Should marijuana be legalised? (4 Viewers)

[technoHarmony]

dont see the diff between tobacco and marijuana?
compare the annual deaths

i dont think it should be legalised in a way that itd be available in shops/cafes but i do think it should be decriminalised at least.

 

[Justin]

I dont see the difference between tobacco and marijuana.

They're both dried leaves of a plant, used as drugs.
Tobacco is alot easier to become addicted to.

Why shouldnt they both be legal?

Smoke one while you are driving a car and nothing will happen. if you smoke the other when you are driving a car, and someone is likely to be killed. THat is the reason why it is illegal. That doesnt mean that it can't be legalised for private use in ones home with no kids or anything around. My parents had a plant and my brother ate the leaves so they got rid of it because he got really sick.

There should be offences for:
posessing commercial quantities
trafficking commercial quantities
Growing commercial quantities (more than 3 plants)
Sales to people under say 16 years old
Possession in or near schools or child care centres
Driving a car or operating machinery whilst under the influence

Everything else should be legal.

 

[blue_chameleon]

...My parents had a plant...

Ahh, that explains it all then.
Teehehe

 

[davin]

Smoke one while you are driving a car and nothing will happen. if you smoke the other when you are driving a car, and someone is likely to be killed. THat is the reason why it is illegal. That doesnt mean that it can't be legalised for private use in ones home with no kids or anything around. My parents had a plant and my brother ate the leaves so they got rid of it because he got really sick.

There should be offences for:
posessing commercial quantities
trafficking commercial quantities
Growing commercial quantities (more than 3 plants)
Sales to people under say 16 years old
Possession in or near schools or child care centres
Driving a car or operating machinery whilst under the influence

Everything else should be legal.

so, you would agree that alcohol should also be illegal, as well as medications that can induce drowsiness?


you're fighting against a view i don't see being pushed. no one is saying one should be able to drive under the influence of marijuana, just like no one is saying that one should be able to drive under the influence of alcohol. the idea is that if alcohol and tobacco are allowed, generally but with restrictions, why shouldn't marijuana be on that same legal standing.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

basically im all up for decriminalisation ... tho SA has been trying to criminalise it again... with 10->3->1 plant the current maximum..

Pro:
- limits the criminal elements from doing well with it.. limiting problems and justice issues
- Scientific evidence is kinda sketchy with it
- UK dropped it to a class C drug... indicating its less of a problem socially/criminally
- so many ppl use it.. that its almost a non-issue..
- less problematic than opiates in some cases for medical pain management.

Against:
-Long term damage... but then consider alcohol
-Short term damage...again think alcohol
-No great scientific evidence about its long term problems
-'Gateway' drug i.e. introduces u to other drugs..... but then alcohol is the same
- smoking it is still smoking... current data indicates possiblilty of higher lung disease than cigarettes ... but not v. solid..

I think that it should be limited to sale above.. 21 but there is associated reprecussion of prohibition with kids always wanting to try... and it may lead to developmental problems.. its one of the #1 sources of criminal funding.. so cuttin their supply will stuff them over..

the other option is to ban alcohol.. =) cos IMO its v. similar in terms of health and social cost..

 

[Captain Gh3y]

You're all thinking about it the wrong way around.

If something harmful is legal, that does not mean something else that is also harmful should be legal.

 

[Justin]

Yes, i don't think the element that it may damage ones health is enough to warrant prohibiting it. It isn't illegal to posses a fatty big mac, yet they apparently are detrimental to your health.

you're fighting against a view i don't see being pushed.

I'm not sure what you mean. Im saying that it should only be illegal in its extremes, not possessing a small amount of it or using it in the privacy of your own house.

 

[crazyhomo]

I'm not sure what you mean. Im saying that it should only be illegal in its extremes, not possessing a small amount of it or using it in the privacy of your own house.

do you think the same should apply to alcohol?

 

[katietheskatie]

Smoke one while you are driving a car and nothing will happen. if you smoke the other when you are driving a car, and someone is likely to be killed.

i'd like to see where you got that information from, seriously. tons of people die every year from alcohol-related crashes, how many do you hear about that are related to weed? fuck all. the effects of it, while they're different on everyone, fuck up your motor skills etc nowhere near as much as alcohol does. yet alcohol is legal.

Driving a car or operating machinery whilst under the influence

there's no way to test if someone is under the influence of pot at a given time .. you can test to see if its been in their system in the past month or so, but apart from that it'd be purely subjective on the part of the cop.

 

[davin]

I'm not sure what you mean. Im saying that it should only be illegal in its extremes, not possessing a small amount of it or using it in the privacy of your own house.

what i mean is your thing about "well, you can crash a car using it" thing. and then you said that that is why its illegal. no one is arguing that you should be allowed to use marijuana while driving, but you are arguing as though the legalisation side is for all legalisation under all circumstances, when in reality, i think it would be more similar to marijuana facing the same restictions as alcohol. you also can't drive under the influence of alcohol. i see no reason why marijuana wouldn't just be handled that same way.

 

[Optophobia]

i'd like to see where you got that information from, seriously. tons of people die every year from alcohol-related crashes, how many do you hear about that are related to weed? fuck all. the effects of it, while they're different on everyone, fuck up your motor skills etc nowhere near as much as alcohol does. yet alcohol is legal.

quite a large portion of crashes are related to Marijuana actually.

