What's wrong with weed?

[Urza]

In an ideal world, tobacco and alcohol would be illegal too.

We have learned that that is of course not a realistic possibility, from our governments' original attempt at prohibition to marijuana's federal status today. All banning does is sweep everything under the table and out to dark alleys and street corners (or to your friend "Jimmy" who has a "source", hopefully not laced with lead or antifreeze). It takes money away from legitimate farmers and gives it to gangsters.

People will get their fix regardless, so better to have everything above board and regulated.

 

[Foxi4]

In an ideal world, tobacco and alcohol would be illegal too.

We have learned that that is of course not a realistic possibility, from our governments' original attempt at prohibition to marijuana's federal status today. All banning does is sweep everything under the table and out to dark alleys and street corners (or to your friend "Jimmy" who has a "source", hopefully not laced with lead or antifreeze). It takes money away from legitimate farmers and gives it to gangsters.

People will get their fix regardless, so better to have everything above board and regulated.

Very much so. Legalizing it would create numerous new work places and naturally would increase the quality of the end product while simultainously taking away money from the mob.

 

[Deleted-188346]

People will get their fix regardless, so better to have everything above board and regulated.

Apply that logic to heroin, crack cocaine, and meth.

But anyway, weed will then be advertised and marketed. Also, whos to say that the big bad meanie gangsters won't continue their trade, just beating the prices of official distributers? These people don't just shrivel up and die when you legalise their products. Criminals are generally very skilled at adapting.

I dislike this entire argument because, from my view, it seems to not be fueled by what's right, or what's best for their society and country.
It seems to simply be fueled by the selfish urge to want to smoke weed without fear of being busted, or their dealer being busted.

But, that's just my personal opinion.

 

[Foxi4]

But anyway, weed will then be advertised and marketed.

Not necessarily. Look at Poland - it is forbidden to advertise harmful substances such as cigarettes or high volume alcohol in Poland in forms other than merch, like lighters or shot glasses in pubs. You don't get to see any adverts of that kind, at all. The only alcohol that may be advertised is beer, and still they have to slap the "I'm sober when I'm driving" signs all around the place. The fact that the distribution of something is legal doesn't mean that it requires advertising - how would you brand and advertise weed?

 

[Deleted-188346]

how would you brand and advertise weed?

That'd be a fun project for high school. So many answers!

Not necessarily. Look at Poland - it is forbidden to advertise harmful substances such as cigarettes or high volume alcohol in Poland in forms other than merch, like lighters or shot glasses in pubs. You don't get to see any adverts of that kind, at all. The only alcohol that may be advertised is beer, and still they have to slap the "I'm sober when I'm driving" signs all around the place. The fact that the distribution of something is legal doesn't mean that it requires advertising - how would you brand and advertise weed?

Poland isn't America (which I'm assuming is the main country that we're talking about), but I'll admit that there is a possibility that advertising may be barred with legalisation within the US, but with a product with such immense potential profit to be made, and the, you know, strong capitalistic nature of America, I have my doubts.

 

[Urza]

People will get their fix regardless, so better to have everything above board and regulated.

Apply that logic to heroin, crack cocaine, and meth.

But anyway, weed will then be advertised and marketed. Also, whos to say that the big bad meanie gangsters won't continue their trade, just beating the prices of official distributers? These people don't just shrivel up and die when you legalise their products. Criminals are generally very skilled at adapting.

I dislike this entire argument because, from my view, it seems to not be fueled by what's right, or what's best for their society and country.
It seems to simply be fueled by the selfish urge to want to smoke weed without fear of being busted, or their dealer being busted.

The world exists in shades of grey, not black and white. Harder drugs have a much more immediate and detrimental health impact with little to no legitimate use-cases. If the government legalized suicide, would you suggest they legalize murder as well?

As for resilient gangsters, it's true. Crime will persist no matter what. With additional competition however, and as you say, they will likely have to lower prices to compete. There are also many people completely willing to spend a larger sum of money to guarantee a legitimate source. That means less profits for the gangs.

Going back to your qualifier for a moment, you claim "criminals are generally very skilled at adapting". I don't disagree. If you use that as justification for not making any attempt to combat them however, you might as well abolish law altogether and let said criminals run the place.

Disclaimer: As stated in my previous post, I'm not a fan of recreational drug use in any form.

 

[Gahars]

I have no interest in weed whatsoever... at the same time, though, I think that the laws in place against it are way too extreme. It seems that people are quick to demonize marijuana and ignore anyone who argues otherwise; without some openness, there is no way we as a society can seriously consider the actual risks and benefits it offers.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Okay there are waaay too many posts for me to reply to, so I'm just going to do it here then go on about my discussion. So quoted people, you're in the spoilers:

Guild:

Spoiler

Weed can still absolutely be a gateway drug.

