[shovelnose]

[Lhiannan_Shee]

Actually, a lot of states have decriminalized (ei, oregon, alaska, et cetera... more west coast states), and support decriminalization, but have been forced by the American government to change their laws. Theres a list of those states somewhere. I mean, look at the situation with California and the legalization of medical marijuana..... the government steps in. It doesnt really matter WHAT the people want....

I actually have known quite a few friends and even family who have ruined their lives over other drugs....horrible situations. Sure, they started by smoking herb.... and it has been called a "gateway" drug, but I still believe studies have indicated that the majority of people who try pot do not progess into further drugs. Like, for example, the only other drugs i have done have been pyscadellics. In my mind, I don't really consider that very serious though. I definately don't promote the use of those kind of drugs though. True, not everyone has that kind of willpower, but if someone has serious issues, they will find SOMETHING to use as a crutch.

I honestly do believe that society has been brainwashed by propaganda.... which is basically what caused this whole situation.... but I mean, I definately DO understand your viewpoint and have probably been through a simular situation, but I still would not call pot a culprit in any of those situations. It's an easy thing to blame though. I won't argue though, that certain people should, at all costs, stay away from any kind of impairment, and if marijuana becomes legal, it should be reserved for responsible adults...
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[PondScm007]

what lihanna said, the US legal policies for marijuana or any drugs are absolutely rediculous, and it bugs me that the main goal seems to be spreading rediculous falsehoods and broad incorrect generalities about drugs, while a much better way to reduce harm would be to actually educate people about drugs. statements like

[KopiKat]

*grumble* gotta bring me back into this, sheesh.

I made the statement that drugs are hazardous to your health based on facts presented by the CDC (the center for disease controll), the FDA (food and drug administration), and the NIDA (national institute on drug abuse).

Here are the facts:

Marijuana:

Detrimental Short Term Side Effects: Lessens sensory perception, increases reaction time, and decreases short term memory and inhibitions.

Detrimental Long Term Side Effects: Very similar effects to smoking (possible lung cancer, emphezima, and tar build up). Decreased sperm count and motility. Studies have shown that Marijuana smoke can impair the ability of the immune system's T-Cells to combat infections within the lungs. Studies have also shown that THC can speed up the loss of brain cells due to aging. In rats exposed to THC every day over an 8 month period(approxomately 1/3rd of their life span), the rats exposed showed a loss of brain cells comparable to that of rats twice their age. Possibility of being addicted, high blood pressure, and possible heart damage have all been recorded.

Beneficial Short Term Side Effects: The reduction of pain

Beneficial Long Term Side Effects: Possible quality of life improvements due to the neutralization of cronic pain.

Alcohol:

Short Term Detrimental Side Effects: Impairment of motor skills, decreased sensory perception, possible memory loss, reduction of inhibitions, possibility of alcohol poisoning

Long Term Detrimental Side Effects: Serrhosis of the liver, liver damage, increased chance to catch Hepititis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, damage to heart, the list goes on and on.

Short Term Beneficial Side Effects: Nutritional qualities, such as calories, minerals, and enzymes. Reduction of overall pain. Hydration.

Long Term Beneficial Side Effects: In moderation, it has been proven that Red Wine and other select alcoholic products can improve circulation and generally improve physical condition. The truth to this study is still being debated



It is quite clear that these two common substances, one legal and one illegal, have extremely hazardous side effects, which vastly outweight their beneficial side effects when used in anything more than extreme moderation. Does this mean you shouldn't use them? If you value your own health, and the health of others around you, you shouldn't.

Yes they do have beneficial side effects. Yes they do make you feel good. However the fact of the matter is that they do have extremely detrimental side effects on your body, in any amount. Now, I'm not gonna force anything on you, but I will tell you, based on the factual evidence provided, that drugs such as cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, heroin, LSD, and misused prescription drugs are all hazardous to your health.

It isn't my place to tell you what you can and can't do, and I'm not going to. But i will make sure that you know what you are doing to your body, and possibly to those around you, so that you can make the decision yourself. If you choose not to use such substances, you will most likely live a longer and happier life as a result. What you do in your own home, in my opinion, is your own business, and it is your decision to put toxins into your body. If you feel comfortable endangering your health, then so be it, it is your decision.

-KK

P.S. My sources include www.cdc.gov, www.fda.gov, www.nida.nih.gov, and www.nap.edu
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[Stevo]

[KopiKat]

Depends on the kind stevo, the less alchoholic stuff can hydrate you.

-KK
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[Krauty]

there are other ways...i work for the judicial system and hear a lot from drug court, but i cant say even if i was sober enough to remember, i couldnt :X
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"I think it's dumb when people say video games affect kids negatively, I mean, if Pac-Man affected us, we'd all be hanging out in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive music...." (Trance)

-unknown

[Potato-VS-]

You forgot to mention that it's also a enterence drug as well kopi.

