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If legal, marijuana would be a $40-billion-a-year industry in the U.S.
Though not nearly as popular as alcohol or tobacco, marijuana has become part of the nation's social fabric. Some 30 million Americans consume cannabis in the average year.
Decriminalized in 11 states and legal for medical purposes in 14, marijuana is no longer considered an enemy of the people in many quarters.
Click ahead to see how marijuana stacks up across the country.
Getting caught with marijuana in Okalahoma could be costly. The fine for possession can be as much as $10,000, the highest in the country. Florida and Louisiana also have relatively tough laws.
Alaska and Georgia have the most lenient penalties on marijuana. Neither imposes a fine. Fines in California, New York, Oregon and New Mexico are also relatively light, ranging between $0-$100.
Recreational use marijuana taxation aside, there are thousands of uses for hemp. Allowing for taxation revenue outside of the recreational use product.
Another great seed McSpocky!
But I do have to note that the minimum penalty here in Georgia may seem the most lenient but it very rarely happens. Almost every single time the state will at least impose the maximum fine of $1000.
Right, in the book The Emperor Wears No Clothes it's stunning what can be done with hemp outside of fabric. These include cooking oil, a fossil fuel replacement and as a foodstuff. There has even been experiments as a source for a variety of building materials, much of it successful.
bluearcher
Recreational use marijuana taxation aside, there are thousands of uses for hemp. Allowing for taxation revenue outside of the recreational use product.
Exactly, bluearcher. I'd love to see marijuana made legal if only to clear our judicial system of associated crimes, with the added revenue benefit on top (cut DEA funding, decreased court cases, reduced prison population, and taxation), but Hemp, that strain is the game changer.
The paper industry would be forever altered, and maybe we could stop cutting down trees to maker paper to wipe your ass with.
demmywemmy
Right, in the book The Emperor Wears No Clothes it's stunning what can be done with hemp outside of fabric. These include cooking oil, a fossil fuel replacement and as a foodstuff.
Apparently Hemp seeds are a damn-near perfect food:
Approximately 44% of the weight of hempseed is healthy edible oils, containing about 80% essential fatty acids (EFAs); i.e., linoleic acid, omega-6 (LA, 55%), alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 (ALA, 22%), in addition to gamma-linolenic acid, omega-6 (GLA, 1–4%) and stearidonic acid, omega-3 (SDA, 0–2%). Protein is the other major component (33%), second only to soy (35%), but more easily digestible because it's primarily globular proteins, 33% albumin and 65% edestin (a Greek word meaning edible). Its amino acid profile is close to "complete" when compared to more common sources of proteins such as meat, milk, eggs and soy.[23] The proportions of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in one tablespoon (15 ml) per day of hemp oil easily provides human daily requirements for EFAs. Unlike flaxseed oil, hemp oil can be used continuously without developing a deficiency or other imbalance of EFAs.[24] This has been demonstrated in a clinical study, where the daily ingestion of flaxseed oil decreased the endogenous production of GLA.[24]
Hempseed is an adequate source of dietary fiber, calcium and iron, and contains antioxidants and chlorophyll. Whole hempseeds are also a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese.
Hempseed is usually very safe for those unable to tolerate nuts, gluten, lactose, and sugar. In fact, there are no known allergies to hemp foods.[citation needed] Hempseed contains no gluten and therefore would not trigger symptoms of celiac disease
Did you guys know Henry Ford made a car almost entirely from Hemp? http://www.hempcar.org/ford.shtml
Oh yes, how could I forget paper? As a renewable resource it would leave trees in the dust. Thanks for pointing out the benefits of the seed.
When one looks at why this plant was outlawed in the first place, it was mostly because of its potential in the marketplace- and note that DuPont came out with Rayon that year (the first petro-chem fabric), and the US head of Drug enforcement was Harry Anslinger, who was married to a DuPont.
When one looks at why this plant was outlawed in the first place, it was mostly because of its potential in the marketplace- and note that DuPont came out with Rayon that year (the first petro-chem fabric), and the US head of Drug enforcement was Harry Anslinger, who was married to a DuPont.
Yup, it's pretty well noted that Anslinger, DuPonts, Mellon (of Mellon bank), and Hearst (of Hearst newspapers, who also happened to own timber property to make paper) helped demonize marijuana and thereby make hemp illegal as well.
Much of Anslinger's 'information' (misinformation and fear-mongering) regarding the effects of marijuana was published by Mr Yellow Journalism (Hearst) himself. Great propaganda tool.
When one looks at why this plant was outlawed in the first place, it was mostly because of its potential in the marketplace- and note that DuPont came out with Rayon that year (the first petro-chem fabric), and the US head of Drug enforcement was Harry Anslinger, who was married to a DuPont.
Besides DuPont, Anslinger was also backed by the combined financial, political & media weight of US Treasury Secretary (& oil tycoon) Andrew Mellon, steel & textile tycoon Andrew Carnegie, and newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, all of whom had a big stake in the industries now threatened by the potential of hemp. With that many heavy hitters in his court & a government position made just for him, it's no wonder Anslinger's misguided crusade has proven so successful at duping the masses & keeping them duped. Now besides those industries we also have to contend with Big Pharm & Big Farm; companies like GlaxoSmithKline & Monsanto aren't going to let marijuana/hemp back into the fields without getting their piece of the pie either.
It's not the only time this sort of thing has happened either; Henry Ford was a big supporter of ethanol & other alcohol-based fuels made from renewable plant matter including hemp, but oil tycoons like John D. Rockefeller helped fund the anti-alcohol movement that led to Prohibition and put fossil fuels firmly in the lead.
demmy, SC, Icono:
Thanks for the history lesson. Illuminating, yes? Makes the country's present intellectual and political backsliding all the more frustrating, unfortunately. Also makes one want to break out the 25-yr-old Scotch... with special brownies, of course... :)
Right, in the book The Emperor Wears No Clothes it's stunning what can be done with hemp outside of fabric.
Don't discount it's use as a fiber for producing fabric. Other than biofuels this is probably the most commercially viable use, and cotton just hit an all time high:
Cotton prices set a fresh post-Civil War high on Wednesday, as concerns grew that world cotton supplies won't satisfy growing demand.
Good seed McSpocky - I would love to see marijuana legalized. I've never used it myself, but I've been around plenty of people after they have used it. Apart from some paranoia, some ill effects from the smoke, and a craving for Doritos, I have not seen anything happen from marijuana that doesn't happen with alcohol. It would create jobs, it would provide tax revenue, it would cause us to spend less money on the ridiculous "war on drugs", and it would likely make the drug safer to use if it is regulated properly.
The only question left is when can I start my pot farm?
didnt the kid from arizona who shot the congresswoman suffer from a psychosis that was made worse by his "recreational use" of marijuana.
RV:
Actually, sex is better than with booze. Sort of changes the dating paradigm to: "Keep the cabernet in the cellar, honey -- I just bought your favorite brownies..."
a psychosis that was made worse by his "recreational use" of marijuana.
I did not read that anywhere. Maybe it was his bible, instead?
California Militia-any proof or even a source for that claim?
Getting caught with marijuana in Okalahoma could be costly. The fine for possession can be as much as $10,000, the highest in the country. Florida and Louisiana also have relatively tough laws.
Of the few people who I have known to be caught here in North Carolina, they have been pretty lenient as well.
there are thousands of uses for hemp
Just ask Woody Harrelson...celebrity aside, someone above mentioned paper.
This may be historical urban legend, but one of the most vehement opponents of the use/legalization of marijuana was William Randolph Hearst. In the early 1900s he owned substantial forests and used the wood pulp from these forests to make newsprint for his papers. If marijuana were to be made legal, it would have substantially devalued his forest holdings. (The family stills owns 67,000 forested acres along the McCloud River in Northern California including a magnificent estate called Wyntoon.)
