I believe that marijuana will be legalised in the next 10 to 20 years. Smokin' weed is not like smokin' cigs. Show me anyone who has ever got cancer from smokin' weed.
bajarama
Marijuana...should it be legalised?
by digderidoo 39 Replies latest jw friends
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Uni girl
william burrough's said it perfectly.....he'd never seen anyone hurt over tea, but drink,,,that another matter.
I don't really enjoy weed but nearly all my friends smoke, they are just so chilled all the time. I think with drugs, half the excitement is locating them if they were ready available perhaps the excitement would go JUST A THOUGHT
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Thirdson
I say yes, legalize it. I have never smoked cigarettes in my life nor tried any illegal drugs. However, if smoking pot is no worse than smoking cigarettes why not let people do what they want in their own homes. I think driving under the influence of any drug is wrong and there should be stiff penalties. But I can't see the point of money spent policing recreational drug use. It's about as effective as curbing alcohol consumption during the prohibition era.
Smoking pot doesn't lead people to try harder drugs. That is just phoney statistics repeated by many anti-drug groups and spread by the WTS as well.
Thirdson
(Typing while drinking scotch)
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
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TR
Pot makes me sick, can't smoke it. Alcohol gives me migraine headaches. Guess it's meth and coke for me!
Seriously, I have enough on my plate. Lots of fun activities. Don't need drugs. Maybe the world would be safer if alcohol was illegal and pot was legal.
TR
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dark clouds
I am definitely in favor of decriminalizing weed.
"the punishment for the crime should not be harsher than the crime itself"--Jimmy Carter
the only crime a pot smoker commits is possession of the substance, it doesn't seem quite fair to have to go through the judicial system, face fines and possible jail time, for a natural substance that is so resourceful. . .
Genesis 1:11---God said, "Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants, and fruit trees on earth, bearing fruit with their seed inside, each corresonding to its own species. And so it was."(New Jerusalem Bible)
as already mentioned by some of the other posts, the uses and benefits are many, from cleaner fuel to medicinal uses. . .
you will rarely, if ever, see stoners in a fight, cause they are too busy discussing the pointlessness of violence, yet the same can't be said about alcohol users. . . .
for those who don't want to consume smoke, teas and cakes, are some of the alternate ways to cut down on the smoke intake, water pipes are great filters where only the THC goes through and you get a "cleaner" high. . .
as a kid i was diagnosed with asthma, i began to smoke weed at the age of 23, haven't had an issue with my breathing since. . .
im NOT a doctor, but i know it worked for me, from what i understand it expands your bronchial tubes, thus allowing for easier air flow, cigarrettes on the other hand have a reverse effect, they clog up your bronchial tubes, i dont smoke cigs, so i guess that is why it has worked for me.
Weed Witness
CHUCK -
Abaddon
Well, I use pot recreationally, have done for just that little bit longer than I've been our of the Borg... I suppose a case of turn on, tune in, walk away, but it actually had more to do with a dreadful marriaige and a crazy cult.
I love the way people point out that smoking is stupid. Oh no, I didn't know that! Wow! Thanks, you've opened up my eyes. Bungee jumping is stupid, gambling is stupid, George W Bush is REALLY stupid, most of our lives are pretty stupid. It being stupid has nothing to do with anything really.
Tobacco and alcohol are government sanctioned forms of stupidity (that the government makes loads of money on). Cannabis happens not to be. The reasons are historical and a little dull, although there is a quite interesting conspiracy theory regarding cannabis being criminalised (involving hemp paper vs. wood paper, share-croppers who could crop hemp vs. the big landowners who could crop trees, and simple non-polluting processing of hemp pulp vs. expensive patent controlled polluting processing of wood pulp).
Whatever; as has been pointed out, drunk people are far more of a liability to themselves and others than stoned people. Nicotine is highly addictive and is probably (based on anecdotal evidence as hard research on the carciongenic nature of cannabis is hard to find) several times more dangerous. Both tobacco and nicotine take thousands of lives each year.
Why aren't we asking whether alcohol and tobacco should be criminalised? It makes more sense than the tired old chestnut of 'should pot be legal?'.
Be that as it may, here in Holand where I now live (I'm a Brit), pot IS legal. This has lead to the breakdown of society and peoples' brains liquidising and running out of their noses. Well, I don't think I need to tell anyone that that was irony, do I...?
