Marijuana for everyone!

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  1. Should marijuana be legal?

    • 48
      It should be illegal/criminal
    • 136
      only legal for medicinal use
    • 286
      should be legal (and taxable)

470 members have participated

What is your take on the issue of legalizing marijuana?

Hey, we could also legalize murder and graft and the Mafia . . then all those people wouldn't be criminals and our prisons would be empty and . ..

(of course people would still be dead and people would still be ripped off and . . . . .)

Changing the definition of something does not change the outcome. Maybe in a fairy tale but not in real life.

We'd still have drug addicts and children being raised by drug addicts and people driving cars under the influence of drugs causing crashes and deaths and . . . oh dear, I wasn't going to get into this was I? :)

steph

legalizing marijuana is the same thing as legalizing murder? can you provide statistics as to the number of deaths caused by marijuana related crashes and violence? or do you just "know" it's a big problem?

would you care to compare deaths/injuries related to alcohol use with those of marijuana use? i'll bet not. i suppose you think alcohol should be legal? would you give a beer to a 3 year old? after all, it's legal for adults. what about alcoholics raising children to be alcoholics? does that matter?

people are criminalized by preposterous laws against marijuana. if it weren't illegal, it wouldn't be a crime. i'm still looking for the victims. i can show you many, many victims of alcohol related tragedies. i suppose you support alcohol prohibition?

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Yes, I am also curious to know if those who think marijuana should be illegal, also feel the same for alcohol. Considering alcoholism is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US, and also about 25,000 people are killed by drunk drivers each year, and atleast a million are injured by drunk drivers.

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heh. so far, 59% support outright legalization. those are the cool nurses! party on :).

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legalizing marijuana is the same thing as legalizing murder? can you provide statistics as to the number of deaths caused by marijuana related crashes and violence? or do you just "know" it's a big problem?

would you care to compare deaths/injuries related to alcohol use with those of marijuana use? i'll bet not. i suppose you think alcohol should be legal? would you give a beer to a 3 year old? after all, it's legal for adults. what about alcoholics raising children to be alcoholics? does that matter?

people are criminalized by preposterous laws against marijuana. if it weren't illegal, it wouldn't be a crime. i'm still looking for the victims. i can show you many, many victims of alcohol related tragedies. i suppose you support alcohol prohibition?

I didn't say that legalizing marijuana is the same as legalizing murder.

I was merely commenting on the idea that changing the definition of something suddenly is supposed to negate the consequences of that something. "If it isn't illegal, it wouldn't be a crime" . . well, if murder wasn't illegal, it wouldn't be a crime; if we decided that the mayhem caused by the mafia wasn't illegal, then it wouldn't be a crime; if we decided that stealing wasn't illegal, it wouldn't be a crime; Hey, just change the definition and we can all go home feeling so much better about ourselves.

We've already let the horse out of the barn so to speak with alcohol so I don't advocate prohibition - you can't go back. But my question is why ADD to the already high social and financial cost of alcoholism and/or drunk driving and/or fractured families by legalizing something that alters your perception and lowers your inhibitions so you an make even more negative choices?

I still maintain that the law is the last bastion for alot of folks that keeps them from trying pot and that when you remove that law, you open the floodgates for increased usage. There are stats to show that, which I've already posted.

My daughter made a comment a few weeks ago that was very interesting in relation to the comment that "cool" nurses are those who advocate for legalization. We were visiting my sister, who mentioned to me during a conversation about clothing styles on teenage girls, that what is the big deal with girls wearing revealing clothing? (pubic hair low jeans, thongs, low-cut tops, etc.). As we were driving away, my daughter said "Aunt So and So is cool mom!!"

I looked at her and said, "So, you regard the opinion of a mom who is a long-time meth and pot user, who lost custody of her kids due to neglect and abuse, who aborted 5 of her pregnancies from 5 different men, who has had multiple partners, one of whom was a convicted child molester, who stood before us, barely 95 pounds with rotted out teeth as COOL?" My daughter was a bit shocked . .

To say that the only nurses who are cool are the ones who advocate legalization is a bit shortsighted and may I say immature.

