I can respect your point of view, you have strong opinions on alot of topics. I like that you express yourself and dont back down. I like having someone who dosnt agree with me because it allows both of us to more completely make our arguments.

First off, the "gateway theory". Nothing about marijuana leads consumers to harder drugs. This 12 year study by the university of Pitsburgh explains this pretty clearly.

NORML:
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/...ct/163/12/2134

This study agrees

http://www.rand.org/news/press.02/gateway.html

This one too

http://newton.nap.edu/html/marimed/

It shouldn't take 12 years of research by respected social scientists to tell us that trying one drug can't possibly have the psycho-pharmacological effect of making you want some different drug you've never tried before. Marijuana grows on trees. It's ubiquitous. That's why people try it first.

As for the "environmental factors" that actually are useful in predicting behavior, much thanks is owed to drug prohibition for creating a criminal subculture through which illicit drugs are widely available to young people. Prohibition is the gateway.

70-100 million Americans have tried marijuana, if there were a correlation between ganja and crack, meth, heroin, or any other hard drug it would be apparrent.

And your right, marijuana isnt for everyone, neither is alcohol. But just because its not for you, It dosnt mean it shouldnt be legal for the rest of us.

The conditions in amsterdam are not analagous to legalization in the USA. In amsterdam it is merely decriminalized. It is not a controlled and taxed industry as we would like it to be in the US. Just as ending alcohol prohibition caused a drastic drop in gangs and violence last century, ending marijuana proibition would virtually eliminate the mexican drug cartels plagueing the southwest border of our country. If any american can grow this substance legally there will be NO black market for it.

Conservative estimates say the united states could make 15 billion a year by taxing marijuana, less conservative estimates (probably more realistic) put that value at 40 billion. On top of that the 50 billion a year we spend on the war on drugs could be saved. Police resources wont be spent arresting over 1,000,000 people a year needlessly, our courts will have time for more important cases and real criminals.

There is so much we stand to gain by legalization. Not only cannabis as medicine and recreation but HEMP which remains illegal to grow in most of the US.

 

PS. You will see it legalized in your lifetime. Maybe even by the black devil obama! though i doubt it....

 

Well thanks...its good to have a debate without going at each others throats. It seems you are very passionate about this topic and Im at a lost in this area.

Yeah the goverment could and would make billions taxing this but I would not want to be around stoned out zombie's because they would be smoking pot like I smoke Cloves Cig's. My friends who smoke dope are the laziest people I know and they never do anything other then smoke pot or other drugs including strooms.

I also would not want the US to become another Amsterdam.

 

I agree with you.

 

It has alot to do with negative stereotypes i think. I know alot of young people who spend all their $$ on pot and just play video games, but i also know alot of older people who are very successfull and use marijuana nights and weekends for fun/de-stressing/ relaxation. Just as with any other substance its all about responsible use which is really what needs to be emphasized.

 

Of all the people I know that do weed... Maybe like 5% of them have gone on to harder drugs. 95% of people in my circle that smoke pot JUST smoke pot. They do it recreationally... just like people are -supposed- to use alcohol. I think if tobacco and alcohol are legal, there is zero reason why weed should be.

As for the socialism rant... I'm not even going to bother.

 

Atleast I stand for something and stand my ground...its called backbone.

 

I respect your view and I can tell your very educated but I would rather not work with someone who just smoked a bowl while on lunch break or drive next too someone who was smoking a joint.

When comparing alochol and pot...the alochol leaves the body very quickly from pissing it away but pot stays in the system for along time. I have seen people who smoked pot all the time and they did not look healthy. I do know if a person drinks in large amounts the alcohol through out a long period it will have bad effects but there is evidence that a drink a day is healthy.

Those some of my views but atleast I know we respect each other views.

 

Sterotypes= false overgeneralization, positive or negaitive... pot smokers are one of the most sterotyped groups of people. they can be anybody from a 13 year old girl, to grandma, to ceo buisness man, olimpic gold medal swimmer or lazy gammer. The facts are that alchol kills many thousands of people every day directly/ indirectly and pot has never caused a single death.NOT EVER! so fear the pot smoker all you want but just remember that your chances of getting killed by a drunk driver are 1000x greater than those damn pot heads ever getting any equal rights and justice.

 

that might be true but I see people who had a couple of drinks and handle it better, then I have seen people who had a few tokes of a joint and are out for the count. Plus we have to examine the ingredients of pot vs.alochol. You dont know whats in the dime bag you just bought compared to a bottle of whatever that is on the shelve...

I will have a drink then a bong hit anyday.

There are several people here who have brought their A Game being in favor for making pot legal though.

Let me ask you this...If you smoke pot do you stay at home and pig out or do you smoke then go driving?