Your Opinion: Legalize Marijuana?

[liljp617]

yes, i'm all for it.


i really LOVE that a natural herb is banned,
but we get to consume gobs of god knows WHAT
they put in our food.

really. it makes quite a bit of sense  

This I found hilarious.  Have you ever tried to smoke dill weed?  Or how about thyme?  Wait, basil... wow, that'll get you high!!  Come on... it's the same with marijuana... we don't cook with it for flavor do we?  That is why it is illegal.  It alters your mind and your thinking and it is an illegal drug.  Just as a prescription is illegal if it's not prescribed to you.  You won't find thyme, dill, oregano, basil, etc. becoming illegal for that reason alone.  And if it does then we better start coming up with some magical ways of flavoring our food or else we'll be screwed!!  

It makes perfect sense to me and I think it should stay illegal!

no dear, i'm afraid you misinterpreted the point.

i'm talking chemicals, pesticides, the things that are already
in the food waaay before you get it home and start seasoning.

...the fact that a natural herb is illegal.
and we have no idea what goes into our food as its being processed.
but whatever it is, i'd bet anything that its worse than a natural herb.
just google "chemicals in our food" and you'll learn about things
way beyond salt &pepper.

that's all i was trying to get across.

I think we may have missed cloudsoups' point here. I really doubt cloudsoup was implying that anyone should cook with weed. I think the point cloud was trying to get across was that dill, thyme, basil, and oregano DON'T make for good smoking. All of those are NATURAL herbs. Now, If weed was a natural herb that you could make some tea with, or spice up a sandwich, that would be pretty cool, except some people couldn't keep it in their pants and things gotta lil out of control.

You don't hear people going around saying, "Man life sucks, why did Adam and Eve go off and screw everything up for the rest of us?"

So, here's a question for everyone, WHY did they ilegalize it in the first place?

Why did they make it illegal?  Let's go with the short answers:

Racism
Xenophobia
Cotton growers lobbying
Yellow Journalism
Fear
Propaganda
Blatant lies/Making up facts
Misconceptions
Ignorant/Corrupt legislators


If you want to know more, I suppose I could post it, but a simple Google of "Why was weed made illegal?" will bring up plenty of information.

One thing is for certain, it was not made illegal because it was deemed medically/scientifically harmful to people's health or psyche...you know, the propaganda spread by people who oppose its legalization.

[eSineM]

I thought it was a good idea...until they started talking about putting a Tax on it  :-

[piratelord]

yes, i'm all for it.


i really LOVE that a natural herb is banned,
but we get to consume gobs of god knows WHAT
they put in our food.

really. it makes quite a bit of sense 

This I found hilarious.  Have you ever tried to smoke dill weed?  Or how about thyme?  Wait, basil... wow, that'll get you high!!  Come on... it's the same with marijuana... we don't cook with it for flavor do we?  That is why it is illegal.  It alters your mind and your thinking and it is an illegal drug.  Just as a prescription is illegal if it's not prescribed to you.  You won't find thyme, dill, oregano, basil, etc. becoming illegal for that reason alone.  And if it does then we better start coming up with some magical ways of flavoring our food or else we'll be screwed!! 

It makes perfect sense to me and I think it should stay illegal!

That would be like saying we should make catnip illegal because cats get high from it. Have you ever seen a cat that's been given catnip??? It DEFINITELY changes their demeanor and thinking. Hell, my cat freaks out at anything when I give him catnip. But it is a completely natural herb that grows in the wild, just like cannabis used to grow all over the place- until some uptight moron with an agenda decided to be a douchebag.

By the way, cannabis IS used in cooking- to enhance the food...and everything else for that matter.

[gwenniepoo]

yes, i'm all for it.


i really LOVE that a natural herb is banned,
but we get to consume gobs of god knows WHAT
they put in our food.

really. it makes quite a bit of sense 

This I found hilarious.  Have you ever tried to smoke dill weed?  Or how about thyme?  Wait, basil... wow, that'll get you high!!  Come on... it's the same with marijuana... we don't cook with it for flavor do we?  That is why it is illegal.  It alters your mind and your thinking and it is an illegal drug.  Just as a prescription is illegal if it's not prescribed to you.  You won't find thyme, dill, oregano, basil, etc. becoming illegal for that reason alone.  And if it does then we better start coming up with some magical ways of flavoring our food or else we'll be screwed!! 

It makes perfect sense to me and I think it should stay illegal!

That would be like saying we should make catnip illegal because cats get high from it. Have you ever seen a cat that's been given catnip??? It DEFINITELY changes their demeanor and thinking. Hell, my cat freaks out at anything when I give him catnip. But it is a completely natural herb that grows in the wild, just like cannabis used to grow all over the place- until some uptight moron with an agenda decided to be a douchebag.

By the way, cannabis IS used in cooking- to enhance the food...and everything else for that matter.

[gwenniepoo]

Edit - Ok, now I'm getting into a debate mood. Someone please dissect my point of view and prove me wrong. I've update this post with two very good replys and my answers

So, what does everyone else think? I personally don't smoke at all, but I have a few friends that do and it doesn't bother me.

