Marijuana and the Government

[Wheelchair]

I'm sure as most of you know about Marijuana, and probably some of you have tried it. You all know it's a soft "Illegal" drug, It's hardly addicting unless laced with something, which can be a possibility; why won't the government make it legal?

The reason they won't make it legal is because they cannot tax it, A simple solution is to grow it themselves! The government has such a huge problem with drug cartels it's not even funny, if you were to count them as a Country, they'd be the 22nd richest country in the world, why not cut this life line?

For example, If a gram of weed sells for 10$, Why not sell it for 5$(Government)? or like 4.20$ so with taxes it comes up directly to 5$, this would definately have an impact on the Cartels.

Has anyone ever tried to implement this? Maybe try it in a smaller country and/or a state/province? Try it on a smaller scale rather then a larger one, for safety purposes. If they inacted this law it then comes down to a moral decision and parent consent.

People argue "everyone will be high, and try and drive and it just won't work!", Ah yes, but Alcohol has the same effect, no? You don't see everybody trying to drink and drive, just idiots.

So my main points here are, Why not make it legal? Help put the cartels out of business?

[Azog 150]

Because people have been taken by government propaganda over the last 40+ years and now believe it is an evil drug that will destroy the world.

But really- benefits of legalization FAR outweigh the reasons for keeping it illegal

[elusivecorn]

Because people have been taken by government propaganda over the last 40+ years and now believe it is an evil drug that will destroy the world.

But really- benefits of legalization FAR outweigh the reasons for keeping it illegal

yeah, most countries (like the U.S.) are extremely liberal with it and are beginning to decriminalize it.

[Viking Prince]

Benefits of legalization may indeed outweigh the current laws. The problem is how to get from here to there. Growing and consuming as a casual process means easy access for minors. There is also the issue of private distribution as a part of the underground economy and not part of the formal economy. Undermining the formal economy is a much greater problem than many seem to appreciate. The formal economy means a tax structure, contracts, legal enforcment, health standards, etc.

[Keravnos]

I believe Marijuana extended use will definitely lead to a far worse society than the one we are living in today. I haven't tried the stuff myself, but I have friends who were avid users. Some years after they began using it, they would only function after having some of the stuff. Then they would be just irritable to be around.

Marijuana can induce schizophrenia. UK figures show that 1/2 of new schizophrenia cases are because of Marijuana.

http://www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/...es/003017.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/healt...4A26JV20081103
http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/41/3/23
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/...schizophrenia/

Marijuana health risks,
http://doitnow.org/pages/126.html
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/evidenc.../Health_1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis
http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info...-marijuana.asp
http://ihealthbulletin.com/blog/2009...r-cancer-risk/

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

For most people, getting off pot isn't that big a deal. All they need to do is stop -- and stay stopped. Quitting may not be fun, but it doesn't take much more than a little time and a lot of willpower.
For others, it can get more complicated -- usually, because they let THC & Company become a regular thing, like coffee in the morning or brushing their teeth at night.
For them, quitting is just the first step in a longer process of rebalancing their lives -- and finding alternatives to fill the spaces that leaving pot can leave behind. Places to start:

Get Moving! Any serious physical activity can boost your spirits and clear your head. Running, cycling, or just shooting hoops can turn on the same feel-good brain chemicals that pot does, without the risks--or the expense.
Undo the Dew! A junk-food-free diet can turn down any blues that can come from giving up pot. Taking a break from caffeine and sugar can't hurt, either.
Relax! Take it easy. Turn on to a new activity or a skill that you've let slide for a while. Now is as good a time as any to be experimental with who you're going to be from here on out.

If you think you need help, get it. And if you've thought about it before, be different and do it now. Now happens to be the only time there ever is for doing anything -- including getting your life back together.

[Digbert]

Always found this interesting
good old George Washington a smoker and a dealer

Washington once said: "Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, sow it everywhere."

[Keravnos]

What is interesting and will always be so, is people using famous peoples' examples to justify their own choices, aka using them as historical meatshields.

If, out of everything George Washington did, your opinion of him is a cannabis "smoker and dealer", then you are clearly mistaken.

[★Bandiera Rossa☭]

What is interesting and will always be so, is people using famous peoples' examples to justify their own choices, aka using them as historical meatshields.

