So if you guys don't want marijuana legal because it has minor health effects. I really don't see how that's your problem its the persons choice if he wants to do it or not.

 

Now if we want to make something (or keep) illegal because its harmful here is a list of things that should be made illegal with it. Because these all have bad health effects.

 

• alcohol
• cigarettes
• markers
• fast food
• prescription drugs
• gasoline
• Sun screen
• Cell phones
• guns
• cars
• moth balls
• Bug spray
• spray paint
• paint
• rubber
• plastic
• Pretty much everything that isn't natural. 

Edited March 21, 201412 yr by Darkangel

Guns have bad health effects? Jesus, now I have heard it all.

I actually agree with the legalization of Crack, if it's legalized, it will benefit society, all crackheads and homeless people will do it indoors and so will prostitutes, and it could sold cheap at medical crack stores and why not legalize Meth while we are at it (same benefits) and prostitution (there will always be prostitutes so why not just go with the flow?) But we can't ever marilize legaljuana because of the extreme health issues it causes!

no. period.

Pretty much everything that isn't natural.

"Natural" and "not harmful" are entirely unrelated categories. Arsenic is natural; so is the influenza virus; so are plenty of deadly poisons. On the other hand, plenty of prescription drugs are natural - penicillin is derived from a natural toxin produced by certain species of fungus; Botox is a neurotoxin produced by a few species of bacteria. Likewise, some artifical things (e.g. agriculture) are essential to supporting a significant human population; were it not for agriculture, you would not be alive. I mention this because one of the arguments for marijuana being harmless is that it's natural; being natural is irrelevant.

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I've hidden a number of posts for being essentially personal attacks. There is no call for personal attack, period. I don't care how near and dear this is to your heart; that doesn't mean you should be screaming about how stupid people are because they disagree with you. If this thread continues to attract personal attacks, it will be closed.

I actually agree with the legalization of Crack, if it's legalized, it will benefit society, all crackheads and homeless people will do it indoors and so will prostitutes, and it could sold cheap at medical crack stores and why not legalize Meth while we are at it (same benefits) and prostitution (there will always be prostitutes so why not just go with the flow?) But we can't ever marilize legaljuana because of the extreme health issues it causes!

 

Legalising narcotics is not the "right" way forward, you're not reducing crime, you're reclassifying crime.

 

 

However, I do think that the US is dealing with the issue incorrectly, particularly the "war on drugs" which is being fought as a battle against a known foe, an example is world war 2.

 

The war on drugs is fought based on fear and punishment which is a sure-fire way of isolating those that are affected by narcotics and ultimately contributing negatively to the problem it's trying to solve.

 

Another thing that's worth mentioning is that the US justice system works to punish people that committed crime, it is not intended to rehabilitate or reform convicted criminals, the justice system in general works against convicted criminals. Convicted criminals are stigmatised and alienated from society. You're "branded" if you have served time and a rapist or child molestation conviction is as good as a death sentence.

 

Someone mentioned that drugs has caused "enough LEO deaths", I'd argue that the entire justice system is the cause of a lot of law enforcement deaths, especially considering how worrying easy it is to get a firearm, even if you are convicted of a crime.

The US justice system alienates convicts, they put them in a position where they are not a part of society, they're outlaws, they do not have a job, they don't speak with their families (if they have any). They have nothing to lose.

Who, in their shoes, wouldn't get desperate for freedom:

Imagine being a convicted criminal, you have a bag of cannabis on you and a firearm when a cop pulls you over on a deserted back road.

 

You don't see a cop as someone who protects the innocent, someone who stands up for what is wrong. You see them as a soldier for society, the same society that sent you though "hell", that police officer is the embodiment of evil to you.

 

You're facing 25 to life in 5 minutes. You have nothing to lose, you're either going to prison for life or going six feet under, what do you do?

You can either calmly deal with the cop or you can draw your gun, open the door, get out, pull the trigger three times, get back in and drive away?

