The Truth About Cannabis and Other Drugs

Hey what's happening. Most of tue time when I browse the discussion threads I see something related to "weed" whether it be dissing it, asking questions about it, asking about your opinions on it, just a lot of shit. I find myself posting on most of those threads both informing people as to what my experiences were and are with cannabis as well as any other information that I have gathered from researching it.

If you have any questions regarding cannabis, or other drugs. Please ask them here and me or someone else will most likely answer them for you. Its better to be informed fully of what you would be getting into before choosing anything.

Right now I am posting this from my phone at work, but I will add more information as you all post and I go through my old posts on other threads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCqlW09B7PY - Check this link out, clears up a ton.

So here are my questions to get the conversation started, You can answer all, some, one, or none just let me know what you think about it in general.
How do you feel about weed? How do people you know feel about weed? How does your state handle marijuana? (Legalized/Recreational or incarceration) How often do you smoke? Thoughts on addiction and it being a gateway drug?

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Anything is a gateway into anything else. The shitty job you have now may get you a better one in the future, the jalapeno you ate when you were 10 may lead you to try the habanero or ghost pepper, and even smoking a cigarette giving you the experience of blowing smoke that lead you to want to try cannabis. I know that is kind of off topic using some of those as examples but its all based on your personality, who you surround yourself with, and the amount of self control you have (being the limits you place upon yourself). The fact that everyone blames it on the drug itself causing them, people they know, or reciting what mom and dad told them in junior high shows how easily we can take the blame off of us and throw it at someone or something else (I consider this basic human instinct because who wants to take the blame? but it pisses me off).

I know my limits and I smoke weed regularly, I drink alcohol on occasion usually while smoking weed to get "faded" but would rather smoke weed alone because I'd rather wake up refreshed like any other day than with a hangover or explosive shits. But on the limits thing I would still like to try mushrooms and if I get the chance I will, but that is me and my choice sticking with what is naturally grown not man made synthesized made in a lab put it in the needle then into my arm crap. Not that I think anyone that does that is a terrible person, they could be the nicest people in the world but judgmental bastards would like to tell you otherwise, just not my personal choice.

Another reason "weed" is gateway drug, that I don't see a lot of people thinking about, is because you don't meet a ton of strictly only weed drug dealers. They cover all aspects of the drug community especially if that is their full time job. So for example if I try to buy an eighth of some cannabis and the guy I buy it from says, "by the way I have crystal meth, cocaine, molly, ecstasy, acid, any prescription pills you can imagine, and bath salts that I can cut you deal on." that presents an opportunity that I probably would never have encountered before especially if cannabis was legalized and I had bought it from a dispensary.

In conclusion, I would say everyone's personal limits are based on their own experiences (traumatic, emotional, and otherwise) and the opportunity that is presented to them from the example above being the drug dealer willing to sell them whatever is a huge point to why cannabis should be legalized and regulated to ensure quality and keep people away from being introduced to the options that are out there specifically to people with a weaker will or haven't yet set limits on themselves. This isn't kindergarten anymore, If I kill someone tonight am I going to blame the knife? If I buy drugs is it my moneys fault? No stop being a dumb ass.

I have answered a ton of these questions in the past, and I will answer any you may have myself later. Just want to know the publics opinion as well.

 

Thats very interesting topic that i will make sure to follow.I am from Europe and as i am concerened the only country where cannabis are legal is Netherlands.Where i live its not legal.Possessing or using it can get you sentenced almost as hard as for a murder.I know that sounds ridiculous, but unfortunately thats true.My personal expierence is odd( as my whole life lol).When i was in my early teen age( like 14-16) i used to drink a lot, after that moved to weed, were smoking pot occasionally untill 18.After 18 dropped all drugs and started chasing my dream of PRO basketball.Anyways from my personal expierence i havent noticed any addiction signs.I feel that marijuana should replace alcohol, although deep researchs are needed to take place in order to so.From what i have read it is way better than alcohol.But in my book its just picking the better alternative of 2 bad options