That's the keyword there. It can be, but so can anything else. Coffee might as well be a gateway drink to energy drinks which are harmful for you.

EDIT: Okay on a second read the OP does sound a bit pretentious but I just think it was bad wording.

Maybe it was bad wording on my part, if it is I apologize. I didn't mean for it to come out as such.

Foxi:

Spoiler

Personally I have nothing againts weed, but I get the impression that this thread was not started to have a discussion but to "agree with the OP or be called close-minded in every

Not really. I wanted a discussion. Hence why I didn't go off on the people who posted saying it's bad. I accepted what they had to say no problem.

Brian117

Spoiler

Smoking weed isn't something to be passionate about. And if he feels it should be, then that weed must be working and being proof of it being harmful.

Even though you didn't bring on the me being passionate about it part, I'm just going to say that I'm not passionate about it, I just do it as a past time, it helps me focus, brings out the better in me, and really has changed me for the better. Just because someone feels that way, doesn't mean they're wrong. Before I started smoking, I was a shut in guy who stayed home every night and played games by himself. Then I started smoking, and all of a sudden I became a more sociable person, a fun guy to be hang out with, and have found that I have many talents that I never would have found out otherwise.

You are so fucking cool man. Teach me to be like you PLEASE!

I guess nothing affects you huh? I guess just because it doesn't affect you, it doesn't affect anybody else. You are god. Wow so cool.

EDIT: Also, why are you so mad stop being mad. Go smoke your precious weed and "relax" (as you think it is in your mind).

Okay sure, I probably shouldn't have called you a jackass, but before you bash me, look at the very first post of yours in this thread. Notice this thread started going downhill right after you posted? I was able to keep calm with Guild and actually discuss things with him. And hell, me and Guild have argued quite a bit in the past. Let me show you what your post was:

I love how the OP is so confident in his drug smoking habits, "I smoke it everyday", "But the weed I smoke...", "I smoke weed just for...". Bragging about smoking a drug that's still currently illegal, does not make you cool, nor should it make you FEEL cool just because you're breaking the law. Seriously, only the potheads are the ones that don't see a problem with weed. All the clean, above the influence people are the ones who have the correct outlook on weed. The majority of the people who smoke weed, smoke it for fun. They don't smoke weed just to cure certain problems with them. They smoke it to have the high feeling, which ends up making them do stupid shit. If weed was legalized, do you really want the population to go more downhill? Do you really want to see somebody walking down your street high as a kite not contributing to society? With the amount of potheads out in the world, you can basically already say weed IS legal since people are still doing it. So OP, why are you asking such a stupid question and stating that it should be legal, when you seem to be doing it anyways with no problems? There's no point in legalizing something that is already being abused nonetheless.

You expect me not to go out? Hell, everybody else in this thread is having an intelligent discussion, even with you. But your posts just come off as you being a dick and in a bad mood today.

Oh come on, you're going to sit there, in your chair, and say publicly, that he wasn't bragging or trying to show off having to state in every one of his posts what he uses his weed for? When it's all in his first post? Oh god, Guild...

That's not bragging dude. Stop classifying it as that and learn the definition of bragging.

It seems as if he is trying to influence people to go out and try weed if they haven't already. One of his posts was discussing the matter of prices, and where he buys it. The other posts are all him talking about how it helps him, as if weed will do the same for some other person.

If he didn't want anybody trashing his lifestyle, he should know this is a public forum where opinions are widely different. Did he expect all of GBAtemp to be potheads and agree with him so he can continue feeling good about smoking weed?

Influence people? Uh no. If I was to influence people, I'd smoke a bowl right now and say "Hey guys, weed is the shit. Nobody dies from it, it's awesome. It's better than being drunk. Everybody should try it". But I didn't. Discussing the prices? Did you read the discussion? Guild mentioned video games and brought up the price of them, I brought up the price of weed that we pay, I also just said "we buy it from one person for the last couple years".

And so what if I discuss how it helps me. Big whoop. It helps me, it doesn't help everybody, get over it. I didn't say it helped everybody, I said it helps me. You're blowing everything out of proportion.

Sterling

Spoiler

Does it matter? Its not your place to say what someone should and shouldn't do. If he's passionate about something, and someone wants to try it, you can't say anything against it.

I'm not passionate about it. It's just a past time for me, like playing video games or watching childhood movies.

Pyromanic:

Spoiler

Civilized manner? Have you not read any of his posts in this thread?

