Medical Marijuana

I'll be back in town Monday Linus, I'l drop by one day next week.

I think that your bad experiences with weed are unfortunate, but as an ex near daily user I can honestly say the worst I ever experienced with it was a nasty lung infection, but that was my stupidity for being an asthmatic smoker :p.

Here's the million dollar question that has to be answered here-why should marijuana remain illegal? Bearing in mind that your answer will have to reflect equality in the law.

Anyone who can satisfy that question gets a cookie and my respect.

TheDude wrote: I could give a damn what linus has to say, frankly, everything i've read from him has been the perfect example of everything that is wrong with a mind that runs on circular logic. your opinion is the way everything is, based only from things that have happened in your life, with no regard to other people's opinion or experiences. It simply is the way it is, because you, and you alone say it is. My aunt used MJ medicinally to combat her cancer before she passed, and I can honestly say the entire time she used, it helped, and didn't change who she was in any way. It has also always been beyond me how pharmesutical companies can make billions of dollars manufacturing drugs that completely destroy people's lives with addiction, and cause several detrimental side effects; all while picking and choosing who they supply to, the poor and needy go to the pits, as the wealthy and insured reap the benefits of a fractured system that people who think like you, FE, and anyone else whos been throwing out the same recycled arguing points against legalization created. You know who doesn't want pot legalized? The pharmesutical companies, and all the important senators who are in their pocket. Bye-bye money. As are all the people I associate with myself (as any humble sheep does) I am a nearly daily user, and I do it because it's a good time. Notice i said NEARLY every day. Theres days when I do, and theres days when I dont. I hold a steady 3.7 in college, and am pre-law, I always get my important things completed before lighting up, and I have never once, regardless of how insanely intoxicated I was from THC, have been unable of controlling myself psychologically or physically. Also, I write and perform music (and art) in several areas, and can honestly say some of my fan's favorite songs have been created under the influence of one drug or another (strictly psychedelics, nothing addictive). More than anything, a large group of people is being punished for enjoying something in moderation for what few people do as an abusive habit, and thats not right. Punish the ones who have abused, not the ones who recreationally benefit from it. Now, on issue of HOW its distributed. That shouldn't change. I think there should be a small supply of weed at pharmacies for people unable to find someone who sells, but the best way to go about the legalization is to just legalize it. If you tax it, it will make problems, however if you legalize it, the money made from it will be legitimized, IE: instead of hundreds of millions of dollars going into mattresses, walls, and seat cushons, it would be going into the banks, which is exactly what we need right now. ps. you're an idiot. EDIT: Don't mistake this as a personalization, as I have listed examples that keep it an objective argument. Although I have cited personal experiences, if you feel I need more evidence to back up my claims, feel free to ask. EDITEDIT: I wont get a medical license, because I don't need it medically. I smoke where I know I'm safe, and I don't cause trouble. Unfortunately, I agree with people who are saying PB is abusing the system (sorry dude, you are). Going out and getting a license doesn't really change anything. You can go to dispensaries now, good for you, but you already live in cali, meaning all that dope you're getting, you can get at your neighbors house for 15 bucks cheaper.

I fully agree with this, except that I feel that it is unfortunate  that I know so many that do abuse it - to the point where I am glad it is illegal.  As I've probably said in many previous threads, I can list off at least twenty people off the top of my head who are daily smokers (or were), whom would benefit from never ever smoking pot (they would not just lose all motivation in life, they would actually think). - I say that though at the risk of sounding like Linus and basing things only off of my experiences though... 

I can see it now, if it were legal (not for medical use), its useage would be right next to alcohol and more than likely the twenty some people I know would at least double (I like pulling numbers out of my ass).  I mean hey, it is a WEED, it can grow anywhere, and if it became legal, I am sure some idiot would run around thinking he's Jonny Weed Seed and run all around everywhere and spread germinated feminized seeds everywhere, making it so available everyone would be too lazy to go to work.

You Wont See Me wrote: I've worked as a pharmacy technician for the past 2 years and have filled many prescriptions of Marinol, which is synthetic THC used primarily to combat nausea and vomiting for cancer patients on chemotherapy. I have no problem dispensing this as its been prescribed by a doctor and is federally regulated. However, smoking marijuana for medical use is not a good way to administer doses as it is really hard to get consistant, regulated doses. Medical marijuana for insomnia is total crap. Take some of the numerous regular sleeping aids. OMG GUYS I CAN SMOKE WEED NOW LOL! And BTW, wasnt it you who not too long ago said you were giving up on weed? Glad thats going well for you,

Edited by Glassjaw - 27 March 2009 at 8:12am

The difference is alcohol and nicotine are legal.