If, out of everything George Washington did, your opinion of him is a cannabis "smoker and dealer", then you are clearly mistaken.

I agree... I for one am for legalization however historical examples of famous people using it should not be one of the reasons for legalization. GW also owned a large amount of slaves, does that make it right to enslave humans?

[Mikelus Trento]

What is interesting and will always be so, is people using famous peoples' examples to justify their own choices, aka using them as historical meatshields.

If, out of everything George Washington did, your opinion of him is a cannabis "smoker and dealer", then you are clearly mistaken.

I know a professional person who has smoked an ounce of weed a week for over 40 years. He has sired 2 children. He continues to lead his professional life in a successful manner. Your point upon finding G. Washington enjoyed weed, to belittle the poster, is hardly surprising. But you are missing a big lesson there.

[chilon]

Marijuana health risks,

The problem with using these alleged health concerns is that health risks have never been a basis for illegality.

Shall we start posting all the health problems associated with alcohol?
Drunk driving accidents far exceed "high on marijuana" accidents.
How about cancer and tobacco cigarettes?


it is about the Right to Bodily Self-Determination


Heck even Super Size Me proved that eating McDonalds exclusively will cause health problems.

Maybe we should make McDonalds illegal?

[Denny Crane!]

I believe Marijuana extended use will definitely lead to a far worse society than the one we are living in today. I haven't tried the stuff myself, but I have friends who were avid users. Some years after they began using it, they would only function after having some of the stuff. Then they would be just irritable to be around.

Marijuana can induce schizophrenia. UK figures show that 1/2 of new schizophrenia cases are because of Marijuana.

http://www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/...es/003017.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/healt...4A26JV20081103
http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/41/3/23
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/...schizophrenia/

Marijuana health risks,
http://doitnow.org/pages/126.html
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/evidenc.../Health_1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_cannabis
http://www.theantidrug.com/drug_info...-marijuana.asp
http://ihealthbulletin.com/blog/2009...r-cancer-risk/

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

For most people, getting off pot isn't that big a deal. All they need to do is stop -- and stay stopped. Quitting may not be fun, but it doesn't take much more than a little time and a lot of willpower.
For others, it can get more complicated -- usually, because they let THC & Company become a regular thing, like coffee in the morning or brushing their teeth at night.
For them, quitting is just the first step in a longer process of rebalancing their lives -- and finding alternatives to fill the spaces that leaving pot can leave behind. Places to start:

Get Moving! Any serious physical activity can boost your spirits and clear your head. Running, cycling, or just shooting hoops can turn on the same feel-good brain chemicals that pot does, without the risks--or the expense.
Undo the Dew! A junk-food-free diet can turn down any blues that can come from giving up pot. Taking a break from caffeine and sugar can't hurt, either.
Relax! Take it easy. Turn on to a new activity or a skill that you've let slide for a while. Now is as good a time as any to be experimental with who you're going to be from here on out.

If you think you need help, get it. And if you've thought about it before, be different and do it now. Now happens to be the only time there ever is for doing anything -- including getting your life back together.

Funny isn't it how schizophrenia rates are on the decline yet cannabis use is on the rise.

That countries with higher usage don't have higher schizophrenia rates.

That there isn't actually any hard evidence for this just propaganda.

I find it interesting anyway, maybe just me.

[Romanman]

Funny isn't it how schizophrenia rates are on the decline yet cannabis use is on the rise.

That countries with higher usage don't have higher schizophrenia rates.

That there isn't actually any hard evidence for this just propaganda.

I find it interesting anyway, maybe just me.

i know this was posted along time ago but thank god i was getting scared their for a second
this is the same boring regulation vs liberty issue bla bla bla the only thing if find interesting is that many o' times its the liberals(american term not classical) who support legalization and the cons that are anti

but when we talk about cigarettes its the cons who support it and the american liberals who are anti.

anyone else notice this hypocracy i see it a lot where i live

possiblities for a solution..... legal to grow (3 plants should do you) and use. but illegal to sell or have in public areas, or be high in public areas.

[Aetius]

but when we talk about cigarettes its the cons who support it and the american liberals who are anti.

anyone else notice this hypocracy i see it a lot where i live

Yeah, thats because liberals aren't actually for liberty. Whatever expands government they want.

