cannabisnews.com: Column: Legalize Marijuana? No Way Column: Legalize Marijuana? No Way Posted by FoM on October 09, 1999 at 06:17:10 PT By Chris Teleposky, Daily Targum Source: U-WIRE Recently, there has been a flurry of articles regarding the legalization of illicit drugs, especially regarding marijuana. This no doubt coincides with the current views accepted by most of the college population. The problem I have with these groups is that most of the arguments they use in regard to marijuana legalization are trivial and hold no credibility whatsoever, but end up commanding so much respect among so many people. The fact is that many of these people get their information from popular misconceptions and hearsay. Most people don't even know that out of the three basic classifications of drugs (i.e. stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens) that marijuana is a hallucinogen. Among some of the popular arguments from proponents of legalization is the relation to alcohol and how alcohol is a bigger problem than marijuana. Now, I agree that there is a problem with alcohol in this country, but what does that have to do with the question at hand? Absolutely nothing. When asked about this relation, Dr. Franz Winkler stated, "An illness does not become more attractive by a statement that another one is just as bad." This comparison used by advocates of legalization is comparable to telling a terminally ill cancer patient that AIDS is just as bad. Do you think that makes them feel any more comfortable with what they have? Now, I'm a fair person and I feel that this comparison between marijuana and alcohol should be discussed in order to clarify why the two drugs cannot be compared. By comparing the two of these drugs you are literally comparing apples to oranges. First, if you examine the metabolism rates of each of the drugs you will find a profound difference. By metabolism rate I mean the time it takes for the body to get rid of the drug. The human body can rid itself of alcohol at the rate of 0.015 percent an hour. That means that if you have a blood alcohol level of 0.06, which is still under the legal limit, it will take you four hours to get rid of all the alcohol. Marijuana, on the other hand, can be detected within the body forty-five days after use and can be found in brain tissue up to six months after use. An another criterion that must be looked at is the addiction rates of the two drugs. Contrary to popular belief, alcohol has a 10 percent addiction rate. Marijuana has an addiction rate of 26 percent. This means that two and half times more people become addicted to marijuana than alcohol. There are some smaller points I would like to touch on regarding some of the arguments used by groups such as NORML. They state that if the drug was made legal the government could regulate its manufacture and distribution, thus rendering everything OK. The problem is that government regulation does not mean a whole hill of beans to anything. For example, alcohol is government regulated and this country has a big problem with that. I'm surprised that these activist groups do not agree with me on this. I mean weren't they the ones who first used the alcohol argument to justify legalization stating that it was a bigger problem than marijuana? Marijuana is illegal for a reason. It was made illegal a long time ago because of persistent efforts from countries such as India and Egypt to do so because of the wide spread health and social problems this drug caused within their societies. It is illegal because it is addictive. It is illegal because of the physiological harm it causes to the body. Smoking one "joint" is equivalent to 20 tobacco cigarettes in damage to your lungs. It causes profound brain deformities after prolonged use. It depresses your body's ability to reject poisons, which becomes extremely dangerous when taken with large amounts of alcohol. It greatly impairs motor skills and dexterity. The drug increases your heart rate. It also causes dysfunction with your body's immune system. The list can go on and on. Medical technology in the 70s could only detect marijuana in the body eight days after use. Today it can be found 45 days after use. Medical technology will only get better and more will be learned about this drug. Marijuana will never, ever be legal. 12:00 PM ET October 8, 1999(C) 1999 Daily Targum via U-WIRE It Is Time To Admit The War On Drugs Has Failedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread3202.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #49 posted by jose melendez on July 11, 2005 at 06:57:17 PT Legalize Marijuana? Way. Prisons transmit violent habits rather than reduce them:http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1096/a04.html?397 Criminalize Prohibition [ Post Comment ] Comment #48 posted by Hope on July 10, 2005 at 17:48:51 PT Racheal I sent you an email concerning http://bbsnews.net/article.php/20050710150925597excerpt: (5) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): A synthetic cannabinoid (AM1241) that selectively binds to the CB2 receptor was shown to slow disease progression in a mouse model of ALS. Loss of motor function was delayed by 12.5 days in male mice and by 3 days in female mice. (Abstract by M. Abood et al.)(Source: Reader of the 2005 ICRS meeting, www.cannabinoidsociety.org.) [ Post Comment ] Comment #47 posted by Hope on May 10, 2005 at 22:46:12 PT Racheal You've got an "Amen" from me on all the prayers you mentioned. Amen!There are ways to keep a person's home address private on the Internet, by posting from certain addresses or sites designed specifically for that purpose. I don't know how to do it, but I know it’s possible. Posting anywhere is like a postcard. Anyone can read it and finding our addresses isn't hard at all for people who know how. Some geeks know how to protect information, but most of us don't. The hope is that the antis aren't that interested in the small fry. No enforcer would be proud of busting you, or they shouldn't be. Just don't grow and don't keep past misdemeanor amounts and be a do right woman in all you do.The best alternative at this point, but I hope it's going to change for the better, is to live in one of the state's that protect medical need people like yourself. I appreciate your allowing me to tell your story when I can, and I've got to find now, where it is that I wanted to post H...A...P...P...Y the other day.You are a wise young woman and obviously full of fire and intelligence, and you have a way with words. Yours will be a powerful voice. Join us on the front pages when you get ready. I'll be happy to see you there if and when you decide to do so. I'm praying for you and all of us. It's hard trying to right an entrenched wrong. But just because it's hard doesn't mean we don't have to do it. They're even talking like the Federal Bill that Montel is working on might pass this time. That would be good. And God help us...and it doesn't look good to me...but God help us, maybe the Supremes will do the right thing for you and Angel, and Ms. Monson and lots of others in your position. You aren't alone.If they don't, we keep on trying. You're a bright light, girl. Keep on shining. I won't give up... because there are people like you.You said, "What I'm realizing is the anti's just don't think enough about the many pains some people can't get through without marijuana."You're right. They don't. We have to keep trying to make them come to that realization. There is one especially valuable thing, for the cause, that you can do. