Marijuana...

[Quad]

it would be hard to make an argument based on data about hyper-awareness since one of the problems of cannabis being illegal is there has been very little data done that shows how marijuana effects neurotransmitters in the synapses between nerves in our brains. which of course is another reason to legalize, since what data has been done has shown that there might be benefit from using marijuana medically that goes beyond killing pain/giving munchies.

But from my personal experience I'd say most of the time marijuana has improved my driving and people I know - but not everyone and not all the time. I don't think there are good arguments to be made about marijuana that center around anecdotal tales about how it makes you feel.

Certainly people have the right to self-medicate, we certainly have a legal system designed to hold people accountable for what our society views as crimes against individuals or the general public. I think the argument about legalization lies in how and why it was made illegal to begin with and that there are no differentiations that can be made between alcohol and marijuana that support our current laws.

But of course the arguments that sway people the most have to do with the fact that prohibition of marijuana costs us obscene amounts of money and punishes people who don't deserve punishment. not only does it punish, but actually makes criminals out of normal casual users or addicts.

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by MadMax
If you read the history and know what you are talking about, wasn't it the fact that the gin and whiskey drinking crowd were afraid of the loco weed smokin Mexicans???I can find and post links but I believe you might already know that.

You being a wiseass?
He-he. Anyway. well, I don't profess to know the entire history/politics of it. I've often felt that alcohol is legal because politicians can get drunk and thren work through a hangover. But they can't sleep til noon because they slept through their alarm clock!!!!!

But yeah, I think it's tiotally political. And that gin-whiskey-loco weed argument sounds familiar.

I guess I just don't get bogged down in the history because at this point I feel like it's irrelevant. We need to pass legislation based on the here and now which dictates that the war on drugs is a miserable failure, our jails are overcrowded and there are like... more black men in prison than college. Largely due to getting busted smokin' reefer.

Dude, if some of these politicians LIVED IN THE PROJECTS, for example, they's understand why peole smoke weed, crack, pcp, glue, whatever.

But I'm getting off-topic.
Or am I?

 

[Quad]

and yeah - actually it wasn't weed smokin mexicans that they used in reefer-madness-era propaganda. it was those jazz-dancing-negroes.

propaganda about how marijuana will make your daughter date black guys, your son go insane, and your nephew go on a murderous rampage were manufactured at the begining of the criminalization of marijuana because marijuana was a staple crop in the american heartland. the large majority of paper and cloth in the US were manufactured from hemp grown by individual farmers - which is why there was a nice bit of money to be made by making it illegal and making paper manufacturing dependent on chemicals that turn wood into pulp.

In other words prohibition of marijuana had nothing to do with the fact that it made you high. the physiological effects of smoking it were misrepresented and used as propaganda points to convince a public that had grown up wearing and writing on hemp that it was all of the sudden evil.

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by Quad
...I think the argument about legalization lies in how and why it was made illegal to begin with and that there are no differentiations that can be made between alcohol and marijuana that support our current laws.

But of course the arguments that sway people the most have to do with the fact that prohibition of marijuana costs us obscene amounts of money and punishes people who don't deserve punishment. not only does it punish, but actually makes criminals out of normal casual users or addicts.

I couldn't have said it better.

"...there are no differentiations that can be made between alcohol and marijuana that support our current laws."--when I legalize marijuana that will be the basis of my argument.

Then I will make alcohol illegal, or at least tax the shit out of it to pay for all the damage done to my car by drunk assholes side-swiping me on the way out of the bar!!!

 

[MadMax]

Originally posted by clumzgirl
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't MJ cause hallucinations?

On the other hand, if you legalize it, you'll put a serious crimp in the styles of dealers, who probably commit more crimes than all of their buyers and users combined.

If you believe marijauana causes hallucinations then you were educated by Reefer Madness???

 

[Quad]

legalizing creates a legitimate, massive, taxable industry. which means more money to go after the serious criminal suppliers and cartels who probably wont assimilate into the new system.

But the money could also go to rebuilding prisons, rehab treatments for hard-drug users and offenders, addiction-prevention programs, etc.

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by Quad
the large majority of paper and cloth in the US were manufactured from hemp grown by individual farmers - which is why there was a nice bit of money to be made by making it illegal and making paper manufacturing dependent on chemicals that turn wood into pulp.

Exactly!!! Don't smoke weed or grow hemp, just use lots of chemicals to make paper. Thus polluting OUR earth and waterways, to the point that your kid is born with five arms and one leg, your whole neighborhood has cancer and some fat cat is sitting pretty drinking highballs and raking in the dough.

God Bless America.
I'm moving to Holland.

The legalization of prostitution... I think that will be tomorrows' topic. Though I'm afraid to get that one started...lol.

 

[clumzgirl]

What the hell is Reefer Madness? Isn't that a play or something?

 

[MadMax]

Originally posted by nycflasher
You being a wiseass?
He-he. Anyway. well, I don't profess to know the entire history/politics of it. I've often felt that alcohol is legal because politicians can get drunk and thren work through a hangover. But they can't sleep til noon because they slept through their alarm clock!!!!!