 

My personal opinion:

In an ideal world: Legalize it for everyone with no restrictions (except perhaps an age one, but if you can vote/have sex/drink/etc you should be able to smoke)

In a practical world: Legalize it with some restrictions. It would be legal for recreational use, don't get me wrong, but if it is found to be the cause of some lack of fulfillment in my life you should be punished for it.

i.e. you cannot find a job because you're always too high = there should NOT be a government intervention to help you, it is entirely your fault

Driving under the influence, while shown to not be as dangerous as alcohol, is still a risk. I know, for me personally, if I got into an accident under the influence of anything I would be like "if I hadn't just done X this might not have happened..."

Under that philosophical argument, driving under the influence should be handled something along the lines of:

Driving high isn't heavily enforced. You shouldn't be pulled over for an unrelated reason, be seen with low eyelids, sobriety tested and if found high sent to jail and have your car towed.

However, if you choose to drive under the influence there has to be a limit. (Field testing for blood concentrations is getting better, but it's still fuzzy because what might be too high for one person may be comfortably high for another due to experience, tolerance, and things like that) If you get in an accident, that is your fault, under the influence you should be prosecuted as such -- not as if the accident happened while sober. You should be prosecuted more heavily.

A lot of the legalization argument, to my mind at least, is about

1) Why do we spend so much money putting victimless crimes in prisons?
2) It's unfathomable how much productivity we lose as a nation. That Computer Science Master's degree candidate that is thrown in prison for a year? Basically barred from finding a good job due to a record? What could he have done for the world? The next Steve Jobs?
3) The U.S., at least, is experiencing quite a bit of debt. Tax revenue has already been shown to be immense. Instead of spending money fighting the cartels while they reap massive profits due to the illegality, why not profit off of providing the substance legally?
4) Veterans. Something that strikes me personally -- the helpfulness of this substance to those suffering from anxiety, stress, PTSD etc. cannot be underestimated.
5) Why are we putting people that commit victimless crimes in prisons?

(oh wait, already said that.)

Just my two cents. If you're not hurting anybody you should be allowed to do it. However, when you start hurting others (not being a productive citizen, getting into car accidents, etc.) you should be punished.

 

I'm an ex smoker and I hate the stuff, but I still believe it should be legal. It's damaging to your physical and mental health, like a lot of other things are too.
One thing I hate though is the die hard hippies who try their hardest to take it out of the shade, when it does belong there.

They always come up with the typical argument of "Oh it's been proven to cure cancer". Which generally comes from your average smoker who reads studies amongst any old website and believe what they read. The truth it's only shown evidence of tumor shrinking, not a cure.

The stuff needs legalizing and the hardcore hippies need to stop thinking it's so innocent, because it's not. It's one of the biggest gateway drugs around, over 15 of my friends smoke it, and myself have before, years ago. Pretty much all of them I have had a discussion with and they have admitted it's a gateway drug, not in the sense where they need a better high, but they don't thinking trying other drugs is as a big of a deal because they have already smoked cannabis before.

 

Exactly, last I heard Obama signed something into action that made government agencies stop busting state legalized cannabis operations unless they had other means, such as money laundering or other drugs.

I also read that cannabis is listed as being more dangerous and higher on the priority list for incarseration than cocain. That is freaking ridiculous. Also as you said the arrests could ruin someone's life, sure it's their fault because it is considered illegal and everyone that smokes it knows it's history to a point. But it's crazy how far they take this plant, any scholarships you have are taken away once busted. I have seen it happen, and it ruins lives. While the Sex offender down the street can go to college on the government's dime.

 

I wont lie and say i don't enjoy smoking weed, but i know for a fact that any motivation i have in life goes down the drain the more i smoke. Hence why i hardly do so anymore. It can be fun, but i wouldn't go saying it's a good thing, goes for all drugs really imo.

