Medical Marijuana Opinions

[SL2014]

What do you think about the possible legalization and taxation of Medical Marijuana in the US?

I think that this is a very interesting subject and I like to hear other people's opinions.

Please see my reasons and tell me what you think about each of them. :) Thank you!

My Opinion:

I think that Marijuana should be legalized, taxed and regulated (Like alcohol and tobacco).

Reasons:

1)__ It is VERY beneficial with people with some ailments, and with the lack of dependency and withdrawls is a great alternative to things like narcotic pain medication.

2)__ Taxing Marijuana can be extremely rewarding for the economy, a SINGLE dispensery in northern California paid over $800,000.00 in taxes in a SINGLE year... we could use this money during a recession to avoid cutting costs on government programs that people depend on.

3)__ There are very little downsides to people using marijuana, if it is eaten or used via vaporizor there are ZERO downsides other than the possibility of people driving while impaired, but this danger is exists with everything from Alcohol to NyQuil to Sleep Deprivaiton.

4)__ Not is single death has been recorded exclusively because of the use of marijuana.

5)__ MILLIONS of dollars are spent each year arresting, presecuting and detaining people that have consume, sell, or cultivate marijuana. 70% of the Federal drug enforcement budget goes to enforcing laws reguarding marijuana, the other 30% is divided between Meth, Crack, Heroin, Cocaine, Extacy, Date Rape Drug, Illegal Perscription Drugs, Acid, mushrooms ect.

What do you guys think? Why do you think that it is still Federally illegal, even for medical purposes? What do you think should happen?

[elkpark]

I'm well aware that tobacco and ETOH are regulated differently than MJ, thank you, but that's really my question. What practical or logical or objective reason is there why MJ should be a Big Bad Evil Schedule I drug that you go to prison for using, but you can buy your weight in tobacco or ETOH, which are much more dangerous and cause much more individual and social damage, in any grocery or convenience store any hour of the day or night?? There is no logic or sense to that arrangement.

[Bug Out, BSN]

I'm well aware that tobacco and ETOH are regulated differently than MJ, thank you, but that's really my question. What practical or logical or objective reason is there why MJ should be a Big Bad Evil Schedule I drug that you go to prison for using, but you can buy your weight in tobacco or ETOH, which are much more dangerous and cause much more individual and social damage, in any grocery or convenience store any hour of the day or night?? There is no logic or sense to that arrangement.

Your welcome but again, distilled spirits and tobacco are regulated under different laws and are classed different by the FDA. The FDA has not scheduled every chemical substance known to man...some things are scheduled and some are not, mostly based upon research and social standards and their prevalence in the community. There are still many many narcotics and hallucinogens that have not been scheduled since they are pretty much non existent in the United States. Hell people huff paint to get high, should all paint be scheduled? Harm from paint is about 10,000 times worse than heroin...why is it not scheduled and heroin is?

Tobacco and ETOH are socially accepted, marijuana is not. Is it fair? No. Is the world fair? No. Why is it socially acceptable to have public sex in Amsterdam but not here in the United States? Why am I allowed to own an AR15 in Arizona but not in New York? Why is it accepted for relatives to have sex in Georgia but not Ohio.

Different places, different social norms. In the United States it is still not a social norm to use marijuana, at least not in the voting majorities eyes...the only opinions that really count.

Now should all the laws made be equal punishment for equal harm? No, that wouldn't make sense. Punishment is based upon the level of deterrence, not the level of harm.

[Torchwood]

Meh, either way is fine with me. If people can handle doing drugs and be normal, more power to them. If they cannot and it ruins their life, oh well.

[ruralnurs]

I am not sure what I think, I don't have enough information. It is legal in my state, I don't think it is good for anyone with a mental illness that includes any paranoia, it exacerbates it. And I (as an FNP) have taken care of many chronic pain patients (a diagnosis that many feel it is good for) and I have yet to see any person use less narcotics because they got a medical Mj card, nor have I seen an increase in level of activies (i.e. they can now go to kids BB game or they can work for 6 hours instead of 3 or can do wahtever) because they have MMj. It just doesn't happen from what I have seen. So I question if it really "helps" or if people just like how they feel????

[aloevera]

Personally, I don't like it........I tried it back in the 70's and did not like the feeling.........BUT....if alcohol is legal, then why not THC?? I never see anyone OD'ing on pot, getting physically addictive, having withdrawals, getting in an auto accident, starting fights, etc. etc.........none of the awful behavior that ETOH causes.........so I say, legalize it and save taxpayers $$ for all the arrest, court battles and housing them in jail...........

[Delawhere_RN]

I don't think I read anything about having an "new" alternative cash crop for the country either. If it was farmed - there would be MJ, hemp, etc which could go further in industry to make clothes, etc. More jobs, more stuff, more market. There would have to be a lot of work done though: security of the crops (worried someone would come mow the fields at 3am lol), then regulations: growing with miracle grow, etc that could all be issues (have no idea how tobacco is grown to get ideas from)

As far as being addictive, phychologically is the worst of all of it. Hence the answer to why puffs of a cigarette is more relaxing/soothing than the patch. There are people in Narcotics Anonymous that are addicted to pills, THC, whatever, legal or not so there is a place to go if the addict realizes they need help. Which is also the same place jails, parole officers, judges, etc send people when they are in "trouble" with MJ. People may actually go to get help faster if there is less process in between. (Believe it's their decision not some one elses)

If one is worried about what would lawyers, PO's, counselors, police, etc do with less traffic there is always the idea that they would have time to focus on other cases.