This may be historical urban legend, but one of the most vehement opponents of the use/legalization of marijuana was William Randolph Hearst.
Hearst was absolutely one of the major players behind criminalizing marijuana; besides protecting his paper-industry fortune, it also enabled him to get his racist ya-ya's out by associating it with black jazz musicians, Mexican laborers, and other "low types."
@"Californiamilitia" .You said this:
didnt the kid from arizona who shot the congresswoman suffer from a psychosis that was made worse by his "recreational use" of marijuana.
...I suppose it's a well known fact that nobody ever did anything unusually irresponsible or violent while they were drunk... ever.
I watched a documentary where scientists, physicians and law enforcement personnel were asked to rate drugs by their worst associated affects on people's health and their behavior.
Pot came in almost dead last next to caffeine. Heroin, Crack, Meth, alcohol and cigarettes all made the top 5.
I know that's mostly hearsay evidence but considering that 1 out of 10 smokers get cancer and just about everyone knows someone who drank themselves to death, I'd say pot is probably the least of our concerns when it comes to intoxicating substances.
Hell, people have had heart attacks from energy drinks... I never heard of someone dying from pot.
California, just as there are individuals who, at certain times in their lives when they are in need of health care--especially mental health care, should not have unsupervised access to firearms, there are some who should not use any mind altering substance. Unfortunately, without adequate care and supervision, there will always be those who will do what they "think" best.
didnt the kid from arizona who shot the congresswoman suffer from a psychosis that was made worse by his "recreational use" of marijuana.
Does this make anyone else think of that old movie Reefer Madness?
Reefer Madness was pure camp and folks of my generation still laugh at the film even when not stoned.
As for the kid in Arizona, maybe if Arizona AND the Nation had universal comprehensive health care, we wouldn't have lost a Congresswoman and a Federal Judge (and others). Maybe he could have walked into a clinic and asked for help and not had to worry about the cost.
We can quantify the cost of health care - we can not quantify the value of a life. (Well, I guess some on the Republican side of the fence can, and maybe that's part of the problem!)
didnt the kid from arizona who shot the congresswoman suffer from a psychosis that was made worse by his "recreational use" of marijuana.
This is a fair question that C M asks- as it's the latest fresh ammo by the anti-marijuana crowd. There is a controversial study from I believe 2003 that shows a causal link between those who have mild schizophrenia developing into full blown psychosis if cannabis was used very heavilyfor many years.
The info was gathered from data of Swedish conscripts from the late 1960s. What can we gather from this data?
To me, it shows that people with mental illness have no business using cannabis- beyond that, and again the study is controversial, I have no idea what the point is. If it is to suggest that mentally healthy people will go bananas, it absolutely does not show this.
people with mental illness have no business using cannabis
I disagree demmy - I think that people with anxiety disorders would benefit significantly from the use of cannabinoids. You might be referring specifically to those who are suffering from schizophrenia, in which case I would agree with you.
Getting caught with marijuana in Okalahoma could be costly. The fine for possession can be as much as $10,000, the highest in the country.
we have men here in OK doing life for possession. The 3 strikes your out rule killed many a young man's future. Of course you can say well, it's illegal so don't do it, which is fair. It's just the law is not fair.
Many many moons ago we bought a map to an old WW2 hemp field. It had gone wild and the plants were like trees. We filled the back of our camper shell covered pickup truck (the windows were blacked out with shoe polish) and started back to town when a farmer blocked our exit. THANK GOD that farmer made us empty the truck and sent us on our way. I could still be in prison.....it still scares me to think about it. The pot did not get you even a little bit high, lol.
Now some 35 years later, I have no good sources. I sure wish they would legalize it
demmywemmy
What can we gather from this data?
Without a back up study, you could say the same thing about hamburgers.
A small lot of teenagers who eat hamburgers every day go on to become schizophrenic. I can actually back that up with emperical data.
Less Corrupt Judges on the Take, if MJ was legal.
Boy we could save a Boat Load of Cash.
Michael in S J
Reefer Madness was pure camp and folks of my generation still laugh at the film even when not stoned.
I have a copy of that on DVD... It is hilarious! And to think that some people used to believe that was fact...
CCArm that stuff you had would only give you dry mouth and bust head!
Hemp has many uses, as does cannabis. A friend of mine recently got rid of a tumor on her nose using hashish oil. The only reason marijuana isn't legal is the industries that would suffer from its legal status would have big time competition. This is something we need to stand up and speak up about. No one has ever died from marijuana use and as far as paranoia and psychosis episodes I'm sure these stem from other areas and may be highlighted by marijuana but it is not the cause. It like saying alcohol will cause you to be violent and irresponsible if you drink too much and everyone looks at you and replies, "Don't drink so much!" Moderation is never going to be everyone's forte.
Legalize it. Tax it. It would get our government in the black in no time flat. I've never seen a fight break out at a pot party.
Funny story: One day on the drive home, the song Hotel California came on. The radio personality came on and said "if anyone knows what the word is in the verse 'warm smell of ______________— rising up through the air', please call in." So you'll know, I'm from Texas. Where they bust Willie Nelson for a joint. Well, all these young people called in, and they matter-of-factly say the missing word is "carnitas." Yes, pork roast. Carnitas. I cannot believe it because I would never under normal circumstances call into a radio show, but I couldn't let these young whippersnappers think it was carnitas! I phoned in and told him the word was "colitas"; he asked what that was and I told him it is the particularly pungent and strong hairy bud at the tip of a marijuana frond.
Good stuff McSpocky. There are two main reasons why marijuana and hemp were made illegal in September of 1937. 1) Racism. They used it to demonize blacks and mexicans, especially black musicians such as jazz players, where marijuana use was common. 2) Oil and timber industries. One acre of hemp produces 4X as much paper as an acre of trees, and unlike trees which take decades to fully mature, hemp can be grown pretty much anywhere on the planet and only take 5 months to fully mature. Hemp was also used in rope, and is still the strongest fiber known to man, synthetic or natural.
We still use hemp in America, in things such as fabrics and textiles. The problem is, we import these products from countries like France and Canada, where marijuana is illegal. But even they realize the benefits and cost effectiveness of hemp production. Marijuana is a harmless drug, much more safe than alcohol and tobacco.
In college i wrote an argument paper on why marijuana should be made legal. We discussed 6 different topics that our argument papers could fall under such as healthcare and economic benefits. The teacher asked us what we were doing our papers on so i raised my hand and said legalization of marijuana. The whole class laughed and the teacher hushed them saying that legalization of marijuana fell into every category. When i turned in my rough draft, the teacher gave me suggestions to use, such as the first drafts of the constitution and declaration of independence were written on hemp paper, and she was super hot. Needless to say, the best teacher i ever had. LEGALIZE HEMP AND MARIJUANA NOW!
didnt the kid from arizona who shot the congresswoman suffer from a psychosis that was made worse by his "recreational use" of marijuana.
In reality he didn't smoke marijuana, I just saw a story about this on Night Line, the plant he smoked is called Salvia Divinorum and is a cousin of the Sage plant. Get your facts straight before posting please.
RicJames, great name by the way. Yes, salvia was legal all across the U.S., ive seen people on it and lets just say it is up there with lsd and pcp. Totally dangerous drug, and somehow it is legal, while marijuana is virtually harmless and illegal, go figure.
I have a copy of that on DVD... It is hilarious! And to think that some people used to believe that was fact...
Given the attitudes & arguments of many of those opposed to marijuana reform, it would appear many of them still believe it.
That is true, you are right, IconoclastX...