Pot's been 'legal' (it's possesion and use is decriminalised, it's sale through licenced outlets is approved, you can grow a square meter for personal use, but selling or growing it un-licenced will still get you busted) here for ages.
If you're over 18 you can buy it in a 'Coffee Shop'. It costs US$10 or £7 for a 1/16th oz (1.75g) of (compared to most British pot) very high grade grass. The Coffee Shops have menus. Northern Lights or Super Skunk, or perhaps some Durban Poison? Or if you like resin, well, Marroc, Nepal, Afghani, etc...
Research I did whilst at University showed that English teenagers are more likely to be regular pot smokers (35%) than Dutch teenagers (24%), although more Dutch teenagers try it (78%) than English teenagers (65%). Those are the figures from my memeory, they might be a bit off, but not much.
Pot smoking is just not big or clever to Dutch teenagers. It's something their Dad and Mum might do. Use does NOT statistically lead to hard drug use... in fact, in Holland, every year the average age of registered hard-drug users goes up, as young people don't get to mix with them and get sucked in, as they go to a coffee shop (with a rigid ban on hard drugs) if they want pot. In the USA and the UK I believe the average age of hard drug users hovers around the same level, as soft-drug users are forced to mix with suppliers who will try to sell them hard drugs with a higher profit margin.
The above figures show (and the same would be true for the 'States or the Antipodes) that criminalising drugs does NOTHING, other than make people criminals and hard drug users. It doesn't affect the rate of usage or the availability, and can in fact increase the rate of usage.
The same was found to be true when alcohol was under prohibition. I believe usage went UP in the US in the period it was under ban.
It also, as with drugs today, meant that criminals could make huge amounts of money by getting involved in the supply of illegal substances. This lead to violence between law-enforcers and the criminals, and between different gangs of criminals, and the deaths of innocent bystanders.
You might note that I have stopped typing pot and substituted drugs. I do this as others are doing quite nicely documenting what a nice useful substance cannabis (or THC) is, but I feel the question asked is part of a larger issue.
All the research I've seen shows that drug ABUSE (a different thing to drug use USE) is because of internal psychological factors. Environment matters little, as you can get drugs anywhere. If this is the case, then we are always going to have sad little junkies with us.
If that's the case, why not legalise ALL drugs, or at least have a controlled system of supply like they use for pot in Holland?
It would mean that the drugs would be cheap enough to drastically cut crime carried out to finance drug use where the drugs are illegal and therefore expensive. Commercial costs of cocaine and heroin are well below $20/g. Thus you don't have huge numbers of people in jail for using drugs or stealing to get drugs (40% of the US's prison population is in jail for non-violent drug related crime).
It would mean the drugs were clean and unadulterated, and that safe usage could be encouraged. Contrary to poular belief, Heroin doesn't kill if you have clean works and consistantly strong supplies without adulterants. Thus your junkies are happier and healthier.
Also, major drug crime disappears, as drug dealers could not undercut cheap government supplies.
This last factor is possibly the reason why, along with bug-eyed ignorance on the part of many members of the public and pointless moralising ("drugs are wrong!" yeah, whatever...), that politicians in the Western World have not just de-criminalised ALL drugs.
After the repeal of prohibition the Mafia diversified. As drug users are typically a economically disenfranchised under class, the fact that drugs being illegal damages drug users doesn't matter to the government.
They (the government) would rather have the devil they know than the devil they don't, as sure as god didn't make little green apples, if drugs were de-criminlaised, the cartels would diversify.
So instead of sorting the problem, they pour billions into a 'War On Drugs' that has meant that drugs are one of the few things to be more or less completely un-affceted by inflation over the past twenty years.
Way to go.
I point out again this is a logical suggestion to ease the 'drugs problem'.
You might feel that drugs are wrong, but that's not the point I'm making, I'm saying drugs would damage society less if they were controlled, not banned. There will always be sad little junkies, but you can fix things so they don't have to steal your video (VCR) or mug you to get their hit.
Anyone thinking that if you could get Heroin in redi-pack injectors at Superdrug "everyone would become a Heroin addict" is expressing an opinion not supported by the facts. And if it's bad to take drugs, surely it's also bad to let an unjust ineffective system criminalise people and damage society.
