What do you think of marijuana and the idea of it being legalized.

[majour ka]

Bad idea, will just encourage people to think its ok for you and maybe it can be in moderation, BUT, I have seen it destroy peoples lives.

Weed destroys motivation to lead healthy life and can induce psychosis.

[zareste]

at least when criminals put you in jail for it
but there's a fix for that

[Xanth]

Bad idea, will just encourage people to think its ok for you and maybe it can be in moderation, BUT, I have seen it destroy peoples lives.

Weed destroys motivation to lead healthy life and can induce psychosis.

Honestly, if that's what you're worried about then you should be lobbying for making alcohol illegal.  It's much more dangerous than marijuana. 

As I said before though, putting the smoking of it aside, hemp is one of (if not THE) the most helpful plants to ever grow on this green Earth for humanity.

Imagine if alcohol had this kind of upside.  hehe

Anyway, consider this... there will *ALWAYS* be a segment of the population who will abuse something to the point of it becoming destructive.  The upside this product can have for humanity vastly outweighs any negative impact it'll have.  I dare you (anyone) to do some solid research on its uses then come back and tell us that it's still a "bad idea". 

[Lionheart]

 The United States Navy uses hemp for all of it's ropes. If it's good enough for them, it should be good enough for us as well. Hemp is the single strongest natural fiber we have. By using hemp to make clothing, we could return some of our manufacturing from China to the United States again.

[desert-rat]

Almost any thing can be abused . You can become additcted to alcohol with weed I dont know if it is phy. or mental .   A little common scence and personal responability will go a long way .  Many years ago I tried weed twice and have never tried it since , if it does become legal , I might try it again .  desert rat 

[daddyshome]

The reason marijuana is illegal in the first place is because big corporations would lose money and go out of business if it were legal. Before it was illegal hemp was used for all sorts of different reasons. Paper can be made from hemp and it takes far less of it to make a sheet of paper than trees. Also, hemp seeds are one of the most nutritious substances on the earth. Hemp oil would also eliminate the need for big oil companies like BP, and Exon Mobil. All these big companies would go out of business due to hemp being used for just about everything. One of the most important aspects of marijuana, which was discovered recently, is that THC kills cancer cells in the brain, eliminating the need for costly, and painful chemotherapy.Also, did I forget to mention that it has an awesome effect on you when you smoke. Looking at it from this point of view there is only one reason that it is being kept illegal. Greed corporate pigs would be losing money if it were legal. Also, Andrew Jackson owned a hemp field as did most of our early presidents.
Don't believe me? http://www.world-mysteries.com/marijuana1.htm

[Xanth]

The reason marijuana is illegal in the first place is because big corporations would lose money and go out of business if it were legal. Before it was illegal hemp was used for all sorts of different reasons. Paper can be made from hemp and it takes far less of it to make a sheet of paper than trees. Also, hemp seeds are one of the most nutritious substances on the earth. Hemp oil would also eliminate the need for big oil companies like BP, and Exon Mobil. All these big companies would go out of business due to hemp being used for just about everything. One of the most important aspects of marijuana, which was discovered recently, is that THC kills cancer cells in the brain, eliminating the need for costly, and painful chemotherapy.Also, did I forget to mention that it has an awesome effect on you when you smoke. Looking at it from this point of view there is only one reason that it is being kept illegal. Greed corporate pigs would be losing money if it were legal. Also, Andrew Jackson owned a hemp field as did most of our early presidents.
Don't believe me? http://www.world-mysteries.com/marijuana1.htm

^ This is all accurate...

This single plant would save not only humanity, but our entire planet as well.  And it's only due to corporate greed that we haven't done so already.

[majour ka]

Honestly, if that's what you're worried about then you should be lobbying for making alcohol illegal.  It's much more dangerous than marijuana. 

As I said before though, putting the smoking of it aside, hemp is one of (if not THE) the most helpful plants to ever grow on this green Earth for humanity.

Imagine if alcohol had this kind of upside.  hehe

Anyway, consider this... there will *ALWAYS* be a segment of the population who will abuse something to the point of it becoming destructive.  The upside this product can have for humanity vastly outweighs any negative impact it'll have.  I dare you (anyone) to do some solid research on its uses then come back and tell us that it's still a "bad idea". 

