Study links cannabis use to psychosis

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Reaper

Just wanted to chime in...

In Canada, getting caught for possession of a small amount is most often handled with "You shouldn't be doing this" followed by the police officer dumping it on the ground or crushing it with his boot.

In the United States, getting caught for possession of a small amount is usually handled with charges that carry stiff prison sentences.

I wouldn't smoke weed in the United States even if Tommy Chong himself handed me a joint. The penalties and demonization that result from a conviction are ridiculously steep.

Completely untrue

[Weiser Wonder]

With some common sense you can reduce your risk of getting charged with anything pot related down to practically zero.

Biggest thing is, don't drive with it on your person or in your car.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Sliver

It would be terrible if they got into legal trouble for doing something that shouldn't be illegal. I don't think any pot smokers like that smoking pot is illegal.

That said, I think the probability of somebody getting caught smoking a joint in their house and watching The Matrix is pretty low.

I understand that. It doesn't change the fact that it is illegal and you can suffer some pretty serious consequences (at least in the States).

I agree about the probability being low for that scenario (nil actually) but the stuff comes in somehow, some folks transport it in their vehicles if they are going to do it outside of their home. There are risks.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Are all laws just in your view?

No, but the common reaction is that is shouldn't be illegal. That doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot if you get arrested.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by RubberDuck

Point: The government isn't always up with the times.

Absolutely true.

Also true is that if they decide to enforce the laws on the books it doesn't really matter.

If I knew that a speeding ticket could cost me my job I would NEVER speed, even though I think that would be a ridiculous consequence.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Weiser Wonder

With some common sense you can reduce your risk of getting charged with anything pot related down to practically zero.

Biggest thing is, don't drive with it on your person or in your car.

Or someone else's car.

I hope those with families are smart enough to avoid it.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by valo403

Risking everything? Hyperbole much?

Everything might mean something different to you and I.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by valo403

Completely untrue

Hyperbole much?

What he said is not completely untrue.

The prison sentences portion is probably not accurate though.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

No, but the common reaction is that is shouldn't be illegal. That doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot if you get arrested.

Laws would never change if people didn't deviate from them. Even if you don't smoke pot, it'd be nice if instead of wagging your finger at the pot smokers you wagged it at the government. That might actually help these people that are unfairly and for arbitrary reasons deemed to be criminals.

[BigBrodieFan]

Originally Posted by RubberDuck

Well, you are in Kansas so here are some of the other laws in Kansas that you must blindly support:


Kansas’s Strangest Laws – Stupid, Weird, Dumb, Funny, Crazy, Strange Laws Of Kansas

• It is illegal for restaurants to sell cherry pie a la mode on Sundays.
• If two trains meet on the same track, neither one of them can proceed until one of them has passed.
• Rabbits cannot be shot from motorboats.
• When crossing the highways at night, pedestrians must wear tail lights.
• You’re not allowed to drive a buffalo through a street.
• In Derby, it is considered a misdemeanor to screech your tires while driving, it can cost you 30 days in jail.
• In Lang, it is illegal to ride a mule down Main Street in August, unless the animal is wearing a straw hat.
• In Natoma, it is illegal to throw a knife at anyone wearing a striped shirt.
• In Topeka, it is unlawful to transport dead poultry along Kansas Avenue.
• In Wichita, a man’s mistreatment of his mother-in-law may not be used as grounds for divorce.
• In Wichita, it is illegal to carry a concealed bean snapper.

http://www.strangestlaws.com/kansas-strangest-laws/

Tell ya what, get busted for eating ice cream with a cherry pie on a Sunday and get busted for having a dime bag of weed in a car with two kids, and see which one carries a greater consequence. This argument is completely nonsensical. Every State has ######ed, stupid laws that are outdated that aren't enforced. Drug laws are very strictly enforced in the States.

Maybe the drug laws will seem stupid in 100 years, maybe not. But personally, I am not willing to risk getting caught with any sort of illegal substance. I could lose my job, get fined, go to jail or even be unable to renew my Permanent Residence here. Not worth it.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

No, but the common reaction is that is shouldn't be illegal. That doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot if you get arrested.

Doesn't really help your country when stupid amounts of money is spent on trying to enforce an outdated law and to continue the "war on drugs" after losing that war decades ago. Even if I didn't smoke pot I would hope my country (if I lived in the states) would have something better to spend $17,000,000,000 annually than try and enforce marijuana laws. Instead cut school funding, cut health care, cut government employees rights, but whatever you do, don't legalize something that has little health effects and is better than alcohol, cigarettes, caffefine, or any other drug out there. Canada is at least slowly moving in the right direction by starting not to care, but the US won't let it go and continues to waste money chasing around it's tail.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by BigBrodieFan

Tell ya what, get busted for eating ice cream with a cherry pie on a Sunday and get busted for having a dime bag of weed in a car with two kids, and see which one carries a greater consequence. This argument is completely nonsensical. Every State has ######ed, stupid laws that are outdated that aren't enforced. Drug laws are very strictly enforced in the States.

