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Thread: Cannabis

  1. #1

    Thumbs up Cannabis

    I would like to urge people to support Medical Marijuana or Legalizing it. In the latest Rasmussen Poll 56% of Voters favor legalization and that number increases with each poll conducted. We spend over Ten(10) Billion dollars a year alone, against marijuana in the drug war. Over One(1) Trillion Dollars on all drugs, since the war on drugs began. Fact: More than 800,000 people are arrested for marijuana each year, the vast majority of them for simple possession. Police prosecuted 858,408 persons for marijuana violations in 2009, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual Uniform Crime Report. Marijuana arrests now comprise more than one-half (approximately 52 percent) of all drug arrests reported in the United States. A decade ago, marijuana arrests comprised just 44 percent of all drug arrests. Approximately 46 percent of all drug prosecutions nationwide are for marijuana possession. Of those charged with marijuana violations, approximately 88 percent (758,593 Americans) were charged with possession only. The remaining 99,815 individuals were charged with “sale/manufacture,” a category that includes virtually all cultivation offenses. Sounds like a very big costly mistake to me. What have we accomplished, nothing. It has not lowered the supply of Cannabis or demand for Cannabis. I would rather decriminalize it, regulate it and tax it, even allow people to grow “X” amount of plants for their own personal use. You cannot legislate morality. Did we not learn anything from Alcohol Prohibition? There are health benefits from marijuana, and that cigarettes and alcohol are way worse for you than marijuana. In fact cigarettes and alcohol are the “gateway drugs” not marijuana. Marijuana should not and cannot be compared to cigarettes and alcohol.

    Marijuana is addictive: This myth is another one of the most widely believed myths. But before classifying marijuana as an addictive substance, we must first understand that there are two classes of addictiveness: physical addiction and psychological addiction. In order for a drug to be defined as physically addictive, it must be reinforcing, produce withdrawal symptoms, and produce tolerance.
    Reinforcement: A measure of a substance's ability in human and animal tests, to get users to take it again and again, and in preference to other substances.

    Withdrawal: Presence and severity of characteristic withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, depression, pain, etc.
    Tolerance: How much of the substance is needed to satisfy increasing cravings for it, and the level of stable, high need that is eventually reached
    An example of a physically addictive drug is alcohol. A psychologically addictive drug is a drug that makes the user want to use the drug. In other words, a psychologically addictive drug is a drug that is habit forming. Many things are psychologically addictive, including: coffee, eating, shopping, and marijuana. Obviously, psychological addictiveness is not very serious, since many things can be defined as psychologically addictive, and in order to stop using a psychologically addictive substance, one must merely break their habit of using it. Indeed, marijuana is psychologically addictive, but is it physically addictive? Take a look at the facts:
    In 1993, among Americans age 12 and over, about 34% had used marijuana sometime in their life, but only 9% had used it in the past year, 4.3% in the past month, and 2.8% in the past week.
    There are 40 million people in the United States who have smoked marijuana before. Yet only 1 percent of Americans smoke marijuana on a daily basis. Most people who smoke marijuana smoke it only occasionally. If marijuana were addictive, then there would be millions of regular users, but there isn't.

    On a relative scale, marijuana is less habit forming than either sugar or chocolate, but more so than anchovies.
    Sociologists report that marijuana use peaks in the early adult years, but then levels off and gradually reduces in use as the person gets older.
    The only evidence that proves that marijuana produces physical dependence and withdrawal in humans is a bit misleading. When human subjects were administered daily oral doses of 180-210 mg of THC, (the equivalent of 15-20 joints per day) abrupt cessation produced adverse symptoms, including disturbed sleep, restlessness, nausea, decreased appetite, and sweating. The authors interpreted these symptoms as evidence of physical dependence. They also noted that these symptoms were very mild, and would not occur if normal amounts of marijuana were consumed. Virtually no one smokes 15-20 joints per day, so these symptoms are not likely to occur. Even if they did occur, they are very mild, and are not dangerous to the user.