Funny story: One day on the drive home, the song Hotel California came on. The radio personality came on and said "if anyone knows what the word is in the verse 'warm smell of ______________— rising up through the air', please call in." So you'll know, I'm from Texas. Where they bust Willie Nelson for a joint. Well, all these young people called in, and they matter-of-factly say the missing word is "carnitas." Yes, pork roast. Carnitas. I cannot believe it because I would never under normal circumstances call into a radio show, but I couldn't let these young whippersnappers think it was carnitas! I phoned in and told him the word was "colitas"; he asked what that was and I told him it is the particularly pungent and strong hairy bud at the tip of a marijuana frond.
Wow... I've always loved that song, and knew that the word in the song was "colitas". I never knew what "colitas" was though! lol
wow, I didn't know that either. mmmmmm "pungent and strong hairy bud at the tip of the marijuana frond" almost got high typing that......
One of the funniest jokes ever presented to me was this: What is the most common word in the English language? The word is ear. When I queried, "Ear???", my friend brought her thumb and forefinger to her mouth, pretended to take a hit, pretended to hold it in and pass it to me, and saying "..ear". It was great!
didnt the kid from arizona who shot the congresswoman suffer from a psychosis that was made worse by his "recreational use" of marijuana.
Didn't Lee Harvey Oswald drink beer?
To answer your question, I have heard no such determination. There was a report that he was turned down for military duty because he had cannabismotabolites in his bloodstream.
What you mostly likely heard was a few conservative pundits trying to take advantage of the situation by throwing in a connection to their disinformation program of choice.
In reality he didn't smoke marijuana, I just saw a story about this on Night Line, the plant he smoked is called Salvia Divinorum and is a cousin of the Sage plant. Get your facts straight before posting please.
I wouldn't be so quick to point to Salvia either, Loughner was simply mentally disturbed, drugs didn't cause his insanity. Kate Dailey reported on the Loughner-Salvia link and found it highly unlikely:
The effect salvia had, if any, on Loughner's mental state is thus far impossible to ascertain. In describing his tenuous connection with reality, one friend told The New York Times, "he would ask me constantly, 'Do you see that blue tree over there?' He would admit to seeing the sky as orange and the grass as blue." While that sounds like the ramblings of someone on a powerful trip, it's not consistent with the salvia experience.Unlike LSD or mushrooms, salvia's high "doesn't have the bright colors, noises, agitation, and anxiety [of other hallucinogens]," says Mendelson, who jokingly refers to it as an "Old Testament" drug. Users describe becoming objects—turning into the chair they're sitting on, or being absorbed into the fabric of the couch. "It's possible that people would report color changes, but it's not common," says Johnson.
I disagree demmy - I think that people with anxiety disorders would benefit significantly from the use of cannabinoids. You might be referring specifically to those who are suffering from schizophrenia, in which case I would agree with you
The one page from your link I was able to review mentioned that lab rats were used in this study. How that correlates with the human brain regarding anxiety?
Anyway, yes my intent was schizophrenia, but I would suggest use of cannabinoids in patients with depression or anxiety should be under doctor's careful supervision.
Just from personal experience I found it best to shy away from the plant during blue periods. Perhaps more studies are needed.
Just from personal experience I found it best to shy away from the plant during blue periods.
If I find myself going down that path, I move from pure indica/indica-dominated hybrids (my normal med of choice) to sativa-dominated ones...:) Most of the dispensaries I've used have a dozen or more strains at any given time, all with distinctly different levels of THC/CBD and certainly different cerebral effects.
Perhaps more studies are needed.
A lot more...:) Fo sho.
That salvia stuff is what Miley Cyrus was supposedly toking recently. It just goes to show you that making one thing illegal simply creates a new opportunity elsewhere like huffing spray paint or snorting bath salts. Like the comedian says "you cain't fix stoopid." LOL Bored young people can be some of the 'stoopidist' people on the face of the earth especially when they have nearly unlimited money at their disposal.
All of these products are natural herbs that occur naturally in nature. It is appropriate for us to understand the effects of these herbs and educate people about them but outlawing them is not a realistic approach. They are easy to grow and require very little processing to get the desired effects. You have just about as much of a chance of success in outlawing dandelions as you do cannabis or poppy plants. But our leadership loves to try and they manage to make fortunes in the process at our expense usually. LOL
like huffing spray paint or snorting bath salts.
Sounds incredibly painful. Thanks for making my nose scream. 8]
Thanks McSpocjy I hadn't heard the Salvia story. That's some crazy stuff
Legalize it - it's time.
Legalize and tax, it's the only sane thing to do, and it is high time we did it ;)
Agreed, however in our rush to legalize we want to make sure we are not taxing medicine as a recreational substance.
it is high time we did it ;)
Jeez, I am so slow this morning. Just now got the rim shot... :)
Perhaps it could be taxed when sold for recreation, and not taxed when sold by prescription?
I think it is a crying shame that it isn't more popular than cigarettes and alcohol. Have you seen what alcohol does to people? And we all know what its like working with someone who needs to get the nicotine monkey off their back!
Extra revenue from legalization wouldn't just be from the marijuana alone. Hydroponics/garden shops will be BOOMING! You need lights, nutrients, and so on. I bet we would see a rise in restaurant sales too lol Previously empty shops will now be bringing in tax money and paying employees. These are just some examples.
Plus besides all the added revenue form all the sources you list, there would be money saved by not sending people to jail or prison for possession. That would be a huge savings.
Hydroponics/garden shops will be BOOMING!
They already are in Michigan just from medical mj. I've seen several new shops open within the last year, and new businesses opening is a rarity in Michigan these days.
And not just Cannabis. Think of all the money and jobs hemp cultivation would bring in. I'm willing to bet the hemp industry would surpass the cannabis industry hands-down.
mojo as I understand it there is no significant difference between hemp and cannabis production. The basic plants are the same with various 'strains' having more THC content than others. What we call hemp is what is produced from the fiberous stems of the plant while what we call marijuana is derived from the buds of the plant. The medicinal products also are extracted from the sap like material that is on the surface of the buds.
The many and varied uses for this plant have been known and documented for at least 5000 years. Recent testing on some of the Egyptian mummies showed traces of THC in their remains and one tomb even contained a medicine jar filled with a hemp plant relative that archeologists speculated was probably used medicinally. Obviously our own government knew of the benefits of this plant and encouraged its production during WWII when its fibers were used to make ropes and lines and hawsers for naval use. It was also used to make canvas like materials used as covers, tents, and even parts of some uniforms.
Once the war was over however the petrochemical industry, the paper industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and the textile industry joined forces to totally eradicate this plant from the market place. It could not be patented, being a plant, so there was no easy way to derive huge profits from its production and processing. Instead it was decided to make it illegal to grow or possess so that all of the various petrochemical synthetic products could dominate the textile market and the other various uses of hemp such as paper and medicine could not compete with the more lucrative products made from somebody's chemistry set. These products, you see, could be patented and we would pay huge sums of money to get them. The only thing that hemp probably would not be suitable for is the women's undergarment industry. LOL It is just a bit too harsh for making pantyhose or those dainty little teasers that are sold by Victoria's Secret. HEH HEH HEH HEH
All in all this is just a very flaggrant example of how big industry in conjunction with our government elected officials manage to manipulate the general public in the interests of said industries and politicians. Government never has nor will it ever be terribly concerned about the general health and well being of its constituents. Notice that it will only act when it is economically beneficial for it, when there is some political agenda to accomplish, or when there is sufficient outcry from the citizenry to make them 'do something.' When your government tells you that they are acting in your best interests you would be wise to take a long hard look behind them. Chances are very good that there is some sort of chicanery involved and we are about to get screwed while being convinced that it is good for us. LOL This is not unlike the supermarket tactic of offering "new and improved product or packaging" which actually means less product for the same or more money.
Now there seems to be some indications that the medicinal value of this plant is almost miraculous in its ability to halt, control, or cure many ailments that our so called science has thus far been unable to address. The worst part is that some are saying that our own government knew about much of this and yet continued to prohibit its use. If even a part of this information is valid then withholding it from the people is down right criminal.
