Marijuana

[Evil Chris]

What's the big deal with pot? Personally, I don't smoke it much. Maybe a few times a year and that's it. I'm more of a social drinker than anything else, but of all the "drugs" in the world, why is there such a stink make over pot?

Please don't give me that "it's a gateway drug to harder drugs". I just don't buy it.
I know plenty, and I mean plenty of people who occasionally smoke up. People you would never have imagined. Big deal! It's relaxing, and you never hear of a domestic disturbance on "Cops" due to someone having smoked a doobie.

I see little 15 second spots from one of the Vermont TV stations up here. People who are wanted by the police for one thing or another. They post their names on television, and the reason why the authorities are after them. You see the odd "B&E" or parole violation there, but the vast majority of them are "possession of marijuana". I just can't believe stuff like that is making it on TV.

I'm not purposely comparing US and Canadian ideals here, but you would never see something like that on Canadian television. Can anyone shed some meaningful light on this?

[JoesHO]

Easy to target them, and have the crime statistics show that something is actually being done, when in reality the real criminals are left to go on with their enterprises like say meth for example, they should target it harder and use the resources to shut them down, but then the statistics of busts would drop as they cant catch them as easy ( moving targets and all) as oppoosed to a grow opp or possession is readily available to keep the sheep thinking a war on crime is taking place .

[Nickatilynx]

In BC I believe if the Police search you and you have weed on you but under an oz , they send you on yr way.

If you have NONE on you , they give you some ;-))))))))

[SykkBoy]

because pot doesn't have a stronger lobbying effort in congress ;-)


I think maybe the lobbyists are too busy listening to the Greatful Dead and playing hackey in the parking lot...

"hey, let's go lobby congress...after we finishing throwing around this frisbee..."

[Almighty Colin]

I might be cool with the legalization of weed but I'm against the legalization of real drugs. I used to be in favor of the legalization of all drugs. That was before I saw how much they could fuck someone up. Like me, for example.

However, cigarette smoking is killing a lot of people. Are we ready to add weed-smoking related lung cancer deaths to the bodycount?

[Peaches]

Legalization of pot would be one of the smartest things the government could do. In other words, it won't happen.

[Almighty Colin]

Originally posted by Peaches@Feb 15 2005, 12:58 PM
Legalization of pot would be one of the smartest things the government could do. In other words, it won't happen.
:pearl:

[TheEnforcer]

Chris,

I highly suggest you read the article posted in this thread http://www.oprano.com/msgboard/index.php?showtopic=16611 you'll find it both entertaining and very informative.

[JimB]

Chris
I used to smoke pot and my wife currently does daily. I do believe it should be a personal choice what people want to do. But, I don't know anyone that has smoked pot and stopped there. Since I was a kid smoking pot, if there was anything better around, everyone I knew would rather have that. A gateway drug? I can't really call it that but...I would like to know at least one person that has ruefully only smoked pot.

As my wife always says, she has never smoked pot and woke up wondering who was sleeping next to her. But, in her youth, she can't say the same thing about drinking. :)

[Almighty Colin]

Originally posted by JimB@Feb 15 2005, 01:16 PM
Chris
I used to smoke pot and my wife currently does daily. I do believe it should be a personal choice what people want to do. But, I don't know anyone that has smoked pot and stopped there. Since I was a kid smoking pot, if there was anything better around, everyone I knew would rather have that. A gateway drug? I can't really call it that but...I would like to know at least one person that has ruefully only smoked pot.

As my wife always says, she has never smoked pot and woke up wondering who was sleeping next to her. But, in her youth, she can't say the same thing about drinking. :)
I think the kind of person who would break a law to try one drug is the kind of person who would break a law to try another.

[Peaches]

Originally posted by JimB@Feb 15 2005, 02:16 PM
But, I don't know anyone that has smoked pot and stopped there. Since I was a kid smoking pot, if there was anything better around, everyone I knew would rather have that. A gateway drug? I can't really call it that but...I would like to know at least one person that has ruefully only smoked pot.

