*shrug*

[flyboy_fox]

You know, I am totally of the opinion that pot should be legalized.

I've never tried it, but I would.

I'm not squeaky clean, y'know.

Edit: Oh dear, I've really opened up a can of worms here, haven't I? :\ Apologies. But it's always awesome to get multiple points of view on an issue ^^

Comments

[moth-wingthane.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't say that if you could see what it does to some people :/

[flyboy-fox.livejournal.com]

So ban alcohol and cigarettes and fatty food and cars and a million other things that have ruined people's lives. Pot is certainly no more harmful than cigarettes or alcohol. Most people who use it responsibly are fine. Some people will abuse it or have bad effects from it... but that's gonna happen with almost anything in life.

[moth-wingthane.livejournal.com]

Pot is certainly no more harmful than cigarettes or alcohol

I have to disagree. Someone close to me was described as a "light user" and has ended up as a schizophrenic zombie - that's the only way I can describe it.

[k-yamato.livejournal.com]

Pot as in the drug pot? O_o;

[flyboy-fox.livejournal.com]

Alcohol has done the same to people. And cancer from smoking is equally traumatic. Some people react badly. There's an "alcoholic gene" for example that makes some people far more likely to become alcohol dependant even if they start very lightly. But most people who drink won't suffer the same. Equally, some medically prescribed drugs have caused people to become 'schizophenic zombies', or even driven them to suicide. But again, the exception, not the rule. Anything that effects the brain, such as alcohol, medicinal drugs, pot etc have risks. But they can't all be illegal.

[flyboy-fox.livejournal.com]

Yes. Pot as in marijuana.

[izzyneko.livejournal.com]

The only violence that occurs from pot is that from the underground market where people want their crack money from selling weed. Sometimes worse. If weed were legal, there would be no such violence.

And, of course, everything in moderation. Don't smoke while working, the same as don't drink while working. Did you know that the number of deaths from pure, untampered weed is 0?

Unless someone really hates you and soaks it in windex, you're fine. Or, of course, laces it with a more harmful drug. The only longterm effects weed has are those of slight spaciness, depending on how often you use it. However, these effects aren't permanent in the least and wear off anywhere between 2 days and 2 months, depending on how heavily you smoke.

And in regards to your friend being a 'schizo zombie,' there's probably other factors in his/her drug use that you aren't aware of. Educate yourself fully on a drug before you try it, as it is horribly illogical and stupid if you don't. Also, educate yourself fully before you part judgment. I mean no offense, but these are my opinions. :)

[way-past-cool.livejournal.com]

(sorry, posted from wrong journal first)

Right on. The public has definitely been brainwahed to associate pot with drugs like crack and heroin (or deem it the so-called "gateway drug") but it's definitely not as harmful and imparing as alcohol, and not as damaging as cigarettes, yet those things are legal.

The main point-- aclohol is FAR more addictive and can make people VIOLENT. Yet that is LEGAL. And even if pot were as harmful as alcohol, it still makes a totally contradiction to make on legal and the other illegal.

Add: If you honestly think that someone becoming a "schizophrenic zombie" is worse than someone getting drunk and beating their children, then I really can't debate with you. XD;

[way-past-cool.livejournal.com]

Rock on! :D It's a breath of fresh air to see another person truly educated about marijuana.

[flyboy-fox.livejournal.com]

*thumbs up* Awesome reply! :) Just when I was afraid of getting snowed under.

[moth-wingthane.livejournal.com]

I can't say it's necessarily worse than beating kids when drunk, but you try living with it and then let me know how you feel. At least the drunk guy will sober up - this guy is permanently damaged.

[way-past-cool.livejournal.com]

It sounds like what happened to your friend is a VERY rare case. Both of my parents smoke pot. I live with pot in my own home every day. XD I can honestly say that none of the problems in my family are caused by that plant. It only helps my mom chill out and it really helped her when she had a herniated disc in her back. It's a WONDERFUL pain reliever. n.n I'd be careful when you assume people don't know what they're talking about.