I completely understand and respect the arguments pro and con here and appreciate the debate but if I had to chose between being thought of as "cool" (pro legalization) or not "cool" (anti-legalization), I would rather be not.

Party on . . . . . :)

steph

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I didn't say that legalizing marijuana is the same as legalizing murder.

I was merely commenting on the idea that changing the definition of something suddenly is supposed to negate the consequences of that something. "If it isn't illegal, it wouldn't be a crime" . . well, if murder wasn't illegal, it wouldn't be a crime; if we decided that the mayhem caused by the mafia wasn't illegal, then it wouldn't be a crime; if we decided that stealing wasn't illegal, it wouldn't be a crime; Hey, just change the definition and we can all go home feeling so much better about ourselves.

We've already let the horse out of the barn so to speak with alcohol so I don't advocate prohibition - you can't go back. But my question is why ADD to the already high social and financial cost of alcoholism and/or drunk driving and/or fractured families by legalizing something that alters your perception and lowers your inhibitions so you an make even more negative choices?

I still maintain that the law is the last bastion for alot of folks that keeps them from trying pot and that when you remove that law, you open the floodgates for increased usage. There are stats to show that, which I've already posted.

My daughter made a comment a few weeks ago that was very interesting in relation to the comment that "cool" nurses are those who advocate for legalization. We were visiting my sister, who mentioned to me during a conversation about clothing styles on teenage girls, that what is the big deal with girls wearing revealing clothing? (pubic hair low jeans, thongs, low-cut tops, etc.). As we were driving away, my daughter said "Aunt So and So is cool mom!!"

I looked at her and said, "So, you regard the opinion of a mom who is a long-time meth and pot user, who lost custody of her kids due to neglect and abuse, who aborted 5 of her pregnancies from 5 different men, who has had multiple partners, one of whom was a convicted child molester, who stood before us, barely 95 pounds with rotted out teeth as COOL?" My daughter was a bit shocked . .

To say that the only nurses who are cool are the ones who advocate legalization is a bit shortsighted and may I say immature.

I completely understand and respect the arguments pro and con here and appreciate the debate but if I had to chose between being thought of as "cool" (pro legalization) or not "cool" (anti-legalization), I would rather be not.

Party on . . . . . :)

steph

in the examples of things you're giving as crimes, there are victims. murder and violent crime means there are victims. with drunk drivers, there are victims galore. where are the marijuana victims? show me how someone smoking marijuana harms you to the threshold that it should be illegal? your argument is that alcohol should be legal because it's legal, and marijuana should be illegal because it's illlegal? what about intelligent analysis of the issues with evidence from the real world?

the people who are going to be drunks are already drinking, and the people who are going to be potheads are already potheads. anything to excess is bad. prohibition is an absolute failure on both accounts. what you've got is a set of laws harrassing productive and otherwise law abiding citizens. society isn't going to grind to a stop because everyone is suddenly stoned 24/7 if marijuana is legalized. in areas of the world where marijuana is legal, that hasn't happened. why not, if it's such a terrible drug? i'll guarantee you that it will hurt the pharmaceutical industry if people use it for medicinal purposes. that's where the harm is.

this long term meth and pot user never drank alcohol? virtually every hard drug user has tried alcohol. does that mean it is a gateway drug? why didn't you say this drinker and meth user?

so i suppose that smoking marijauna causes someone to neglect their children, lose their teeth, progress to meth, have 5 different pregnancies with 5 different men, etc. that is beyond preposterous. it's downright silly.

and saying someone is cool is a compliment to them. i find those who are open to marijuana despite the silly laws against it don't have authoritarian hang ups. i do find that very cool. if you want to go out of your way to take offense from that, it's your perogative.

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Yes, I am also curious to know if those who think marijuana should be illegal, also feel the same for alcohol. Considering alcoholism is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US, and also about 25,000 people are killed by drunk drivers each year, and atleast a million are injured by drunk drivers.

those who attack marijuana won't intelligently discuss these statistics. after all, they need their high. alcohol is the drug of choice for those against marijuana, and the mountain of evidence against it is ignored, while marijuana use is equated with hard drugs. preposterous.

