Completely Off-topic Poll

[jmrentis]

Yeah, I'm going to make this my last post in this thread too. I actually didn't look at it for a while and for some reason looked again this week. As you can tell, I have very, very strong feelings about this issue and I probably should have just ignored the thread to begin with. Later, no hard feelings...

Hey man I'm with you 100%. I too have very strong feeling about it, I have my reasons, but I am glad that there is no animosity. I think we all have our own opinions and they are based on our real life experiences, which lead us one way or the other, so it is hard to change someones view, because they have their reasons and you have yours, we all do. I think that this is fine, that means we all think for ourselves, and don't just go by what someone says or what they read. So crafty definately no hard feelings, with all that has been hoing on around here I think this subject was minor and just more of a personal preference because even people that don't like pot thought it would be a good idea to legalize it, I think we all just want whats best for everyone. Later man and I'm glad this thread ended up ok and didn't get out of hand, it was a solid debate! Jason

[Fluke]

Well, it looks like we've decided to be civil. Glad I didn't post as mush as I planned to; would have made a fool of myself. but I can say that with my 3 yrs experience with herb and my hours of researching info and dis-info all I can really say is "it's good for me" and noone else can ever challenge that. I hate when people lable this as "bad" or "good," because, although in many ways all humans are the same, equaly we are all massively different. An unimaginable amount of variables and experiences and the way we seem to just set our minds to an opinion and just wont budge no matter what (its annoying).... As a species, the biggest accomplishment we could ever hope to achieve is to forget all our insignificant little differences a love everyone unconditionaly and not worry and how they like to enjoy themselves. That's my problem with the "war on drugs"(isn't it weird how america's government likes to declare war on everything?) I will not allow a bunch of cRaZy government officals to tell me how i can and cannot live (thats what god is for). Anyway I'll wrap it up.

I LOVE YOU ALL

[skibum5545]

Without getting any further into this than we have to, and bypassing the whole health and legality issue, I'd just like to quote Frank Zappa, who was a clean and sober man his whole life:

"A drug is not bad. A drug is a chemical compound. The problem comes in when people who take drugs treat them like a license to behave like an a**hole."

-Dan

[Fluke]

Very true, My version of this is "Don't hate the game, Hate the player" that makes about a million times more sense that the other way around.

[Fluke]

Personally, I see people who hate stoners as just as prejudice as racism, and all those other stupid social taboos -- BUMP

[redwhiteandthemaple]

Wow.. I'm surprised at how many people has said "yes" but as expected of the final outcome. Nonetheless.. still relatively high.

Sorry I didn't have the time to read the.. 10+ pages.

But I say NO. It's not a health issue, it's a moral issue.

I have a bad.. really bad.. experience with this. On the bright side, I don't do it anymore.

I'm not gonna talk much why, because I don't really have the time to write an essay..

But it basically immobilizes your learning ability. Mind you, you can still perform your everyday tasks as long as you haven't blazed the whole half quater pound in one day (i.e. you didn't smoke much). But if we believe life to be a living learning/discovering experience, it goes into conflict with the Western philosophies. Not even just Western.. it's a global belief. (This concludes the first point, very brief.. very very brief) The second is it's dangerous, also morally, in sense that a child grows up with weed. He learns that the 'highness' has a nice feeling and links it to the idea of 'escape.' But this 'escape' soon becomes 'avoid.' So the child smokes whenever he feels like he's faced with something. As to speak, he runs away into his little 'vacation.' Again.. life has taught that '**** happens' and you have to face it. (I'm not gonna argue whether there was a divine intervene or not).

You might say, well, that's the same with alcohol or even just regular cigs, but you have to look at it this way first. Was legallizing alcohol and cig morally right in the beginning? Interestingly, there has been economical discussions to say that why weed is not legal (as well as coke) and alocohol and cig are. The bottom line concluded that it'll create an industrial boom within the producers (e.g. Cuba), as much as the North America would suffer economically, but politically (e.g. military, as the powers will be more in balance than before) as well.

Time and experience have taught me lots of things.

You can convince me that medical usage of weed is okay, but as far as legallizing? (Even 15 ounces in Ontario) won't pass me.