I have developed these opinions after having family in recovery for 22 yrs, volunteering at a detox facility for 7 yrs, living in a rural area and having a son who is a police officer and knowing many others upon having other life attributes.....so based iton what i know.....kind of stuck my neck out here, normally don't get into "debates" that have a legal vein running thru them.

[rocketscience]

When you are faced with a child (19) that has failed courses and graduated late from high school secondary to missing so much class and not studying because he is somewhere else smoking marijuana with his friends and then he fails/drops classes and takes 3 years to finish a 2 year college degree and can't keep a job due to company drug testing policy catching up with his "habit" and he can't keep a job where they don't test but he can't perform well, and he gets stopped by police 4 times while in high school and then gets caught with ecstacy and is asked to go "under cover" for drug enforcement agents in order to stay out of jail and he gets stoned while you are at work and he is supposed to be watching his grandmother with alzheimers while you work and then he brings a bunch of other smokers to your house with drugs and alcohol and then he gets a bad bag cut with some other drug and ends up having anxiety attacks for 3 weeks and he has to sleep with you because he is so frightened and paranoid, three trips to a hospital by ambulance and then ends up for two weeks in another city in the same mental health facility that Tiger Woods is in presently and he reports a new insight into his "habit" (not addiction) and promises to do better but doesn't because he can't perform well in school or get a job and his only friends are other drug users and you have a bill for $13,000 for said insight AND when your daughter (22) leaves home without notice after graduating from college with a fine arts degree to live with an alcoholic, drug using punk alternative rock musician and engaged in drinking, getting stoned until said boyfriend wrecks her car and tries to kill her with a skateboard to the head and she miscarries his baby and you have to cross three states to get her medical care and pay all her bills and bring her home and repair her car to lie around for a couple of months wallowing in depression and regret until you drag her out of the bed onto the floor and to the shower and threaten to institutionalize her if she doesn't get a bath, a haircut, new clothes, a new attitude and help around the house until she gets a job while you pay all expenses for her rescue---then you can stop asking this question because the answer will become glaringly apparent as it has to so many thousands of families who have had to deal with "harmless" drug use.

[MarvinMartian]

I wonder if anyone has tried marijuana with anorexics...

[Wishinonastar, BSN]

I watched a BBC special about the use of marijuana (in Amsterdam I believe) where they sold it in bars. You can't carry it around, but you can buy it in these bars. Go out for a smoke with a friend instead of a drink. It was very informative. Crime is lower- ever hear of a high person who got violent? They are too happy to be violent. People are happier. It is a good stress reliever. Drinking makes you more depressed, not a stress reliever. If it is legal there is no more crime associated with it. It takes away the power of the smugglers and their warfare tactics. I say it is time to make it legal not only for medical use but for adult use. I think fewer people would abuse hard drugs or drink which causes much more heartache. Control it, tax it, whatever, but take away the criminal aspect of it and society will benefit. Give the tobacco companies something to do and take tobacco off the market. It kills way too many people every year.

[MarvinMartian]

When you are faced with a child (19) that has failed courses and graduated late from high school secondary to missing so much class and not studying because he is somewhere else smoking marijuana with his friends and then he fails/drops classes and takes 3 years to finish a 2 year college degree and can't keep a job due to company drug testing policy catching up with his "habit" and he can't keep a job where they don't test but he can't perform well, and he gets stopped by police 4 times while in high school and then gets caught with ecstacy and is asked to go "under cover" for drug enforcement agents in order to stay out of jail and he gets stoned while you are at work and he is supposed to be watching his grandmother with alzheimers while you work and then he brings a bunch of other smokers to your house with drugs and alcohol and then he gets a bad bag cut with some other drug and ends up having anxiety attacks for 3 weeks and he has to sleep with you because he is so frightened and paranoid, three trips to a hospital by ambulance and then ends up for two weeks in another city in the same mental health facility that Tiger Woods is in presently and he reports a new insight into his "habit" (not addiction) and promises to do better but doesn't because he can't perform well in school or get a job and his only friends are other drug users and you have a bill for $13,000 for said insight AND when your daughter (22) leaves home without notice after graduating from college with a fine arts degree to live with an alcoholic, drug using punk alternative rock musician and engaged in drinking, getting stoned until said boyfriend wrecks her car and tries to kill her with a skateboard to the head and she miscarries his baby and you have to cross three states to get her medical care and pay all her bills and bring her home and repair her car to lie around for a couple of months wallowing in depression and regret until you drag her out of the bed onto the floor and to the shower and threaten to institutionalize her if she doesn't get a bath, a haircut, new clothes, a new attitude and help around the house until she gets a job while you pay all expenses for her rescue---then you can stop asking this question because the answer will become glaringly apparent as it has to so many thousands of families who have had to deal with "harmless" drug use.

Not to offend but marijuana isn't the 'cause' of your problems...

It's merely a symptom of a bigger problem as drugs always are...

I'll leave it at that.

[billibob]

Why was hemp originally outlawed??? it was the crop of choice for newly freed blacks back in the day. Hemp was such a superior product compared to cotton that the cotton growers lobbied for the new hemp products, both with thc and without to be outlawed. it was never grown in mass production again. who will be affected today if hemp is legalized? ALWAYS FOLLOW THE MONEY FOR ANY LEGAL ISSUE. How many law enforcement would be let go? how would today's cotton industry be affected??? think about it..........

[annabanana1219]

I have seen Marinol help many patients who had no appetite and were depressed. They started smiling again and were eating properly. That being said........I am glad that there is medical use of the drug and hope to see more states make it legal to use medically.