Should we legalise cannabis?

Whaleboy · June 15, 2003, 19:00

Civil liberties, medicinal benefits, economic benefits of extra tax, vs possible health risks, possibility of harder drugs (I'll come onto that in a sec), and possible economic impact of stoned workforce.

Well the civil liberties would be the key thing for me, but for others, cannabis gives medicinal, painkilling benefits, one doesnt need to smoke to it achieve that. Its one of mankinds oldest medicines, been in use longer than the Lotus flower. If course if governments can tax this like tobacco, then not only are these benefits realised, but money is being made at the same time, as opposed to being wasted fighting cannabis. Of course, it helps you get high!

There are health risks, just like tobacco and alcohol. I like to think that people are mature, intelligent and reasonable enough to decide for themselves whether they take this drug, that evidence indicates, using amount consumed vs tobacco amount consumed, is possibly less bad for you than tobacco (although gram for gram its probably more harmful, one smokes far less).

Now, in Britain, if I want to get stoned, or control my migranes, I have to buy drugs off some crime-committing untrustworthy ...criminal, who can do god knows what to the product, or grow it myself, which is still illegal and takes time, effort and some resources if one does it on a large scale (to last the winter

). If I buy it from a drug dealer, he is in a position and is inclined to introduce me to harder stuff, and if I am vulnerabel, or curious, or idiotic, I may take the freebies he offers, then be hooked, and meantime, he is in the money.

Of course, using either way, I can end up in prison (this is all hypothetical of course)

If I bought legal cannabis, I would presumably get it either from a chemist or a shop like one does now with tobacco and alcohol products. My drug dealing comrade is out of business (unless he becomes reliant on harder drugs, which will be easier to trace to him because of less supply and less people buying), and the people are getting a better quality, trustworthy product.

Accordingly, I am for legalisation, although would be interesting to see results and opinions here...

SlowwHand · June 15, 2003, 19:09

http://www.norml.org/

Whaleboy · June 15, 2003, 19:20

Nice site slow!

Narz · June 15, 2003, 19:29

Marijuana should be legalized and tobacco should become illegal, weed smoke smells so much better!

Seriously though, there is no reason why it should be illegal, alcohol will f*** a person up much more quickly and is more addictive than marijuana and it is legal. Drugs like Ritalin, Prozac and Thorazine are much worse (in my eyes) than weed.

Locking someone up for getting high? Considering selling high quantities of marijuana a crime on the same level as murder or rape? You gotta be kidding!

- Narz

ajbera · June 15, 2003, 19:57

Decriminilization rather than outright legalisation. And double/triple existing penalties for DWI and selling to underage kids; if you want to minimize penalties for responsible usage you must ramp up the penalties for irresponsible usage.

alva · June 15, 2003, 20:04

Already legal here

(although it is a very confusing law, hmm, well you don't get thrown in jail for possesion anymore, can't smoke in public though)

FrustratedPoet · June 15, 2003, 20:04

No.

However, if it has genuine medicinal uses then the medical community should be encouraged to use it wherever appropriate.

Kuciwalker · June 15, 2003, 20:09

No.

Yes, IF you are willing to put all of the regulation on it that is on current drugs (talking about both medicine AND tobacco here).

Q Classic · June 15, 2003, 20:15

if it's taking place behind someone's closed door and is not harming anyone, then i don't see why one ought to care/prosecute.

however, if you're caught driving under its influence, the punishment should justifiably be harsh.

i don't completely favor decriminalization and legalization, but i do believe that it might be wiser to focus less on busting pot-smokers and going after more violent criminals.

Skanky Burns · June 15, 2003, 20:18

Yes, provided it was a controlled substance like alcohol or tobacco. Recreational use is still a valid reason for people to use it, but at least by legalising it the criminal element is much reduced.

Kuciwalker · June 15, 2003, 20:34

If you people want to legalize cannabis, don't complain about the "evil tobacco corporations"

Guynemer · June 15, 2003, 20:35

Look, just because Hannibal Lector is a charming guy doesn't mean it should be legal to eat our fellow human beings.

Al B. Sure! · June 15, 2003, 21:32

it's amazing how people in their pink homes in the burbs can say so confidently that drugs should be legalized when they live so far away from the cities that are effected the most by drugs, whether legal or not...