I don't know about other people but I despise liars. I do my best never to lie to or deceive anyone. Yet I grew up with and went to school with a few of our 'movers and shakers' in politics today. They were two-faced deceitful snakes in the grass in high school and frankly they haven't changed a bit now that they have weaseled their way into public office. That being said I want to make it clear that I wish them no harm in any way. They can't help being compulsive liars because that is how they were born. LOL I just don't trust them as far as I can throw them. :=)
I broke my neck years ago. I am okay but in pain every day from it. I could get a script for a narcotic but they make me feel yucky. Every now and then the pain gets so bad I have to get a few pills to cope but I can't function taking them everyday and I think I would start taking too many if I took them all the time.
I would like to see if medical marijuana would help this condition.
I have broken about 12 big bones, have had a few hundred stitches, gravity sucks, the weather changes are murder and I don't want narcotics, I have to work and think and sleep without the pharmacies making money screwing me up even more.
Little bit of weed is perfect.
But I don't see the point of the medical. What? am I to stupid to make my own choices?
Its a weed, a plant, and no one else's business.
In any case, broken back, slipped disk and all the rest, it works for me, so, just one persons opinion, but I highly suggest you try it ;)
Colorado like California has clincs everywhere...soon to Florida I hope.
Lisa,
If you are any where near Colorado it's pretty easy to get a medical marijuana card. That way you wouldn't have to worry about legal ramifications.
Lisa, I can guarantee you, it would help tremendously. :-)
I know a gal -- a strong gal -- a survivor. Her name is Chrissy and I know her pretty well. She has had brain cancer for years but has been able to fight on despite it... despite the agonizing pain that hits her like the world's worst migraine and literally immobolizes her during the toughest bouts of it. She's been attending the UCLA Cancer Medical Clinic since she was diagnosed and the research-based team there has extensively tried common and less-common methods of pain alleviation, including established and trial pharmaceutical drugs. Luckily for her she's a Californian and has access to medical marijuana, which she says is the only thing that has ever provided the relief she needs, especially during the worst of the flare-ups.
It helps, flat out... if you have pain, marijuana will help to alleviate it. I'm not saying it's the only option or even the most effective for all people, but it is for many and that's why it continues to have support as a medicinal treatment.
Lisa
I have arthritus in my C4-5, C5-6, C6-7 and a dessicated disc at C7-T1. Rather than increase my dose of hydrocodone, I take a couple of toks. Fortunately, I haven't had to have a tok in a couple of weeks.
I do it legally under the California Medical Marijauna Law, and previously illegally. It works.
To Michael Patrick Rooney if you haven't already you might want to check out "Youtube" and type in "Run From The Cure." Select the long 58 minute video. The Canadian gentleman in that video claims some success in curing some forms of cancer using his THC extract. The video even tells you how to produce it. Now he tells you up front that even in states where medical marijuana is legal making the higly concentrated extract is not. So you do so at your own risk. All I know is that if I had some form of terminal cancer and knew about this product I certainly would have no compunction whatsoever in making it and using it.
There is a researcher in Spain (I cannot remember his name) who claims some real significant progress in CURING brain cancers in laboratory rats using a form of this extract. As the words from the old Janis Joplin song "Me and Bobby McGee" say "freedoms just another word for nothing left to loose" and when a person has a terminal ailment there aint a lot to loose in trying something even if it is illegal especially when there is no documented cases where it hurt anyone using it.
There has been a lot of research into using cannabis in cancer treatment. You can probably find some of the articles in the Marijuana News group...
Shepherd,
Thank you. I will definitely watch that video and do my research of the extract. Hopefully it is plausible and if it is, you're right... damn the restriction if it can be done and will help Chrissy out.
You sir are more than welcome and I hope that what he advertises is for real. My late wife perished from Parkinson's Disease and I was continually frustrated over the lack of research being done on stem cell possibilities. Chances are it would not have produced a treatment in time to save her but I cannot help but wonder "what if?" The gentleman in this video claims that our government and the government of Canada have known of the curative powers of his extract and have vigorously kept it secret from the public for years. If that is true then I truly hope that the people responsible wind up in the worst possible straights in their after life as penance for such a despicable act. My best wishes to your loved one and good luck.
Very disappointed when Obama ordered Eric Holder to obstruct the legalization in California.
Meet the new boss same as the old boss.
Makes you wonder how much control Big Pharma has on our government? They would lose millions if pot were legalized.
Coloradoan...I agree. I believe that we have the capacity to cure some diseases, or at least alleviate some related suffering, but Big Pharma has to keep all those "research dollars" coming in. Diabetes, some forms of cancer...if they were cured, way too much money would be lost. It's all about the Almighty Dollar, once again.
It's past time to legalize it! Listen up, Obama, We the People are speaking.
Meet the new boss same as the old boss.
Ooo quoting The Who. I like it!
Suzen, All those "research dollars" are YOURS! More than 70% of break-through drugs are discovered in public university labs supported by your tax dollars. These discoveries are then farmed out to Pharma to develop, test, and market. Unfortunately the return on our investment is a pittance of the end value of those discoveries. Big pharma needs to be big time busted. (By the way, there is a patent on the active chemical formula that makes pot work. It Is held by the FDA.)
3rdtime...VERY well aware of that fact. Don't care for it, either.
Makes you wonder how much control Big Pharma has on our government?
makes me wonder how much Obama's pockets are being lined
Big pharma nad the professional Drug Warriors certainly are a powerful force in keeping MJ illegal, I didn't see any direct "order" coming from Obama re: Calif's Prop 19.
Holder did deploy his disinformation campaign when he saw it was leading in the polls.. And it was sickening. For the government to tell bald-faced lies about an initiative before the people sickens and enrages me.
Not to worry though, there will be another Proposition in California in 2012. There are also many other MJ related propositions and legislation headed for consideration in the next two years.
Obama is playing politics with this issue. I don't know if it's possible to make this change from the top down. I say let the states push this and force the government to realize that this is what the people want.
The DEA will fight tooth and nail to keep their high paying jobs. And, just why do people want to tax everything that brings a little bit of pleasure or pain relief? Wanting to tax it is just as bad and the prohibition itself.
coalbear_1
The DEA will fight tooth and nail to keep their high paying jobs. And, just why do people want to tax everything that brings a little bit of pleasure or pain relief? Wanting to tax it is just as bad and the prohibition itself.
Taxation is the 'cost', the thing that must be given up, traded, to make legalization a no-brainer to the government.
I understand, making marijuana and hemp legal already is a no-brainer, right? But apparently not to most of the idiots in government, hence the taxation carrot.
I'm with SC on this. Tax revenue's redemptive aspects aside (from the government's viewpoint), such a move "sanctifies" the policy reversal and in its worst case allows the government to cast the effort as a desperate budget-balancing play. In any event, treatment otherwise would cause alcohol purveyors to cry "foul". Of course, leaked backchannel human interest stories featuring the "well-known ancient historical aspect" that "... after all, Jesus wore hemp sandals and drank wine" is just the perfect bow for the package... :)
The DEA are the US equivalent to the Pro-Mubarak goons in Egypt.
The DEA and their mandate for culture wars are counter-productive to any civilized society.
The DEA was created by Richard Nixon (another Republican Criminal) out of the FDA in 1973 to attack his political opponents and take away their right to vote with felony convictions or imprisonment.
