How often do you smoke weed?

That may also be true, and I'm often on the fence about whether legalization ages for drugs like alcohol and marijuana should be 18 or 21. I wouldn't object to either, honestly. Either way, we need to keep the message of "act responsibly" in the minds of people who are deciding whether or not to drink or smoke marijuana or use other drugs.

 

Just a few times a month.

I don't smoke it though, lol. Pot cookies!

 

Well, I actually love the scent of naturally-grown, good quality weed...I had better not think about it too much as I really don't want to go back to using it, cos I need to actually *get things done* in my life - and one needs *motivation* and *a clear mind* for that...

 

Ok, I respect your opinions, and I know that smoking weed can't always be blamed for harder drug use. I also accept that environment plays its part, along with peer pressure.

However, the absolute vast majority of drug users have started out on cannabis.
It's a fact.

Some people can smoke weed and never have a problem with it and won't progress to the harder stuff (why do I keep saying "harder stuff"? I think cannabis is hard enough).
The same goes for alcohol.

Though after all I've seen, I'll stand by my opinion that cannabis can lead to other stuff, and as mentioned in someone else's post, plays its part in depression and other mental issues.
But if people want to use it then it's not my concern.

 

I don't understand why this is such a high profile issue. Yes there are downsides about weed, but they are usually because of the person and not so much of substance. There is nothing addictive about it in its nature, rather, its people taking things too far (which could for for ANYTHING). I don't understand why society takes a big gasp when anyone wants to smoke a bit mary jane once in a while, but are totally okay with alcohol, sugar, cigarettes, prescription drugs, technology addiction of children, consumerism, etc etc. There are plenty of benefits of cannabis..what could be said about alcohol and processed foods with ridiculous amounts of sugar that Western society feeds to their children everyday ?

*and going back to the poll.. I smoke, though usually just socially or when I just need to get my mind off of things. With that I put down once a week, though it varies widely. It can be several times during a weekend to not even touching it for a month. For my own stuff, since I have a med card, I only have a good pure quality calming Indica. I avoid hybrids, and turn down offers from others if I don't feel it would be a good idea based off an off putting smell. It must smell like a nice herbal tea

Also am trying to save up for a vaporizer since it is really the cleaner way*

 

Pretty much agree with this, and why I believe marijuana shouldn't be legalized other than for medical purposes. Not to mention it would be very difficult to regulate if it were legal in all 50 states.

 

I don't do drugs in any form, not even alcohol, and I never will. I can see no benefits to the recreational use of drugs. Of course if people are prescribed marijuana in order to help them overcome illness, then of course I agree with that, but otherwise I can see no other benefits to using any kinds of recreational drugs.

 

But...alcohol kills thousands a year. Tobacco kills thousands a year. Now granted, marijuana will upset the balance of the reward system of the brain, etc, but at least it doesn't kill people! So 'harm' cannot possibly be the reason for grog and smokes to be legal, whilst weed remains illegal. It must be another reason. Hmm...millions and millions in taxation revenue, maybe? Cos it sure is hard to tax something a person can just grow in their own backyard!

And who says any government has any right to regulate any plant on Earth, anyway? Plants are the birthright of all human beings, period. Sure let them regulate hard, nasty drugs like ice, cocaine, heroin, but whether or how we use the plants that grow on this planet, is frankly none of their goddamn business.

 

Did you even bother to read any of the post that I quoted? I'm presuming not.

Don't think anyone's denied that at all. Alcohol and tobacco use is certainly a problem for millions of people.

But why make it easier than it already is for people who are at a higher risk for addiction to become addicted to another drug? And if you fully legalize marijuana, it would be even easier for kids to use it and harm themselves long-term. In other words, it would be a bitch to regulate.

Decriminalize marijuana? Sure. Legalize? Yeah, tobacco and alcohol is enough.

 

SO many things do that. Are you aware that chocolate impacts your dopamine levels? Is chocolate a drug now?

Of course, because no one talks about it. Where's the outrage? Where are there open discussions about it? Yes everyone, in at least the United States, agrees that too much sugar is a bad thing. Sugar screws with your brain in ways that make the effects of Marijuana essentially irrelevant. But is it illegal? No, in fact there are advertisements everywhere ready to convince us why we need to buy into the happy meal, the twinkie, the sour patches, hamburger helper, the pumpkin spice latte, etc etc. Obesity, a national crisis, is not a relevant political issue to the majority of the public. Somehow, marijuana, and its inconclusive brain effects, somehow carries much more weight than alcohol and sugar combined.

I am not saying marijuana is perfect, and I am watching the brain studies (they haven't been able to isolate marijuana as a cause of the issues..too much noise in the studies), but really, its all about relativity here. Almost everything we do has an effect on the brain after all. From staring at your computer screen, putting yourself in an abusive relationship, to the lunch you ate today. All the above of course, in moderation (minus the abusive relationship of course), the body can balance off. The reason this isn't the case for heroin and acid because there is actually conclusive evidence that you simply cannot be moderate it, the damage it causes is too severe.

Yes! Thank You!

