So do you think cannabis should be totally outlawed, legal for medical uses, or legal for anyone over the age of 18/21 to use for recreational uses? Debate what you think here.
At least legal for medical use IMO. As for being legal to anyone over 18/21 - it has worked in some countries like The Nederlands, but I'm honestly not sure if it would in countries like Australia or the USA.
Cannabis has been used for therapeutic and medicinal use for quite a long time, also it was used in ancient traditions that involved spiritualism and such ideas. The reason that cannabis is illegal at our current age is that when it is abused it becomes a problem and our civilizations do not have the maturity required to consume cannabis. I live in Africa and if I want to I could buy cannabis on the streets with the slightest difficulties. Even the taxi drivers here sell/smoke it (It's Very Very VERY common here where I live). Although it would be beneficial to legalize it, I think it could wait a while.... Also If you look at it from a more medical point of view: ~Cannabis = Gets you high, , Social interaction if wanted, Intensifies certain senses, more Open minded, You can make cookies/tea/brownies out of it, I mean who refuses cookies/tea/brownies... ~Smoking normal cigarettes = Increases your chances of lung cancer, , Highly addictive, Terrible smell... Also yes I have tried both, and yes if you ever decided to look at my profile I am currently 16 (but not one of those: "NOOB PISS F*** SH*** MRD C** SWEET SH***" no, I am going to University in about 6 months and I hope my age does not affect your view on my opinion since I find it to be as valid as any other.)
Growing up as the daughter of a police officer; some of the horror stories I've heard from my father and his co-workers about pot users, and how they've seen kids lives destroyed by it I'm going to have to say no: I don't support the legalization of cannabis at all. More to the point, as it stands it is illegal. Anyone that smokes it has already proven that they have no respect for the law unless it's convenient for them.
Go for it. We in america like to abuse bath salts and eat other peoples faces off. Pot is tons better than that.
It should be treated like alcohol... taxed, regulated, and legal up to a point where someone else's life is at risk (for example, driving while high). The problem remains in determining those situations and/or when a person is too "high" (similar to BAC).
Arkansas has medical marijuana on the ballet this year. I'm really hoping it passes cause I'm someone who can benefit from it's MEDICAL legalization. I've been smoking on and off for years (I'm 26). I have done tones of research on it (reading) and have known plenty of users. I have yet to see a compelling argument that would keep it illegal vs. the good it would do. There are millions of people who could benefit from it's medical uses and of course millions who will abuse it, but those who choose to abuse will do it if it is illegal or not so might as well tax those fools . The reason I started smoking wasn't for the "cool" factor or cause it's something fun, I started because it helped with a number of issues I had (insomnia, depression (which lead to me losing weight...ya don't lose weight on weed), back issues). It was the only thing I had access to being that I had no insurance to get any real help and it was more affordable than seeking medical treatment (go USA!). It was the best medicine/escape for someone on the grind. Most the people I knew who were in my same situation were users (some parents) and they never had any life destroying side affects, it was the opposite. I know it saved my life and I'm sure some others that I know. It is in no way shape or form a gateway drug...I'm so sick of people saying this. I've never touched anything but weed, and every other user I know is the same way. A dumbass who does weed as well as other narcotics is going to be a dumbass, narcotic users and weed users should not be put in the same boat. It is not addictive like all other narcotics, like I said I've smoked for years and have quit many times either because I just didn't need it or couldn't find any. I haven't touched any in months even though I've been around it weekly. I have medication now but still wouldn't mind a J for my occasional panic attacks that nothing else seems to help, that being the main reason I want a prescription for it now. People who can drink responsibly can also smoke responsibly, it isn't that serious of a drug...tired of the media demonizing it although I have seen that decline a bunch. From what I have seen over the years it's only a matter of time before it is decriminalized due to the simple fact that actual KNOWLEDGE is being spread about it and not bullshit.
I see people who seem to have the impression that making something illegal makes it disappear, when in fact it ensures its proliferation, especially if it is something that is popular and easy to make or get a hold of. Just look at what happened in the prohibition with alcohol. Weed might mess people up, but the simple fact is that it is here and it is going to stay. It is impossible to get rid of it. Legalization of weed would allow for its control. It would still be a problem, but less of one than it is now.
