Medical marijuana

[BearAssLodge]

So i just saw the news. Marijuana is being legalized for medicinal use in CT this year, and in hot debate for recreational use next year. I'd like to hear some ppls opinions on this. Personally i think its a good thing its finaly being legalized here, and maybe soon around the country. It's very helpful for cancer patients, ppl with HIV/AIDs, MS, and other diseases. It also can be used to reduce risk of cancer, its been recently proven that weed does not cause lung cancer or disease. The government is losing money trying to get rid of the problem, but its only getting worse. alchohol prohibition didnt work, neither is this. if the government legalized it, regulated and taxed it, like alchohol and cigarettes, they would make money. its estimated that if canada legalized it, they would make a $2 billion profit annually. there are many other positive effects of weed, and the bad effects are very overexagurated. I also know get me out of GA will have some very good opinions on this, and prolly more facts that ive missed. i really dont see a problem with weed. cigarettes and alchohol are way worse for you than weed.

[shreddergod]

well what you have to say BearAssLodge sounds good but I really dont see it happening here. Most every where I know of around here (c bus Ohio) smoking has been banned. If you cant even smoke tobacco in public I dont see them allowing the magic herb but I would be in favor of it. I mean c mom cant we just get over the fact that people are gonna smoke drink and smoke weed its not really hurting anyone and ya I know drunk driving, second hand smoke, etc but Im definately not in favor of the gov making these decisions for me. So yes make it medicinal and then make it legal.

[Nevereversummer]

I don't think that it will ever be legalized. Do I care either way, no. The fact that you say weed doesn't cause lung cancer or disease is false. Marijuana smoke is much hotter than cig smoke because there is no filter and that leads to cilia(?) in your lungs being fried and completely burnt away. Those tiny little hairs in your lungs wisk away dirt and excess mucus from the lung walls. What happens over time is people develop a cough because the dust and dirt is not disposed of in time, and mucus buildup causes lung infection.

Not to mention if you are high, you are in no state to drive. And even if they made it illegal to drive stoned, it will still be broken just like the alcohol rule.

[BearAssLodge]

Its not that hard to drive stoned. its not so much the heat of the smoke that will fry your cilia, say you smoke from an ice bong, but the buildup of tar and resin, but it takes a long time to build up enough to have a serious condition. cigarettes are worse, yet ppl still smoke them. marijuana isnt nearly as addicting as nicotine either.

[dirtyjerz]

i dont smoke weed. not that its a terrible thing for you. its just i dont, never really appealed to me.

the legalization would probably be better less people freakin out about things and stuff. theyll be sellin blunts in cigar tubes.

[shreddergod]

marijuana isnt addicting physically its only addicting mentally meaning its an easy habbit to kick and if the heat is what your worried about either ice bong or you can empty out a cig and fill it with herb then you have a filter and you use the same paper.

[mtbachelor]

My girlfriend smokes more weed then me :( how sad.

But weed doesn't cause cancer, smoke does. And if eaten or vapped then that problem is out the window. But I don't do that, bowls and bongs son.

dirtyjerz, you say that weed is bad for you and that's not a fact, thats your opinion. Weed can be very good for you have certain health issues, but as always smoke is bad fo yo lungs.

But on topic I doubt that weed will ever be 100% legalized in the states, but it's not like its really stopping anyone.

Oh **** shredder god, I just read your post, NO NO NO (I'm not mad, just making sure everyone knows that its a no no), that would be pointless. Cigarette filters filter out THC (The chemical that makes you get high). So don't ever do that silly.

<333

[dirtyjerz]

no you read it wrong but i can see where you couldve gotten what you did out of it. im aware that its not bad for me or anyone. im one of those people that reads about everything. and i know that it has many medical positives and can give you "a better feeling than is explainable". but im keeping true to my word and not doing it. when my friends blaze on the lift, i supply the lighter cause theyre all too stupid to remember one. (that last part was jsut to show how i feel about it)

[mtbachelor]

no you read it wrong but i can see where you couldve gotten what you did out of it. im aware that its not bad for me or anyone. im one of those people that reads about everything. and i know that it has many medical positives and can give you "a better feeling than is explainable". but im keeping true to my word and not doing it. when my friends blaze on the lift, i supply the lighter cause theyre all too stupid to remember one. (that last part was jsut to show how i feel about it)

Lol. Well you should try it, thats what I said when I first learned about it up until I was about 14. give or take a couple months.

Actually only try it if you want to, but it's not that bad at all. I'm not all crazily addicted or anything.

[RomeRider101]

http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-Burton-Shaun-White-154-snowboard_W0QQitemZ260091731166QQihZ016QQcategoryZ 21250QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

BID ON THIS!

but i know the gov. will never legalize cronic

[mtbachelor]

http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-Burton-Shaun-White-154-snowboard_W0QQitemZ260091731166QQihZ016QQcategoryZ 21250QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

BID ON THIS!

but i know the gov. will never legalize cronic

fi dolla?!

[BearAssLodge]

i'll give ya tree fiddy. lol

[shreddergod]

mtbachelor thanks for the adivce lol but I never smoked the stuff that was what some guy on a lift told me (no joke) but ya I cant smoke I have asthma :( but ya sry

[dirtyjerz]

Lol. Well you should try it, thats what I said when I first learned about it up until I was about 14. give or take a couple months.

Actually only try it if you want to, but it's not that bad at all. I'm not all crazily addicted or anything.

Well im already on the list at school for "potential users" and i dont even do it! what are the odds! I've asked other kids if i should try it they said "if you really want to, go ahead"

other ppl that have done it are telling me not to since im like them and dont do it.

its definitely not something im gonna go way out of my way to do.

[mtbachelor]

mtbachelor thanks for the adivce lol but I never smoked the stuff that was what some guy on a lift told me (no joke) but ya I cant smoke I have asthma :( but ya sry

AWwwwwwww.

Well slap that guy in the face. Pssht way to waste some bud.

[burton brder]

I don't think that it will ever be legalized. Do I care either way, no. The fact that you say weed doesn't cause lung cancer or disease is false. Marijuana smoke is much hotter than cig smoke because there is no filter and that leads to cilia(?) in your lungs being fried and completely burnt away. Those tiny little hairs in your lungs wisk away dirt and excess mucus from the lung walls. What happens over time is people develop a cough because the dust and dirt is not disposed of in time, and mucus buildup causes lung infection.

Not to mention if you are high, you are in no state to drive. And even if they made it illegal to drive stoned, it will still be broken just like the alcohol rule.


So I think marajuana should be legalized and I don't know about the hotter burning part but there are filterless cigs as well so I don't know if it's just the filter that makes it burn hotter but whatever. As for driving high I am pretty sure the law would be the same everywhere but it is conisidered a DUI if you're caught driving while high here in IL. And it should be legalized because my girlfriend(who is totally against smoking)said I can't start smoking again until it's legal, and I respect her so I don't smoke now but when it's legal I will. I'm sure she will have something to say on this subject so look for her reasons why not to do it.

[dhman82]

ever heard of a cig-a-weed???

its when u do that but no filters cuz oregon dude is right thats a nono smokin w/ a filter.

My girlfriend smokes more weed then me :( how sad.

But weed doesn't cause cancer, smoke does. And if eaten or vapped then that problem is out the window. But I don't do that, bowls and bongs son.

dirtyjerz, you say that weed is bad for you and that's not a fact, thats your opinion. Weed can be very good for you have certain health issues, but as always smoke is bad fo yo lungs.

But on topic I doubt that weed will ever be 100% legalized in the states, but it's not like its really stopping anyone.

Oh **** shredder god, I just read your post, NO NO NO (I'm not mad, just making sure everyone knows that its a no no), that would be pointless. Cigarette filters filter out THC (The chemical that makes you get high). So don't ever do that silly.

<333

[Randaddy]

So I skipped a lot of the posts because what I say will be so profound, none of it will matter anyway...

1. Driving stoned: The question should be why would you drive not-stoned? I pull tubes before going to the store (to buy papers).
2. Medical pot: If THC helps people with pain or appetite, it should be legal, which it is in a synthetic, prescription form. No responsible physician will ever, ever, ever advise you to take hot tar into your lungs. You might as well smoke cigs for weightloss and stress.
3. As far as making pot legal to smoke, I think we might be getting away from the harsh penalties in a lot of places. Decriminalization is the first step. Parking in the wrong place is illegal, but not criminal. You can be fined, but not jailed (unless you don't pay the ticket, which I can testify will get your ass arrested!). Then local governments can decide what, if any, penalties will be imposed.
4. Pot is bad for you and addictive (both physically and mentally.) I rock the ganja hard and I doubt I can stop anytime soon. I have a bit of a cough sometimes and I spend way too much money on it. That said, I think everyone should puff, even young children, because it will show you the secrets of the universe (like backside 3's).

[Randaddy]

Oh, and I LOVE the fact that I can get on this website and suggest to high school kids that they try drugs. Also kids, condoms are for losers!!!

[KFed_Destroyer of Rails]

i think that poll speaks for itself...and the sterotype

good ol' pot smoking snowboarders

the sad part is that they are right most of the time (was for me at least). But about the issue, pot will not be legalized in even a majority of the states seeing as how some states are already cracking down on smoking in general.

[mtbachelor]

No weed isn't physically addictive, maybe if you have an addictive personality but there isn't a single "addicting" chemical in it (Thats what we call mentally addicting)

Weed isn't bad at all for you, the smoke is, but THC isn't.

Weed is already decriminilized here.

[BadMongo]

I am def. in favor of the GREEN party

[get me out of GA]

I also know get me out of GA will have some very good opinions on this, and prolly more facts that ive missed.

No, I wouldn't say I know enough about it as it is, hopefully Skarz will fill in more.

Most every where I know of around here (c bus Ohio) smoking has been banned. If you cant even smoke tobacco in public I dont see them allowing the magic herb but I would be in favor of it.

Yes, more tobacco smoking is getting regulated, and it should in my opinion, but only to a point. The only thing is...... Marijuana smoking is FAR less harmful for you than both tobacco AND alcohol. Cannibis can actually help things that you receive from tobacco smoke, like lessoning lung cancer.

The fact that you say weed doesn't cause lung cancer or disease is false. Marijuana smoke is much hotter than cig smoke because there is no filter and that leads to cilia(?) in your lungs being fried and completely burnt away. Those tiny little hairs in your lungs wisk away dirt and excess mucus from the lung walls.

Not to mention if you are high, you are in no state to drive. And even if they made it illegal to drive stoned, it will still be broken just like the alcohol rule.

Man that is a load of crackerjack bullsheit.

