Why is Marijuana Illegal?

[BasketCase]

So you're not against marijuana in general, just the smoking of it?

Oh, I am against the use of marijuana. But for other reasons. That particular post of mine was on some other argument.

 

[Mirc]

It isn't.

xcl

Yeah, I'm aware of that. It's legal in... 3 countries? Maybe 4? Out of 200.

 

[Narz]

Oh, I am against the use of marijuana. But for other reasons.

That's cool, you don't have to use it.

Yeah, I'm aware of that. It's legal in... 3 countries? Maybe 4? Out of 200.

I think governments associate weed with anti-establishment types. Weed also stimulates the mind somewhat rather than deadening it like alcohol so it makes sense people would want to prohibit it.

 

[raketooy]

Marijuana is at least as dangerous as cigarettes for a very simple reason: it's on fire. Ganja is usually smoked, and smoke from burning anything is dangerous. Cigarette smoke is the same stuff you inhale when your sofa catches fire.

Tobacco is very addictive, and marijuana at worst only slightly addictive. That's the main difference in the dangers of these two substances.

 

[holy king]

let the market decide

 

[Mr. Keith]

I'm not sure I would legalize marijuana, at least not now. But it should definitely be decriminalized to some extent. There is no reason you should ever go to jail for possession or low level distribution.

 

[CaptainF]

Studies by the fire department.

Burning anything produces a vile cocktail of dangerous chemicals, from plain old carbon dioxide (which IS toxic at concentrations above 5% by volume!) to carbon monoxide (poisonous), benzene (carcinogen) and cyanide products (no explanation needed there). There are many different carcinogens that come from burning objects. The dirtier the burn, the more carcinogens. And a cigarette (or a blunt) is a dirty burn.

By the way--if you'll check a few medical web sites, you'll discover that the number one cause of fire-related deaths is smoke inhalation. Not burns to the skin, and not burns inside the lungs from inhaling superheated air. The lung damage comes from inhaling 23 different poisons at once.

Something else I found out while reading up on the fire department: ganja cigarettes can also kill you the same way normal cigarettes kill. Turns out the number one cause of smoking-related deaths is when your cigarette sets your HOUSE on fire.

Marijuana by itself has never caused cancer.

Nor has it ever killed anyone. Do you know what you're talking about?

 

[BasketCase]

If you knew the answer to that one, you wouldn't have asked.

Yes, I do know what I'm talking about. You don't. And that's not a question.

When you inhale smoke, you get cancer. Yes, Mary Jane has caused cancer, and yes, it has killed people. Death by cancer, death by car accidents. Yes, in much lower numbers. But why does Mary Jane kill fewer people?

Because it is illegal. Prove me wrong.

 

[Mr. Keith]

Because it is illegal. Prove me wrong.

No offense, but that is some pretty weak logic.

First off, your argument that marijuana kills people at the same rate as cigarettes is total conjecture. You gave us some fancy statistics that really don't have anything to do with anything. I wholeheartedly agree with you that inhaling smoke causes cancer, but you have to understand that a regular marijuana smoker does not smoke NEARLY as much as a regular tobacco smoker does. It's not the same thing as all.

Second, you have no idea about the effects of criminalization on the demand for marijuana. I mean, are you assuming that people don't smoke as much buddha as tobacco simply because it is illegal? Why would you make that kind of assumption?

 

[MobBoss]

Marijuana is the number one cash crop in America, it is more widespread then you think.

I have heard this bandied about for years, without ever finding any real proof of it. Is it simply urban legend?

 

[skadistic]

I have heard this bandied about for years, without ever finding any real proof of it. Is it simply urban legend?

You call it legend I call it BS.

 

[Truronian]

If you knew the answer to that one, you wouldn't have asked.

Yes, I do know what I'm talking about. You don't. And that's not a question.

When you inhale smoke, you get cancer. Yes, Mary Jane has caused cancer, and yes, it has killed people. Death by cancer, death by car accidents. Yes, in much lower numbers. But why does Mary Jane kill fewer people?

Because it is illegal. Prove me wrong.

Maybe not...

 

[Godwynn]

And lets put the money given to the DEA to fight this stupid crusade go to other things, like improving the infrastructure of this country, perhaps lowering our debt to China, etc etc. Hell, give all that money to me, lol

I like your style.

 

[Mr. Dictator]

If you knew the answer to that one, you wouldn't have asked.

Yes, I do know what I'm talking about. You don't. And that's not a question.

When you inhale smoke, you get cancer. Yes, Mary Jane has caused cancer, and yes, it has killed people. Death by cancer, death by car accidents. Yes, in much lower numbers. But why does Mary Jane kill fewer people?

Because it is illegal. Prove me wrong.

find one incident of an individual getting lung cancer who only smoked marijuana and you win the internets.

 

[Godwynn]

Yes, in much lower numbers. But why does Mary Jane kill fewer people?

Because it is illegal. Prove me wrong.

Does that mean if guns are illegal they will kill fewer people?

 

[ComradeDavo]

If you believe marajuana should be illegal, you should logically believe alcohol to be illegal.

Really alcohol is a far worse drug, the amount of violence that is alcohol related by far dwarfs that involving marajuana, not to mention it's very addictive and causes intoxication and over usage can lead to health problems!

 

[Mirc]

Does that mean if guns are illegal they will kill fewer people?

Well, yes...?

 

[Left]

Marijuana is at least as dangerous as cigarettes for a very simple reason: it's on fire. Ganja is usually smoked, and smoke from burning anything is dangerous. Cigarette smoke is the same stuff you inhale when your sofa catches fire.

Sure, but nobody smokes 3 packs of weed a day.

 

[Swedishguy]

It's addictive. It should be OK for someone who actually has a reason to do it (like people who needs help to smoke it) otherwise it should be illegal. Same for alcohol and tobacco.

The only legal consequences should be removal from any possesions of the illegal booty, however...

 

[ComradeDavo]

It's addictive. It should be OK for someone who actually has a reason to do it (like people who needs help to smoke it) otherwise it should be illegal. Same for alcohol and tobacco.

The only legal consequences should be removal from any possesions of the illegal booty, however...

As I can see from your profile your 16...perhaps soon you will experiance normal teenage things like getting wasted and having a good time with friends, ja?