KBK

Glassjaw, you completely missed my point. Do I argue that marijuana has no medical properties? No. Not even the slightest. What I'm having an issue with is the apparently flippant distribution of a substance which is illegal to the general populace.

Glassjaw wrote: Kayback wrote: The difference is alcohol and nicotine are legal. KBK     I was simply saying that people neglect to admit that nicotine and alcohola are drugs when they are brought up in a discussion about illegal drugs.

Actually, from a purely medical standpoint, there really isn't much wrong with nicotine. It's a vasoconstrictor and a stimulant, nothing more. Yes, addictive, but the thousands of other chemicals they put in cigs are what makes cigarettes so dangerous... not nicotine.

Edited by Linus - 27 March 2009 at 9:06am

Reb Cpl wrote: Glassjaw, you completely missed my point. Do I argue that marijuana has no medical properties? No. Not even the slightest. What I'm having an issue with is the apparently flippant distribution of a substance which is illegal to the general populace.

Kayback wrote:  I'm sure 99% of the "high" teenager stoners get is from the fact it is illegal.

I'm pretty sure science disagrees with you.

To clarify, I really don't care about the legal status of marijuana. I just think if you all are going to argue, you should do it with proper arguments.

Originally, it was considered a "black" drug, and thought to lead to violence. It was outlawed in 1923 because of a rather lengthy and idiotic court case. It's pretty much just like alchohol, but more old people drink than smoke pot because it's a "damn hippie drug" I can see where Reb has a point, my insurance shouldn't go up because you make fraudulent claims for weed

What I've got to say about medical marijuana is that it sure is going to suck when the potency goes down, everyone wants a medical marijuana license but only those who really, really, really need it are going to get it(pretty much my Vicoprofen situation), and it's not going to be a big party. Nope, regulation just means that people're going to rely on the government for weed... wonderful idea btw, it's really been working so far... As someone who's prescribed drugs I used to just buy from dealers, it's not that great. And it's not smart to even get high on these things, you'll never get enough for that in a real prescription situation(unless you're lying to get drugs, in which case thanks for making doctors so opiophobic I can't get strong enough prescriptions of anything). Lame stoOoOoOners ruin it for real medical users and  the few users who can actually appreciate the drug enough to use it correctly and sparingly enough to not mess up the community supply for everyone. I'd love a medical marijuana license so I could grow some plants for my self and not get into any legal ramifications for it but to have pharmacies trying to grow enough to supply their surrounding area? That's lame, and as a former grower that's what ruins this stuffs medical qualities("hurray! Finally I got a script... what's with the lawn clippings in my bottle?") and the spirit of the real growers who took this shabby fiber plant, and with a little TLC turned it from "grass" into the sometimes "one hitter quitter" stuff I see today("Awesome! Now I don't have to smoke two cigars filled with my "medicine"!") . Marijuana needs to be decriminalized definately, but outright legalized, government grown, and taken from hands of the people? That sure sounds in line with my normal marijuana rhetoric that's for sure! That sounds like all of what I love about this drug... or maybe it's the fact that I can self medicate with a substance a lot of people shouldn't use(believe me, my schizophrenic brother is sadly one of them) but IF I can control myself to not being a geeky, spacy, unproductive loser, then most people will never notice my habit, as won't most cops, and I'll be allowed to continue it in the private places I choose to find. And if you do get caught with something you shouldn't have... you'd be surprised at the things cops will let go if you show them some real respect, honesty, and a bit of intelligence and you can get out of **some** amazingly bad looking situations and continue to be allowed to bend the law... sparingly and to no one elses harm. I wish all of the "cop-hatin-kiddies" could see what I didn't get my life completely 100% ruined over the other day because I showed a little respect to a couple of good officers just trying to make a living watching people (like me on occasion) acting like idiots with their money and free time. Basically, my rant's just saying that Marijuana as a medicine is incredibly easy to find and use if you're responsible and have enough respect for society not to shove your habit/medicine in it's face(all the time at least). I really don't think we need to change this nice little underground industry(Pretty much the moonshinesque trade of today's generation) by taking it from those who made it.