Then you clearly, clearly haven't seen first hand the destruction and suffering it can cause people you care about, I have.
As for "there will*ALWAYS* be a segment of population" so you concede it can be harmful, your playing down its addictive and destructive potential. Making it legal and more prevalent will only increase that problem.
Research! dare me? I have plenty of experience thank you, enough to make a very informed decision. You  state that alcohol is much more dangerous than weed,...have you considered is because its legal?

Alcohol is different debate, but yes as you say its potentially dangerous to...whats you point? You want to talk about cigarets aswell? lol...looks like we are not going to agree on this one.

Show me one person who smokes lots everyday who is healthy, mentally and physically, balanced, motivated and successful....and ill show you ten who are depressed, in debt, jobless, or psychotic.

I know many people who have told me how much their life has improved since they stopped smoking weed. FACT.

[todd421757]

and ill show you ten who are depressed, in debt, jobless, or psychotic.

I know many people who have told me how much their life has improved since they stopped smoking weed. FACT.

This is what I have found also.

[Xanth]

Then you clearly, clearly haven't seen first hand the destruction and suffering it can cause people you care about, I have.
As for "there will*ALWAYS* be a segment of population" so you concede it can be harmful, your playing down its addictive and destructive potential. Making it legal and more prevalent will only increase that problem.
Research! dare me? I have plenty of experience thank you, enough to make a very informed decision. You  state that alcohol is much more dangerous than weed,...have you considered is because its legal?

Alcohol is different debate, but yes as you say its potentially dangerous to...whats you point? You want to talk about cigarets aswell? lol...looks like we are not going to agree on this one.

Show me one person who smokes lots everyday who is healthy, mentally and physically, balanced, motivated and successful....and ill show you ten who are depressed, in debt, jobless, or psychotic.

I know many people who have told me how much their life has improved since they stopped smoking weed. FACT.

So what's your position on prescription medication then?   Lots of people die each year from abusing prescription medication... you MUST be against it? 
How about cars?  Car accidents claim the lives of many people and destroy many families every year as well.
Electricity?  I'm sure if you look people die directly because of that too.
Nuclear power?  Fukushima anyone?

I can go on and on and on...

Suffice to say... you can't hide your head in the sand just because some bad stuff will happen from something so potentially world-changing such as this.  Nuclear power has horrible downsides, but I'm fairly certain we wouldn't even be having this discussion on the internet without the massive power created by such facilities.  Actually, our entire way of life right now would be significantly different without such overabundance of energy available to us.

Farming hemp would change the course of humanity as we know it... for the better.  I'm puzzled why anyone would be against this.

Your opinions, however, are noted... I just fully disagree with WHY and HOW you make them.  You're not seeing things objectively.  You're seeing things personally.

[ForrestDean]

Then you clearly, clearly haven't seen first hand the destruction and suffering it can cause people you care about, I have.
As for "there will*ALWAYS* be a segment of population" so you concede it can be harmful, your playing down its addictive and destructive potential. Making it legal and more prevalent will only increase that problem.
Research! dare me? I have plenty of experience thank you, enough to make a very informed decision. You  state that alcohol is much more dangerous than weed,...have you considered is because its legal?

Alcohol is different debate, but yes as you say its potentially dangerous to...whats you point? You want to talk about cigarets aswell? lol...looks like we are not going to agree on this one.

Show me one person who smokes lots everyday who is healthy, mentally and physically, balanced, motivated and successful....and ill show you ten who are depressed, in debt, jobless, or psychotic.

I know many people who have told me how much their life has improved since they stopped smoking weed. FACT.

But this still doesn't negate the overwhelming benefits of hemp.  The benefits of hemp FAR outweighs whatever negative effects of marijuana.

[Stookie_]

Too much of anything is bad for you. Alcohol doesn't have to be destructive, it's just with some people it is... same with pot. Does that mean we should take away everyone's choice and freedom to decide? Most people who are inclined to smoke pot will do it regardless of the law, so I don't think making it legal would change much of anything, other than diminishing the black market for it and freeing up prison space and putting ease on the over-worked legal system and not wasting cops time on busting someone with a single joint. High schoolers will tell you that weed is easier to get than alcohol, and that's because of the black market - legalizing pot could actually lessen drug use in minors. There would still be laws like those regarding alcohol, like where it can be consumed, DUI's, and age limits. There have been countries that have shown this to work.