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/ is an especially valuable website for tracking news and they have the addresses with each article that you can respond to via email, usually. I’ve been doing it a long time. I’ve been published a bit…but I’ve written hundreds and hundreds more than I’ve had published. You can write letters to newspapers and magazines. It helps. Every letter that's published helps. Even if they don't publish, someone will read it and maybe you can change one more mind. If we have to do it one mind at a time...that's what we have to do. You can ask them not to publish your real name. You'll have to give them your phone number and address, but you can ask them not to publish your address and phone number and you can ask them not publish your name or you can just name yourself something you've always liked in your letters. They have to have a phone number and they nearly always call you to verify you wrote the letter. But write them. Make your voice heard. If you decide not to use your real name, you have to have everyone in your house who might answer the phone know the name you use and be prepared for such a call and hand the phone over to you and not say..."Sorry, wrong number".I think you could write some letters that could bring about the epiphanies we need to happen in people.The Media Awareness Project even has advice and workshops to help with writing letters. You might consider Newshawking, too. I did for several years and it was very satisfying to know that I was doing something…anything, to help. I don’t newshawk anymore, but I did for years, as Amanda, up until a couple or so years ago, until I had to spend more time helping care for my elderly grandmother after she broke her leg and I still do…help her…not newshawk. I really ought to get back to it, but I haven’t yet. Like everyone else, I’m pushed to the limit and I have to limit myself to get anything done. But I really miss the gratification of that job. It’s not hard and you might like doing it. You ought to check into it. It’s volunteer work but you can devote as little as an hour or two a day to it. It’s all done over the computer.Take care and I’ll be watching for your posts here. Let me know if you get into newshawking for MAP.I’ll also check in on your poetry page from time to time to see if you’ve posted any more poems there.You’re in my Favorites, or Bookmarks, as they say on some browsers.http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/ to keep up with even more, if you don't already. http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #46 posted by RACHEAL123 on May 10, 2005 at 19:36:16 PT: Hope Hope, I am greatly flattered by your last two comments. You've brightened my day! Thank you so very much! I don't mind if you use my story, or my poetry. As long as we pray no one finds out where I live, or finds out anything past the story and the poetry. I want to help in anyway possible. I know there are more people suffering than just me. But maybe it would help others come fourth with their pain. What I'm realizing is the anti's just don't think enough about the many pains some people can't get through without marijuana. I pray that someday people realize that we are all different in many ways. This is an imperfect world. We try so hard to make it perfect. It never will be. So we have to live with it. It should be our decision how we live with all of our imperfections. Everyone has some sort of pain. That is why we have medicine in the first place. If a doctor could prescribe marijuana think how many people would feel more peace with their imperfections. They just don't know how to regulate it. I wish they'd just figure out a way to regulate marijuana. People hurt people with prescription pills too. They are abused too. All drugs get abused. We just want to feel better in this evil world. This imperfect world. I do know one thing. God made marijuana. God made man. God let man have imperfections. Imperfection overwhelmed man. Man made drugs to fix imperfection, subconsciously (def: Not wholly conscious; partially or imperfectly conscious). Man still has imperfection. Drugs are there. They aren't just going to disappear. As far as marijuana we just have to have regulation. Not that everyone will follow regulations for marijuana. Those are the people we need to worry about. They are the criminals. Not the sick. It makes me feel guilty that I am considered a criminal and I have never done anything to hurt someone intentionally. ALL DRUGS CAN HURT PEOPLE. It's a matter of regulation. It's a matter of moderation. It's a matter of self control. Prescription or not!With love, peace, and the Lord's Blessings...God Bless, Racheal http://www.poetrypoem.com/ria [ Post Comment ] Comment #45 posted by Hope on May 09, 2005 at 10:46:13 PT "I can certainly understand that." When I said that in the fourth paragraph of my last comment...I meant that I can understand your reluctance to share on this site when the antis might zero in on you. They are a hateful bunch...and some of them don't even know it...therefore they are deluded. That...being so hateful...I don't understand. I meant to say that I understand anyone's reluctance to share too much about their lives on these pages.Thanks again for sharing your experience and your poetry. You're a very brave young woman. Being brave doesn't mean you don't get scared. Sometimes it would just be crazy not to be scared. You are, though, a very brave young woman.Thank you. [ Post Comment ] Comment #44 posted by Hope on May 09, 2005 at 10:37:57 PT Racheal Just finished reading your poetry. It's beautiful. You're beautiful...and you were before I even saw your photo.You're poetry is many things in many places. Beautiful, sad, scary, revealing, inspiring, and devastating.I think, at this time, anyway, if I had to choose favorites, I'd choose "Imagine" and "H...A...P...P...Y".Thank you for sharing them with us. I'd like to share them with others on one of the front page threads, but I won't if you don't want me to. I can see a place right now that I'd like to post the url to "H...A...P...P...Y". But like I said, I won't if you don't want me, too.Sadly, because of the antis who visit our site, it might be risky. They don't believe in our humanity or freedom or natural God given rights. I can certainly understand that.Never the less...I've added your page to my favorites and will be keeping track of the poetry you add. We could use your comments on our front pages. Every story like yours adds to the weight of our strength against the antis lies and fears. I wish you'd join us there, but I can certainly understand if you didn't want to. We're up against deluded people who think they can "help" you by hurting you and that certainly makes it a danger to speak up. Especially when you have so much to lose if they are able to take your real help away from you, and sadly, they are often able to do that. In your case, losing the real help you get from use of the