It has been PROVEN that cannibis smoke is not a significant contributor to lung cancer. It has helped that fact in numerous cases. Yes, smoking is not the greatest idea for long term use, even though its not going to kill you by any means. HOWEVER edible cannibis and the use of vaporizers gets rid of ALL of those issues. The use of vaporizers would be a GREAT tool, if the use of cannibis for medical purposes if legal. The hope of most medical marijuana supporters is that the goverment handles all aspects of growing and proper dispersion of marijuana.

marijuana isnt addicting physically its only addicting mentally meaning its an easy habbit to kick and if the heat is what your worried about either ice bong or you can empty out a cig and fill it with herb then you have a filter and you use the same paper.


I will add on to waht others have already said, NOOOO. Cigarette filters. filter out THC so really there will be no effect of marijuana.

The point you made about it not being addicting is true. There is NO physical addiction, but mental is somewhat true. What you said about it being an easy habit to kick, is not alway easy. For some people its not quit that easy, but since there is no physical addiction, you CAN quit. And I am with you on the whole ice bong thing......

So I skipped a lot of the posts because what I say will be so profound, none of it will matter anyway...

1. Driving stoned: The question should be why would you drive not-stoned? I pull tubes before going to the store (to buy papers).
2. Medical pot: If THC helps people with pain or appetite, it should be legal, which it is in a synthetic, prescription form. No responsible physician will ever, ever, ever advise you to take hot tar into your lungs. You might as well smoke cigs for weightloss and stress.
3. As far as making pot legal to smoke, I think we might be getting away from the harsh penalties in a lot of places. Decriminalization is the first step. Parking in the wrong place is illegal, but not criminal. You can be fined, but not jailed (unless you don't pay the ticket, which I can testify will get your ass arrested!). Then local governments can decide what, if any, penalties will be imposed.
4. Pot is bad for you and addictive (both physically and mentally.) I rock the ganja hard and I doubt I can stop anytime soon. I have a bit of a cough sometimes and I spend way too much money on it. That said, I think everyone should puff, even young children, because it will show you the secrets of the universe (like backside 3's).

Man I am like all with you until the end.

Driving: Not a smart idea while high (even though it is not hard whatsoever. If marijuana is regulated, then this should be regulated as well. Even though for many, diving high while stoned is no problem, most just tend to go 10 mph slower, for some, yes, it can be an issue. Canada did a study as well as the french on the dangers of driving while high. While marijuana did pose ome danger as compared to sober dirving, it was NO WHERE close to that from a .05 alcohol intoxication. I forget how many canbinoids to grams it was (or whatever the measurement was) but I know it was lower than what would be considered a "legal" level. What should be considered a legal amount of THC in the system, should be considered if recreational use is (and should) be legalized.

Medical and Recreational Use: I am ALL FOR! I have in so many cases WANTED BADLY to reccomend this to my family. There have been so many positive uses for cannibis found recently. The only problem is that a large number of the research cases have been done in foreign countries because california is nearly the only place in the US where studies are done. And added to the little to no studies being done in the US, funding is being so constricted. Maybe its because the government doesn't want even MORE reasons why cannibis use is NOT harmful.

In my family alone, my mom may have avoided surgery and kemo if she had used marijuana when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as my uncle avoiding prostate surgery, most of all my brother. If you search back in other posts I have made, my brother has a rare disease called NF2 or Neurofibrosis 2 (or however you spell it) basically it is clusters of tumors around nerves in his ears and on the top of his spinal chord. Since these tumors have been putting pressure on these nerves he has had basically one of the worst migranes you could imagine all the time. This has been going on for about 4 years now. It only gets less bad, he never doesn't have a headache. Smoking cannibis has been proven to lessen the size of brain tumors. If I would have known this 4 years ago, I would have forced a joint into my brother's mouth. He could have avoided years of pain along with brai radiation and brain surgery. The surgery which caused him to lose all hearing in his left ear, because they could not remove the tumors without damaging other nerves.

As years progress, more and more positive uses for cannibis are found. For instance, you know you can run your car on hemp oil. And since its renewable, you can just grow more and more, and never worry about and oil shortage again. The problem is, NOT ENOUGH research is being done. And its not being allowed to be done in many cases. Slowly some states are doing more to end marijuana prohibition, but I feel it woll be a long time before this prohibition is over.

i think that poll speaks for itself...and the sterotype

good ol' pot smoking snowboarders

the sad part is that they are right most of the time (was for me at least). But about the issue, pot will not be legalized in even a majority of the states seeing as how some states are already cracking down on smoking in general.

F U C K stereotypes. Everybody hates them, and using that as a defense why not to legalize or decriminalize is just pushing for stereotypes.

[get me out of GA]

add as other options to the poll:

Decriminalized

&

Used for Medicinal Purposes

&

Support of Cannibis Research

[dirtyjerz]

i copy adn pasted your post into a word document.

that was real good stuff.

[mikemgw2]

yeah..i think i might have that engraved on to a gold plate and hang it above my bed

[get me out of GA]

For good stuff, PLEASE check out:

www.norml.org

NORML, is doing so much to end prohibition.

And good idea, for everyone is, if you have iTunes, download the daily podcasts. They are under NORML, called the Daily Audio Stash. The are like 30 minute long audio clips, that will keep you up to date with research, and just all sorts of cannibis news. Most of all it will educate MANY on marijuana.

Marijuana is not even close to the demon that the media makes it out to be.

Marijuana is the SAFEST drug around. This is the opinion of pretty much all doctors that know anything about cannibis.

My hope is that (I said this word for word to my parents when they busted me) the world's perception of marijuana. It is not what it is made out to be in the government and the media. When the president at the time (I believe it was Nixon) said that once and for all, they need to know what classification to put marijuana in. It was previously put in Schedule 1, along with heroine, cocaine, etc.... He nominated a number of offficials to decide what to do with marijuana.

This group came back, after much research, and found that marijuana was not harmful whatsoever, and should be taken out of Schedule 1, and I think they ever decided to decriminalize smokers.

The president REFUSED to read their decision. I forget the names of all this stuff, so it sounds kind of broad, but all my info you can find on www.norml.org.

This shows how HIPOCRITICAL the government can be. Asking an official decision be made, appointing people to do the research, then refusing to make a decision or even read the group's decision.

[BearAssLodge]

Damn. Your long speech almost made me cry, or maybe its cuz my screen is hurting my eyes. either way, i agree 200% with everything you said. there are so many uses for it, and theres deff more being found out, but we could find more if we did more research. im not all for the legalization and decriminalization just cuz i like it either, it can help so many ppl, and can help thw world. my grandfather had prostate cancer, cancer usually skips a generation, so i smoke it up to reduce my risk of gettin it. ppl say weed leads to other drugs, not entirely true. i have no desire to do anything else, most other things ive tried scare me. im fine with the laid back high of weed.

[BadMongo]

[quote=get me out of GA;182446]

Marijuana is the SAFEST drug around. This is the opinion of pretty much all doctors that know anything about cannibis.


I totally agree with 100% of your opinions and fact EXCEPT that marijuana should not even be considered a drug....real drugs (hard drugs) have much different effects and they should be illegal for good reason...but marijuana is less intoxicating than alcohol in my opinion and American's drink booze by the gallon so again..marijuana should be legalized.


"I don't do drugs...just weed" -Thurgood Jenkins

[get me out of GA]

BUMP!!!!

I just did it because I think that this is an important topic......

[mtbachelor]

BUMP!!!!

I just did it because I think that this is an important topic......

me too. I quit smoking though.

Well until friday night.

[BearAssLodge]

Ha. Always in the process of quitting.... All you gotta say is your quitting, just smokin 364 days out of the year, lol. I'm happy for the weekend =D

BLAZE IT UP!!!

[get me out of GA]

Yeah i actually became much more into medical Marijuana, positive uses, and just the end of cannibis prohibition entirely after I quit smoking (well was more forced to because I was told that I was going to be regularly drug tested).

Right now I am in a between stage, not near as much of a regular smoker as I used to be. I am some what a "weekend toker". Or just use it whenever the time calls for it, i.e.: when I nearly broke my leg, had to go to the hospital, and found out it was just a ridiculously bad sprain that they wouldn't give me medicine for (not that I'd take it anyway, because I dont take any pharmaceutical drugs), thats when I had to go to my own source of self-medication.

[BearAssLodge]

Yeah. I am worried about the prostate cancer a little bit, and I'm hoping to reduce my risk. I also hurt my back back when I was little, and it helps take the edge off. Ya I smoke on weekends mostly. Hemp oil also is extremely good for your skin. My dad's hands get dry and crack, so I got this hemp oil lotion. Helps alot.

[punkrock89]

The entire "War On Drugs" is dumb and useless. It has only used up (over the coarse of time) billions of dollars in resources in arrests, convictions, and especially keeping those people in jail. So, I'm in favor for legalizing it, even though I don't smoke. ...And cigarettes are way worse than pot. Cigarrettes not only contain the tobacco and nicotine, but also a slew of chemicals that are extremely bad for your health (these chemicals are mostly used to better the taste and smoothness). If pot was legalized, the government would make a lot more money though (which we could deffinately use).

[get me out of GA]

Yeah think about how much money is wasted on the "War on Drugs", then think of how much money has been wasted on the people who are only convicted for Marijuana Posession. Its over 500,000 a year. Think of how much Jail space that takes up, when for the most part these people weren't doing S H I T wrong in the first place. If marijuana was legalized then use of it should be confined to home use or other places that pose no danger to themselves or others, then WHAT THE F U C K is wrong with it, when these people are doing LESS harm to themselves than smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol!!!
F U C K the government.

Sorry about that, I got a little overwhelmed, but my point still stands!

Now think back on the amount of money we are spending on this "war", the amount of useless arrests that are filling up our prisons costing the government (i.e. our tax dollars), then..... think about how much money the government would earn if marijuana was legalized, regulated, and TAXED. If marijuana was taxed just like alcohol and tobacco are the government would not be losing money arresting people but making money off of it.

PLUS, it would get EVEN MORE MONEY (which is what the US needs with our decifit growing more and more everyday) if hemp was used for the commercial industry. Not to mention it can replace gasoline which would stop us from clinging to the nuts of Oil Tycoons in the Middle East, which would lessen our reason for the war in the middle east because who cares about their oil when we are running our cars off hemp oil?

[get me out of GA]

here's more for you guys to think on......;



Hawaii: State's Legalization Of Pot Could Yield $33 Million Annually
Category: News and Politics

West Oahu, HI: Taxing and regulating cannabis in Hawaii in a manner similar to alcohol could yield the state approximately $33 million in annual revenues and cost savings, according to an economic analysis released last week by the University of Hawaii.

