Can someone please remind me the negative side of marijuana?

MarylandTeacher wrote:

The country has numerous problems, from obesity to the use of gateway drugs. Making things illegal still won't stop those determined to use. As an educator, I cringe at the thought of some kid sparking up that first joint, because I've seen the damage that prolonged "casual" drug use causes. The bottom line: if you are a parent, do you want to see a joint in the hand of your 13 year old? I know I don't ever want to see that, and I can think for my self, without help or guidance.

The truth of the bottom line: there are a lot of 13-year-olds that probably have a joint in their hand right this second................You know what the funny thing is? It's probably easier for that 13-year-old to get it than it is for a 34 year old. Children with developing and very vulnurable brains should never do mind altering drugs, and most 13-year-olds know that. Just the same, they know that they shouldn't be drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, etc. Truthfully, I'd rather see them with a joint than a bottle of rum. We have been brought up to "fear the reefer", while in many places it's almost accaptable for kids to drink alcohol, which may I add, is a much deadlier drug. Consentual adults, in my opinion, should be able to legally buy and smoke marijuana, just as they do with alcohol, cigarettes, etc. Not to mention, if these consentual adults were able to have as much marijuana as they wanted to buy, a lot of pot smokers might even switch to just drinking it in tea, eating it in healthy foods, etc; methods that are 99% safe, and healthy for that matter. Other consentual adults could choose not to have anything to do with it (except for benifiting from taxing it)..............and all of them could make up their house rules about it for their children. I wasn't allowed to drink when I was 13, were you?

One other thought that just popped into my head: Would you rather a 13-year-old get caught steeling a marijuana cigarette out of his father's coat pocket, or not get caught buying it from some drug dealer in a bad neighborhood that may have laced it with cocaine for that matter? People are responsible for their children and good parents keep track of where their children are and who they hang out with, and teach them to be responsible.

PJPOWER wrote:

The truth of the bottom line: there are a lot of 13-year-olds that probably have a joint in their hand right this second................You know what the funny thing is? It's probably easier for that 13-year-old to get it than it is for a 34 year old. Children with developing and very vulnurable brains should never do mind altering drugs, and most 13-year-olds know that. Just the same, they know that they shouldn't be drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, etc. Truthfully, I'd rather see them with a joint than a bottle of rum. We have been brought up to "fear the reefer", while in many places it's almost accaptable for kids to drink alcohol, which may I add, is a much deadlier drug. Consentual adults, in my opinion, should be able to legally buy and smoke marijuana, just as they do with alcohol, cigarettes, etc. Not to mention, if these consentual adults were able to have as much marijuana as they wanted to buy, a lot of pot smokers might even switch to just drinking it in tea, eating it in healthy foods, etc; methods that are 99% safe, and healthy for that matter. Other consentual adults could choose not to have anything to do with it (except for benifiting from taxing it)..............and all of them could make up their house rules about it for their children. I wasn't allowed to drink when I was 13, were you?

One other thought that just popped into my head: Would you rather a 13-year-old get caught steeling a marijuana cigarette out of his father's coat pocket, or not get caught buying it from some drug dealer in a bad neighborhood that may have laced it with cocaine for that matter? People are responsible for their children and good parents keep track of where their children are and who they hang out with, and teach them to be responsible.

I agree that underaged kids shouldn't be smoking, drinking (though I think 21 is too old, make it 18 or 16) ...

Collin wrote:

I agree that underaged kids shouldn't be smoking, drinking (though I think 21 is too old, make it 18 or 16) ...

I am tempted to agree with you, but after reading a few studies about brain development and how alcohol and other drugs effect it, you really shouldn't partake on a regular basis until after the age of 25, lol....................yeah right, I couldn't even type that with a straight face :P (although there is a lot of truth to that)

Math wrote:

Plus, if alcohol is to be compared to MaryJane, as far as mortality is concerned, well you have to consider the fact that alcohol IS legal. Meaning that there's a lot more use of it. So, of course, in the end, people die more often because of alcohol than the occasional pot.

Not one fatality has been recorded in all of history....that's a lot of smoking...

Math wrote:

Not one? I'd like to know your source. Cause I have a friend who has a cancer due to his smoking and he's not gonna make it. Guess he's gonna enter the guiness book of records. (He only smoked weed).

Oh you're talking life long?... I'm just talking about in one sitting as in consumption of the drug itself.

I'm assuming it's lung cancer. Did your friend ever work in a smoke filled place?

People have gotten lung cancer and never smoked anything before.

