Marijuana

[Jason Tandro]

Here is my first, last and only opinion on the subject of the herb.

It has been well-established that it is not physically addictive, but it is clearly mentally addictive. To be fair, depending upon a number of variables, anything can be mentally addictive.

That notwithstanding there is absolutely no redeeming value of marijuana. None. And if you think there is you are deluded.

It relieves stress? So does countless other things, most of which you don't have to ingest.

It relieves pain? So do medical pain relievers that can be subscribed by a pharmacist or bought OTC.

Again, in the interest of fairness, mild to moderate usage has very little long term affects. But the problem is too many people get complacent by this fact and get too comfortable with the high that it gives and abuse the substance.

And when they abuse the substance they get burnt out and stop caring about who they hurt in the process.

I can hear Ratty or Valerie claiming that my opinion is invalidated by my obvious personal vendetta. That I have no credibility in this debate. My pre-emptive response: Bullshit. By that logic any pot smoker's opinion is instantly invalidated.

[Mantaray]

My thoughts exactly. :p This drug can lead to substance abuse of another drug, like crack. It has no value whatsoever. The only excuse I see of using this drug is if you're trapped in a fire or something and you're about to die in a minute anyway. (Not days, not cancer patients in pain, only seconds away from death.)

[psychokind]

every addiction is the fault of ones own weak mind. legalize everything so people like me can do what they want, and euthanize everyone after he relapsed (everyone should get one deprivatoin for free, to be fair).

mariuhana is the only drug I'd propably forbid. why should one take drugs that downgrade the body? totally misses the point of drugs. hippie dirt. but that's only my personal opinion, at least make a tax:

[Jason Tandro]

every addiction is the fault of ones own weak mind.

While I agree with the sentiment in terms of mental addiction, chemical addiction is completely different. Willpower doesn't enter into it. That's why Alcohol is harder to quit than pot. Of course one could argue the weak-minded person shouldn't have started anyways.

legalize everything so people like me can do what they want, and euthanize everyone after he relapsed (everyone should get one deprivatoin for free, to be fair).

Yeah, and while you're at it, let's make it legal for me to shoot every crazy drug-addict who decides to crash in my basement or crack-fueled idiot who decides he's gonna break my car because it's making faces at him.

[SoulBlazerFan]

psychokind: ...Are you high? You're saying every drug doesn't downgrade the body? You have any idea what damage cocaine does to the body? Or heroine? Marijuana is minor in damage compared to these other drugs- LSD, PCP, Angel Dust... I can go on and on. You would prefer to legalize drugs that are known to kill people as opposed to a drug that has been used for medicinal purposes? That's just downright silly.

And what is the point of drugs, anyway? Oh, wait, I know- to get you addicted so that way you can make money for the people profiting off your addiction. Whether it be drug dealers, drug lords, or a Bar/liquor store/government taxes, the point of drugs it to weaken you to spending money so other people can get rich while you do anything for your addiction. Capitalism at it's best.

[inferiare]

Legalizing really terrible drugs would certainly make natural selection quicker and easier and take the idiots who don't want to better themselves out.

@Jason: to play devil's advocate a little, not all pain meds take the pain away. Even the strongest, highest dose doesn't work like it should for some. The only redeeming quality of maryjane in small doses is that it relaxes the person using it in pill form as far as I know.

[psychokind]

psychokind: ...Are you high? You're saying every drug doesn't downgrade the body? You have any idea what damage cocaine does to the body? Or heroine? Marijuana is minor in damage compared to these other drugs- LSD, PCP, Angel Dust... I can go on and on. You would prefer to legalize drugs that are known to kill people as opposed to a drug that has been used for medicinal purposes? That's just downright silly.

And what is the point of drugs, anyway? Oh, wait, I know- to get you addicted so that way you can make money for the people profiting off your addiction. Whether it be drug dealers, drug lords, or a Bar/liquor store/government taxes, the point of drugs it to weaken you to spending money so other people can get rich while you do anything for your addiction. Capitalism at it's best.

of course these drugs damage the body, while this is the cost of enhancing. you can overpower your normal physics with amphetamin for example, and that is not for free. marijuana (as well as downers like ketamin) downgrades your mind and physics, that's why I find it a useless drug. as said, that's my personal opinion.

the point of a drug is simple: you use external effects to make your body/brain do things they "can't do" without. ("" because of all drugs using body's own material except for heroin). that's an absolutely normal human behaviour since the existence of mankind, and even practiced by animals.

talking about side effects of drugs is useless, because with proper use there are almost none compared to alcohol. even smoking crack once a while (if you're able to do it that seldom) is healthier than getting your weekly intoxication. everybody who's overusing drugs is - again - of weak mind and to blame.

[Jason Tandro]

Uh, psychokind, how many people do you know die from their first time drinking a beer?

Crack cocaine, heroin, and I think LSD can cause instant death on the first use. It's comparatively rare, sure, but not compared to alcohol.

And what bothers me most is: for somebody who's all about other people being weak, you're sure fast to artificially enhance yourself...