The study found that regulating cannabis could create annual tax revenues of up to $23 million. The study added that prosecuting and enforcing state pot laws costs taxpayers approximately $10 million per year. Of this total, more than 40 percent is spent by state and county law enforcement solely to enforce marijuana possession laws.

"Those who favor legalization ... argue that policies like those involved in the regulation of alcohol and tobacco are far more effective in limiting the individual and social costs involved," the study states. "[T]axation is significantly cheaper in terms of enforcement and outcomes than outlawing substances."

The study also reports that law enforcement efforts to restrict Hawaii's pot supply have been ineffective because the black market price of marijuana per ounce has fallen over the last decade -- indicating a marked increase in supply and consumption.

A previous nationwide analysis of marijuana policy by Boston University economist Jeffrey Miron reported that enforcing state and federal pot laws costs taxpayers an estimated $7.7 billion annually.

For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500. Full text of the study, "The budgetary implications of marijuana decriminalization and legalization for Hawaii," is available online from the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii website at: http://www.dpfhi.org.


Now, think of how small of a state hawaii is. Take the $33 million that hawaii would receive EACH YEAR!!!!, and then have that correspond to the size of other states (and keep in mind that most other states do MUCH more to fight agaisnt marijuana than hawaii, so the percentage they spend will be EVEN MORE!) and think about how much money will not only be saved, but profitted on by our government.

The more and more I read about the benefits of legalizing marijuana, the more and more pissed off I get at our government, and its not because I want it to be legalized for my personal benefit, but just because making it illeagel is tremendously hurting our country.

[BearAssLodge]

So much is hurting our country that doesnt have to happen. i saw a show on alternate fuel. some countries are making ethanol from sugar, the leftover processed sugar cane is burned to make electricity, the plant that processes the sugar cane is self sufficient, and actually one in hawaii is making more that needed and power goes back into the grid. and the whole processes of burning ethanol in cars releases gases that are released anyway when the sugar cane decomposes, so its neutral, its gonna happen anyway, so theres no or alot less pollution. hemp oil can be processed into bio fuel, and theres so many other things that will help, but the government isnt doin jack schitte about it.

[tehsam]

uh ya i think it should be legalized and handled maybe like alcohol...you have to be 21 (atleast in ohio) because its totally natural and getting high is an experience no one should miss out on you just gotta be responsible about it

[mtbachelor]

uh ya i think it should be legalized and handled maybe like alcohol...you have to be 21 (atleast in ohio) because its totally natural and getting high is an experience no one should miss out on you just gotta be responsible about it

mj is much different then alcohol, but 21 wouldn't bother me, its easy to get right now, I can't imagine how much easier and CHEAPER it would be.

[timbo109]

yeah, i guess the war on drugs is bad, in that many people are going to jail for long periods of time, for little reason, and all that stuff. however, there is some reason and basis for it. Its not like the war was started to fight marijuana and its users. The war against hard drugs and such makes some sense to me. the way its being fought is not ideal; however, there is nothing wrong with getting crack off the streets

[get me out of GA]

mj is much different then alcohol, but 21 wouldn't bother me, its easy to get right now, I can't imagine how much easier and CHEAPER it would be.

Its not that anyone is trying to make it easier or cheaper to get, its legal that we want it to be. Getting it is one thing, not getting arrested for it is another thing.


yeah, i guess the war on drugs is bad, in that many people are going to jail for long periods of time, for little reason, and all that stuff. however, there is some reason and basis for it. Its not like the war was started to fight marijuana and its users. The war against hard drugs and such makes some sense to me. the way its being fought is not ideal; however, there is nothing wrong with getting crack off the streets


Yes but do you realize that the major focus on the "War on Drugs" is marijuana, and there are far more marijuana releated arrests than anything else. I mean really over 500,000 a year. I saw the chart that NORML has and I think its averaged to 90 arrests an hour. However I do agree with you on the continued fight against harder drugs, but do you still think as many people woud be going for crack and meth if cannibis was legal. I mean really..... would you rather be cooking up drain cleaner and know you could get arrested, or vaporizing some kind bud and it be legal?

[mtbachelor]

Its not that anyone is trying to make it easier or cheaper to get, its legal that we want it to be. Getting it is one thing, not getting arrested for it is another thing.





Yes but do you realize that the major focus on the "War on Drugs" is marijuana, and there are far more marijuana releated arrests than anything else. I mean really over 500,000 a year. I saw the chart that NORML has and I think its averaged to 90 arrests an hour. However I do agree with you on the continued fight against harder drugs, but do you still think as many people woud be going for crack and meth if cannibis was legal. I mean really..... would you rather be cooking up drain cleaner and know you could get arrested, or vaporizing some kind bud and it be legal?

No I'm up for that too. But I'm underage anyways, it's decriminalized here also. So once I am of age, my first possession is where they just take it away and fine me. (less than 1 oz.)

[get me out of GA]

yeah, I mean I would be underage too, but thats not the point.

If it was legalized (not just decriminalized, but actually legalized) then I think it should be treadted just as alcohol, taked just like it and with a mininmum age, because 11 and 12 year old kids growing up toking just isn't right. It should be done by adults responsibly.

Even though Oregon has decriminalized it, there is still the chance of a fine, probation, and jail time depending on the amount, whether or not its a first time conviction, or if the cop that busts you is an *******.

I do have to hand it to Oregon though, that state is doing so much more for cannibis than most. Much of that is thanks to Oregon NORML, who is doing a lot to change legislation.

[WasillaKatie]

In Alaska, you're allowed to have 4 oz in your possession for personal use. You are not, however, allowed to buy, sell, or grow it.

I don't smoke it, so when I purchased a 4 oz bag of catnip, I was SHOCKED at how much 4 oz of dried plant really is!

[dirtyjerz]

so basically its impossible to have it. if you cant sell it, or buy it, or grow it?

[BadMongo]

they're just sayin its not legal to buy it, sell it, or grow it but that doesn't stop most people

[Tranceilicious]

sounds good but I really dont see it happening all across the US. Pretty much in almost every state smoking has been banned .... If you cant even smoke tobacco in public I dont see them allowing the magic herb but I would be in favor of it. So yes make it medicinal and then make it legal

[dirtyjerz]

they're just sayin its not legal to buy it, sell it, or grow it but that doesn't stop most people

ok gotcha.

i dont even smoke, nad i find all this positive information about marijuana vrey interesting. all my friends who do smoke dont see any interest in it at all.

[timbo109]

Its not that anyone is trying to make it easier or cheaper to get, its legal that we want it to be. Getting it is one thing, not getting arrested for it is another thing.





Yes but do you realize that the major focus on the "War on Drugs" is marijuana, and there are far more marijuana releated arrests than anything else. I mean really over 500,000 a year. I saw the chart that NORML has and I think its averaged to 90 arrests an hour. However I do agree with you on the continued fight against harder drugs, but do you still think as many people woud be going for crack and meth if cannibis was legal. I mean really..... would you rather be cooking up drain cleaner and know you could get arrested, or vaporizing some kind bud and it be legal?
yeah because marijuana is much more prevalent. you realize though that the people who are going away for long periods of time and are given unfair prison sentences are generally crack dealers and people who deal with harder drugs. I think that that's much more of a problem with the war on drugs. the laws are too strict. yes, i realize drug dealing is bad and all, but still many people do it, because they see no other opportunities. the reasoning behind going after marijuana is the idea of it being a gateway drug to hard drugs. i am not sure if this is completely true, but there is certainly reasoning behind it. definitely some people get involved in hard drugs because they started off using marijuana and that will continue regardless of the legal status of marijuana. it will take some time for marijuana to transition into the mainstream, if ever.

[mtbachelor]

the reasoning behind going after marijuana is the idea of it being a gateway drug to hard drugs. .


No. I have been smoking for two years and have absolutely no urge to whip out a syringe and start injecting heroine into my veins.

[HnE_v2]

Damn. 15 years old and a stoner for two years already. Do yourself a favor and quit now.

I could get on my soapbox here but I won't. I've lived with people that have had drug & alcohol problems. Drugs, legal or otherwise, when abused will screw you up and make life miserable for yourself and those around you. Society needs LESS tolerance for the BS addicts/users/etc. subject those of us who choose not to use drugs to.

You want to be a stoner? Hooray for you. Just don't come knocking on my door or using my tax money for help.

And if I've pi$$ed any of you off out there that use/abuse drugs, good.

[get me out of GA]

In Alaska, you're allowed to have 4 oz in your possession for personal use. You are not, however, allowed to buy, sell, or grow it.

ahh, alaska...... A state that recognizes a persons personal right.

The whole, how can it be legal if you cant buy it, sell it, or grow it. This basically is their way of justifying marijuana possession and use in some cases, but not buying or selling it. If caught buying or selling, yes it is illegal, but just having when getting pulled over or at home is different.

sounds good but I really dont see it happening all across the US. Pretty much in almost every state smoking has been banned .... If you cant even smoke tobacco in public I dont see them allowing the magic herb but I would be in favor of it. So yes make it medicinal and then make it legal

Marijuana is FAR less dangerous than tobacco is. Yes public smoking is being resticted more and more, but I don't see this as a sign of the government cracking down on all smoking. I think that they are just realizing more and more how dangerous tobacco smoke is. The government ill always see marijuana as the great horrible threat to society that they have always thought.

yeah because marijuana is much more prevalent. you realize though that the people who are going away for long periods of time and are given unfair prison sentences are generally crack dealers and people who deal with harder drugs. I think that that's much more of a problem with the war on drugs. the laws are too strict. yes, i realize drug dealing is bad and all, but still many people do it, because they see no other opportunities. the reasoning behind going after marijuana is the idea of it being a gateway drug to hard drugs. i am not sure if this is completely true, but there is certainly reasoning behind it. definitely some people get involved in hard drugs because they started off using marijuana and that will continue regardless of the legal status of marijuana. it will take some time for marijuana to transition into the mainstream, if ever.

Not true, prisons are filling up more and more from marijuana arrests alone.

I see your point of how the "war on drugs" would "target" marijuana in this, but my question is why target marijuana? Why is it in many cases that marijuana related offenses are actually regarded worse than cocaine or herione? It has been shown so many times that marijuana use is of little to no harm, when not only hard drugs, but alcohol and tobacco are killing hundreds of thousands a year. I also dont agree that this would be the state regardless of the status of marijuana legallity. I think that with the decriminalization and/or legalization of marijuana it would lessen the number of drug related crime. Think about how much crime there was due to prohibition, and then how all that changed after prohibition was repealed. That crime turned into economic prosperity. If marijuana use was entirely legalize, I think that would be an outcome of it. Along with an economic boom, which that hawaiian research showed would be substancially beneficial, I believe (now keep in mind that this is all personal opinion with nothing tangible to back it up) that the amount of drug related crime would drop due to ability of a legitimate business in marijuana.