    When humans are allowed to control consumption, even high doses of marijuana are not followed by adverse withdrawal symptoms. The only way marijuana can be deemed physically addictive is if it is used for a long period of time, and then all of a sudden discontinued. Withdrawal from coffee causes more symptoms than withdrawal from marijuana.
    Unlike many other addictive drugs, marijuana wears off gradually. There is no "up" and "down" sequence as there is for drugs such as crack or heroin. Upon ceasing use, marijuana smokers experience a very gradual removal of THC from their brain receptors, which means that there is no sudden withdrawal, as there is for nicotine, etc.
    THC can be compared to nicotine patches for cigarette smokers: the patch gradually decreases the nicotine being administered to the person. THC gradually decreases its effectiveness, so the person comes down from the high slowly. When you get high off of marijuana, you are not high one minute, and then completely sober the next. Since the wearing off of THC is slow, withdrawal symptoms never occur. The THC gradually withdrawals.

    Marijuana is psychologically addictive, but so are a lot of things. Chocolate, gambling, video games, sex, massages, sports, shopping, soft drinks, nail biting, and watching television are all psychologically addictive. They don't create withdrawal symptoms when they are stopped, but they make the person want to keep doing it. Basically, something that is psychologically addictive is a habit. In order to cease psychological dependence, one must find other things to do instead of doing whatever their habit consists of. So if a marijuana smoker wanted to quit, they would just have to stop thinking about marijuana and find another activity to do.
    A lot of people claim that psychological addictiveness to marijuana is strong, so strong that it is hard to quit. This is due to the simple fact that these people are not addicted to marijuana, they are addicted to the high. Marijuana smokers obviously enjoy getting high; this is why they smoke marijuana. But some people want to be high all the time. Of course, this is not healthy.
    There are many people out there who can't control their marijuana-smoking habits. There are many people out there who can't control their eating habits or their shopping habits either. An estimated 10% of the population has "addictive" personalities, which means that they don't have very much control over themselves. These people should seek counseling, because it is not healthy if you are a person who can't stop using marijuana.

    I hope that now you understand that marijuana is not addictive. If you still think that it is addictive, then go ask the 40 million people in the States who have smoked marijuana before, and you'll see that they all say the same thing: "Marijuana is not addictive; if it was, wouldn't I still be a pot-smoker right now?"
    Marijuana is worse than cigarettes; one joint equals 5 cigarettes.
    A lot of people say that smoking marijuana is worse for you than smoking cigarettes. This is untrue. A lot of people claim that smoking one joint is like smoking five cigarettes, yet this "fact" is very misleading. There are many facts to show that marijuana IS NOT worse than cigarettes. Take a look at the facts:

    You may have heard that one joint is equal to five cigarettes, but this is exaggerated and misleading. Marijuana does contain more tar than tobacco, but tar isn't the ingredient that leads to cancer and other diseases. Low tar cigarettes cause just as much cancer as normal cigarettes.
    Scientists have shown that smoking any plant is bad for your lungs, because it increases the number of `lesions' in your small airways. This usually does not threaten your life, but there is a chance it will lead to infections. Marijuana users who are worried about this can eliminate the chances of infections by eating or vaporizing marijuana. Marijuana is completely safe to eat, yet tobacco is not.
    More research must be done, but as of now, there is no evidence to prove that marijuana causes cancer the way cigarettes do. No case of lung cancer resulting from marijuana use alone has ever been documented. Current research has proved that there are much more benefits to smoking marijuana than there are harms.

    Marijuana smokers generally don't chain smoke, and so they smoke less. Whereas a cigarette smoker would smoke a pack a day, a marijuana smoker might have one or two joints a day. Even if marijuana was just as dangerous as tobacco, most smokers still would not be smoking as much as the tobacco smokers would be.
    Tobacco contains nicotine, and marijuana doesn't. Nicotine is addictive. Nicotine may harden the arteries and may be responsible for much of the heart disease caused by tobacco. New research has found that it may also cause a lot of the cancer in tobacco smokers and people who live or work where tobacco is smoked. This is because it breaks down into a cancer causing chemical called `N Nitrosamine' when it is burned (and maybe even while it is inside the body as well.)

    Marijuana contains THC, the chemical that gets you high. THC is a bronchial dilator, which means it works like a cough drop and opens up your lungs, which aids in the clearance of smoke and dirt. This is why many people who suffer from asthma find marijuana as an effective treatment to control their coughing and wheezing. Nicotine does the opposite to your lungs; it makes them bunch up and makes it harder to cough anything up. If someone with asthma smoked a cigarette, their asthma would get worse.