Maybe the drug laws will seem stupid in 100 years, maybe not. But personally, I am not willing to risk getting caught with any sort of illegal substance. I could lose my job, get fined, go to jail or even be unable to renew my Permanent Residence here. Not worth it.

You seem very paranoid...

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Laws would never change if people didn't deviate from them. Even if you don't smoke pot, it'd be nice if instead of wagging your finger at the pot smokers you wagged it at the government. That might actually help these people that are unfairly and for arbitrary reasons deemed to be criminals.

I'm actually not wagging my finger at anyone.

I'm just presenting a dissenting opinion, and one I think is unique as far as dissenting opinions go on this subject. I don't look down upon people who choose to indulge unless it effects me in a negative way personally. That has happened in the past, but not with anyone involved in this thread.

Will I join the crusade for legalization? No. That's not my fight. I think it makes a lot of fiscal sense to do so. Any support I have for the movement won't be because I think people are being treated unfairly.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Hyperbole much?

What he said is not completely untrue.

The prison sentences portion is probably not accurate though.

I highlighted the part about prison sentences, it seems you agree on that point. Where's the hyperbole?

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by valo403

I highlighted the part about prison sentences, it seems you agree on that point. Where's the hyperbole?

Well, you highlighted the entire sentence, not just prison sentences.

I do agree....people who get caught for possession of a small amount don't go to prison.

Possession with intent to sell is a different story and the amount required to be able to charge someone with intent varies from state to state.

There is no question that possession can get you in a fair amount of trouble in the states. One doesn't have to go to prison to incur dire consequences.

[BigBrodieFan]

Originally Posted by Sliver

You seem very paranoid...

You seem very childish..

[RubberDuck]

Originally Posted by Sliver

You seem very paranoid...

Maybe he's high.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Well, you highlighted the entire sentence, not just prison sentences.

I do agree....people who get caught for possession of a small amount don't go to prison.

Possession with intent to sell is a different story and the amount required to be able to charge someone with intent varies from state to state.

There is no question that possession can get you in a fair amount of trouble in the states. One doesn't have to go to prison to incur dire consequences.

Yes I highlighted the entire sentence, and the entire sentence reads:

In the United States, getting caught for possession of a small amount is usually handled with charges that carry stiff prison sentences.

That is patently false. There is absolutely no hyperbole involved. Not an ounce. Possession of a small amount of marijuana does not typically result in charges that carry stiff prison sentences, not even in Texas.

And I suppose it depends on your definition of dire consequences. A Class B Misdemeanor is unlikely to result in what I would consider dire consequences for the majority of people.

[Starfishy]

Originally Posted by AvsJerk

I have to disagree. Many people grow tomatoes...I'd wager that many CP users grow tomatoes...maybe not with hydro set-ups, but in gardens. Heck, a tomato really isn't even all that expensive when compared to weed and many people still grow them for different reasons, a couple being: homegrown toms taste better than store bought, it's kind of fun to grow your own and share with friends and family, etc (same would apply to marijuana).

Now imagine if you had to be 21 to buy tomatoes at the store and that a bag of them was going to cost you $50 to $100. How many more people do you think would be growing them at home? You might even see people growing tomatoes indoors during the winter.

Is it really that hard to believe that many pot smokers would be growing a few plants for personal use rather than buying it at stores and paying taxes on it? I hardly ever smoke weed anymore...maybe 3 bowls the last couple of years, but if it were legal for me to grow at home I would. That's why the government would have to sell grow licenses, even for casual growers...only way they would really make money off it. Just my opinion of course.

I agree that many people grow tomatoes. I also agree that people would grow weed. However, it would be a very low percentage of people who would grow it themselves. Space, time and effort would deter the large percentage of users from growing. It is also true you should require a license to grow.

[Starfishy]

Originally Posted by HOOT

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...riminalization

HOOT, I am not one of the guys that really cares in this argument. But that article doesn't really suggest a decrease in pot use after it was decriminalized. It actually states at one point that the world wide pot use decreased overall since the initial study (not just in Portugal).

I believe that marijuana use would increase as a result of decriminalization. I don't know many people that smoke pot right now that are going to stop if it was legal, I do however believe some people that currently don't smoke it due to the legal issue (and associated moral issue), that might decide to give it a try.

That said, I don't care if more people smoke pot. I don't necessarily think it would be an awful world if more people smoked pot. To be honest, I don't know why the pro-legalization people would want to suggest that less people will smoke pot, thus making the world a better place.

All I care about is the money. I hate that tobacco is legal, as I think that it costs me more as a tax payer than I make back. I don't know if that would be true of marijuana or not, but if I could break even or even make some money off of the tax revenue then I will be the first to break out my tie-dye shirt and stand the picket line with you HOOT

I would prefer it if nobody would bring up liquor and its effect on health care and taxes as I likely wouldn't be happy with the results of such a discussion. Liquor is special to me though so I think everyone should help pay for my liver transplant.