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in the examples of things you're giving as crimes, there are victims. murder and violent crime means there are victims. with drunk drivers, there are victims galore. where are the marijuana victims? show me how someone smoking marijuana harms you to the threshold that it should be illegal? your argument is that alcohol should be legal because it's legal, and marijuana should be illegal because it's illlegal? what about intelligent analysis of the issues with evidence from the real world?

i've already posted links to articles about the harm caused by marijuana - it all boils down to pot being a mind altering drug that affects memory, perception, physical response time, etc., and that makes you a bit dangerous out on the road for one thing. there are many well known side effects or primary effects of pot that impact negatively on a person, that person's family and society.

the people who are going to be drunks are already drinking, and the people who are going to be potheads are already potheads. anything to excess is bad. prohibition is an absolute failure on both accounts. what you've got is a set of laws harrassing productive and otherwise law abiding citizens. society isn't going to grind to a stop because everyone is suddenly stoned 24/7 if marijuana is legalized. in areas of the world where marijuana is legal, that hasn't happened. why not, if it's such a terrible drug? i'll guarantee you that it will hurt the pharmaceutical industry if people use it for medicinal purposes. that's where the harm is.

society isn't a static force . . . just because there are drunks and potheads now doesn't mean that others won't start. i never said i believed in prohibition, i only mentioned since we already have such a problem with a legal substance such as alcohol, why add to it by making pot legal for recreational use? i'm not even arguing medical use here. i would hardly call upholding pot laws "harrassing" . . . those fine upstanding production people make choices to disobey the law and so should be able to accept the consequences of that choice. sheesh, don't cry foul when you did it to yourself. i don't see how legalizing pot wil hurt the pharmaceutical industry since anti-nausea drugs are not their cash cow. so harm, no foul there.

this long term meth and pot user never drank alcohol? virtually every hard drug user has tried alcohol. does that mean it is a gateway drug? why didn't you say this drinker and meth user?

i was trying to accurately describe my conversation with my daughter and so i didn't mention all of the things she has even ingested but if you want a laundry list . . . she started with pot at age nine given to her by her friend's older sister who thought it would be a hoot to get the little kids stoned - my sister got stoned on a regular basis after that. she also drank all kinds of alcohol, used coke, lsd, mushrooms, . .. . i could go on and on but you get the idea. for my sister, pot was literally the "gateway". sorry for not including the whole laundry list for you.

so i suppose that smoking marijauna causes someone to neglect their children, lose their teeth, progress to meth, have 5 different pregnancies with 5 different men, etc. that is beyond preposterous. it's downright silly.

for some people, using pot can make them neglectful parents as anytime you crave a drug you unfortunately will do just about anything to get the drug. i'm not saying my sister did the things she did because she was a pot user, in fact that was not the point at all for me talking about her situation. it was simply the "cool" comment made me think of my conversation with my daugther. using pot though can certainly lower your inhibitions in a situation that can make you vulnerable to being sexually active with someone who isn't good for you - as can alcohol.

and saying someone is cool is a compliment to them. i find those who are open to marijuana despite the silly laws against it don't have authoritarian hang ups. i do find that very cool. if you want to go out of your way to take offense from that, it's your perogative.

i get that saying someone is cool is a compliment to them - which is why i questioned my daughter . .. she was only thinking that because my sister didn't think it was a bad thing to dress provocatively and so was therefore "cool" vs.thinking her mom was not "cool" because her mom who wants her to have more pride than that and who is ardently feminist in regards to women not selling themselves short

i'm hardly authoritarian but then you don't know me. i wouldn't go so far as to say i took "offense" to the comment about only nurses who think legalization of marijuana is a great idea are cool . .. i think instead that this is an issue in which many honorable, smart and reasonable people period can have differences, discuss them and not worry about who is more cool. that just seemed like something my teenagers would worry about - hence the story about my daughter.

as i mentioned, if i have to make the choice i make the choice not to be popular or cool - i make the choice to go with what i know. my experience is not everyone's experience. i do simply have to wonder though, as i've mentioned, why add another mind-altering substance to the huge problem of the legal drug alcohol? stats show pot use would increase if legal - what is the point of that?

steph

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those who attack marijuana won't intelligently discuss these statistics. after all, they need their high. alcohol is the drug of choice for those against marijuana, and the mountain of evidence against it is ignored, while marijuana use is equated with hard drugs. preposterous.

