What are your perspectives relating to the federally illegal plant, Cannabis?

All perspectives welcome

Should be legalized and taxed, over 18 unless you have parents permission or a doctor's note.

It should be treated like alchohol or cigarettes.. regulated and people should be warned about how to manage using it -- I love weed but it ruins my motivation, and I've seen week-minded people become psychologically addicted.

If you're unhappy in life and looking for an escape, it can really suck you in.

However, if you are happy and successful in life and want to relax with some friends or whatever, it's totally harmless.. (aside from messing up your lungs a bit)

The health benefits are endless. The draw backs aren't as bad as alcohol. I feel it's much better then alcohol, no aggressiveness associated with alcohol or fighting that comes with drinking. Smokers are mellow, more peaceful people. Cannabis is more healthy then cigs, especially if you have control over the product's growth. God made this with us in mind, to expand our minds, man made it illegal, man can make it legal, in pursuit of our happiness!

any law code that treats pot the same as meth is misguided at best, overly draconian at worst.

it can also be legalized to re-assure folks that drug legalization won't lead to a RL remake of Reefer Madness -- if pot legalization works, why not experiment with legalizing the next level (peyote, ecstasy, etc.)?

$100,000,000,000 spent on the war on drugs.

How are we doing so far?

Of all the things made illegal these days I find Psilocybin, Marijuana, LSD and other non-toxic sacraments to be among the least dangerous. Psilocybin is associated with under 10 deaths (mostly just people who consumed something they believed to be a “shroom” that was actually a poisonous fungus). But if that is the standard for something we deem “dangerous to ourselves” than what is obesity? Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide die of obesity every year yet obesity remains a completely legal risk.

The definition of a drug is a mind altering substance with no definitive medicinal purpose. Well I personally have found many uses for these naturally occurring substances yet fail to find a viable reason for obesity(except that you’re harder to kidnap). So if these spiritually cleansing and emotionally healing substances are to be made illegal than should the same be instituted for fast food, junk food, other fatty foods, and overall obesity. Anyone over a set weight limit should be thrown in jail for lack of possession of a slim fast or for driving while being overweight. Many new crimes come to mind. While we're at it you may as well ban cars, sports, bicycles, going outside your house, being inside your house, or breathing, after all these could all potentially cost you your life and have no definitive medical purpose. The world would become a peaceful and healthy, fat-free sanctuary for a sober and utterly boring lifestyle.

Tobacco kills nearly half a million people every year without a viable medicinal (or recreational for that matter) purpose yet it remains in the gray due the dejecting fact that our government couldn’t function without the billions of dollars collected yearly from tobacco taxes. Not to sound encouraging of a guaranteed life ruining substance but hell, even heroin deaths per year are under 500. How can something as dangerous as tobacco be still legal while something as “completely non-toxic” (as stated by the FDA) as psilocybin be against the law. It says a lot for Americans but it says even more about our government. After all, fight for what makes money not what’s right. Isn't that the American dream?

It's a fact of life that we are human. Humans will die eventually, You can sit on your couch eating vitamins your whole life and you will still pass eventually. There is no reason the government has the right to infringe upon our natural rights as human beings. As long as we practice responsible use in the privacy of our own homes we should be given the right to lead ourselves upon the enlightening and indescribably pleasurable journey of psychedelic wandering.

So I have a proposal; either we lift the ludicrous and unfounded ban on historic and emotionally beneficial substances such as Psilocybin and Marijuana or set forth a new wave of equally as unconstitutionally unjust laws. The choice is yours. Spread the word and make your voice heard.

how does marijuana compared to cigarettes in damage on your lungs
lets say if i smoked half a pack of marlboro lights a day
or i smoked 3 bong rips a day

whos lungs will be worse in 10 years

All the parents out there who now advocate for keeping Marijuana a criminal substance, probably once smoked pot themselves. It is not uncommon at all for people to cease to smoke pot, just on a whim. If this happened for parents, then it is still most certainly happening to children.

This is not about control anymore
It is not about intimidation
nor dominance.

It is about breaking the generation gap, getting people on the same page of information. No other plant in history has had so much money spent on it to find something bad about it, and what they've got is pathetic.

Get the facts, all the facts
NOT the pamphlets you read in your schools and hospitals (some of which are paid for by cigarette and alcohol lobbyists)

Hell! Even Marlboro already has they're marijuana trademark copyrighted for when pot becomes legal. "Marlboro Greens" they will call them.
Hell! More people die of aspirin overdoses every year, than have EVER died of pot. But if you have a headache, aspirin is a perfectly alright thing to take 3 or 4 of, right? It's integrated into society, so it's alright right?

