If they were sunken into couches it would be perfect!

Not to mention there are plenty of parents who don't want their kids smoking marijuana but have no problem having them take prescribed amphetamines (adderall) and don't mind taking synthetic heroin (oxycontin) when their back is bothering them. But these things have been prescribed by a doctor!

Thanks for posting that link Clayton. For those that are opposed I hope they will watch it and then let us know if they are still opposed. I would be extremely interested. It's a REAL eye opener when 80,000 judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers and supporters are behind the end of the illegality. It also gives an idea why it really is still illegal, as Joe above said....there is so much money being made off of keeping it illegal that business and profiteers are fighting tooth and nail.

Legalizing marijuana is not likely to cause more people to smoke it, or for the people who do smoke it now to do so more frequently. It's currently available to anybody who wants to buy some. But it will take the criminal element out of owning a small amount of it. The prisons are filled with people who were caught with a small stash of pot. Making it legal has benefits and getting people out of prison is a humane act.

Anyone who doesn't smoke now won't start if it becomes legal. And it is not necessarily a gateway to harder drugs. There is a tremendous amount of misinformation out there and that is adding fuel to the controversy.

I would treat it exactly as alcohol -- legal, no sales to minors, illegal to drive under the influence, no TV ads. I am far more concerned about what I view as the extreme overprescription of certain medications.

In 2011 the Huffington Post reported that the state of New York (1 of 50 states for those of you counting) spends 75 MILLION DOLLARS on marijuana arrests per year. That is paid directly by the state's residents. None of that money went to hospitals, healthcare, or education.

Which is precisely why I posed the poll question the way I did. Great minds think alike, now if I just had one :).

I'm not saying alcohol is good for you, just that there is no way you can go back to Prohibition with its history. However I will still disagree with you that pot has the same history. Why let the genie out of the bottle with legalization ?

What genie though? How drastically do you think life will change? If you want any drug you can get it. Legalization has nothing to do with availability or use.

The difference is that these are medically prescribed. I think most people are fine with medical marijuana also.

My point was that both of those commonly accepted medications are far worse for your health than marijuana but they are accepted as being beneficial because a doctor said so. They are also illegal drugs in every other form. You are sort of being a hypocrite if you tell your kid not to smoke marijuana and then hand them amphetamine and pop your pain killer.

I just watched two minutes of a couple of videos including one by Cole. From what I got, these are about legalizing along ALL drugs not just pot. Is that the topic of this thread and does everyone who supports legal pot also support legal coke, heroin and crack?

There is no hypocrisy there if a licensed doctor prescribes it. I've been given morphine in the hospital because I needed the pain relief. That doesn't make me a hypocrite in thinking it should not be legal.

Alcohol killed 2.5 million people last year. Every year tobacco causes 20 percent of all US deaths. I don't see how you can say cigarettes or alcohol aren't any worse than any singular drug. If an adult can be given the choice to drink or smoke or not to drink or smoke, why can't they also be given the choice to do drugs or not do drugs? You're already making that choice every day as it is.

I think the main reason that they have to be prescribed is because of the side effects and damage to the body that can be caused if over-used or mixed with the wrong other prescriptions. Those need to be controlled and/or monitored. However, Marijuana aside from the general symptoms of use, really only have the same side effects/damages of smoking cig's(which is legal). I said it before, the pharmaceutical companies would be in a world of shit if pot were legalized, because people would much rather smoke pot than keep themselves hopped up on these more dangerous chemical creations..

I am not trying to suggest the caffeine and pot are the same thing. I am saying that pot is an unlikely gateway to something "harder" like cocaine, because they have nothing in common. Caffeine and cocaine have much more in common, based solely on the effects that they cause.

Anyhow, another thing worth dispelling is this crazy idea of a "dealer" as some Scarface kingpin. When I smoked, I bought from my buddy. He was pacifist and Pink Floyd aficionado. He bought from a grower who was an old "head"...basically a left over hippie...that was the "end of the line" so to speak.

