[nix]

I'm sorry Govinda but weed didnt kill your friend by the sounds of it, she had no self control and abused alot of drugs. If weed wasn't about it would have been something else, she was a slave to the pleasure principle and doesnt sound like she did herself any favours in regards to keeping a level head when approaching the drugs.

I myself have gone from drink > weed > E > Coke > shrooms.

I decided i didnt like the majority of the above and stick only to weed and occasionaly drink.

It's a choice i made, something your friend could/should have done.

I'm sorry if you find this anyway offensive in respect to your mate, I'm not saying it to piss you off just meerley trying to highlight that everybody has a choice.

Weed cant kill, weed didnt kill your friend.

[Che]

Agreed with Nix, and not trying to be disrespectful. If it wasn't weed, it was something else.

I've ONLY drank alcohol and smoked weed, no other drugs. I won't ever do anything else in my life because I have no desire.

I'm the same as you, Che. Won't do anything harder than weed, ever. And I'm not offended by either of you; I know in my heart that it would have been booze if it wasn't weed.

But still - the socioeconomic factors present in my region compound the harm that weed can do. That's why I'd never be happy to see it legal. It's just too easy a route, too easy an escape. My father is a very hardworking man with a strict work ethic, and he always has been, always will be; but he is still addicted, because it's just the way people grow up in the towns I grew up in. He doesn't try to get promoted because he's high, and the people who live around us are exactly the same. Nobody moves forward, because they don't care. Their reality isn't nice, so they get high rather than try to fix it. It's ridiculously prevalent, and keeping it illegal is one way to stem that trend, to try and stop them from just spending their lives selling and smoking.

Maybe it can't kill. But when you get a poor kid with no prospects and parents who light up constantly - where's the reason to move forward and get out of the shithole? Where's the motivation for self-betterment? It fades, because you can get high and then make a living growing, just like everyone else does.

[nix]

But thats the choice your father makes Govinda, im convinced everybody gets addicted to something at one point or another.

We all need to relax, some people smoke weed, some people drink, some take take prescription drugs when they dont need it, some smoke cigs and drink wine some work out, some play computer games, read books, watch movies etc

Regarding the job front, your father probably doesnt see much benfit for himself to give up what he likes and is comfortable with for more stress and work load for what i predict to be a small pay upgrade and the requirement to kiss more ass. Which is fine, im in the same boat, i dont want to climb the ladder in this place, i hate my job but due to recession im stuck in here and grumpy alot of the time.

In regards to legalising weed or not, it would be better for the community to have it legal as it will be regulated alot better and obviously not sold to people under the age of 18. I can confirm a drug dealer will not show any restraint in selling a minor any form of drug.

Wont stop minors from getting it i know, but im confident in thinking it will be alot harder for a minor to obtain if it were legal as opposed to it being illegal

It would be alright if it was only my dad who had a shit job - but everyone in my area works in a shitty job because they left school when they were 15, and smoked a whole lot of pot. I did when I was a teenager too. I almost became one of them, but my mother saved me. And my dad, well...he hates his job, detests it, and it's not easy for him at his age (he's a scaffolder, heavy physical labour). I don't need to drink wine to sleep. That's the difference.

And the kids all get hold of alcohol very easily, through either older siblings or their parents. It's easier for them to get booze than it is for them to get grass, and I'd like it to stay that way. Ideally they wouldn't get drunk either, but they're unstoppable on that front, and their parents are in cahoots with them.

I see what you're saying, and the logical parts of me agree. But my upbringing makes me almost hate weed, so I could never agree, in good conscience, to it being legal.

[Cheesevixen]

I could make a really long post about this, but I'll keep it simple. It's 9 in the morning and my brain is dead. I believe it should stay illegal. It just makes it that much harder to become an household problem. We already have parents with drinking and smoking problems....I see no need to add to that problem. It would be just one more thing for people to abuse. Keeping it illegal, if only to make it an little harder to get, will do some good. I see no problem with people smoking it though. To each their own. Honestly I think it's better than drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes. I just don't want it to be available 24-7 to people who don't know what moderation is, and those with kids.

[Pete]

I don't believe in the gateway theory, but I have seen kids graduate to harder shit. A girl I dated over the summer would occasionally smoke some weed, and drink every now and then. The last time I hung out with her (got out of that mess quickly enough), she was telling me about how she was doing nitrous all the time, how she tried coke a few times, smoked opium at one of those weekend hippie-fests, had done E regularly over the summer, would mix pills with booze (xanax, percocet, etc) and even snorted "cat tranquilizers" which I want to assume is Ketamine.