I know about 8 or 9 people at my school who did weed regularly - practically daily - only 3 months ago. Now their doing coke, acid, shrooms, etc. If weed is the first step into taking heavier drugs, then isn't it just as bad as crack or heroine?

Drugs ARE bad... You can say that taking too much of anything is bad for you, but drugs hurt you quicker than drinking too much water, etc. You can say that there are no long term side-effects to weed all you want. It doesn't really matter what you think, just because there they haven't found any side effects doesn't mean there aren't any. Look at smoking. No one realized that smoking caused lung cancer 60 years ago, did they? Did anyone know about what second hand smoke can do to children 40 years ago? Or babies for that matter? Nope. Until someone discovered that they had negative side effects everyone assumed that it wasn't bad for you. Assume all you want, they're bad. And it's safer to avoid them and not take them then it is to face the alternative and assume that their safe when they might not be.

There's also the issue of what people do when they are high on crack or weed. Or what a drunk driver can do. Drugs can ruin anyone's life in a second.

[kamikaze]

I smoke on occassion. I've done harder drugs such as exctasy, shrooms, 2c-i and a variety of pharms. I'm also carrying a 3.7 GPA on my way to a Bachelor's degree in Management of Information Systems. Just because some people are irresponsible and can't control their animal impulses doesn't mean I should be punished.

If I had the choice between smoking some weed or drinking some alcohol to get messed up (and I don't have to, I choose to) I would take weed any day. I can function so much better the day after I smoke some weed than when I drink a bunch of alcohol. I don't have to worry about waking up with a splitting headache, being irritable, being SEVERLY dehydrated, or having my stomach feel like it would fall out at any time. Call me crazy, but I like weed better.

Now, people have asked "Why don't you do other things to relax?". My answer is, I.AM.NOT.YOU. I find it much more relaxing to do a few bong rips than it is to read a book. That may be different for you, but that's what is so beautiful about life, not everyone is the same.
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i told you i was hardcore.

[KopiKat]

I understand your position kamikazi, you are not me, and you find that you relax much better when under the influence of chemical substances. Fine, if you are responsible and in the safety and security of your own home, I have no complaint, and as long as nobody finds out about it, you shouldn't be punished.

I respect your right and desire to destroy your body and pollute your health. It is YOUR decision to take those actions.

Just remember this: when you ruin your health and your life by using drugs, it is YOUR fault and nobody elses, and don't expect anybody else to feel sympathy. It may seem harsh saying that, but it's the truth, and if you don't like it, YOU alone have the power to stop using drugs and improve your health. You have the power to help or hurt yourself.

Which will you choose?
Which ever choice you make, you will have to live with the consequences.

-KK
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[kamikaze]

I'm actually very healthy despite my drug use. I limit myself to one soft drink a day, eat right and lift weights and run.

I realize I'm the exception and not the standard.
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i told you i was hardcore.

[Royce]

Quick insight, running and lifting weights and watching what you eat, doesn't balance the effects of weed, or any drugs for that matter. Your lungs are not meant to inhale smoke, your body works off of clean air. Eventually its going to catch up to you, no matter how good you work out and eat, its not a natural substance in your body, it will take its toll on you.

No matter how much you disagree at this time, any drug will take advantage of you. It doesn't matter how strong willed you are, or how wonderful you can operate under the influence of Pot and other drugs. Eventually it will harm you. I have countless friends who have not neccessarily ruined their lives, but decreased their overall potential. 4.0 highschool QPA's, 3.8 college GPA's, now they work as Pizza delivery guys or can't find a job period due to criminal records. One could have been an outstanding boxer, another an all American soccer player... at first they were like everyone else "oh dude, i just smoke occasionally, just for fun, it won't harm me, i do it just to relax... every once in a while won't hurt me, if it starts to i'll stop..." until they couldn't. No matter how much will power they had. I'm not saying everyone is the same, but track records show that it does take a toll on you... Don't assume that "one day" you will be able to just give it up, and don't think theres always a way out. Cuz thats when it will get you.

I hope you all don't ruin any opportunities you have, or set you back from being able to excel in whatever it is you want to do.
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[Lhiannan_Shee]

The data from previous studies, published in numerous books and scholarly journals, covered such matters as marijuana's effects on the brain, lungs, immune and reproductive systems; its impact on personality, developmental and motivational states; and its addictive potential.

Although these studies did not answer all remaining questions about marijuana toxicity, they generally supported the idea that marijuana was a relatively safe drug -- not totally free from potential harm, but unlikely to create serious harm for most individual users or society.

The following list will hopefully demystify several myths about marijuana use and help answer a lot of serious questions:


HEALTH RISK MYTHS AND REALITIES
Marijuana Overdose
There is no existing evidence of anyone dying of a marijuana overdose. Tests performed on mice have shown that the ratio of cannabinoids (the chemicals in marijuana that make you high) necessary for overdose to the amount necessary for intoxication is 40,000:1.