    There are many benefits from marijuana that you don't get from tobacco. Tobacco isn't really good for anything. People smoke mainly because they are addicted. Some say that cigarettes calm them down, and help them relax. They become relaxed and calm after smoking because they have just satisfied their craving for nicotine. They would never feel relaxed after smoking if cigarettes were not addictive. Marijuana makes you relax, but not in the same way as tobacco does. The THC is what calms you down, not some addictive substance like nicotine.

    Even if marijuana had the same health risks as cigarettes, a lot of those risks could be reduced, or even eliminated, if marijuana was made legal. There is no way to tell if you are getting "safe" marijuana from a dealer. It could have been sprayed with all kinds of harmful chemicals. Maybe the grower wasn't very experienced and they added way to much fertilizer, therefore making the soil toxic. By making marijuana legal, better marijuana can be grown.
    Paraphernalia laws directed against marijuana users make it difficult to smoke safely. These laws make water pipes and bongs, which filter some of the carcinogens out of the smoke, illegal. This means that these filters are hard to get, so many people aren't smoking marijuana in the safest way possible.

    Marijuana can be eaten, thereby reducing ALL health risks associated with smoking it. The main reason why many people don't eat marijuana is because: a) you need to consume more marijuana to get high when you eat it. Many users don't have enough money to use marijuana in this way. They smoke it because they can get more out of it this way. If marijuana were legal, people could grow there own "unlimited" amount of marijuana, and could eat it instead of smoke it. b) When you smoke marijuana, you feel the effects almost instantaneously. When you eat marijuana, you need to wait 15-30 minutes before you start feeling anything. Many people would prefer not to wait.
    The bottom line is that marijuana is safe, non-addictive herb that has significant health benefits to users and society. Therefore, I am in favor of any effort to legalize it for medical or recreational and industrial use.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    Uh, not to be too pesky about it, but scads of politicos have made their bones over the years precisely by legislating morality as they and their donors define morality.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    You are right, they do try to legislate morality. But does it work? No, it doesn't. Do we have gang and border violence because of it? Yes, we do. Just like alcohol prohibition of the 20's. We need to learn from our mistakes.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    The "problem" with eating pot is the difficulty in regulating dosage. If you eat a brownie, unless you bake you own, you don't know how potent said brownie is, or how stoned you'll be. Ever heard of someone unknowingly consuming pot while raiding another's cookie jar? Fortunately, the worst that will happen is being stoned stoopid from which you will recover soon enough.

    Smoking allows one more control.

    Enough please, about "legislating morality", a tired argument imo. That is a weaseley term but it does indeed work to the extent that most people will stop whatever "immoral" or illegal activity if it means keeping a job or prevailing in a custody dispute.

    For what it's worth, I think pot should be legal.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    Enough please, about "legislating morality", a tired argument imo. That is a weaseley term but it does indeed work to the extent that most people will stop whatever "immoral" or illegal activity if it means keeping a job or prevailing in a custody dispute.
    You are entitled to your opinion.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    And you, yours.

    Peace 2 ya!

  7. #7

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    How does smoking allow one more control? I'm assuming you didn't mean over their life..

  8. #8

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    Incremental pipe or bong hits are different from a "load" of sugar/fat/chocolate. If you don't understand, try it, lol.

    Jett713, I would ammend my comment to read "PeaceB2U".

  9. #9

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    I agree completely. Weed is the primary financial source for the cartels. If possession and cultivation were legal, this would be the single most damaging blow against the cartels we could make. The border violence is out of control, and funding for it would dry up if you could simply buy a joint at seven eleven. The funny thing I don't understand is that people think that by keeping it illegal, it helps reduce supply. Not true, supply is plenty, and plenty of people use the plant already. I'd have to pull some sources, but it was released the other day that the states that have medical laws have seen a 10% decrease in traffic fatalities. Imagine that... All the technology we have put into making cars safer, roads better, and all of the click or ticket ad campaigns, and traffic fatalities rose every year except 2010 or 2011 (further research needed to find source), and states where this "drug" can bought legally, and suddenly fewer people die in car wrecks.

  10. #10

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    That sounds awesome, but makes no sense to be honest. So.. legalization = lower car accidents, and hurting the cartels is somehow involved? How is medical cannabis helping lower car accidents? I thought marijuana wasn't supposed to affect driving ability much according to the scientists? How do the drug cartels have anything to do with this? I understand the link between weed, cartels, legalization, and hurting the cartels - but car accidents? Are the cartels, by way of peddling weed, also responsible for the economy, the bad weather in Virginia, and City Hall's incompetence?

