What do you think about Legalizing Marijuana?

I completely disagree. You can't make intelligent opinion about such things unless you've actually experienced them in the way you described. Just like I can't say being bullied because you're gay isn't a big deal. I'm not gay and have never experienced it, so how would I know? Being high and drunk are two completely different feelings and states of mind. If you haven't experienced them both, you have no room to talk.

I also disagree with the second statement. Marijuana generally does not impair your judgment (and how would you put together an accurate test as to whether or not it actually does, AND show the difference between seasoned and inexperienced smokers?). It's different for different people and depending on how experienced of a smoker you are, the effects on a person will be completely different. I'll be the first to tell you I can drive impeccably, just as I can sober. I smoke on the way to work every morning and usually right before I leave the house to go anywhere else. Needless to say I have experience. I would not get in the car with someone who has only smoked a few times though because they're not used to the way it makes them feel. As I said, it depends on experience.

If you're using proper sources for your argument about driving and impairing judgement, you're making broad generalizations based on studies done using an inconsistent test group (seasoned smoker and those that have never smoked before) where obvious differences in state of mind are going to become apparent. You don't even need to specify a study for me, because they're pretty much all like that unless stated otherwise. If you'd like to link me to your source and beg to differ, be my guest. The only source I can use for this is personal experience because it is different for everyone.

Marijuana also causes no direct deaths. Find me an article that states otherwise. Tests have shown that the ratio to overdose on marijuana is 40,000:1. Alcohol is 4:1. There have been no reported cases of dying from marijuana overdose. Alcohol gets you drunk by producing toxins to kill brain receptors. Weed, stimulates brain receptors, but does not kill them. Studies show that there is 0% possibility of brain damage from smoking marijuana. Marijuana HAS been proven to cause lung, throat, and mouth cancer. However, the risk is substantially lower than smoking cigarettes. Also, inhaling anything that contains burnt carbon-matter can cause cancer (Like campfire smoke, burning paper, etc.), and the risk of cancer from smoking marijuana should only be a concern for chronic users, recreational users don't have a very high risk. Using a vaporizer (you can make one out of a lightbulb) practically eliminates this, as nothing is being burned and the THC (chemical that gets you high) is being converted from a fatty substance in the weed directly into a vapor, rather than smoke. I can't sit down and smoke 3 ounces and die. Someone getting killed while buying it or during a deal is a different story. In this case, weed doesn't kill people, people and their idiotic decisions kill people. I'm not going to go into the medical benefits of marijuana because there's plenty of articles from very reputable and respected researchers that can be pulled up with a simple google search.

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20030701/heavy-marijuana-use-doesnt-damage-brain
http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_info3.shtml
http://www.saferchoice.org/content/view/24/53/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051016083817.htm
http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/basicfax3.htm



Some information on Medical Marijuana.
http://www.doctordeluca.com/Library/WOD/WPS3-MedMj/CannabinoidsMedMetaAnalysis06.pdf
http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu/geninfo/CannabinoidsMS_Lancet11-03.pdf
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6376&page=R1
http://www.scholaruniverse.com/prof...nnabinoids respiratory stability during sleep



Marijuana is NOT a gateway drug. Studies show that average people who smoke marijuana are not lead to harder drugs because of their past marijuana use. When the Netherlands legalized marijuana, cocaine and heroine use went down, rather than up.
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html

Basically, everything affects people differently. You are in no position to say what happens to someone else.
http://www.acde.org/common/Marijauana2.pdf


Also, check out some of my sources since I decided to include them to back up the facts I posted. Unlike anyone else in this thread.

Check some of the links and their references.

 

Exactly why I think it should be legalized. I don't smoke, nor do I think people should, but withholding it from people only makes them want it more. Plus, maybe it would create jobs in America or even make it safer to buy? You never know what dealers put in that shit.

 

In high school, i honestly smoked weed about 3 times a day on a normal school week, more on weekends and school vacations.. Now, as a sophomore in college, my expenses switched from weed to alcohol and I smoke maybe once a month if someone one offers to smoke me up. With that said, you can see i'm not a hardcore smoker really, but I think it should still be legalized. A government that has a crumbling economy has no real choice. Instead of raising income taxes a ridiculous amount, they could tax weed from sales + save prison expenses seeing as over a fifth of prisoners are incarcerated for marijuana-related infractions. I see it as a win-win for everyone.

 

So everyone must drink/smoke at least once in their lives to have a say in the matter? Preposterous. That's like me saying that I must drunk drive/do heroin before I can say anything about it, because I wouldn't know what it's really like or if it's dangerous until I tried it.

Even if you are not gay and have not been bullied, you probably have seen first hand what it's like. Is that not enough to be able to tell if it's a "big deal"? Of course, there will be some people who will say it isn't, but that's because they themselves are strong or do not understand the pain of being weak and preyed upon.

Note: I am not arguing that marijuana impairs your judgement. I'm just saying that arguing against it doesn't require anyone to have been in that state.

 

But I feel they would have a better understanding of what they're arguing about if they actually had experience. Claiming something affects people a certain way should be based of experience whenever possible in my personal opinion. I'm not saying in all cases it's necessary, but I feel that from the way he was talking about it that he should at least be able to fully understand the effects; something you can't do to the fullest extent without experience in the matter.
Do you agree that people who have smoked before would have a better understanding of what it actually does than someone who hasn't?

 

Well, do you believe that the published studies that show detrimental effects are innacurate because the scientists havent gotten high?

 

No. I just don't think you should be able to make statements like this

without fully understanding the effects. Something you can't do unless you've experienced it. How does weed make you feel? You don't know because you've never smoked it. How do you know it will "impair your judgement harshly"? If you'd like to reference a scientific study of some sort that seconds your statement, please link me to a legitimate source. If you have no proof and have never experienced it, your statement is invalid.

 

It shouldn't legalised, as it's a lot more dangerous than people think. It can trigger some nasty shit in people.

 

Such as..?

 

Better than just observations, yes, but it's still not a good enough reason to simply say that anyone who hasn't smoked has no right to speak out against it.
If you make any claim about the effects of marijuana, you should back it up with science.

 

I love you man, thank-you for setting it straight.

 

Not a problem.

He has yet to include any sources and said above that he has never smoked, so I don't see why his statement is even up for debate. And not that they can't speak out against it, but I feel they are in no position to make such strong claims about the effects.

 

Put up a poll, I think Marijuana should be illegalised, I do it everyday. No harm

 

You smoke everyday yet you want it to be illegalized?

Or did you mean legalized?

 

legalize it.
I'll smoke it either way, might as well make it legal for me

 

Keep it how it is, illegal. I can't stand the people I know who brag about "getting so high" everyday. It's very annoying, but I do enjoy when they get in trouble for it. Karma

Just my opinion. Do as you please.

 

No-one brags about smoking, your friends must be wasted.

 

First of all, Marijuana is proven to help you sleep and prevents body aches. In California, they give it to patients in prescriptions. It should be legalized everywhere, just for the fact of it can prevent someone from having a sleepless night, or back pains.