cannabis help would be too devastating a loss to have to take. So, perhaps, honestly, the risk is too great.I'm honored to have made your acquaintance. I will keep checking your poetry pages to see when you've added any. You did my soul good by letting me read them. [ Post Comment ] Comment #43 posted by RACHEAL123 on May 09, 2005 at 01:58:03 PT: Thank you... I thank you for your blessings...They are greatly appreciated. Someday I hope somebody listens. I know that God truely understands my reasonings for medicinal marijuana. Maybe the government all over the U.S. will too. SOMEDAY!With Love, Peace, and once again God Bless you all, Racheal http://poetrypoem.com/ria [ Post Comment ] Comment #42 posted by Hope on May 07, 2005 at 10:33:25 PT Thank you, Racheal I second FoM's request for your blessing.You aren't likely to get any rebuttals of your comment here. I, for one, am deeply touched by your post and am so angry at the stiff necked, hard headed antis who dare to refute the truth you try to tell them. It's so hard for me not to utter a curse on them. People in dire need and true knowledge, like yourself are forced into a terrible predicament by the anti-cannabis idiocy. If you speak up, you can help yourself and others, yet if you speak up, you also may put yourself in danger of their draconian war tactics. I'm so deeply grieved about that.It only infuriates me more when the antis claim to be Christians and compassionate. They apparently don't have a clue as to Christ and His ways or even common human compassion. I'm so sorry about your illness. You are a brave and intelligent young woman. May you always have all that you need. Your post is so appreciated. [ Post Comment ] Comment #41 posted by FoM on May 07, 2005 at 09:57:10 PT Racheal And may God Bless You too! [ Post Comment ] Comment #40 posted by RACHEAL123 on May 07, 2005 at 09:42:54 PT: Feeling better or Addicted? I am a young adult (19) diagnosed with ALS. If anyone knows what that is, they know that it is a disease that causes severe muscle deterioration, thus causing severe pain in the muscles, multiple muscle spasms, and within (approx.)1-10 years...it causes full body paralysis leading to DEATH. (your mind still functions normal even when you are on your death bed) I have tried many over the counter drugs, prescription drugs, and herbal drugs. I have also used marijuana. Though I know there is currently no cure for ALS, I strongly believe through my own research of trial and error, that marijuana is the only one of these drugs that has helped with my pain and spasms. I also believe that everyone of these words (over the counter DRUG, prescription DRUG, herbal DRUG) has the word drug behind it. It's all about what works for you. Some drugs are illegal some are not. Illegal or not you are still paying for a suppressant. You are paying for how it makes you feel. I believe that in the end it all comes down to the tax...not the care of this countries needs. I would love to see one of these non-smokers deal with what I wake up with everyday. I can't sleep unless I smoke. I don't eat unless I smoke. I can't maintain a healthy weight unless I smoke. I can't hardly walk unless I smoke. Prescription drugs made my pain worse(muscle relaxers),and made me extremely drowsy. Who knows what they've done to my brain? I look at it like this; when you go to a Doctor, they prescribe you something, you take it not knowing, or questioning what is in it, or what lunatic made it. And all the doctor asks you is, "How does it make you feel?" You can tell how it makes you feel but do you really know what is in your body? Though the long term affects of synthetic drugs are much worse, and much more addictive than marijuana we are still putting something in our bodies man made. Lets not play God here. If a person feels he or she is incapable of living in society's standards today, let them choose the drug they want to make them "FEEL BETTER." You can go to a doctor, get presciption drugs, and get addicted. You can go to the street, and get drugs, and get addicted. Who knows maybe we'll all get addicted to something. Then everyone will shut up about it! I imagine if you took a look in Bush's cabinet he'd have some sort of prescribed medication. Or maybe a big bag of cocain! J/K Either way, it's what makes you feel better. We are all gonna go someday. Sometimes people don't think about that enough. How you go and how you want to feel when you go isn't always up to you, but when you are facing death does it really matter which drug you use to make you, "FEEL BETTER(before you go)?" I know, I'm 19, and I shouldn't have to face death. Obviously there is a reason. God wants me a little sooner. But I'm gonna go on about living my life the way I choose. If marijuana can make the pain go away for the few days, or few years I have left, and nothing else can, I will use it. Only because it makes me feel better. We trust doctors. "AM I ADDICTED?" is not the question we ask ourselves when we go to a doctor and they hand us a prescription for who knows what. But it is a question with pot. Why? I don't know. It's all drugs. It's all ways to make ourselves "Feel Better." I know when I die, with the disease I have, I'll have to be hooked up to a morphine drip like my ancestors...At that point, will I be caring about what drug they are putting in me? No! I will only care that it makes me "FEEL BETTER" before I go so I can't feel my pain! So whatever drug you decide to do....or don't do is up to you. All drugs have side affects legal or illegal it's all about the person and their body. And how their body reacts to it. You take a chance everytime you smoke or pop a pill or do any type of substance that is considered to be a drug (presciption or non prescription) in today's Society. Some doctors don't really even care about the side affects of prescription drugs. For example: My grandmother is now schizophrenic. Schizophrenia DOES NOT run in our family. I do know that before she was diagnosed she was taking large amounts of pain medicine, five to six times a day (SOMA), for her muscle fatigue. (She may also have ALS but hasn't been diagnosed. It runs in our family.) FIVE TO SIX DOSES OF PAIN MEDICINE A DAY. She was OBVIOUSLY ADDICTED. (Keep in mind she didn't have this disease until years after taking this medication.) Now what lunatic doctor continues giving a patient more and more medication when OBVIOUSLY, it wasn't helping? We trust in our doctors to show us the right medications, and the right regulations. Her doctor may have asked her "HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL?" Of course a 69 year old woman who is 1, already addicted because he put her on it for pain , and 2, still in pain will say "IT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER, BUT I NEED MORE." This doctor did not care HOW IT MADE HER FEEL. He just kept giving her more. (sounds like a drug dealer or something, LOL) Soma is a muscle relaxer. Muscle relaxers are physically addictive, suppress pain in the muscles, have many side effects long term, and with muscle relaxers you eventually have to keep uping your dosage to make you "FEEL BETTER.". Marijuana is not physically addictive (proven by our very own, U.S. GOVERNMENT), suppresses pain, and has less side