Marijuana. Legalize It?

[Lilitu]

I've said it before in the drug education thread but I might as well join in the debate.

I know that cannabis, and hemp are useful for some of their properties, especially hemp (I used a moisturiser made of it at the body shop once and it smelt like fresh cut grass

What I don't agree with is its recreational use. I don't believe, ethically, people should use mind altering substances for the direct and conscious purpose of 'getting high'. However, because there is not enough known about its health effects, I try not to get involved with its accompanied political matters.

If I had to choose, I don't think cannabis should be legalised, because it encourages its amalgamation into casual society, which I personally don't agree with.

There are so many conflicting studies on cannabis' health effects, and I personally wouldn't use it, because of the risk that it is harmful. Just a few months ago, a study was carried out that showed Cannabis lowered IQ in youth but then it was questioned last month. There's not enough known, and I'd rather stay away from it, since it's not by any means essential to a healthy person.

It's easy to fall into complacency and say that drugs will be used no matter what, but education is the key.

Hypothetically, if cannabis were proven to be harmless, I would support its legalisation, but would not use it, because of my personal ethical beliefs.

[Kiid]

I've said it before in the drug education thread but I might as well join in the debate.

I know that cannabis, and hemp are useful for some of their properties, especially hemp (I used a moisturiser made of it at the body shop once and it smelt like fresh cut grass

What I don't agree with is its recreational use. I don't believe, ethically, people should use mind altering substances for the direct and conscious purpose of 'getting high'. However, because there is not enough known about its health effects, I try not to get involved with its accompanied political matters.

If I had to choose, I don't think cannabis should be legalised, because it encourages its amalgamation into casual society, which I personally don't agree with.

There are so many conflicting studies on cannabis' health effects, and I personally wouldn't use it, because of the risk that it is harmful. Just a few months ago, a study was carried out that showed Cannabis lowered IQ in youth but then it was questioned last month. There's not enough known, and I'd rather stay away from it, since it's not by any means essential to a healthy person.

It's easy to fall into complacency and say that drugs will be used no matter what, but education is the key.

Hypothetically, if cannabis were proven to be harmless, I would support its legalisation, but would not use it, because of my personal ethical beliefs.

THANK YOU!
A logical approach for the no side.

[Buffylo]

Ok, its clear you have some perceptions about what addiction is, how it works and the underlying causes.

As a recovered alcoholic/drug addict I can tell you that one about of rehab just doesn't cut it in oh 95% of cases. I am what is called a retread, meaning I had lots of clean time broken up with bouts of massive use/drinking. Few people go in and get clean on their first try, the majority have to keep going back again and again.

Drug abuse for most (not all) addicts is secondary to other issues, other mental/emotional health issues. They use to feel good, they use to get over introversion, they use to deal with grief, sorrow, hypo-mania, abuse, PTSD

Addiction is an illness, a mental health issue, and should be handled as such. It is not always self inflicted, it is a consequence of other things

I believe I am my brothers keeper, meaning it is up to humans to take care of other humans, at home, in their neighborhood, across their nation and around the whole globe.

This lack of being a keeper of our brothers is what has caused the extinction of so many people, and will, in your life time, lead to the extinction of a way of life that you now enjoy.

Well then in that case rehab needs to be more than detoxification. They need to find the root source and get it dealt with. If that is more intensive and costs more time, money and reasources, so be it. I would rather have it done properly and throughly the first time than to spend money repeatedly not fixing the root cause.

Like I said, my views are up for reevaluation. But I would like to think that people who use drugs in a way that would likely destroy their lives are the minority, and cases of them wont increase exponentially if things are legalized. We already pay for them now, so it is my hope that the extra revenue from thr legal sale and licensing and all that would be able to fund research that could drastically improve the quality of life for everyone in the future on a healthcare basis.

[Kiid]

Well then in that case rehab needs to be more than detoxification. They need to find the root source and get it dealt with. If that is more intensive and costs more time, money and reasources, so be it. I would rather have it done properly and throughly the first time than to spend money repeatedly not fixing the root cause.