Pot's excommunicated by our government, so it's bad right?

Bodhi Rastafari Wrote:
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> What are your perspectives relating to the
> federally illegal plant, Cannabis?
>
> All perspectives welcome


I'd rather have a beer.

Pot is not heroin but its not quite mothers milk either. No, it doesn't get you falling down like alcohol, but I've seen too many tokers over the years who are amotivated,forgetful or just plain burned out for my opinion to be merely anecdotal.Can't be good for the lungs. Charcoal fires and french fries aren't, how could holding in the long b-load be an exception?

As worthless a habit that it is, if I had dictatorial powers I'd at least decriminalize the crap just to ease up law enforcement resources and kill the boring "all roads lead to drug laws" conversations I have with my old pothead friends. If I never have to hear some crybaby talking the same script about the "harsh oppression of prohibition" and "how good things are in Holland" it would be worth the minor damage legalization may do to the community...

"The harsh oppression of prohibition" really cannot be taken so sarcastically. It is not YOU, or YOUR mind specifically, but a lot of people have their whole lives thrown upside down for possession. Instead of being able to exude the good vibes that come with smoking, cannabis consumers are told "no" by pawns in uniform with guns, who happen to have an extremely intimidating, domination centered, authoritarian complex.

That cry baby you speak of probably went to prison.

Do you, or your mind specifically, know how that felt?

YES I know how it feels. I used to blaze and sling hard. I spent more time in the BOP and VA DOC for marijuana PWID and fed conspiracy than most grads spend in college.I've heard and lived every version of the weed story that you can imagine.
BORING.

Snitch free, tear free- tired of the crying. The little secret is this..it IS basically legal to smoke weed at home-NO one is having their door kicked in for it unless there is a distribution charge or you act asinine and do something else to get the cops called. You can't smoke in your car, at parks at FedEx field and expect not to be f'd with. You cannot speed while holding, you cannot sell to strangers you meet at bars, You cannot fly while holding.

Weed is priced (as most drugs are) so the average middle class American can afford it in his/her budget, When you cannot financially afford the drug is when there is a "problem". If supply is your issue and you take risks and cop in shit neighborhoods, the problem is you, not the "government oppression".

Don't get me wrong, most all DEA and task force guys are dicks who'll do what it takes to convict as are most US and Commonwealth Attorneys. You don't have to meet any of these people if you don't want to. Alcohol and heroin are one thing and those withdrawls are a bitch, but if you've got a pot jones you can't get itched right. you've got something in your head that needs to be looked at.

Cooking a load a few times a year aint no big thing, but worshipping at the altar and spinning constant excuses and conspiracy theories about your weed is lame.

Have you tried jogging?

Bud Wrote:
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> "The harsh oppression of prohibition" really
> cannot be taken so sarcastically. It is not YOU,
> or YOUR mind specifically, but a lot of people
> have their whole lives thrown upside down for
> possession. Instead of being able to exude the
> good vibes that come with smoking, cannabis
> consumers are told "no" by pawns in uniform with
> guns, who happen to have an extremely
> intimidating, domination centered, authoritarian
> complex.
>
> That cry baby you speak of probably went to
> prison.
>
> Do you, or your mind specifically, know how that
> felt?

.
Attachments:

curious Wrote:
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> how does marijuana compared to cigarettes in
> damage on your lungs
> lets say if i smoked half a pack of marlboro
> lights a day
> or i smoked 3 bong rips a day
>
> whos lungs will be worse in 10 years

and who would be the brain dead stoner that can barely hold a job?


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Medical Uses Wrote:
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> More people die of aspirin overdoses every
> year, than have EVER died of pot. But if you have
> a headache, aspirin is a perfectly alright thing
> to take 3 or 4 of, right? It's integrated into
> society, so it's alright right?

Aspirin is a patentable chemical that synthesizes an isolated substance of the white willow bark.

Patentable chemically synthesized products will always be legal, because there's money in it.

White willow bark and marijuana could theoretically be grown in your backyard.

Just imagine how damaging to corporate economies it would be if everyone could grow their entire medicine chest in their backyards.

Gravis Wrote:
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>
> and who would be the brain dead stoner that can
> barely hold a job?

I know a guy who has been an M&A lawyer for 15 years, we smoked in high school and college. I quit, except for an occassional joint at a concert or on a ski trip or something. He still smokes about 2 ounces a week. He does a little cocaine, too, but not regularly

He works at a big law firm downtown as a junior partner and also is on several corporate boards of directors.

He's holding those jobs quite well, and is by no means brain dead.