Shi Huangdi · June 15, 2003, 21:40

Definitely, legalize it. Banning marijuana doesn't stope people who want to from smoking it.

Al B. Sure! · June 15, 2003, 22:01

Black Dragon:

what about people who will start smoking when it's legal?

now i'll admit that right now, it's easy as **** to get a blunt but at least now, there's a taboo against it and the risk of getting caught so there's plenty of people who are dettered by the fact that it's illegal... what about them?

Skanky Burns · June 15, 2003, 22:05

There are also plenty of people who do it because it is illegal. And so what if they start smoking it? It is their choice.

Imran Siddiqui · June 15, 2003, 22:08

Quote:

what about people who will start smoking when it's legal?

Let 'em

Al B. Sure! · June 15, 2003, 22:11

Skanky:

Why do people always say that people do things just because they are tabooed or illegal or whatever? history has shown that the old Adam and Eve eating the apple because they were forbidded to just aint true... people are far more likely to be submissive and follow the rules. weren't there experiments done with this where people 'electrocuted' actors because they were told to?

thanks

monolith94 · June 15, 2003, 22:12

They use it as a result of peer pressure. Crazy kidz!

I'm all for legalization. Marijuana is as much a gateway drug as alcohol is...

"If you people want to legalize cannabis, don't complain about the "evil tobacco corporations"
Yes, because the marijuana makers have SOOO much in common with big tobacco...

Give me a break!

Al B. Sure! · June 15, 2003, 22:13

Imran:

again... i love how i'm the person on this forum who has the most first-hand experience of the harm that drugs do to society and yet everyone here can sit comfortably in their pink homes, lighting blunts, and saying drugs should be legalized...

Al B. Sure! · June 15, 2003, 22:14

Monolith:

yeah except the weed makers are far worse...

Q Classic · June 15, 2003, 22:16

albert, do you think our tax dollars would be spent better chasing down and nabbing violent criminals and drug suppliers, or nabbing drug users?

people, imho, will always find some way of getting high. if it's not weed, it'll probably be whipple or some **** like that. why punish the user? i think it would be far more effective to punish the supplier, and the violent criminals who may or may not be involved in the drug trade.

rapists should do time. armed robbers should do time. someone busted with a dime bag, shouldn't. someone busted for having hundreds of dime bags to sell? they should do time too.

Imran Siddiqui · June 15, 2003, 22:16

Quote:

i love how i'm the person on this forum who has the most first-hand experience of the harm that drugs do to society

I think you better talk to Zylka before making a statement like that

.

monolith94 · June 15, 2003, 22:17

"yeah except the weed makers are far worse..."

Who makes weed, exactly???

Al B. Sure! · June 15, 2003, 22:26

Q Cubed:

nah... i want all the users to get full sentences but the dealers to get released and be given free community college courses...

i know some dealers and they tend to be very intelligent men. the problem is they see no alternative except dealing... i want all economic felons to be given some more oppurtunities and not be thrown in jail...

the users though... **** them... throw the book at them... there is no reason for them to do drugs... especially since drug users many times are rich suburbans coming into the cities

thanks

Al B. Sure! · June 15, 2003, 22:28

Monolith:

my bad... i'm clumping all drugs together... but still, if weed is legalized, who would produce it? Philip Morris? they could easily get into the weed game and drive out the competition and they don't exactly got a good track record with their smoke-able products...

Al B. Sure! · June 15, 2003, 22:30

you know what... i'm actually kind of sickened by these threads... back in 1999, a drug legalization debate on apolyton would have been very heated but now it's just me versus everybody else. even a religious Christian like Black Dragon is in favour of legalization! this is ridiculous...

Urban Ranger · June 15, 2003, 22:32

Quote:

Originally posted by skywalker
If you people want to legalize cannabis, don't complain about the "evil tobacco corporations"

That's a false analogy. First off, nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known to man. Secondly, Big Tobacco is evil not because it sells tobacco, but for denying the harmful effects for the longest time, and for the various dirty tricks in undermining public education wrt such harmful effects, esp. in relation to sidestream smoking.

Al B. Sure! · June 15, 2003, 22:36

Urban Ranger:

Marijuana also has plenty of harmful effects which the pro-legalization crowd always denies...

Imran Siddiqui · June 15, 2003, 22:37

Um... no... we just say that it is no worse than alcohol.. which is true.