[Freedan]

If 'no redeeming value' were a cause to ban marijuana, you'd need to ban cigarettes first. They don't even have the pain relief card to fall back on, and are proven to cause any number of health problems.

But the problem is too many people get complacent by this fact and get too comfortable with the high that it gives and abuse the substance.

That describes anything. Anything. In a moderate dose, alcohol makes people feel good. But they take it too far, and presto... alcoholism. Except unlike marijuana, excess alcohol is also proven to cause disease (often of the liver-related variety). If the government were to suddenly implement prohibition (which didn't take in the '20s) because it makes you goofy (like weed), or cigarettes because they're bad for you, people would be a bit upset, to say the least.

And when they abuse the substance they get burnt out and stop caring about who they hurt in the process.

Again, they're not about to ban alcohol when it does just as much, if not more damage this way than marijuana.


The government spends a small nation's GDP fighting the use of marijuana. They'd be much better served controlling it like they do with smokes and booze, and tax the ever-loving crap out of it.

[tay120n64]

I think the point psychokind is trying to make is that medicinal or over-the-counter (etc.) drugs which are used for illnesses, physical training, etc. are okay because they strengthen the body.

I really doubt he is referring exclusively to drug drugs. Don't forget all that the word "drugs" encompasses.

I'm against marijuana personally, but it seems like too much time and money is spent averting it. I wouldn't be against it being legalized, but my feelings on it are not far off from how I feel about tobacco.

[EverPhoenix]

jason. calm down dude. sounds like youre taking this very personally.

i have nothing in particular against weed - ive never tried it, but probably would out of interest if the opportunity presented itself. once. just to know what its like.

technically speaking, casual use is a lot less harmful than casual drinking, as far as i know.

as for addiction - same as most other substances. if you get addicted to them, your life wont quite be the same no matter what the substance is. alcohol would be just as efficient at breaking up a family as weed would be.

i do to some extent agree with the legalization argument. i wouldnt go ahead and legalize everything - just the ones that, if regulated, wont be exceedingly dangerous. that way it can be of high quality (a lot safer than whatever impure shit they sell privately) and also the government can benefit financially - and put that money towards whatever they see fit. like catching those who try to still sell the stuff illegally.

[Fazermint]

i have nothing in particular against weed - ive never tried it, but probably would out of interest if the opportunity presented itself. once. just to know what its like.

Try once, get hooked. Bad plan.

I once talked to someone that smoked pot now and then. I asked him why he did it, and he said "It makes me feel so dumb." I really felt like saying Don't worry, you're dumb enough already

[SoulBlazerFan]

You're also forgetting... drugs sometimes aren't the direct cause of a person death- but can inadvertently cause it.
A kid I went to school with got heavy into drugs. One day, back in, 2005, he and friend, on a serious high, decide to walk through a train tunnel. Well, of course, a train comes- and neither one of them had the time to get out. Let's just say this; one funeral was a closed casket, the kid I knew well... lets just say that the mortician didn't know his actual body size and build a dummy body two sizes bigger than he really was. (It's amazing how the head received very little trauma)

I don't know if you know anyone that died because of drugs- whether it be directly from them or indirectly due to their actions under them, but either way they are harmful. I think a vast majority of them, no matter how much control there is by the government, will get overused anyway, just like anabolic steroids, which have been directly linked to the deaths of countless athletes... especially professional wrestlers. Even the "safer" ones all have inherent risks involved.

Fazermint: Pot turned my sister in a idiot, self-serving burned out biotch. She smoked everyday for about three years of her life. Hell, her manager at her job let the employees do it in the back woods behind their store.

Eh, I feel like I'm too tired right now to give a coherent argument. Take from that what you will, I'm outta here.

[Jason Tandro]

@EP: I didn't think I was being that snippy... The comment about artificial enhancement was just making a point about what I felt to be a slightly hypocritical viewpoint.

@Freedan: Again that's true, but what makes marijuana so dangerous is it creates a "high" which people eventually need to go to more dangerous drugs to recreate.

There are people out there who can smoke a joint, not make anything of it, and go about their normal life. But it's way to easy to abuse. And I never said alcohol wasn't just as bad.

I suppose one could make the argument that the sense of entitlement and smugness about any given drug is what makes it so undesirable. Smug potsmokers who act like they're part of some cool underground lifestyle are no less annoying than those pricks who get drunk and go around bragging about how shitfaced they get.

Simple Possession, I really don't care about. You want to smoke it, go ahead. The dealers and the people who will force it on other people (like my old roommates)are what piss me off. Frankly I love watching Cop videos where drug dealers get shot and killed. These scum are making money off of this shit.

[tay120n64]

the sense of entitlement and smugness about any given drug is what makes it so undesirable. Smug potsmokers who act like they're part of some cool underground lifestyle are no less annoying than those pricks who get drunk and go around bragging about how shitfaced they get.

I think this is why Jason is irritated.

Incidentally, this is why I don't like organized groups, popular mindsets, or community involvement:

the sense of entitlement and smugness about anything is what makes it so undesirable

Jason, I've been trying to figure out why like-minded people piss me off for years. I think you just made me have an epiphany.