 

Luckily here in the UK the penalties are laughable. I feel bad for you guys in the USA. Disgusting that it's listed as more dangerous than cocaine. I can possibly understand why it's higher on priority though, the more people they must, there's likely more revenue to the police for the DEA doing drug raids. There's always money involved. Policing has become a business.

There's also probably more cannabis trafficking than cocaine and is on more demand for seizing it.

 

Police funding is a huge price tag in inthe USA budget, so if that could be spent catching real criminals I think that would be great.

Also yes smoking weed can put me it to a stare at the tv zone out mood, or the work out and get homework done mood. It all depends on the chemical compounds of what you are using

I consider getting Stoned and being high different, even though a lot of people put them together. Moderation is key, I don't need 10 bowls to be where I want to be. But on occasion I might do it for kicks or when I have have a lot of free time. I've heard it said, weed is something you do when you have a nothing else to do, which is mainly true. For me at times I consider weed my fast forward button for life. Days fly by, even when I get a lot of shit done.

 

I think it should be legalized for the following reasons:

1). It's trivial. The harm it causes, if any, hardly compares to, say, heroin. Thus, it falls well within the scope of "decisions people should be allowed to make for themselves".
2). It would massively reduce the burden on (American) prison systems and law enforcement.

 

I think it should be legalized with the restrictions of being legal to do on your own land and in designated spots in public areas (This is my view with cigarettes and I'll explain that view below).

As a child up until my late teen years I had issues with my nose being extremely sensitive to smells. Due to both marijuana and cigarettes having very strong and distinct smells I would have a nosebleed purely by standing around someone who is smoking or had smoked within the past 15 minutes or so. I was generally able to tell when I was standing around a smoker even if they hadn't smoked for a couple of days. It's improved since then but I still have to be very careful who I spend time around - Which if people are smoking in public places (eg - at the entrances of buildings) isn't always possible.

As someone who is getting the effects of second-hand smoking, cigarettes and marijuana aren't really any different to me in that sense. Perhaps one is worse than the other, I haven't researched it enough to know.

In terms of first hand use, it has similar effects to alcohol (legal) and somewhat similar effects to cigarettes (legal) when smoked. It's probably even safer when ingested as opposed to smoked. With a regulated supply and reasonable restrictions/legislation I don't think it'd cause too many issues.

 

In my uneducated opinion, I believe that Marijuana should be legalized. Sure, I've smoked 5 times and I know what the effects are... I feel like there should be limits and laws on Marijuana like the ones that follow:
1. Aged 21 and older for the use of Marijuana
2. Limit on how much you can have on your person
3. Permits etc to use Marijuana

Some of those may be in effect in some states that have legalized the use of marijuana but I'm not 100% sure.

If you're willing to smoke marijuana for recreational use, you should be able to get a permit and through some class or something so you will be able to use it. I wouldn't want my kids smoking weed when they're young.. but if they do make that decision to experiment, I would allow them to... not saying that I want them to be a pot head... I just want them to know what their options are.

Keep in mind.. I do not have a kid.. that was hypothetical.

 

Why would this be the case? There is punishment for alcohol abuse etc. It's free will, governments literally can't punish you solely for abusing a substance unless it's illegal and they can do you for possession etc.

 

How do you feel about weed?
I don't mind it at all, seeing as I smoke it often myself. I don't see it as a bad thing in the slightest, though.
How do people you know feel about weed? Most people don't care about it, or smoke it themselves.
How does your state handle marijuana? (Legalized/Recreational or incarceration) Legalized, though I'm not sure of the laws on it, yet. (Alaska, still changing.)
How often do you smoke? I'd say 5 days a week, but it depends on the week.
Thoughts on addiction and it being a gateway drug? I feel there is a mental addiction to it, but it's not that bad to stop. As for a gateway drug, yeah, I'd say it is definitely the gateway drug.

 

It's somewhat a good idea to limit people on the amount they can possess, however it's somewhat useless to implement that as a law as people will grow it freely alongside their limited use by the government.

