Marijuana Debate - Willow Springs, MO

[Agreed]

God put it on the earth for some reason if it's so damn illegal then how come people can use it if they have a card for health reasons

[sososo]

God put poison mushrooms, flies and ticks on the earth for some reason as well but no one knows why. However, I doubt he put the stuff here for you to trash you ability to think clearly.

[Hollie]

yesss why not... tax the shit if you want...

[Think outside the box]

Wow, you guys need to do some homework... I did, for a persuasive speech and a motivational speech in college, and man did I learn a lot.

History is always written by the winning side, so throughout grade school, we are all told how bad marijuana is, how it is a drug, and it causes negative effects on the body. Then in college you learn that when this country was first founded, hemp was a major cash crop. Not only that, but at one point in time, it was mandatory to grow hemp because we paid taxes to Britain in hemp. It was already being used for several things, such as clothing, ropes for sailboats, building material, and food (the seeds are extremely healthy)

Then I go to psychology and learn (typed in my textbook) that there are receptors in the brain specifically for THC. Nothing else will fit in them except THC. The veil is slowly being lifted.

Then in public speaking when I did my speeches, I learned all of the uses for hemp today. I also learned that we, as a country spend more than $9.8 billion annually to house, clothe, and feed non violent marijuana offenders. Think about that when you are so worried about the national deficit.

If marijuana were to be made legal, it could actually boost the economy, with jobs in every field from farming. to textiles, to the pharmaceutical industry.(Plus think of all the extra sales that Doritos and Pepsi would get ;)) Food could be made from it, biodegradable containers for fast food could replace the harmful Styrofoam being used today, hemp has potential as an alternative fuel source (although techniques still need to be fine tuned, there is potential) and it can be used for a plethora of ailments. These include (but are not limited to): bulimia,anorexia, cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, aches and pains, menstrual cramps, and depression. Marijuana is thought to even slow the progression of Alzheimer's and certain kinds of cancer.(Now the whole THC receptor thing kind of makes sense, it's like fitting the pieces in a jigsaw).

No one has ever died from marijuana consumption. It is also the only plant that can be put to so many uses.

I am 26 years old, the parent of a two-year-old and am also a full time employee and a full time student. I have maintained a 4.0 and am in the second semester of my sophomore year in college. I also work 40 hours in 3 days. My daughter is completely potty trained and recently, my Dad died, and I have planned the funeral and taken over my Mother's expenses and go help her every week. I am an extremely responsible user of cannabis who is not unintelligent, who is not a couch potato, and who does more than the able-bodied people sitting on their butts collecting unemployment. Just because people use cannabis does not mean they are stupid. I have done most of my college homework on the influence of cannabis.(It helps me to tap into my creative side, and obviously it has paid off).

You all have been trained from the time you were infants to obey authority, never to question it, never to "go outside the lines". This has caused you to have a bias and not even be aware of it. You don't think for yourself, you believe what you are told. I am not saying that you have to share my beliefs, but for your own sake, learn to think outside the box, and to be yourself and not a machine to society. Slavery exists more today than ever before. When we are born, our parents are mandated to inject "vaccinations" into our bodies, we are "required" to go to school, we have to make money to make it in the world. We can't even be self sufficient. It is not legal to solely hunt for food, and they are even talking about making a personal garden illegal. Yet we all sit around and allow it to happen.

Marijuana was made illegal for several reasons, but consider this: If you were part of the cotton, pharmaceutical, textile, or paper industry, you were threatened by hemp. Wouldn't you lie about it too to protect your way of life? Time for lies to end!

[sososos]

If you supporters of legalized pot would put as much effort into making a real difference in the world as you do into fighting for your right to cause your brain to take a break from reality then the world would be a much nicer place. For as many sites that you can find stating that pot is a grand thing, I can find just that many stating that it is not. Really, just keep your mind clear and see what happens. You might just be surprised at how clear you see things and how successful and bright you can really be.