There is no sane reason to treat mj differentially from alcohol -- and from a health standpoint alone, it represents the less sociopathic diversion. It's way past time we allow regressive dogmatists set public policy on this commodity -- and this, largely based on perceptions established by one sensational movie. I suspect most folks are not aware of the medical benefits of pot. One 'vine member (Nearing) has posted nearly one hundred links on this alone (the majority of which detail cancer/tumor interdiction by the plant's THC -- the same compound demonized in countless faux-science websites as potentially causing "permanent damage"). Most objection centers on pathological abuse -- do we really need to detail comparative downsides for similar abuse of alcohol (liver damage, grossly impaired motor function, violent behavior, etc)?
People require diversion and self-delusion to live. As long as any of the potential diversionary protocols (alcohol, recreational drugs, gaming, religion, etc) are not abused or otherwise publicly externalized, why should anyone object?
While we are touting all the miraculous benefits of pot let's not overlook the number of serious side effects that ensue from regular usage.
Oliver Closoff
While we are touting all the miraculous benefits of pot let's not overlook the number of serious side effects that ensue from regular usage.
As far as I know, there has never been a serious study of the effects marijuana (beyond it gets you 'high'), at least not in this country, hence the debate on its worth as a medicinal plant, let alone a long-term study of its impact on users. Granted, I don't read medical journals so perhaps I missed something, but what are the "serious side effects that ensue from regular usage"?
Oliver:
You've completely dodged the policy dichotomy issue and made an unsubstantiated assertion. Forgive the observation that your behavior, at least, qualifies you as a "drive-by troll".
This being the case, why did you bother to post?
Any foreign substance you take in your body has possible long term effects.
Marijuana has been used for over 5,000 years as a medicine and as recreational use.
There has been no record of anyone overdosing on marijuana
I use marijuana as a diet supplement, the alternative medicine a doctor perscribed were pills that had a list of side effects two pages long. I know whats good for me and I dont need a doctor to feed me pills that are more harmfull to my system than regular marijuana use.
All those responses tell me is that many haven't taken the time to understand the time the negatives of regular marijuana use.
Apply for a medical use license in CA and you will get a good intro to what I'm talking about.
My eyes are wipe open now. They weren't 35 years ago. There is no way I would present pot usage as analogous to using alcohol. Or as many argue, less harmful.
The medicinal marijuana laws here in CA are probably beyond adequate in my view and clearly many of us that see how those play out were content to maintain the status quo rather go beyond that into who knows where.
I think even marijuana advocates ought to be at least a little hesitant to open up the doors to even more government control of the trade just for the sake of a buck. That's really all this is about at this point.
Oliver:
Your presumption that opinions favoring marijuana legalization are grounded in ignorance is unfounded. The truth runs exactly counter to this -- it is those who have not researched mj use who tend to demonize it. Abuse of any substance (like, oh, potato chips, say) can lead to dramatic health issues and characterizing outlier statistics as the norm is merely pushing a cherished agenda.
Recreational mj use is simply not dangerous and there is mounting evidence that properly metered dosage actually counters various cancers.
Oliver Closoff
All those responses tell me is that many haven't taken the time to understand the time the negatives of regular marijuana use.
So far, you aren't not even attempting to validate or prove your point. Do you have anything to share beyond your opinion? Any information or data to backup your claims?
There is no way I would present pot usage as analogous to using alcohol. Or as many argue, less harmful.
Let's define 'harmful' first, shall we? Because it is a fairly vague term that could be applied, in the narrow, to social as well as medical impacts.
Regardless of your definition of 'harmful', however, there is no comparison between marijuana and alcohol. They are not in the same league. Not even close. And there is data to back up my claim, not hyperbole or opinion.
With roughly 10% (estimated and likely slightly higher) of the population using pot each year we also need to consider other societal drawbacks of pot use. I'm talking about the ruined lives of those who end up with drug misdemeanors on their record who can't go to college because they can't get a loan. I'm also talking about the ruined lives of non-violent drug offenders who languish in prisons all over our country. The reason pot use leads to this is because of the official stance and draconian laws put in place to "control" its use.
Millions of Americans who smoke pot are perfectly normal members of our society and contribute to the nation's success. The draconian laws against the use of this herb are harming our society. I would wager that the harm from the laws is greater than the harm from the drug itself. Let's take for instance the psychological harm heavy use can do to some people with underlying psychiatric disorders. Now compare that to the psychological harm done to the millions who suffer in prison for being caught with a little grass in their pocket! Let's also take the crime and violence associated with the black market. This crime is over one thing and one thing only - controlling money. The drug is only a product to be moved on the street for money. If the drug could be moved through official, credible sources, then no one would deal with these thugs and gangs and the crime rates would drop. This is analogous to alcohol prohibition in the 20's. That era saw bootleggers and the rise of the mob with terrible consequences for the lives and safety of millions of people. It wasn't the booze, it was the money the booze could bring. Think about it, when a convenience store is robbed do they take the beer or the cash? It will be the same with pot.
Leaving these laws in place and feeding the black market system is killing our streets and our families. It is ruining otherwise productive lives. It is causing billions of dollars to hemorrhage from our economy. The demand for pot will not go away, so we must look at the choices available to us in how we respond. So far I think we have failed in taking the best course of action and have only made things worse. Turning a blind eye to this reality is not only foolish, it is stubbourn, short sighted, lazy and reckless.
Legalize now!!
I see no real advantage to legalizing marijuana beyond its current status.
After nearly 40 years of direct observation I know a helluva lot more about this topic than I care to admit and certainly a helluva lot more than some young knuckleheaded stoner. Hang around a collective sometime and get a look at the people that roll in and out there.
As I have stated before, we have medical MJ laws that as currently implemented allow enough access to meet the needs of the most dedicated pot user.
My point from the beginning is that you can't overlook the negatives. And as I parent there is absolutely no way I would endorse my child using pot and expect him to end up as anything more than an underachiever. For a lot of people that is enough. So why make any more of an effort right?
Anyway, you can go on advocating for the underachieving set while I maintain my opinion grounded in reality.
as I parent there is absolutely no way I would endorse my child using pot
Would you support their drinking?
Look how marijuana compares against alcohol and cigarettes.
http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30
http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/28
Annual causes of death by Tobacco --- 435,000
Annual causes of death by Alcohol ----- 85,000
All Illicit Drug Use, Direct and Indirect -- 17,000
Marijuana ---------------------------------------- 0
Look we've all been around and around on the whole which is worse argument and the false proposition that if you support one you logically must support the other but as many times as I have made that same argument I can no longer do it and here's why.
Personal experience.
If you wanted to make one illegal, wouldn't it be logical to make one illegal that is taking people's lives?
Personal experience.
This is the exact reason I continue to go and will never stop going "around and around".
And as I parent there is absolutely no way I would endorse my child using pot and expect him to end up as anything more than an underachiever. For a lot of people that is enough. So why make any more of an effort right?
I can understand this statement as 3 years ago I believed the same thing. I am father of 4. I was raised misinformed about Cannabis, and thought that drinking alcohol was fine but smoking the weed will lead to harder drugs, make my kids underachievers, etc. That is not true. My oldest son is addicted to alcohol and legal prescription drugs (for sleeping). My daughter has been in AA for 5 years now.
My youngest (a Resident Physician) rarely drinks but smokes the weed often. When I became aware of this, I started searching the Internet and bookstores to be informed, (actually looking for info to convince him not to use it) because honestly I thought MJ was as evil as heroin or all the others.
I can tell you now, I encourage my other kids (over 21) to switch to MJ (within the privacy of their homes and I tip them on the legal implications of illegal possession) as I have seen in my youngest (27 y.o.) that MJ is not the evil I was sold to.
The negatives you mention are not related to MJ, more likelly to the prohibition of it.
Oliver, I encourage you to read every information you can find on MJ (medical or not), and make your own judgment, but don't advocate against MJ as I did for so many years without being well informed. There is a long history of cannabis used by humans. George Washington's hobby was creating new strains. Many of our founding fathers smoked the weed and they wrote the Constitution.
