Marijuana legalization

Marijuana is damaging to the brain. It's a proven fact.

I’m against it!
Marijuana has a direct impact on the human psyche...
The only ones pushing for the legalization of this poison are kids who don't even realize what they're actually consuming.

Long-term consequences of regular Marijuana use—NONE.

So, look—I won't say I'm a long-term user, more like an "overly" long-term user of this stuff. I’ll tell you my story, and then you can tell me there aren't long-term effects.

It started about 10 years ago—just a little thing at first. I wasn't much of an alcoholic, but I liked to unwind a bit. Slowly, that turned into constant "relaxation." It was nice, honestly—you'd wake up with a joint in your hand and go to sleep with one too.

Eventually, it escalated to about 10 joints a day, and being "normal" became unthinkable.

So, here's the catch.
That laid-back vibe became my everyday reality throughout my entire adolescence and coming-of-age years. After a puberty fueled by weed, I grew into a man who wasn't actually any less capable or worse than anyone else (while he was high)—in fact, I could argue I was more creative and mature than my peers in some ways, but...

When it came time for real life—finding a job, making money, actually being present—I slowly pushed the weed away. That part wasn't actually hard, and I'll agree with anyone who says it isn't addictive, but that was the smallest issue of all.

The real problem is this:

I spent years building a version of myself that enters adulthood with weed in the background. A guy who functions exceptionally well—with weed in the background—as a valuable member of society—all with weed in the background. But what happens when that background support is gone?

A year after I quit, I felt like there was no way out. I just didn't fit in with society; I hadn't truly matured, hadn't built a foundation, and couldn't express myself. Everything I had constructed while using simply vanished once I stopped.

Now, there are two people living inside me.
One is the person I was when I was high—stable, knowing how to handle problems—but he can't exist because "real" society doesn't accept dreamers, and you can't survive like that in the real world.

And the second is the "sober" me—who feels like he dropped straight from outer space. He can't deal with the problems life throws at him because he never learned how. Everything is new, everything feels unsolvable. Things that high school kids handle effortlessly feel like insurmountable obstacles to me.

It's a terrible feeling—not knowing where to go, how to move, or eventually, why.
The "withdrawal" phase was so brutal that I thought about going back to it so many times. I even started growing my own, thinking I'd just surrender to the devil.
It's tragic that I had to lose my father before I could swear on his grave that I wouldn't bring that stuff near my lips ever again.

You only get one life, and it's too precious to waste on shitty weed.

So, a big "NO" to everyone who smokes and thinks there are no long-term consequences.

It leaves marks on people—and not good ones.

I curse the day it first landed in my hands.

Anonymous said:The minimum sentence for dealing is three years... and here’s the catch. They can charge you with "dealing" even if you're just mailing a joint to a buddy... because technically, you "facilitated drug consumption"...

What exactly is unusual about this...
We're talking about an illegal narcotic...
Let's be honest, 99% of people using it aren't going to face any legal trouble, now or ever. I don't really get where this fear of the police comes from... honestly, you see kids as young as ten consuming marijuana in local parks all the time...

Anonymous said:It doesn't create a physical dependency... Period. Proven, tested, and verified...

Is there any actual proof... or is this just speculation?
Really?
I was wondering if someone could point me toward the actual proof... who exactly demonstrated this?...
I can say with total certainty that Marijuana creates a physical dependency... I've had the "pleasure" of knowing people who were heavily into it...

Anonymous said:In all of recorded human history... there hasn't been a single documented fatality caused by Marijuana. If you take a 165-pound person and look at a lethal dose of Marijuana containing just 1% THC—and let’s be honest, if you aren't growing it yourself, that's about all you're getting from the street—we're talking 46 pounds... Just for some perspective... Back in the US, around the year 2000, cigarette use claimed about 435,000 lives, while alcohol accounted for roughly 85,000... It puts things into context...

I was just wondering... has there ever actually been a recorded death caused by marijuana?
No one here has actually claimed that nicotine or alcohol aren't harmful to your physical health...

Anonymous said:Long-term consequences from regular Marijuana use... there just aren't any... Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol... or simply THC, represented by the chemical formula C21H30O2... It doesn't actually touch the brain cells themselves... it only acts on the neurotransmitters. It essentially just slows them down... That’s why there’s this "lag" in how information hits the brain... but at the same time, you get this massive "overprocessing" of everything. Since the brain is still running at its standard capacity and speed, it struggles to keep up... which is probably why everything starts feeling more intense, more vibrant, or just plain fun... 🙂) , and why you feel like you're just "quoting thoughts." Marijuana affects motor skills, reflexes (reaction time), and vision in the short term (during the high, which lasts a few hours depending on the person) .. and then there's an exponential drop-off after the high, lasting a couple of days while it stays in the fatty tissues. As for long-term effects, based on monkey studies, the only thing lasting up to 3 months after regular marijuana use is a lack of motivation... after 3 months, no effects are seen.