Just my humble opinion.

[Mickguard]

If people want to slowly destroy their brains and their bodies, it shouldn't be illegal --think of alcohol.

Government should just stay out of people's personal choices, I think. That goes for their moral choices too.

In fact, if the government spent less time pretending to assert a certain (false) morality and more time actually caring for people, I think we'd all be better off.

In the meantime, I don't see why a handful of real criminals (the dealers and drug cartels) should make all of the profit --better off taxing the drugs, controlling the sales and pumping that money back into the state, at least to take care of people's health as they're destroying it.

If drugs are regulated, they can also be made safer --the marijuana they're producing now is lightyears more powerful than they stuff I used to smoke. Can't imagine how much more damage that's doing to people.

[redwhiteandthemaple]

If people want to slowly destroy their brains and their bodies, it shouldn't be illegal --think of alcohol.

Government should just stay out of people's personal choices, I think. That goes for their moral choices too.

In fact, if the government spent less time pretending to assert a certain (false) morality and more time actually caring for people, I think we'd all be better off.

In the meantime, I don't see why a handful of real criminals (the dealers and drug cartels) should make all of the profit --better off taxing the drugs, controlling the sales and pumping that money back into the state, at least to take care of people's health as they're destroying it.

If drugs are regulated, they can also be made safer --the marijuana they're producing now is lightyears more powerful than they stuff I used to smoke. Can't imagine how much more damage that's doing to people.

I completely agree, but I'm specifically talking about children. The West assumes that the role of government is priorly to educate and the role of family (i.e. parents) is to teach morals. But we also assume children don't have the sense of right or wrong. We also know that there are such thing as "bad parents." While adults have a stronger moral sense, but not to say I don't care about them, it's just that there's a huge amount of investment in children - their future. By legalizing it, it's one step closer to their reach. "Their" including children and teens as well. I realize that the West also believes in majority government, that truth is decided by number of votes. This is to say they have no fundamental base, a sturdy base, which they stand upon. This is also to say they do not have morals, in the sense that the wrong can be right, and the right can be wrong. To me marijuana is another case of the issues of morals in the Western philosophy.

In fact, if the government spent less time pretending to assert a certain (false) morality and more time actually caring for people, I think we'd all be better off.

Yea, I agree on that. We all know that actions speak far more than words. I think Canada improved on this, this year. Stephen Harper (the new Prime Minister) setup the Federal Accountability Act, which as the name implies, politicians will be held accountable for their actions and words. I have a little doubt it's going to work, but I also have some hope that it might just work out. I'm not too familiar with American politics.

This is what I believe.

[guitar101]

Ya know I had alot troble with drugs in my past so I can't condone me ever useing any drug again since the fact is that the stuff is illegal and that may change and it may not you never know but if you think about it realy who cares if it's legal or not? if people want it they will get it and there's no changeing that!!

Hear's a cool info link, http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/marijuana.html

If you think this stuff is harmless take a look and make up your own mind

!!METAL MATT!!

Matt I have to agree with you. A person under the age of 25 should not smoke marijuana. A person's brain isn't fully developed untill that age. Kids in grade school are smoking it just as they are entering adolescence. If there is a history of mental illness in a family or a person is predisposed to mental disorders it could tip the balance towards mental disease. It's not just my opinion. People in the mental health field are becoming alarmed over the long term effects of smoking pot. I know people have the right to their own bodies but I feel sometimes you have to give things up to protect kids. And having the right to smoke pot isn't that important to me.

Tony...

[Ben]

I'd be up for legalising most drugs.

Simply because they seem to do more damage while illegal.

[Lord-of-the-strings]

Algee, you just get high and everything aroung you slows down, I love to g oto concerts and pick on the stoned ones, you can rip them in the mosh pit and they don;'t even know what hit them.

Lizard read above, plus how can you prove that the person was stoned wjile driving? The 1st thing a cop does is breathalizer, and usualy when people get stoned they drink at the same time, so you blew .10 DWI, why bother going to get a blood test to see what else is in the system?

