marijuana

I think most substances should be regulated (as opposed to outright banned), and that resources should be spent on more serious issues.

The same thing goes for the internet. They are spending millions on infrastructure and legal proceedings for illegal downloads... The internet is home of far worse things than that and that's what the authorities should be taking care of. Instead, we see vast quantities of people creating highly encrypted networks to download the latest shit movies (large quantity of large files), and these networks can be used by pedophile rings who only exchange very small quantities of small files, making them nearly impossible to track.

I'd like to add, marijuana is not in the interest of the big drug companies. Preventing people from growing their own painkillers in their backyard, now that's in their interest.

I have to say the government has a strange hatred to pot. In the us majority of the dea's resources go towards marijuana which is strange considering the impact other drugs have. They used to say they banned it because it made people violent but now they say it makes you lazy And a layabout which is ridiculous! It's like is it banned because of violence or laziness! The laws on marijuana are nothing but excuses and way for the dea to keep jobs IMO

I have seen most of my friends ruin there lives because of the Marijuana Plant. I am the only one of my vary close friend to go to college. I stopped using it after 9th grade. It is not a bad drug in no way, and i will stand by that till the end. But, because it is illegal people live a secret life, try to get some every day without getting caught by the law. This takes time away from their life and it becomes a habit. I would like to see what would happen if it became legal. Would people still go out of their way to catch that short High?

Garwa,

I agree with you in that the drug causes friends to want the drug more than anything and anyone. The neglect and end up inflicting changes onto their priorities. They live a secret life in a dark place where there is no support or accountability. I think it would be as alcohol, if legalized,, some will use it irresponsibly.

I see people saying that ____________ causes people to do so many bad things and is so bad for them and is addicting and it brings them to Hell and etc.

I agree if you fill in that blank with alcohol, crack, heroin or methamphetamine. I'm not saying that marijuana cannot be overused and that it does not make some people lazy or get them to eat too much. It does not have a toxicity level and cannot kill or harm you like the other things I mentioned including cigarettes.

I am saying that in my 50+ years (30 of them as a minister) I've never seen this gloom and doom scenario associated with marijuana alone. I know so many happy and successful people who use it for medicine, to relax, for spiritual purposes and to make them more creative I could go on and on all the live long day. I see someone say something like this (and I'm not picking on a particular person but on the statement in general) I can only wonder in amazement if we're actually talking about the same plant.

What else were these poor folks doing in addition to using cannabis?

Were they drinking too?

Were they using other drugs too?

Did they have depressive disorder or bi-polar disorder and were they using marijuana to self medicate?

I've asked this before and I believe one person has given one single example.

Now the demon here is that it's illegal. The law is the crime. Yes indeed people who get arrested for using it have trouble but if it was regulated and taxed like alcohol (and it will be sooner or later) that becomes a non-issue.

I'm open to evidence and willing to change my mind but as a minister I've been in on the confidences of many people and many families and I've seen a lot of direct evidence with my own eyes.

A person is doing just fine on their job and gets good reviews. They get caught with a random drug test and then have to either go to rehab or lose their job. They are not in rehab because they have a problem with marijuana but because they don't want to lose their jobs.

Someone gets arrested with a personal amount and the judge offers them treatment or jail. Again the problem is the law not the user. They go to treatment to avoid jail not because they have a problem except for the idiot law.

I've seen alcohol turn people into monsters and destroy lives and families. My Father and his Father died at the age of 55 from alcoholism. (We know what happened when we tried to prohibit alcohol.) I've seen horrors and real nightmares with crack, heroin and other opiates. I have not seen this sort of thing associated solely with the use of marijuana.

I have seen people use it to self medicate and then it's discovered later that they are bi-polar or have a major depressive disorder. But it was the disorder causing the problems not the marijuana. In some cases the marijuana was making the better than they would be without it.