    Quote Originally Posted by boscorama View Post
    Incremental pipe or bong hits are different from a "load" of sugar/fat/chocolate. If you don't understand, try it, lol.

    Jett713, I would ammend my comment to read "PeaceB2U".
    I actually have a job to worry about, unlike "you people," not to project or anything (or then I'd just say, "drink beer like a real man" jk). I also support legalization especially to better concentrate limited public safety resources to make cities safe again. I think that's your argument, and I don't think talking about the best ways to get sky high helps that argument. I'd take a page out of Obama's book..getting the Dream Act essentially enacted by arguing better use of public safety resources, because arguing for the Dream Act itself was harder due to political grandstanding on the issue. I think this should almost become a rule of politics for any issues that necessitate by-passing some heavy political grandstanding.

  11. #11

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    I wonder what will be legalized first in Oklahoma - marijuana or same sex marriage? I would guess marijuana, since people get more emotional against the idea of legalizing same sex marriage. Whichever, I don't think the two will be far apart time wise in getting legalized. Oklahoma people get emotionally upset toward the idea of legalizing marijuana, too, even if only for medical marijuana.

  12. #12

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    i would guess neither ..

  13. #13

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bunty View Post
    I wonder what will be legalized first in Oklahoma - marijuana or same sex marriage? I would guess marijuana, since people get more emotional against the idea of legalizing same sex marriage. Whichever, I don't think the two will be far apart time wise in getting legalized. Oklahoma people get emotionally upset toward the idea of legalizing marijuana, too, even if only for medical marijuana.
    I'm going to go with marijuana. I know a lot of country boys and girls that like their smoke. We have to many Sally Kerns thumping the anti-gay drum for that to make much traction.

  14. Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    I would probably say 3 out of every 5 people I know do actively participate in smoking marijuana. Some of those are professionals as well. I don't see it as any different than someone who comes home after work and has a few drinks, our grandparents drank after work and now the parents are getting off work and lighting up. No difference in my book.

  15. #15

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    Colombia decriminalizes cocaine, marijuan - June 30, 2012
    Colombia has decriminalized cocaine and marijuana, saying that people cannot be jailed for possessing the drugs for personal use.


    And, here's a side of Rick Steves not seen on OETA:


    Travel writer Rick Steves compares European drug policies to those of the United States, and calls for comprehensive reform of laws restricting use of soft drugs like marijuana. "There's not a reservoir of people just wishing they could ruin their lives with drugs if only it was legal," says Steves.

  16. #16

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    I gave up drinking for smoking some time ago(got tired of waking up on the side of the road or starting fights with family). Ever since I made the switch my anger went from a big issue to not one at all even when I don't smoke it for a few days. I would rather be on the road with a high driver than a drunk driver the high driver might break 30 MPH in a 40 and slow down traffic but its way better than than a drunk fling at 60 MPH in a 40 crossing 3 lanes of traffic unknowingly. It would also reduce violent crime as the only violence that comes of maijuana is cause it is illegal.

    Think about the instant releif to government bugets if we were to legalize marijuana and release all persons imprisoned due to simple possesion we would have lots more space for car theives rapist robbers and murderers. Then the government can tax the hell out of it like they do cigerettes and alcohol. The feds could use their portion to shore up social security and medicare, Oklahoma could use the revenues to restore the captial building and complete the indian arts center, Oklahoma City could use their portion to dive head first into a larger streetcar project then use funds thereafter to to fund operating costs for ALL MAPS projects.

    Right now all that money that could be put to use in extremely beneficial ways to improve americans quality of life without costing most americans a dime. We would create jobs, tax revenues, relieve prison overcrowding, improve public safety, and people would not lose good jobs just because the choose to smoke a joint on their own time. We can do all of this and the only cost will be to the drug cartels that are dragging mexico into a drug war it cannot win causing more of the people from mexico to cross our border illegally for fear of their safety.

  17. #17

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    Quote Originally Posted by BoulderSooner View Post
    i would guess neither ..
    Maybe they said that about alcohol and casinos in Oklahoma.

  18. #18

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    Quote Originally Posted by 1972ford View Post
    Think about the instant releif to government bugets if we were to legalize marijuana and release all persons imprisoned due to simple possesion we would have lots more space for car theives rapist robbers and murderers.
    Not many people are in prison over possession of marijuana charges alone. They're in there for having other charges tacked on such as intent to distribute or for having a gun.