There are some new studies out that suggest that say the THC kills aging cells before they can become cancerous.

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/HealthScout/070417/6041715AU.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501729_pf.html

http://www.webmd.com/news/20000508/marijuana-unlikely-to-cause-cancer

chipboy wrote:

If Pfizer can figure out a way to emulate pot in a pill form for $10 each instead of you growing it in your backyard for free it will be legalized.

Well you see they can make a pill already (and very easily), but because it's so simple to grow yourself (i.e. just add water), people would argue like mad for the legalization of it the moment the first pill was put to market, the argument would then be be unstoppable, and it would have to be legalized.

And they lose money...all the while people lose their entire lives in jail.

greedy rotten ______!!

I laugh when people comment about how if drugs were legal, they would use it responsibly. OK..lets prove how wrong you really are. Alcohol has been mentioned several times here. And look how that is out of control. Secondly and even more pervasive is the use of the legalized drug TOBACCO. Even with disclaimers and factual data supporting how unhealthy it's use is, "people" are still ignorant enough to smoke and get addicted. So obviously then, many of you DO need "THEM" to come in and regulate these things for you......"you" cannot control yourselves.

The point of all this goes back to a previous poster (sorry don't want to read through for your name) that pot is a gateway drug, just as tobacco and alcohol are gateway drugs. They lead to bigger and better things. Studies abound on this fact. (RAND, University of Pitt, Karolina, APA, NIDA etc)

Juberoo wrote:

I laugh when people comment about how if drugs were legal, they would use it responsibly. OK..lets prove how wrong you really are. Alcohol has been mentioned several times here. And look how that is out of control. Secondly and even more pervasive is the use of the legalized drug TOBACCO. Even with disclaimers and factual data supporting how unhealthy it's use is, "people" are still ignorant enough to smoke and get addicted. So obviously then, many of you DO need "THEM" to come in and regulate these things for you......"you" cannot control yourselves.

The point of all this goes back to a previous poster (sorry don't want to read through for your name) that pot is a gateway drug, just as tobacco and alcohol are gateway drugs. They lead to bigger and better things. Studies abound on this fact. (RAND, University of Pitt, Karolina, APA, NIDA etc)

Maybe "you" need "THEM" to control these things for you, but "I" do not. I feel like I am responsible enough to decide what I eat, drink, wash with, watch on TV, read on the internet, or smoke. Just because "you" are a sheep, doesn't overweigh the fact that there are far more pros than cons to legalizing marijuana. And I have read all of your studies about this "gateway" phenominon..........Again, you must have no idea what "corrolation" even means. Users of harder drugs have probably lead a pretty self-destructive life to begin with. There is probably a stronger corrolation with environments that they grew up in, the role models they had, their abusive parents, depression, tragic events, etc, but all of that must have been caused by pot too, huh? There has been such a stigma placed on weed, and some people lack the open-mindedness to be able to explore those possibilities.........which is pretty sad, actually. If you could only see the harm that prohibition has caused vs. the help..................but if you continue to close your eyes and live in a box, that's your choice......This is America, land of the........well, it's hard to say free.........ignorant maybe.

PJPOWER wrote:

1. False- Has alcohol caused a drunken wife-beating culture, or is it just within a few select populations, and what are the other causes of that said culture?
2. Depends on where you work..........I bet a graphic designer would do pretty well.
3. Isn't it illegal to drive when intoxicated by anything? That doesn't make alcohol illegal to buy and sell, does it?
4. Studies have shown that even the smallest decisions made by "stoned" individuals are actually analized more thoroughly than by the un-"stoned".
5. I bet I could show a stronger corrolation of Heroin users that drink milk than ones that have tried marijuana.............maybe milk is a gateway liquid. Hard drug users have tried a lot of shit and other life events usually lead to them using what they use.


The main problem with marijuana is that it's too dificult to get ahold of........................I'm willing to bet that border violence would be reduced if people were able to grow it in their backyard.

1. Not the point, alcohol gets everyone drunk..... weed makes you lethargic. FACT
2. The graphic designer might do well, if he could be bothered doing any work.....
3. The argument isn't about legalities..... but yes, you are right. Still, it is dangerous to drive when stoned, the discussion is about weed, why make comparisons to alcohol.
4. Ah, studies...... link?
5. Milk helps toughen bones and provides cacium which is handy, so if it is a gateway liquid it is a good thing....... inhaling smoke into previously lovely, pink, fresh lungs isn't so good.

making any part of nature illegal is absurd

so is living in a society where alcohol use and nicotine use is dominant

what a laughable world we live in