Studies have shown that the average use of marihuana in the US, where it is illegal, is higher than in The Netherlands, where it is legal. The topic of discussion is, why should marihuana be legal or illegal. Making it illegal seems to make it people want and use it more, as these numbers would suggest: http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/netherlands_v_us#sthash.eftL40Fw.dpbs

 

 

 

Weed should be legal in the US. Nothing harmful comes from the drug, so studies have said, and it has no bad side effects that make people go all loony. Nicotine is more addictive and unhealthy and has years of evidence that shows that it creates a problem with cancer. My theory, along with a lot of other law enforcement minded kind of people is this:

 

Make marijuana legal, and tax it. The country gets another source of income from the people, which could help raise money for such things as health care, roads, city parks, rejuvenation of bad parts of cities, and almost any other thing that you can imagine that the government takes part in.

 

The second part of this would be ending the Drug War. For so long now, US has fought this war with the drug lords of Mexico. Eliminating the illegal drug by making it legal would make so many of the drug lords lose business that it could possible shut them down, or at least take a hit for quite some time. Ending this drug war should be one of the top priorities within the government, as well as making money/income without raising taxes on middle to poor Americans.

 

I personally think people shouldn't smoke marijuana because it is a mind altering drug that can affect your ability to work, operate a car, and most everything in life. People will say it just makes you sit there and do nothing at all, but that's my point. Instead of getting out there and working on a job, you are sitting there at home forcing someone else to pick up the slack left behind by you. So, while I believe that you shouldn't smoke anything that alters your perception of reality, I also don't think people should do anything that will harm you like nicotine or do chew. 

Kyle about your point, weed can easily lead to bad things such as crack etc, that's why it's illegal in most countries and Alcohol isn't because Alcohol doesn't lead you to try stuff which can harm you and everything around you.

I'm an active marijuana user (or a POTHEAD waffle would say) and I agree very much that it should be legal. I'm not going to go in as depth as you guys, but I smoke it every day, I have a stable girlfriend (who smokes with me<3 love you babe) and a stable job. I get around C's and B's, and I have alot going on in my life. I use weed as an escape, and although it is a gateway drug, I know that me and a handful of my friends (probably all of them considering I only have a handful) would never try anything other than weed. 

Weed should be legal in the US. Nothing harmful comes from the drug, so studies have said, and it has no bad side effects that make people go all loony. Nicotine is more addictive and unhealthy and has years of evidence that shows that it creates a problem with cancer. My theory, along with a lot of other law enforcement minded kind of people is this:

 

Make marijuana legal, and tax it. The country gets another source of income from the people, which could help raise money for such things as health care, roads, city parks, rejuvenation of bad parts of cities, and almost any other thing that you can imagine that the government takes part in.

 

The second part of this would be ending the Drug War. For so long now, US has fought this war with the drug lords of Mexico. Eliminating the illegal drug by making it legal would make so many of the drug lords lose business that it could possible shut them down, or at least take a hit for quite some time. Ending this drug war should be one of the top priorities within the government, as well as making money/income without raising taxes on middle to poor Americans.

 

I personally think people shouldn't smoke marijuana because it is a mind altering drug that can affect your ability to work, operate a car, and most everything in life. People will say it just makes you sit there and do nothing at all, but that's my point. Instead of getting out there and working on a job, you are sitting there at home forcing someone else to pick up the slack left behind by you. So, while I believe that you shouldn't smoke anything that alters your perception of reality, I also don't think people should do anything that will harm you like nicotine or do chew. 

ok, first off marijuana is not addictive. nuff said. nicotine is not essentially bad for you. it is addictive, but not bad for your health. show me a case where nicotine has caused cancer.

I do agree with you about making it legal and taxing it though.

 

second, there will always be a "drug war". marijuana is not the only export from mexico. ie cocaine, heroine.. etc

and believe me, im sure the government wants this drug war to be over. USD is leaving the country and going into the hands of forgien druglords. the government doesn't care that its going to druglords. they care that the money is leaving the states.

 

third, I agree with you. people shouldn't smoke marijuana. there are other ways of consuming it that is more beneficial for your health. ie vaporizing, baking, etc.

though no harmful side effects of marijuana have been found, the smoke is still not good for your lungs.