[Sandy]

so so so wrote:

Pot screws with cognitive abilities therefor it messes with the brain. One can drink without messing with the brain. One can smoke tobacco with out messing with the cognitive abilities. One can not smoke weed without messing with cognitive abilities. We don't need to tax the stuff and then allow people to go around impaired on a regular basis. Besides people would still buy the crap back alley and not pay taxes anyway while still getting stoned. Stop giving a so called good reason for wanting to smoke pot without being bothered by the law. Try enjoying life without substance for once. Maybe enjoy your kids, a good ballgame or even a comedy on TV. Your cognitive ability stays in tact and everyone wins.

Drinking doesn't mess with your cognitive functions?!?!?!?!REALLY? Are you drunk right now? Or do you just not know what cognitive means? Cognitive: of or pertaining to the mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning, as contrasted with emotional and volitional processes.

Considering how great a lot of people look after a few drinks I would say that judgement is certainly impaired not to mention coordination and everything else. Or is it good judgement to get behind the wheel of a car that you stumbled to get to? Or sound reasoning that because your baby is crying she deserves to be thrown against a wall? All of which are not unheard of when people drink but I bet you can't find a similar case of someone doing these things when smoking. Besides, this is not a morality debate although most people seem to think it is. If it was based on morality they would not be in favor of booze either. But most of them are only because it is already legal. Were people less moral during Prohibition because they "just wanted a drink" than they are now when they want a beer? What a double standard based on nothing but lies and prejudice. And yet people are vilified for wanting to take away the illegal status of something as wildly useful as hemp because they "just want to get high". Well, so what if they do? So they can get a bit of a buzz AND have a plant that has so many other uses and the problem is what? Nothing really, they mind their own business and what harm does it do? The states that have already made it legal to have for personal use certainly have not had any increases in crime or drug addiction. Gateway drug? Yes, about as much as beer is a gateway drug for heroin I suppose, there are some people for whom it is never enough. And laws won't help them anyway. Bottom line it that it is a plant put on earth here for us to use or not use as we see fit (like every other "plant and herb of the field" and the government has no right to tell a person what they may or may not do with their own selves, they do not OWN you but they sure act like they do..

[The Radio Star]

The government needs to do a better job at convincing the American voters if they want to continue on with this prohibition of marijuana. They claim that the plant is dangerous and deadly, yet they can't provide any proof or evidence to back these claims up. If you want to know the FACTS about marijuana then click on the link below.

"The truth about marijuana the government doesn't want you to know."

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

[sosososos]

Youtube is your realible factual source to convince AMericans of your side of the story. Funny really. Try this site from NIH maybe it might present more reliable facts on the matter.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfac...
Youtube you are hillarious

[Scooby]

If life is so bad you have to alter your reality, maybe you should take a good long look in the mirror.

[sososos]

Sandy dear read very very carefully. I said one drink does not affect cognitive ability and one hit of weed does. Try hard to understand and follow along.

[Sandy]

Because it is a plant put here by God for our use (and it has MANY uses), it has never killed anyone but helped many, if alcohol is legal cannabis CERTAINLY should be and the racist and greedy corporate reasons it was made illegal in the first place (by fooling the congress as to what it actually was) have been hidden from the public so they can keep making their obscene profits on synthetic alternatives. It is inexcusable, ignorant and a violation of our natural rights to outlaw ANY plant or part of nature as provided.

[Sandy]

so so so wrote:

Boo Hoo if it has legal benefits then I am quite sure that the medical community can come up with a pill form of the crap and regualte it uses. In California it is suppose to have a perscription but haha it usually doesn't.

You are "quite sure" they can come up with a good synthetic pill form are you? And you base that on what? Your PhD in Chemistry? Fact is they have TRIED to come up with one many times and a chemical copy from the lab simply does not give the same results for cancer pain, nerve pain, nausea, etc. Apparently it requires many of the plants components working synergistically, not just an isolated fake THC molecule. Too bad no one wants their cheap(for them, not the patient) copy because I'm sure they would market it and make LOADS of money if it actually was worth a damn.

