Thoughts on Cannabis(Marijuana) legalization(polling)

[FabianN]

For my public speaking class I need to do a persuasive essay, and I decided to do mine on the legalization of Marijuana. Right now I'm mostly collecting general data

Basicly, I'm asking would you be for the legalization of Marijuana? Would you be for it if the goverment regulated Marijuana?

A few basic facts to first understand, which I will be bringing up in my speech:

1: Marijuana DOES kill cancer:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...L&type=science

2: There are no recourded deaths due to Marijuana use. I looked. The most I could find was in 2001 there were three deaths that had Marijuana involved, but the true cause of death was that they had a mental illness which the Marijuana reacted with.

3: Pot Prisoners are costing the US over $1 Billion US dollars each year to keep imprisioned, over $8 Billion in criminal justice costs
http://www.alternet.org/rights/47815

4: Marijuana is not physically addicting. Mentally, yes. But EVERYTHING can be mentally addicting.

5: Tabacco and Alcohol are more addicting, more dangerous to your own life, and more dangerous to society

[Darc]

If it doesn't knock my door,i'm fine with it.I wouldn't like to get on drugs nor pressured to take drugs.

[Saint]

Better off with out drugs. Pot is often a gateway drug.

[Rodenty]

So mariajuna can kill cancer..doesnt mean u should start it hence the reason why they give it out perscription

As queen said on another one bites the dust

"Its fun to smoke marijuna"

[Marineking]

As long as it's controlled, I don't see the problem. I mean, we have drunk alcohol abusers out there killing people everyday and only getting a slap on the wrist, and people blowing ciggarete smoke in my face every two blocks, marijuana can't be much worse.

As long as it's under more control then Alcohol currently is, I'd rather we improve the economy by selling it in controlled amounts then spending millions keeping people from smoking it.

[Bam9125]

Legalize it recognize it (with gov regulation)

[onesbronson]

As a teen i would like to say that i have never touched a drug. Not blunt, not weed, not cuban, etc. I would rather live longer than be addicted to crack. Legalizing marijuana? Dont make me laugh.

[alimobeer]

Better off with out drugs. Pot is often a gateway drug.

No. Just.... No.

1. Compared to other drugs wheres all the marijuanna related deaths and accidents?
2. What happens thats so bad, so what you get baked and just mellow out. Nothing bad ever happens like you see on those gay ****ing commercials.
3. I smoke pot regularly and i'd personally like to see it legalized. Lol not a legit reason i guess but w/e.
4. Lol you're so wrong calling it a gateway drug. Weed and crack is such a totally different thing. Chances are if you you're using crack then you're just a **** up with issues. Most pot heads smoke it and stick with it because they just want to mellow out not tweak. If any thing i think Weed is an excuse for that loser crack head to say it led to his crack addiction. Don't say it's a gate way when you don't know shit about it please.

[Manic]

Legalization of medical marijuana for medical purposes seems alright by me. Maybe legalization of it for recreational purposes, but only if it's regulated and restricted in the same way, or more so, that alcohol is. Otherwise, the marijuana being sold on the street is too pumped full of THC and other chemicals for it to be safe for either of those purposes really. Either way, I wouldn't do it, it's not my thing.

[HBK026]

Well I think its weird that the first reason is that Marijuana does cure cancer because there is always that one good point that makes a really bad thing seem ok but they should deffinetly legalize it medically but recrarationally they shouldn't legalize it because there ARE crimes associated with marijuana and its more dangerous then you think it is because not all crimes or deaths are all public dont forget the government doesnt tell us everything (and no im not an anarchist) so this brings up a whole other topic so I'm done typing

EDIT:typos

[Introverted]

My mom just read a book about this crap. I don't condone any kind of drug use, whether soft or hard, but.. to be realistic I think regulating this is a gooood idea. I think Alcohol is far worse than Marijuana. I wouldn't ever smoke it, I hate the smell and I don't like inhaling smoke period.(Bad breathing)

Good luck with your essay.

[FabianN]

No, I said that there are no US based studies, never did I say that there were no studies in all. Details like this are very important.
The thing is, the DEA uses all US based studies for it's "facts", where as international studies show evidence that contradicts the DEA's US based studies.

And yea, it reduces the flow of oxygen to the brain. No argument there. Of course, so does smoking anything else, or holding your breath in, or many other completely legal things.

And it does have a effect on the brain cells, but international studies have shown that it is only prominent in heavy use.



But, again, there are legal drugs that are hundreds and thousands times more deadly then marijuana. So if it's because of it's dangerous effects on the brain, how come those other drugs are legal?
It's not logical.

[Croix]

Yes. Hell yes.

I think is should be legalized with some regulation, and defenitely for medical use.

My friends mom had a brain tumor that got removed, and she always had headaches and stuff. I saw how it helped her out alot. (This was when I was in Washington).

And all that bullshit that they forcefeed you in health class is a ****ing gigantic lie. I asked my health teacher where she was getting all these facts like "Marijuana kills more people then alcohol and smoking combined" and "leads to heavier drugs" and "will totally ruin your life". Her reply was "I'm just following what the textbook says."

A government regulated textbook. Of course people are going to feel negatively about it if they are told false facts and blindfolded from the truth from the time they are in school. I think that everyone who voted No has been paying TOO much attention in health class.

[Mr. First Name Basis]

There's a reason why marijuana has less deaths and accidents than alcohol. It's illegal.

I'm all for legalizing it, though i'd never touch it. I think they should make it illegal to buy, sell, trade, or posess it in a living plant form. And then up the punishment for doing those to like really high. Then, of course, smoking it is illegal.

As for it curing cancer. That's pure bullshit. The body may have become immune to it by small doses of picking it up from other sources then finally, it caught on. Or the body picked up it's immune system to fight it off but since it was already exposed, the body was prepared but not very responsive in the beginning. Nobody knows the exact cure for cancer, though there is a cure. It's too much data to compile to figure out what cures cancer patients because there's too many variables. Though i don't believe it cures cancer, I also don't believe it causes it. There's something more widespread and there's probably only one source. I mean seriously, why would some random disease pop up and then randomly, items started to cause cancer. The native-americans used to smoke weed and never had any widespread cancer like symptons.

[PunkyBruster]

Bob Marley had toe cancer from kicking a rock playing soccer on the beach barefoot and wasn't supposed to live very long, but the pot staved(sp?) it off for many years if I'm not mistaken. And how about that prominent doctor whose son only felt comfortable and hungry after having some, and after trying everything else which didnt work.

[Mr. First Name Basis]

Bob Marley had toe cancer from kicking a rock playing soccer on the beach barefoot and wasn't supposed to live very long, but the pot staved(sp?) it off for many years if I'm not mistaken. And how about that prominent doctor whose son only felt comfortable and hungry after having some, and after trying everything else which didnt work.

As for bob marley, cancer slows down the growth of new cells. Cancer, which multiplies cells, was slowed. Also, I've never heard that and never heard of toe cancer either. Where did you get that? And why would kicking a rock multiply the growth of cells?

Pot makes you hungry. You get the "munchies". It made him feel comfortable because pot also puts your mind in a relaxed state where alot of activity wasn't going on. After coming off the high, he was comfortable because he just had a few hours of "brain sleep".