Originally Posted by Calisport (Post 1973601)

Pot is dangerous for most people because of bad side effects especially if children use it

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 1972760)

I read that 75% of Americans support the decriminalization of the use of Marijuana.

Do you?

Originally Posted by Calisport (Post 1973601)

Pot is dangerous for most people because of bad side effects especially if children use it

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 1972760)

I read that 75% of Americans support the decriminalization of the use of Marijuana.

Do you?

Originally Posted by Ben Franklin (Post 1973686)

Nope. Sorry. Alcohol has worse side effects and we set the law at 21 years of age. Did you know that if you want answers look to Israel. Our NIH has been subsidizing marijuana research for over 50 years. They've done the research but we refuse to look at it. I firmly believe it's because we have such a corrupt government who are paid off, in this case, by the pharms and alcohol industries.

Originally Posted by GrumpyOldMan (Post 1972818)

The War on Drugs acts as a price support guarantee for the Drug cartels, Americans WANT drugs, and they will pay whatever it costs to get them.

Poor kids from the inner-city have to make a choice - stand on a corner and sell drugs and get rich, buy guns, cars, and sex, or flip burgers for less than minimum wage. Since they need to protect themselves and their stash, they need to have guns. Because the other kids have guns, expensive handguns become an affordable cost of doing business, leading to the arms race with the police departments and the formation of gangs to help control turf for drug markets.

The drug war is possibly the worst policy this country has ever conceived of; whether or not you think drugs should be legal, there has to be a better way to deal with the drug "problems."

And let's not conflate the war on drugs and the separate issue of making marijuana illegal. Making MJ illegal started long before Nixon when the government first commissioned a study to determine if MJ was harmful or dangerous, and the report came back that it wasn't. That was not an acceptable outcome, so they announced that "more studies are needed." And the "More studies are needed" has been constantly repeated ever since - almost 100 years now (1937).

There is no doubt that inhaling smoke from a burning plant is hazardous. There is also evidence that marijuana can have adverse side effects. But, it's a matter of degree. And there are safer ways to take MJ - such as tinctures and edibles.

The old "reefer madness" (government slogan predating "brain on drugs") is simply a flat-out lie.

I believe there is still no evidence of ANYONE ever dying from an overdose of MJ, but many die from overdoses of Alcohol.

There is little or no evidence of automobile accidents resulting from or caused by MJ use. (30,000 die in Auto accidents annually, and the majority have Alcohol associated with them)

I don't believe there has ever been a bar fight with MJ as a cause, yet violence is a common side effect of Alcohol.

MJ is known to cause brain damage but about 10% of the brain damage caused by Alcohol.

Alcohol is addictive; MJ is not addictive.

It goes on and on.

If you can't tell, I am in favor of legalization.

There is NO serious evidence of MJ being a problem or a gateway. On the contrary, there is significant evidence that it is useful in treating numerous diseases and health conditions.

To all the people who comment that they have seen how much damage it can do to people's lives, I suggested some people will destroy their lives with some drug - MJ is not a gateway; it is simply inexpensive and readily available. Once a person has contacts with the black market criminals they buy from, it is a small step to get hard drugs from the same market. Pushers will often offer "free samples". But, again, it is not the MJ that causes the problem; it is forcing people to use illegal channels to get drugs.

I would remind everyone what happened when Alcohol was prohibited - mobs (like the Kennedys) got rich, and many people died. Just like what has been happening ever since we decided to make drugs illegal.

Originally Posted by Incoblack1 (Post 1973714)

Yes. Marijuana users are filling up our jails when they are not criminals. Marijuana is no more dangerous than tobacco or alcohol and should be treated similarly. Penalties for under age use and fines for abuse but it must be legalized to promote respect for the law!

Originally Posted by graciegirl (Post 1972760)

I read that 75% of Americans support the decriminalization of the use of Marijuana.

Do you?

Originally Posted by JMintzer (Post 1973821)

Could you please cite all of the "users" (not distributors, but simple users) who are filling the jails...

Originally Posted by SusanStCatherine (Post 1974038)

Decriminalize all drugs and drug-related criminal activity will be reduced.

The current laws and policies on drugs are flawed (l was a nurse so have a lot of interest and knowledge) and here are a few examples I know are true:

Someone recently had a severe case of shingles. Denied any kind of prescription pain medication due to doctors being reluctant to prescribe due to the opoid epidemic.

Someone who has had ADHD for 10 years has to see a physician every 90 days so they can get a 30-day-at-a-time prescription of a stimulant drug they have been taking for 10 years for which they have to show their drivers license each and every time they pick it up. And get to pay close to $300 for that drug with a coupon - every single month. And the pharmacy doesn't always have stock, so just wait and do without it until it comes in.

Have severe sinus congestion? Go buy the most effective drug for that - pseudoephedrine - and be forced to give your ID so you don't start your own meth lab on the limited quantity you are allowed to purchase.

Want to use some ephedra which was never a prescription drug? Ephedra is a Chinese shrub which has been used in China for medicinal purposes for several thousand years. It was used in the US by many for years until a baseball player (Belcher) took too much and went out in the hot sun while dehydrated and died. Never mind he had suffered a couple of heat strokes during adolescence and his half-brother died of a brain anyuerism and his father had 70% blockage of his aorta. His wife's testimony lead the FDA to ban it in the US.

Katie Couric husband dies of colon cancer - tons of invasive colonoscopies for even those at low-risk.

Your bad cholesterol edging to the upper limit? Take a statin and nevermind the many awful side effects. From what I've read and witnessed, statins are extremely overused.

The insulin patent from the University of Toronto was sold for $1 with the understanding that cheap insulin would become available. Yet many who need insulin are unable to afford today's high prices. Many recent deaths due to people trying to ration their doses to reduce their costs.

Those are just a few examples of drugs and regulations.

I would probably vote to decriminalize all drug use, especially marajuana. I would strongly consider legalizing all drug use. As for possession and distribution of large quantities of non-regulated drugs , that's another thing.

P. S.

The current state of US pharmaceuticals drive me crazy.

The Affordable Care Act drives me insane.

Originally Posted by Ben Franklin (Post 1973686)

Nope. Sorry. Alcohol has worse side effects and we set the law at 21 years of age. Did you know that if you want answers look to Israel. Our NIH has been subsidizing marijuana research for over 50 years. They've done the research but we refuse to look at it. I firmly believe it's because we have such a corrupt government who are paid off, in this case, by the pharms and alcohol industries.

Originally Posted by GrumpyOldMan (Post 1973716)

Don't forget the S. American cartels that are doing a $50 Billion/year business selling illegal drugs in the US. But, I am certain they would never attempt to spend some of that money to ensure the right politicians get elected. I mean that would be illegal and they wouldn't... oh, wait, never mind.