For comparison's sake, that ratio for alcohol is generally between 4:1 and 10:1. Alcohol overdoses claim approximately 5,000 casualties yearly, but marijuana overdoses kill no one as far as any official reports.

Brain Damage
Marijuana is psychoactive because it stimulates certain brain receptors, but it does not produce toxins that kill them (like alcohol), and it does not wear them out as other drugs may. There is no evidence that marijuana use causes brain damage. Studies performed on actual human populations will confirm these results, even for chronic marijuana users (up to 18 joints per day) after many years of use.

In fact, following the publication of two 1977 JAMA studies, the American Medical Association (AMA) officially announced its support for the decriminalization of marijuana.

In reality, marijuana has the effect of slightly increasing alpha-wave activity in your brain. Alpha waves are generally associated with meditative and relaxed states, which are, in turn, often associated with human creativity.

Memory
Marijuana does impair short-term memory, but only during intoxication. Although the authoritative studies on marijuana use seem to agree that there is no residual impairment following intoxication, persistent impairment of short-term memory has been noted in chronic marijuana smokers, up to 6 and 12 weeks following abstinence.

Heart Problems
It is accepted in medical circles today that marijuana use causes no evident long-term cardiovascular problems for normal persons. Marijuana smoking, however, does cause changes in the heart and body's circulation characteristic of stress, which may complicate preexisting cardiovascular problems like hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, and coronary atherosclerosis. Marijuana's effects on blood pressure are complex and inconsistent as of yet.

Hormones
Chronic marijuana use has not been found to alter testosterone or other sex hormone levels. In contrast, heavy alcohol use is known to lower these same testosterone levels.

Reproductive Damage
No trustworthy study has ever shown that marijuana use damages the reproductive system, or causes chromosome breakage. Studies of actual human populations have failed to demonstrate that marijuana adversely affects the reproductive system. Claims that marijuana use may impair hormone production, menstrual cycles, or fertility in females are both unproven and unfounded.

The Immune System
Studies in which lab rats were injected with extremely large quantities of THC (the active compound in marijuana) have found that marijuana (in such unrealistically huge quantities) does have an "immunosuppressive effect" in those lab rats, in that it temporarily shuts off certain cells in the liver called lymphocytes and macrophages. These macrophages are useful in fighting off bacterial, not viral, infections.

But this is only for the duration of intoxication. There also exists some evidence that marijuana metabolites remain in the lungs for up to seven months after smoking has ceased, possibly affecting the immune system of the lungs (but not by turning the cells off).

This said, doctors and researchers are still not sure that the immune system is actually negatively affected in realistic situations since there are no numbers to support the idea. In fact, three studies showed that THC might have actually stimulated the immune system in the people studied.

Cancer
Smoking marijuana has the potential to cause both bronchitis and cancer of the lungs, throat, and neck, but this is generally no different than inhaling any other burnt carbon-containing matter since they all increase the number of lesions (and therefore possible infections) in your airways.

The Gateway Effect
Marijuana use has not been found to act as a gateway drug to the use of harder drugs. Studies show that when the Dutch partially legalized marijuana in the 70's, heroin and cocaine use substantially declined, despite a slight increase in marijuana use.

If the stepping stone theory were true, use should have gone up rather than down. In reality, it appears that marijuana use tends to substitute for the use of relatively more dangerous hard drugs like cocaine and heroin, rather than lead to their use.

Thus, oftentimes strict marijuana laws themselves are the most significant factor involved in moving on to harder drugs like cocaine. Such is the case in Nevada and Arizona, the states toughest on marijuana use.



THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS:

-Because smoked marijuana contains a variety of combustion compounds, it can damage the lungs and possibly the immune system. Several health committees recommended the development of an inhalation device that delivers pure THC -- the active ingredient in marijuana -- to the lungs. Such a device has not yet been created.

-There is some evidence -- but no scientifically valid studies -- that marijuana is useful in treating some forms of epilepsy and spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis.

-Some studies show that smoked marijuana is effective for some patients in relieving nausea caused by cancer and chemotherapy.

-There is evidence that marijuana may improve the appetite and help patients gain weight. This could be lifesaving for AIDS patients who develop wasting, a severe weight-loss condition.

-Smoking marijuana is effective in lowering pressure inside the eyeballs of some patients with glaucoma. A word of caution, however: the drug also drops blood pressure, and this could compromise blood flow to the optic nerve and damage vision.

So there you have it. For additional information on the benefits of marijuana, I highly recommend the book The Benefits of Marijuana : Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual by Joan Bello.

Given my personal experience, and research I have done on marijuana, I remain a firm believer that this drug should be legalized. Let responsible adults make their own decisions.

[KopiKat]

[Royce]

Lhiannan Shee Wrote: