disappear by making them illegal. Prohibition didn't work, the "war on drugs" isn't working. It is the nature of many, many human beings to indulge in mood-altering, addictive substances - be it alcohol, nicotine, valium, or marijuana.

I think marijuana should be legalized. I honestly don't believe there would be a sudden rush of adults buying pot just because it is legal, when they had no desire to try it before. Come on, it's not like it's difficult to find now. And it would be just like alcohol is now for underage kids ... harder to get, but not impossible. Pot is never going to go away. It's always going to be around, always going to be smoked, bought and sold. The government might as well control it, and make some tax revenue off of it. Whether they make the money, or some drug dealer makes the money, it's not going away.

CatsinDenver ... good post, I agree.

**Rio and Me** · 11-20-2003, 05:26 AM

Well im kind of mixed!!
its said to help people with artritous etc (?sp)
yet the say one puff of a ciggerette take a minute off your life and a puff a pot takes a brain cell away!!!
if it were to become legal it should be for medical reasons only or over 21's non public places things like that!!
personly id never touch the stuff unless it would help any medical problems better than whats currently avallible!!!

**mahayana** · 11-20-2003, 06:20 AM

I wonder where we would be if this thread had incuded a poll- 50/50?

I really believed marijuana would be legalized 30 years ago, but now I could list all the reasons that I believe that it won't be.

I told my son that the most dangerous thing about pot was that it was illegal. Smoking it can ruin your life if you get caught. And you can't get or keep a job that does drug screens or random testing.

Anyway, the USA wouldn't become much worse or much better if pot were legalized, but many (myself included) would welcome such a change.

Keep on truckin'!

**Rio and Me** · 11-20-2003, 07:34 AM

When you think about it closly!! we are ruled by rules made by people who think they know it all and can do what they like!!!
if they say lets put taxs up, it WILL go up, if they say drugs are illegal they WILL be illegal, if they want fox hunting baned it WILL be banned, the list gos on and there is NOTHING anyone can do about it (even if everyone doesnt want it), their word go's and thats final!! soon, as in Iraq a bad thing said about Bush (or who-ever is "leader")etc you'l be prisoned or shot!!!
its heading that way slowly!!
FREE contry my *** (sorry)
sorry but it really annoys me that we have no chose!!!
Ky and Rio

**mugsy** · 11-20-2003, 08:18 AM

I truly don't believe that if you legalize pot that it will become a problem. Conversely I think it's a problem now because it IS illegal. I have talked to many of my students about it and they all said that the reason they do/did it is because it's a thrill to do something illegal. It was no big deal to them and most of them never did it again. I actually think that the problem would lessen if it were legal. And we would have the tax base. I do think that it should be taxed heavily just as tobacco is and alcohol should be. Personally I could care less what someone does in the privacy of their home, but don't drive after using pot or drinking alcohol. I actually find pot smoke a whole lot less offensive than tobacco smoke (but both of them nauseate me

)