 

 

Clear your mind for a moment, forget the life you have and put yourself in that position.

 

 

 

 

Back to narcotics:

 

 

Yes, weed IS bad and yes, alcohol is bad too, I regard alcohol and cannabis as equally "bad", regardless of what the law might say about it.

 

However, I do believe that there's something very worrying that are completely overlooked:

 

I firmly believe that the various substances are used in excess by people that are trying to escape something, they're traumatised. They are not using to "have a good time" but to get away from the pain they're in.

 

These people ultimately need help and the drugs is only a part of it, alienating them is the last thing they need or deserve.

 

Why does it concern the law?

The law, the police and the justice system is often the only way for these people to get help, shunning them and punishing them is so horrifyingly wrong. The justice system is here to protect these people, not harm them.

 

So yes, drugs should remain illegal but the way they're dealt with should change, it's not the biggest crime in the world for those that use drugs because it's "fun". Those people should get a ticket which could help pay for the treatment that a lot of people desperately need and deserve, consider it a stupid tax.

 

Anything else is a waste of time and human life.

The reason why people say legalizing marijuana would reduce crime is because the illegal drug trade is focused heavily on marijuana. It's not just the possession you have to look at as a reduction of crime through the legalization of marijuana, but the process involved in getting the product to the end user.

 

-Trafficking

-Animal Cruelty (Birds, snakes and some other animals have been shipped across the border with condoms stuffed with narcotics surgically implanted in them)

-Dealing

-Dealing to minors (It's easier for teenagers to get weed in the US than alcohol)

-Gang violence by fighting over territory,

-Dealer violence for those not affiliated with gangs

 

By legalization of marijuana, many of those crimes would be drastically reduced because there would be a licensing system for dealers in place, and users would be less likely to go to the dangerous dealers. Or many would just grow it in their homes.

 

According to worldometers, marijuana accounts for $75 billion of an estimated $360-$400 Billion annual revenue for the drug trade. If implemented worldwide, legalization would cut out close to 19% of the illegal drug trade.

 

Since the dealers would lose much of their business, there would be less of a demand to illegally smuggle marijuana, leading to a reduction of the previously mentioned crimes.

Just thought I'd add my opinion to contribute. Personally, I think marijuana should stay illegal for a few reasons...

• The people that come with the drug- I dislike the culture... "bro, chill out and take a hit, it will solve all your problems"
• More hardcore drugs would be hitting the streets- Marijuana is a gateway drug, people are eventually going to look somehere else to satisfy themselves
• More Car Accidents- Even more people are going to drive under the influence

Thats my two cents

Just thought I'd add my opinion to contribute. Personally, I think marijuana should stay illegal for a few reasons...

• The people that come with the drug- I dislike the culture... "bro, chill out and take a hit, it will solve all your problems"
• More hardcore drugs would be hitting the streets- Marijuana is a gateway drug, people are eventually going to look somehere else to satisfy themselves
• More Car Accidents- Even more people are going to drive under the influence

Thats my two cents

 

ehhh

 

The people that come with the drug- I dislike the culture... "bro, chill out and take a hit, it will solve all your problems"

What kind of reason is that? You want to keep something illegal because you don't like the subculture around it?

 

 

More hardcore drugs would be hitting the streets- Marijuana is a gateway drug, people are eventually going to look somehere else to satisfy themselves

i don't think so:  "Oh weed is legal now...better stop smoking it and start hitting the crack pipe"

I'm pretty sure the people who only use marijuana wouldn't start using another drug just because theirs has been legalised.

Why would they look somewhere else if they could just buy weed at the Gas Station?

Smoking is bad, I do not want it in my face all the time. Simple as that. I don't care what you smoke, I care that you smoke in public. Want to kill yourself slowly in the comfort of your own home? Go right ahead. Just don't go out and poison others and spew your propaganda about "how good it is". 

The reason why people say legalizing marijuana would reduce crime is because the illegal drug trade is focused heavily on marijuana. It's not just the possession you have to look at as a reduction of crime through the legalization of marijuana, but the process involved in getting the product to the end user.

