Legal marijuana.

[nerussentia]

People say it kills, thats why it's illegal... Cigarettes cause cancer and I know I smoke a pack a day, but still. People say its mind altering... So is alcohol, but you do have to be 21+ to drink, why not the same for marijuana. They say it wouldn't sell if it were mass produced and it might cost a lot. The reason it cost a lot is because people take a high risk of carrying it on them they charge for that and it would sell because if it were legal not as many people would be afraid to do it since they couldn't get charged with possession. See my point?

[Bigfoot]

Who said marijuana kills? I never heard of this. I have in some cases hyper venelated, but other than that I don't think it could kill you. It actually helps you live longer.

Plus I think that the legal age for drinking should be lowered. 21 seems ancient to me for drinking.

I don't really see why pot is illegal though, really I don't. I for one don't care for pot that much. But I think its crazy what kinds of punishments poeple get for selling or possessing it.

[nerussentia]

I got my license suspended for possession. If you smoke as much as I do it burns off some of the tar built up by cigarettes and it purifies your lungs and heart. THC is an opposition to carbon monoxide.

[Rodak]

nerussentia said:

If you smoke as much as I do it burns off some of the tar built up by cigarettes and it purifies your lungs and heart. THC is an opposition to carbon monoxide.

Absolutely NOT.

I support your argument, but as a Chemist I can not allow such misinformation used to support this!

It purifies Nothing (except your spirit).

It has 10 times the Tars of Tobacco, but NO Niccotine.

I used a Water-Pipe (Bong) when smoking heavily.

It removes much of the tar.

But nowhere near enough.

Get a tall one too, the more wall space , the more tar gets removed.

Smoking a joint IS FAR WORSE for you than smoking a cigarette in terms of tar.

If you MUST smoke pot...

Do Bong Hits, Baby!

You use less.

Can not possibly take it out in puiblic.

AND it's better for you.

Peace.

[kennyken]

and thats hippy advice my friend, back from the days when people were educated about their drug abuse.

back in the day, I spent some time with a water bong, but I haven't smoked in years as for some reason I started to get anxiety attacks everytime I smoked.

And there was a recent study(michael Medved talked about it on the radio), Pot does major damage to your short term memory and Heavy users performed way below average on memory test and reading comprehension. I wish I had a link for you. All the substances you mention are bad for the body, the key is moderation. I turned 30 in April and have become a major health freak, I havent eaten pork or beef in over 2 months. In heavy doses those will kill you too!

BTW, since April I have lost 35lbs. Eating healthy has good side effects. about 15 more to go

[realitybites]

Yeah, its stupid hows its illegall, shoot, there are more people in prison for possesion, than the people who REALLY did something bad, its just monatonous. They imprison almost everyone for possesion, I say, make it legal, that way, not many people will be so worried, but it should only be enjoyed in the privacy of your own home. I dont think little kids should be inhaling that stuff.

[The Final Rune]

[white]I've often gone back and forth on my viewpoints on the legality and illegality of marijuana. As a teenager I was all for legalization, but now as an adult and an occasional smoker myself, I feel that making it legal might just be a bad idea.

After both watching multiple people and myself after smoking weed I can't truthfully say that it does no real harm. I've seen people become complete vegetables after smoking pot. I myself have learned from experience that I personally should never drive afterward because I noticed a significant slowing of my response times and my perception of velocity.

Of course, as a man that's had a mother and other family members that have either suffered or died from cancer and other painful diseases, I believe that a legal medicinal version should definitely become available. I could never deny the changes in my mother during her fight with cancer, and how her 'habit' created such great relief for her anguish.

I've heard a lot of people claim that the only reason marijuana isn't legal is because the government can't stop people from growing it in their own back yards. Of course you could just as easily grow tobacco or set up an alcohol still in your garage. Regardless, I still don't know what side of the fence to stand on in regards to its legality. Marijuana is an unpredictable substance, so is alcohol, but its considered legal. Maybe there should be a legal age for weed. If at 21 you want to drink and then drive and potentially do something disastrous, that's your legal right, just be prepared for the consequences. Why can't weed be the same? But, as Rodak pointed out, it does have harmful side effects toward the body, and although not as harmful as cigarette smoke (a debatable point I'm sure) its still harmful nonetheless.