I've lived with people that have had drug & alcohol problems. Drugs, legal or otherwise, when abused will screw you up and make life miserable for yourself and those around you. Society needs LESS tolerance for the BS addicts/users/etc. subject those of us who choose not to use drugs to.

You want to be a stoner? Hooray for you. Just don't come knocking on my door or using my tax money for help.

And if I've pi$$ed any of you off out there that use/abuse drugs, good.

First off, I want to make clear that a good way to point out the opposing side of an argument is not with stereotyping and name calling. You think that we are all stoners, great thats fine (its wrong, but fine if you want to do it), but its not the way to prove your side of an argument. But please do try to realize that not everyone who uses cannibis in any way is a "pothead". Yes there are some, many in a lot of cases, but that does not mean that there are not responsible individuals who choose to do it, and be mature adults who want to use it recreationally.

Wow, you are so not seeing the point. We DONT WANT to be spending "your" tax dollars (which you should realize is OUR money too). If anything we are asking to give more tax revenue TO the government in the form of taxes that would be generated if cannibis was legal. I also, again want to point out that this is entirely about CANNIBIS and not any other type of drug. That being said, I also wanted to restate the MARIJUANA IS NOT ADDICTING even with extended use.

[HnE_v2]

First, I'm not stereotyping. I'm speaking from personal experience. Experience that I possess about 20 years more of than yourself.

Second, a stoner is someone who gets stoned, period. I use the word to imply nothing more.

Third, drug abuse is the repeated OR uncontrolled use of controlled substances. Pay attention to the repeated or uncontrolled part. Just because you can or believe you can stop using whatever drug you use abuse doesn't mean it isn't drug abuse. Do you use it repeatedly? Do you use it uncontrolably? If you answer yes to either of those, it qualifies as drug abuse.

Fourth, I see your point. But I disagree. As for your tax argument, well, think about this. How many people in the USA drink? Have your answer? OK, now how many of those drive under the influence? Alright, how many of those who drive under the influence crash? It's a miniscule fraction of the actual number of people who drink & drive, no doubt, and even more miniscule compared to the overall number of drinkers, would you agree? Now, and here's the sobering thought, what does that miniscule fragment of society cost us? Since we're talking our tax dollars here how about the costs incurred by ambulance services, fire & police departments, hospitals, public legal staff, jails, & prisons. Now how about the private costs? Replacing vehicles & property, not to mention the higher insurance premiums we all pay. What do you suppose that all adds up to in dollars? Do you think the all the tax revenue collected by all the states on alcohol covers the public costs for this tiny fragment of the drinkers in the USA? I don't think so. What makes you think that Pot would be any different if it were legalized?

The only thing I'll say about the non-monetary cost of drugs & alcohol is this. Broken homes, broken relationships, divorce, etc. I can only hope that in your 17 years on the planet you haven't see what I have or experienced what I have.

Fifth, ANYTHING can be addicting. Psychological addictions are real, and can manifest themselves with as much veracity as a pharmacological addiction. I've know several people who, by their own admission, could not make it thru a day without getting stoned. You may not think it's addicting now, but it could become an addiction in the future all too easily. Another thing I've seen happen more than once.

[get me out of GA]

^^^

I'll get to this later, I am not going to worry about when I am about to leave work

[get me out of GA]

First, I'm not stereotyping. I'm speaking from personal experience. Experience that I possess about 20 years more of than yourself.

Dont bring age into this. I am not basing all my **** of personal opinion. Much of this has been pulled of research sites (basically, I read through tons of NORML stuff). What I say is basically coming directly from there, so its not mean being a dumb teen, I am just repeated intelligent information.


Second, a stoner is someone who gets stoned, period. I use the word to imply nothing more.

maybe so, but usually a "stoner" is a derrogatory term used to belittle the person it describes. From here on out call them "users" because it leaves no negative remarks and doesn't label the person as a criminal, for I don't see a user as a criminal (yes, personal opinion, but I acknowledged it).


Third, drug abuse is the repeated OR uncontrolled use of controlled substances. Pay attention to the repeated or uncontrolled part. Just because you can or believe you can stop using whatever drug you use abuse doesn't mean it isn't drug abuse. Do you use it repeatedly? Do you use it uncontrolably? If you answer yes to either of those, it qualifies as drug abuse.

Woah............ how do you see repeated use as abuse? Do you consider somebody (of age) that drinks say on the weekend or a few times a week an alcoholic? I would assume no, because responsible use, even if done repeatedly does not qualify as abuse. Uncontrolled use, yes, can be considered abuse. If the person cannot control the intake of a substance then yes, I would consider it substance abuse that would benefit from treatment.


Fourth, I see your point. But I disagree. As for your tax argument, well, think about this. How many people in the USA drink? Have your answer? OK, now how many of those drive under the influence? Alright, how many of those who drive under the influence crash? It's a miniscule fraction of the actual number of people who drink & drive, no doubt, and even more miniscule compared to the overall number of drinkers, would you agree? Now, and here's the sobering thought, what does that miniscule fragment of society cost us? Since we're talking our tax dollars here how about the costs incurred by ambulance services, fire & police departments, hospitals, public legal staff, jails, & prisons. Now how about the private costs? Replacing vehicles & property, not to mention the higher insurance premiums we all pay. What do you suppose that all adds up to in dollars? Do you think the all the tax revenue collected by all the states on alcohol covers the public costs for this tiny fragment of the drinkers in the USA? I don't think so. What makes you think that Pot would be any different if it were legalized?

You see drug and alcohol use as being very similar (just my observation an assumption, but mey not be entirely true because its the internet and I have who you really are), but in fact they are far from it. I forget who all did the studies (just another thing that I would have to go back and check NORML on), but I believe it was Canada, France, and maybe even the US. Anyway....... it was a comparison of alcohol related incidents and marijuana and also how it affected the body at different amounts. I know they did the alcohol at both a .05 bac and .08 bac. I forget what the amounts of cannabinoids per milligram it was, but they did a number of diffferent amounts to get a good range. This data was then, of course, compared to that of sober driving because these people were not idiots and had to have a control. YES, driving under the influence of Marijuana was more dangerous than that of sober driving, but if you didn't know that, you're an idiot. However it was FAR, let me repeat that..... FAR less than tha of alcohol.

Let me find that data, because it is much more detailed than me trying to restate what I remember......

Yes, if legalized, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to stop people from getting behind the wheel after smoking, but I dont condone this. The only thing that I have supported is responsible use of cannibis (and yes, there is such a thing). Violations of this are inevitable, but they would be controlled as well as possible by testing just as they do breathalizers, but just keep in mind that when these people do drive they are not NEAR as likely to get into an accident than those who are UNDER THE LEGAL BAC LEVEL.

Okay, you do have your point about the costs of tax services that are involved in the event of accidents caused by both drinking and driving, and cannibis use and driving. However, you are aware that some of your examples such as: Ambulance service and hospital attention, is that it is covered by insurance. yes in some cases, those who dont have insurance or are covered by medicaid or medicare (whichever one isn;t for old people, but citizens who cannot afford health care) are yes in turn handing those costs over to tax payers. However........ WE ARE ALREADDY PAYING FOR THIS! Everyday we are paying for this from accidents caused by alcohol.

What do you suppose that all adds up to in dollars? Do you think the all the tax revenue collected by all the states on alcohol covers the public costs for this tiny fragment of the drinkers in the USA?

I know I had already quoted this earlier, but I wanted to use just these statements........

I don't know of the amount spend annually due to these accidents, but to answer your second question.......... YES, YES, YES, YES, YES I DO!!!! There is robably millions spent every year because of these accident, but do you realize how bug the alcool industry is, and how much they pay in taxes annually? Probably billions of dollars. I would say that that covers the cost of these accidents. That Hawaiian research that I quoted I think higher up in this page showed something like 31 million dollars of money that is gained. Being that that is in one of the smallest states in the country........ I think that that would definately cover how many marijuana related accidents cause in Hawaii alone! This would be the same case in other states as well.

[get me out of GA]

The only thing I'll say about the non-monetary cost of drugs & alcohol is this. Broken homes, broken relationships, divorce, etc. I can only hope that in your 17 years on the planet you haven't see what I have or experienced what I have.

Yes, youa re right. I myself have seen little to no effects of what negative things that drugs and alcohol can do to families. For all of the things that I assume has happened throughout the course of your life and the lives of you families I am deeply sorry. However, I have seen what has happened may have been avoided by cannibis use. I think I had mentioned it earlier in this thread, if not I KNOW its in a number of other threads....... My mother just this past year was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has gone through surgery and then months and months of kemo because of it. This may have been avoided by cannibis use (because it has been proven in recent studies that cannibis use can reduce the risk of breast, skin, lung, and prostate cancer, along with brain tumors) , although that I know I would never see my mom toking up. My uncle just alst month received surgery for his prostate cancer that he was diagnosed with 5 and a half months earlier. He had to wait all that time, through which he went through tremendous pain, all because the surgery he had to go through was done by robotics and is such a popular surgery that he was basically put on a waiting list. A waiting list to get rid of cancer? thats not right, if we know that there's something wrong, we should be able to do something about it. Lastly, there is my brother. He is 18 now, soon to be 19, and he has gone through more pain and suffering than most do in a lifetime. About 5 or more years ago he started getting really bad headaches. These constant headaches turned into mind blowing migranes that never went away. He has probably had over a thousand x-rays, cat scans, and MRI's. these MRI's showed tha he had tumors in his brain around nerves by both his left and right ears. Also there were many groupings of them atop his spinal chord. These tumors were pressing on nerves and causing his pain. Through the years he has gone through more medications then 80's rock stars, brain surgery, 8 straight weeks of radiation, basically 4 straight years of constant headaches, and been overdosed because local doctors are idiots and nearly killed my brother. Instead of giving him these treatments, he should have been put through cannibis therapy (sounds dumb, but it would have helped) that could have reduced his tumors easing his pain. Instead, he relied off taking medications for years until we could get his like nearly $300,000 surgery that our insurance company had to cover (yeah they hate us know, cause we have caused them about a million dollars in doctor bills). This surgery left him deaf in his left ear. Because of where the tumors were, he only had a 50% chance of keeping his hearing...... it didn't go so well. A year later he had to go through about 7-8 weeks of laser radiation to reduce the sizes of his tumors. Even after this he still went through constant headaches, not as bad as before but still always there, they only got better or worse, but never went away. Since his surgery and treatment other things have gone wrong. His treatment is starting to take affect, the only problem is his tumors are basically eating themselves away from the inside. This has caused them to bulge outwards which has caused half of his face to be paralyzed. He can't make a real smile, or even completely close his eyes. He has to put drops in about every minute to keep his eye from drying out because if it does he gets permanent damage.