There's nothing wrong with my posts except for when Brian came in. Every other post has been calm and in a discussion with everybody else. Hell, I'm not even going off on you. Just brian because he came in here and couldn't post an actual response without bashing me.

Now, back on topic:

1) This made me laugh pretty hard. Patients were given cannabidiol, which is a compound found in marijuana. It's not "weed". [Source, likely the same source as you] Infact, adolescents who use marijuana are at a heightened risk of schizophrenia. And "Experts estimate that between 8% and 13% of all schizophrenia cases are linked to marijuna / cannabis use during teen years...". [Source]
2) Source? Googling just brings in results that say that marijuana use causes headaches and sleeping problems. Infact, googling both "weed reduces frequency of headaches" and "weed causes headaches" gives this as the first result.
3) While cigarettes are indeed more detrimental to health, what does it have to do with weed? Is it because tobacco is legalised and weed isn't? It's nothing short of amazing that tobacco hasn't been illegalised already. Weed shouldn't be legalised because tobacco is legal and worse for your physical health. The issue is far more complex than just physical health.
4) Lack of death and overdose doesn't mean that it's not harmful in other ways. That's like saying "butter is good because it has never spontaneously detonated and leveled a building".
5) Source? And, really? Cancer? Not any specific kind of cancer? Just...all cancers? Wowzers!

Again, it's been a while since I seen the link. I most likely read it wrong, and if I did, then shit, I fucked up. But I know for a fact I did read it's used as a treatment to help calm schizo's down.

Also, you can ask a lot of weed smokers in person, probably the best way to get the info, but it does help people sleep and is a great way to get rid of headaches (just like sex is).

And I'm not sure what kind of cancer, I'm sure the article I read mentioned what kind of cancer, but all I remember is it saying cancer. Apologies.

I didn't read any posts other than the first one, so apologies if this has been said already. From what I understand, Weed is illegal because it cuts into many paper businesses since weed is a cheaper alternative. Many people wonder why something like Cigarettes is legal but weed is not. That is one of the reasons.

Paper business? Why? I'm confused by this, how would weed affect the paper businesses?

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Paper business? Why? I'm confused by this, how would weed affect the paper businesses?

Just gonna answer this question, apparently you've never heard of the vast, various uses for marijuana besides smoking it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp

EDIT: Fun fact, apparently the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written on Hemp paper.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Paper business? Why? I'm confused by this, how would weed affect the paper businesses?

Just gonna answer this question, apparently you've never heard of the vast, various uses for marijuana besides smoking it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp

EDIT: Fun fact, apparently the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written on Hemp paper.

I knew it was used as paper, but I didn't know it still is.

 

[Sterling]

I didn't read any posts other than the first one, so apologies if this has been said already. From what I understand, Weed is illegal because it cuts into many paper businesses since weed is a cheaper alternative. Many people wonder why something like Cigarettes is legal but weed is not. That is one of the reasons.

Paper business? Why? I'm confused by this, how would weed affect the paper businesses?

Because hemp is like the bamboo plant of the west. It can be grown pretty much anywhere, requires very little attention and makes great paper. Even the cheap plants make great paper.

 

[Fibrizo]

drugs are bad mkay

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Paper business? Why? I'm confused by this, how would weed affect the paper businesses?

Just gonna answer this question, apparently you've never heard of the vast, various uses for marijuana besides smoking it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp

EDIT: Fun fact, apparently the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written on Hemp paper.

I knew it was used as paper, but I didn't know it still is.

Not so much in the US, but hemp is still used in TONS of products outside the US. It's so cheap to grow and has TONS of uses. Just look at the uses in that Wikipedia article, so much can be done with hemp so cheaply. And we as humans have been using it for YEARS AND YEARS AND DAMN SON YEARS.

 

[iluvfupaburgers]

drugs are bad mkay

depends which drug youre talking about. you have to remember that medicine is drug too. and i bet you like using them when you get sick

 

[Vampire Lied]

Other than it being illegal in my neck of the woods, I can only think of 2 other reasons not to smoke it.
The supposed unknown harmful chemicals/elements contained within (or released when smoked) and the fact that smoking anything is bad for you.
Other than that, I can't stand the smell.
I don't mind if other ppl do it, just not around me.
It being the mildest drug I know of, its not a horrible thing for ppl to consume compared to the likes of crystal.

 

[Zetta_x]

As a pure society person, I believe everything that I am told and weed is wrong... That's what is wrong with weed.

I can make up anything that remotely sounds bad about weed and force mindless masses to support it.

 

[Kioku]

As a pure society person, I believe everything that I am told and weed is wrong... That's what is wrong with weed.

I can make up anything that remotely sounds bad about weed and force mindless masses to support it.