As far as destructiveness between marijuana and alcohol, anyone who's done both will tell you pot is not NEAR as debilitating to motor skills and coordination like alcohol is. You don't get hungover and throw up all morning, you don't get violent, you can't OD... the worst side effect is jail.

I'm just saying the system is horribly confused as to the reality of drugs & alcohol. I blame it on the fear campaign Nancy Reagan started in the 80's. Maybe if people were given more responsibility for themselves rather than letting government decide what is best for them, people would actually be more responsible.

(I'm not promoting the use of marijuana, I'm complaining about the system. Fight the Power!  )

[Stillwater]

A hemp industry would completely redefine our society.  I read somewhere that if you farmed 8% of the US landmass as hemp, you could use the oils and do away with our gasoline dependency.

I want to say this shouldn't be true; the energy required to produce the industrial fertilizers needed to grow it for fuel, and then the energy needed to process and transport it would probably cause you to break near even in energy input vs output. The thing about oil is that even today it produces 30 times the energy that discovering, transporting, and processing it takes. It is almost the sole reason our society was able to develop so fast over the last 2 centuries, and it is near impossible to replace with biofuels. We more or less need to put as much research money as we spend on our military (fat chance) into solar research. Several forms of fusion may save us later, but they are still decade or more away.

But this is not a counterarguement for legalization, of course... it is also a moot point to me that the plant should be used in about a dozen ways. It is telling that people are actually suffering while medicine that could be greatly beneficial to them is withheld because we have a powerful phramaceutical industry that buys laws.

[majour ka]

So what's your position on prescription medication then?   Lots of people die each year from abusing prescription medication... you MUST be against it? 
How about cars?  Car accidents claim the lives of many people and destroy many families every year as well.
Electricity?  I'm sure if you look people die directly because of that too.
Nuclear power?  Fukushima anyone?

I can go on and on and on...

Suffice to say... you can't hide your head in the sand just because some bad stuff will happen from something so potentially world-changing such as this.  Nuclear power has horrible downsides, but I'm fairly certain we wouldn't even be having this discussion on the internet without the massive power created by such facilities.  Actually, our entire way of life right now would be significantly different without such overabundance of energy available to us.

Farming hemp would change the course of humanity as we know it... for the better.  I'm puzzled why anyone would be against this.

Your opinions, however, are noted... I just fully disagree with WHY and HOW you make them.  You're not seeing things objectively.  You're seeing things personally.

Yes I am seeing things personally, as you are, truth is subjective, the question was do we agree wit the legalisation of a recreational drug, but it appears you are advocating weed as a power source, great i all for it...But that wasn't the question, I am responding to the question and I am not for making the position of peoples mental and psychical health worse. Medication is subscribed and measured and medication and transport are an essential part of life. Recreational drugs are not.

[Stillwater]

Yes I am seeing things personally, as you are, truth is subjective, the question was do we agree wit the legalisation of a recreational drug, but it appears you are advocating weed as a power source, great i all for it...But that wasn't the question, I am responding to the question and I am not for making the position of peoples mental and psychical health worse. Medication is subscribed and measured and medication and transport are an essential part of life. Recreational drugs are not.

I think the matter of recreational use goes beyond what things are essential and which things aren't though.

For instance, music, rich foods, movies and theatre, and fictional books are all inessetial to living, and some of them may cause harm at some times, and yet they are not banned. Most people feel that these things should be free to experience- that it is up to the discretion of the person to use them responsibly.

I mean the stuff largely isn't for me, but I think people who are responsible should be allowed to do what they choose if it isn't going to harm others; and by extension, that the arguements against recreational use are stopping it from being used in industrial products which in many cases it is the best possible candidate for is silly to me.

[majour ka]

had enough now  going for a joint

[Bedeekin]

It's great... but it does bugger all for OOBEs.

[Ihavewings]

had enough now  going for a joint

Haha, stay up. 

[Mini stapler]

Saw this a while ago & randomly came across it again today & reminded me of this thread...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnFJYxCx7zk&feature=related - Enjoy.

[Astralsuzy]

I would not like it to be legalised as I do not like the smell of it.  I have to put up with people smoking and that is bad enough.  I am not able to breathe in fresh air.