effects long term than Muscle relaxers. You can compare it to any drug...and the side effects are always less long term, and short term.Definition of:side effect n.A peripheral or secondary effect, especially an undesirable secondary effect of a drug or therapeutic regimen. I've done the research, I'm dying for GOD SAKE. Every drug has side effects. Why are we so paranoid about them? We are all going to die someday. In our lifetime, all that matters is what "MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER." Legal or illegal, prescription or non prescription MAKE YOURSELF HAPP. MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER. You decide! Why should our government decide for us? Isn't this country supposed to be free? With all the drug usage and stopage it gets to be pretty expensive to me! Prescription OR nonprescription! All I know is currrently the side effects of marijuana are much better than having pain every second, of every minute, of every hour of every day! When I smoke I am pain free, enabling me to work in today's LOVELY SOCIETY! I work even if I'm sick. I can do that because of marijuana. That is my story. Take it as you will. I'm not asking for any rebuttals. I only hope that people continue to grow marijuana so I can continue to live happy, and walk, and talk pain free, till I get that morphine drip when my body is completely paralysed, and my mind is still working normal. I'll be able to see my paralysis and know that I'm dying! That is ALS. Marijuana, it may not be the drug for some people. It only makes me feel better. Till my day comes. May GOD BLESS YOU ALL, through this war on drugs!With Love, Racheal [ Post Comment ] Comment #39 posted by mik1231 on October 25, 2001 at 08:20:57 PT: drugs are a joke addictions, come in many forms... computer chat lines for some people, video poker for others.. drugs seem to be nothing more than something we live with... and people get addicted... I know one thing.. thats bullshit that they sell smokes(basically just straight up addiction and death before old age pension) and booze(you drink enough and you wont even be able to crawl) both legal, by some bullshit law like racism and sexism witch still existed in the 60's-70's and whatnot. and they tell the kids you have to be 19 years old to drink and smoke. You have to usually go to some crack house basically to buy some good herb.... keep pot in the bad denial scene a little longer, look at strip clubs, topless bars,(most people wouldnt be caught dead in there) second hand smoke. make weed cheap enough so people can smoke there own and you know what your smoking so you dont end up smoking some cocaine someone put in a joint for a joke. some joke. :( if I could kill every coke and heroin dealer - I would with my bare hands. little weed shops to smoke some weed in peace would be deadly after work, instead we get to go to the coke, e takin, bar fighting, stuck-up, short fuzed, drunk bars. hope I may have given someone important some sort of extra idea. some day people with have more stuff to do than drugs, like say space travel.. enough space up there for everyone to work. to bad humans are to dumb still to get in space. sorry for the outlook of 1000 years if people still exist.. I think lots will work in space cause we reproduce like wolfs in a no hunting zone. fuck you, yer different. [ Post Comment ] Comment #38 posted by Underdog on October 10, 2001 at 06:02:14 PT VIVA RevOlution WEED I would'nt know that any of the stuff said bout weed's through or anything.But the bottom line is that Weed illegal due to the fact the big-arsed coparate company's have invested toO much in tabacco.Think bout it Marlbaro,Lucky Strike,Camel,555 are major companies that contribute hell of alot of revenue, to the economy (not to mention the damn media).Big players get what they want -Tabbaco is easier and cheaper to make into a joint than weed.-nicotine added to keep u on to it and Fucking James Dean makes it look like the ultimate shit.Whatelse could you ask for man-a fucking multi-billion dollar industry-which can't be touched or destroyed not by the like of us weed lovers (and not to mention i think that tar is a natural product formed when tobbaco is burn't-correct me if i am wrong but U DON'T GET THIS SHIT WHEN WEED SMOKES) And finally i would like to mention to all u weed lovers.Don't stop fightin the coparate bastard that keep Weed illegal VIVA revolution WEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #37 posted by Lary Nieldson on June 20, 2001 at 09:49:17 PT: Wake up I'm sory to inform you that your medical "facts" if thats what you want to call them are wrong. The have about the amount of credability as the guy on the corrner of the street yelling " No seroiusly the world IS round!"Please don't waste our time with your anti-marijuana propaganda. Your reason for the illegalization of marijuana bothers me more than anything else: marijuana was made illegal due to the barage of anti-marijuana propaganda in the early/mid nintys. Don't trick yourself yourself kid chocolate, suger, caffene and nicotine are all more addictive than marijuana.Next time you want to write a bad web article with no decent content do the word a favor: count to ten and then go back to moping my office floor. [ Post Comment ] Comment #35 posted by Mc Wogg on June 07, 2001 at 13:15:04 PT Fatalities caused by MaryJane, baloney Rambler, your name hits the nail right on the head. You are rambling. Where the hell did you find out about all the deaths caused by Marijuana? Obviously you are an anti Marijuana advocate, but you're not fighting fair. If you are going to preach against the weed at least get the right information. Sorry Rambler, but I'm confident that there haven't been any deaths from MJ. Maybe a heart attack when somebody discovers their stash stolen, otherwise MJ is a perfectly safe smoke. AY [ Post Comment ] Comment #33 posted by Lisa on June 07, 2001 at 08:56:53 PT: a few facts. I'm sorry to inform you but marijuana isn't addicting, maybe people can "crave the high", but this is only a mental addiction. If marijuana is illeagal because it's addicting, then why do ciggarettes still exist? Along with many pain killers, and narcotic based medicines that are distibuted by doctors across the world every day. I feel that it would be much safer to ingest something in your body that is a naturaly grown herb, and not a mixture of man made chemicals. [ Post Comment ] Comment #32 posted by Rambler on May 30, 2001 at 18:22:47 PT Speaking of childish arguments >" Marijuana does not need to be made legal. I don't want my kids to be able to walk in to a drug store and pick it up thinking that it is safe. It makes little to no sense at all."Do your kids walk into a liquor store and pick up alcohol thinking it's "safe"? You seem to think that all of a sudden,relaxing the absurd Marijuana prohibition laws will put packs of Marijuana cigarrettes on the drug store shelves between the Hersey bars,and the condoms!WAKE UP!!! No one is suggesting that Wrigleys,or Oberto should sell Marijuana in a 7-11!Step back Rambler2 step back and try to take a balanced view of what is going on with this war on drugs.We all care about our kids.We were all kids one time.If you're honest with your kids,and do a good