Surgery, or cannibis use...... I think which one I am for is pretty obvious. I hate that he went through this. If I would have known that he could have benefitted from smoking, I would have forced a joint into his mouth.

.............. f.ucking doctors........



Fifth, ANYTHING can be addicting. Psychological addictions are real, and can manifest themselves with as much veracity as a pharmacological addiction. I've know several people who, by their own admission, could not make it thru a day without getting stoned. You may not think it's addicting now, but it could become an addiction in the future all too easily. Another thing I've seen happen more than once.

Yes mentally addicting, but NOT physically. They ARE NOT dependent on it, they only seem to be. This whole thing is bull. Since its not physically addicting, they cant stop, the reason why they keep doing it is because they want to. They don't get stoned because they can't stop, they want to do it. If a person really wants to stop their "psychological addiction" they can, they just have to want it.

[BearAssLodge]

NORML is a great website. It's brought to light alot of things to me, and it debunks a bunch of myths about marijuana. Driving under the influence of marijuana is alot different than alchohol. alchohol impairs everything. weed makes you focused, cautious, based on personal experience its way safer to drive on weed the boose, not that im encouraging anybody to do either. yes you shouldnt drive when you get high, but sometimes you do. im no speech writer like GA, but people who use marijuana are largely misunderstood.


What's the difference between a drunk and a pothead?
A drunk will drive through a stop sign,
The pothead will wait for it to turn green.

[RomeRider101]

even if you were under age (if it were legal) it would still be readibly availible for minors.. just like alch. i am confident that i could make a few calls and get booze 24/7..

but legalizing it wouldnt be a bad idea..

i just dont think the gov would ever see the think GA is pointing out. they are GREAT points but they would find a way to take all of that info and make it come back and bite us all in the ass..

but , who knos???

[get me out of GA]

I doubt anyone will read this, but here's the research (or at least a summary of the data, but with sources of course.....) that I was talkinhg about with driving under the influence of alcohol opposed to that of cannibis use:

Marijuana and Driving: A Review of the Scientific Evidence

It is well established that alcohol increases accident risk. Evidence of marijuana’s culpability in on-road driving accidents is much less convincing.
Although cannabis intoxication has been shown to mildly impair psychomotor skills, this impairment does not appear to be severe or long lasting. In driving simulator tests, this impairment is typically manifested by subjects decreasing their driving speed and requiring greater time to respond to emergency situations.
Nevertheless, this impairment does not appear to play a significant role in on-road traffic accidents. A 2002 review of seven separate studies involving 7,934 drivers reported, “Crash culpability studies have failed to demonstrate that drivers with cannabinoids in the blood are significantly more likely than drug-free drivers to be culpable in road crashes.” This result is likely because subject under the influence of marijuana are aware of their impairment and compensate for it accordingly, such as by slowing down and by focusing their attention when they know a response will be required. This reaction is just the opposite of that exhibited by drivers under the influence of alcohol, who tend to drive in a more risky manner proportional to their intoxication.
Today, a large body of research exists exploring the impact of marijuana on psychomotor skills and actual driving performance. This research consists of driving simulator studies, on-road performance studies, crash culpability studies, and summary reviews of the existing evidence. To date, the result of this research is fairly consistent: Marijuana has a measurable yet relatively mild effect on psychomotor skills, yet it does not appear to play a significant role in vehicle crashes, particularly when compared to alcohol. Below is a summary of some of the existing data.

SUMMARIES

“At the present time, the evidence to suggest an involvement of cannabis in road crashes is scientifically unproven.
To date …, seven studies using culpability analysis have been reported, involving a total of 7,934 drivers. Alcohol was detected as the only drug in 1,785 drivers, and together with cannabis in 390 drivers. Cannabis was detected in 684 drivers, and in 294 of these it was the only drug detected.
… The results to date of crash culpability studies have failed to demonstrate that drivers with cannabinoids in the blood are significantly more likely than drug-free drivers to be culpable in road crashes. … cases in which THC was the only drug present were analyzed, the culpability ratio was found to be not significantly different from the no-drug group.”
REFERENCE: G. Chesher and M. Longo. 2002. Cannabis and alcohol in motor vehicle accidents. In: F. Grotenhermen and E. Russo (Eds.) [I]Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Potential. New York: Haworth Press. Pp. 313-323.


“Cannabis leads to a more cautious style of driving, it has a negative impact on decision time and trajectory. [However,] this in itself does not mean that drivers under the influence of cannabis represent a traffic safety risk. … [B]Cannabis alone, particularly in low doses, has little effect on the skills involved in automobile driving.”

REFERENCE: Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs. 2002. Cannabis: Summary Report: Our Position for a Canadian Public Policy. Ottawa. Chapter 8: Driving Under the Influence of Cannabis.


“This report has summarized available research on cannabis and driving.

… Evidence of impairment from the consumption of cannabis has been reported by studies using laboratory tests, driving simulators and on-road observation. ... Both simulation and road trials generally find that driving behavior shortly after consumption of larger doses of cannabis results in (i) a more cautious driving style; (ii) increased variability in lane position (and headway); and (iii) longer decision times. Whereas these results indicate a 'change' from normal conditions, they do not necessarily reflect 'impairment' in terms of performance effectiveness since few studies report increased accident risk.

REFERENCE: UK Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (Road Safety Division). 2000. Cannabis and Driving: A Review of the Literature and Commentary (http://www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadsafety/cannabis/index.htm). Crowthorne, Berks: TRL Limited.


“Overall, we conclude that the weight of the evidence indicates that:

1) There is no evidence that consumption of cannabis alone increases the risk of culpability for traffic crash fatalities or injuries for which hospitalization occurs, and may reduce those risks.
2) The evidence concerning the combined effect of cannabis and alcohol on the risk of traffic fatalities and injuries, relative to the risk of alcohol alone, is unclear.
3) It is not possible to exclude the possibility that the use of cannabis (with or without alcohol) leads to an increased risk of road traffic crashes causing less serious injuries and vehicle damage.”

REFERENCE: M. Bates and T. Blakely. 1999. “Role of cannabis in motor vehicle crashes.” Epidemiologic Reviews 21: 222-232.


“In conclusion, marijuana impairs driving behavior. However, this impairment is mitigated in that subjects under marijuana treatment appear to perceive that they are indeed impaired. Where they can compensate, they do, for example by not overtaking, by slowing down and by focusing their attention when they know a response will be required. … Effects on driving behavior are present up to an hour after smoking but do not continue for extended periods.

With respect to comparisons between alcohol and marijuana effects, these substances tend to differ in their effects. In contrast to the compensatory behavior exhibited by subjects under marijuana treatment, subjects who have received alcohol tend to drive in a more risky manner. Both substances impair performance; however, the more cautious behavior of subjects who have received marijuana decreases the impact of the drug on performance, whereas the opposite holds true for alcohol.”

REFERENCE: A. Smiley. 1999. Marijuana: On-Road and Driving-Simulator Studies. In: H. Kalant et al. (Eds) The Health Effects of Cannabis. Toronto: Center for Addiction and Mental Health. Pp. 173-191.


“Intoxication with cannabis leads to a slight impairment of psychomotor … function. … [However,] the impairment in driving skills does not appear to be severe, even immediately after taking cannabis, when subjects are tested in a driving simulator. This may be because people intoxicated by cannabis appear to compensate for their impairment by taking fewer risks and driving more slowly, whereas alcohol tends to encourage people to take great risks and drive more aggressively.”

REFERENCE: UK House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology. 1998. Ninth Report (http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/uk_lords_report/ToxicEffects.shtml#4.6). London: United Kingdom. Chapter 4: Section 4.7.


“The evidence suggests that marijuana presents a real, but secondary safety risk; and that alcohol is the leading drug-related accident risk factor.”

REFERENCES: D. Gieringer. 1988. Marijuana, driving, and accident safety. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 20: 93-101.

[get me out of GA]

CRASH CULPABILITY STUDIES

“For each of 2,500 injured drivers presenting to a hospital, a blood sample was collected for later analysis.

There was a clear relationship between alcohol and culpability. … In contrast, there was no significant increase in culpability for cannabinoids alone. While a relatively large number of injured drivers tested positive for cannabinoids, culpability rates were no higher than those for the drug free group. This is consistent with other findings.”

REFERENCE:
Logan, M.C., Hunter, C.E., Lokan, R.J., White, J.M., & White, M.A. (2000). The Prevalence of Alcohol, Cannabinoids, Benzodiazepines and Stimulants Amongst Injured Drivers and Their Role in Driver Culpability: Part II: The Relationship Between Drug Prevalence and Drug Concentration, and Driver Culpability. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 32, 623-32.


“Blood samples from 894 patients presenting to two Emergency Departments for treatment of motor vehicle injur … were tested for alcohol and other drugs.

… Based on alcohol and drug testing of the full range of patients … alcohol is clearly the major drug associated with serious crashes and greater injury. Patients testing positive for illicit drugs (marijuana, opiates, and cocaine), in the absence of alcohol, were in crashes very similar to those of patients with neither alcohol nor drugs. When other relevant variables were considered, these drugs were not associated with more severe crashes or greater injury.”

REFERENCE: P. Waller et al. 1997. Crash characteristics and injuries of victims impaired by alcohol versus illicit drugs. [I]Accident Analysis and Prevention 29: 817-827.


“Blood specimens were collected from a sample of 1,882 drivers from 7 states, during 14 months in the years 1990 and 1991. The sample comprised operators of passenger cars, trucks, and motorcycles who died within 4 hours of their crash.

… While cannabinoids were detected in 7 percent of the drivers, the psychoactive agent THC was found in only 4 percent. … The THC-only drivers had a responsibility rate below that of the drugfree drivers. … While the difference was not statistically significant, there was no indication that cannabis by itself was a cause of fatal crashes.”

REFERENCE: K. Terhune. 1992. The incidence and role of drugs in fatally injured drivers. Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Report No. DOT HS 808 065.



ON-ROAD PERFORMANCE STUDIES

“Marijuana's effects on actual driving performance were assessed in a series of three studies wherein dose-effect relationships were measured in actual driving situations that progressively approached reality.