What does bother me is when they talk about legalizing the stuff.

Sure, the government could grow it, tax it, sell it, and make a good profit.

And it's true that weed as never killed anyone, and it's been proven that marijuana isn't addictive.

But it does have a few side effects: Laziness and Hunger.

And that is exactly what this Country doesn't need more of. Lazy people. And Obesity is already considered an Epidemic.

I'm sure that a few good people that smoke the stuff can take perfectly good care of themselves, but they can't speak for everyone else.

Edit- I wanted to add this because I think alot of people are missing it.

First off I dont smoke, but I think it should be legalized. So many people do it anyway, I think its a personal choice and I dont think a large number of people would start smoking just because it was legal. If it were taxed & made a little more expensive, I think maybe less people would do it. If people wanna get fat & lazy thats THEIR problem, they will do it anyway, cause cigarettes, beer, and cheeseburgers are legal. People are being killed every day over drug sales, police are risking their lives trying to stop marijuana use/sales, children are being raised in/around grow houses and living with parents who deal. Kids are in foster care because their parents are in jail for dealing or possession. We have overcrowded jails and violent criminals being released who really need to be in there. People are able to sell weed & get welfare & food stamps and walk around decked out in gold jewelry. The same laws should apply that apply to drinking...like you cant get high in public, cant drive high, etc. Wow thats a lot I guess I feel pretty strongly on this one  

Sorry to pick you out, but you've made some very clever remarks.

The people that smoke weed know that it is ilegal just like people who don't. Sure, people who don't smoke it may try it as long as it wasn't against the law. That's not a choice though, it's a risk. If weed was sold at wal-mart, imagine the impulse buyers who would pick it up. And the point you made about just making it more expensive, well, if it's so exspensive, why would someone who smokes it regularly buy it legaly when they can get it for half the price from their dealer? Legalizing weed won't make crime go down. Committing crimes, that's a risk, not a choice. Becoming fat is no where near being a personal choice. It's darn near an affliction. The same reason a marijuana smoker would lite up a pipe to forget about his stressful life, a normal person would eat a cheeseburger. Not because they choose to, but because it's what they've been conditioned to do.

Maybe the reason the government never legalized weed is because they realized the huge mistake they made when they gave up the prohibition. Just because alcohol is legal doesn't mean it was a good idea. Heck, lot's of things that the government did were huge mistakes. The same reason they can't just pull out of iraq and they can't try to re-ilegalize alcohol, you'd have a lot of p-o'ed people with fire arms knocking on the government front door. but I digress...

Weed has nothing to do with "overcrowded jails and violent criminals being released who really need to be in there". Penalties for possession of marijuana are dang near a slap on the wrist. Something like a $500 fine and 30 days to a year in jail.

"People are able to sell weed & get welfare & food stamps and walk around decked out in gold jewelry", I really don't want to get deep with this one. But selling weed doesn't exactly make a 5 figure yearly income. They are on welfare and food stamps BECAUSE they sell weed. And this can be traceable back to families being raised with no father in the household. No fathers because of some stupid drug deal or childish gang fight. And that's about as far as I'll go, that is an entirely new topic.

Adding weed to a roster with a bunch of "do not's" as rules (like alcohol) isn't going to fix anything if weed is legal. Just look at how many people are being killed because of drunk drivers. Killed by people, not following the law.

Like I said before, sorry about picking you out of the crowd. But you made some very good points that I understand from another persons perspective.

Edit - So no one misses it.

I am all up for them leagalizing it. Everyone on the face of this earth is on drugs. The medicine that the doctors give you are additive.The steroids in the food is giving us cancer.Alcohol is a man-made drug that kills.
So I think why not legalize it.I personally think that crime rate would go down a good bit not disappear but it will decrease. Weed makes you calm and laid back but it helps us to deal with stress better. The doctor will instead give you pills in place of the weed which has a million and one side effects and extra side effects that kill. Why take a pill and in return the pill gives you an upset stomach,blurred vision,trouble breathing,chest pains, nose bleeds,migrains,trouble sleeping,suicidal thoughts,anxiety,constipation,fainting,etc.
Weed is a NATURAL HERB not DRUG!!!!
And for those of you who stereo type people that smoke weed..... WEED does not make you lazy...it only intensifies what is already part of you. I know people that smoke weed and get up and go to work as they should and go about their daily routine as they should. So let's not blame laziness on weed but rather that person.Weed does not kill!!! Alcohol and the rest of those man made drugs is what kills!!! I say they should just go for it and make this country like Amsterdam. They are truely laid back over there. Herbal Therapy is something that I think brings people together.(Black,white,asian,indian,pacfic islanders,etc.)

Ok, good point. I really wouldn't mind if weed "was" legal you know, I'm just not for it "becoming" legal. It's not hard to see that Marijuana is a LOT healthier than cigarettes, and think about all the people in the world that smoke. Let's just pick out one group of people...oh let's say US Soldiers. It's estimated that 60%-75% of US Soldiers smoke to help cope with stress. Here's an idea! Let's give them Weed instead so they stay laid back! Heck, they probably wouldn't want to fight anymore! Living is so much more enjoyable now!

