I need some help with an online class....

[Yanoda]

Personally I don't mind if Marijuana is legalized.
It's not as bad as alcohol and smoking (mentioned before).
Placing taxes on the product would lower the deficit a bit (which we desperately need to do).
It will make several (if not many) people happy.
It will likely reduce prison population considerably.
Some businesses will be made/created (stores, trade etc. which would have been in the Black Market instead).
No severe long-term health problems should arise compared to smoking, which can save many on health care bills and medical problems.

Cheers

Yanoda

[Son]

What about the gateway theory...where smoking pot can lead to harder drugs? Any thoughts on that?

[Matt-Chicago]

What about the gateway theory...where smoking pot can lead to harder drugs? Any thoughts on that?

I've seen studies go both ways on this. Same thing with pot causing mental illness.
It's hard to tell what was there first - what was the cause and what was the reaction.
Did someone start hard drugs because they smoked pot or was there some other factor giving them drug seeking behavior, and pot was just the easiest to find first.

One factor which may be legitimate is that learning how to acquire and conceal illegal drugs can reduce respect for the law and make people unafraid of breaking it or reduce the fear that drugs will do a lot of harm. Some have argued that anti drug programs and advertising campaigns which try to scare young people away from pot may do more harm than good. If you've had it rammed into your head that pot is so dangerous and harmful then you try it and find out it's no big deal - you can lose faith that what you've been taught is accurate. For that reason, I support just being honest with kids about pot instead of using scare tactics - so that the real difference between pot and drugs which are addictive like nicotine or cocaine can be highlighted.

Burning any crude er and inhaling the smoke is unhealthy and nobody can deny that, but is it likely you'll drop out of school, commit suicide or kill someone if you smoke pot? No.

Back to your question, personally I know many many people who smoke pot and NEVER do any harder drugs. I find the harm done by the war on drugs far outweighs any concern over pot being a gateway drug.

[Son]

Thanks for all the help guys. This has given me a really good start on my project for class. Feel free to keep adding to this since my project isn't due for a few more weeks.

[(SWGO)KT]

A kids perspective:

I mean for me... there would have to be some laws for usage if it was legalized. Its really scary for me to have friends that do it, and to see their futures trickle away and the family is just torn apart. Teens have access to it... but maybe if it was legalized, those dealers would start to stray away from teens. Selling it to people like under 21 or something should be illegal. Marijuana can also be helpful to doctors so they should definitly be able to use it. I agree, if we legalized it, alot of violence would go down. Smuglers wouldn't smuggle.. and that would free up some federal money considering a ton of prisoners in US jails were arrested for having pot. But, there could also be a down side, and smugglers would still give it to teens. Some of my friends do pot.. and its so scary for me. I'm always worried about them, and I wish wish so much they would stop. But I can't stop them because its too late and they would easliy get more of it. Hope I contributed a bit to your project, Son.

[IJO sha-quan-jone]

when I was a teen it was easier to get pot than alcohol.

still is...

[WD-40]

Its like anything else that would be considered mind altering; a little common sense and moderation and everything's fine.
I wouldn't want my pilot to be high any more than I would want him drunk or on pain or psych meds... I wouldn't much care if he did any of this stuff while he wasnt transporting me. I do know that his hands would still be steady and his mind clear if he hadnt smoked pot in a day or 2. Can we say the same for the legal substances?

Dude…Who can possibly dictate or even know when ANY pilot or even a taxi cab driver was messed up????!? What if Mr. Pilot had a bad day, but taking Anti-Depressants wasn't an option. (This is true by the way per the FAA), but smoking 'doobies' WAS an option. Oh boy! If I was 'high' on 'Legalized' marijuannnnnnna, and I couldn't steer the jet plane with the aircrafts actual yoke, then certainly, I could steer it with my rock hard, personally owned, drug induced……..you know….. My point….you're gonna die…period!…Legalizing any narcotic that makes one 'not give a damn' would be among the dumbest (bleeped) up thing ANY one (or Nation) could do! Many young adults don't care about anything these days…why encourage it and screw their futures up even further with narcotics?!?

A great friend of mine with great potential back in the 1970's screwed his future up 'starting' with Pot. It, of course, led to stronger drugs, like cocaine and LSD, because POT WASN'T ENOUGH!!! What a waste! He totally ruined his potential.

And did you get my point?!?…I do NOT want some god damn druggie 'fixing' the planes that I FLY, as you would NOT want some damn drug induced druggie 'fixing' the planes you RIDE on!

And Matt…your point may apply to couch potato douchbags who sit in front of a TV at their mama's house 24 hours a day without any harm to a part of society who doesn't depend on their expertise to NOT screw up what they are doing!...But it certainly doesn't apply to anyone who doesn't want to totally mess up their future!

Bottom line…This thread is a very good thread, because of the message. POT will screw your life up!!!! In a VERY BAD way!

*Edit: Cleaned up the cuss words a bit…Sorry…I was a bit rough there.

[haasd0gg]

Really? I know a guy who has a prescription for marijuana. He smokes most every day. He is a father, a coach, a business owner, and a pretty decent guy. I don't believe him to be an exception either. I know many professionals who smoke pot recreationally. Its your mechanic, your IT consultant, your financial advisor, and anyone else who plays a role in your life. Don't kid yourself.
Anyone who still believes pot turns people into deviant waste products should go back to the 1950s.

[Shalandai]

Really? I know a guy who has a prescription for marijuana. He smokes most every day. He is a father, a coach, a business owner, and a pretty decent guy. I don't believe him to be an exception either. I know many professionals who smoke pot recreationally. Its your mechanic, your IT consultant, your financial advisor, and anyone else who plays a role in your life. Don't kid yourself.

I'd really have to question your societal standards of health, finance and employment if you truly believe 'professionals' all around you are smoking pot without ill effects.

I work in a critical area of the health care industry - if I make a mistake at work, it doesn't just mean lost money, or customer complaints, or a slap on the wrist from my boss. If I make a mistake at work - and I'm not just talking about an error, but not responding / reacting quickly enough - then lives are lost. In my industry, someone who is toked up on any narcotic that alters ability to function is a severe and significant risk to the lives of others.

Do you really want to go into a surgery with a doctor that's high on pot? Really? Honestly? Do you really think he's a medical 'professional'?

What if he forgot to close a vein or accidentally nicked an artery because he was stoned and not thinking straight? Or instead of prepping research and confirming medical charts the night before, he gets high instead, and in the morning forgets which surgery he is in?

Anyone who still believes pot turns people into deviant waste products should go back to the 1950s.

Anyone who believes that has not experienced or lived through the consequences of people who have made such foolish choices, who paid for their actions by harming themselves and everyone around them.

[haasd0gg]

Shalandai you are deluded. Hospitals have one of the highest substance abuse rates of any industry.
We are talking about pot, which I would think a health care professional would know, is a schedule 1 substance. That's not a narcotic buddy.
As far as questioning my standards... piss off kid.

To you and wd: even with all your brilliant quoting of my posts I think you may have missed what I said entirely.

U.S. DOT Study on marijuana and driving