… THC's effects on road-tracking after doses up to 300 µg/kg never exceeded alcohol's at bacs of 0.08%; and, were in no way unusual compared to many medicinal drugs. Yet, THC's effects differ qualitatively from many other drugs, especially alcohol. Evidence from the present and previous studies strongly suggests that alcohol encourages risky driving whereas THC encourages greater caution, at least in experiments. Another way THC seems to differ qualitatively from many other drugs is that the formers users seem better able to compensate for its adverse effects while driving under the influence.”

REFERENCE: H. Robbe. 1995. Marijuana’s effects on actual driving performance. In: C. Kloeden and A. McLean (Eds) Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Misc/driving/s1p2.htm) T-95. Adelaide: Australia: HHMRC Road Research Unit, University of Adelaide. Pp. 11-20.


“This report concerns the effects of marijuana smoking on actual driving performance. … This program of research has shown that marijuana, when taken alone, produces a moderate degree of driving impairment which is related to consumed THC dose. The impairment manifests itself mainly in the ability to maintain a lateral position on the road, but its magnitude is not exceptional in comparison with changes produced by many medicinal drugs and alcohol. Drivers under the influence of marijuana retain insight in their performance and will compensate when they can, for example, by slowing down or increasing effort. As a consequence, THC’s adverse effects on driving performance appear relatively small.”

REFERENCE: W. Hindrik and J. Robbe and J. O’Hanlon. 1993. Marijuana and actual driving performance (http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_driving4.shtml). Washington, DC: US Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Report No. DOT HS 808 078.
(http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_driving4.shtml)

TABULATED SUMMARY OF ROAD TRIALS OF CANNABIS AND DRIVING (http://www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadsafety/cannabis/7.htm#2)
Table compiled by the UK Department of Transport (2000)



DRIVING SIMULATOR STUDIES

“Overall, it is possible to conclude that cannabis has a measurable effect on psychomotor performance, particularly tracking ability. Its effect on higher cognitive functions, for example divided attention tasks associated with driving, appear not to be as critical. Drivers under the influence of cannabis seem aware that they are impaired, and attempt to compensate for this impairment by reducing the difficulty of the driving task, for example by driving more slowly.

In terms of road safety, it cannot be concluded that driving under the influence of cannabis is not a hazard, as the effects of various aspects of driver performance are unpredictable. However, in comparison with alcohol, the severe effects of alcohol on the higher cognitive processes of driving are likely to make this more of a hazard, particularly at higher blood alcohol levels.”

REFERENCE: B. Sexton et al. 2000. The influence of cannabis on driving: A report prepared for the UK Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Road Safety Division) (http://www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadsafety/research16/). Crowthorne, Berks: TRL Limited.


TABULATED SUMMARY OF SIMULATOR STUDIES OF CANNABIS AND DRIVING (http://www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadsafety/cannabis/7.htm#1)
Table compiled by the UK Department of Transport (2000)

[mikemgw2]

the wayy i see it is... i dont give a ****...for real..legal or not im still not touching marijuana..its probably from all the commercials that i see taht usually go like: "yo man you wanna hit this".."okay"..."wow i feel great nothing can hurt me"...*takes gun sticks in mouth and shoots*.

[mtbachelor]

the wayy i see it is... i dont give a ****...for real..legal or not im still not touching marijuana..its probably from all the commercials that i see taht usually go like: "yo man you wanna hit this".."okay"..."wow i feel great nothing can hurt me"...*takes gun sticks in mouth and shoots*.


Get your facts straight, then post on this topic. Knowledge is power, ignorance kills.

[HnE_v2]

Let me start by saying that I'm truly sorry for the suffering that your family has experienced. Watching loved ones in pain try to cope with poor health is extremely difficult to do. I wish them, and you, the best in dealing with the adversities you face.

I want to clarify a few things. I'm not opposed to medical marijuana administered closely by a licensed physician. I believe that it ought to be treated as any other legal controlled substance. What I'm opposed to is the wholesale legalization of pot for recreational use.

Now, while I don't have the time necessary to refute all your sources, I'll provide a few links for you to read up at. For example, NIDA's website & info here --> http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html or New Scientist's at --> http://www.newscientist.com/search.ns?doSearch=true&query=marijuana

Anyway, I have to get back to work. I think you're intelligent, and know how to do your research. Just remember that almost any position can be rationalized, but just because it can doesn't mean it's correct.

[get me out of GA]

touche


HnE_v2, I thank you for your condolences, I greatly appreciate them.

I apologize for going through my whole family medical history, I just get pissed that medical use of cannibis is not at least attempted. I mean it wont kill people, but these diseases and cancers will, whats it going to hurt just to try?


I am glad to hear that you are for medical marijuana. To be honest I would be so entirely content if just medical use was legalized. It should be, because it CAN help people who need it, and I don't think that it should be restricted for medical use just because it has gotten caught up with the "War on Drugs".

[get me out of GA]

So I've been reading these articles, and I must say........ they are crap.

I am not saying this because I support cannibis, its just that a lot of this is actually false. Especially in the newsciantist.com articles they speak of memory loss and the loss of brain cells. This is crap!! Studies have been done jsut recently about how even LONG TERM use of cannibis does not affect the number of brain cells. The studies actually showed a small rise in the number of cells in those who did use cannibis vs. those who didn't.

Effects on the Lungs

A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers8. Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.

Even infrequent abuse can cause burning and stinging of the mouth and throat, often accompanied by a heavy cough. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency to obstructed airways9. Smoking marijuana possibly increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the head or neck. A study comparing 173 cancer patients and 176 healthy individuals produced evidence that marijuana smoking doubled or tripled the risk of these cancers10.

Marijuana abuse also has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because it contains irritants and carcinogens9,11. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50 to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke12. It also induces high levels of an enzyme that converts certain hydrocarbons into their carcinogenic form—levels that may accelerate the changes that ultimately produce malignant cells13. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which increases the lungs' exposure to carcinogenic smoke. These facts suggest that, puff for puff, smoking marijuana may be more harmful to the lungs than smoking tobacco.

This entire summary of respiratory problems that are due to cannibis smoke (which yes the point of it irratating the lungs is true, but in fact marijuana smoke is also known to reduce lung cancer so most of their point is just a scare tatic when there is little to no danger.) can be avoided entirely. Generally with medical marijuana, highly reccomended is use of a vaporizer voids any and all respiratory problems due to cannibis smoke that anti-marijuana people can think of. Use of a Vaporizer, edible forms, as well as cannibis teas are a succesful way of administering THC into the body without any harm from smoke.

The majority of the other standpoints was stating how people who use cannibis are more likely to be late, miss work days, lower grades, and involved in work accidents. This I fell is such a bad example of negative marijuana effects. This is all just my opinion, but I believe that that is reflective of the persons character and not an effect from marijuana use. Remember, I support responsible marijuana use. Being late or missing work, being an idiot, and screwing up is not handling things responsibly.

One other standpoint of theirs was effects on a child whos mother used marijuana during pregnancy. Well this is dumb just because, if a woman uses marijuana when shes pregnant, she is an idiot. If she is not smart enough to stop when she gets knocked up then she probably shouldn't be raising a child, and if this is the case its due to the woman's stupidity which is not the fault of cannibis.

[dirtyjerz]

the part about the grades, my friends who use get significantly better grades than i do. ive never touched the stuff.

[sk8rsensei16]

dude, legalize that **** right now. The day they legalize will be the best day of my life.

[get me out of GA]

Why Should Marijuana Have Been Legalized 35 Years Ago?


Congressional commission determined "the criminal law is too harsh a tool" to apply to pot possession

Decrim message is even more applicable today than it was then



Washington, DC: Recommendations to Congress by the National Commission on Marihuana (sic) and Drug Abuse 35-years-ago today that called for ending the criminal arrest and prosecution of adults who possess or use small amounts of marijuana are more applicable today than they were then, says NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre.

Thirty-five-years ago, the first – and to date, only – US Congressional Commission to address marijuana and public policy recommended the government amend federal law so that the possession and use of small quantities of cannabis by adults would no longer be a criminal offense. That commission, known as National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse (also known as The Shafer Commission) concluded:



"[T]he criminal law is too harsh a tool to apply to personal possession even in the effort to discourage use. … It implies an overwhelming indictment of the behavior which we believe is not appropriate. The actual and potential harm of use of the drug is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior, a step which our society takes only with the greatest reluctance."



The Commission recommended, for the first time, that Congress enact a national policy of marijuana ‘decriminalization,’ whereby the possession of cannabis for personal use as well as the casual distribution of small amounts of marihuana for little-or-no remuneration would no longer be a criminal offense.However, then-President Richard Nixon rejected the Commission’s determinations – electing instead to launch a so-called "War on Drugs," a federal strategy that still exists today.


"In the years since former President Richard Nixon and Congress rejected the Shafer Commission’s recommendations, the US government has spent billions of taxpayers’ dollars targeting and arresting minor marijuana offenders without achieving any reduction in marijuana use, availability, or demand," St. Pierre says.


He notes that since 1972:



* Approximately 16.5 million Americans have been arrested for marijuana violations – more than eighty percent of them on minor possession charges;


* US taxpayers have spent well over $20 billion dollars enforcing criminal marijuana laws, yet marijuana availability and use among the public remains virtually unchanged;


* Nearly one-quarter of a million Americans have been denied federal financial aid for secondary education because of anti-drug provisions to the Higher Education Act. Most of these applicants were convicted of minor marijuana possession offenses.


"In 1972, the year the Shafer Commission first recommended decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana, the FBI reported that fewer than 300,000 Americans were arrested for pot," St. Pierre says.


"Today, nearly 800,000 Americans are arrested annually on marijuana charges – an increase of more than 150 percent. In addition, nearly 90 percent of those arrested today are charged with simple possession only – the very practice that the Commission demanded Congress end 35 years ago."


St. Pierre concludes: "Currently, one in every eight inmates incarcerated for drug crimes is behind bars for pot, at a cost to taxpayers of more than $1 billion per year. It is apparent that the Commission’s 35-year-old common-sense solution to decriminalize cannabis is even more applicable today than it was then. It is time for the new Democrat Congress to revisit this issue and bring an end to the needless arrest and incarceration of otherwise law abiding citizens who consume marijuana in the privacy of their own home."


For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or visit: http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7216. Additional audio commentary on the Shafer Commission report, including an exclusive interview with former Commission member Dr. Thomas Ungerlieder, is available on Wednesday's and Thursday's episodes of NORML’s Daily AudioStash at: http://www.normlaudiostash.com.

[get me out of GA]

There are supposed to be links all throughout that thing, but they don't show up after being copied and pasted.........

[punkrock89]

America should legalize pot. I mean, what's the worse that could happen, make everyone dumb? We're already stupid! So it can't get much worse. Maybe people will calm down some and not be so uptight if they're stoned off their asses.