Real quick. I love this country and I love every Soldier who enrolls in our fine military. God Bless America!

But! If all those soldiers or even would-be soldiers got "laid back"? Yeah, how would you feel about another draft? How would you like to see your son or husband taken out of your house, given a little training, a gun, and a kill command? Because there are a lot of people out there who don't like us. Us as in the united States of America.

Now, if you want to fix our medical system, then I suggest you start watching who or what you vote for. Marijuana isn't a heal-all drug (or herb rather, sorry). So why would you want it legalized anyway? Guess the first place it's going to stop before it hits the store shelves? Yeah that's right, the lab. And that's the same lab where the make those pills with "a million and one side effects and extra side effects that kill."

And I agree with you one hundred percent about marijuana bringing people together. I've seen Alcohol parties go crazy, people getting hurt, things getting destroyed, etc. Opposed to smoke circles where people gather around and tell warm stories and enjoy fellowship. And it should be made legal for that part alone. But as I've semi-stated in previous posts, this countries people need help. Why else would obesity be an epidemic? Not because someone chooses to be fat, but because they can't help it! That's what I call "food-abuse". Now, when you go to work, or for a walk, or go shopping, or go anywhere outside your house, take a look at all the people who have a "food-abuse" problem, and imagine how many people would have a "substance-abuse" problem.

Thank you, good night.
[I believe marijuana should be legalize to stop the drug trafficing and the jail sentencing. People will continue to smoke for the relaxation or for socializing purposes. Weed is the "Happy Drug", I never heard of anyone killing someone because they were under the influence of marijuana.

[sjbenes]

What are you... high??

[abeyta87]

i too am someone that doesn't smoke it. But I think a certain amount should be legalized for a certain age. It should be treated like alcohol If people can not be responsible with it they should get a fine or ticket if it is an interference. It is not the biggest and worst thing that people could be doing. By making it legal you could catch the big fish instead of the little things

[nicolepleasant]

I do think weed should be legalized. It is legal in other countries and they are not worst off than us with crime rates. People are going to do whatthey want to do so why not legalized it to create a revenue for this country.

[Freeman352]

That would be like saying we should make catnip illegal because cats get high from it. Have you ever seen a cat that's been given catnip??? It DEFINITELY changes their demeanor and thinking. Hell, my cat freaks out at anything when I give him catnip. But it is a completely natural herb that grows in the wild, just like cannabis used to grow all over the place- until some uptight moron with an agenda decided to be a douchebag.

Yeah, the biggest excuse for it to be illegal seems to be the fact that it is "mind altering"...but if they want to make everything that alters your mind illegal, that would be a pretty long list. Alcohol, Caffeine, Anti psychotic prescriptions, anti depressants, catnip, blah blah blah.

[ke101544]

before begining im a recovering addict
at 18
ive done ecstacy
xanax
meth
weed
many pain pills
and a lot of coke

my problem with it being legalized is that it impares peoples judgement, and after you have done it for a while, you know how much of any drug you can use and still be able to function... drive, walk, talk, etc
and you also know how much will put you over the edge
im more terrified that a 12 year old confused kid will take too much, not knowing, and kill himself or someone else
or a 40 year old chick experiment or whoever
i think that it would be disasterous
and that depending on what you have eaten or drank that day, it can affect ow the drug affects you and that hard to determine
 

i did coke for years
one night late, i did half a 8ball (thats about half a ounce.. $180) and failed to get myself home that night. crashed going about 80mph into the side of a telephone, through a fence and into a cow, with my good friend in the car, who was pregnant at the time. were both lucky to of survived. i knew my limits, but becasue i had smoked, it had impared me intelligence that says even with experience, a 90lb girl cant do half a 8ball n drive 15 mins afterwards...

im afraid stuff like this would happen,
its all natural not concerned about the health... im a cigarrette smoker
and its compareable to alcohol to an extent..

i say no, but at the same time im torn...

ps clean for 1 year, 5 mnths

[ke101544]

Yeah, the biggest excuse for it to be illegal seems to be the fact that it is "mind altering"...but if they want to make everything that alters your mind illegal, that would be a pretty long list. Alcohol, Caffeine, Anti psychotic prescriptions, anti depressants, catnip, blah blah blah.

not all mind altering is bad
trust me, you wouldnt want anyone bipolar to be without there meds
otherwise they ask you to call them rebecca...
long story..

and yes, i take painkillers, and to an extent they are addicting, but thats a hell of a lot better than crying for days at a time in the emergency room, while the nurses think your insane

[Paroxity]

Just legalize it. There's no reason to keep it illegal, there are more people doing it anyways because it is illegal. I bet if they legalized it, some of it would even decrease, it loses the "cool" factor. However, if that were to be done I'm sure most people would turn to alternatives like shrooms or cocaine

[sheliawheeler]

I don't think it should be legalized, but then I don't understand why cigarettes are legal!  They are very addicting too.  People are dying from smoking cigarettes, but it takes longer than smoking crack or cocaine.

[loala]

Sometimes When I Get High I Go Shopping And When I Get There I'm So Paranoid I Can't Get Out Of the Car.

[Graeth]

legalize, tax, deficit solved.