Should US Legalize Marijuana?

**Janszoon** · 10-31-2010, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

The degree of harm caused by the product is what is important, though, I feel. Caffeine, for example, isn't too harmful, though it is addictive and can give people jitters.

Cigarettes, though, *are* very bad...so my point would be that I feel the pleasure gained from cigarettes isn't a problem (reduced stress, greater relaxation?), but the harm caused by them is. For me, the harm much outweighs the benefits of cigarettes, especially since I feel there are other ways, and ones that are healthful, to achieve what I hear are the "benefits."

I do agree with you that it makes no sense to have cigarettes be legal but marijuana illegal, since their negative side effects are pretty similar, right?

What does it matter if the harm to the individual outweighs the benefit? As long as they are an adult and are aware of the risks, shouldn't they be allowed to make their own decisions?

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 10-31-2010, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

How are the negative side effects similar?

Easy, they aren't. The most harmful side effects of Marijuana (in fact, the most significant) simply come from the act of smoking it. Smoking anything is harmful. And it's not the only way to use Marijuana either. If baking doesn't work well enough, vaporization is far more effective than even smoking. Something like 95 percent pure THC.

**Scarlett O'Hara** · 10-31-2010, 05:38 PM

Freebase Dali · 10-31-2010, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conan

Easy, they aren't. The most harmful side effects of Marijuana (in fact, the most significant) simply come from the act of smoking it. Smoking anything is harmful. And it's not the only way to use Marijuana either. If baking doesn't work well enough, vaporization is far more effective than even smoking. Something like 95 percent pure THC.

I know this... I just wanted her to ans... wait a minute... Nice troll!

Guybrush · 11-01-2010, 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Violent & Funky

Right.

Also, I don't believe it is the government's responsibility to tell me what I can and can't put into my body, but that opens a whole different discussion...

If your tax-money pays for public health services f.ex, then people's health and what they do to it should be your business. When they get treated by public health care, you helped pay for that, right? If your business really is noone's but your own, you should detach yourself from society completely and go live in the woods somewhere.

Violent & Funky · 11-01-2010, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

If your tax-money pays for public health services f.ex, then people's health and what they do to it should be your business. When they get treated by public health care, you helped pay for that, right? If your business really is noone's but your own, you should detach yourself from society completely and go live in the woods somewhere.

Maybe I don't agree with public health services either?

VEGANGELICA · 11-01-2010, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

What does it matter if the harm to the individual outweighs the benefit? As long as they are an adult and are aware of the risks, shouldn't they be allowed to make their own decisions?

I agree that adults aware of the risks should be allowed to make their own decisions, which is one reason I feel drugs should be legalized (the other reason being that I want to cut down on the illegal trade of drugs that leads to so many murders, other crimes, and money wasted on the war against drugs).

My comment you wrote about was my attempt to point out that current laws appear to reflect the government's/people's idea of which drugs are most harmful to users.

Just like Tore said, I feel the severity of drug side effects matters because when people in a society are on drugs and if this increases their risk of illness or lessens their ability to work effectively, then their problems become society's unnecessary burden and expense, just like Tore said. Even if a society has no socialized medicine, having people addicted to drugs can be a drag (no pun intended

) on the society.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebase Dali

How are the negative side effects similar?

Tobacco and marijuana side effects are similar in that they affect the brain and expose the smoker to carcinogens. In some ways marijuana sounds worse, such as with its impairment of brain function and work ability:

Quote:

Marijuana - InfoFacts - NIDA

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.

Marijuana increases heart rate by 20–100 percent shortly after smoking; this effect can last up to 3 hours. In one study, it was estimated that marijuana users have a 4.8-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug.

Numerous studies have shown marijuana smoke to contain carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50–70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke.

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.

Chewing marijuana baked into brownies wouldn't have the lung effects, but should have all the others. I don't know what effects eating marijuana has on mouth and stomach cancer. Chewing tobacco increases mouth cancer risks, so I wouldn't assume eating marijuana will be harmless with regards to cancer.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 11-01-2010, 04:13 PM

drugabuse.gov

No thanks.

**Janszoon** · 11-01-2010, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

If your tax-money pays for public health services f.ex, then people's health and what they do to it should be your business. When they get treated by public health care, you helped pay for that, right? If your business really is noone's but your own, you should detach yourself from society completely and go live in the woods somewhere.

And if your tax money pays for law enforcement then what's illegal or not should be your business. When taxpayer-supported law enforcement arrests, prosecutes and imprisons someone you helped pay for that, right? Don't you think your tax dollars could be better spent?

Guybrush · 11-02-2010, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

And if your tax money pays for law enforcement then what's illegal or not should be your business. When taxpayer-supported law enforcement arrests, prosecutes and imprisons someone you helped pay for that, right? Don't you think your tax dollars could be better spent?

I agree, but I fail to see how it's relevant to my post. The point I wanted to make was that in a modern society such a England, Norway or the US, you and your health affects other people. If you wanna be an island, go live on one.

10-31-2010, 05:38 PM	#393 (permalink)
Scarlett O'Hara Make it so Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,181	__________________ "Elph is truly an enfant terrible of the forum, bless and curse him" - Marie, Queen of Thots

11-01-2010, 04:13 PM	#398 (permalink)
~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,538	drugabuse.gov No thanks.