[Corkscrewed]

i think CT legalizing it for any use is a great first step. with things like this, usually it's the West Coast states that make the first move (think California and Oregon). everyone on the East Coast looks at it as some type of hippy movement. with CT being a conservative East Coast state, more East Coast and Mid-West states will be more likely to follow suit.

[RomeRider101]

ct legalized it!??

[dirtyjerz]

ct legalized it!??

i think its on the bill for medicinal uses this year. and if i remember correctly its on the bill for recreational uses next year.

someone correct me if im wrong.

[get me out of GA]

When did CT legalize it?

To my knowledge they still had harsh punishments. Seriously for just carrying paraphernalia you can be sentenced to 3 months of jail and a fine of $500. Thats not legalizing.


However....... Corkscrewed is right about the west coast not being the only states working closer for reform. New Mexico has a good chance of making progress with medical marijuana. The bill for it has benn PASSED on the House floor. It has yet to pass completely, but hopefully this year it will finally get its chance.

As of RIGHT NOW there are 12 states that medical marijuana is legal, and just for all of those that might consider moving to get that percription here they are:

Alaska
California
Oregon
Washington
Nevada
Hawaii
Colorado
Montana
Maine
Maryland
Rhode Island
Vermont

[420niccie]

What Up Everyone???? This Is My First Time Posting Any Comments..come On Guys Its Herb..we All Know What Good It Does For People And The Plant..if Your Not A Hardcore Puffer Like Me..sallll Good..but You Should Be For The Movement And All The Good It Does..you Dont Have To Smoke To Agree..herb Is In No Way Harmfull If Eaten Or Digested In Pill Form...word To The People..peace Out Homies..keep In It Reall..420niccie

[A Fake Vision]

MJ through the use of a vaporizer does not cause lung cancer. The magical herb also has been shown as a painkiller and it sure as hell helps me sleep, cuz i have crazy insomnia. The government is just to uptight and concidering that the main source of our **** is really from them, they would lose money taxing. I would love to see it happening, out here in CO i was smokin a blunt in front of a cop and he left me alone. so its not really that hardcore out here concidering the other drugs that are bad here. ITS NATURAL LET US BE FREE!!!

[get me out of GA]

herb Is In No Way Harmfull If Eaten Or Digested In Pill Form


The synthetic pill form of THC that doctors are trying to use as a substitute to cannibis is not nearly as effective as real marijuana. The pill, still legal in the US, is much slower and has not gained acceptance from medical marijuana patiens is called Marinol. It is MUCH less preferred over smoking.

Though legally available in the US, few patients report positive experiences with Marinol (http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6636#prefer) because of its high price tag, delayed onset, and heightened psychoactivity.

A second "Cannibis Pill" is gaining popularity, and is already being used in Canada and the UK. Its called: Cesamet. It was taken of the market in the US for commercial reason. However still available in Canada and the UK it is used as an anti-nauseant but comes with these side effects: ataxia (loss of ability to coordinate muscular movement), euphoria, headache, vertigo, increased heart rate, and concentration difficulties.

mmmmmm, yeah why would anyone prefer the pill to smoking, vaporization, or in edible form???

[BearAssLodge]

It's on the bill for medicinal use this year, and now has enough supporters for it to pass, because its been brought up before. They say next year for recreational use, but they will most likely go for decriminalization, which is pretty much as good.

Go CT!!

[get me out of GA]

still closer than here.

There is not support in the legislation in georgia for marijuana. In fact the bust have been getting bigger and bigger. Its gotten so out of hand that ATL put the whole thing in the hands of the feds so they can make all the busts.

[irideROMEnow]

http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516
norml is an organization that is trying to legalize weed... and this link shows where pot is decriminalized and other laws

[BearAssLodge]

We know, thats where about 75% of my sources are comin from. GA showed me NORML, and thx for it. Ive explored the website up and down.

[get me out of GA]

http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516
norml is an organization that is trying to legalize weed... and this link shows where pot is decriminalized and other laws

still a good link to show an overview of state by state regulations.

and yes I have made NORML very appearant in this thread.

"Fighting to end prohibition with education"

[irideROMEnow]

oh i didnt read the whole thing... theres 9 pages

[dhman82]

At my alma mater we had a norml group on campus that formed right before I left the campus so while I was there I was an actual member and it was very educational the things we discussed in our meetings usually twice a month...that was way out in the middle of nowhere in the NC mountains and now I live way in the middle of nowhere in the CO mountains...and heres some things with CO and NC that I figured I'd throw out there, and any Coloradans feel free to bring your input cuz I know NC laws a little better than Colorado's. So I am not claiming that what I say is the law or I am totally correct so correct me if I am wrong.

In NC, if caught with weed and/or paraphenalia, youre going to jail, simple as that, and the police do whatever they can to get you there...One night I got pulled for speeding, and had absolutely nothing in my car...yet the first words of a NC state trooper were..."so wheres the dope at?" Granted I probably was wearing some scraggly ratty t shirt and jeans with holes in em at the time that probably didnt help my cause, the mother fu cker shoulda kept it professional...

Ok as far as CO goes..I hear in Denver you cannot be charged for having under an ounce on you, but most people are stupid and carry bowls with them, or even a lighter with resin on it, which in some cases the law counts as paraphenalia..so it seems here the main way you screw yourself over is by having paraphenalia on ya besides the goods.

However I heard with that law in Denver, it onlly applies with city and maybe county sherriffs...but if a state trooper wanted to bust your ass I think they still could....well in the end, personally I dont take stupid risks like that so I am not worried about messing up my clean record...but it is just a great thing to know this stuff, so anyone else from CO who knows the deal or a government site to find this **** out for real???

[get me out of GA]

NORML, give you all the different regulations in every state.

Yeah, I knew NC was harsh about it. They have all that in many aspects. I think it was NC that banned tattooing. I'm sure it was eventually repealed, but there are some places that are just more strict than others.

However, also let it be known that they have also done marijuana research there. Mars Hill, NC was the site for research involving marijuana use during pregnancy......

[get me out of GA]

bumpity bump bump........

[punkrock89]

I just got some boots, Burton Ruler, that are made of hemp. I know, kinda random. But I'm bored.

[BearAssLodge]

You can make alot of things out of hemp. One of the reasons to legalize hemp production. Hemp shirts are itchy, but you can make lots of other useful products, even hemp oil to be refined into bio diesel.

[get me out of GA]

burton makes hemp boots? they would............

I did see a year or two ago that burton had a backpack made out of hemp. The enitre backpack was solar powered so it charged your ipod while just riding all day. That magical backpack was sweet, but not worth the like 400 or 600 that they charged for it

[BearAssLodge]

http://www.theclickworldwide.com/ruler-boot-hemp-2007-p-3098.html

it even looks like its got pockets on back for "goodies", lol.

[punkrock89]

Hahaha... yeah I noticed that too. It has like 4 stash pockets (that I know of). That's the thing about a lot of clothing by surf, skate, and snow companies, the clothing usually has atleast one stash pocket for weed. Some of the stash pockets are well hidden too. Hell, I've had several articles of clothing- mainly shorts- for several weeks, or even months, and then all of a sudden find a new pocket I never knew before.

[dirtyjerz]

Hahaha... yeah I noticed that too. It has like 4 stash pockets (that I know of). That's the thing about a lot of clothing by surf, skate, and snow companies, the clothing usually has atleast one stash pocket for weed. Some of the stash pockets are well hidden too. Hell, I've had several articles of clothing- mainly shorts- for several weeks, or even months, and then all of a sudden find a new pocket I never knew before.

my friends confire jacket has a ventilated inside pocket.

my quiksliver shorts have a hidden pocket on the inside.

[BearAssLodge]

I discover pockets in my jackets all the time. My volcom pants have about 5 stash pockets. i have an oilskin drover coat that has like 3 hidden pockets for boose. i might wear it snowboarding someday.

[BadMongo]

lol people are born with a natural stash pocket...you just might be considered gay if you use it hahahaha

[punkrock89]

:pound: ahahaha... that's funny.

[BearAssLodge]

HA. My friend had to stuff 5 g's up there in school so he wouldn't get caught, I wouldn't want to do that.

[punkrock89]

Damn.... that'd really suck. I don't know if I could do that. My ass is for exit only.

[get me out of GA]

ahh the pains of smuggling........



now Back To Topic.


(pretty much because this is my favorite sba thread right now)

[BearAssLodge]

I know this thread is about the legalization of marijuana for good uses. Lets talk about recreation =D. Whats everybody gonna do on 420? I know I'm prolly gonna split and ounce with my buddy Crispy. Idk where I'm gonna go, but it'll be fun, lol. Yea and screw rolling fattys and smokin blunts...heres the way to go

HITS FROM DA BONG

[dhman82]

for 4/20 I am moving outta where I currently live I think and into a new place....so maybe I will have to christen the new crib in grand fashion, every room of the place all day long...what a nice new start, right?

holla

[steezeball]

holla back

[Randaddy]

huhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhhuhuhuh

[get me out of GA]

Back To Topic!!!!

[Skarz]

New Mexico became the 12th state to legalize medical marijuana earlier this month. If anyone cares to learn more, here's a link... http://cannabisculture.com/articles/4919.html

Minnesota is getting close to legalizing it as well! OVERGROW THE GOVERNMENT!

[get me out of GA]

Oh ****, NH check it out!!!!!




N.H. HOUSE APPROVES GROWING HEMP
by Norma Love, Associated Press Writer, (Source:Foster's Daily Democrat)
06 Apr 2007


New Hampshire
-------
CONCORD, N.H. ( AP ) - The House voted Thursday to allow farmers to grow hemp - a close relative of marijuana - despite federal hurdles to planting the controversial crop.

Supporters pointed out that hemp, which has a very low content of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, has unfairly been characterized as the same as marijuana.

"You don't smoke hemp. A wheelbarrow full would only make you sick," insisted Hopkinton Democrat Derek Owen.

"Hemp is one of the oldest and most useful and strongest natural plants known to man," he told the House.

Peterborough Republican Andrew Peterson spoke briefly against the bill, urging the House to kill it.

But the House voted 190-76 to send it to the Senate.

Hemp, known for its strong fiber, is used in a wide range of products, including clothing, canvas, rope, fiberglass, insulation, automobile clutch- and brake-liners, cement and paper. It can be grown legally in other countries, including Canada.

"No one confuses water with vodka though they look the same," Owen said.

Hemp can be grown only with permission from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration. North Dakota farmers are currently trying to get DEA permission to grow hemp under that state's rules.

"This is in the end an issue of liberty. Small farmers in the state need all the help they can get," Owen said.

