Forums » Smalltalk » Let's try a generally touchy subject - Marijuana

You know, cannabis, Mary Jane, weed, pot, the herb, ganja, chiba, etc. I call it the sacred herb.

It seems to be becoming more accepted in today's society; hell, my boss knows I smoke it, and still values me as an employee, something that couldn't have been said years ago.

What do y'all think? The reasons for it's lack of legalization are widely known; such as the inability to tax it properly in an orderly fashion, and the money lost on arrests relating to it.

How do you feel about it? Should it be legal? Do you smoke it? Do you dislike people who do, or do you just not care?

Personally, I don't like it. I don't care if other people do it as long as they don't do it close enough for me to smell it or be able to sit in the smoke. Honestly, it's a mental trigger for something else.

But the idea of it is fine by me. It seems a little silly to want to do that, but in the same way how I can't understand how people want to make themselves drunk. But whatever floats their boat.

I also know a few people who it's benefited. Who've had terrible tempers or depression and it helped mellow them out.

For a while I disliked it when people did it and would try to avoid being close to them but that was likely due to my upbringing. When I got out on my own I chilled out about it and now I just don't care. .

Ah,Ah, medicinal purposes. That's the biggest reason I smoke it; I'm bipolar and have a horrible temper, and it keeps me from flipping out on people. When you have the ability and know-how to hurt people, that's the last thing you want to do.

IMO it should be legalized since it's much less damaging than alcohol, but I don't like it anyway and I've never smoked it (I generally dislike consciousness-altering substances). I tend to be distrustful to people while they're under its influence and try to stay away from them at that time, as I would with drunk people. But overall if someone smokes it but doesn't do it around me I don't mind much, and I don't mind it at all if it's for some sort of a purpose, like keeping pain in check and so on. But I still don't want to breathe that stuff in

I used to smoke a lot, things were different then (party girl no kid). Personally I found it was better than any pill they put me on for depression/anxiety issues, with pills I found my emotions were limited like I could only feel a couple of them other wise I was numb (if that makes sense). I grew up with a lot of alcoholism and abuse, eventually dad quit drinking and picked up a joint (transition was not immediate) and he was a.....nicer happier person, had he not made the switch I likely wouldn't have any relationship with my father. It's personal experiences like those which make me "pro weed".

Those are my thoughts on the subject, and yes I do still partake to deal with aforementioned problems. With this being said it is not in front/around of my child. More often than not it is when he in bed asleep for the night.

This is the first I've been open about it other than a select few people. Usually I am not because of the controversy it causes. Although its more acceptable people still judge. To close, yes I wish it were legal.

I grew up in a very conservative family, so when I was growing up, it was drilled into my head that drugs, alcohol, all badbadbad. Even now, with my spouse in the military, we're surrounded by anti drugs and anti alcohol.

One of our best friends, who just got out of the military, smokes, along with his fiancé, and I really don't care. There are a lot worse things they could be smoking/doing, anyway. I don't think I'll smoke, because I have severe lung problems and smoke in general makes me want to die, but I honestly don't think it's that big of an issue.

Edit: As much as I'd like to keep my opinion up, I have a feeling it'll trigger something big, so I've gone ahead and removed my post. Sorry!

I don't care what you do in your own private living area, long as im not around. And legal or not it has it's time and place. I don't think it should be legal because I know I don't want some healthcare professional or other type of person that is incharge of saving my life during events smoking weed whenever they want because it's legal to do so in public. Nor do I want people in the military whom are watching my back in a fight to be using it during said time because it is legal. That is how I feel.

Even in the states that it is somewhat legal in (Washington and Colorado), military personnel are banned from using it. They still have to submit to drug tests, and they can be dishonorably discharged if they have a positive test.

I'd support legalization. Not because it's harmless, but because it'll put gangs out of business.

Remember Al Capone? The whole reason he was so successful was because of prohibition. He just sold alcohol.

One of the reasons our prisons are so overcrowded, and we have so much gang violence is because we're giving the job of selling drugs to the criminals. Make at least one of them legal, and nobody would risk the illegal thing anymore. Before you know it, gangs are out of a job.

Also, for the record: I would never smoke anything. Drugs just aren't my deal. And lots of them are dangerous, just like alcohol. I'm in a debate club, so we talk about this kind of thing often enough, however.

I think that's a red herring. It sounds scary, but when you think about it, there's really nothing to be worried about.

Alcohol is legal. Cough syrups that make you sleepy are perfectly legal. It's not legal to use either substance in a way that endangers others, and a surgeon who came in to work inebriated in any way would be promptly disbarred. There's no more danger in legalizing marijuana than there is in alcohol or any other type of legal drug. We already have many laws and professional policies in place that govern requiring good alertness and judgement when operating heavy machinery or doing important jobs for all the many other types of things that can alter our brain chemistry, and they'd be there to catch people who didn't understand that legal doesn't mean anarchy!


Also, just FYI for everyone in the thread: This thread is very borderline in terms of violating the forum policy against discussing politics, as this is a major political issue. Just be aware it is being watched really carefully and will be locked the very moment things stop looking 100% polite and friendly. Just so ya know!

I'm really good at dancing on the border of what's acceptable and what's not. I wanted this thread to spark a discussion, whether I choose to involve myself in it that much or not. Keeps things interesting.

But yes, civility is a must.

I believe it has been appropriately covered by many other individuals with more eloquence than I'm able to muster at present, but I'll declare my perspective all the same: marijuana is not especially different from alcohol in terms of the handicaps which it afflicts, and while I am neutral in regards to personal usage, I certainly see more general good than harm coming of legalizing it.

