Should Pot Be Legalized?

by minimus 177 Replies latest jw friends

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  minimus

  "Spook" sounds like a pot smoking name.
• 

  Elsewhere

  I've noticed several people express concern about the harm that might be caused by legalizing drugs. For me the bottom line is this:

  The "War on Drugs" is causing far more harm to people than the drugs themselves.

  If someone is busted with drugs, they will be prosecuted and convicted and land in prison. They will loose their job, their car and their house. The time in prison will tear apart their family and the conviction will make it nearly impossible to get another job: All because someone was caught with a small amount of marijuana. (Yes the laws ARE that harsh)

  If they had not been caught, everything would have continued just fine. They would have kept their job, their house, car and their family would have been ok. Their career would have continued to advance. No harm.

  If the objective is to prevent harm, then one is forced to conclude that legalized drugs are better for the population.

  Regarding the idea that marijuana is a gateway drug. Studies have shown that this is actually being caused by marijuana being illegal. If marijuana was not illegal then the consumers would not have to go to seedy places where they are exposed to more serious drugs.

  When you go and buy a bottle of wine at the wine store, you're not going to find crack there too. The same will be true when marijuana is available at a save law-abiding location. Take the marijuana out of the shadows and put it out into the light such problems will go away.
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  purplesofa

  We could learn something from the prohibition of alcohol.

  http://www.geocities.com/Athens/troy/4399/

  “Seldom has law been more flagrantly violated. Not only did Americans continue to manufacture, barter, and possess alcohol; they drank more of it” (Bowen, 154). The Americans that supported the law of prohibition argued that if drinking was not allowed, then Americans would drink less. Although the consumption of alcohol fell immediately after the beginning of prohibition, there was a subsequent increase after less than a year (see appendix i). After the start of prohibition, because manufacturing and importing alcohol were illegal, people needed to find ways to avoid being caught. Because beer had to be transported in large quantities, which became difficult, the price of beer went up and thus Americans began to drink less of it. Instead, they began to drink more hard liquor, which was more concentrated and easier to transport and thus less expensive. Because of prohibition, Americans began to drink more potent drinks and so became more drunk by drinking less. Another downfall of prohibition was that the illegally made products had no standards. Deaths from poisoned liquor rose from 1,064 in 1920 to 4,154 in 1925.

  “The results of the experiment [prohibition] are clear: ...organized crime grew into an empire; ...disrespect for the law grew; and the per capita consumption of the prohibited substance -- alcohol -- increased dramatically” (McWilliams). It is obvious that this “noble experiment” was not so noble but rather a miserable failure on all accounts. Reasonable measures were not taken to enforce the laws and so they were practically ignored. People flagrantly violated the law, drinking more of the substance that was originally prohibited. The problems prohibition intended to solve, such as crime, grew worse and they never returned to their pre-prohibition levels. Not only was prohibition ineffective, it was also damaging to the people and society it was meant to help. Prohibition should not have gone on for the thirteen years it was allowed to damage society.
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  Elsewhere

  Oh Purp, I get so hot when you talk like that.
• 

  watson

  I know a drug counselor in an inner city and he says almost EVERYONE who is on hard drugs graduated from pot initially.

  I wonder if they had tried alcohol too?

  Elswhere, you make some great points.

  I vote, "Yes," legalize, tax and regulate.

  What could we do with the billions spent on criminalizing it?
• 

  Elsewhere

  Thanks.

  I know a drug counselor in an inner city and he says almost EVERYONE who is on hard drugs graduated from pot initially.

  This is flawed logic. One could also say: "Every crack user to enter rehab also ate bread, therefore the bread played a part in their addiction."
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  Spook

  the majority of the population is against the legalization of marijuana and it would have to be fore-fronted by are political leaders.

  Hey Homerova, I am not aware of this as a fact. I'm sure there are some states where you may be correct, but I'm doubtful all states would even have a majority. I think it depends on how you ask the question since I've heard it several ways. As a cigarette smoker, it is disturbing to me that things should be prohibited based on the fact that most people don't like them when free choices by businesses and others can adequately deal with the situation. I for one, don't like the a'fore mentioned illicit herb (despite endless attempts to push on through). I don't want to outlaw loud music, ideas or past-times which I'm not into, yet here we are!
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  watson

  Wow purps,

  The point about going to harder liquor because of ease of hiding, transporting, etc., really might relate to the "harder drug" issue. Interesting.
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  Homerovah the Almighty

  How Does Marijuana Affect the Brain?

  Scientists have learned a great deal about how THC acts in the brain to produce its many effects. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body.