People who get "burned out" probably didn't have much to start with in the first place. Besides, have you ever heard of "wet brain syndrome"? It doesn't happen to everyone who drinks, or even everyone who drinks heavily, but it happens to some drinkers.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2008 02:38AM by Bob.

Margie, nice work. +1

Also, for the older posters, please take into account that pot has changed over the years.

In fact, it is not uncommon to find headie buds these days that give off uplifting, clear headed, creative highs. The middle grade marijuana (the predominantly smoked herb back in the 60's and 70's) will burn you out and make you feel lazy for an hour or two.

In fact, I've had the "study herb" before, a strain of marijuana that has done quite well for me when hitting the books.

but it's all up to the smoker. Does he choose quality or quantity?

>Bob wrote about his lawyer buddy-


Probably an exceptional case and not the rule. 2 z's a week is a LOT of smoking and wear on the old lungs. Are you sure he's not one of these guys who rolls them big and then lets 3/4 of the doob burn and go to waste??

>Bodhi Rastafari wrote about the changing grades of weed-
True. Quality has increased dramatically. In Jr High and early High School, all available was what we called Colombian or Mexican ( who really knows) it was consistently brown but sometimes gold or red in color. Always very seedy and stemmy and usually pressed from a bale which sometimes led to mold growth and or a dusty "dirt weed" flavor. "Sinse" soon hit the market with far higher prices and less or no seeds, the source was originally purported to be Cali or Hawaii, again who is going to tell high school kids anything truthful? We used to get a lot of black and red hash in those days also, allegedly Lebanese and Afghani..

Soon the Mexicans got better seed strains and their quality improved, still their weed is ALWAYS pressed for easier travel and it doesn't have that lively freshness of fresh picked strawberries.Next came the exotic strains like indica which I always thought was more of a body high.

The anti-drug crowd used to crow about the dangers of the new strains and the increased THC levels that brought new dangers. When I did smoke I personally favored picking the tasty buds from the better Mex grades I was getting in bulk, as I actually used to enjoy smoking for flavor along with the high. I used to pride myself on having that "iron lung" that could pack a bowl in a Tokemaster and kill it with 2 breathes and no coughing while my friends hacked and got watery eyes like little girls.

Smoking and dealing was all fun, but I got popped good and went to prison. I smoked there somewhat regularly but after a while I just grew out of it and really grew tired of hearing the same snivelling about drug laws from guys who snitched and would maybe be locked up for a year compared to the 6 I was doing.
When I got back out and looked up old friends and saw a lot of them on the same couch with the same bong in their hand, it really makes me kind of sad. I am all for working hard and playing hard, and I light up so rarely, I should really just say I DONT smoke. It can be fun yes, its maybe therapeutic in some extreme cases, it probably should be decriminalized to grow and smoke at home, BUT in my mind it's a reall time waster and it's not a good fit for a lot of suburban kids who are already spoiled,lazy and out of shape..

IF you are going to "do something wrong", at least "do it right". Stay home, don't torch a stinky blunt in the close quarters of your car and don't play Scarface with the stuff, there are shitloads of opportunities for legal money out there.No one wants to hear your boo-hoo stories about being a drug war political prisoner. Keep your weed your little secret and be safe..

WingNut Wrote:
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> >Bob wrote about his lawyer buddy-
>
>
> Probably an exceptional case and not the rule. 2
> z's a week is a LOT of smoking and wear on the old
> lungs. Are you sure he's not one of these guys who
> rolls them big and then lets 3/4 of the doob burn
> and go to waste??

No, he rips a few bong hits first thing in the morning, then a few more before heading off to work. He smokes a few times during the day, at work, and of course kicks back in his condo in the evenings and smokes throughout the night.

He pretty much has been high most of his adult life.

He just doesn't smoke cheap brick weed (the pressed stuff you described). He smokes that designer/connoisseur bud, usually organic hydro.

Maybe the difference is that he's also an organic food/health food/vitamin/supplement freak. He exercises, he lifts weights, jogs, etc, and he keeps his mind as active as his body.

I know of a few people in their mid 40's who are similar to this guy.

This one is even funnier....

The only thing stopping me from smoking it....is not knowing anyone to buy it from anymore. It is a recreational drug and should be readily available in a legal and safe environment.

How do you guys handle random drug tests?

I absolutely love my job and just wouldn't risk it for a high. I don't drive or operate machinery on my job, but the owner has a personal thing against drugs, so he pays to test us. My understanding is this is quite common nowadays....when I go to Inova for my tests, there is always a crowd there for drug testing.

So, how do you guys beat the tests, or do you not have to take them?