I can name several - at least one who is very successful in this biz, but I won't name names :awinky:

[Evil Chris]

I know many as well, so I don't see that as a viable issue.

Americans it seems will always have a harder stand on this issue for whatever reason. Possibly because you're a more conservative country?

A couple of years ago, I had a chat with a guy who is a police officer in Seattle. He was in Las Vegas for a mutual friend's wedding. We were both attending the wedding. Anyway, over dinner he was telling me about his job, and how fucked up he thought the whole drug issue was.

The best was how he stated the obvious. "If not for alcohol, I would not have a job." Alcohol is the biggest problem, and nothing even comes close to it. He told me that he wished that everyone who drank and beat their wives and children would smoke pot instead. Makes perfect sense to me.

[Peaches]

True, I have seen many more lives damaged by booze than pot.

[johnshinil]

This world is so hypocritical. Marijuana should be legalised. No doubt. Tobacco kills more people than anything else. It's legal. Why should the establishment have any problem with Marijuana.

Regards,

JohnShinil.

[kath]

Originally posted by Almighty Colin@Feb 15 2005, 09:51 AM
However, cigarette smoking is killing a lot of people. Are we ready to add weed-smoking related lung cancer deaths to the bodycount?
Excellent point - it opens up for so many more lawsuits, doesn't it?

Also.... Sykk's point of why it isn't lobbied well (sorry, that was just SUCH a visual - lol) - are probably good reasons why it hasn't been legalized.

I've never smoked it myself (nor a cigarette either for that matter), however I've known lots of people who do/did - and I do have to agree that there are a lot more people who mess up their lives with alcohol than with pot.

:(

[RyanLanane]

Originally posted by JimB@Feb 15 2005, 10:16 AM
Chris
I used to smoke pot and my wife currently does daily. I do believe it should be a personal choice what people want to do. But, I don't know anyone that has smoked pot and stopped there. Since I was a kid smoking pot, if there was anything better around, everyone I knew would rather have that. A gateway drug? I can't really call it that but...I would like to know at least one person that has ruefully only smoked pot.

As my wife always says, she has never smoked pot and woke up wondering who was sleeping next to her. But, in her youth, she can't say the same thing about drinking. :)

Do you know anyone who has got drunk as a teen or early adult hood and never done anything else in their life?

Missy smokes (not right now she has to have random drops) and it has no affect on her life or ability to do anything. In fact I rather enjoy it when she is able to smoke is she is a HELL of alot easier to get along with, seriously!!

She hates drinking alchohol, doesn't do any hard drugs EXCEPT for when I had a bad coke problem she used to love doing numbies, wouldn't snort or smoke it, but she loved nummies for some reason. Other than a brief stint with that (although the girl nummied a gram a day and never STFU lol) she has never had any other drug issues or even alchohol, which she dislikes except for a VERY rare glass of Framboise

In all honesty, it depends on the person and their personality - That is the bottom line.

[Phoenix]

i dont agree with legalizing it

dont need any young doctors to be enlightened and drop out to go surfing for ten years

[DrGuile]

Originally posted by RyanLanane+Feb 15 2005, 02:45 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (RyanLanane @ Feb 15 2005, 02:45 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-JimB@Feb 15 2005, 10:16 AM
Chris
I used to smoke pot and my wife currently does daily. I do believe it should be a personal choice what people want to do. But, I don't know anyone that has smoked pot and stopped there. Since I was a kid smoking pot, if there was anything better around, everyone I knew would rather have that. A gateway drug? I can't really call it that but...I would like to know at least one person that has ruefully only smoked pot.

As my wife always says, she has never smoked pot and woke up wondering who was sleeping next to her. But, in her youth, she can't say the same thing about drinking. :)

Do you know anyone who has got drunk as a teen or early adult hood and never done anything else in their life?

Missy smokes (not right now she has to have random drops) and it has no affect on her life or ability to do anything. In fact I rather enjoy it when she is able to smoke is she is a HELL of alot easier to get along with, seriously!!