Now, I know you can't blame weed for this girl's actions, but Jesus. I can see how smoking can lead people to look for a greater high, but at the same time, I fully believe that it's up to the person to WANT to get that bigger high.

I've smoked in the past, and it's never really done anything for me; it was kind of a "meh" feeling. I've also popped percocets (oxycodone) in my time, but that was for my wisdom teeth, though I doubled the dosage. It was alright, but it just made me really smiley and kind of lazy. The only thing I'll do now though is alcohol, and the occasional cigar on special occasions.

[Alpha]

Marijuana should be legalised, for many reasons. First, however, it is a drug, and just because I believe it should be legalised does not mean I think we should all smoke it without concern. I rarely drink alcohol, though it is legal, so take that into consideration.

Firstly, it's ridiculously easy to get hold of anyway. When I was smoking it I would get mine from my friend, but I never asked where she got it from. Everyone knows someone who has/does smoke it, and to get hold of it, it's only a matter of asking them. I heard statistics that 50% of teenagers in my country have tried it (I think it may be more like 30%, and it depends what "tried it" is defined as), which is evidence of the fact, and also suggests that people are always going to do it, so making it illegal will turn a lot of ordinary people into criminals. This may affect them in the future, say with job prospects. It's sort of silly to say to a 35-year-old, sorry, I know you're qualified, but when you were 16 you once smoked some marijuana with your friends, so I can't offer you the position. Just silly.

Medicine. If for no other reason, marijuana should be legalised for medicinal use. Cannabis has been used medicinally for over 12,000 years. That's as long as we have evidence for agricultural society. No one claims that cannabis is a 'miracle' drug or cure, but it is becoming clear that cannabis can alleviate the suffering of many people with a variety of conditions, such as cancer (although I acknowledge that cannabis is a carcinogen, but so are many GM crops, such as the majority of crops grown in the United States... which are in your cereal). Here is a list of conditions which may benefit from medicinal cannabis:

* multiple sclerosis
* spinal cord injury
* chronic pain
* some seizure disorders
* glaucoma
* asthma
* anxiety
* arthritis
* anorexia
* brain injury
* stroke
* migraines
* phantom limb pain
* Tourette's syndrome
* movement disorders
* depression
* addiction withdrawal

Cannabis has also been shown to help alleviate the nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy and cachexia in HIV/AIDS. The dosage required to obtain the medical benefits are lower than what is required to become intoxicated (high).

For those who say it is addictive, marijuana is less addictive and less harmful than many other prescribed drugs. If we were to deny the availability of a drug on the basis that it may be abused, we would have to remove a huge range of medications from use.

It is impossible to overdose on marijuana. Estimates indicate that a person would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times as much cannabis as is contained in one cannabis cigarette in order to die from acute marijuana use, and they would have to consume this amount in a short space of time (less than an hour).

This isn't to say using it is without risk. Smoking can cause irritation of the throat and lungs, and can lead to respiratory conditions such as bronchitis. Smoking it produces a hot smoke that can irritate delicate lung tissues and aggravate existing respiratory problems. However, that's why there are other ways to use marijuana (such as vaporisers). Naturally, your dealer isn't going to give a shit about this, but the government, when it regulates its use, might.

Safety. If it's going to be used, it should be made as safe as possible. Dealers are renown in my country for lacing marijuana with methamphetamines. Not good. P is the worst drug in the world. Worse than heroine even. With legalised marijuana, how is that going to occur?

Tax. Self-explanatory. It should be hefty, but also ensured that it is made slightly cheaper than what dealers can do. This would be easy to achieve, as dealers would need hydroponics; could only grow small crops; would need some pretty good concealment; etc., whereas a legal grower would be able to take advantage of economies of scale, and could offer a low price (not to encourage accessibility, but to undercut dealers, at least until they give up on the drug).

There are plenty more reasons, but I also want to add that marijuana isn't any more dangerous than alcohol, which is used pretty much everyday. I had a glass of Merlot with dinner last night. Shoot me. Plenty of people get angry by using alcohol, but marijuana makes them chill the **** out.

[Che]

Originally Posted by Alpha

This may affect them in the future, say with job prospects. It's sort of silly to say to a 35-year-old, sorry, I know you're qualified, but when you were 16 you once smoked some marijuana with your friends, so I can't offer you the position. Just silly.

I'm just nitpicking here, but no one is going to know when you're 35 if you smoked some marijuana when you were 16. There's no way to prove it, and I don't think anyone with a brain would mention it to a potential employer.