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s838743.htm

Drugs are now responsible for more deaths on the road than alcohol, and the most common is marijuana. So the government in Victoria has pledged to introduce the equivalent of the alcohol breath test.

there's no way to test if someone is under the influence of pot at a given time .. you can test to see if its been in their system in the past month or so, but apart from that it'd be purely subjective on the part of the cop.

Haha, yes there is. They have a test for it in Victoria and other places.
---------

Whilst having a zero tolerance approach is fruitless, totally legalising it would be more detrimental. There will always be pot heads and night-club users of drugs, and there's no point in cracking down on them, but expecting it to be viewed the same as Alcohol is ridiculous. Having shops dedicated to it, with street parades in its honour, with men dancing around in raindbow coloured clothes, is never going to happen. But that doesn't mean that personal users can't be let off, as they aren't hurting anyone. The restrictions suggested by Justin are a start.

 

[katietheskatie]

cool, i take that back. haven't heard of that before. i'm still all for legalisation though, personally.

 

[asscookie]

I think it's use should be decriminalized. I tend to take the harm minimisation approach where drugs are concerned...

- I'm a bit afraid that if it were fully legalized, certain large [drug] companies would use this to their advantage and start commercialising it, with invasive advertising etc. That would bring up a whole other set of social problems that we don't really need.

- Marijuana's far less harmful in the short term than prescription opioids, which are often used and abused by people (seeking to get high) in the absence of marijuana itself for various reasons. The increased availability and social acceptance of marijuana may discourage use of other drugs in these instances.

- Gateway drug hypothesis isn't all that great an argument against marijuana. It only works for people who are pretty immersed in the drug scene by way of mutual friends with whom they spend a lot of time to begin with.

- Marijuana is by no means as addictive as other drugs where pharmacological properties are concerned, so heavy use is much less likely for users. Addiction is rare, and users can still carry on a normal and productive life.

- Can act as a social lubricant much like alcohol often does.

That's all I've got for the moment. Can't be bothered writing it all up.

 

[Serius]

I think legalisation of any detrimental drugs is a bit of a stupid idea

 

[Optophobia]

One thing i've noticed at university is that most of my lecturers so far have been pro-marijuana. Even the lawyer who takes the Policing Practice lecture

 

[crazyhomo]

- I'm a bit afraid that if it were fully legalized, certain large [drug] companies would use this to their advantage and start commercialising it, with invasive advertising etc. That would bring up a whole other set of social problems that we don't really need.

so you are for legalizing use, but not the sale? firstly, there are already, in australia, many restrictions on advertising alcohol, while cigarrettes cannot be advertised at all. why do you think pot would be any different? and secondly, would you prefer the dealers to be criminals? wouldn't it be far more beneficial if legitimate companies could sell pot? there would be a much better labelling (for safe use), as well as a higher quality product

 

[technoHarmony]

I think legalisation of any detrimental drugs is a bit of a stupid idea

umm alcohol and cigarettes have killed more people in a week than cannabis has ever killed (0 deaths btw)

 

[55078]

umm alcohol and cigarettes have killed more people in a week than cannabis has ever killed (0 deaths btw)

Marijuana may not directly kill people, but it can make its users do terrible, psychotic, dangerous things that affect others. Personally, I have come close to death because of someone having a marijuana-induced psychotic episode. This was a person who'd not even been using the drug for a very long time (a few months perhaps). The thing is, one can't tell just how much it'll fuck with their brain, and I don't think it's worth risking inflicting more mentally unstable human beings on society, simply so that people can get high of their own accord and without legal penalties being applicable. Many, many, many people who I've met in psychiatric wards have been cannabis users (varying from heavy to light use) and, in most cases, the drug exacerbated their mental health issues dramatically or even, for some people, were the main cause.

 

[Serius]

Yes ma'am!

Lets create a little scenario here, the USA decides that they are sick of fighting a war on drugs and so they make them alll legal. Suddenly Mr White who owns a business and does a little coke under his desk every now and again can buy his fix legally. Although coccaine is addictive, this is not that much of a problem because Mr White has a stable income from his proffitable business.

all health risks aside, Mr White is not hurting anyone, and sure he is throwing away alot of money, but he has an income to support this habbit.

Now Mr Black has a 9-5 job at Walmart. He too decides to try crack seen as it is now legal. Mr Black becomes hooked[because crack is one of the most addictive drugs] and he finds himself spending all his pay check and maxing out his credit card to support his addiction. Now Mr Black has to turn to a life of crime and robs peoples houses for the money he needs. Mrs Black turns to prostitution.

Thats basically the social breakdown from using an adictive drug because suddenly crime rates hit the roof, businesses colapse from people spending too much time on drugs, theres the driving issue[drug driving a major cause of death in Australia] And hypothetically 30yrs down the track many people are dieing at 60 from using drugs with unknown effects on brain structure.

Weed is not very phsiologically addictive, but users can become dependant on it. The main problem is a Psychological addiction where users feel they need it to be happy.

and dont let us forget about mental illness as Zoe helpfully pointed out. I dont want the taxes i have to pay doubled just because a huge group of fuckwits decided weed was good and now are being supported on my money in a mental institution. We have enough to worry about with providing pensions for the baby boomers than you very much.

 

[withoutaface]

You don't need to pay taxes twice, because you can tax the drugs for the cost they inflict on the health system. Also, show me there's a causal link between marijuana and schizophrenia.