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Im writing a big report for school on why marijuana in the Us should be legal, and i wanna get a chance to test my argument with some people out there who feel strongly for the other side of this issue. BTW I take a stance of Pro-choice not pro-drug, there is a huge difference, and I am in fact a recovering drug addict so I don't even smoke pot now.
I dont want people getting the impression that im a loser druggy who runs around with a bud-leaf shirt screaming legalize Herbz man! fite the power! cause thats not what I am. I strongly believe that the legality of marijuana, and the stricter enforcement of laws on other 'harder' drugs will help stop, or at least cut down, the rampant problem of addiction and habituation among minors. And taxation of the plant will help the economy, and if government regulations are placed on marijuana, there will be no chance of getting an unknown substance on it(youd have to be an idiot to not know your joint' laced in coke, but it happens...). At the very LEAST, people will be saving money, because the artificial inflation of cannabis prices has become simply outrageous, 120$ for 15 grams, do you know how incredibly bad that is? And because of these horrible prices, I have seen many people turn to selling and eventual use of much 'harder' drugs, simply to pay for their weed in the beginning. Also, if marijuana is separated from the world of harder drugs, kids will be less likely to want to move on to the more dangerous chemicals. It seems obvious that if a kid goes to buy his pot from a guy who also happens to sell cocaine, sooner or later hes gonna want to sample the better stuff, but if he can just get is plant from the local gas station or coffee shop, he wont even be exposed to the cocaine and will therefor be much less likely to go out of his way to get it illegaly, especially with the stricter laws enforced on drugs such as cocaine after the marijuana prohibition has been lifted.
Theres a couple of my points, i know they are hastily put together now, but im sure you can see what im trying to say.
Well okay all you anti-drug guys out there, lets here your arguments, and I'll keep this as civil as possible, granting you do the same.
-------i wasnt sure if this post would be deemed out of line of forum rules, and if it is please dont ban me mods!  I figured this would be appropriate for flame wars, but my apologies if it is not------
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Sorry, but most people will be unwilling to argue when the opposition calls them "conservative anit-drug nazis" You might think you are enciting people but instead you are wasting their time.
P.S. Drugs are bad. 
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I'll let it slide... Discussing the political and theoretical aspects behind drugs is fine.. Just don't promote it, or post a picture of yourself smoking it (he know's who he is).
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Your right i was out of line, I kinda contradicted myself by saying that cus people have the right to their opinion, just as i feel we should have the right to make our own choices. well its edited out now, i hope to get a good discussion on this issue, as it is a very controversial topic in todays society
PS thanks skye
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Ok, I'm going to make this a quick death for the pro-marijuana protestors. Here it is: Why should marijuana stay illegal? The best argument I have heard from those who argue for it's usage say that since alcohol kills more people and its immediate and long term effects are both worse, why can't people use a safer choice in marijuana. It sounds reasonable, right? Well, that's what I thought until the answer became clear to me. People can drink alcohol for recreation, to have with dinner, at a party, etc. and not get drunk. Yes, they can get some what buzzed but they are still perfectly in control of their bodily functions. People, however only use marijuana to get stoned. And even when somebody is a "little" stoned, they are a danger on the road, and potentially off of it too. Marijuana's long term effects have also been linked to lung cancer. Yes, that's right...Lung Cancer. If you don't believe me, read into it more.
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1. No one has ever died from use of this drug.
2. It has shown to cause lung cancer later on in life.
3. Ciggarettes do this, and also containe nicotine, which is far more addictive.
4. It is just as dangerous to drive while drunk (over the limit) as it is to drive while stoned.
Alcohol, and Ciggarettes are both legal drugs, so why is this drug not? Obviously it should not be smoked in public places, but should it be illegal?
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Or maybe the better question is, why arent alchohol and cigarettes illegal? I think that would be a better thing to do than legalizing marijuana....
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Well, i never said a thing about alcohol. so thats kind of a moot point. As for driving, the legality of weed is not an issue with current smokers, obviously, so if someones dumb enough to get behind the wheel of a car stoned or drunk, they'll do it regardless of the law, so why not make it easier on those of us who can be responsible. *A recent report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US did a study approximately 2,000 fatal automobile accidents, 125, or 6%, tested positive for marijuana,(this means they had smoked in the past month, not necessarily right when they were driving), and of those 125, over 80(65%) were found to have alcohol in their system, most likely the contributing factor*. These factors aren't too staggering. If the government gives strict punishments for people driving stoned, they will be less likely to do it. If people are dumb enough to drive stoned, it is because they are dumb, not because they are stoned and not thinking clearly, marijuana doesn't tend to lower peoples inhibitions enough to do something as dangerous as that. As for the Quote:and potentially off of it too
, youll have to elaborate, ive never known nor heard of anyone becoming violent when theyre stoned, at the very worst lazy and sleepy. As for the lung cancer issue, ill come back with some stuff on that one, im gonna eat right now.