She hates drinking alchohol, doesn't do any hard drugs EXCEPT for when I had a bad coke problem she used to love doing numbies, wouldn't snort or smoke it, but she loved nummies for some reason. Other than a brief stint with that (although the girl nummied a gram a day and never STFU lol) she has never had any other drug issues or even alchohol, which she dislikes except for a VERY rare glass of Framboise

In all honesty, it depends on the person and their personality - That is the bottom line. [/b][/quote]
ahahahah, there's so many things wrong with that, its kinda funny.


glad you solved your problems, but man, dont kid yourself...

[*KK*]

Pot should be a method of crime prevention, not a crime. Hand a would be criminal an ounce of weed a day and make him smoke it, that motherfucker ain't getting off the couch to pee, much less go commit a crime.

[Yug]

A few things to consider in this discussion ...

1. pot affects different people in different ways. Not everyone becomes cool, calm and collected while using pot. Alot of people become very negatively affected by it, some even become violent. It especially dosen't help if the person already has mental related problems.

2. alcahol and cigarettes are drugs. Just because they are legalized and taxable drugs, dosen't make them any less potent or dangerous. We all accept that cigarettes cause lung cancer. We all accept that drinking impares our judgement, heightens our emotions and is addictive to the point of death.

Personally, i dont think that pot itself is a gateway to harder drugs, but more the fact that its illegial. You cant buy it over the counter. You do start to associate with people who can obtain this drug for you.

I dont think pot should be legalized for a few reasons. Someone mentioned that it causes lung cancer, and thats true. I think its like 4 times the amount of tar in ever joint. That said, your not going to smoke as many joints as you would cigarettes ............ or would you?

I wouldnt want people going out for a 'smoke' break and having a joint. Cigarettes are addictive and give you a 'high', but pot affects the mind in much more dramatic ways. Think about this ... if you legalised pot, you would have people smoking it at resturants, playgrounds, at the beach, etc.

Line these drugs up side by side and forget about the legal implications for a second. If you could choose only one drug to be legalised, which one would it be. And dont pick your personal preferance, but pick the one that you think would benefit society more than any other:

Alcahol
Cigarettes
Weed
Extacy
LSD

Im curious to see what everyone thinks

[brand0n]

can we call it weed please?

thanks.

[Almighty Colin]

Originally posted by brand0n@Feb 15 2005, 07:08 PM
can we call it weed please?

thanks.
Motion seconded.

[Cleo]

Smoking a bowl of weed as I'm reading this…




It's only illegal if you get caught.

[Vick]

Coffee = Dope

As for pot, en ..... if you want to smoke it go ahead. Not my thing
Guess about the wost thing that will happen to a pot smoker is falling asleep face first in a lemon meringue pie with the refrigerator door open

Well that and having a career at Blockbuster video due to a serious lack of motivation

Oh and sore thumbs from playing so many video games

[Red]

1. pot affects different people in different ways. Not everyone becomes cool, calm and collected while using pot. Alot of people become very negatively affected by it, some even become violent. It especially dosen't help if the person already has mental related problems.

While it's true that any drug can have an adverse effect on any one person, I've never met anyone who became violent from smoking pot and I have been smoking it and been around many smokers for over 30 years.

2. alcahol and cigarettes are drugs. Just because they are legalized and taxable drugs, dosen't make them any less potent or dangerous. We all accept that cigarettes cause lung cancer. We all accept that drinking impares our judgement, heightens our emotions and is addictive to the point of death.

Yes they are drugs and they are more dangerous because they are physically addictive, where as marijuana is a phychological addiction. There are also many more dangerous drugs that are legal through prescription, so why souldn't the least dangerous of them all be legal?

You do start to associate with people who can obtain this drug for you.

Oh please, most people do not get their pot from crack house pushers in dark alleyways. I've always gotten mine from friends who grow it or people I've worked with.

