Study links cannabis use to psychosis

[MelBridgeman]

Meh all this tells me is that mentally ill people love their pot.

[Mr.Coffee]

Legalize it, tax it like tobacco, use the money on health care and/or debt reduction.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

Meh all this tells me is that mentally ill people love their pot.

You have proof of this?

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Ark2

Frankly, I don't care. Legalize it and I don't have to listen to a bunch of boring stoners whine about it anymore. I'm just saying that it isn't going to suddenly become controllable simply because it is legal.

Another thing to consider would be what legalizing marijuana would do to our border relations with the US. I just think it would be refreshing for once if those in favour of legalizing it would give their position a little more thought then just "make it legal and then we can tax it".

Maybe not that much.

At the beginning of this year, Washington State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson filed HB 1550, which would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana through the state’s system of liquor stores. Since then, the state’s Office of Financial Management has provided an official analysis of the bill that shows that marijuana legalization would result in hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue, and tens of millions in reduced court, police and incarceration costs. From the Office of Financial Management fiscal notes on HB 1550 on state revenue:

http://justsaynow.firedoglake.com/20...state-coffers/

[Ark2]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Like the thought you've put into your position?
"Frankly, I don't care. Legalize it and I don't have to listen to a bunch of boring stoners whine about it anymore."

I haven't taken a position. Saying that I don't care is me refraining from doing so. A position would be: "yes, I think it should be legalized" or "no, I don't think it should be legalized".

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by Dion

You have proof of this?

Says right in the article

or whether it is because people with psychosis use cannabis to self-medicate to calm their symptoms.

I just worded it differently. Should of said "some" not all mentally ill.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Maybe not that much.

Not to mention if they decided to cut border relations they would have to figure out a new way to power half their country.

The US spends $13B per year on marijuana related offenses, 98% of them are for small possession crimes. The only reason they won't legal it there is because of the private jails, keeping pot illegal and giving people 10 years for an ounce of pot, is how they stay in business.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Ark2

I haven't taken a position. Saying that I don't care is me refraining from doing so. A position would be: "yes, I think it should be legalized" or "no, I don't think it should be legalized".

Originally Posted by Ark2

Marijuana is a multi billion dollar industry. Illegal drug distribution isn't just going to go away if it is legalized.

Seems like taking a position.
Unless you're saying despite your belief legalizing marijuana won't eliminate illegal drug distribution, you don't take positions based on your beliefs?
But that sounds like something a stoner would say.

[Vulcan]

Yeah, the war on pot was lost long ago, they just don't know it yet. It's time for governments to take their cut and cut out organized crime and the big business' that profit from the laws.

[Cole436]

Originally Posted by robocop

let's get one thing straight, most of you have zero comprehension regarding the difference between correlation and causation.

Boom. That's exactly it.
Psychosis is such a broad term that there is not a great amount of reliability that can come with quantitatively studying it. If anything, I'd be questioning the study on terms of reactivity by the respondents due to the study, and frequency of so called "psychosis", as well as probable under-reporting.

Studies that have a political agenda are sometimes reactionary to the observers themselves. If they did not have third party, neutral observers whom had no knowledge of either the control or treatment group, I'd be very skeptical of this study.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Yeah, the war on pot was lost long ago, they just don't know it yet. It's time for governments to take their cut and cut out organized crime and the big business' that profit from the laws.

You won't cut out organised crime. It will still be produced and shipped to other countries where it is illegal and greater profits can be made. Any taxtion of that product will be gone too.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Yeah, the war on pot was lost long ago, they just don't know it yet. It's time for governments to take their cut and cut out organized crime and the big business' that profit from the laws.

Yep! And it's been shown that most organized crime starts with Marijuana because it is cheap to produce and the illegal factor jacks up the price. Taking out set up costs it can cost an industrial marijuana set up less than $50 per pound to produce, that sells on the street for between $2-6k depending on the region. This allows these organizations to invest in bigger dealings, meaning more crime and more danger for the community.

You ask any grower what their thoughts are on increasing the penalty for growing marijuana, they will tell you that's okay, the price goes up. If you have the criminals agreeing with the police about keeping it illegal, we have a problem.