Everyone that *I* know (I live in Central TX, not Downtown Detroit), bought weed in the same way.

So, there's that.

You are a smart kid! Thanks for chiming in on this topic. Anywhere marijuana becomes legal will definitely need to keep it illegal for minors much like alcohol and cigarettes are currently.

Keep straight and focus on school (and t206's) :)

jeff

You Know ... It all makes sense now. Gay marriage & marijuana being legalized on the same day.

--> Leviticus 20:13- "If a man lays with another man he should be stoned."


We were just interpreting it wrong .... right?

.....

james, i agree. good point, i am against legalizing pot, we don't need it. i am high on life.

The earliest known inhaled (smoked) cannabis use occured about 3000 years BCE, alcohol is roughly 4000 BCE. In terms of actual time between the two in history, we have been using marijuana for about 5000 years and alcohol for 6000 I believe the difference isn't incredible in terms of history.

As long as the grading companies don't smoke it, I am all for legalizing it.:cool:

lots of jobs don't test for drugs when you get hired...

none test for legal drugs, that i know of.


Cubsfan see below


Pre-Employment Drug Testing


The majority of all Fortune 500 companies do employee drug testing. It is estimated that 98 percent of Fortune 200 companies have implemented some form of employee drug testing during their recruitment process. Recruiters estimate that about 60 percent of new hires are required to take a drug test today.

Why Do Pre-Employment Drug Testing?

The US Department of Labor has estimated that drug use in the workplace costs employers up to $100 billion dollars annually in lost work time, accidents, health care costs and workers compensation costs.

Drug use affects your bottom line. Workers who do drugs are more likely to change jobs or skip work. The good news is you can put programs in place to make sure your workplace is drug free. A good drug free program includes testing applicants prior to their higher date and doing random drug testing throughout their tenure with your company.

What are Requirements for Pre-Employment Drug Testing ?

Generally these requirements for pre employment drug screening are followed by employers:
■Employers have a written drug testing policy that requires job applicants to be drug-free.
■Written notice of testing is given before the applicant may be tested. Many drug and alcohol testing laws require that job applicants be notified in advance that they may be tested and under what conditions.
■Written notice is given to the applicant that employment drug screening is required before hiring. This may be done through the employment application form or on a specific form given out at the first interview
■The written notice details the type of drug testing that will be carried out and lists the over-the-counter medications that may produce a positive result
■The same testing program should be implemented for all applicants in a particular category or there could be implications of discrimination

Pre-Employment Drug Testing & Discriminaton

A company with over 15 employees is subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination. This Act prohibits pre employment medical examinations before a conditional offer of employment has been made but a test to determine if an applicant is illegally using drugs is specifically exempted from the definition of what constitutes a medical examination. However pre employment alcohol testing is considered an medical examination and can only be conducted after the candidate has been extended a conditional offer of employment.

Discrimination can be implied if an employer tests only certain applicants for a position. An employer cannot pick and choose which applicants for the same position will be tested. However within a company employment drug testing may be required for only certain positions. The company would have to be able to justify this in terms of the job requirements and a written drug policy.

Not a pot smoker, never was but I weigh in on the legalization side. It just makes too much sense, see above.
As far as the DWI testing, a simple urine test and a drug strip has inherent problems because THC can stay in your system up to 30 days and a person could smoke a joint and 2 weeks later be caught for supposedly driving under the influence and the known drug tests won't work. There needs to be an effective test and cost effective but it can be done.
One last thought- I come from one of the reddest of the red states and yet the voters of the State narrowly voted down medical marijuana by a 51-49 vote and that was after the pharmaceutical industry spent a fortune in ads to try and defeat it. If our State could almost pass it and become the first State in the South to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, it is evident the tide is turning.

yeah, they test once and then never do again so that they get an insurance break.

anyhow, if weed was legal, they could continue to drug test. my point is that the companies that do test don't bother to test for caffeine or alcohol or nicotine or any number of other legal drugs. if pot was legal, why would they test for it?