Just because something would be around while illegal is not a compelling justification, nor argument, for its legalization. Murder is illegal, is going to always be around; there's no justification, nor argument, for legalizing murder. I don't see any particularly reason it should be legalized. Appeals to the "But Alcohol is legal, and it's worse!" or "But Smoking is legal, and it's worse!" are fallacious arguments. Just because something else is legal, doesn't necessarily mean it SHOULD be legal, nor in any way, shape, or form, suggests that Cannabis should be legal. As to "Medical" uses... This is a system rife with abuses. It's a sham, a facade, a veneer that tries to make it appear wholly legitimate and acceptable. It's a distraction, trying to run around traditional arguments and invent a justification that honestly is very thin. As to legalization countering Cartels and criminal elements... Uhm. I am skeptic in the extreme, as Mexican Cartels are running cigarettes, a famously legal drug. There's no reason it would drive them out of business.
The argument for "It's going to be around" seems to be less of an argument about it's abundance and more on the money we spend on trying to fight it's existence. The billions that would be saved fighting every dealer/user and possible billions made from taxing/controlling it is where that argument is going. America already has taxes on murder in the sale of firearms if ya wanna stretch things out. There have been economists state how affective legalizing weed would be to our country, not with just controlling it but as well as creating jobs for all the dispensaries, cafe's, and whatever else may come of it. As for the "Medical" uses...that is still something that needs a ton more research I agree. Our countries laws make that research very hard to come by it seems but there is some weight to it. I'm still waiting to see "traditional arguments" hold any ground. You also have to admit that legalizing would hurt the cartels. It is considered to be a large percent of their profit but it wouldn't destroy them, more like a short term setback. Mexican cartels have their hands in just about everything so no single market take down is going to take them out. No one can say for sure how much this would hurt the criminal underworld because no country has legalized marijuana production...not even the Netherlands that many people believe to be true.
Taken from a WebMD article that remained fairly unbiased. But lets just focus on what I've seen with my own eyes. - Friends that start smoking pot at an early age (13) also abused alcohol and smoking at a young age. They had terrible grades, many became dropouts, all of them have gone on to try harder drugs. Two are dead. Oh and did I mention these same people were more likely to do idiotic things like vandalism and petty theft? As well as just being generalized ignoramuses in public? - Friends who tried pot once or twice or didn't care for it after trying it were more promiscuous and likely to do dangerous things; including but not limited to getting way drunk underage at parties and going home with strangers (females) due to their lessened comprehension. - Every single student that I know got arrested during my high school and middle school years was a pot user. - People that dealt pot eventually moved on to dealing much harder things. Out of the 20 or so people that I knew personally that smoked pot on a regular basis, perhaps two of them were on track for graduation. I'm sure there were people around me that smoked but just didn't tell anyone. I'm sure you can be successful while doing pot. That is not sarcasm. I have noticed personally however a larger burden to society that comes with people who do smoke. As for what gretar said, my point still stands. Anyone that smokes pot in a region where it is illegal to do so has already proven that they have no respect for the law unless it is convenient for them. That doesn't mean they are thugs. I'd say we've become so desensitized that smoking pot is about as severe as illegal downloading is now a days. Are you breaking the law? Yes. Is it a severe crime? No. The dutch have been making some very massive efforts to make their laws concerning pot more strict and prohibitive of minors accessibility to the product and the underground (cartels, traffickers, etc) being the major supplier of all the product. They are extremely unhappy with the type of tourist being attracted to their country based off of the publicity of their policy; and how many of their minors are using it. On another note, the uncontrolled growth, sale, and use of cannabis isn't really legal in pretty much any of the European countries that I know of. The regulations concerning it are intensely strict and limited. You will be in deep trouble if caught with weed while being caught committing another crime. You can not have more than a certain amount on you at any given time. In some countries it's more of a "yeah its okay as long as we don't see it" type of thing. This is not legalization, it's toleration. I don't think Americans are ready to take on the responsibility that comes with this sort of thing; nor do I think the government would not try to put it's hands all into it, around it, and over it. You are already seeing issues where doctors that are known to give out medical cannabis permits are so backed up that they can't keep up; or are corrupting the process. Then you have people sharing with their friends, people growing their own, and buying for others. Why pay premium at the doctors office when you can just buy from Juán at the corner of the dark alley for 1/3rd the cost? As far as all the medical claims... there are articles being published every single day about how some new thing will give you cancer or how that same thing cures it. Most research done for these kinds of things is done because some company with a major profit to be made from the research being skewed in their favor has paid for it to happen; no matter how far fetched. Does weed help for some things? Sure. Are there alternatives that wont reduce your reaction times and make you stoned? Absolutely. It's a touchy subject. Either way the bottom line here is: I have never met an open pot user that wouldn't be better off if they weren't using pot. The same can be said for smokers and drinkers. This can mean personality wise, contribution to society wise, financially, or a variety of different aspects.
From what you've seen.. "also abused alcohol at young age" That's the problem, that's what made them drop-outs. and they were 13..