 

-Trafficking

-Animal Cruelty (Birds, snakes and some other animals have been shipped across the border with condoms stuffed with narcotics surgically implanted in them)

-Dealing

-Dealing to minors (It's easier for teenagers to get weed in the US than alcohol)

-Gang violence by fighting over territory,

-Dealer violence for those not affiliated with gangs

 

By legalization of marijuana, many of those crimes would be drastically reduced because there would be a licensing system for dealers in place, and users would be less likely to go to the dangerous dealers. Or many would just grow it in their homes.

 

According to worldometers, marijuana accounts for $75 billion of an estimated $360-$400 Billion annual revenue for the drug trade. If implemented worldwide, legalization would cut out close to 19% of the illegal drug trade.

 

Since the dealers would lose much of their business, there would be less of a demand to illegally smuggle marijuana, leading to a reduction of the previously mentioned crimes.

 

You're not cutting illegal drug trade though, you're changing what is classified as illegal narcotics trade.

 

There's a very fine real-world example of that logic right here in Denmark as prostitution is legal, that sounds all well and good because it's two adults in a consensual business transaction.

Well, unfortunately not because there's a reason why Denmark is classified as one of the top destinations for trafficking.

 

A good portion of street walkers are trafficked women without work permits. The police is powerless against these women. Sure, they can arrest the trafficked women for having no work visa which may get them deported, their families will be beaten or she might get beaten or killed herself if she's caught.

 

The same can be said about drink driving, you will reduce the number of drink driving arrests and accidents caused by drink driving if you raise the legal limit. You didn't "combat" drink driving, you changed what drink driving is.

 

The same will happen to narcotics users, especially those that aren't using the internet to talk about how great drugs is for them. The people that can't help themselves out of drugs will no longer have a way to get help if nobody is responsible for helping them.

 

My stance on drug enforcement is the same as suicide laws.

Suicide aren't against the law because it's "bad", it's illegal because someone has to be responsible for getting suicidal people help.

The police don't respond to suicidal people so they can arrest them and take them to jail.

 

That same goes for drugs, those that are severely affected by narcotics can't get help on their own, they can't go to the doctor or talk to a friend about it so society is responsible for helping them, putting a substance user in court shouldn't result in prison, it should result in the person getting the help he or she needs.

The police is here to protect, help and stand up for these people, the police isn't only here to put handcuffs on people.

 

Regarding drug distribution, the people that produce and distribute narcotics are some of the absolute worst scum out there. Their income comes from ruining people, from abusing and using people to their advantage and I truly hope they die a slow and painful death.

 

The real victims of drug use can't speak. They aren't attending 420 days, they aren't talking about drugs on the internet because they can't, they aren't using because it's fun, they are using because the drugs is in control of them. The real victims can't stand up for themselves.

Sure, cannabis is not the "worst" substance when we talk about how it affects you or how severely addictive it can be because it's different from person to person. I know that weed is one of the go-to drugs for people that want to escape their daemons for the night or all day for some.

 

I don't care about people who use drugs for "fun", pay the ticket and get on with your life, it's illegal because someone else needs it to be, not because they need to go to jail, but because they need help.

ehhh

 

What kind of reason is that? You want to keep something illegal because you don't like the subculture around it?

 

i don't think so:  "Oh weed is legal now...better stop smoking it and start hitting the crack pipe"

I'm pretty sure the people who only use marijuana wouldn't start using another drug just because theirs has been legalised.

Why would they look somewhere else if they could just buy weed at the Gas Station?

I agree, some of your points are valid.

• I kinda worded the first reason badly. I, personally, am sick of that whole "If we all smoked weed, then there would be no problems" attitude
• And I did not mean that people would start automatically smoking crack after weed is legalized haha. I just think that people are going to eventually get sick of it and move on to something else. Like "Medical Cocaine" in GTA V...lol
• PLUS: The last thing the United States needs is drugs legalized. Our Economy is in the crapper, and citizens pay taxes to others who dont want to get a job, and would rather sit around all day. I think most people would rather take a hit from a bong and have a good laugh, rather than work. What do you think?

