Marijuana Prohibition - Where do you stand?

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by Dion

At one time in history cigarettes were considered a safe product to use.

pffff, cigarettes kill hundreds of thousands annually. Cannabis never killed anyone, ever. Bruce Lee's death certificate said cannabis but that's because they wouldn't fess up to giving him a bad prescription that caused his brain to swell and kill him.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Dion

At one time in history cigarettes were considered a safe product to use.

Yeah, I'm sure Big Mary Jane is suppressing the science.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by rubecube

What an absolutely terrible comparison.

How so? The argument I hear is that weed has no harmful effects on our bodies and is safe to use. Cigarettes were once considered the same until decades of studies proved otherwise.

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by Dion

How so? The argument I hear is that weed has no harmful effects on our bodies

wait wait wait wait, who is saying that?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by AcGold

pffff, cigarettes kill hundreds of thousands annually. Cannabis never killed anyone, ever. Bruce Lee's death certificate said cannabis but that's because they wouldn't fess up to giving him a bad prescription that caused his brain to swell and kill him.

It doesn't have to kill you to be harmful.

Physical effects

• Breathing problems. Marijuana smoke irritates the lungs, and frequent marijuana smokers can have the same breathing problems that tobacco smokers have. These problems include daily cough and phlegm, more frequent lung illness, and a higher risk of lung infections. Researchers still do not know whether marijuana smokers have a higher risk for lung cancer.
• Increased heart rate. Marijuana raises heart rate for up to 3 hours after smoking. This effect may increase the chance of heart attack. Older people and those with heart problems may be at higher risk
• Problems with child development during and after pregnancy. Marijuana use during pregnancy is linked to increased risk of both brain and behavioral problems in babies. If a pregnant woman uses marijuana, the drug may affect certain developing parts of the fetus’s brain. Resulting challenges for the child may include problems with attention, memory, and problem-solving. Additionally, some research suggests that moderate amounts of THC are excreted into the breast milk of nursing mothers. The effects on a baby’s developing brain are still unknown.

http://www.drugabuse.gov/publication...acts/marijuana

[Drak]

Originally Posted by AcGold

pffff, cigarettes kill hundreds of thousands annually. Cannabis never killed anyone, ever. Bruce Lee's death certificate said cannabis but that's because they wouldn't fess up to giving him a bad prescription that caused his brain to swell and kill him.

His death cert said that? Pretty sad that the reefer madness folks would take advantage of his death with such ignorant information.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by AcGold

wait wait wait wait, who is saying that?

Depends on how you intepret the term "safe product"

[AcGold]

Originally Posted by Dion

Depends on how you intepret the term "safe product"

does not kill you, pretty easy line to draw if we are talking about drugs considering alcohol, cigarettes and prescription drugs kill millions.

[Drak]

Originally Posted by AcGold

wait wait wait wait, who is saying that?

No one.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Yeah, I'm sure Big Mary Jane is suppressing the science.

I mean that's the position Rona Ambrose took today, but I'd wager most sane people don't think that way.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by AcGold

does not kill you, pretty easy line to draw if we are talking about drugs considering alcohol, cigarettes and prescription drugs kill millions.

If that's where you want to draw the line then fine, I can see your point.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Dion

It doesn't have to kill you to be harmful.

[/LIST]http://www.drugabuse.gov/publication...acts/marijuana

1. You don't have to smoke it. It can be vaped or eaten.

2. This is the first I've heard of this. I'd need to see a lot more evidence backing it up.

3. Probably true, but how does keeping it illegal prevent people from smoking it while pregnant?

Again, this goes back to jammies' point about how these might be good reasons not to smoke pot, but they're not good reasons to keep it illegal, as doing so does not decrease any of these things.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by rubecube

1. You don't have to smoke it. It can be vaped or eaten.

2. This is the first I've heard of this. I'd need to see a lot more evidence backing it up.

3. Probably true, but how does keeping it illegal prevent people from smoking it while pregnant?

Again, this goes back to jammies' point about how these might be good reasons not to smoke pot, but they're not good reasons to keep it illegal, as doing so does not decrease any of these things.

