Reported Post by XSafire

XSafire · Nov 8, 2010

XSafire has reported a post.

Reason:

Spam. Blatant attempt at raising post count. Comment had nothing to do with the thread, or the post he quoted.
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Post: To everyone against legalizing marijuana...
Forum: Something for All
Assigned Moderators: Clashfan, MegaMatt, Louis, Angelmax, FireZ, Karl

Posted by: SexayMistahBee
Original Content:

KerokeroCola said: ↑

Response to your points: (I've numbered them for easy response)

#1 is a severely narrow-sighted claim, much like the addiction claim (later to come). Yes, you're technically not incorrect, but it's because of your careful wording. Marijuana has not directly been the cause of death. But directness is hardly significant. You're saying that impaired judgment, increased impulsiveness, tendency to use more extreme drugs, and other indirect side-effects (which all can and do cause death) are insignificant?

On the matter of directness again: Alcohol is known to cause severe diseases in the liver, brain, and even the stomach. Yes, it can directly cause alcohol-poisoning, but the majority of alcohol-related deaths are due to either the damages to the body or the lack of judgment that alcohol imparts. These are all indirectly caused by alcohol, but nonetheless significantly linked to consumption. It's not technically correct to say "There are 0 reports to date of any deaths caused by alcohol," but it is comparatively correct. Your use of "direct" cause of death is, simply put, far too understating the issue.

#2 is similarly narrow-minded. Yes, marijuana doesn't directly reduce the number of brain cells, but it does impair judgment. Additionally, consumption of marijuana indisputably gives a food craving ("munchies"), and the average pothead surely isn't going to calculate and prepare a well-balanced meal. This indirectly leads to more consumption of poorly processed and often fatty foods. Fatty foods do kill brain function.

Red herrings aside, there are several ways to damage the brain without actually reducing the number of brain cells. As a baby, you are born with the full number of brain cells and proceed to lose trillions of cells before adolescence. There is actually only a mild coorelation between the number of brain cells and actual intelligence. The other stuff that matter much more are: brain chemistry, quality of brain cells, efficiency of electrical conduction, etc. So, yes, marijiana has no effect on the number of brain cells. It's far, far, far to simple to say this translates to it having no effect on intelligence.

#3. I do agree that the gangs are a significant issue, and that marijuana trafficking is, more or less, a major part of most inner-city gangs. However, do you really think that the gangs are going to step aside and let another gang (the government, in case you didn't catch that) take over their territory? Gangs are a problem largely because of territory disputes. These gangs are too well-implanted to just step aside and let drug stores sell boxes of marijuana cigarettes. It's much less simple than what you are saying.

#4. Wait, did I read that right? Four BILLION American dollars are involved in Marijuana trafficiking? Did you know billion has nine zeros! A HELLUVA lot of money. I could buy 4 TRILLION RSGP with that much money! No disputes on this point. Illegal marijuana distribution is TERRIBLE.

Wait. The US gross domestic product in 2008 was 15 TRILLION dollars, isn't it? What is 4 billion into 15 trillion? Less than 0.03%. Maybe it's not that big of a deal, after all.

-------Also, CaptainMoose referred to taxing the sale of marijuana could be "phenomenal." Adding a $4 billion industry to the economy and taxing it will hardly make a dent in the US budget, which in 2009 was $3.5 trillion.

#5 I've always thought marijuana's status above crack cocaine and those other Schedule IIs was absolutely absurd. However, I think that its status as a Schedule I drug is nearly as ridiculous as this statement from the average, self-interested, idiotic pothead who thinks he can change things with his clever Googling skills:

Yes, I know that there is no physical addiction along the same lines as the "heavy drugs," but if you try and tell me that marijuana's effect on the body isn't addictive, you really shouldn't be going to the polls and voting in the first place, because you're so blind and naive that your vote will just be destructive towards the real progress. Maybe that's why it's continuously turned down?

By the way, one last point that I just realized. Your topic says "To everyone against legalizing marijuana," but your arguments centralize more on its erroneous status as a Schedule I drug. All of Schedule II, Schedule III, Schedule IV, and even Schedule V drugs are illegal except in specific cases. No, I'm not being so broad as to say "Lol even tobacco isillegal to 17 year olds and it's not a Schedule drug at all!"
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WOW man, huge vouch for you
I'll let you know if I win anything from it <= I'm not joking.
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Karl · Nov 9, 2010

Done, Thanks.

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