job as a parent,your kid will grow up to be well balanced despite any of the things availiable at the drug store,or anywhere else.I dont care how many bizarre laws they make,children will be children,and I'm sick and tired of hearing the lame argument that normalizing drug laws is going to ruin children!The only reason people use this childish argument,is because it's been drilled into their heads by an out of control government.If you care about your kids,a better place to start would be with thinking about what kind of oppresive government regime we will leave for them.Politicians are way more dangerous than any drug.PleaseRespectfully,and sincerely submitted with best wishes.loveThe Real Rambler [ Post Comment ] Comment #31 posted by Rambler2 on May 30, 2001 at 17:06:52 PT Marijuana is all natural The comment was made that marijuana is more trustworthy than asprin because marijuana is natural. Did you know Arsenic is also all natural? Would you take Arsenic instead of asprin? The idea that marijuana is good for the body just because it grows out of the ground is pointless and a childish argument.Marijuana is responsible for many deaths across the nation. Though the reader is correct in that there are no REPORTED OD cases, many people have been killed by High drivers.Marijuana does not need to be made legal. I don't want my kids to be able to walk in to a drug store and pick it up thinking that it is safe. It makes little to no sense at all. [ Post Comment ] Comment #30 posted by Rambler on May 26, 2001 at 08:19:54 PT Weird critique? Bieling.Where the heck do you come off making such critisms about thecomments here?Why dont you join in and give us some examples ofthe proper arguments,and comments?Maybe you could show us thecorrect way to further the cause.I agree when you say "let's have some good old fashioned freedom of choice.",but unless people like you get involved,and start speaking out,freedom of choicewill no longer be a possibility. [ Post Comment ] Comment #29 posted by Bieling on May 26, 2001 at 07:58:13 PT: What I've seen. So far it looks like most of the mes. and contributions on this site seem to be designed in one way or another to cast a negative light on pot and related subjects. Some of the supporting arguements towards use are so poorly presented that it makes me wonder if some anti-drug collective didn't write them all by themselves to have a good ex. of how drugs are detramental. The human litmus test in these matters has always been try it for yourself, if you don't dare or you don't like it afterward, disgard it where it belongs. Let's have some mature good old fashioned freedom of choice. [ Post Comment ] Comment #28 posted by kevin on May 17, 2001 at 10:44:35 PT smoke o come on tell us the truth the real truth is you cant tax weed. There is to many seeds in destrobutin but so what. Get off your greed trip. As the generations progress more and more of americans smoke weed. As of know more than 50% of high school students smoke weed. So all of them need to be put in jail or rehabe. Are we the problem or are you and the people like you who have no real proff in what you state. And try to blame the problems on somthing other than what is realy happining. There are crazy people out there and there use of weed didn't cause or trigger it THERE JUST CRAZY. But it wont matter soon your genoration will hand us controle and things will chang fore most of us for the better. ps. Try pot then u can bad mouth it i bet you never even lit a joint or had a smok fest u were the shelterd child wernt you well any way i care little of your history [ Post Comment ] Comment #27 posted by ?????? on May 17, 2001 at 10:33:32 PT ???? Yea right on man keep up the good work and some day we will have our day [ Post Comment ] Comment #26 posted by ????? on May 17, 2001 at 10:28:56 PT: FUCK YOU No what I think, I think your a bich weed causes no health problems not like your fucking tobaco but thats legal just because the goverment can make money on it, and your alcahol which causes people to die and commit crimes, you don't see any body killing people on weed but what about all the people weed helps with ilneses but that never makes the news, because the goverment is afraid that they won't make any money because no one will by your disgutig cancer sticks, no what 50% of the united states smokes weeed if not more, so you can take your artical and shuve it up your ass because it doesn't matter what you think weed will be LEGAL. [ Post Comment ] Comment #25 posted by Brett Bonner on May 06, 2001 at 18:26:52 PT: Weed? bad? And on a last note. Please send me the litature that proves one joint of weed is equal to 20 tobacco cigarettes. and even if that was true... the average person that does hemp smokes a few joints on the weekends. The average smoker smokes a pack (30 tobacco cigarettes) a day. What is worse now? [ Post Comment ] Comment #24 posted by Brett on May 06, 2001 at 18:22:47 PT: Weed? bad? There has not been one death ever because of weed. If you were trying to OD on weed you would have to take 40,000 times the normal doesage. As for weed staying in your system for a long time... does it do any harm? i don't do "drugs" of any kind.... but i honestly would feel 100% more safe if i were to go out and grow weed for my migrains then to take a pill of asprin. Hemp is all natrual and the only reason it is illegal today is because major corpirations like the texil corp and the gas corp gave the public the impression that weed does crazzy things to you. This is all false. They did it so hemp manufactureing would not be able to take a piece of thier pie. In major europian cities where hemp is legal, the usage rate is 15% compaird to 20% here and those cities are much more peacfull. With all the cash the government is spending to stop hemp, why just not legalize it, regulate it (like alchaol) and make some cash of the high tax you put on it? [ Post Comment ] Comment #23 posted by GEORGE on April 16, 2001 at 19:39:08 PT WEED... THIS IS BULLSHIT, THERES NO WAY THAT WEED IS MORE HARMFUL THAN CIGARETTES....WHEN DO YOU EVER HEAR A PERSON DIEING FROM SMOKING WEED, OVER 10,000 PEOPLE DIE OF CANCER CAUSED BY CIGARETTES, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT ADDICTIVE CIGARETTES PERPOSELY HAVE NICOTINE TO HAVE THE SMOKER CRAVING FOR MORE. WEED IS ALL NATURAL, AND IF ANYONE CALLS IT A GATEWAY DRUG IS STUPID, ONLY WEAK MINDED PEOPLE TURN TO COCAINE AND HAROINE. ANYWAY WEED IS BETTER ILLEGAL, CUZ IF IT WAS LEGAL, THE GOVERMENT WOULD FUCK IT UP AND ADD SHIT LIKE NICOTINE AND TAR TO IT, JUS LIKE CIGARETTES..........THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS.......KEEP SMOKING YOUR WEED.....HEMPGOD_420....OUT!!