I guess my point comes down to why would we want to legalise another product that harms your health?

Is it because of the almighty tax dollars we could rake in from sales?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Dion

I guess my point comes down to why would we want to legalise another product that harms your health?

Is it because of the almighty tax dollars we could rake in from sales?

No, it's because keeping it illegal is costing us billions and not doing anything to prevent it's use. There's also the moral aspect of treating people as criminals because they choose to out certain substances in their bodies, which is appalling to me.

[2Stonedbirds]

Some studies have shown that marijuana use in youth can be detrimental to brain development. Outside that and slight irritation to the lungs for those who inhale the smoke there are no known health hazards. When it comes to youth I don't think that legalization or decriminalization will allow for those under 18 to smoke anyways, so those effects should be minimal.

Dion, I see where you are coming from and understand why you are coming from there. I do have one point to make though.

I'm sure you or someone you know has known someone that has overdosed on drugs or had alcohol poisoning. Unfortunately I know people who have passed from both.

When it comes to marijuana consider this. If you need to smoke one whole joint of marijuana to get high, you would need to smoke 500 times that amount at once to overdose. This is actually physically impossible. For one, you would be too high to even light up that many dubies, and way before that time ever came you would become sidetracked with PBS and dorito chips. It just can't happen.

The point about it raising you heart rate is correct. It increases bloodflow. This is why people who are stoned have red bloodshot eyes.

I'm not trying to change you opinion, you are more than welcome to the one you have. Personally I just see marijuana as a harmless drug (more harmless than tobacco or alcohol) and the only reason those are socially acceptable is because they are legal. It's not hard to get, it's not something that is hidden from the public eye or viewed as destructive by the general population. There is a chance for this country to generate some serious revenue here without having any effect on society one way or another. In these uncertain economic times I think it's a good move. IMO.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Dion

I guess my point comes down to why would we want to legalise another product that harms your health?

Is it because of the almighty tax dollars we could rake in from sales?

Because it's ridiculous that it's illegal. If everything unhealthy or possibly not good for you was illegal, then we wouldn't have table salt, girl guide cookies, or a day at the beach.

And since it's no better or worse than lots of other things that are regularly consumed, the amount of money spent on prosecuting it instead of the possible amount gained from taxing it is huge.

Almighty tax dollar?

[2Stonedbirds]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Because it's ridiculous that it's illegal. If everything unhealthy or possibly not good for you was illegal, then we wouldn't have table salt, girl guide cookies, or a day at the beach.

And yeah, since it's no bettor or worse than lots of other things that are regularly consumed, the amount of money spent on prosecuting it, instead of the possible amount gained from taxing it is huge.

Almighty tax dollar?

I just crushed up and shot up a half dozen vanilla girl guide cookies. One day, its marijuana, the next it's girl guide cookies.

[Red Potato Standing By]

Legalize all drugs let people decide what to put in their bodies. They are going to do it whether legal or no. At least if it is legal there is some control what it is made of.

[rubecube]

Well this is timely:

http://www.metronews.ca/news/vancouv...exit-drug.html

Marijuana’s label as a gateway drug could go up in smoke, at least according to a study published this month by University of Victoria and University of British Columbia researchers.

The study used UBC data from more than 400 medical cannabis users collected between 2011 and 2012. It found that 87 per cent were likely to use marijuana as a substitute for a different substance, especially prescription drugs. (Medical marijuana is often used for pain relief.)

“While cannabis is not benign, most research suggests that it’s safer and less addictive than many substances, particularly prescription opiates,” Lucas said in a news release. Lucas is also the vice president of patient care at Tilray, a licensed marijuana grow operation in Nanaimo, B.C.

[2Stonedbirds]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Well this is timely:

http://www.metronews.ca/news/vancouv...exit-drug.html

It's like a buddy of mine always used to say...

"Marijuana is only a gateway drug when it's not around."