  THC acts upon specific sites in the brain, called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the “high” that users experience when they smoke marijuana. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement. 1

  Not surprisingly, marijuana intoxication can cause distorted perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, and problems with learning and memory. Research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off. 2 As a result, someone who smokes marijuana every day may be functioning at a suboptimal intellectual level all of the time.

  Research on the long-term effects of marijuana abuse indicates some changes in the brain similar to those seen after long-term abuse of other major drugs. For example, cannabinoid withdrawal in chronically exposed animals leads to an increase in the activation of the stress-response system 3 and changes in the activity of nerve cells containing dopamine. 4 Dopamine neurons are involved in the regulation of motivation and reward, and are directly or indirectly affected by all drugs of abuse.

  Addictive Potential
  Long-term marijuana abuse can lead to addiction; that is, compulsive drug seeking and abuse despite its known harmful effects upon social functioning in the context of family, school, work, and recreational activities. Long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report irritability, sleeplessness, decreased appetite, anxiety, and drug craving, all of which make it difficult to quit. These withdrawal symptoms begin within about 1 day following abstinence, peak at 2–3 days, and subside within 1 or 2 weeks following drug cessation. 5

  Marijuana and Mental Health
  A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be a factor, where early use is a marker of vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or is used in attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence. Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses, including addiction, stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence. At the present time, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders 6 . High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction, and research suggests that in vulnerable individuals, marijuana use may be a factor that increases risk for the disease.

  What Other Adverse Effect Does Marijuana Have on Health?

  Effects on the Heart
  One study found that an abuser’s risk of heart attack more than quadruples in the first hour after smoking marijuana. 7 The researchers suggest that such an outcome might occur from marijuana’s effects on blood pressure and heart rate (it increases both) and reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.

  Effects on the Lungs
  Numerous studies have shown marijuana smoke to contain carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increases the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer; 8 however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers. 9 Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time.

  Nonetheless, marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency toward obstructed airways. A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers. 10 Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.

  Effects on Daily Life
  Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status. 11 Several studies associate workers’ marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover.

  What Treatment Options Exist?

  Behavioral interventions, including cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational incentives (i.e., providing vouchers for goods or services to patients who remain abstinent) have shown efficacy in treating marijuana dependence. Although no medications are currently available, recent discoveries about the workings of the cannabinoid system offer promise for the development of medications to ease withdrawal, block the intoxicating effects of marijuana, and prevent relapse.

  The latest treatment data indicate that in 2006 marijuana was the most common illicit drug of abuse and was responsible for about 16 percent (289,988) of all admissions to treatment facilities in the United States. Marijuana admissions were primarily male (73.8 percent), White (51.5 percent), and young (36.1 percent were in the 15–19 age range). Those in treatment for primary marijuana abuse had begun use at an early age: 56.2 percent had abused it by age 14 and 92.5 percent had abused it by age 18.**

  How Widespread is Marijuana Abuse?

  According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2006, 14.8 million Americans age 12 or older used marijuana at least once in the month prior to being surveyed, which is similar to the 2005 rate. About 6,000 people a day in 2006 used marijuana for the first time—2.2 million Americans. Of these, 63.3 percent were under age 18.***
• 

  purplesofa

  http://www.brainsource.com/brain_on_drugs.htm

  Alcohol

  Alcohol is no safer than drugs. Alcohol impairs judgment and leads to memory lapses. It can lead to blackouts. It distorts vision, shortens coordination, and in addition to the brain can damage every other organ in the body.

  http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/ph323/

  Tips for Teens: The Truth About Alcohol

  Slang--Booze, Sauce, Brews, Brewskis, Hooch, Hard Stuff, Juice

  Alcohol affects your brain. Drinking alcohol leads to a loss of coordination, poor judgment, slowed reflexes, distorted vision, memory lapses, and even blackouts.

  Alcohol affects your body. Alcohol can damage every organ in your body. It is absorbed directly into your bloodstream and can increase your risk for a variety of life-threatening diseases, including cancer.

  Alcohol affects your self-control. Alcohol depresses your central nervous system, lowers your inhibitions, and impairs your judgment. Drinking can lead to risky behaviors, such as driving when you shouldn’t, or having unprotected sex.

  Alcohol can kill you. Drinking large amounts of alcohol at one time or very rapidly can cause alcohol poisoning, which can lead to coma or even death. Driving and drinking also can be deadly. In 2003, 31 percent of drivers age 15 to 20 who died in traffic accidents had been drinking alcohol.1

  Alcohol can hurt you--even if you're not the one drinking. If you're around people who are drinking, you have an increased risk of being seriously injured, involved in car crashes, or affected by violence. At the very least, you may have to deal with people who are sick, out of control, or unable to take care of themselves.