 

How do you feel about weed? -- I could list so much pro-marijuana stuff here but everyones seen that before. I'll just list the negatives from my point of view:
1.


How do people you know feel about weed? -- Same as I do. I have some family members (not direct family) who are stupid and think it's bad but those are the same family members I hear stories about doing drugs when they were younger.


How does your state handle marijuana? (Legalized/Recreational or incarceration) -- It's just as illegal here as anywhere else in America. Though, all ~5 weed related interactions with the police where I was involved, there were a total of 0 arrests made and the only bad thing was that they dump/took the weed. That's just in my area though, a few towns over they treat you like you just raped the presidents daughter.


How often do you smoke? -- I'm high right now. Whenever I want which means all the time.


Thoughts on addiction and it being a gateway drug? -- Well, I'm addicted. The way every person on earth is addicted to something. Some people choose to use up their addiction time on exercising, some choose television, I chose weed. And the awesome part about being addicted to weed is that it's not time consuming so you can enjoy those other addictions even more. Also anybody who genuinely loves weed like myself would not do harder drugs unless they would have done harder drugs weed involved or not.

 

I'm not going to read through this thread, or the other thread, but here's the truth:

People fight to do whatever with marijuana because they were told they can't have it. Simple... There are people who fight for alcohol, crack, meth, suicide, whatever. If they told you tomorrow that it would be illegal to misspell the word "apple" then you'd see some fucked up news segment about how someones house was burnt down and family was killed by some guy wanting to misspell the word "apple". Guess what, not a single fuck would be given if they made it legal. Not a fuck would be given in an newspapers, CSPAN, craigslist, or sythe.org. In fact I wish they would legalize it not for the fact that I could do it, but because you shitheads wouldn't have anything to talk about any more. Tired of these arguments between simple minded people and absent minded people.

 

That was a huge dis wrapped together with every word.

But as you said in not so many words, people want what they can't or aren't suppose to have. Once it's legal it is just one of those things that you may do on occasion but doesn't have that flare.

Just like the prohibition, Alcohol was illegal so people made their own, and moon shined to supply the need. Now it is legalized, the government makes a shit load on the licensing fee and taxes, and moon shining still happens but is a small portion.

 

Nice results.That's how i like it :noworry:

 

It shouldn't be allowed to Grow ANYWHERE

 

Post I made on a previous thread that summarizes my thoughts quite well

I'm obviously pro legalization, but not just because of "weed is weed", but due to the negative effects prohibition has had on the U.S. (including but not limited to the economy and mass incarceration.)

Anyway, to the questions

1. How do you feel about weed?
100% legalization

2.How do people you know feel about weed?
Most people my age do not care (20), parents/my family are 100% against

3.How does your state handle marijuana? (Legalized/Recreational or incarceration)
Zero tolerance state, possessing a gram is up to a year in prison & $500 fine

4.How often do you smoke?
Whenever I feel like it really, generally no more than once a week and that's pushing it.

5.Thoughts on addiction and it being a gateway drug?
It is impossible to actually be addicted to Marijuana (it does not fulfill the requirements to be considered an addictive drug.) There is a 9% dependency rate though, but that is significantly lower than tobacco (33%) and alcohol. As for gateway, it is no more of a gateway than tobacco/alcohol. The gateway aspect is that you have often have to go through dealers/other non-official methods. This often opens up the ability to be offered (or even pushed towards) harder drugs. Alongside this, weed has the potentiality to be laced with various other substances.
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People fight for marijuana for a variety of reasons (tax dollars, safer to use then other drugs, medical benefits, mass incarceration, you name it) and you cannot truly argue (well, at least not well) that people are fighting for it simply because it is illegal. There is a reason there are significantly less people advocating for lets say heroin then marijuana. Going off your logic, I'm shocked there are not protests fighting for the right to murder.

Ps. You're the one coming off as simple and absent minded