Originally Posted by Alpha

For those who say it is addictive, marijuana is less addictive and less harmful than many other prescribed drugs. If we were to deny the availability of a drug on the basis that it may be abused, we would have to remove a huge range of medications from use.

I like that you said it's less addictive rather than it's not addictive at all. Anything can be addictive, and a lot of people who argue the subject will tell you that it's not addictive at all.

Some people are addicted to sex. You can definitely become addicted to marijuana, just not physically like alcohol is. The addiction would be more of a mental addiction.

[Josh_R]

I feel pot should definately be legalized, for many reason such as less alcohol abuse. My step dad use to smoke pot all the time and he was a happy person when he wss doing it until he got caught and charged with possesion. After getting caught he started drinking and when he would get drunk he would hit my mom and me and my siblings. Pot does not have this affect when smoking pot you dont get violent and you still have the ability to do shit.
Me personally I have tried other drugs for a little while in high school I was real ****ed up on pills(vicodin,percocet,oxycontin, and valum)shit that could easily kill me. I didnt give two shits, until about two months after I started my memory started getting fuzzy and it was becoming hard to function so I quiet and started smkoing pot. After that my memory wasnt cloudy no more and my motor functions had come back. So with all of this I think these are the drugs that should stay illegal to get off the street and pot should be legalized...

[Alpha]

Originally Posted by Che

I'm just nitpicking here, but no one is going to know when you're 35 if you smoked some marijuana when you were 16. There's no way to prove it, and I don't think anyone with a brain would mention it to a potential employer.

If marijuana is illegal, then smoking it, possessing it, cultivating it, selling it, etc., are all illegal, and will appear on your criminal record if you are caught. Criminal records, at least in my country, can be seen by employers. If you smoke weed - even just once - when you are 16, and get caught, then there is no doubt that it will come back to haunt you. When 50% of teenagers are doing it, it gets ridiculous.

[Che]

Originally Posted by Alpha

If marijuana is illegal, then smoking it, possessing it, cultivating it, selling it, etc., are all illegal, and will appear on your criminal record if you are caught. Criminal records, at least in my country, can be seen by employers. If you smoke weed - even just once - when you are 16, and get caught, then there is no doubt that it will come back to haunt you. When 50% of teenagers are doing it, it gets ridiculous.

Yeah I was absolutely wasted last night and didn't fully comprehend your post. I remember responding to something and trying hard to type it without spelling mistakes, rofl.

Carry on.

[ViviMasterMage]

Originally Posted by Meier Link

Also Nix brings up a good point, if someone is in the need to kill the ride all they have to do is think about what the **** they are doing. Weed is a damn good concentration drug if you use it to your advantage. Hell I say prescribe it to kids with ADD.

I agree with this.

I have a brother with ADD and he has taken weed since he was 15. While on weed he seemed to calm down and sit himself in front of the T.V. playing FF. I remember sitting on the arm of the chair with him just watching get a gold chocobo or beating Kuja.

The downside to this is that if he is out of cash, he would go absolutely insane. He would keep asking my mum for money and if she said no... well then I had to put on my earphones because his screaming was terrible. It went on and on. Don't worry, there wasn't any violence, he knew what was wrong. (I feel like the older brother here... Hehe.)

I have to say that now that he is 21 though, he has calmed down completely, without the use of weed. He has a 2 year old daughter and a girlfriend with a house of his own. I guess I can thank weed for that, I suppose.

[marf]

this is kind of late but i also dont believe in the gate way theory
i think that people have choices and they probaly do other drugs because
of peer pressure
im just glad that i had the power to say no to other drugs
all i can say is keep it natrual

Originally Posted by marf

this is kind of late but i also dont believe in the gate way theory
i think that people have choices and they probaly do other drugs because
of peer pressure
im just glad that i had the power to say no to other drugs
all i can say is keep it natrual

This


is why you should not smoke too much weed.

[marf]

what the **** do you mean

[Ruin]

I am inbetween. On one hand, I don't smoke marijuana myself, but I acknowledge that it is a natural plant.

If I had the power to either say one thing or another, I'd probably legalize it, but tax it like cigarettes. I'd set a limit, like the producers and sellers had to have licenses, and I would federalize it, like set standards. Like cigarettes has to have so much nicodine, blah blah.

[Alpha]

Originally Posted by marf

all i can say is keep it natrual

Going by this, we should also legalise opiates? Consider these case-by-case. Just because something is 'natural' doesn't mean it's beneficial.