I dont think pot should be legalized for a few reasons. Someone mentioned that it causes lung cancer, and thats true. I think its like 4 times the amount of tar in ever joint. That said, your not going to smoke as many joints as you would cigarettes ............ or would you?

There are 20 cigarettes to a pack, if I had to smoke 20 joints a day, I'd find me some better shit.

I wouldnt want people going out for a 'smoke' break and having a joint.

Do you not think people do this already?

Line these drugs up side by side and forget about the legal implications for a second. If you could choose only one drug to be legalised, which one would it be. And dont pick your personal preferance, but pick the one that you think would benefit society more than any other:

Alcahol
Cigarettes
Pot
Extacy
LSD

That's just a dumb statement. The only drug that has benefits is marijauna. Now before you think I'm only saying this, because I smoke it, let me point out that I have a degree in pharmacy technology and I've taught pharmacology for the past two years, so Im not just talking out my ass.

Marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. No one has ever died from an overdose, and it has a wide variety of therapeutic applications, and beneficial in treatment of the following ailments:

AIDS - it reduces the nausea, vomiting and loss of appitite caused by the disease and it's medications.

Glaucoma - It reduces intraoccular pressure relieving the pain and can slow down or even stop damage to the eyes.

Cancer - It helps the nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy

MS - it can limit the muscle pain and reduce tremors.

Epilepsy - in some cases it's been known to prevent epileptic seizures

Chronic pain - it helps in the relif of muscle pain, menstral cramps and other chronic pain and it's even helpful in dealing with alcohol addiction. (which by the way, is waht LSD was being used for before the government made it illegal in 1970.)

ok, I'm done. :)

[Cleo]

I go to the gym ever other day and enjoy smoking weed before working out. Weed gives me energy and really doesn't give me the munches.

These days I only smoke weed and drink coffee.

I've never enjoyed drinking and one or two drinks all I can think of is eating something, then going to sleep, then just feeling like crap.

Never smoked cigarettes, can't stand being around someone that is. The smoke gives me headaches, bad ones.

Everyone is different. Weed is no better or worse then all the so called legal stuff, just personal preference.

I have friends that are pretty messed up on their doctor prescribed medication.

[grimm]

Originally posted by Evil Chris@Feb 15 2005, 09:07 AM
What's the big deal with pot? Personally, I don't smoke it much. Maybe a few times a year and that's it. I'm more of a social drinker than anything else, but of all the "drugs" in the world, why is there such a stink make over pot?

Please don't give me that "it's a gateway drug to harder drugs". I just don't buy it.
I know plenty, and I mean plenty of people who occasionally smoke up. People you would never have imagined. Big deal! It's relaxing, and you never hear of a domestic disturbance on "Cops" due to someone having smoked a doobie.

I see little 15 second spots from one of the Vermont TV stations up here. People who are wanted by the police for one thing or another. They post their names on television, and the reason why the authorities are after them. You see the odd "B&E" or parole violation there, but the vast majority of them are "possession of marijuana". I just can't believe stuff like that is making it on TV.

I'm not purposely comparing US and Canadian ideals here, but you would never see something like that on Canadian television. Can anyone shed some meaningful light on this?
cant tax it, so its bad.

[grimm]

Originally posted by brand0n@Feb 15 2005, 04:08 PM
can we call it weed please?

thanks.
i don't take pot:)


seriously.. i cant smoke shit. lungs are too pink.

and weed makes me immobile. wherever i smoke, i remain, for a long time. lol

[Yug]

1. pot affects different people in different ways. Not everyone becomes cool, calm and collected while using pot. Alot of people become very negatively affected by it, some even become violent. It especially dosen't help if the person already has mental related problems.

While it's true that any drug can have an adverse effect on any one person, I've never met anyone who became violent from smoking pot and I have been smoking it and been around many smokers for over 30 years.

I think it depends on the state of the persons mind, and how the drug affects the individual. But make no mistake about it, some people do become violent and agressive, especially if they can't handle the effects.