Yea, that's just about how a lot of opinions are formed.. sadly...

 

[smile72]

I myself despise weed, but I believe that and every other drug should be legal (cocaine, PCP, heroin, etc.) let people do what they want. If they want to slowly (or quickly) kill themselves that's their problem.

 

[tatripp]

I have never smoked weed. I have been offered it many times. I drink here and there and I have smoked a few cigars and hookah a few times.
I got in an argument about the legalization of pot with my girlfriend. I was for the legalization and she was against it. She found statistics that said that people who smoked weed often became schizophrenic later in life. I told her it is more natural and better than tobacco.
I don't know why the government and politicians hate weed so much. Republicans hate it because it is a drug. I can't figure out why Democrats hate it cuz they could tax it and hippies, poor people, and many other liberals smoke it like crazy. Libertarians want it legalized because it is less government control.

I will never smoke it because most people I know who smoke it a lot have very low motivation. They are satisfied with living at home for a long time. I haven't seen any scientific study that weed lowers someone's motivation but that is why I won't use it. I am aware that it is possible that these people smoke weed because they don't have any motivation. I voted yes on legalizing it in California, but I'm not sure I would vote the same way next time. I always hear people saying that it isn't nearly as bad for you as cigarettes or even alcohol, but my psychology 101 professor told me it does physically change the brain (i'm not sure I believe it). In order for me to vote to legalize it again, I will have to have some actual valid studies saying that it isn't too harmful. I am for letting people make their own choices, even if they are bad as long as I don't have to pay for it, it isn't a crime against humanity, and that children or others who can't defend themselves won't be put in harms way.

 

[Shano56]

1: It's a gateway drug. Fact. It leads many, many people to end up trying harmful drugs. Or people end up smoking it laced with some harmful shit.

False. If someone goes on to doing harder drugs, they probably would have ended up doing it anyways. I know people who smoke weed and have done nothing harder. I know people who have done hard drugs before they have ever touched weed. Weed isn't the gateway.

This isn't entirely true or false, generally it depends on your social class, as basic as that may seem. Generally higher class people won't get into situations where other drugs are around. They'll usually get weed via a proxy or something like that. Lower class people however will usually be closer or involve themselves with people who have access to more drugs. Weed for them is absolutely a gateway drug. People think "It's just weed there's nothing wrong with that" and when they're offered the next drug (because having the connections to get weed directly often means having the connects for other drugs) they think "why not".

Where I live, it's generally upper-middle class and weed is a huge thing around here. I hear about people I would never think of smoking weed. A kid in my school is going to Harvard and the other day I heard that he was a major pot smoker. Of course there are some generally "lower class" people here who do smoke pot but there's a distinction. They look like the people who will enjoy drinking and would get themselves into something worse than weed while the upper class people will not get into these situations.

Weed can still absolutely be a gateway drug.

Also, on the whole medical marijuana thing, it pisses me off in general. You insult medical marijuana and they equate it to punching a person with cancer in the face. You know what, cancer patients deserve it if it really helps them. And I believe it does. But the system itself is incredibly broken and there are plenty of people who abuse it just to get free legal weed. Then there's also people who think pot is some sort of "miracle drug" that seemingly cures anything and people try to act like it'll make you live forever. It's not super healthy and there's plenty of issues that come with the drug that aren't strictly chemical. As mentioned, paranoia which equals stress, the infamous "munchies" often lead to a lot of eating of probably less-than-health foods, and apathy, a lot of things that end up being a slippery slope. There's a fair share of people who can smoke pot casually but there are probably more people who end up making it their life, to a point where they're almost nonfunctional when they're not stoned. People who have no motivation and just want to get stoned every day. I've seen kids in my school, kids I used to know and be friends with, go from bright young kids when we were younger to slipping into an abyss in high school. And it's not because they're somehow naturally inclined to, pot played a major part in it.

Okay, you are right. Weed can be a gateway drug (can, not is, not isn't). Depends on the person I guess. Cigarettes, alcohol, and other substances also contribute however.

I didn't read any posts other than the first one, so apologies if this has been said already. From what I understand, Weed is illegal because it cuts into many paper businesses since weed is a cheaper alternative. Many people wonder why something like Cigarettes is legal but weed is not. That is one of the reasons.

You are thinking of hemp, not canibis. Read here for more information: http://www.iamshaman.com/hemp/hemp.htm

Yes I have heard that the large paper manufacturer used politics and a lot of their money to put a blockade on and illegalize hemp (and thus the weed people like to smoke) for obvious business reasons. I'm not sure if thats true, or if it is, or if it just plays part. I don't really care to be honest, but yeah, just clearing the facts for you