Should it be strictly regulated? Yes, I think so, in the way that tobacco and alcohol are. Keeping it entirely illegal, however, is a little silly. Moderate and educated use is just as possible with marijuana as it is with the aforementioned substances, just as abuse is likewise possible with all three of them--but that's why we have age restrictions and penalties.

Yup, it should be treated like alcohol or nicotine: legal for use, but regulated, and with restrictions on when to use it. (Again, like alcohol: no shambling around the mall drinking vodka out of a paper bag, etc.)

I've known people who use pot and are perfectly fine. I've known people pot has screwed up severely and for long periods of time (severe paranoia). It isn't physically addictive, but it is habit-forming (just like alcohol) and so it's hard to simply say "is this good or bad?" But either way I think it should be legalized. And I don't even smoke! Smoking is hard!

I find myself to be quite neutral towards the jubject. I don't think it should be illigal. It has been proven more than once that marijuana does have medicinal value. And people who smoke it for fun? Eh, let them at it. It's not my cup of tea, but from what I gathered it doesn't harm any bystanders. As long as it's not being done in public. Like most people seem to agree upon, it should be treated as alcohol. I'm deffintively for it.

Edit: HAHAHA I POSTED AT 4:20.

It is no secret that I am a dedicated pot smoker.

I know its history in both origins and ancient usages, and how it came to be illegal in the first place. Which I frankly find absurd. I find the negative claims for the most part very poorly reasoned or flat out inaccurate. I know its potential benefits and how it actually stacks up against those things we do allow to be grown / made, regulated, and sold. We really should know better than this by now, especially given the danger and destruction alcohol and tobacco have caused in comparison to cannabis. It's really just stupid at this point.

I acknowledge that it affects people differently and isn't for everyone. Alcohol is that way for me, but while I'm not really spiritual, I do find pot very important to me. I am a fully functional adult who attends college and gets excellent grades while being active on the Internet and in social activities. I am also bipolar type two and chemically depressed, with highly OCD tendencies and an extremely poor appetite. I sleep well, but I'm underweight, have poor energy, and most of the time smoking a bowl will be the only thing that gets me to eat.

I'm against drugs in general. Long story, won't get into it, but let's just say I'm not a stranger to what it does to people. That being said, I'm unfortunately stuck living with several pot smokers, and if that's what you wanna do, whatever, I don't really care, just keep it away from me because I cannot STAND the smell and other people smoking gives me a killer headache. As for whether it should be legal or not? I don't really care enough about it to have an opinion, really.

Let's see, pot. Hmm Alcohol and tobacco are legal, addictive and known to kill you. Cannabis isn't known to kill you and yet illegal? Never made much sense to me. I don't smoke the stuff since I don't touch such substances. If you smoke it, ok, I don't care as long as you don't smoke it around me.

Personally I think it should be treated the same way as alcohol and tobacco. Legal, regulated, with restrictions on where/when/how old you have to be to use it.

Actually if I had to pick one of those three to be made illegal, I would pick the tobacco every time.

I've been reading this, but wary to comment myself. You are all wonderful people, so I don't want anything I say to be taken as an insult at all.

I, personally, have never touched the stuff and never will. I am all for it being used medicinally, with a perscription from a doctor. To me, that makes plenty of sense and is perfectly fine, because if it is prescribed, then it has been prescribed in amounts that will help you and it is (most importantly to me) 'legal' in that sense, at least to my knowledge.

Smoking for recreational purposes? I am completely against it, for a few reasons. First and foremost being the topic everyone is questioning: It's not legal. Honestly, I don't think making it legal would make people stop smoking it illegally. Since we are comparing it to tobacco and alcohol, I can use that as an example; underage kids are still drinking and smoking cigarettes. Making it legal might stop some criminal activity with it, but underage are still going to be using it illegally.

Personally, if it's legalized with similar restrictions as alcohol and tobacco, I think I would be okay with it. I'm not fond of what it does to a person, their brain, or their personality, but I think it would be okay with restrictions. But I don't think making it legal would just poof the illegal activity with it away.

But my basic opinion for how it is now, illegal: It's illegal, so it shouldn't be done. I think it's legal, or semi-legal, in some places? I'm not positive, I don't quite keep up on it. But my opinion is that if something is illegal, it shouldn't be done. If someone smokes pot, I don't hate them. But it puts pressure on me because I have a strong sense of guilt (I would be terribly pressed conscious-wise to report them), or if I know them someway else (ie through the internet), they are still my friend, I just feel kind of sad.

So yeah, those are my opinions. It's a lot, I know. xD And I hope I said it nice enough, I know this is a sensitive topic so I definitely didn't want anyone to think I'm a hater on anyone who smokes pot or something!

I am not looking to offend either, but I find a rather painful flaw in your logic here and how you make your decisions. Sure I'm also mildly insulted by your misplaced pity, but I respect Kim enough to not make a deal out of it. Its your opinion even if it's a harmful one to people doing you no wrong. That you'd consider harming the lives of other people in a real way despite them having done you no wrong alarms me greatly. That makes me sad.

You also do understand that laws are human constructions - much like most things - and has been ever changing throughout the ages?

In some countries it's illegal for women to drive cars or even show their faces.
In some countries it's illegal to not be a part of or "disrespect" local religion.
In countries being gay is punishable by death.
In America there are groups trying to make controlling the bodies of women legal.
How about prostitution? Walking a fine line of ethics making that illegal, pushes the ugly side of it underground just like this war on drugs and the prohibition.

I also don't want to sound like an anarchist, but I cannot comprehend why 'it's illegal' should ever be a good justification for making any decision on how to view something.

( In a great many countries and thirteen states pot is, in fact, legal. Colorado and Washington have recently been given the green light by the DEA to begin regulating and selling with proper restrictions and limitations. Which is a sign of change and an example of QUESTIONING law leading to real change. How do these things change? By not simply accepting the laws! )