I am just laughing at the irony of your online name, "J lighter" . :p

Bst
 

Maybe we could have a separate section in the BST for marijuana buying and selling. :p

Lighter is actually my last name.

Best name ever? Pretty close I say.

Best name ever is Aardvark Von Yardstick. Don't steal that, it's going to be the name of my second kid, whether it is a boy, girl or miscellaneous.

Don't forget, it should be a food issue too. Maybe Doritos.

Please tell me it's card #420
(A reference I had to have explained to me about 4 years ago:o Making it newer than about 1984-5)

Steve B

As a person who takes prescribed "amphetamines" (Ritalin) I can say that you're way off base with that statement.

Without it I'm forgetful and very cranky. Like find a T206 in the couch forgetful. Ok, maybe just a few modern inserts but you get the idea.

And cranky like yelling at someone for a minor screwup or telling a grocery bagger that if the retarded guy does the job better than he does he should just hang it up because there won't be much he can do. (I was a bit more harsh than that)

Yeah, if you need it you need it. I don't take anything medical lightly, hardly any painkillers at all, over the counter stuff included. Hey, that pain is telling me I've done something I shouldn't. If I mask it with tylenol I'll be likely to do some real damage to myself.

Steve B

Thinks have sure changed. I remember you before you hit puberty, and now you are talking about your second kid.

Especially if the National is held in a state where it is legalized! :)


Jantz

Hi Gary-

No, the topic at hand is just a discussion about legalizing marijuana. But, if you listen to the whole Cole video, you will clearly see why the war on drugs has failed (big time) and the statistics alone will shock you. Again, please watch the whole clip when you can. He lays it out way better than I can.

I don't recommend anyone use drugs or alchohol or tobacco- but I 100% feel we, as Americans, should have the freedom to choose what we do with our bodies and minds (they are ours, aren't they? :D). As long as the individual isn't hurting someone else in any way, what is the problem? Who am I to say because I don't like something that no one else should have the right to do it? I guess that's my point. There are a lot of things I don't personally like or agree with, but I would never want that alone to remove someone else's right to do it if that's what they wanted to do. I hope that made sense :)

Liberty and freedom- what does that mean?

The Cole video (the whole thing :)) is, well, shocking. I've yet to see any one but you comment on it- any one else watch it?

Sincerely, Clayton

I watched most of the clip and it is VERY eye opening. I am only a little surprised that there are so many on this board that are against the legalization of it. There is a lot of ignorance and denial still in society. Hopefully people will educate themselves more and become more tolerant of others rights. I agree with you 100% Clayton.

And Wazoo- you are a very smart young man. NO way should marijuana be used by adolescents. No where have I ever heard that be an acceptable practice. Just like alcohol or tobacco shouldn't be either...( I can't stand tobacco but understand it's somewhat of a relaxer for smokers, but yuck :))....

One last thing too- I appreciate the discussion that has been in this thread and the fact no one has completely flipped out. Anyone on the board knows that these discussions are very rare and will remain that way, especially on the front page.

Thanks Leon-

I figured it would wake some people up, considering the source. I think it's easier for people to just assume because drugs are illegal, that there is no real problem. Quite the contrary. I wish everyone would watch the videos and listen to what they are saying- especially those of you with kids.

Keep your heads in the sand, and keep letting the cartels get RICH. Keep wasting billions of dollars fighting something that just keeps growing, like cancer. The more money spent "fighting the war" the stronger the drugs get, and the bigger the loads are, coming across the border. The deaths will continue, and the prisons will keep overflowing. Families get wrecked, homes lost, and the time spent chasing plants is more time taken away from more important things, like solving unsolved homicides, rapes, etc.

Drug abuse is a medical problem, not a crime. Look at the countries that have legalized (Cole's video, again, gives the statistics).

Sincerely, Clayton

no one is ignorant and you don't have a right to smoke dope.

Well I haven't had the first one yet, but I already had that ones name picked out before I thought of AVY and it isn't as good. My problem is I'm very picky, I only date girls who say yes when I ask them out. Mostly potheads because opposites attract, which brings us back to the subject. Circle of life.

Marijuana never should have been made illegal. It was outlawed because of money, corruption, and racism. The federal government states that marijuana is highly addictive and highly dangerous, but science has proved that they are wrong. The government has no right telling you that you cannot use marijuana, just like they have no right telling you that you cannot drink alcohol, eat at McDonalds, go rock climbing, or sit on the couch and play video games.
Here is a link to a study on the economics of marijuana prohibition and legalization which is very interesting.
http://www.cato.org/publications/whi...ug-prohibition
I don't think the effects will kick in until it is legalized on a federal level, but when it is, I think there will be quite a bit of money generated for the country.

Medical Marijuana is a joke. I went to a "Doctor" who writes prescriptions for the "medication"... He had no teeth and I'm pretty sure he was on acid... Might as well just legalize it already.

met that guy on Dead tour 93. Nice fella

In MIchigan there is NO age limit on medical marijuana and a 7-year has the script along with severa other minors. Then you learn its their parents who buy medical grade, have it lad tested for certain components. is then cooked and administered in exact doses for seizures and similar disorders. Never is a big word Leon...these parents seem far more responsible to me than standard and I support them completely.

And yes, there is a TON of ignorance on this subject and people are afraid to educate themselves. What does freedom mean?

My mistake, Steven. You are absolutely correct. Adolescents should be able to use marijuana, probably in the form of THC pills, BUT only for medicinal use and when prescribed by a doctor. It can definitely have some positive effects on certain ailments. I misspoke.

Oh, What a horrible time for Hostess to shut down...

Wow - 2-1 !!!

More people need to collect vintage cardboard - it seems to improve your attitude!

heh-heh, Budman, heh-heh.

Unless they start grading marijuana, which someone should surely do.

SGC = Sure Graded Cannabis
PSA = Pure Smokables Authority

Weed would be knocked down a grade or two for not being trimmed. :eek:

I actually tried to picture that in action. I think it would be absolutely hilarious. Something along the lines of large chain shops send in their strains to get graded 1-10 and can advertise the grade like a BBB grade.

Medical marijuana has done some amazing things for children with behavioral and psychological disorders. Medical marijuana is not just about getting high like most of the nay-sayers seem to think. THC is a chemical, and like any other chemical it can be manipulated. Recent studies have shown that when THC doesn't cross into the blood stream, it has amazingly beneficial effects on behavior. For example, a hyper-active kid can take specially altered medical marijuana pills that will give a sense of calm and not have any psycho-active effects at all. The chemical agents are called CDB's. Medical marijuana with a high CDB count inherently has a low amount of THC.

Medical marijuana has also been incredibly helpful to chemo patients. One of the most debilitating side effects of chemo therapy was nausea. Patients would receive treatment and lose their appetites, which would have a negative impact on their body's ability to heal. Marijuana, as we all know, can cause people to become hungry. Eating can quite literally be a lifesaver in terms of a chemo patients chances at recovery.

I think people should really open their minds and stop buying into decades old government rhetoric. Especially when you have zero personal experiences and when you assume that anyone who uses medical marijuana just wants to get high legally. Its assumptions like these that keep people from getting actual help. I personally have experienced the benefits of medical marijuana free of any of the psycho-active, brain altering or life altering side effects that come along with much of the other prescription medications doctors typically prescribe for my needs.

It really bothers me that short-sighted people think I'm some kind of stoner looking to get high, or that I'm some gateway smoker in training for my future heroin or cocaine addiction.

It's also a major source of income to the privatized prison industry.