  19. #19

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    Quote Originally Posted by Spartan View Post
    That sounds awesome, but makes no sense to be honest. So.. legalization = lower car accidents, and hurting the cartels is somehow involved? How is medical cannabis helping lower car accidents? I thought marijuana wasn't supposed to affect driving ability much according to the scientists? How do the drug cartels have anything to do with this? I understand the link between weed, cartels, legalization, and hurting the cartels - but car accidents? Are the cartels, by way of peddling weed, also responsible for the economy, the bad weather in Virginia, and City Hall's incompetence?
    The reduction of car accidents doesn't have anything to do with the cartels. From what I've heard, researchers have found weed to be basically a substitute to alcohol for a lot of people, and it's. Even shown that drivers are usually safer high than drunk. Therefore wrecks have decreased in states that allow weed. I may stretching what I've heard but I think this is the gist of it.

  20. #20

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    in general i am against the legalization of cannabis .. however from a practical standpoint .. we should decriminalize small amount (1 ounce or under) possession make it a fine and have the drugs taken....

  21. #21

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    Quote Originally Posted by mmonroe View Post
    I would probably say 3 out of every 5 people I know do actively participate in smoking marijuana. Some of those are professionals as well. I don't see it as any different than someone who comes home after work and has a few drinks, our grandparents drank after work and now the parents are getting off work and lighting up. No difference in my book.
    I'd say you run with a pretty high pot smoking crowd. In my experience, pot smokers tend to hang out with other pot smokers but there are plenty of large groups that don't have that even on their radar - even if they smoked as a kid.

  22. #22

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    I would rather be on the road with a high driver than a drunk driver the high driver might break 30 MPH in a 40 and slow down traffic but its way better than than a drunk fling at 60 MPH in a 40 crossing 3 lanes of traffic unknowingly.
    I'd rather not be on the road with either, actually.

  23. #23

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/12...g-cigarettes-/

    A lot of people concentrate on the problems of addiction and driving while impaired. They also compare smoking pot vs. drinking alchohol. I think a closer approximation would be comparing smoking pot to smoking cigarettes. Smoking pot has quite a few health problems but we don't talk about them much. And before someone says that cigarettes are worse for you than pot, I have to point out, without really getting into the weeds of the argument, that neither one is harmless. If you'd hate to see a loved one ruin their lungs with cigarettes, I doubt it would be any less painful to see them do it with pot. If you don't smoke cigarettes because you know it's stupid, you might want to think about what pot can do to your lungs and health, too.

  24. #24

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    Quote Originally Posted by PennyQuilts View Post
    I'd say you run with a pretty high pot smoking crowd. In my experience, pot smokers tend to hang out with other pot smokers but there are plenty of large groups that don't have that even on their radar - even if they smoked as a kid.
    I agree with you. Out of my friends and acquaintances, I know of 2 that definitely smoke a lot, and another couple that I imagine do here and there. Most of the rest are like me, did it as a teenager and into early adulthood but put it away as they got older. The risks to career and life are higher than acceptable for a recreational activity for me, especially in a state like OK with overly harsh penalties for it.

    Were it legal(And I didn't work for a government contractor with some insane rules), I'd probably smoke some with the same frequency I drink-Once or twice a month, maybe.

    Edit: There are other ways of using pot without smoking it. I know vaporizers exist for THC as well as nicotine, and there are always brownies as well.

  25. #25

    Default Re: Time to Legalize Cannabis for recreational and medicinal use.

    From all the research I have read. Cannabis is much safer then Alcohol or cigarettes. Any matter that is burned and inhaled will cause some damage. If you are concerned with damage you can use a vaporizer.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporizer_%28cannabis%29

    Cannabis is not linked to causing cancer only the potential for. But, Donald Tashkin, M.D., professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles, has found that marijuana use is not linked to an increase in lung, head or neck cancers. Tashkin surmises that this is due to a chemical within marijuana that kills off cells before they become cancerous. Here is another article from the Scientific American .

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...-finds-no-link

    No matter how you feel about legalization. Prohibition does not work. Here is very good article written by Pete Guither at http://www.drugwarrant.com/articles/...juana-illegal/ Why is Marijuana Illegal. He pretty much sums it all up.

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