2. alcahol and cigarettes are drugs. Just because they are legalized and taxable drugs, dosen't make them any less potent or dangerous. We all accept that cigarettes cause lung cancer. We all accept that drinking impares our judgement, heightens our emotions and is addictive to the point of death.

Yes they are drugs and they are more dangerous because they are physically addictive, where as marijuana is a phychological addiction. There are also many more dangerous drugs that are legal through prescription, so why souldn't the least dangerous of them all be legal?

Because most of those drugs that are legal through perscription are designed to treat a specific illness, whereas maiguana would be legalized for recreational use.

You do start to associate with people who can obtain this drug for you.

Oh please, most people do not get their pot from crack house pushers in dark alleyways. I've always gotten mine from friends who grow it or people I've worked with.

Im not saying this to try to be 'anti-drugs'. But Im also not saying this looking at some kind of accurate statistics about the subject. What i do know, is that when you start to obtain illegial drugs such as weed, there will be people you deal with who will also offer other illegial drugs, and that more than the actual drug itself is what would lead to a person moving up the chain of 'higher drugs'. I was trying to say its not the actual drug itself, but more the social scene in which a person becomes involved in.

I dont think pot should be legalized for a few reasons. Someone mentioned that it causes lung cancer, and thats true. I think its like 4 times the amount of tar in ever joint. That said, your not going to smoke as many joints as you would cigarettes ............ or would you?

There are 20 cigarettes to a pack, if I had to smoke 20 joints a day, I'd find me some better shit.

I remember when i started smoking cigarettes (back workin for greg lasrado, god damn stressful) ... i couldnt have more than a few cigarettes each night ... your body would build up a resistance to the drug and an ability to cope with it, which in turn would make you crave more.


I wouldnt want people going out for a 'smoke' break and having a joint.

Do you not think people do this already?

Not as much as cigarettes. Can you imagine employees in a company ducking out for a weed break ... that would SEVERELY affect their productivity.

Line these drugs up side by side and forget about the legal implications for a second. If you could choose only one drug to be legalised, which one would it be. And dont pick your personal preferance, but pick the one that you think would benefit society more than any other:

Alcahol
Cigarettes
Pot
Extacy
LSD

That's just a dumb statement. The only drug that has benefits is marijauna. Now before you think I'm only saying this, because I smoke it, let me point out that I have a degree in pharmacy technology and I've taught pharmacology for the past two years, so Im not just talking out my ass.

Its not a dumb statement at all, its actually a question, but probably not phrased as well as it should have been. I didnt mean pick the drug that will 'benefit' us in regards to helping us with specific medical conditions. I meant to say that if only one of these drugs could be chosen as a recreational drug, which one would people prefer. 'I would rather see a whole bunch of people on extacy walking around hugging each other after a big night, than seeing drunk people getting beating the crap out of each other' as an example.


Im not saying i dont want weed legalized, im not saying i want it to stay illegial. I dont really know what i want, im just voicing my opinions and raising some questions which im enjoying the answers too.

Cheers for the response btw Red, its great to hear from someone who actually has some medial training in regards to drugs

[Evil Chris]

Originally posted by Yug@Feb 15 2005, 07:49 PM
pot affects different people in different ways. Not everyone becomes cool, calm and collected while using pot. Alot of people become very negatively affected by it, some even become violent.
Never in my life have I seen someone act violent because they had been smoking weed.

On the contrary, alcohol brings out the violence.
Alcohol is also a dangerous addiction, weed is not.

[Evil Chris]

Originally posted by grimm+Feb 15 2005, 09:08 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (grimm @ Feb 15 2005, 09:08 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Evil Chris@Feb 15 2005, 09:07 AM
What's the big deal with pot? Personally, I don't smoke it much. Maybe a few times a year and that's it. I'm more of a social drinker than anything else, but of all the "drugs" in the world, why is there such a stink make over pot?

Please don't give me that "it's a gateway drug to harder drugs". I just don't buy it.
I know plenty, and I mean plenty of people who occasionally smoke up. People you would never have imagined. Big deal! It's relaxing, and you never hear of a domestic disturbance on "Cops" due to someone having smoked a doobie.

I see little 15 second spots from one of the Vermont TV stations up here. People who are wanted by the police for one thing or another. They post their names on television, and the reason why the authorities are after them. You see the odd "B&E" or parole violation there, but the vast majority of them are "possession of marijuana". I just can't believe stuff like that is making it on TV.

I'm not purposely comparing US and Canadian ideals here, but you would never see something like that on Canadian television. Can anyone shed some meaningful light on this?
cant tax it, so its bad. [/b][/quote]
wrong. There is no mechanism in place to tax it, and like alcohol many years ago, there is a moral stigma attached to it. Moreso for weed than it ever was for alcohol.

[Vick]

Originally posted by Evil Chris@Feb 16 2005, 03:08 PM
Never in my life have I seen someone act violent because they had been smoking weed.

On the contrary, alcohol brings out the violence.
Alcohol is also a dangerous addiction, weed is not.
Tell that to a box of Ho-Hos


:lol:

[*KK*]

Originally posted by Yug@Feb 15 2005, 03:49 PM
I wouldnt want people going out for a 'smoke' break and having a joint. Cigarettes are addictive and give you a 'high', but pot affects the mind in much more dramatic ways. Think about this ... if you legalised pot, you would have people smoking it at resturants, playgrounds, at the beach, etc.
Those arguments don't hold water really.

If weed were legal, it would fall under the same sort of regulations as alcohol or other substances do. Employers have the right to prohibit smoking it while working, the cities and states could regulate where you could legally smoke it, etc.

I live in Venice Beach, arguably the hippy capital of the world. Since it's in California, you can't smoke in restaurants, you can't smoke within 50 feet of a workplace door. You can't smoke on the beach in most towns down the coast (because of the littering not the smoke) and so on.

Saying that you'd have a bunch of stoners sitting around everywhere you go smoking all the time is unrealistic.

And believe me, the people that are smoking weed on their work breaks or on the beach aren't going to give one more shit whether its legal or not since they do it now.

[DrGuile]

Originally posted by *KK*@Feb 16 2005, 03:21 PM
I live in Venice Beach, arguably the hippy capital of the world.
You need to travel a bit ;)

[Yug]

Originally posted by *KK*@Feb 16 2005, 12:21 PM
If weed were legal, it would fall under the same sort of regulations as alcohol or other substances do. Employers have the right to prohibit smoking it while working, the cities and states could regulate where you could legally smoke it, etc.

I live in Venice Beach, arguably the hippy capital of the world. Since it's in California, you can't smoke in restaurants, you can't smoke within 50 feet of a workplace door. You can't smoke on the beach in most towns down the coast (because of the littering not the smoke) and so on.
Thats actually a good point, i didnt think about it like that!

[venturi]

Originally posted by grimm@Feb 15 2005, 05:12 PM
and weed makes me immobile. wherever i smoke, i remain, for a long time. lol
Ditto! I used to toke daily, but now in my old age just one good hit and it's nap time. :zzz:

[cj]

Originally posted by Red@Feb 15 2005, 08:05 PM
Line these drugs up side by side and forget about the legal implications for a second. If you could choose only one drug to be legalised, which one would it be. And dont pick your personal preferance, but pick the one that you think would benefit society more than any other:

Alcahol
Cigarettes
Pot
Extacy
LSD

That's just a dumb statement. The only drug that has benefits is marijauna. Now before you think I'm only saying this, because I smoke it, let me point out that I have a degree in pharmacy technology and I've taught pharmacology for the past two years, so Im not just talking out my ass.

Marijuana is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known. No one has ever died from an overdose, and it has a wide variety of therapeutic applications, and beneficial in treatment of the following ailments:

AIDS - it reduces the nausea, vomiting and loss of appitite caused by the disease and it's medications.

Glaucoma - It reduces intraoccular pressure relieving the pain and can slow down or even stop damage to the eyes.

Cancer - It helps the nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy

MS - it can limit the muscle pain and reduce tremors.

Epilepsy - in some cases it's been known to prevent epileptic seizures

Chronic pain - it helps in the relif of muscle pain, menstral cramps and other chronic pain and it's even helpful in dealing with alcohol addiction. (which by the way, is waht LSD was being used for before the government made it illegal in 1970.)

ok, I'm done. :)
Red, have I told you yet today that I love you?! :inlove:


I made a choice between taking muscle relaxants every day that made me sleep 10+ hours just to be able to eat a few mouthfulls of food and like a walking zombie ALL THE TIME or having a toke at night before i go to bed, eating a strict diet and doing yoga every day.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

Yes it can become a psychological addiction, which is harder to kick than a physical one, but coming off the muscle relaxants (which i only took for 3 months) was the worst experience EVER and a true chemical addiction which is more dangerous than I realized at the time. Instead I fixed myself with hard work and common sense and now I am healthy and feeling good almost every day. So fuck doctors, fuck the law and fuck anyone who thinks they have a right to decide that I'm *not allowed* to live my life without daily pain and medication!

I feel great now - and better than I did before I got sick ... and my choices don't effect anyone else.

[Red]

I love you too CJ.

Muscle relaxants and narcotic pain killers are some of the most highly addictive drugs on the market. I'm glad you were ble to get yourself off of them. Narcotics are opiates, that means they come from the poppy plant which makes them related to heroin. Need I say more about the addictive properties?

What people don't realize is that it has been established for quite a while that THC is therapeutically beneficial. That is why the synthetic THC drug dronabinol (tradename Marinol) was developed. It's prescribed as an appitite stimulant for aids patients and as an anti-emetic (stops nausea and vomiting) for cancer patients. This is why there has been such a strong fight to legalize the use of medical marijuana.

You may ask, if they have this drug, why should we legalize the plant? A good question.

Marinol is not effective for all patients. A large percentage of patients with bone marrow cancer have negative reactions, though those reactions were not found in the studies done of patients who smoked.

There are other elements in cannabis leaves that either potentiate the therapeutic effects of THC or are beneficial on their own. Marinol does not contain those elements. So for the majority of ailments that it helps, smoking brings more relief.

So if that's the case, and the medical community knows there are benefits, why aren't they fighting harder for legalization for medical use?

It's very tough to fight the FDA. In 1970 the government established the controlled substances act which classifies addictive and abusive drugs into 5 schedules or categories. Schedule I drugs by definition are drugs that have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. There are only 3 drugs in this class; heroin, marijuana and LSD. (cocaine is a schedule II drug)
So to allow medical marijuana, the FDA would have to admit it was wrong in in its classification. Not an easy thing for the government to do. But the main reason is the difficulty for the government to control it. When I was living in California, I had a friend who had a script for medical marijuana. He grew it himself, used what he needed and sold his excess to me and a few others. See, difficult to control.

What's really interesting about the controlled substance act is that it might not have been created if not for Dr. Timothy Leary. (for those of you who are to young to remember, he was the LSD guru of the '60's that told the youth of America to tune in, turn on and drop out.) During the 1950's LSD was being used in the treatment of alcoholism with very good results. In fact, Ethel Kennedy was one of the more notable persons receiving this treatment. When Dr. Leary was having his parties to show his friends the fun and recreational use of the drug, the Government said that's enough of that, and the law was put into effect. Up until then LSD was manufactured by Sandoz pharmaceuticals. The infamous "Orange Sunshine" of the 60's was pharmaceutical acid. (ah yes, I remember it well :))

What amazes me is that Vicodin, which is the most widely abused drug in the country is only a schedule III drug which is defined as a drug having accepted medical use and a moderate potential for abuse. Go figure.

[Vick]

Damn you're very versed on dope

Do you know that much about investments? :P


But then I'm of the opinion every large urban area should be walled off and guns and crack cocaine should be dropped by air into these walled off areas

Then send the National Guard in after 2 years

That's my plan to clean up urban centers in the USA


As I've stated if you want to smoke pot recreationally, go ahead. I see no real harm (except the possible lack of motivation for some and we all need people to work Wendy's and mop floors after all)

As for medicinal use of pot, hey if it works .......