Oliver-
re: Personal experience
It may sound counter-intuitive but personal experience is the very worst kind of "data gathering" you can base your opinion on unless you're making a decision solely for yourself.
You, or those around you, may have a problem with this substance. Fine. But that is clearly not the same for everyone. With 15 states now with a Medical Marijuana program in place, and some 15 million U.S. citizens reporting use of marijuana in the last 30 days, where's the evidence your "personal experience" is supposed to predict?
See: National Monthly Cannabis Consumers in America 2008 - National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Map by state
I don't see any cotrelation between the usage levels and increases in the dire effects your personal experience suggests.
OK So one guy here wants to chase his tail, another wants me to argue in favor of making booze illegal, another tells me his personal experience doesn't match up with his prior indoctrination, (an indoctrination which we most of us know was false to begin with anyway) and another wants me to substitute my judgment for that of someone else's who has not had the personal experience that I have. Does that about sum it up?
And let's not exaggerate here. Dire effects? Negative consequences would be more accurate. I can give you a list of personal positive impacts, short lived as they may be. I have made all the same arguments you folks have in the past. But my personal experience has changed my mind about going beyond where we are now here in CA. It's as simple as that.
Does that about sum it up?
Hey, if the Feds just say (in writing) "States, if you set up a legitimate medical program (such as in California), we're not going to go after residents of your state that are legally and lawfully participating in your program", I think a huge chunk of the problem goes away. Possession of marijuana could be easily decriminalized at the Federal level - and this would still leave the Feds able to prosecute people distributing across state lines (aka, "the cartels"). Someone could make this step tomorrow.
If a state (Utah comes to mind) wants to make possession of a joint a crime punishable by anal probe, so be it. It just lets a lot of people know to skip Utah on their cross-country drive (or when picking where to do business).
If a state wants to offer people alternative medicine - and provide compassionate care for folks that have undeniably benefited from THC therapy, and they find a legal and lawful way to do so, so be it too.
This should be an absolute no-brainer. You don't want to be around patients that are benefitting from the compassionate use of medical marijuana - pick a different state. You're out of touch with the rest of the electorate in your state, aka "your neighbors"...:)
The fact on the matter is that MJ is not going away, ever. Argue all you want, like it or not, legal or illegal, the War on Drugs is and will be a failure. No way to win. If we start from that, maybe we can accomplish something useful.
Tony
I'd like to see another study that shows the increased cost of health care and accidents that would take place from legalization.
Studies from 10 years ago show that alcohol abuse costs almost $200 billion a year.
AlphaDogReporter
I'd like to see another study that shows the increased cost of health care and accidents that would take place from legalization.Studies from 10 years ago show that alcohol abuse costs almost $200 billion a year.
The two worst substances, alcohol (as you pointed out) and tobacco, are already part of our 'cost' of healthcare. Additionally, if people have problems with illegal substances (big problems), they usually end up in an emergency room (or dead), so that is also part of our 'cost' of healthcare.
I doubt much would change, if we're only talking about marijuana. But, to your question, one of the benefits of legalization would be in-depth research that would give us definitive information regarding marijuana.
Alpha:
This still does not address the alcohol/pot dichotomy. In fact, I suggest that the US pot policy also fails the fairness doctrine if one examines other diversions: religion, gaming, etc.
Are you in favor, or against, pot legalization? And in any case, what would be the rationale for your position?
There have been studies, and they have found the societal costs of cannabis to be a small fraction of the costs for alcohol or tobacco.
Yeah, it can affect your breathing, yes it can cause you to be more susceptible to bronchitis or even schizophrenic issues (if you are ALREADY schizophrenic), but it does not cause cancer, it is not addictive, it CAN be the focus of dependent behavior, but so can: video games, tv, food, exercise, the internet, SEX....
Shall we outlaw those, and imprison their practitioners as well?
Regardless of your definition of 'harmful', however, there is no comparison between marijuana and alcohol. They are not in the same league. Not even close. And there is data to back up my claim, not hyperbole or opinion.
Well God made one and man made the other who do you trust more?
Well God made one and man made the other who do you trust more?
Actually God (or evolution) made both. Ethanol is a natural by-product of the conversion of sugars by yeast cells.
Info, does alcohol grow naturally out of the ground? I think that is what lisa was getting at. Alcohol has to be manufactured like crack, heroin, cocaine, and even caffeine. Marijuana grows in the wild all around the world. And even after all the studies by the smartest minds in the world (many of them probably smoke herb), they still have found no evidence that it is harmful.
I smoked weed on a daily basis while attending college and working part time. I never was big into drinking as i saw my father lose his life to it. Plus, with my busy schedule, i can come home after a long day, smoke as much weed as i want and wake up the next day with no hangover. It is a thing of beauty.
Alcohol does actually occur naturally, there are a ton of yeasts practically everywhere, just looking for carbohydrates to eat. They then fart CO2 and "pee" EtOH. Welcome to anaerobic resporation.
Distilling that down to make it 80 proof - yeah, certainly requires human interaction.
Rob-LVNevada, comment # 8.7:
“Alcohol does actually occur naturally, there are a ton of yeasts practically everywhere…”
Now imagine classifying yeast, and barley and hops, as ‘drugs’ (i.e.- Schedule 1 controlled substances) and making them illegal because of they’re potential use in making alcohol-based beer …or ‘regulating’ grapes because they can be made into alcohol-based wine…
Such is the idiocy regarding the government’s position on ‘weed’…
lolol...Don't forget our good friend Mr. Nick O'Teen...:)
He's one of those pesky "natural occurrers" as well.
I happen to be a recent 'quitter' on cigarettes. I smoked them for 53 years and have now been off of them for nearly a year. However I do not believe that much of the rhetoric that we are fed about tobacco as a plant is true or accurate. Most of the members of my family on my father's side smoked or chewed home grown Indiana burley all of their lives. None of them died from cancer of any form and my great uncle lived to be 98 while my late father made 96 and a half. There was cancer present but in all cases it was stomach and/or colon and rectal cancer. I am still caring for my 86 year old mother who has smoked since she was 14 years old and she has no signs of any form of cancer.
Now all of that said my relatives and I all have pronounced respiratory issues. I quit because I promised my current girl friend that I would and because I don't want to wind up like my mother with emphysema and COPD. Also the cost of the things just got too prohibitive. As for second hand tobacco smoke it is an annoyance but burning leaves in the fall is just about the same and besides none of that compares with the chemical contaminants that are routinely spewed into our atmosphere daily by industry nor does it compare with the level of steroids and antibiotics that are loaded into most or our food stuffs. It doesn't come close to what is routinely dumped into our drinking water on a daily basis either. I rate second hand smoke on a scale of 1 to 10 about a 2 but our media would have us believe it is at least and 8 or more. LOL
Now with cannabis and the various THC extracts these substances are proven to be very useful and very powerful as medicinal agents. Some of their uses date back at least 5000 years. (trace evidence found in mummies and in medicine jars from archeological digs) I would not be at all surprised to find that some of our ancestors knew of and used the poppy extract (opium) as an early form of topical and systemic anesthetic. Herbal medicine was all that they had after all. Big pharma simply didn't exist then. LOL Unfortunately greed and the pursuit of power and influence caused this valuable product to be demonized and made illegal. In some ways we have actually slipped into a form of "dark age" where many things that are good for us or at least harmless to us are condemned by our supposed leadership and we are all the while being convinced through propaganda and outright lies that such condemnation is good for us. Uhhhhh Huhhhhh Big smile with tongue in cheek. LOL
shepherd0886 you are good! I could imagine your family quite well. My uncle never gave up his "chew" and he made it to 96 year-old. I believe that many people believe the "hype" and do not do any research or even ask others if the "hype" makes sense or if there is something screwy with it. It is so much like the late sixties and early seventies. We were told so many lies and never given the truth about most important things in life. Maybe our parents didn't know I can't say one way or another. But there were plenty of fairy tales told to scare children from doing something. It seemed rare for a parent to have a heart to heart with a child on a regular basis or discussing these issues at the dinner table. So we rebelled and we tried a bunch of stuff when we really didn't need if we'd had the information we needed. This is why marijuana is called a "Gateway Drug". We found it was harmless and thought, "Hey wait a minute, what else is safe and "they" say it is dangerous?"