So please eliminate all the folks except the ones who are or were only using marijuana, eliminate the ones arrested solely for possession, eliminate the ones who got in trouble over a drug test, eliminate the ones that had a mental disorder anyway, then post and tell me if your answer is the same.

I have seen most of my friends ruin there lives because of the Marijuana Plant. I am the only one of my vary close friend to go to college. I stopped using it after 9th grade. It is not a bad drug in no way, and i will stand by that till the end. But, because it is illegal people live a secret life, try to get some every day without getting caught by the law. This takes time away from their life and it becomes a habit. I would like to see what would happen if it became legal. Would people still go out of their way to catch that short High?

I know what you're trying to say and maybe at one point in my life, I would have fit into this category. But I will say honestly, I smoke multiple times a day!!! I live in a state where you can legally buy in a store from 11am-11pm any day of the week. People can legally grow it in their place of residence. If you are under 35 years of age, you will most likely go to a friends house and they'll have some ready for you to smoke when you walk in the door (we call it west coast hospitality). I no longer take risks to obtain it. I no longer have to go from dealer to dealer to see who's holding (taking hours in the process). I operate two businesses and hold down a part time job, along with my creating my progressive rock project, Planet of Chaos (composer, singer, musician).
I believe that the more something like cannabis is stigmatized and criminalized, the more it can ruin your life. The drug itself has no bearing on who you are or who you can become in this life!

Planet of Chaos wrote:

I have seen most of my friends ruin there lives because of the Marijuana Plant. I am the only one of my vary close friend to go to college. I stopped using it after 9th grade. It is not a bad drug in no way, and i will stand by that till the end. But, because it is illegal people live a secret life, try to get some every day without getting caught by the law. This takes time away from their life and it becomes a habit. I would like to see what would happen if it became legal. Would people still go out of their way to catch that short High?

I know what you're trying to say and maybe at one point in my life, I would have fit into this category. But I will say honestly, I smoke multiple times a day!!! I live in a state where you can legally buy in a store from 11am-11pm any day of the week. People can legally grow it in their place of residence. If you are under 35 years of age, you will most likely go to a friends house and they'll have some ready for you to smoke when you walk in the door (we call it west coast hospitality). I no longer take risks to obtain it. I no longer have to go from dealer to dealer to see who's holding (taking hours in the process). I operate two businesses and hold down a part time job, along with my creating my progressive rock project, Planet of Chaos (composer, singer, musician).
I believe that the more something like cannabis is stigmatized and criminalized, the more it can ruin your life. The drug itself has no bearing on who you are or who you can become in this life!

Which state do you live in???

Edit: nvm you live in LA. I thought you had to have a "green card" to purchase it?

[/quote] Which state do you live in???

Edit: nvm you live in LA. I thought you had to have a "green card" to purchase it?[/quote]

Yup, which is the easiest thing in the world to obtain here. You can get it for anything. The important thing is that a physician is telling you that you can ingest cannabis without adverse affects to your health. It's the only way you can decriminalize yourself. It's only a misdemeanor without the card, for under an oz, but it's still annoying. I know people in other states are like, "Dude! You have no idea how good you have it, out there!" I tell them, "Yes, I do, and I enjoy the fact everyday!" lol

Planet of Chaos wrote:

Which state do you live in???

Edit: nvm you live in LA. I thought you had to have a "green card" to purchase it?[/quote]

Yup, which is the easiest thing in the world to obtain here. You can get it for anything. The important thing is that a physician is telling you that you can ingest cannabis without adverse affects to your health. It's the only way you can decriminalize yourself. It's only a misdemeanor without the card, for under an oz, but it's still annoying. I know people in other states are like, "Dude! You have no idea how good you have it, out there!" I tell them, "Yes, I do, and I enjoy the fact everyday!" lol[/quote]

You are so lucky!!! I really have no medical problems wrong with me, in fact I haven't been to any type of doctor in since '07 or '06 (when I was in highschool for a physical.) Does it cost more from a store than a dealer?