Like I said, my views are up for reevaluation. But I would like to think that people who use drugs in a way that would likely destroy their lives are the minority, and cases of them wont increase exponentially if things are legalized. We already pay for them now, so it is my hope that the extra revenue from thr legal sale and licensing and all that would be able to fund research that could drastically improve the quality of life for everyone in the future on a healthcare basis.

I think that the likelihood of cases increasing cos of things being legalized will not happen. I think it'll most likely decrease cos people can talk openly with out fear of being prosecuted. I'd like to see the government not only put money towards healthcare but also put money towards communities and growing communities instead of everything being society.

[Blue]

Buffy, what you aren't understand, and yes I to am an ex-addict and abuse survivor, is that the issues behind the drug or alcohol use are often life long and can't be "dealt" with in the time of one trip to rehab, or a dozen for that matter.

Yes rehab works for many, but many need several tries. Even if many stay clean, they need ongoing, sometimes lifelong support to stay that way.

PTSD does not simply go away with a little counseling or a few meds. You try forgetting your past, no I don't mean just sort of, I mean forget it 100% - it never happened, never had any influence or effect on you, nothing, that time does not exists and never did. - Can't do it can you? Well, neither can we and, because of that, some things are never going to simply be dealt with, we deal with them ever moment of our lives, and will for the rest of our lives.

Of course we can learn to deal with those things in healthy way, but that takes time, a lot of trial and error and, false starts. Not every therapist nor type of therapy works for everyone and no one counselor can know them all, so we keep trying until we find what works for us.

Your one time shot would take that opportunity form so many that really do want to find healing and, learn how to break their addiction.

Yes the mental health system need a lot of improvement, but it's all we have, don't take what it can offer many away just because they need to try a few times to get it right.

[Buffylo]

Not to sound cold (here it comes) but I believe the resources would be better invested in research that could maybe help the root causes than helping the people now suffer.

I know, I know, I sound so callous, but hear me out...

What if you COULD forget those things that happend, and retain a happy fulfilling life? Would you not love that?

I know someone is going to say that it would change who the person is, and thats bad juju messing with someone's memory (I mean imagine the evil that could be done with that...) but what if! What if science could break through that barrier, make peoples' horrible traumatic experiences just go away? Sound too science fiction-y? Well spin this next one...


What if science could produce drugs that gave all the high that current drugs do, but without the side effects? And we had reparative medicine to restore any nerve alterations so you didnt need more to get high? We are not as far away from that as it may seem...

We have to allocate resources to either research or treatment. I know it may seem unfair, but it is selfish of us to focus on treatment for the now while neglecting research for the future.

Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to treat everyone as much as possible AND do as much research as possible (regardless of how our goverment spends... and if it were up to me that debt would not have been accumulated playing world police, it would have been accumulated building a scientific juggernaut if it were accumulated at all, but I digress...).

So I am of the opinion that the money should be invested in our future. Thats the bottom line. Is it the only opinion? No. Is it anything but an opinion? No. While I expect animosity towards me for it, please do not take it personally that my opinion excludes treatment for you or someone dear to you.

Thanks for reading.

[Blue]

NO - News flash, science has those drugs - AKA chemical lobotomy, NO and NO again. If my only two choices were the legal lobotomy drugs or illegal drugs, Hey, back alley here I come.

Thankfully I had the option of trying a few therapist to find the two that really helped me - oh about the fifth or sixth time I tried to seriously get help.

You haven't been there so you wouldn't understand, but, I'll keep the memories of life in hell, the nightmares and, even the occasional flashback over those drugs.

[Buffylo]

You misunderstand. Chemical lobotomy is a shotgun approach. I am talking a precise measure to remove the exact memory in question.

[Blue]

What an alter my personality, take the good bits that are attached to the bad bits? Take away any memory of the whole first 18 years of my life plus oh almost all of my 29th year of life? That's what it would take. Nope, not workable.

I have enough holes in there, no more - those cause issues too.

Only way it would work is to replace the bad with equal good, involving the SAME people.

[Buffylo]

What if that was possible? What would be bad about that?


If you told someone 100 years ago they could have access to 99% of the worlds knowledge on a device that weighed less than a fist full of coins, they would have scoffed at you. This stuff isnt impossible.