[natedogg]

because its ok and has never killed nyone like any other drug and you cant abuse it.

[sososos]

Well many drugs already on the market to take care of pain without pot floating around and I assure you that 98% of those pushing to legalize this crap doesn't need it for medical reasons. I have a genetic illness that causes bone deformities and I actually suffer from chronic pain and I don't want to legalize the crap. Natedogg as long as something has never killed anyone it should be legal. Well if you consider that the drug has possible caused deadly accidents you might disagree. Plus, just read the link that I provided earlier.

[Tabitha]

cause really marijuana isnt as bad as what people say its not addictive and my opinion you dont get all crazy and do stupid shit those who do stupid stuff it cause they r all retarded from the get go

[Wow]

If it is not addictive why do people continue to use it even after losing jobs because of it, getting fined because of it, losing financial aid to go to school because of it and the list goes on. You might not like to think that it is addictive but some of the facts might just suggest otherwise. Do me a favor and just google search " dangers of canabis use" and see what you can find. Don't pay attention to useless sites just sites that are ligit like NHI and so forth. It is very eye opening. You might just be surprised.

[The Radio Star]

In a 2010 report by the Common Sense for Drug Policy Organization, the American annual causes of death were classified under the following categories:

Tobacco Related 430,700
Alcohol Related 110,640
Prescription Drugs 32,000
Suicide 30,575
Homicide 18,272
Drug Induced Deaths 16,926
NSAID’s (such as Aspirin) 7,600
Marijuana 0 deaths

Before you start to wonder about the veracity of the figures above, you should be aware that no one has ever been officially declared dead from direct or indirect marijuana consumption.

[Wow]

Never ever said the drug itself killed people but surely you can see how the drug can limit cognitive ability and can and does affect the reaction time of the user. Plus, people who use the drug is usually not satisfied with using only pot and combine the drug with other things. Plus, smoking pot can and does cause cancer with for many of the same reasons as tobacco; other things are added to the pot to make it more potent. Again, read the sites that are ligit on the dangers of pot use. Then we can discuss opening you points of view but until you have read both sides with both issues you can not effectively debate an issue.

[The Radio Star]

A little levity for the day:

Marijuana Quotes:

“Marihuana is responsible for the raping of white women by crazed negroes.”
—Hearst Newspapers Nationwide-1930

“Marihuana influenced negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men’s shadows, and look at a white woman twice.”
—Hearst Newspapers-1935

"After two puffs on a marijuana cigarette, I was turned into a bat."
Marijuana Tax Act expert witness pharmacologist Dr James Munch-1937

“Marihuana is the most violent drug in the history of mankind.”
-Henry Anslinger, the father of the War on Drugs-1937

“If the hideous monster of Frankenstein came face to face with marihuana, he would drop dead of fright.”
—Anslinger, FBN, quoted in Hearst newspaper-1938

“Negro entertainers with their jazz and swing music are declared an outgrowth of marihuana use which possesses white women to tap their feet.”
—statements to Congress by Anslinger, FBN-1940

"Marijuana is more harmful than habit-forming opium, inducing fits of temporary insanity.”
—Newsweek, 1-15-45

“Marihuana leads to pacifism and Communist brainwashing.”
—Anslinger, before Congress-1948

“Marijuana use makes you sterile.”
—Reagan Administration-1985

“Marijuana leads to homosexuality, the breakdown of the immune system, and therefore to AIDS.”
-- Carlton Turner. White House Drug Czar under Ronald Reagan-1986

This is the basis of our current drug policy. If it wasn't so sad, it would be humorous.

[putz spotter]

First of all persistent Marijuana use does lead to a lower sperm count in men. Marijuana use does tend to impair the good judgment of the user and therefor makes them more likely to do acts that they normally would not do under the influence of a drug that alters the cognitive ability. Last of all why bring up quotes that is obviously not based on much just peoples opinions and nothing more. Why not bring up the numbers presented on legitimate websites. Put some perspective into your argument. Until then you are just presenting facts that prove nothing.