[Red]

Originally posted by Vick@Feb 17 2005, 11:49 AM
Damn you're very versed on dope

Do you know that much about investments? :P


But then I'm of the opinion every large urban area should be walled off and guns and crack cocaine should be dropped by air into these walled off areas

Then send the National Guard in after 2 years

That's my plan to clean up urban centers in the USA


As I've stated if you want to smoke pot recreationally, go ahead. I see no real harm (except the possible lack of motivation for some and we all need people to work Wendy's and mop floors after all)

As for medicinal use of pot, hey if it works .......
I'm versed on dope because I have a degree in pharmacy technology and up until this past December, I was teaching pharmacology. I have a lot of problems with government regulations and the pharmaceutical companies in general and I tend to spout off about it. You should hear me go off on tv commercials for prescription drugs and releasing meds to the market before their tested enough. My students got an earfull. :rolleyes:

I don't know squat about investments, wish I did though. :P

[Vick]

That's right Red. I'm sorry, you did post you had a degree in pharmacy technology

Can see where being exposed to and somewhat on the inside of getting information would give you interesting insights

Yeah it is bizarre pot is Schedule I and Vicodin is Schedule III. What are Percocet and Percodan scheduled as? From what I've seen they both have a high potential for abuse and addiction

Am guessing you know the whole pot prohibition story. Who was it H.S. Anslinger, that went on a campaign to have pot made illegal when in fact the only people smoking pot at that time were a very few guys on the Mississippi delta and Anslinger wanted more funding and pot was an easy target

[Evil Chris]

I'm surprised to see so much support for weed at Oprano, what with so many of the people here being generally conservative.

[ramos]

Originally posted by Evil Chris@Feb 15 2005, 09:07 AM
What's the big deal with pot? Personally, I don't smoke it much. Maybe a few times a year and that's it. I'm more of a social drinker than anything else, but of all the "drugs" in the world, why is there such a stink make over pot?

Please don't give me that "it's a gateway drug to harder drugs". I just don't buy it.
I know plenty, and I mean plenty of people who occasionally smoke up. People you would never have imagined. Big deal! It's relaxing, and you never hear of a domestic disturbance on "Cops" due to someone having smoked a doobie.

I see little 15 second spots from one of the Vermont TV stations up here. People who are wanted by the police for one thing or another. They post their names on television, and the reason why the authorities are after them. You see the odd "B&E" or parole violation there, but the vast majority of them are "possession of marijuana". I just can't believe stuff like that is making it on TV.

I'm not purposely comparing US and Canadian ideals here, but you would never see something like that on Canadian television. Can anyone shed some meaningful light on this?
I agree with you!

:okthumb:

[Red]

Originally posted by Vick@Feb 17 2005, 12:26 PM
That's right Red. I'm sorry, you did post you had a degree in pharmacy technology

Can see where being exposed to and somewhat on the inside of getting information would give you interesting insights

Yeah it is bizarre pot is Schedule I and Vicodin is Schedule III. What are Percocet and Percodan scheduled as? From what I've seen they both have a high potential for abuse and addiction

Am guessing you know the whole pot prohibition story. Who was it H.S. Anslinger, that went on a campaign to have pot made illegal when in fact the only people smoking pot at that time were a very few guys on the Mississippi delta and Anslinger wanted more funding and pot was an easy target
Vick,
Percodan and Percocet are both schedule II drugs. Percodan is oxycodone and aspirin,
Percocet is oxycodone and acetaminophen.

Vicodin is hydrocodone and acetaminophen. The reason vicodin is a C-III is because hydrocodone is a semisynthtic compound. meaning it's a combination of natural and synthetic drugs. Oxycodone is derived from thebaine, which is one of the opium alkaloids found in the poppy pod.


Actually I don't know the pot prohibition story, now I'm going to have to do some research. :)