You're not cutting illegal drug trade though, you're changing what is classified as illegal narcotics trade.

 

There's a very fine real-world example of that logic right here in Denmark as prostitution is legal, that sounds all well and good because it's two adults in a consensual business transaction.

Well, unfortunately not because there's a reason why Denmark is classified as one of the top destinations for trafficking.

 

A good portion of street walkers are trafficked women without work permits. The police is powerless against these women. Sure, they can arrest the trafficked women for having no work visa which may get them deported, their families will be beaten or she might get beaten or killed herself if she's caught.

Again, a licensing system, like in America, removes the incentive to illegally traffic drugs. The people who make money currently would not be able to be licensed, or at most, they would not make nearly as much money as now. Besides the laws banning it, the illicit drug trade is an unregulated business, left solely to be controlled by the drug lords and their henchmen.

 

A good example of the licensing system severely limiting illegal crime is the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. Before the prohibition of alcohol in the US, anyone could manufacture and sell alcohol. Then when it was banned, violent organized crime went through the roof due to people seeing an opportunity to get a sought after commodity into the United States and make money on it. They were willing to break the law many times to make money, and people were desperate enough for alcohol to continue to buy from them. When the politicians finally realized prohibition made the country more dangerous, a licensing system was established for the sale of alcohol. Some politicians were even bribed to keep prohibition in effect by none other than the crime lords, for the reason that they would make more money when alcohol was illegal.

 

Today, there is not a major business trafficking alcohol illegally to most of the United States (some rural areas, like in outer Alaska, have banned alcohol, but most people in that area create their own instead of relying on a major illegal business), and people under the age of 21 usually have to rely on getting alcohol from other sources than a liquor store.

NB: If the purpose of drug laws is to help those who need help and wouldn't get it any other way, why do they send you to prison instead of to treatment? Mandatory counseling, maybe (though mandatory medical care raises a whole lot of ethical questions), but why prison?

Suicide aren't against the law because it's "bad", it's illegal because someone has to be responsible for getting suicidal people help.

The police don't respond to suicidal people so they can arrest them and take them to jail.

 

That same goes for drugs, those that are severely affected by narcotics can't get help on their own, they can't go to the doctor or talk to a friend about it so society is responsible for helping them, putting a substance user in court shouldn't result in prison, it should result in the person getting the help he or she needs.

The police is here to protect, help and stand up for these people, the police isn't only here to put handcuffs on people.

 

Regarding drug distribution, the people that produce and distribute narcotics are some of the absolute worst scum out there. Their income comes from ruining people, from abusing and using people to their advantage and I truly hope they die a slow and painful death.

 

The real victims of drug use can't speak. They aren't attending 420 days, they aren't talking about drugs on the internet because they can't, they aren't using because it's fun, they are using because the drugs is in control of them. The real victims can't stand up for themselves.

Sure, cannabis is not the "worst" substance when we talk about how it affects you or how severely addictive it can be because it's different from person to person. I know that weed is one of the go-to drugs for people that want to escape their daemons for the night or all day for some.

 

I don't care about people who use drugs for "fun", pay the ticket and get on with your life, it's illegal because someone else needs it to be, not because they need to go to jail, but because they need help.

I know this is a pointless question, but still, have you ever tried marijuana?

 

I highly doubt that anybody who smokes it needs help. I would understand if we were talking about heroin, or something highly addictive, but weed? really?

I don't know a single person that smokes marijuana and needs help stopping. It's not directly addictive, and when smoked in a bong, is nowhere near as damaging as cigarettes or alcohol. 

 

I like to smoke weed every now and then, I see it as an alternative to alcohol, but if I don't have any money, I don't buy any. It's no biggie. It hasn't ruined my life, and everything is golden. I don't have money or health issues, so I don't see why everyone is so against the legalization of it. 