I can walk in the core of downtown Victoria and blaze one while I'm walking down the street with little to no problem from the police, so I'm not asking for it to be illegal for personal gain, I'm asking because it's the right thing to do and will help the economy and hurt the criminals.

[Ark2]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Seems like taking a position.
Unless you're saying despite your belief legalizing marijuana won't eliminate illegal drug distribution, you don't take positions based on your beliefs?
But that sounds like something a stoner would say.

I'm not sure how that sounds like I am taking a position. Saying that I do not believe that legalizing it will eliminate illegal distribution is just common sense. Marijuana is exported to the States. Even if it were legalized in Canada, this illegal drug trafficking would continue. In fact, one could even argue that it would increase due to the fact that production in Canada would be easier. Again, this isn't a position, this is just me casting doubts on a popular stoner argument.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Ark2

I'm not sure how that sounds like I am taking a position. Saying that I do not believe that legalizing it will eliminate illegal distribution is just common sense. Marijuana is exported to the States. Even if it were legalized in Canada, this illegal drug trafficking would continue. In fact, one could even argue that it would increase due to the fact that production in Canada would be easier. Again, this isn't a position, this is just me casting doubts on a popular stoner argument.

You keep saying "stoner argument" like pot smokers are the only one who see the benefits of legalizing it. There are TONS of people out there that believe it would be better for their country (US or Canada) because of many different reasons but you can find them from "stoners" to police officers to public officials, etc.

Reported Deaths in the US per year...

Cigarettes - 750,000
Alcohol - 150,000
Marijuana - 0

[Rubicant]

I would have no problems with legalizing and taxing it - as soon as there is an immediate roadside test for marijuana like the breathalyzer for alcohol.

After that, if people want to live in a constant foggy state I don't care.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Rubicant

I would have no problems with legalizing and taxing it - as soon as there is an immediate roadside test for marijuana like the breathalyzer for alcohol.

After that, if people want to live in a constant foggy state I don't care.

They have already come out with one that gives results in 60-120 seconds, but I think the cost is pretty high like it was for booze years and years ago.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

So apparently Reefer Madness wasn't lying.

I knew that movie was onto something.

[Ark2]

Originally Posted by HOOT

You keep saying "stoner argument" like pot smokers are the only one who see the benefits of legalizing it. There are TONS of people out there that believe it would be better for their country (US or Canada) because of many different reasons but you can find them from "stoners" to police officers to public officials, etc.

Not at all. I keep saying "stoner argument" to denote poorly thought, often fallacious arguments. Saying that legalizing it will stop illegal trafficking or that it will make it harder for minors to get a hold of it fits into this category (at least in my opinion, it does).

Reported Deaths in the US per year...

Cigarettes - 750,000
Alcohol - 150,000
Marijuana - 0

I think it would be interesting to see how these numbers were arrived at. With cigarettes, obviously lung cancer is the big killer there. I suspect that anyone who died of lung cancer and had some exposure to first or second hand smoke falls into this 750,000. However, people get lung cancer without ever having been exposed to cigarette smoke (albeit at a lower percentage) and people that are exposed to cigarette smoke have died from causes unrelated to smoking, so it stands to be reasoned that that number is likely inflated.

When it comes to alcohol, I suspect that many of these 150,000 deaths were caused by vehicle related accidents. Again, attributing every fatal accident to alcohol seems somewhat dishonest as people have driven under the influence and haven't caused fatal accidents while other people have been sober and caused fatal accidents. At the same time, if one is allowed to attribute alcohol as the direct cause of death for vehicle fatalities, I have to find marijuana's non-existent death toll to be somewhat dubious. Have people not gotten into fatal car accidents while being high? Doesn't it stand to reason that marijuana should be cited as being responsible as alcohol would be in the exact same instance?

Don't get me wrong, when it comes to the three above drugs, I think marijuana is easily the least harmful. I just think you are being a bit careless with your numbers there.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

So apparently Reefer Madness wasn't lying.

I knew that movie was onto something.

8 years later....Hemp For Victory

Just shows you the government will do whatever it can to only make a law that works for them, not the people in the country.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Ark2

I think it would be interesting to see how these numbers were arrived at.

I can't speak for how the numbers come to all I know is I heard them from Dr. Lester Grinspoon, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

He also laughs at the "addiction" factor of marijuana saying that coffee is worse.