Maiden have you ever smoked Marijuana? Really? I'm not going to lie to you guys, I do quite often. Time does not mysteriously slow down around you, althought if it did it'd be quite the trip. And on your law enforcement thing, I've met many, many, many cops who have caught me smoking weed and laughed it off, told me to have a good night, and been on there way. Seriously, it happens all the time.

Edited April 1, 2007 by Lord-of-the-strings

[Bertbart]

Incarserating pot users or those poor bastards jailed on trumped up charges for "intent to distribute" because they had a half pound or more when caught is a waste of taxpayer's money. (I pay taxes so they're wasting my money)

I wonder just how much court costs, police enforcement costs could have been saved much less the actual cost of keeping someone in jail over the years all to no avail. They have not stopped it's use all they've done is drive the price up to where it's more expensive than other more dangerous drugs there by tempting our youth to purchase harder drugs for recreational use and perhaps getting hooked. Our local and federal law enforcement aren't thinking correctly.

The government complains that the prisons are overcrowded...if they let the pot users out they'd have plenty of room to jail real criminals.

I used to smoke pot and did for years and never felt out of control or violent. Several times in my life I was out of control and got violent from the few times I used alcohol.

I remember a headline from a High Times magazine that still makes me chuckle:

"I smoked much of this Marijuana and felt not the slightest desire to steal a Pontiac."

[spazzyone]

for all that responded how smoking weed kills people how about this

more babies die in a year from abortion than weed could kill in a century

P.S my avatar is not stoned just a little hot

Edited April 1, 2007 by spazzyone

[Maiden69]

Algee, you just get high and everything aroung you slows down, I love to g oto concerts and pick on the stoned ones, you can rip them in the mosh pit and they don;'t even know what hit them.

Lizard read above, plus how can you prove that the person was stoned wjile driving? The 1st thing a cop does is breathalizer, and usualy when people get stoned they drink at the same time, so you blew .10 DWI, why bother going to get a blood test to see what else is in the system?

Maiden have you ever smoked Marijuana? Really? I'm not going to lie to you guys, I do quite often. Time does not mysteriously slow down around you, althought if it did it'd be quite the trip. And on your law enforcement thing, I've met many, many, many cops who have caught me smoking weed and laughed it off, told me to have a good night, and been on there way. Seriously, it happens all the time.

Nope I haven't... never done any recreational drug in my life! I got some second hand headache from my friends...

I was refering about how my friends reacted after smoking it! You can really tell the difference, and I loved when they were telling me "see, there is not a bit of difference in my reactions" and they will be stumbling and moving in slow motion!!!

It all depends on the situation as far as the law enforcement issue! If you are calm most of my friends will let you go, but if you are acting up all macho, or driving a vehicle, ... well that is another story!

guitar101, great bringing a 1 yr old thread back to life!

[ToneMonkey]

Wow man, I was wondering how this thread came to life again. Anyhoo, I think that a bit of Ben Harper could be suitable here:

"My choice is what I chose to do

And if I'm causing no harm, it shouldn't bother you

Your choice is who you choose to be

And if your causing no harm, you're alright with me"

Say's it all really

[Jon]

for all that responded how smoking weed kills people how about this

more babies die in a year from abortion than weed could kill in a century

P.S my avatar is not stoned just a little hot

Off topic from the off topic poll - but one death will never compensate for another. Because x people have died here does not justify for x people dying there. Sorry, but there is no logic involved when saying "but more people die from this!". Don't let numbers fool you, just remember not to let one death compensate for another.

I know plenty of stoners, most are harmless. But they're all lazy slackers.

[weaponepsilon]

ONe thing that I hate is that because it came from nature, it is therefore okay to smoke.

But allow me to stress the following point;

Cyanide is also a naturally occuring gas

Sulfuric Acid is naturally occuring

Uranium is found in nature (in small quatities)

All of which is from that same source and therefore good for you.

[Jon]

Unless the marijuana leafs were dried near a nuclear silo, I doubt they'd contain uranium.

Marijuana is grown, not "found". Don't fight stupid with stupid.

[Mattia]

I think the point he's (correctly) trying to make is that just because it's natural don't mean it's safe, or healthy, or good for you.

[ToneMonkey]

Unless the marijuana leafs were dried near a nuclear silo, I doubt they'd contain uranium.