That is a preposterous statement . . . ."alcohol is the drug of choice for those against marijuana."

No one I know who thinks pot should remain illegal turns a blind eye to alcohol abuse. No one says there is no alcohol problem.

Some of us are just saying why add to the problem of impaired people?

steph

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"I'm not even arguing medical use here. I would hardly call upholding pot laws "harrassing" . . . those fine upstanding production people make choices to disobey the law and so should be able to accept the consequences of that choice. Sheesh, don't cry foul when you did it to yourself."

the point i'm making is that i didn't do it myself. i didn't make the silly laws against this plant that has been used as a natural medicine for centuries. so, yes, i'm crying foul! it's a plant, and as far as i'm concerned, society doesn't have the right to criminalize people for using it when they aren't harming others. in and of itself, prosecuting people for using this plant is counterproductive to society. the only thing that makes these folks criminals is some law that is based on ideology, not reality.

you still haven't adressed how you are harmed in a way that even approaches alcohol when someone uses marijuana. if marijuana is illegal, then alcohol should also be. any other position is hypocrisy.

i'm truly sorry about your sister, but i don't think marijuana was the reason she's had the problems she had. if it didn't exist, she'd still be in the position she's in, given her addictive personality. adults who give minors drugs or alcohol are grossly irresponsible and criminal. i'm not advocatiing that preschoolers be given marijuana any more than you'd advocate giving them alcohol.

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That is a preposterous statement . . . ."alcohol is the drug of choice for those against marijuana."

No one I know who thinks pot should remain illegal turns a blind eye to alcohol abuse. No one says there is no alcohol problem.

Some of us are just saying why add to the problem of impaired people?

steph

do you use alcohol? have you ever been drunk?

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the point i'm making is that i didn't do it myself. i didn't make the silly laws against this plant that has been used as a natural medicine for centuries. so, yes, i'm crying foul! it's a plant, and as far as i'm concerned, society doesn't have the right to criminalize people for using it when they aren't harming others. in and of itself, prosecuting people for using this plant is counterproductive to society. the only thing that makes these folks criminals is some law that is based on ideology, not reality.

yes, you did do it to yourself if you are talking about disobeying laws regarding using pot. it doesn't matter if you didn't make the silly laws. the law is the law and until it changes, if you use pot and get caught, yes it is your fault. i'm using the global "you" - not you specifically. society does actually have a right to criminalize something that harms people and while you may disagree, many people smarter than me think it harms people. if you disagree with the law, work to reverse it and then use pot legally.

you still haven't adressed how you are harmed in a way that even approaches alcohol when someone uses marijuana. if marijuana is illegal, then alcohol should also be. any other position is hypocrisy.i don't agree that because the negative effects of pot are not equal to the negative effects of alcohol means pot is ok. i have addressed how using marijuana harms people in numerous posts and have provided links with info on the medical and societal costs. just because one thief steals $1000 worth of goods from a store and another thief steals $10 worth of goods from a store doesn't mean the $10 thief isn't wrong.

i'm truly sorry about your sister, but i don't think marijuana was the reason she's had the problems she had. if it didn't exist, she'd still be in the position she's in, given her addictive personality. adults who give minors drugs or alcohol are grossly irresponsible and criminal. i'm not advocatiing that preschoolers be given marijuana any more than you'd advocate giving them alcohol.

i think if my sister had not been introduced to pot at nine years of age, maybe her life might have taken a different turn but who can really know that? i only know it was terribly wrong to give nine year old children pot and there is one way pot can harm someone - the judgment of the person who was stoned who thought it was funny to get little kids stoned.

steph

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do you use alcohol? have you ever been drunk?

I've been drunk, high, and stoned. :)

I just went wine tasting in Napa . . . :)

But to make a blanket statement that those who are against legalizing pot for recreational use are therefore in favor of abusing or even using alcohol is preposterous.

steph

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