Oklahoma shouldn't be worried about marijuana use since we are one of the top five meth producers in the country. I've never seen anyone's life destroyed by marijuana use unless it was because they were busted for possession or sale and ended up with a criminal record. I've personally seen many promising lives destroyed because of meth and alcohol abuse.
If there really were serious risk from using pot we would surely know it. We would have warnings like cigarettes and alcohol.( Ingesting pot--not smoking it and the risks that are associated with that). Find me a study that says definatively marijuana is harmful.
I find the criminalization of marijuana outdated,unjustifiable and ludicrous. I'm tired of the Government legislating which drugs I may use.
How sad these recreational drug users must be not being to handle life without getting high.
I say give them all they want, but when they are urinating all over themselves in some psycho ward I will not feed or care for them!
but when they are urinating all over themselves in some psycho ward I will not feed or care for them!
Yeah, because those who use pot are dangerous psychos, right? In actuality, you have far more to fear from religious fundamentalists than anyone who indulges in cannabis...
I just wonder how many people that are critical of recreational pot use pour themselves some nice toddies after work...
Luckily that kind of "reefer madness" view seems to be dying out except on the far right, and most of them can probably be persuaded by good old-fashioned greed, as they begin to see the economic benefits.
I just wonder how many people that are critical of recreational pot use pour themselves some nice toddies after work...
It's even money that sixpacks of (domestic, good old 'murican) beer are the crutch of choice. I liken the hypocrisy to that employed by preachers who decry homosexuality from the pulpit whilst diddling same-sex pubescents selected from the church-associated youth group.
...oh, while introducing them to pot, of course...
The majority of violence is related to illegal drug so why not legalize it? Go ahead but not on my dime. The tobacco tax is not enough for all the cancer lung fools. So now the "dope" tax will self fund psycho care?
I have to work in a doper neighborhood with dope head losers. Any doper who attempts harm to what is mine will surely learn the definition of self defense. No threat, just a promise.
Elvis:
That is just BS. You are lumping pot with meth, cocaine and heroine and, in all cases, jumping immediately to the full-fledged abuser profile ("doper" in your parlance). No one is suggesting that criminal behavior is to be tolerated -- just that the act of privately indulging in recreational pot usage should not, of itself, qualify as "criminal behavior".
Doper? Psycho? Really? This is the extent of your understanding? Pitiful.
Elvis-362920
The majority of violence is related to illegal drug so why not legalize it? Go ahead but not on my dime. The tobacco tax is not enough for all the cancer lung fools. So now the "dope" tax will self fund psycho care?I have to work in a doper neighborhood with dope head losers. Any doper who attempts harm to what is mine will surely learn the definition of self defense. No threat, just a promise.
Too f'n funny. Complaining about the violence of drug users while threatening violence. Doesn't that make you a drug user, or just a hypocrite?
Is your 'doper neighborhood' a poor, urban neighborhood? If so, be careful how tough you act...they have guns too.
what is mine will surely learn the definition of self defense
Hey there internet tough guy.
Elvis, you obviously do NOT know what happens when a person smokes weed. It does not reduce them to slobbering idiots, or pee-wearing dead-heads, or murderous, rampaging, mindless psychopaths. Or is that what you think Stephen King is? Or Carl Sagan? Or, quite possibly, your kid's teacher or doctor?
I have to work in a doper neighborhood with dope head losers.
The terms "doper" and "dope head" is specifically drawn from the effects of certain drugs increasing dopamine in the brain. Alcohol is a drug that has the same general effect on dopamine levels in the brain as does marijuana (and other "illegal" drugs); it increases dopamine levels and then ultimately decreases it with continued absorption. Scientifically applying "doper" to anybody using a drug that affects dopamine levels in the brain would mean that anybody who drinks alcohol is also a "doper", which would essentially make me, a bartender, a "dope dealer".
The use of "dope" as a derogatory classification for people as made famous by Bill O'Reilly is a misappropriated classification. Logically and sensibly including alcohol as a dopamine-affecting substance essentially places practically all of America under the misapplied genus of "doper".
Elvis, comments akin to the ones you made above show true ignorance in your argument.
Or is that what you think Stephen King is? Or Carl Sagan? Or, quite possibly, your kid's teacher or doctor?
Let's not forget Willie Nelson - the very definition of raging psychotic. ,<sarc>
angryirish
Let's not forget Willie Nelson - the very definition of raging psychotic
When Willie gets his braids in a twist, watch out!
I hate to tell all the religious people this but Jesus used the finest most potent cannabis sativa oil to heal the sick:
http://www.oregonmedicalmarijuanaprogram.com/the_holy_anointing_oil
I'm sorry. Just smoked a joint and can't concentrate on the article. I'm sleepy. Gonna take a little nap. Oh, sh@t I'm late for work again. I'm gonna get fired. Oh well, I'll just fire up another one. (Where the hell is that damn kid of mine get to?) Boy am I getting fat. My knees are killing me. I wonder how my application for SSI is going?
Maybe your actual problem is more associated with being a fundamentalist troll?
What problem man? No problemo here dude. Just chillin with my joint and watching Springer while others pay my way. Is there a problem here?
Craig19
What problem man? No problemo here dude. Just chillin with my joint and watching Springer while others pay my way. Is there a problem here?
Craig, don't forget, based upon the picture you are painting of a welfare loser, you probably also drank a lot of beer, spent $5 on a pack of cigarettes, and beat your wife while your children watched.
Bravo.
Craig...that is ignorance at its best...I know many very productive well to do people that indulge in recreational use, judges, lawyers, police officers, business owners amongst many!
Bummer Craig, sorry to hear your such a deadbeat. When I told my Dr. I wanted an alternative to all the oxy I was taking a day we talked about mmj. I got my reccomendation from him late 7/10. Since then I actually sleep over 3 hours a night, can walk upright without limping and have lost 45 pounds.
When I was taking 6-8 oxy a day I was grumpy, lazy and had a hard time getting through a day of work. I medicate once a day now, just before bed. I medicate and read for about an hour then lights out.
Oxycodone is horrible stuff and I have nfc how people use that crap for fun.
“…marijuana is one of the safest, therapeutically active substances known to man.” – Judge Francis Young (DEA)
and cannonballer it was perfectly legal to drive on all that oxy.
and cannonballer it was perfectly legal to drive on all that oxy.
Driving impared is illegal.
Do you eat or smoke before bed, cannonballer?
I smoke atm until I can afford a vaporizor, I quit smoking cigarettes about 10 years ago and I dont like smoking anything anymore. I havent tried edibles, I hear they take a while to kick in, with smoking/vaporizing it is easier to regulate doseages, my goal isnt to get couch lock stoned but to relieve pain and relax enough to sleep.
Elvis, sadder still is the desire of some to decide for others....., and the use of the old rubber yard stick as it applies to similiar "freedoms", but as others have pointed out, the reason it is illegal is because it is so versatile, it would put, oil, paper mills, textile, and chemical tycoons in their rightful place, on the @!$%# heap of history 75 years ago, but instead we have a world economic order dependant on the poisons of the above referenced industries, inorder to create a false dependancy, how's that for free market capitalism.
True Paul, in addition, it'll be a cold day in hell when I take drug advice from someone named Elvis
That's nice, based on the argument given we need to legalize cocaine, heroin and roofies. Very slippery slope indeed.