[moth-wingthane.livejournal.com]

*nods* I suppose a person's attitude will be very much directed by experiences they've had and this is why the argument will never be settled. I guess the only fair resolution is to say that if someone willingly wants to try or use something known to carry risks, then so be it, otherwise, as others have said, you'd have to start banning anything slightly unsafe, which would be far worse.

[tallycola.livejournal.com]

I love pot. My quality of life is greatly improved by it.

And I have a degree from a rather good (some might say prestigious) university, a fantastic job, and far more ambition than most people I've ever met. I have never had a negative experience with it.

So it works differently with different people. That's (one of the reasons) why it should be regulated, not outlawed.

I get annoyed with the "if you knew people who did it you'd want it banned" argument when I know literally dozens of people who do it who are intelligent, successful, creative, happy people. I also know dozens of people who are totally straight and sober who are completely miserable and whose lives are a mess. And vice versa. But my opinion doesn't seem to count because I smoke pot on what some might consider a regular basis, and am therefore on the road to Skid Row.

Whoa. Meant to keep that short and to the point!

[flyboy-fox.livejournal.com]

Awesome. I know of FAR more pot-smokers who have normal unaffected lives than ones who've had a negative experience or have become all out 'dopeheads'.

I definitely agree with 'regulated not outlawed'. Wise words!

[izzyneko.livejournal.com]

More than dozens. Try millions. In both the high schools I've attended in the past, there were at least 5 kids with your exact case. GPA 4.0 and regular pot smokers. All of them, to my knowledge, continued on to college.

[tallycola.livejournal.com]

I do have to say, though, if you were, like, planning on scouting out your town and buying some or anything... you do meet a lot of people who are pretty fucked up on it. I think it's safe to say that they've been messing with other, more dangerous drugs as well, and far too much of it.

So, like, not to put you off or anything, if that were to happen. ;-) Most pot-smokers are, like you said, pretty much unaffected, but there definitely are dopeheads out there who might sour your experience.

Not implying that you ARE thinking of it, but if you were. I got your back. ;-)

[way-past-cool.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Alcohol was illegal at one point in American history, and that went VERY badly. The only thing that banning "potentially" dangerous substances does is cause a LOT of uneeded arrests (which means higher taxes), sticks teens with permanent criminal records, and makes people even sneakier.

[flyboy-fox.livejournal.com]

Actually, there's a little shop in town that openly sells pot paraphenalia (posters, cases, bongs etc), and packaged 'herbs'. I'm not sure if they're selling genuine marajuana there or not (obviously they're not openly advertising it as such), but I'm... kinda curious to find out ^^; So yeah, kinda thinking about it.

Also... LOVE the icon XD Bloo!

[tallycola.livejournal.com]

I've never bought weed from a headshop, I think it would be quite cheeky of them to actually do that- they'd be being watched anyway, you know? They might be the place to start, though. In Edinburgh most of the headshop workers and patrons were of the type I was speaking before though- just kind of difficult to talk to since they're so fricking dopey. I found out about it the way I found out about alcohol- my big bro. I think that trusted friends are the best way to get it, so... find some pot-smoking friends? :-S

[sullmaster.livejournal.com]

Hard for me to really say on this one considering I understand where both sides are coming from. However, I have a better way I think of arguing for legalizing pot.

I don't think arguing that pot is less severe than alcohol and cigarettes really validates the point in legalizing it. Rather, why not argue that financially it would be a more effective decision for the government. Why I think it should be legalized? For the fact that so much money is wasted in regulating and monitoring it instead of other important matters. It comes down to the fact that it's up to the person in whatever they want to do and they in turn have to accept the consequences of their actions.

However, I can also understand why it should not be legalized. Why? It opens up a large can of worms about more drugs that could enter the market. If pot is legalized why not cocaine? Also, as a parent I would be extremely cautious of my kids if pot did become legal since it would become easier to access at school regardless of age limits. That's something that I would not like to have to worry about on a daily basis.

Since I'm so up and down on this issue, I really don't know what to think. As an overall neutral I'm mostly inclined to say leave it the way it is, but we'll see where this issue goes in the near future.

[flyboy-fox.livejournal.com]

>>If pot is legalized why not cocaine?