Cigarettes are supported by Conservatives for a variety of reasons mostly due to traditionalism/free market. Doesnt actually have much to do with personal liberty. The Republicans are horribly confused about their personality.

[Last Roman]

Growing and consuming as a casual process means easy access for minors.

no more than tobacco or alcohol.

[Enemy of the State]

Sorry Keravnos, I don't want to quit. I'm happy with my life right now.

[Keravnos]

Sorry Keravnos, I don't want to quit. I'm happy with my life right now.

Nobody has to know.

Who is a Marijuana Addict?

We who are marijuana addicts know the answer to this question. Marijuana controls our lives! We lose interest in all else; our dreams go up in smoke. Ours is a progressive illness often leading us to addictions to other drugs, including alcohol. Our lives, our thinking, and our desires center around marijuana—scoring it, dealing it, and finding ways to stay high. These Twelve Questions may help you determine if marijuana is a problem in your life.

A couple of my friends did use pot. First they did so, for the heck of it, then for the fun of it then for the need of it. In the end, they just wouldn't come join the rest of us, if they hadn't had their "kicks" first.

To tell you the truth, I haven't heard from them in a long time. I hope they are all right. An old friend, from high school, however, isn't. He was one of those doing pot since high school. (My high school wasn't exactly the best). I found him lying on Patision street in Athens, many years later, an addict in final stages. No, I am not being melodramatic, I am telling you what I saw. You must have heard what I just said a million times over. However, I have to re-tell it, if only for the faint chance that you might actually listen. Pot is bad for you and it can lead to schizophrenia down the line. (among other things). I stop here, because I realize that you may think I am talking from a higher pedestal or something.

I'm not. I was with a girl for nearly 7 years and I was getting ready to marry her when she dumped me. I spent the better part of 2 years afterwards drunk. I didn't need help. I was "in it" and could handle anything my own way. Life did have a way of telling me I was wrong, however. I am above thankful for that. I am most grateful that I am here, able to enjoy just ONE glass of wine a day and tell you that you MUST quit pot, because in the long run it WILL fry your brain. A glass of wine a day is good for your heart, pot isn't. It never will be. Any drug that distances you from reality is bad for you.

[Ragabash]

Moved to Political Academy.

[Azog 150]

Benefits of legalization may indeed outweigh the current laws. The problem is how to get from here to there. Growing and consuming as a casual process means easy access for minors. There is also the issue of private distribution as a part of the underground economy and not part of the formal economy. Undermining the formal economy is a much greater problem than many seem to appreciate. The formal economy means a tax structure, contracts, legal enforcment, health standards, etc.

Well the government could put an age limit like they do with alcohol to stop minors getting to it. At the moment there is no age limit for marijuana and it is very easy for people of all ages to get a hold of- all you need is the right number.

As for the issue of private distribution- yes that is a possibility, but it doesn't really happen with alcohol I am not sure why it would happen with cannabis (True, cannabis is easy to grow- but maybe the government could just make growing without a license illegal or something like that). Besides, the government could still make it cheaper then it is to buy off the streets and still make massive money through tax, hence discouraging people from buying it privately.

I believe Marijuana extended use will definitely lead to a far worse society than the one we are living in today. I haven't tried the stuff myself, but I have friends who were avid users. Some years after they began using it, they would only function after having some of the stuff. Then they would be just irritable to be around.

Yet more reason to legalize it. If it was legal, people may be more willing to come forward for help and the government may be more willing to distribute help to those who smoke it. The fact it was illegal obviously didn't stop your friends smoking it.... (Plus, there is no solid proof that marijuana actually induces schizophrenia or any other mental disorder)

Always found this interesting
good old George Washington a smoker and a dealer

Queen Victoria also smoked it to help her with Menstrual pains which brings me to another point. Medicinal use. Why Britain has not at the very least legalized it for medicinal use I do not know as it is proven to be very effective at helping people with pain etc.

[Wheelchair]

Besides, the government could still make it cheaper then it is to buy off the streets and still make massive money through tax, hence discouraging people from buying it privately.

That's my exact theory.

[Serious Spamurai]

It doesn't need to be legal, it's not particularly expensive or hard to get as-is.