 

fourth, marijuana is a plant not a drug. definition of a drug is " a mind altering substance". marijuana does not alter your mind any more than a Tylenol would.

it does not effect your ability to work, drive, etc. the person who uses marijuana makes the choice of being lazy, negligent to observe and pay attention to the raod, so on and so forth. marijuana does not just make you sit there and do nothing. again that is the persons choice. forcing someone else to pick up the slack<< lulz

What, about marijuana, alters your perception of reality?? LSD alters ur perception of reality, so does methamphetamine, k2 "spice" "incense", bath salts. ie seeing, hearing, etc.. things that are not there

again, nicotine does not harm you. nicotine is a crutch. whats along side the nicotine is what harms you. nicotine is in chew as well... fyi. guessing you didn't know by the way you wrote it.

I'm an active marijuana user (or a POTHEAD waffle would say) and I agree very much that it should be legal. I'm not going to go in as depth as you guys, but I smoke it every day, I have a stable girlfriend (who smokes with me<3 love you babe) and a stable job. I get around C's and B's, and I have alot going on in my life. I use weed as an escape, and although it is a gateway drug, I know that me and a handful of my friends (probably all of them considering I only have a handful) would never try anything other than weed. 

ok, let me clear some stuff up for you. you use weed as an escape? sad. I smoke weed for medicinal purposes. constant migraines, lower back, left knee, and ankle pain. marijuana is not a gateway drug. if marijuana is a gateway drug, why haven't you or any of your friends tried any other drugs. marijuana is not the gate way.

the typical people that you have to deal with, ie dealers, are the gateway. the more you are around marijuana, chances are the more likely you are going to be around other people who use marijuana, and other drugs. the more time you are around them, the more likely the other drugs will be around you. the more you are around the other drugs the more likely they will ask, push, want you to try it. or it might be ur own curiosity that makes you want to try it. I have past experience in this. im not just talking out my ass. I had some pretty low friends. but as soon as I got away from them, I cleaned up my act. buuuuut, I still smoke marijuana.

Edited May 19, 201312 yr by troncat

Weed can lead to "crack" because it's seen as a "bad" drug in the America since it's illegal. Make it legal, it's no different to alcohol or any other substance that makes you "influenced". The only reason it's seen as a gateway drug is because the same people you buy pot from you buy crack from, so the temptation is right there. Weed/alcohol should both be 16-18 in the US.

Kyle about your point, weed can easily lead to bad things such as crack etc, that's why it's illegal in most countries and Alcohol isn't because Alcohol doesn't lead you to try stuff which can harm you and everything around you.

time to put another person in there place..... marijuana can lead to those sort of things because of the people around you.. as I previously stated. and if that where true, that's not why its illegal. alcohol is not legal because it doesn't lead u to try new things that would harm you.

research and find how many deaths marijuana has directly caused in the last 20 years.

now, research and find out how many death alcohol has directly caused in the last 20 years.

while your at it, look up how many innocent people have died because of the use of alcohol.

Weed can lead to "crack" because it's seen as a "bad" drug in the America since it's illegal. Make it legal, it's no different to alcohol or any other substance that makes you "influenced". The only reason it's seen as a gateway drug is because the same people you buy pot from you buy crack from, so the temptation is right there. Weed/alcohol should both be 16-18 in the US.

already stated that??

 and imo alcohol should have never been discovered. nothing good comes from it. except for wine. people say its good for you, if you consume a little at a time. ie a glass a week.

but nothing good can come of beer, hard liquor. the age limit is 21 for alcohol, because peoples bodies under that age are still developing. alcohol destroys your body, especially your liver.

Edited May 19, 201312 yr by troncat

Kyle about your point, weed can easily lead to bad things such as crack etc, that's why it's illegal in most countries and Alcohol isn't because Alcohol doesn't lead you to try stuff which can harm you and everything around you.

 

Alcohol is as much of a "gateway" drug as Marijuana is.

(Marijuana isn't, it's the people around you who lead you to do bad choices, and or you're stupid. )

 

In fact, Alcohol is a lot worse for you than weed, or basically any other drug.

 

For example, taken in small, moderate doses, Meth, Dex, and a lot of amphetamines actually stimulate brain activity and increase performance. What fucks you is when people take too much.

 

I've never heard of anyone "taking" too much weed, or overdosing on it.

 

Plenty of cases though about people dying from alcohol poisoning, drunk driving, liver diseases and a whole bunch of other shit.

Edited May 19, 201312 yr by Medic

Kyle about your point, weed can easily lead to bad things such as crack etc, that's why it's illegal in most countries and Alcohol isn't because Alcohol doesn't lead you to try stuff which can harm you and everything around you.

 

Just so you know this so called gateway theory is flawed and has never actually been tested.. Wiki is hardly a useful resource http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_drug_theory

 

 But I can tell you right now i've been smoking weed for 4 years and the worst thing ive ever done besides it is acid only drugs ive done since I started weed is shrooms, acid (obv). I have been happier ever since starting even if I go sober for months so ya your gateway drug is flawed to shit alcohol mixes more with other illicit drugs

ok, first off marijuana is not addictive. nuff said. nicotine is not essentially bad for you. it is addictive, but not bad for your health. show me a case where nicotine has caused cancer.

