What are your thoughts about completely legalizing marijuana everywhere?
Cigarettes don't alter the user's perception, judgments, moods, and so on for days on end, though. Even alcohol's effects are worn off after a day or less.I think it should be legal. Sure, it may be harmful in large doses or after prolonged use but so are many other things. Cigarettes are legal, alcohol is legal etc.
Well, I suppose we can both agree that it would be almost impossible to ban every substance that could be used to harm one's self. Drano, for example, or bleach or anti-freeze. I think, therefore, that the "harm yourself" argument is a weak one.There's no law against eating deadly nightshade or poison ivy if people really want to harm themselves.
And what percentage of the millions of people who have been customers of MJ dispensaries in the last few years as state after state has legalized recreational use...are hoping to be able to "seek help without worrying about the police?"People who have been harmed by drug usage simply indicate that the current laws against them aren't really helping anyone. At least making drugs legal means that people who have been harmed by drugs can seek help without worrying whether the police will suddenly get involved.
Cigarettes don't alter the user's perception, judgments, moods, and so on for days on end, though. Even alcohol's effects are worn off after a day or less.
The active ingredient in marijuana stays in the user's system for weeks, meaning that recreational users who buy some MJ at least every couple of weeks may never be free of the active ingredient.
Well, I suppose we can both agree that it would be almost impossible to ban every substance that could be used to harm one's self. Drano, for example, or bleach or anti-freeze. I think, therefore, that the "harm yourself" argument is a weak one.
And that's just about people harming themselves. What about the people they harm or threaten to harm? The number of people stopped by the police for impaired driving has reportedly risen significantly in states that recently legalized the recreational use of marijuana.
And what percentage of the millions of people who have been customers of MJ dispensaries in the last few years as state after state has legalized recreational use...are hoping to be able to "seek help without worrying about the police?"
Maybe, but your comparison of marijuana to cigarettes and alcohol was a mistake.So what? Can't people decide for themselves what they want to ingest?
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough when pointing out that impaired driving endangers other people.So you pass laws about impaired driving. You're allowed to drink, and you're allowed to drive, but you're not allowed to drink and then drive.
Oh, I don't know that you can conclude what you did there.I believe the war on drugs overall is a waste of resources and think they should all be legalized, but if you disagree on marijuana you're not likely to agree with me on that one either.
Maybe, but your comparison of marijuana to cigarettes and alcohol was a mistake.
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough when pointing out that impaired driving endangers other people.
The argument you were making, that marijuana only harms the people using it, was shortsighted IMO.
Oh, I don't know that you can conclude what you did there.
When people talk about "the war on drugs" they are referring to a particular government program to interdict the flow of illegal drugs, etc. etc. That policy is open to criticism, and if someone says that it has not worked well, or that it has not worked as planned, or that it's been a big waste of money and may even have fostered more corruption...then those arguments may have some validity.
HOWEVER, I have noticed that when advocates of fully legal hallucinogenic drugs start making their case for it, they usually do not go straight to their point by making clear that they are in favor of letting everyone get stoned without any restrictions and regardless of the harm that irresponsibly use can do.
So they instead say they are against "the war on drugs" since that is easily defended than what it is that they really want.
What you insist upon "missing," though, is that this is not simply a matter of "My body, my choice." What a hallucinating individual can do to other people should concern you as well.Not really. If you want to view it through one very specific lens you get a different view to a more generic "my body, my choice" approach to what I choose to put into my own system.
Yes, it is. But some actions have consequences, like it or not. Notice that I didn't say that alcohol should be made illegal because some people drive when they are intoxicated. But I have pointed out that marijuana is not cigarettes or beer. You never seem to take account of this fact, although it's quite obvious.Me smoking marijuana doesn't harm anyone else. Activities involving things like driving while impaired (whatever causes the impairment) is a different proposition.
What you insist upon "missing," though, is that this is not simply a matter of "My body, my choice." What a hallucinating individual can do to other people should concern you as well.
So, please do tell us how allowing a free use of hallucinogens is compatible with the safety of other people on the roads. And that's just one example of a person not in full control of his senses endangering others. We ticket or arrest people who are driving while drunk from alcohol. Should I take it from your remarks that you are opposed to all those laws as well?? "My body, my choice" after all.
All we can do on discussion boards like this one is go by what the other person has written.It's always good to assume your opponent in a discussion doesn't understand something, right?
Let’s face it. There are too many stupid people in this country (world, really) to assume that they’d be consuming pot responsibly,if there even IS such a thing.All we can do on discussion boards like this one is go by what the other person has written.
The fact is, Cannabis was widely used in medicines (to good effect) before it was banned. Today, as before, people are able to rid themselves of many expensive and dangerous pharmaceutical drugs by using Cannabis products. Obviously, they don't all get a person "high".
Cannabis can be used to make the best and most durable fabrics. Long lasting clothing that put cotton and other products to shame. That puts it in competition with inferior materials, materials that wear out faster and people have to keep buying over and over.
Cannabis has a broad spectrum of uses that include industrial, building and textiles. It is also a fast growing plant that can out-compete others for uses in fuel.
I noticed that you made a point of writing "Cannabis" instead of "Marijuana," in order to emphasize all the uses that this plant COULD be put to, and sometimes actually is, whereas the discussion had concerned its hallucinogenic qualities, especially now that this ingredient has been made significantly more potent that it was in days gone by, when, as you also said, it "was widely used in medicines...."
Yes, but almost the same thing could be said of all manner of other dangerous items that society rightly thinks need to be controlled because of the great harm that they can do. Naturally enough, anyone wanting to own such material will say, as you (sort of) did, "But you can trust me--not those other people, but me--because I will use it carefully and properly, so it's not a problem."
I'm sure you know that it's far more popular these days, even if illegally so, and also that the effects are much more powerful.Please illustrate the danger of broad spectrum Cannabis use today or when it was legal before it's prohibition as compared to the deaths, injuries and side effects of alcohol and many (legal and formerly legal) pharmaceutical drugs. In Statistics.
I'm sure you know that it's far more popular these days, even if illegally so, and also that the effects are much more powerful.