Nothing good in legalizing it except revenue for the government. As bad for your health as cigarettes. As bad a drug as alcohol. But both of those are legal. So I say legalize it and tax the snot out of it to cover all those added health costs and loss of lives that will come from legalizing it.

 

VOR I usually agree with a lot of your posts but you might want to do a little more research here... especially with the idea that it’s as bad for you as cigarettes.

Absolutely in favor of legalization. I used to be totally against it until I actually did the research on it when teaching a unit on drugs in Forensic Science. My eyes were very much opened.

 

I would love to hear more.

 

Most of what I have seen, read, etc. says Marijuana is way down the spectrum on negatives as compared to substances like opioids, alcohol, harder drugs, cigarettes/nicotine, etc.

 

Additionally, there are many many positives associated with Marijuana. Medicinal, Psychological, Medical, Sleep, ADHD, Weight Loss (yes loss), Nausea, PTSD, Headaches, Anxiety, and on and on.

 

Finally, and I am going to single you out @Voice of Reason , think beyond "smoking marijuana" and look at the benefits of edibles, oils, and other concentrates that have many positives with little or none of the negatives you have suggested.

In the past couple of weeks there was a study that I heard about on the radio that said the tar and nicotine and cancer-causing agents generated from smoking marijuana was worse than cigarettes. I don't have a link as it was something I heard on the radio but will try to find something tonight.

 

I would question the article's sourcing with regards to the comparisons it was trying to make.

 

More, no doubt. But again, you are assume smoking it is the only option. I think more people would use marijuana products if it were legal. I don't necessarily think a ton more would smoke it.

 

If you believe it is truly a gateway drug, has Colorado's drug problem increased since legalizing it?

 

The people who smoke will and have continued to smoke. Some will get on board because it's suddenly legal, but it mostly comes down to whether you're into it or you're not.

 

Wouldn't the volume ingested offset that? I don't know many people that would be able to smoke 2 packs of marijuana a day.

 

Back in my day I saw some things. But you're on point. I dare anybody to document on this board any time they observed people chain-smoking joints. A half-hour doesn't count.

If we are going to have a legitimate conversation about the legalization of marijuana then we must discuss the political implications, as well as the political reasons why it's not legal (i.e. Pharmaceutical companies).

If we are going to have a legitimate conversation about the legalization of marijuana then we must discuss the political implications, as well as the political reasons why it's not legal (i.e. Pharmaceutical companies).

 

Paper companies are big contributors to that lobby also. As are the world's alcohol producers.

If we are going to have a legitimate conversation about the legalization of marijuana then we must discuss the political implications, as well as the political reasons why it's not legal (i.e. Pharmaceutical companies).

 

How about the political reasons as why it's allowed and was legalized in Colo. I just don't see how one state can do it and another cant.

 

I bet big Pharm is in Colo too.

How about the political reasons as why it's allowed and was legalized in Colo. I just don't see how one state can do it and another cant.

 

I bet big Pharm is in Colo too.

 

Public referendum.

 

Kentucky has 1980’s ideas about marijuana. Since we don’t have state level referendum we are counting the legislature.

I'm guessing an even higher % drink and do heroin than weed and Heroin.

 

But I disagree that it is a greater gateway. Much lower % drink and go to Heroin than smoke weed and go to Heroin.

Or do you disagree to that statement?

 

I think the vast majority of people that do drugs, outside of maybe pain pills, have been drinking the first time they partake.

I do think it is a gateway drug. Do you think anyone that has done Heroin has never done pot? My guess is the % is very high of it being a gateway. I do know there are many that like an occasional joint and don't get hooked.

Plus I still have concerns of how we gauge/test just how high someone is.

 

Your first question sure seems like hyperbole. Of course some that have done heroin have smoked pot. My guess is a higher percentage have drank alcohol before getting on heroin vs. smoked pot and gotten on heroin.

 

Heck, its been well documented that prescription pills are more likely the gateway to heroin.

 

I think calling it a gateway drug is something that really hasn't and probably won't be proven but the anti-marijuana people out there will continue to throw it out there like its some type of fact.

I personally don't believe it's a gateway drug. If we want to play that game, alcohol is a much bigger gateway drug in my opinion.

I’ll play along and use your logic.

I think calling alcohol a gateway drug is something that really hasn't and probably won't be proven but the anti-alcohol people (or pro pot people) out there will continue to throw it out there like its some type of fact.

I’ll play along and use your logic.

I think calling alcohol a gateway drug is something that really hasn't and probably won't be proven but the anti-alcohol people (or pro pot people) out there will continue to throw it out there like its some type of fact.

 

I guess you don't realize that by saying that you're playing along, is you actually playing along with your own game...right?

I guess you don't realize that by saying that you're playing along, is you actually playing along with your own game...right?

 

Of course I do. I said it in post 22.

I'd say they still would try it, but not as many.

Would more or less people smoke pot if it were legal?

 

It's not that hard to get, now. Where it is illegal, in many states, possession of small amounts of marijuana, about what one would use for personal use, is a misdemeanor. I think in a few of those states, they write tickets for this type of possession.

 

Knowing that, my suspicion would be that use would be about the same. Those that want to smoke pot will smoke pot. Those that don't, won't. There's no way to prove that, though. It's really hard to do quantitative analysis on an illegal activity versus a legal activity.

 

If legalized, I do not think everybody in the country is going to run out and start power toking copious amounts of ganja. Last I checked, everybody is Colorado is not walking around in a stupor or hooked on heroin. Businesses still operate efficiently and government still operates as erratically as any other state.

It's not that hard to get, now. Where it is illegal, in many states, possession of small amounts of marijuana, about what one would use for personal use, is a misdemeanor. I think in a few of those states, they write tickets for this type of possession.

 

Knowing that, my suspicion would be that use would be about the same. Those that want to smoke pot will smoke pot. Those that don't, won't. There's no way to prove that, though. It's really hard to do quantitative analysis on an illegal activity versus a legal activity.

 

If legalized, I do not think everybody in the country is going to run out and start power toking copious amounts of ganja. Last I checked, everybody is Colorado is not walking around in a stupor or hooked on heroin. Businesses still operate efficiently and government still operates as erratically as any other state.

 

I agree. One major reason, in addition to what you mentioned, is that just because it becomes legal, doesn't mean it changes things from an employer's perspective. At our company, if you test positive for drugs of any kind (outside of a prescription), you're terminated immediately. Same goes for if you have alcohol in your system while at work. That wouldn't change. So yeah, you'd legally be able to do it, but you could still lose your job over it.

It's not that hard to get, now. Where it is illegal, in many states, possession of small amounts of marijuana, about what one would use for personal use, is a misdemeanor. I think in a few of those states, they write tickets for this type of possession.

 

Knowing that, my suspicion would be that use would be about the same. Those that want to smoke pot will smoke pot. Those that don't, won't. There's no way to prove that, though. It's really hard to do quantitative analysis on an illegal activity versus a legal activity.

 

If legalized, I do not think everybody in the country is going to run out and start power toking copious amounts of ganja. Last I checked, everybody is Colorado is not walking around in a stupor or hooked on heroin. Businesses still operate efficiently and government still operates as erratically as any other state.

 

Actually googled some articles yesterday and posted some comments but server failed and lost the post. I’ll try to remember the points I took away.

In Colorado, The usage of 25+ year olds has doubled. The usage of kids 12-17 had increased significantly. DUI’s have decreased steadily over the years. Fatalities have increased though in those accidents.

Couldn’t find any articles about the correlation of weed to heroin out there .