The bill would let farmers grow hemp after obtaining a permit. The state would issue licenses to grow hemp and be the sole supplier of the seed. The state also would regulate the industry. People with criminal records involving drug offenses within 10 years would not qualify for a permit.

The House passed a bill two years ago to allow farmers to grow hemp, but the Senate killed it.

[sidebar]

FACTS ABOUT HEMP:

Hemp is a close relative of marijuana; both are classified scientifically as cannabis sativa.

Hemp generally is defined as cannabis sativa containing less than 1 percent THC, the mind-altering chemical in marijuana. The National Institute for Drug Abuse defines marijuana as cannabis sativa containing more than 3 percent THC.

There are more than 400 varieties of cannabis.

Hemp, known for its strong fiber, is used in a wide range of products, including clothing, canvas, rope, fiberglass, insulation, automobile clutch- and brake-liners, cement and paper.

Hemp seeds are considered a health food rich in essential amino acids.

Hemp seeds can be pressed for oil, which is used in skin lotions, shampoos, soap and cosmetics.

In Russia, hemp butter is considered superior to peanut butter.

Hemp is a stalky plant that typically reaches heights of 8 feet to 12 feet.

Hemp was brought to South America from Spain in 1545. The first use of hemp in North America is attributed to the Puritans in New England, who used it with flax to produce cloth.

Hemp can be grown legally in other countries.


NOW GO MAKE YOUR CARS RUN OFF HEMP OIL!!!!!!

[get me out of GA]

Here's a little more news if anyone's interested, nothing really new, its just good to read sometimes:


DOUBLE STANDARD PERSISTS ON MARIJUANA
by Lydia Martin, (Source:Miami Herald)
04 Jun 2007

Florida
-------
At a recent backyard barbecue in Miami's Upper Eastside, a group of middle-age, middle-class folks tamely sipped berry cocktails and beers. Among them: a couple of lawyers, a couple of city administrators and an arts administrator. Somewhere between the skirt steak and the apple pie, somebody lit a joint and passed it around.

Nobody blinked. Even in mainstream, white-collar settings, smoking marijuana can be commonplace and unremarkable, like having a little wine with dinner.

Once a stamp of the arty, the marginal and the counterculture, today marijuana's popularity cuts across social boundaries. Yet several high-profile marijuana arrests have recently made headlines, highlighting the hazy double standard that exists around an illegal, potentially harmful drug that continues to encroach into the mainstream:

In March, Lawrence Korda, 59, a Broward Circuit Court judge, was charged with openly smoking marijuana in a park in Hollywood. Korda completed a drug and alcohol program to erase the misdemeanor charge, and must take monthly random drug tests for six months and perform 25 hours of community service.

Last month, Utpal Dighe, 31, a prosecutor in the Miami-Dade state attorney's office, was fired after police charged him with buying marijuana from a street dealer in Coconut Grove.

Also last month, Ricky Williams, 30, erstwhile superstar running back for the Dolphins, probably ended his Miami career by testing positive for marijuana for the fifth time.

For good or ill, people from all walks smoke weed. In fact, 40.1 percent of all Americans 12 years old and up admit having tried marijuana at least once -- and 6 percent acknowledge having used it in the past month, federal drug surveys show. The FBI says 786,500 people were arrested for it in 2005, the latest figures available.

One group at least modestly turning away from marijuana is middle- and high-schoolers, ages 12 to 17. The percentage who have used pot at least once dropped from more than 20 percent in 2000 to about 17 percent in 2005, federal researchers say.

"I don't know if more people are smoking or more people are admitting it," said Betsy Wise, a Miami stand-up comic. Wise recently started to freelance for a New York ad agency. She confided in a co-worker that a friend was delivering pot brownies to the office -- and told him to help himself.

"When I got to the agency, all but a few of the brownies were gone," Wise said. "Pretty much everyone partook, right in the office. They all greeted me with smiles. I thought that was remarkable. I would have expected maybe one or two people would have been simpatico."

More and more, weed is cropping up in the popular culture. It isn't just the domain of hip-hop records with parental-guidance labels. On cable-TV shows like Six Feet Under,The Sopranos,Entourage and The L Word, characters have sparked up casually, the way they might sip merlot, without their marijuana use being part of any plot development or morality tale.

And it isn't just cable. On ABC's Brothers & Sisters, Sally Field's character gets high. The kids on That '70s Show often emerged from clouds of funny smoke.

Going Upscale

"I think there is more of a laissez-faire attitude these days about smoking pot," said Jenji Kohan, creator of Showtime's Weeds, about a mother who sells marijuana to make ends meet after her husband dies unexpectedly. 'One of the things that I find interesting is that there are boutique farms that are really into their strains. It reminds me of when wine started to become really popular and people started talking about this vine and that grape. Marijuana has become more upscale. In L.A., dealers have full menus of 'unique teas.' "

Not that marijuana use is a function of wealth.

For $20 on the street, a buyer can score one-eighth ounce of low-grade marijuana from Mexico, Belize or Jamaica -- enough for four or five cigarettes. For $800, the connoisseur can acquire an ounce of exotic, extra-potent marijuana grown from modern hybrids in hydroponic labs or special soil indoors in "grow-houses" from Pompano Beach to Coral Gables, said James Hall, director of the Center for the Study and Prevention of Substance Abuse at Nova Southeastern University.

"It's like wine; you can buy an expensive one or you can buy the jug stuff," Hall said.

The truth is, for all of the marijuana possession arrests, police often look the other way, or let smokers go with friendly warnings.

At a Snoop Dogg concert at a Fort Lauderdale club a while back, a uniformed officer stood by unflinchingly as Snoop, and dozens in the audience, sent up telltale clouds.

"It's selective enforcement," said Miami musician Todd Thompson, who doesn't have a problem admitting that he gets high. "At Langerado [a Broward outdoor music festival], there was smoking going on everywhere. I wouldn't do it in front of a cop, just in case. But cops don't always do something about a little marijuana smoke."

Marijuana laws are a mishmash among the 50 states. It isn't entirely legal anywhere, but 12 states have at least partly decriminalized it, to the point that in Alaska there is no penalty for possessing an ounce or less at home.

In Florida, possession of 20 grams or less -- 28 grams would be an ounce -- is a misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine; having more than 20 grams is a felony worth five years and/or a $5,000 fine.

Over the decades, debate about whether marijuana should be legalized has remained lively.

Said Howard Finkelstein, Broward County public defender and legal guru of the "Help Me Howard" segment on WSVN-Fox 7: 'We're making war on our own people. We take good fathers and lawyers and doctors and wives and make them outlaws. We're playing a stupid and harmful game of 'gotcha.' "

Some support for legalization comes from the belief that it's not dangerous to health, says Dr. J. Bryan Page, professor of anthropology and psychiatry and an expert on substance abuse in the University of Miami Department of Psychiatry.

"A student I knew claimed to be part of a group who all had grade-point averages over 3.6 who were very regular users," he said. 'She wanted me to study them to counter all the 'Just say no' stuff."

White House drug czar John Walters, not surprisingly, sees it differently. In April, his office released an analysis from the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project that said the level of THC -- the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana -- has more than doubled since 1983, from 4 percent to 8.5 percent.

'Wake-Up Call'

"This new report serves as a wake-up call for parents who may still hold outdated notions about the harms of marijuana," his announcement said.

The increased potency is from the exotic new hybrids and sophisticated indoor growing techniques, says Nova Southeastern's Hall.

Marijuana-related emergency-room visits increased from 45,000 in 1995 to 119,000 in 2002, the most recent comparison available, federal drug officials say.

Added Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse: "Science has shown that marijuana can produce adverse physical, mental, emotional and behavioral changes, and -- contrary to popular belief -- it can be addictive."

Norman Kent, a Fort Lauderdale lawyer and board member of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, scoffed: "More people died last year from eating spinach than smoking pot."

[Burton Doom]

pot being illigal is retarted for so many reasons. go ct.

[meanie]

hell yea it should be legalized and NOT just for medicinal purposes. it's happening already, i believe denver legalized it first and hopefully it's going to spread like wildfire!

pot being illigal is retarted for so many reasons. go ct.

it's "illegal" and "retarded" btw

[boardordi3]

i smoke weed once a week normally, in the summer at least, and a lot of times after or before riding. i use a vaporizer though :D, that way, no smoke damage, just THC haha

[BearAssLodge]

Well CT is getting closer. the bill for medical use is on its way to be in Gov. Rell's hands, and if she doesn't sign or veto the bill in 15 days of it falling into her hands,it automatically becomes law. one step closer.

[get me out of GA]

Thats a very safe way to do it, pretty much NO harm whatsoever from the smoke, and ALL of the benefits of THC.

[meanie]

i don't get the hype with the vaporizer. you gotta wait for it to reach a certain temperature and then after each hit you gotta wait some more. what a pos. i smoke dutchies (i know it's really bad for me but that's what i'm used to and i can't seem to get as high smoking any other way for some reason). hookahs are my fave way to smoke but to keep the charcoal from burning the weed too fast i either have to mix it with that wet tobacco stuff (which i'm trying not to do since i quite smoking cigarettes almost 2 years ago) or use the screen but if i want to use the screen then i have to fill the bowl all the way to the top (and it's a pretty big bowl so not very practical for everyday use).

[get me out of GA]

I mean its all preference. The thing about vaporizer is that they are safer and better for you. Is smoking by other means (ESPECIALLY if you dont smoke cigarettes) going to kill you? ....very unlikely
Marijuana smoke has actually been used to reduce lung cancer caused by tobacco.

My preference......

whatever's available at most convenient at the time...

[dirtyjerz]

i missed this thread.

[tehsam]

my thots: just let it burn....

[boardordi3]

I mean its all preference. The thing about vaporizer is that they are safer and better for you. Is smoking by other means (ESPECIALLY if you dont smoke cigarettes) going to kill you? ....very unlikely
Marijuana smoke has actually been used to reduce lung cancer caused by tobacco.

My preference......

whatever's available at most convenient at the time...
yeah i pretty much do whatevers available too
if im at my house, just chillin out or whatever, i use my vaporizer,
if i'm at my friends house at 1 am, ill just take a hit from whatever they're lighting haha

[get me out of GA]

Didn't bush do coke back in the day?

Well he wasn't the only politician who has used to abuse the same thing that they are trying to condemn people for now. This article is about a senator that was just like many of us at our age, but now he's turning into a politician trying to stop the "war on drugs" even though he was part of the "problem" at a younger age............. hipocrite



SENATOR, YOU USED TO BE A POT HEAD -- NOW YOU'RE TALKING LIKE A NARC
by Norman Kent, (Source:AlterNet)