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by justin on April 12, 2001 at 12:37:03 PT joe i think your right about every thing I smoke weed I sniff cocane and I do acid alot. im adicted to weed I have a fat ass Bong. Its glass and its green. I do Meth Labs every day.If you want to bust me my name is William Meeks and I go to David Douglas High School. My mom knows that I do stuff like that.So does my dad he does it with me.Like I said if you want to bust me go to David Douglas High School. My E-Mail adress is wiliamM04. I want to go to jail and to be tryed as an adault. thanks Wiliam Meeks [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by stone cold on April 12, 2001 at 12:25:16 PT stop meth labs my reall name is justin and I think meth labs should be stoped.Because people fuckin play around with drugs.they mess up thier lives and get to go to jail if someone catches them doing a meth lab................thanks for listing [ Post Comment ] Comment #20 posted by suab83 on March 28, 2001 at 14:47:44 PT I can't believe this guy! Chris Teleposky obviously needs to get a reality check about marijuana. I don't know where he got his facts from but he really needs to learn to check them throughly. Here are just a few of the dilusions that Teleposky seemed to think were true: 1. marijuana is illegal because it's addictive. Only a small percentage of people get addicted to marijuana while almost everybody gets addicted to cigarettes. And how about those with aids and cancer? A high percentage of them are getting addicted to the drugs they are forced to take to cope with pain that would be gone if they were allowed to use marijuana. 2. marijuana is unhealthy. While you can have hallucinations and loss of time and short term memory, there are many good side effects to marijuana that Teleposky failed to mention. *marijuana relieves nausea so that people wasting away from aids will be able to eat *no one has died from smoking marijuana while over 100,000 died from smoking cigarettes last year and 50,000 from drinking alcohol (oops teleposky, wrong again) *marijuana actually improves lung function so that people can breathe easier. There was a study done on people who smoked marijuana 2-3 times a day and the study concluded that people who smoked marijuana had no greater deterioration in lung function then people who didn't smoke it at all. (Go to New Scientist to review this information) *could acctually help people with emphesema by opening up the bronchi and allowing fresh air in. *it can alleviate pain from migraine headaches and arthritis *stop advancement of glaucoma *helps alleviate pain in muscles so people with mutliple scherosis won't be in constant pain *helps alleviate symptoms of withdraw from ALCOHOL and other narcotics. And these are only a few of the things it's been proven to do. Teleposky seems to think that groups promoting marijuana are trivial and have no real evidence. I have done a thorough study of both sides of the arugment about marijuana and have come to the conclusion that marijuana should be legal for medical purposes. So instead of being so prejucice against people who want to legalize marijuana, maybe he should look at all the facts and then he will be able to have an educated opinion about marijuana because right now his opinion is completely lacking any intellectual basis that would prove to anyone that marijuana is bad. [ Post Comment ] Comment #19 posted by stephanie on March 21, 2001 at 08:05:49 PT legalization of weed i was just reading over again the article and the things others had to say i do see why it is harmless of course i smoke it but you need to think when they made this drug illigal in the 60's and 70's they were tripping that is why so much happend and i am sure that when some people can't drive or think thay are taking something else i write some of my best term papers when i am stoned. [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by Stephanie on March 21, 2001 at 07:54:58 PT: leglization of weed I understand the agruement that you can compare alcohol with the drug but you say that weed is not legal because it is addictive. what about cigarrettes, nicotine is more additctive than crack and cocaine and herorin. those are still being sold. i do not agree, however, with some of the things you said happends to the person that smokes, i am not saying that the true story about the guy and girl didn't happen that was tragic. but not all people are the same way it is just like alcohol, a 260 pound man could drink about four more drinks than a 120 pound woman, and they would both have the same buzz. i have been smoking weed for 5 years now i am graduating from high school with honors and have never failed a class i even got into MSU. i just feel that alcohol should be right next to weed in the legal system. i don't think either should be legal. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by mr macky on March 05, 2001 at 20:02:45 PT: Pot=bad=dead Marijuana is bad mkay! [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by TLCSunrise on March 04, 2001 at 12:07:59 PT More Harm Then Good More harm is caused to people and society by marijuana being illelal than by the smoking of it by individuals in our society.In other words, the harm caused to people and our society by the smoking of marijuana is not worth society's time, money and efort to make and keep it illegal.Much more harm is caused to our society and its people by the imprisonment of those that have been convicted of marijuana offenses and their families and the waste of taxpayers dollars to inforce those usless, unfounded and unfair laws against using, buying, selling and growing it. But don't listen to me. After smoking it for 35 years, I must have "profound brain deformaties" [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by Lehder on February 02, 2001 at 19:04:30 PT profound brain deformities >It causes profound brain deformities after prolonged use. >It depresses your body's ability to reject poisons...Well, I don't see any evidence here and I certainly do not accept this without it; in fact I have read quite the opposite, that mj eliminates free radicals the same as vitamin C. But the rest of this sentence is really absurd:>... which becomes extremely dangerous when taken with large amounts of alcohol.Does he mean that it's safe to imbibe "large amounts of alcohol" - but this becomes dangerous if combined with marijuana? Therefore marijuana is rightly illegal? Because it shouldn't be combined with "large amounts of alcohol"?What does go well with large amounts of alcohol? How many DWI's does this idiot have?These are two of the stupidest sentences I have ever seen in print. [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by boz on February 02, 2001 at 16:44:52 PT: Boose vs. Weed The reason I compare the use of Booze to weed when trying to convince someone else that pot should be legal is that, if a society has accepted the use of liquor with all its proven negative effects, then why on earth should pot not be legalized?If, by the hand of God, I could miracously, magically change all "alcoholics" to "pot heads" overnight many lives, marriges, and childrens futures would be saved !!I am a steady pot users ( 25 yrs + )but yet have a good job with many promotions over the years. However, my wife fell to alcohol and we both suffered for almost five years until she was blessed with the strength to stop entirely.I NEVER drink at home and rarely even in front of her. I drink very little myself any more and don't miss it a bit !! Still have my pot and if I give anyhing up it will be the damn cigerettes ! [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by observer on January 19, 2001 at 07:10:54 PT WHAT is so wrong with marijuana? joe writes: It is as effective a description of marijuana as the old