No, you just have to justify why religion and alcohol are treated differently than pot. The latter, it seems, is more beneficial and less likely to create sociopaths than either of the diversionary alternatives I just posed...
I need justify nothing. I simply extrapolated the argument provided by the article.
Wasted and blatant attempt at troll-ing.
I simply extrapolated the argument provided by the article.
No, you lumped pot in with cocaine, heroin, etc. The case for pot is quite differentiable from that which would have to be made for those commodities. Nice try at blurring boundaries and attempting smear, though.
Oh, and you might want to look up the definition of internet troll. My assertions have empiric basis, the logic so far not impugned by anyone here. Ad hom, much? Or perhaps not so, uhm, sagacious?
What people do to themselves (drug use, alcohol abuse) should really be their own business. I say legalize drugs but sell it through government outlets. Letting the U.S. Treasury make big bucks rather than our Mexican Cartels.
What does piss me off -- that drug users often get others hooked, to finance their own habits. The daughter of a close friend -- got hooked in college (her first year away from home). Resulting in a bright girl with lots of promise, suddenly doing dismally poor in her studies. Very likely this girl will not be able to graduate and embark on her hoped-for career path.
A little joint and a beer makes a real deadly combination especially when you drive. During the hieght of the Viet Nam war 50,000 American drivers were yearly killed. I can not say that they were bomb out of their tree, but such a large number were high when they died. Let us bring back the good old days when getting buzz is OK. You can still find moonshine being produce in spite it is legal to make up 100 gallons of your own brew. If you think that if you make pot legal and tax it that some how people will not greow their own, you are living in a dream world. I wonder what ever happen that smoking was bad for your lungs?
Pot smoke can dry out and irritate your bronchi but is not carcinogenic. Tobacco smoke is. And impaired driving is impaired driving (never advisable) -- but sleep deprivation has been shown to have many times the functional impairment of even alcohol on driving. No one is suggesting laxity in law enforcement when it comes to impaired behavior.
So people grow their own mj? So what? This is analogous to home breweries or stills. As long as illegal sales are not involved I do not see a problem...
The worst side effect of marijuana (speaking from the experience of my hippie days in the 60's and 70's) is laziness. I dont have a problem with the legalization of pot as long as pot-smokers financial problems dont become my problem. Dont use my tax money to feed and clothe them or their children because they dont work and spend what little money they have on drugs. Dont make me hire them either.
*sigh* No one is suggesting that you, Craig, shall bear any new financial burden here. What has been suggested is that there are quality of life improvements available to US citizens (as tax revenue increases, reduction in organized criminal activity -- especially Mexico, uptick in diversionary options, etc) as a result of a reversal in US policy concerning the criminalization of pot.
You don't even have to socialize with anyone you deem a pothead. Heck, you can have them thrown out of your church if you are so inclined...
Craig-
Some people are lazy. Some are not. Some smoke pot. Some do not.
And how about the ones who DO smoke weed and are NOT lazy? I know a guy who has smoked for, easily, 30 years. He gets up every morning & goes to work. Supports his family. Is not a criminal. Does anyone remember the poster from the 1970's, Stoned Again? Nothing like that at all.
Here's one for the 70's kids...Freewheelin' Franklin says, "Weed will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no weed." Anybody remember that one?
Suzen-2580627, comment # 18.3:
I DO…but the ‘author' I remember 'credited’ on the poster was ‘Randy Roach’…
Suzen-2580627, comment # 18.5:
Oh, yeah…I was there ‘amongst’ it all…I’m one of the ‘Woodstock Generation’…and I still say it was the peak of the 20th Century!
Joe...I bow to thee. You lived it & survived to tell the tale. Far out!
And how about the ones who DO smoke weed and are NOT lazy
There are many, many such folks, yes. If the inconvenient fact that the Federal Government of the United States is in a declared state of war with these folks could be removed from the equation, imagine the folks that will come out of the woodwork and make possible all sorts of research concerning long-term use of THC.
Just Toxic Enhanced Carcinogens in Market Cigarettes is more deadly than Marijuana.
The Tobacco Companies and their Cancer Pushers should all be arrested and thrown in jail.
I would like to see a $5.00 a Pack Federal Tax and the Tax should be increased every year by a $1.00
If they legalized Pot, can you imagine the Screaming that Law Enforcement DEA would be doing.
We could reduce the Number of Workers in the Thousands.
Just think of all the Mansions and Realtors who would lose sales to the current Illegal Drug Empire.
Think of all the legal money they will make off of people who have new jobs and law enforcement could focus on murderers, robberies, and rapes.
Our Prisions are filled with Pot Users. I think it is time to set them free.
Just as DADT, so should SMOKE and INHALE POT be the Law of the Land.
Gays in the Military is very Honorable, something we cannot say about Cheney, Bush and Clinton.
and Pot Smokers would add to the Honorable Roll.
After spending a few months on the Vine, I think it should be legalized, taxed and ISSUED to anyone wanting to engage in a political debate in this country. But I will just shut up about that now, I live in a state with that 10,000 fine LOL.
Never mind that they are wasting millions chasing Cheech n Chong around while the local meth dealers burn down prominent buildings and kill innocents & children with the explosions and fumes. We have tens of thousands of "potheads" in our prisons right now probably learning how to cook meth when they get out. Every time you see them burning a big pile of pot in some field, that means 8 or 10 meth cooks were able to successfully foist their poison onto the public while law enforcement was breathing pot fumes.
They need to get out there on this meth-menace and this pothead offensive is nothing but a distraction.
Question 5 in the poll is very telling:
Should the regulations on marijuana be… more strict than those for alcohol (43%); less strict than those for alcohol (12%); the same as those for alcohol (44%)
So somehow, despite 55% not wanting legalization, the majority (56%) thinks that the laws governing marijuana should be less or as strict as alcohol. Those number are nonsensical to me without a poll detailing sentiments regarding the potential criminalization of alcohol.
I'm thinking the same - kind of an "Apples and Oranges" effect on that subject. Since alcohol isn't illegal, it really can't be discussed in parallel with this. (Even though I myself have to guard against doing it)
Since alcohol isn't illegal, it really can't be discussed in parallel with this.
Oh yes, it absolutely can. Let's not allow government classifications to construct walls of thinking within our own minds, DirtClod. Shedding the governments classifications and breaking down to biology and psychology; they're both intoxicants that have physiological effects, therapeutic benefits and health consequences for anyone who uses them. It's the law of marijuana debates in the United States that alcohol will invariably become a prominent point of discussion and for good reason. Moreover, the seeded article in itself (or the link therein, rather) was the harbinger of alcohol into this conversation so I say let's not restrain ourselves to the absolutely pertinent argument of alcohol.
At this point in life, I am failing to see any successes in the war against marijuana. I have closely followed it for some time now and can honestly say that it now feels like one of the most fruitless and futile battles currently be waged in American politics. Its growth and acceptance has been greatly increasing since the 1960s and it has become a mainstay in, if not marketable aspect of American popular culture. I would be shocked if its illegality survived the adulthood of the current generation and given its more welcomed reputation as of late, I'd say we do well to figure out how to turn this fat bessie into a cash cow.
If Ron Paul runs for President vote for him he will make it legal and not tax it either.
According to Ron Paul, he'll make everything legal and will not tax any of it. I am for legalization, but there needs to be both a regulation and economic advantage to it.
Ron Paul is the only one with enough balls to end the drug war.
What about the people who would grow it and take it to market and have a taxable income. what about the workers they would hire who would pay taxes, what about sales tax?
If we have less government there would be less to pay for we would be taxed less if we did not have criminals losing trillions of tax dollars not being accounted for mostly by the pentagon.
310 million people, Lisa... 310 million free people on 3.79 million square miles of land. Trust me, there will always be plenty to pay for.
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