But, this is just my opinion.[/white]

[nerussentia]

Now that I am more educated on the effects of marijuana I am starting to see why its illegal. But still everything is bad for you in todays society. Eating too much of a certain food can deprive you. I'm pretty sure also if it were legal the companies that mass produce it would put chemicals in it like tobacco and that would make it worse. It's not the tobacco that kills you, its the chemicals you ingest and being as how marijuana makes you like semi-stupid it wouldn't be as good of an idea to manufacture it in packs. But then again there is a good side to everything such as cigarettes thin your blood stream killing stress, alcohol if drank carefully in small doses can inrich your bloodstream to a certain degree. Marijuana can fight off certain cancer cells (but only certain ones not all) that kemo therapy cannot handle. Thats why in certain states it is in fact legal like Oregon, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Colorado, and California. New Jersey does want to legalize it, but they have to pass a petition with enough signatures to make it legal. If by 2008 they have one less signature by the legal voters such as me and Rodak (since we are over 18 and live in the state) then its not going to happen. I actually think now its bad legal just for the fact that more people will do it outside in the public polluting the environment. Even natural substances can kill mother nature when used wrong and its original intent wasn't to smoke I bet. Sorry side tracking here. Yes there are many things to fight off legal marijuana, but then agian its a risk we're taking and the government should support what we do with our lives. But then again I've hated the government ever since Bill Clinton lost chair. He was the only good guy I knew because Bush... No comment there!

[Rodak]

I do not think it should be legal.

I would settle for decriminalized.

A subtle distinction that allows the law to go after distributors, but not private users.

Learn to grow Hydroponically (after it's decriminalized, of course)!

Peace.

[christi]

my beliefs on this subject are pretty much summed up here:
www.newstarget.com/010944.html

it's a pretty interesting read, if you've got a few minutes.

[Doan the Nado]

Wow, yeah, I kind of believed as much myself, but seeing it all laid out like that makes it so clear...

[Bigfoot]

I have believed this for awhile. I have even gone into debate with Ves over this subject matter.

[nerussentia]

politicians are corrupt no matter what... even JFK and people around me refuse to believe just because he did a few tweaks to this country here and there while in office. i mean i'm in debt way over my head just because i got busted with pot and i'm only 18. THC isn't harmless, but neither is the paint thinner they slip into the cigarette batch at the tobacco factory. yes i sound hypocritical because i still do the mary jane, i smoke a pack a day, and i have a few shots here and there. you're probably thinking "wow how ing dumb is this kid for starting such bad habits at a young age" but the truth is i'm not throwing my life away... well health i am, but not living matters. when they talked about ritalin i learned something new because i used to be on it just because i had that foe disease "ADHD" when all it did was make me sleeping and irritable so i threw my pills away and said declared my disblief in science medicine. natural remedies i believe in (wow a pagan kid believes in nature produced remedies... thats clique) but its true. THC is a natural substance and so is nicotine and alcohol... the companies of nic and alc just add more then originally was there. if i picked a tobacco leaf off a tree and put it in a pipe or something then smoked it, wouldn't be as bad as if i had never smoked actual cigarettes. NJ is uptight about smoking now since they made it 19+ to purchase and you can't smoke in bars or diners or places of the sort just because of 2nd hand smoke when in fact theres no escape. its everywhere. parents bitch at me at my work for smoking on the job, my friends parents hate it that i smoke, but either way they're dying not just from me and plus i tell them over and over again to not go there like i did. Alcohol does kill your liver and bloodstream, but if you let fruit ferment its not extreme everclear right in your hand. its more or less just a small touch of it. THC does get you high or stoned as the kids tend to tell me when i walk around the neighborhood messed up, but those brain cells it kills aren't as bad as the ones alcohol ELIMINATES FOR GOOD!!! my friend currently is suffering alcohol poisoning and the government won't help pay for his medical bill. i mean they don't even supply me the money for my mental disorder anymore (like i would buy their medicine, i just thought it was a spiffy idea that at one point in time they actually cared about me). i have a severe case of paranoia and mild case of psychosis and all they do now is "suggest" i admit to Princeton House (rahabilitation clinic) or go to a psychiatrist to get medicine. the government makes no sense. if its all for profit like i said earlier i bet THC induced products could help them out. people would be less scared to do it and probably try it since its less likely to become dependant then for alcohol or cigarettes. cigarettes i got addicted after 3 months of mild smoking, but then again i started at a mad young age and people are unaware of alcohol that they drink thinking its not addicting (which is if you do it excessively). i've never driven drunk, but i have been high and your reaction and process of thought is still there so i was able to control exactly what i needed to and i never got caught because it wasn't noticeable what-so-ever. it makes no sense to me, but it. i watch television to see the foe propaganda they try to get us into. "oh drink this its better then beer because its higher in alcohol... please drink responsinly" or some and in magainzes "these cigarettes have flavor and " but its all the same even though all cigarettes have different taste its all going to kill you just as fast. the governments ways. the only thing they did right was violence control and i don't see that too well. i live ing 20 minutes from camden city the worst place in america and i've seen it. so yeah. legalization would help them since we're in debt up our ing asses. i bet theres THC in some medicines they distribute and we don't even know it. for all we know that cop who busted me for the pot probably smoked it and no one cared since hes with the government. they profile a lot too. they saw me dressed in black with all the eyeliner and then turned their sirens on. pulled some bull i was evading them when i didn't even see them and how can you evade arrest if they're not even going after you. its all bull. now imagine a would if i was president. i'd show the good, the bad, and the ugly off all illegal and legal drugs then put out a petition for all to sign to support my statements.