movie called "Reefer Madness". The old film, once offered as fact is now offered in television listings as a campy comedy.You can watch this movie here (realmovie, you need realplayer installed) http://www.crrh.org/hemptv/misc_reefer.html (Extra credit: see how many prohibition propaganda themes you can spot in this movie. A list of prohibition propaganda themes may be found here: http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/ticp.html )honeybee asks: WHAT is so wrong with marijuana?Nothing. (Of course, nothing is harmless. not even water. http://www.dhmo.org/ ) But there is something deep within people, within society, I think, that requires scapegoats and sacrifice. (Maybe not always recognized as such.) There's a misguided mystical/religious aspect of it, where "good people" believe they are doing service to God by hurting marijuana users, the "righteous folk" believe they are saving "The Children" by imprisoning cannabis smokers. (The christian Bible never preaches imprisoning users of any drug.) Author Thomas Szasz argues this is similar to persecutions of "witches" and Jews in past times. Scapegoating. Szasz writes: I maintain that drug abuse and the War on Drugs are both transitory modes -- pretexts for scapegoating deviants and strengthening the state. Our official understanding of the drug problem rests on a fallacious scapegoat-type imagery and a correspondingly erroneous approach to remedying it. For example, we conceptualize self-medication -- say, with marijuana -- as self-poisoning rather than as self-pleasuring, and then rely on this image of the drug as poison to justify using state power to punish people who possess marijuana. Although in his important study, The Scapegoat, René Cirard does not refer to drugs as scapegoats, he remarks -- apropos of our scientific progress from the Middle Ages to the present -- that "frequent references to poisons" has remained a constant feature of the imagery and rhetoric of scapegoating. "Chemistry," he concludes, "takes over from purely demoniac influence."13 The chemistry that takes over, I would add, is not pharmacological chemistry, but ceremonial chemistry.Drug Abuse as ProfanationPrior to 1914, the main ingredients of American patent medicines, in addition to alcohol, were cocaine and morphine. Now, these drugs are our favorite scapegoats. In Ceremonial Chemistry I tried to show that we cannot understand the War on Drugs without taking seriously the scapegoat function of so-called dangerous drugs -- a suggestion that, because it presents an obstacle to the arguments of both the opponents and the supporters of drug prohibition, both have ignored. I contend, however, that without recognizing the importance of this theme for drug prohibition, there can be no informed discussion of drug controls, much less an end to the War on Drugs.14The scapegoat's social function of saving the group by its victimization is clearly articulated in the Gospels. The scene is as follows. Jewish society feels itself to be in mortal danger: "The Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation." What is there to do? How can the community save itself? By sacrificing one of its members. Caiaphas, the high priest, addresses the congregation: "You know nothing at all; you do not understand that it is expedient that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish."15Like a Jew defiling the Torah, or a Christian the Host, an American using an illicit drug is guilty of the mystical crime of profanation -- a transgression of the strictest and most feared taboo. The drug abuser pollutes himself as well as his community, endangering both. This is why, while to the secular libertarian the drug abuser commits a "victimless crime" (that is, no crime at all), to the normally socialized person he is a dangerous defiler of the sacred. Hence, his incapacitation is amply justified. After all, what greater good is there than saving the family, the clan, the nation, indeed the whole world from certain destruction?Thomas Szasz, Our Right To Drugs, 1992, pp.62-63http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0815603339 [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by honeybee on January 19, 2001 at 06:24:28 PT: marijuana legalization I feel,our creator,GOD, put the plant here on earth for a specific reason. For medicinal reasons,as well as spiritual. I, myself have been enjoying the plant for 23 years and I have no criminal record for it either.(lucky I guess) I have however, been trying to quit the cigarettes, so I can smell my flowers better this spring and summer. It's been difficult,cigs are soooo totally addictive! But, my bud stays with me, I've got no medical complications, no impairments,no loss of motor skills,and I'm not "brain dead". My friends call me "miss home & garden", I have two beautiful children,a husband who's a dream come true,and ........ WHAT is so wrong with marijuana? It's great! I love to smoke one and listen to the Moody Blues on my headset while working in my gardens. GOD created this plant, so WHY is it so bad? WHY would our LORD deceive us with a harmful plant? After all,in the bible,while creating EVE,GOD used a drug to help ADAM sleep, to take a rib,a very strong drug at that. The national debt would be taken care of in no time, if marijuana was legalized,packaged and sold like cigarettes,with the same restrictions,must be 21 to purchase. So,do I sound "out of it?" I don't think so. Everybody has gotten so paranoid over the last thiry years or so, MELLO OUT!! Bud doesn't make people nuts! If someone is nuts it's just the way society has made them. What else could I say? THIS "BUD'S" FOR YOU!!!!!!!! :) [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by joe marijuana on August 31, 2000 at 16:38:58 PT grow up I read the main article and the comments that followed.The main article is filled with misinformation and misconception, and the result of propaganda.It is as effective a description of marijuana as the old movie called'Reefer Madness".The old film, once offered as fact is now offered in television listings as a campy comedy.Unfortunately the comments that followed the article are written with clear hostility, though opposition to the article is needed.Allow me to offer that by thorough research, followed by practical application of the herbal experience, I have confidence to say,"Marijuana is harmless, and no restriction should be applied."I may also say that aspirin is to be handled with greater caution.The substance can be used to curb any bad habit.If you suffer a weakness to any other activity, simply roll a joint and sit quietly to consider.The undesired activity can then be avoided altogether.It is cruel and uncaring to incarcerate for marijuana use.My copy of the American Medical Association first-aid handbook describes the effect as mild and results tend to be a subtle enhancement of awareness.There are no known antidotes. None are needed.Thank you for reading this. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by GravyTrain on August 03, 2000 at 08:06:24 PT what?? who ever wrote the article on this page needs help. theyre just tryin to scare us pot heads. lsd and all those other bad drugs were man made, pot wasnt. pot needs to be illegal you fucking fat cats in washington can kiss my ass [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by fannie on July 17, 2000 at 08:54:22 PT: legalize it!!!!!! my comment is that weed is not a drug becuz no can die off of it so just frigin legalize it for all those potheads in the USA!!!!! [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Seth on June 06, 2000 at 02:20:34 PT: Facts every 45 seconds. A marijuana smoker is arrested... And people wonder why we are so parnoid.. Marijuana has been on this earth than any Goverment If marijuana is soooooo bad for u and i equivilent to 20 cigerettes then You would see lots of potheads with cancer.. Alcohol is FAR mor addictive then pot.. When i quit toking in 96... I felt no withdraws of anykind. So how dies this make maijuana addictive,... I was smoking EVERYDAY .... There was a point when i was smoking over 20 blunts a day... But when i quit because my wife got pregnet and i needed more money... I didn't lose my mind... (like i did when i tried to stop smoking cigerettes) I think that it is no one elses busseness what i do to my body.... This includes every jerk that sits in a goverment office.. Pot should be legalized for many reasons... Because of marijuana charges. Violent offenders such as murders, rapers , theifs etc are being released early due to jail over crowding... I think that the US goverment needs to listen to their people once in a life time and re-legalize marijuana... For those who don't know WHY it was made illegal... Let me infor you.. in 1933.. Haspanics were reported being violent while high on mairjuana.. So reprots wrote articles falsly stating that Marihuana (what it was called at the time) Caused insainty and even death... (i find that funny ) And so years later at about 1938 they passed a bill that madd the "drug" illect... Now.. Does this make any sence to you at all... If it does then u need to get checked out... Marijuana was put here by God himself.. and is not addictive of harmfull in the way some people say it is .. Noow don't get me wrong.... there are risks.. But there are risks with tobacco ..(which is legal) Alcohol (legal) and so on.... But that's a risk I want to take because it is MY CHOICE... And i think that is enough said.. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Chris on June 06, 2000 at 02:01:36 PT: ¿¿¿ I would like to see any proven fact on deaths directly caused by marijuana... here let me help u ... none.... I have been abused by a father figure who has been un the influense of alcohol.... But i have never seen anyone .. anyone get violent when intoxcated on marijuana.... also... tobacco is legal.... yet it causes so many deaths... Now... I smoked marijuana for 7 years... Until i was arrested for it .. I quiet cold turkey.... When i stopped i experenced NO WITHDRAW effects... Pot is addictive in a sence that twinkes are additive.... Illegalization of pot is a soild violation of the "life , liberty and the prusit of happeness" (as long as it doesn't hurt anyone" I will also add even though i was what some moght call a "pothead" while in high school.. I graduated with a 3'8 scholorsship to a communtiy collage... only it was stripped from me when i was charged... Amaerica needs to do everyone a favor .. and ligalize the plant that was put here by our creator.... And the hemp plat may be used for many other things... like paper... Intead of distoring our rain forest... Persevre it for future generations to come by using hemp....In closeing... Anyone that feels that marijuana should be illegal... Then there is a solution... DON"T SMOKE IT.... And let the people have what they want... [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by kaptinemo on October 10, 1999 at 12:10:20 PT Science fact versus science fiction It seems the writer of this article has a great deal of difficulty distinguishing the two. He states that 'one joint is the equivalent of smoking 20 tobacco cigarettes'. Okay, that means there should be some figures somewhere detailing the cancer rates among marijuana smokers. Given that 70 million people in the last thirty years have used cannabis, and that at least a quarter of that number do so on a daily basis, there should be a whole lot of tokers dropping dead from lung cancer. But where are they? Certainly not in the cemetaries... unless they were *accidently* put there by rabid Drug Warriors, a la Mario Paz. (Part of the reason why tobacco is so dangerous is because of the existence of radioactive Polonium in it, you give yourself a mild - but cumulative - dose of radiation each time. Do it too often... and you get cancer from radiation. There's no radioactive polonium in cannabis.)Nope, the only hazard to your health from cannabis comes from possibly being jailed by people who think nothing of doing you in, and then your coming in contact with inmates who feel the same way. [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Deb Hay on October 09, 1999 at 09:01:42 PT: dexterity??? "It greatly impairs motor skills and dexterity."This comment is wrong. My husband uses mariuana while he works, sculpting fine detailing. He says mariuana helps him focus on the task. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by BigAb on October 09, 1999 at 08:01:09 PT: WHAT ??? Where did this friggin Nazi come from ???10% addiction for alcohol ?? This guy has his head up his a** ! Come on down to texas ol boy and I'll show you 30-40 %alcoholisim !!!!!!! I even know cops who are alky !!!!!Alcohol has destroyed more live, disrupted more homes, made more children homeless, killed more people on the hi-way, caused more violent incedents than ALL the HEMP thats ever been used added together since the beginning of time !!!!!I hate liars........ but I have to pity fools . [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on October 09, 1999 at 07:55:51 PT: We Need Help On This Article! If Richard Cowan had the time and desire to post here on Cannabis News that would be great! Maybe he will!http://www.marijuananews.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Green Fox on October 09, 1999 at 06:59:31 PT: Lashing Back This entire article is trivial. There is a basic premise that everyone must understand regarding any drug, substance, or otherwise. Thay being: it is not the government's job to hold a moral role over non-violent personal choices, no matter how lethal or unhealthy. It disturbs me to think of the ignorance that is abundant regarding the war on drugs. Even if EVERYTHING "they" say about marijuana is/was true, (which it certainly is not,) it STILL should be the choice of ther person using it. Let's assume for a moment that marijuana is DEADLY (even though it's been proven one of the safest substances known to man,) would it be any different if someone were to eat 50 aspirn tablets? Yet aspirn is legal and can be found in almost any situation, including dairy marts. For a substance that has such a high potential for abuse, (and believe me aspirn IS abused,) it's odd that even a ten year old could buy it. Hmmm....Dick if you're reading this, give me some of your brilliant insight. :) It always cheers me up. PS- Dick... do you think we are really going to win? If so.. HOW LONG? I can't hold out so much longer..... 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