People always want what they can't have. People are getting it today because they want it, and unfortunately they are getting it from dealers generally, rather than a safe regulated business that can help and educate them about how to be healthy with what they are using it. The dispensary I've been to so far has in one way or another tried to guide people with doses and always take pride in quality. You are actually getting marijuana, and not some junk that you get on the street that really could be actually bad for you.

Marijuana should be legal for those over 18 (or 21 or whatever) so that it is not encouraging kids to use it, but at the same time there is some security via regulation for those who choose to use it. I really don't think thats much to ask for..marijuana does not lead to violent/lethal behavior.

 

The question is whether moving the marijuana trade away from the backstreets and into controlled environments would be a way to minimise the harms of dilution with cheaper materials, excessive potency and gateway issues (namely, the purveyance in multiple drugs by individual dealers of which marijuana is the first purchased, followed by pressure to buy harder drugs once the consumer is on marijuana) posed by its illicit market presence.

 

I never smoked weed.

 

I tried it once, nearly coughed my lungs up, then spent twenty minutes staring at the curtains as they moved in the breeze. Not my idea of an awesome time.

 

And do you really think that's going to stop people from getting "junk" on the street that's stronger and more addicting to some? No, and there's a few reasons for that.

As for your second paragraph, I completely disagree that having a "smoking" age similar to a drinking age would somehow discourage kids from using marijuana. It's like saying that having a drinking age of 21 doesn't encourage kids from drinking, and we all know that's bullshit. In fact, I would argue that it would encourage some kids even more to want to smoke because they're doing an "adult" thing that they shouldn't be doing, similar to kids drinking while way underage. A law requiring a person to be over 21 to be able to lawfully smoke marijuana would be just as dumb - and effective - as our drinking age law. There would also still be a market for dealers to deal marijuana to kids underage.

And let's say that we do regulate it and adults with kids purchase marijuana. It would become that much easier for a 14-year-old to have access to a drug that can be very harmful to a kid and possibly be a gateway to addiction at a young age.

Again, America has enough problems regulating alcohol and keeping it out of the hands of kids. Let's not make it worse by adding something else that is harmful to kids.

---------- Post added 4th Jan 2015 at 06:15 AM ----------

I'm not at all convinced it would. See my previous post.

 

This is such a confusing subject; I'd like some things cleared.

Firstly, can someone here tell me if marijuana actually leads to schizophrenia, if someone in your family has had it before? I've heard so many conflicting arguments about this and the clashing does my head in. I hear people have predispositions/genes that marijuana triggers or releases when someone in their family has it.

Furthermore, why is weed outlawed in many countries and labelled an illicit drug, if there are so many "benefits" of it?
I watched an episode of RBT and two old women caught with cannabis/marijuana in their system went off their heads at the police, suggesting that weed was nothing more than just medication. Meanwhile, the police were insinuating that they need mentality checks... I don't even know. It seems there are people either totally for it or totally against, and I'm lying in the middle with an unweighted shrug on my shoulders.

 

The prevailing theory of cannabis' benefit is that "Big Pharma" would prefer people not be able to grow widely beneficial medicine in their backyards for free. So they lobby against its legalization. How true is it? No idea, but plausible enough for consideration at least. And for what it's worth, cops are duty-bound to enforce its illegality as long as it stands, but the ones I've talked to don't consider weed to be a serious violation.

I've never used it in any fashion though. Not that I never would, but while pursuing a police career, they prefer their applicants to say they've never touched it with a ten-foot pole.

 

In a debate about merits of legalising marijuana it's necessary to discuss the harm that the drug does or doesn't cause? Pretty sure I haven't read anyone actually advocating or promoting it's use.. is this forum that pc that people can't talk frankly about fucking marijuana damn. Like I understand this is a forum with a lot of young people but as long as nobody starts actually glorifying drug use..

The gateway drug theory is bullshit btw, like there's fucking loads of studies on it and it's just shit. Availability of marijuana won't change, friends of mine used to smoke at about 13 it's just not at all hard to get a drug like marijuana. On whether legalisation will increase use of marijuana the evidence is also that it won't, for what I've seen for the uk at least. Fewer young people are drinking and smoking tobacco and marijuana in the uk despite more relaxed policing. Decriminalisation of all illicit drugs in Portugal has been followed by decreased use by young people..

The biggest benefit by far of legalising cannabis will be it's effect on crime. It will stop selling weed on a corner being an attractive career path for poor kids and take money away from gangs and give it to licensed chemists or something

Once it's legalised we can actually have a sensible debate about the dangers without hyperbole from each side. Legalisation doesn't necessarily mean greater social acceptance, look at the way smoking tobacco is going

 

For much the same season why people many people supported repealing alcohol prohibition in spite of all the social ills it causes. Because some might rather live with the effects of increased drug use in society rather than letting the government dictate which recreational drugs people can use and living with the added effects of prohibition (e.g., organized crime making profits, increased criminal 'justice' costs, etc.).

---------- Post added 4th Jan 2015 at 04:41 AM ----------

I think people would rather go for marijuana that is comparatively safer because they know what they're getting.

In the US, it's much easier for minors to get marijuana than alcohol because alcohol is legal and regulated. Drug dealers don't usually check IDs.