But yeah, I think it's tiotally political. And that gin-whiskey-loco weed argument sounds familiar.

I guess I just don't get bogged down in the history because at this point I feel like it's irrelevant. We need to pass legislation based on the here and now which dictates that the war on drugs is a miserable failure, our jails are overcrowded and there are like... more black men in prison than college. Largely due to getting busted smokin' reefer.

Dude, if some of these politicians LIVED IN THE PROJECTS, for example, they's understand why peole smoke weed, crack, pcp, glue, whatever.

But I'm getting off-topic.
Or am I?

Hehe don't worry brother, it's cool. I just have a prob with this whole total waste of money and actualy some good people get screwed in the "War on drugs"...

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by MadMax
If you believe marijauana causes hallucinations then you were educated by Reefer Madness???

I was going to say the same thing, but if she hasn't tried it hard to blame her for not knowing. It is a hallucinigen(sp?) but not to the degree that LSD(acid) or psilocybin(mushrooms) is. Marijuana is more of a sensual drug, it enhances your senses and confuses them but not to the point where you really... hallucinate. Anyone care to explain it better?

 

[Quad]

reefer madness was a film that was released in the mid 1930's that was designed to turn public opinion against marijuana and therefor against hemp.

It made a lot of pretty ridiculous claims about what marijuana will do to you if you smoke it - it's a cult classic now because of how unintentionally funny it is.

http://www.reefer-madness-movie.com/

There were a lot of films like this that demonized marijuana and the period from when chemical and lumber companies lobbied for illegalization to the mid 1940's (i think) is known as the reefer madness era or the reefer madness movement.

 

[MadMax]

Originally posted by Quad
legalizing creates a legitimate, massive, taxable industry. which means more money to go after the serious criminal suppliers and cartels who probably wont assimilate into the new system.

But the money could also go to rebuilding prisons, rehab treatments for hard-drug users and offenders, addiction-prevention programs, etc.

And wouldn't that be the way to help the people than to punish them no matter what you think about them???

 

[MadMax]

I'm confused now and as I pass the joint and hallucinate then spin into a murderous rage.:

 

[clumzgirl]

Thanks for the clarification, Quad.

I also think they recently turned it into a musical. I seem to remember seeing a poster for it.

 

[nycflasher]

Originally posted by clumzgirl
What the hell is Reefer Madness? Isn't that a play or something?

Go rent it immediately, though you prob. won't find it at Block-censorship-buster. It was a movie put out by our government about a half a century ago(maybe longer) which depicted pot-smokers as raving psychopaths. Anti=marijuana propoganda...

Goddamn facist movie producers... awe man now ya got me thinking about Joseph McCarthy too... I won't be able to sleep tonight. (My grandfather testified before HUAC)

 

[clumzgirl]

You know, this really has very little to do with the thread, but recently I thought of applying for a support job with the local FBI, and you have to go through extensive background checks, including a lie detector test. The day before my high school graduation I took one drag off a joint. The pathetic thing is, my friends had to teach me how to "inhale." Does that mean I can pull a Clinton if I ever interview with them? :

 

[Quad]

There is no explaining it better other than offering anecdotal tales about personal or shared experience. Research has only confirmed that it will help to ease pain and that there are strong indicators that it temporarily effects short-term memory.

the fact that it is illegal/appears to have few harmful effects when compared to other illegal substances has made real research almost non-existant.

They think that part of why marijuana makes you feel "the way it makes you feel" is because it causes your nerves to send and recieve information at random intervals. they don't exactly know what neurotransmitters it effects or even how the THC content (which is a neurotransmitter) of marijuana interacts with our senses.

it can have a wide range of physical effects though. it's made me extremely alert and energetic at times and extremely depressed and non-responsive at other times - the psychological effects probably vary from person to person but I think mostly all people feel a little numb, a little tingly, have some trouble with short term memory, and get hungry.

 

[Quad]

Any good free-market-loving conservative-republican would tell you that as long as lying in an interview got you the job and increased your ability to compete in various markets then it is justified and if you are not able to handle the competition then the system will eliminate you and replace you with someone who can.

I think most anyone else though would say don't think about it and just tell em you're clean.

 

[NewGuy]

I say the Constitution holds no place to make any naturally occuring plant or substance illegal. As far as alcohol, that was prohibited for tax reasons. -Again, not a valid Constitutional reason to ban it.

In any case, if alcohol can be used for so many other positive things, and so can any other herb, these being plant products should remain legal. It would be irrational to ban the natural plantlife.

That being said, I think it is metally weak minded for someone to WANT to consume alcohol or drugs, but that is their choice.

 

[Quad]

moderate self-medication using alcohol or marijuana can be very helpful to the psychological well-being of any well adjusted person. there is actually a line between helpful and harmful use that varies from person to person.

people who don't use socially or with a real understanding of their well-being are most often using because they are not well adjusted. so self-medication can be a sign of psychological instability or pathology.