Many people develop a psychosis from long term (and very rarely short term) used of marijuana. 

 

If you were to legalize marijuana, yes, people would be very happy and for the start it would be great however, down the line, as people get older, and they've been allowed to expose their brains to the chemicals in marijuana problems will start to arrive.

 

I believe that States like Colorado and California legalized the used of marijuana due to the extreme high use already. It's more economically beneficial to allow it rather then put so many people in prison and legalizing it gets a bunch of stoners off their backs protesting.

 

I personally don't believe in legalizing it. I 'may' have tried it and I 'may' even have some in the vicinity of me and I can say that a little bit at party's or friends over is fine, just don't turn dependent. 

Many people develop a psychosis from long term (and very rarely short term) used of marijuana. 

 

If you were to legalize marijuana, yes, people would be very happy and for the start it would be great however, down the line, as people get older, and they've been allowed to expose their brains to the chemicals in marijuana problems will start to arrive.

 

I believe that States like Colorado and California legalized the used of marijuana due to the extreme high use already. It's more economically beneficial to allow it rather then put so many people in prison and legalizing it gets a bunch of stoners off their backs protesting.

 

I personally don't believe in legalizing it. I 'may' have tried it and I 'may' even have some in the vicinity of me and I can say that a little bit at party's or friends over is fine, just don't turn dependent.

And those who drink alcohol have the risk of developing liver disease, heart problems and pancreatitis. Cigarettes carry the risk of lung cancer, emphysema and bronchitis. As people who take part in such activities get older, the risks of these are increased greatly.

 

In saying "turning dependant", I'm assuming that you mean "turning addicted" which carries the same or a smaller probability as becoming addicted to alcohol, which is legal, remember.

Alcohol being legal has nothing to do with marihuana. Sadly because of it's long, long history and popularity, (not to mention the money it makes for the government) it's widely accepted in our society. If we were to make stuff like alcohol and cigarettes illegal, not only would the government be losing lot's of money, it'd be the Prohibition all over again. Cigarettes sort of have the same position I'd say, not sure. Dunno about abusing that though.

 

Anyway, point is, yes, weed is just as bad as cigarettes or alcohol, if not worse. (I can't confirm the latter) Personally, I wouldn't like seeing it get legalized.At the same time however, I think it would be for the better the pros considered.

 

Basic rule though, all in moderation. If one would abuse the substance, I think that's really their decision as unfortunate it is. They'll pay the price for their foolishness. If their habits would harm or danger others in some way, that's when they cross the limit. Say, driving under the influence for an example.

 

Please don't hate, posting at 2:09 A.M.

Alcohol being legal has nothing to do with marihuana. Sadly because of it's long, long history and popularity, (not to mention the money it makes for the government) it's widely accepted in our society. If we were to make stuff like alcohol and cigarettes illegal, not only would the government be losing lot's of money, it'd be the Prohibition all over again. Cigarettes sort of have the same position I'd say, not sure. Dunno about abusing that though.

I don't see how it is not, it's also a substance that is used recreationally and has a similar effect on the body, as well as various health impacts.

 

 

Anyway, point is, yes, weed is just as bad as cigarettes or alcohol, if not worse. (I can't confirm the latter) Personally, I wouldn't like seeing it get legalized.At the same time however, I think it would be for the better the pros considered.

But if alcohol and cigarettes are legal, then why is marijuana not? 

 

Basic rule though, all in moderation. If one would abuse the substance, I think that's really their decision as unfortunate it is. They'll pay the price for their foolishness. If their habits would harm or danger others in some way, that's when they cross the limit. Say, driving under the influence for an example.

Isn't that the same with everything in life? Hell, you could go and abuse glue, go sniff a ton of it and make yourself ill or worse.

 

If marijuana is confined to within someone's home, where no-one else can be affected, then I don't see a problem with it being legalized.