Because cocaine is a far more dangerous, and more highly classified to reflect that, drug. It's far more addictive, and, as a stimulant, has a risk of death or organ failure which has never been associated with marijuana (a sedative, and only psychologically addictive in 10% max of cases). Coke is a Class A drug. Pot is Class C. So to say "if we legalize pot, why not legalize coke too?" is like saying "If we legalize spanking a child, why not legalize stabbing them too?". It's a straw man argument.

Other than that, I mostly agree with the gist of your comment. There are many factors to consider. But I still feel strongly that it would make sense to legalize it. More sense than continuing to treat it on a par with FAR riskier drugs, anyway.

[lunarocean777.livejournal.com]

My thoughts are similar to Sully's - I lean further towards banning it, but my reasons are there. I won't talk much on the actual effects in relation to other drugs - I admit I don't know the technical differences relative to other drugs, so I'll trust you on that.

I don't see the reason in drinking, personally. I've heard them, but nothing I've heard justifies it in my mind, usually because there are altneratives that don't involve the possibility of self harm to the extent that alcohol can. The same goes with any drug. I've said it before, the only real reason I plan on drinking is due to necessity of the market.

I see your point on the 'if it's as bad or worse than alcohol, legalize it. My counter says the exact opposite, heh. Though I wouldn't rather see alcohol banned, I think that it *not* being banned makes it easier for those who drink to overdrink. I'll go into the prohibition in America in a bit. Overdrinking will happen either way, but when it's made legal it becomes more common, and with that the negative will become more common. I have no problem whatsoever with people who drink - I have a problem with people who can't drink responsibly. Likewise, I don't think I'd have any problems with people and pot, so long as they're, ya know, smart about it. I can say from experience that my sister is one of the people who wasn't smart, and her life has been very screwed up since that decision about ten years ago. She's just now starting to get her life back in order, but she still can't pass a drug test.

I do have one question - it's probably a minor thing, but what about the smoke? I know a lot of people are concerned with second hand smoke, and though I don't think it's a huge problem statistically, it's one way that, if harmful, those who don't smoke are affected no matter what by those who do, in close proximity. With something like consumption it's a bit different. Effects will still be there, but they're...avoidable in the sense that the other person has to do something - it's not a result of breathing.

I said I'd comment on the prohibition - we know how well that went. There's a few factors that must be taken into consideration. The first and foremost - they made something illegal that was already legal and had been commonplace for years. This is not the case with pot. It's not nearly as common as alcohol in that sense. Second, if people are having problems enforcing a law, does that mean they should just give up completely? There comes a point when the cost benefit of keeping the law only hurts things, and that's what happened with America during the prohibition. I don't think we're at that point with pot.

You talk about the mentality that it's on par with other drugs and shouldn't be treated as such. However, the fact that it is on par with them, as far as society is concerned, can also be used against it. People have said if it's legalized, what next? Cocaine? The responses I see are that it's not the same, but public opinion doesn't think so, right? It won't take long for movements to start to legalize all sorts of drugs that are seriously harmful, using pot as an example. Technical differences don't matter so much when the people aren't informed, so that needs to happen before any sort of legalization would take place.

I suppose my problems aren't so much with pot itself, but with the indirect effects of legalization. For most people it comes down to their experiences with it. I've had lots of experiences with people I know offline and pot (It's usually their first drug that introduces them to tons of others). Every person I've known as a friend who has started has had their life go downhill, hardcore, from my sister to one of my (former) good friends in high school. He had tons of potential, now he sits around smoking pot all day - I'm not exagerating by much there. If it's legalized, then there needs to be a moderation level that people can be tested wtih. Like a BAC.

[lunarocean777.livejournal.com]

I would also like to add that I know pot-smokers here at my university that I talk to on a regular basis. And though they're here, they're fine, they're gonna graduate, I don't know any with a 4.0 around here that are taking a major that requires some thought. 'Tis why I'm under the impression that, despite not necessarily having permanent effects, pot has a tendency to 'limit' those who start. It's fine to live a normal life, as you said, but I've personally seen more people lose their maximum potential when they start.

[lunarocean777.livejournal.com]

I wonder if 'truly educated' includes those who are educated about it and can argue against it, or if it's just someone who's educated and agrees with your side ;)