It should be made legal but non smokable. It should only be available in Pastry and or brownie form and sold exclusively at Dunkin DOughnuts and Krispie Kreme outlets everywhere. Huzzah!

tubby Wrote:
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> How do you guys handle random drug tests?
>
> I absolutely love my job and just wouldn't risk it
> for a high. I don't drive or operate machinery on
> my job, but the owner has a personal thing against
> drugs, so he pays to test us. My understanding is
> this is quite common nowadays....when I go to
> Inova for my tests, there is always a crowd there
> for drug testing.
>
> So, how do you guys beat the tests, or do you not
> have to take them?


I've never worked for a company that required testing.

But then again, I've worked for news organizations and magazine publishers for the last 15 years. If they were to drug test the journalists, they'd never be able to sell another publication.


I had a friend who was in the air force for a few years, many years back, where he was subject to random testing. What he did was to never smoke more than 3 days in a row, and only just after taking a test. That way there was never enough built up in his system, and he had the most possible time until the next test.

THC typically stays in your system for a few days or so, unless you smoke it regularly, in which case it can stay in your system for up to 30 days.

However, when I was younger, I took 4 drug tests for various reasons. In one case, I had smoked 2 days before. My strategy was to take Golden Seal pills, like 5 pills right away, and then 2 every 2 hours with lots of water. Drink a six pack or more of beer the night before the test, and a liter of water after you wake up the next morning, and make sure you piss as often as you can and refill your bladder with water after each piss. By the time you take your test, the fluid in your bladder hasn't been in your body long enough to accumulate anything (hopefully.)

If you want to expirement with strategies, do so right after the next drug test your boss makes you take (so you know you have some time to naturally clean out, just in case the strategy doesn't work). Smoke up the night after your test, then try some method, and pay for a test on your own and see what comes up.

Repeat that process until you find a successful method.

Some people just have really fast metabolisms and can smoke 2 or 3 days before a test and do nothing, and still come up clean. One co-worker at a previous job claimed he smoked the night before a test, and just drank a lot of water and passed.

Now, hair tests are a whole different story. I don't know if there's any way to beat those.

Also, I think it depends on the method of testing the urine, as to what is the best strategy. I'm sure googling "how to beat a piss test" or "how to beat a drug test" will come up with a lot of information. (just don't google that at a work PC)

To me, the saddest thing is when politicians lie and easily get away with it. They can blatantly say something that is so wrong, and so evil, and with a straight face. Maybe not necessarily evil, but some seriously misguided thoughts.

Troll

Bodhi,

Thanks for your most thoughtful and intelligent insight- we at the US Senate have been livng this lie long enough. Cannabis smoke is excellent for young lungs and minds, people should smoke as much as possible.

My first priority for 2009 will be to repeal laws against cannabis. Literally millions of Americans are tortured and imprisoned each year because of cannabis and they all need to be freed.

Bodhi, it was your forum postings here that started this revolution. All of the service men in Iraq are complete cowards compared to your heroic patriotism. Bodhi,we salute your courage!



Bodhi Rastafari Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> To me, the saddest thing is when politicians lie
> and easily get away with it. They can blatantly
> say something that is so wrong, and so evil, and
> with a straight face. Maybe not necessarily evil,
> but some seriously misguided thoughts.

It should be legal.

Cops have never been called to a fight where two people were stoned.

To be fair, i definitely personally been to a couple of fights where people were stoned. These people were fighting all time, stoned or not, so it's easy to conclude they just like to fight no matter what.

RESton peace, dude, you're a fucking idiot. i hate every post you make it makes me physically ill. you need to grow a pair of balls and man up. nothing you say is even reasonable and you should stop posting on this forum and probably put a gun to your head and shoot. everyone here would be ecstatic. thank you.

That was so profound. Thanks for sharing. You've driven me away, I'll never post again.

And I mean never.

LOL, it always seems like the level of obsessed-trolling increases on here around Christmas. It's actually not as bad this year, but I remember it sort of being out of control last year. It was like that the year before too.


RESton Peace Wrote:
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> That was so profound. Thanks for sharing. You've
> driven me away, I'll never post again.

Marijuana along with most currently illegal recreatioanl drugs should be legalized. Along with legalization...preventive education, rehabilitation and taxation of those drugs needs to be instituted.

Vince(1) Wrote:
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> Marijuana along with most currently illegal
> recreatioanl drugs should be legalized. Along
> with legalization...preventive education,
> rehabilitation and taxation of those drugs needs
> to be instituted.

Taxation and preventive education? C'mon Vince, I just want to cook a bowl of affordable PCP and drive my school bus route in peace. Why do you liberals want the government involved in everything?