I do agree with you about making it legal and taxing it though.

 

second, there will always be a "drug war". marijuana is not the only export from mexico. ie cocaine, heroine.. etc

and believe me, im sure the government wants this drug war to be over. USD is leaving the country and going into the hands of forgien druglords. the government doesn't care that its going to druglords. they care that the money is leaving the states.

 

third, I agree with you. people shouldn't smoke marijuana. there are other ways of consuming it that is more beneficial for your health. ie vaporizing, baking, etc.

though no harmful side effects of marijuana have been found, the smoke is still not good for your lungs.

 

fourth, marijuana is a plant not a drug. definition of a drug is " a mind altering substance". marijuana does not alter your mind any more than a Tylenol would.

it does not effect your ability to work, drive, etc. the person who uses marijuana makes the choice of being lazy, negligent to observe and pay attention to the raod, so on and so forth. marijuana does not just make you sit there and do nothing. again that is the persons choice. forcing someone else to pick up the slack<< lulz

What, about marijuana, alters your perception of reality?? LSD alters ur perception of reality, so does methamphetamine, k2 "spice" "incense", bath salts. ie seeing, hearing, etc.. things that are not there

again, nicotine does not harm you. nicotine is a crutch. whats along side the nicotine is what harms you. nicotine is in chew as well... fyi. guessing you didn't know by the way you wrote it.

 

In response to your answers: 

 

1. I never said mary jane was addictive, I simply stated that nicotine is. And, where do you find nicotine? In cigarettes that have all the bad things for you. Nicotine alone will probably not cause cancer, but since it is always paired with the terrible things it will be associated with cancer. 

 

2. I know there will always be a drug war, but, look at their main drug right now.. It's marijuana. Eliminate their main income, and you cripple their business. They will probably move on to hardcore drugs, but right now marijuana is their main income. And, I don't think the government cares much if money is leaving the country, I mean look at our outsourcing programs. All of our jobs are overseas and the government does nothing about it. 

 

4. Marijuana is absolutely a plant. But when people grind it up, and roll it into a joint, they are making that plant a drug. It does alter you mind as well, because if you are telling me you do the same things sober as you do high, then we might have an issue. Again, tell me that when you guys smoke weed you are proactive and go out there and do things that would benefit the community, yourself, your family, your friends, and anyone else. There are absolutely psychoactive effects from THC in marijuana. These effects can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis

 

 

Although I have never smoked marijuana, I am very versed in the effects and how to use the drug. I am a Criminal Justice major, and have taken classes just on drugs and drug use. I know much more than people think

In response to you Kyle,

 

Cocaine will still and always be a more profitable business. Especially now with dispensaries popping up everywhere, and the United States edging closer to the legalization of Marijuana.

I do use on a an occasional basis after a period of stress when I know I can sit back and relax for a moment. For example after a period with a lot of tests, or being very busy in general. It makes me calm and takes away the need to do things, which in my personal experience is a good stress relieve if not done on a regular basis. Either that, or going out with friends, but I'm sure that the physical effects of alcohol are more severe for your body.

Well, for one.. I know that there aren't alot of problems with marihuana in the Netherlands, because I live there. Yeah, there are problems with foreign people (mostly French) who try to smuggle weed from the Netherlands to their country, but those aren't major problems. I think the majority of teenagers in the Netherlands has tried the herb, because it's so available. However, the only person I know that does weed frequently, is a family member. I really don't know of any friends who use it, other than on the rare occassion of a party.

In response to you Kyle,

 

Cocaine will still and always be a more profitable business. Especially now with dispensaries popping up everywhere, and the United States edging closer to the legalization of Marijuana.

 

This is true, but while it's not completely true, marijuana will still be the leader. This is because many people try it as their first drug, and as Maxi said, use it for relaxation. No one goes and takes Cocaine (unless your are an addict) to relax. I know there are many people who do try marijuana as recreational uses, and enjoy using it to relax, and it's in fact normal that teenagers and people under 21 try and use marijuana at least once in their life. Cocaine cost more because of the high you get, but, your buyers will eventually go to jail/prison or end up dead. 

I have always been against it, I am a Christian and we do not believe in doing drugs, or any of the sort.  I have nothing against anyone that does it, but I don't like to be around it, nor will I ever. I work in a place where you aren't allowed to use it outside of work, and we drug test everyone randomly.