[Rodak]

Excuse me...

But LOOK at that Post!!!

Learn to write coherently!

Use that Enter Key to break up paragraphs!

What are you? High?

[Deleted]

I think he was. That's the most incoherent post I've seen at the Domain, and I've seen almost every post made.

And no, we need laws preventing people from driving while intoxicated. It's not propaganda by the government. It's the immense pain festering in those that have lost loved ones from intoxicated driving accidents. Here are some facts to support my case:

"There were 16,694 alcohol-related fatalities in 2004 – 39 percent of the total traffic fatalities for the year."
"The 16,694 fatalities in alcohol-related crashes during 2004 represent an average of one alcohol-related fatality every 31 minutes."
"An estimated 248,000 people were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present — an average of one person injured approximately every 2 minutes."

For more information feel free to read through my source at www.alcoholalert.com/drunk-driving-statistics.html

This is the debate that always occurs when the government takes away one of our freedoms. On one hand you lose one of your freedoms but on the other hand you gain safety and security. As far as I'm concerned this freedom, driving while intoxicated, is a no brainer and should definitely not be allowed. I would much rather they revoke driving privileges for other things as well than allow irresponsible, stupid people the capability of killing and/or maiming innocent individuals.

And by smoking cigarettes you are throwing your life away. You described the isolation it's given you yourself just now. And, that's not even bringing up the fact that you will guaranteeingly develop lung cancer and die if you continue to smoke. The medical information regarding first-hand cigarette smoke isn't comprised of propaganda one bit. Trust me, running from the truth will only cause you more pain.

[Bigfoot]

Well, I smoke cigarrettes, (not a pack a day, I make my packs last for around 4 or 5 days). And that is completely up to me, i'm not throwing my life away. You could easily say the same about poeple who eat fast food, or drink pop. These are bad for you as well, but if you do it not often, then its okay.

I know the dangers of smoking, and I do it anyways. To be honest I can quit when I want to also. I can go days without smoking, but I have the choice to, and I don't think its cool to bash against other poeples choices.

[Deleted]

It's painful to see others throw away their health after I've lost mine unwillingly. That's all. The me of two and a half years ago that still had his health didn't criticize people for smoking. Usually I don't now, too. The reason why I did here was because what he said about being pro-drunk driving upset me and that he already indicated how the cigarettes are driving people out of his life.

[nerussentia]

I'm not at all for driving drunk, but driving under the THC is different. You still can control yourself and be stable. It's a natrual relaxant. I wasn't high when I wrote it. I just like beating on the governments ways and theories. Yes I might be throwing my life away and I may be addicted to the max and my parents rag on me about it all the time and I tell them its my life let it be. Maybe it should be only abled to be smoked in private and not in the public. Like the police can't get you for holding, but if your smoking it out there then they got you. Like alcohol. If its not opened they can't do anything, but if the seal is broken then you're screwed. I feel the same laws should apply to marijuana as they do to alcohol.

[Doan the Nado]

bigfoot721 said:

Well, I smoke cigarrettes, (not a pack a day, I make my packs last for around 4 or 5 days). And that is completely up to me, i'm not throwing my life away. You could easily say the same about poeple who eat fast food, or drink pop.

Just because something else is just as bad (and more readily accepted) doesn't make the first thing better. Smoking is bad for you, and serves no purpose other than relief from addiction. Fast food is bad, too, but at least it has some nutrition. Regardless, I try not to eat much fast food, and I've never smoked in my life. Both are bad, and just because someone else does something bad doesn't make it okay (just like your mom always said...).

[thetruecoolness]

Well on this ordeal I feel the same as christy. This is why I don't take any drugs at all, prescription or otherwise (well except caffiene, but I only drink one soda a day now, more for the flavor as I stay up really late without it), as a lot of those defeat your bodies natural defenses against disease by promoting dependence on the drugs. I have been very fortunate but I haven't experienced any sickness in over 5 years or so now, though I won't say I'm completely healthy, as that would be a lie.

The test they have on that site is pretty interesting too (I think I got a 95 on it or something, though a lot of those are pretty easy to guess). So I think like all the things the truth about these things lies somewhere in the middle.

I will say that I'm all for marijuana being legal, but I don't think people should be allowed to smoke it, as smoking in any form is bad for both your health and others. Though I have heard injesting it doesn't give the same effect in the same doses I'm pretty sure it is also healthier for you. I do think that like alcohol and other drugs it should be marked up more than regular products, as making these things too easy to obtain can harm the society as a whole.

All I know is I can't stand the smell of that stuff.