Actually, it's supposed to be one of the best things for absorbing heavy metals out of the ground. I've been told that there's loads of hemp plants been planted around Chenobeyl. Dunno if it's true or not though.

I'd also, by no means say that smoking anything is good for you. The only way you can smoke weed without the bad bits is through a vaporiser which burns off everything except for the THC. All the green bits are just there for show and smoking them is by no means healthy. Better for you than tobacco by all accounts but that's like saying Whiskey is better for you than Vodka.

[Reaper]

ONe thing that I hate is that because it came from nature, it is therefore okay to smoke.

But allow me to stress the following point;

Cyanide is also a naturally occuring gas

Sulfuric Acid is naturally occuring

Uranium is found in nature (in small quatities)

All of which is from that same source and therefore good for you.

Or for that matter, tobacco. I never could understand why anyone would intentionally inhale smoke (pot, tobacco, or anything else).

Bertbart: possession of pot is a crime, meaning that those who posess it are criminals. Real, life criminals - not like the ones in my head. Whether or not you agree with the law has zero impact on whether or an action is, in fact, a crime.

Edited April 3, 2007 by Reaper

[Mattia]

That, in fact, depends on where you live. This is an international forum, bucko. And while pot posession is still technically not legal here, as long as you don't intend to sell (need a license for that), it ain't gonna get you arrested.

[Southpa]

I could care less either way if pot were legalized or not. It wouldn't affect my life and likely wouldn't affect a lot of other people. But lets get one thing straight where the criminal element comes into play. ALCOHOL did not make Al Capone. PROHIBITION made Al Capone. Making it legal would make less criminals and less taxpayers money spent on arresting, detaining, convicting and jailing criminals. If it were made legal then the government could grow / manufacture, distribute and CONTROL this substance. They could also tax the living hell out of it and very likely clear up their respective national debts in no time flat. I know doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, COPS etc. who smoke pot on occasion. They aren't criminals in my mind. Its too bad that most of the nay-sayers just can't face the reality of the situation.

[weaponepsilon]

I think the point he's (correctly) trying to make is that just because it's natural don't mean it's safe, or healthy, or good for you.

Sorry, I typed that out in 10 seconds because I was late heading off for work. Yes, that is what I meant. I honestly don't care what people do so long as it doesnt interfere with me. If I get hit by a drunk/stoned/psycho mf'er and they are all "Derr....." I am curb stomping them. Perhaps they should legalize all drugs. The potential for the users to end up sterile, dying from OD, and/or not coming to work would lead to a drastic population reduction of ***holes. I've dealt with drunks, druggies, and morons thoughout my life and watched them self destruct. I also work out at a casino where gambling addicts run in everyday and complain about the machines. When they complain, I just tell them to stop and go home...Never works, but its the truth. "Man, this stuff isn't going to hurt you, but man, I gotta cut back." Then stop.

Yes, hundreds of elements and vegatables found/grown/cultured naturally are lethal. Think Poison Oak: all natural, non addicting, tasty, good for you.

[Reaper]

I think the point he's (correctly) trying to make is that just because it's natural don't mean it's safe, or healthy, or good for you.

Sorry, I typed that out in 10 seconds because I was late heading off for work. Yes, that is what I meant. I honestly don't care what people do so long as it doesnt interfere with me. If I get hit by a drunk/stoned/psycho mf'er and they are all "Derr....." I am curb stomping them. Perhaps they should legalize all drugs. The potential for the users to end up sterile, dying from OD, and/or not coming to work would lead to a drastic population reduction of ***holes. I've dealt with drunks, druggies, and morons thoughout my life and watched them self destruct. I also work out at a casino where gambling addicts run in everyday and complain about the machines. When they complain, I just tell them to stop and go home...Never works, but its the truth. "Man, this stuff isn't going to hurt you, but man, I gotta cut back." Then stop.

Yes, hundreds of elements and vegatables found/grown/cultured naturally are lethal. Think Poison Oak: all natural, non addicting, tasty, good for you.

Sorry for the tangent, but the gambling thing just reminded me of this: http://www.illwillpress.com/smok.html

Enjoy, and carry on!