Rant over, it's 6pm local, I'm finishing work and going home for a coffee and a nice spliff... my parents would think this BAD, but they have a drink at 6pm!
Each to their own, judge none who do no harm.
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ShaunaC
Well, Dig, you knew I'd respond!
When I first met Nick 2 years ago, I learned within a few weeks of dating that he smoked pot. I told him that I would most definitely never try it. Of course, that didn't last long! Now I would much rather smoke anyday over taking in any alcohol. I feel no after affects from pot the next day. Besides, I believe alcohol does more damage to your liver than pot would ever do to your body.
Marajuana has been shown to be medically beneficial as well. I will often smoke when I have an upset stomach or when I'm having trouble falling asleep. My boyfriend too has asthma. Bad enough to have inhalers. His asthma has never been affected by weed.
As with everything, I believe it comes down to balance. Pot does NOT rule my life! If I never smoked another day, I would be absolutely fine. But I don't see any harm in it at all! And as long as I'm not hurting myself or anyone else, the choice should be mine.
My aunt has been waiting 30 years for marajuana to be legalized. I sure hope it gets done soon. I really see no reason why it shouldn't be on the same plane as alcohol or cigarettes.
Incidentally, I have never smoked cigarettes nor do I ever intend to. I believe cigarettes have more of an addictive power than weed.
HAPPY 420!!! (tomorrow)
Shauna
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digderidoo
Abaddon,
You make some sound arguments when it comes to comparing Holland to other countries.
I visited Amsterdam in December and found it amazing how attitudes are so different there. We smoked in one coffee shop, sitting by a window on a main road!....the whole situation was so surreal. In another coffee shop we smoked, a child about 10 or so was in there...he came in with his father to pick up his mom, who worked there.
The whole scene there just seems to be accepted.
Remember Euro2000...no trouble in Holland compared to Belgium...put down to the fans smoking.The fact that marijuana is illegal, in my view just criminalises the majority of the younger generation....may be the situation will change in the future, i don't know. However, i don't think that will be soon...politicians have to much to lose in terms of votes.
Shauna,
Your right, it comes down to balance. I see to many young ones leaving the 'truth' in my area who just seem to go wild with pot. It seems as though they have not been allowed to do do certain things...so when they have the oppurtunity they seem to go to the other extreme.
That said, i'm certainly goin to have a smoke tonight...then a few beers!Yours dig
Try to add life to your days, not days to your life.
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TheApostleAK
I think there's plenty of JW's on dope......just see them during the meetings.
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peaceloveharmony
(CHORUS) LEGALIZE IT
DON'T CRITICIZE IT
LEGALIZE IT YEA-AH YEA-AH
AND I WILL ADVERTIZE ITSOME CALL IT TAMJEE
SOME CALL IT THE WEED
SOME CALL IT MARIJUANA
SOME OF THEM CALL IT GANJA
NEVER MIND, GOT TO...
(CHORUS) LEGALIZE IT
DON'T CRITICIZE IT
LEGALIZE IT YEA-AH YEA-AH
AND I WILL ADVERTIZE ITSINGERS SMOKE IT
AND PLAYERS OF INSTRUMENT, TOO
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THAT'S THE BEST THING YOU CAN DODOCTORS SMOKE IT
NURSES SMOKE IT
JUDGES SMOKE IT
EVEN LAWYER, TOO
SO YOU'VE GOT TO...
(CHORUS) LEGALIZE IT
DON'T CRITICIZE IT
LEGALIZE IT YEA-AH YEA-AH
AND I WILL ADVERTIZE ITIT'S GOOD FOR THE FLU
GOOD FOR ASTHMA
GOOD FOR TUBERCULOSIS
EVEN NUMARA THROMBOSISGO TO...
(CHORUS) LEGALIZE IT
DON'T CRITICIZE IT
LEGALIZE IT YEA-AH YEA-AH
AND I WILL ADVERTIZE ITBIRDS EAT IT
ANTS LOVE IT
FOWLS EAT IT
GOATS LOVE TO PLAY WITH ITSO YOU'VE GOT TO
(CHORUS) LEGALIZE IT
DON'T CRITICIZE IT
LEGALIZE IT YEA-AH YEA-AH
AND I WILL ADVERTIZE IT
--Peter Tosh