[Doan the Nado]

thetruecoolness said:

All I know is I can't stand the smell of that stuff.

Yeah, I agree with that to some extent. Last year, I lived with someone who grew it, and so we smelled it almost constantly. I got kind of sick of it, but I guess I also got kind of used to it. Now when I smell it only occasionally, I tend to take a big whiff and go, "Hmm... that stuff smells pretty good." I only actually smoke about 4-5 times a year, though.

[nerussentia]

There should be a legal limit to how much THC you can ingest like alcohol. Once you meet a certain point and found in public you can get arrested or sent to a hospital for over-inxoticated. The cops will find anything to get you in Jersey. My friend got charged with self-inflicted echelon (sp?) for smelling a bottle of ammonia and bleach mixed and I got charged for holding the bottle since I was the one who was like "wow this stuff smells pretty good, sucks its bad to be near it" because I know that them two mixed can knock you out. I still think it should be smoked in only designated places and your home. Like if a cop saw me on my porch smoking a bowl they couldn't do anything until I stepped off my property with the bowl lit in my hand. I am still for that the same laws should apply to marijuana as alcohol. They both have the same effects, you damage your brain and screw up your blood stream. I asked my friend today and he said something about not being allowed to tax it and if it were legal people would grow their own anyways and sell it because cops wouldn't be able to tell if its government approved or not so the government wouldn't be making much money. People would buy it over the counter because if it is OTC then they wouldn't have to worry about being beat. So its a win-win situation.

[The Final Rune]

[white]The only problem is, as far as I know there is no reliable way to test exactly how much THC is in a person's blood system. That's not to say they can't tell how much is in there, which happens to be one of my main complaints about marijuana tests, so let me be a little more specific.

The test can only tell amount. They can't tell if you smoked twenty blunts in a row two months ago or if you just had two puffs twenty minutes ago. It's entirely unrealistic.

When I was in job corps they tested everyone when we came in. And for those of us that did smoke they gave everyone a 45 day period in which to 'stay clean' and they'd test us again to see if we were still using. Only problem is, what if you got totally wasted the night before you came to be tested? If you assimilated enormous amounts of THC that night, the chances of your system filtering it all out in 45 days is slim. So, even though you haven't smoked in 45 days you'd still get kicked out because you partied a little too hard the night before the initial test.

That's probably why it'll never be legal. There's no accurate way to test for users, little alone chronic users. Hell, you can walk by a cloud of pot smoke and test positive the next day just from the second hand exposure!

Its a ed up thing.[/white]

[kennyken]

final rune, THC doesn't stay in your body that long as far as I know. my friend Gary smokes everyday and he passes drug test at my job. the max I heard was about 28 days, but if you drink a lot of water and tea(they have special concoctions)or cranberry juice it will be removed much quicker than that.

that being said, if you want to do it, then fine that is a personal choice, but I hate when people delude themselves(I know a few) into thinking that pot is good for you. It's not. anytime you disconnect from reality you build up a psychological addiction. I use to smoke a long time ago, but now I would never, it's so much better to have a rational mind with coherent thoughts. I very rarely even drink(very very rarely).

that being said, I believe there probably are people that can handle smoking pot and that it will never become a problem for them, but I think these people are the minority and that the majority is more affected than they realize. The ability to think and reason is such a precious gift, and compromising that is not a wise decision.

and Sentia, if you suffer from paranoia already, it's probably not a good idea to even be smoking weed at all. I'm not trying to be judgmental bro or start an argument, like I said it's your choice, I just think it's a good idea to review your life style choices, your a young man, and I used to do the same type of things that you do in my late teens and I regret it. I swear I used to be so much smarter before taking LSD and Mushrooms and smoking weed everyday. Now, I'm a health freak and I hate what I did to my body during that stretch of life. Sometimes , it's hard to realize these things when we are young.
I suffer from chronic anxiety so I know what you are talking about Solemn truth. Some days are so hard and you wish you could be the person you were, but often it's not that easy. Sometimes, you have to learn to live all over again. Sometimes I can be great for months, but then it all collapses and each passing minute is a struggle. Some in my life think I am week, but they have no idea the strength it takes to continue my normal existence. I'm just ranting, but I just wanted to let the solemn truth know that I understand how he feels on this subject, as I take health seriously after having my life radically changed and understand how precious it is, and to see people throw it away is rather disheartening.

[nerussentia]

I know I should stop. I actually lost the best relationship because I did it EVERY DAY! I told this person if they'd give me a second chance I'd stop just to be with them. It's going to be hard, but I'm going cold turkey. She did smoke until she saw something wrong about marijuana and stopped while I continued to do it and it got her upset. They came all this way with drug tests and they cannot tell how much you ingest? Hmmm. I still feel like its illegal for all the wrong reasons. I know theres facts, but its just my beliefs for so long.