**Terhune, K.W. et al, The Incidence and Role of Drugs in Fatally Injured Drivers, Washington, DC: Department of Transportation **
a recent NHTSA study, the only statistically significant outcome associated with marijuana was that drivers drove more slowly (Stein, A.C. et al, A Simulator Study of the Combined Effects of Alcohol and Marijuana on Driving Behavior-Phase II, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation )
Conclusion: Marijuana is not a major cause of highway fatalaties
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SkiPpy Wrote:Or maybe the better question is, why arent alchohol and cigarettes illegal? I think that would be a better thing to do than legalizing marijuana....
Prohibition would never work, neither would banning ciggarettes. Aside from losing billions in taxes and duties, you crazy Americans would tear your own country apart.
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Weird, the person I'm sitting behind in US History is doing the same report. Hemp (marijuana) is actually good for medical purposes. All of you non-supporters are thinking about people smoking it. True it's bad to smoke it, but there are alot more uses for it. In WW2 Americans used ropes made out of hemp. Hemp is very strong so it was reasonable for the US to legalize it at that time, but after the war it was illegal again. Why is it so strong? It contains very strong Carbon fibers. These fibers could be used on car bodies to make them safer. It could be used for backpacks too, because they don't last long when you've got a lot to carry. Back to the medical procedures, drugs are only safe if taken in small doses. I don't remember what all hemp can cure and the site my friend is getting the info off of, but it does have a lot of uses.
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I agree...if I can destroy my body with a cigarrete or a beer why can't I do it at an even slower rate...they just use the same ristrictions they have with alcohol and everything would be alright...no smoking and driving...it's that simple...set an age limit and ban the use in public...
On a side note people on Marijuana are not as dangerous as drunk drivers...stoned drivers are more calm (ofcourse depending on the person at times but this is in general) and many tend to be very paranoid causing them to be more cautious...especially since they don't want to get caught (ever notice how quick stoners can stop their "activities" when a cop comes near?)
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Oh I forgot, money is way way way more important than saving millions of people.....how stupid of me.....
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On a more comical note: Your poll... Why would any current user of the drug not support legalization? Apart from the fact that the prices would go up because you'd pay an excise tax on it.
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MARIJUANA CAUSES LUNG CANCER<--------- the one reason most people will never allow marijuana to be legalized
This is an absolutely moot point.
There are alternative ways to use marijuana, such as ingestion or vaporization. Smoking a joint wastes about HALF the thc, while eating or vaporization will give you the full wield, and with very very little damage to the lungs.
The nature of the marijuana-induced changes are also much different than that of tobacoo smoking, occurring primarily in the lung's large airways - not the small peripheral airways affected by tobacco smoke. Since it is small-airway inflammation that causes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, marijuana smokers have a lesser chance of developing these diseases
Ya lol Skye i thought aboutt that, but o well it wont hurt anything being there, who knows maybe some people like the thrill of running from the police while stoned lol
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hehe some very nice points, i agree cannabis should be legalised in the uk aswell as it helps ppl with chronic illneses and even alchohol and cigerattes are worst than smokin som pot, as they cause major illneses much more easily and cannabis is alot less addictive. on a seperate not when did it become $120 for 15 grams of marijuana , if that is the real price it should definately be legalized as alot of people r being scammed and will hav their lives ruined.
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Legalize weed. The Bush daughters seem to enjoy the drug.
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hahah
Anyone live in the Netherlands or been there quite a bit? im curious as to how well the countries doing with the legalization, all i can say about them is from what people have told me, i dont really have too many reliable statistics, but ive heard that since the legalization of pot and increased penalties for harder drugs, the countries actually now got one of the, if not the lowest addiction rate in all of europe
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I don't bother with that shit, never been high in my life and plan to stay that way
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it doesnt matter whether u hav tried the drug or not, this poll is about how legalizein the drug could make the world a better place, dont u read the posts b4 u post 
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yea, regardless of what your personal beliefs on how good or desireable getting high is, the simple fact is that there are many people who see this as a recreational, even spiritual outlet for relieving stress. who are we to tell someone what they can and cant do with their own body, so long as they dont infringe on the rights of anyone else?
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