Good grief.
I have to admit, chemistry isn't really my field, but you’ve certainly laid out a case for how damaging this drug is.
However, let me correct a few minor inaccuracies.
Marijuana doesn't just dull neurotransmitters during consumption.
With constant use, it can kill them off permanently.
The consequences are catastrophic.
Furthermore, active use of this drug can—to be blunt—essentially burn holes in your brain.
Are you suggesting medical students are being taught incorrectly?

Anonymous said:One common argument against Marijuana legalization is that "anyone who tries marijuana will eventually move on to harder drugs," and that is absolute nonsense. Personally, I'm 20 years old, a student at Ford Motor Company's technical college in Detroit, and I've been smoking almost every day since I was 15. (I went to a top-tier prep school and cruised through every grade with straight A's), and yet, I've never moved on to anything heavier.
The reality is that people currently using heroin probably smoked a joint once, and it was likely one of the first things they ever tried in their lives... but it's also a fact that before they ever touched a joint, they were drinking water, eating bread, and going to school—so we don't claim those things caused them to turn to heroin. Thinking that way is just a pure post-hoc-ergo-propter-hoc logical fallacy.

Hmm.
It is true that not everyone who tries marijuana has to progress to harder drugs.
But it is also true that according to research, every person who used marijuana and had the financial means to start using harder drugs began with that initial consumption.

Anonymous said:Someone already mentioned in this thread that they wouldn't legalize marijuana because it would increase the percentage of "idiot" citizens. - Please refrain from making such foolish statements if you don't understand the basics of how marijuana/THC works. - As I stated before, marijuana does NOT affect brain cells, and therefore cannot cause "stupidity." - It's scientifically proven, and I'm confirming it personally.

Another error regarding brain cells, but fine.
It depends on what a person means by an "idiot" citizen.
Marijuana can trigger severe antisocial behavior in active users.
If a person can't function among other people without consuming, then in my book, they are "idiotic."
Your "personal confirmations" don't interest me, nor do they comfort me.

Anonymous said:The minimum sentence for dealing is three years... but that’s not even the real kicker. The catch is that if you get caught "dealing," but you actually have a legitimate, smart argument for why marijuana shouldn't be legalized—you know, if you can present a real reason to oppose it—then we can actually sit down and have a debate...

I've already mentioned a few of them...

Anonymous said:I still can't quite wrap my head around... everything. It feels like we're just scratching the surface here... If you find yourself standing firmly against Marijuana legalization... I think you really need to sit down and ask yourself one specific question first...
How much have you all actually read up on this topic? I mean, really dug into the research... how much do you actually know about the facts regarding Marijuana?
2. - If you haven't really dug into this topic yet, but notice that everyone who has actually done the research is leaning toward Marijuana legalization... doesn't that make you wonder if there might be some truth to it? Maybe it really should happen...

I’ve been doing some reading... really digging into the material lately...
I know enough... clearly more than you do...
Who exactly are these "experts" pushing for legalization... could you at least name a few of them...?
I might consider picking up some of their work... but I really need to find some names first...
It seems like all those self-proclaimed "experts" are naturally against Marijuana...
The people pushing for Marijuana legalization are really just two groups... those who use it themselves, and those who see nothing but a massive profit margin in it...
Neither side can be trusted...

Anonymous said:If you’re actually in favor of Marijuana legalization... just ask yourselves this one thing...
Well... if it’s actually true that it's less harmful than the substances we already have legalized...
2. — if there’s any way to utilize it for medicinal or nutritional purposes...
3. — if we're talking about someone who uses Marijuana... Not by any means... Just don't hurt anyone else...
4. — if smoking doesn't actually trigger aggression, but instead... helps dial it back...
So, I've been thinking... what happens if everyone who decides to pass around some Marijuana is forced into this whole world of shady dealers and dark alleys? It feels like a slippery slope... once you start down that path...
If the government actually got its hands on Marijuana taxation... if they could really implement a system to tax it... things would change so much...
If the government manages marijuana cultivation, it would naturally limit the chances of people turning to much more harmful substances instead...
8. — if people just smoke it half-heartedly like that...
If a huge chunk of your friends could end up behind bars for at least three years under this current law... well, that’s a problem. Personally, I'd bet anything that if this went through, about 80% of people in Detroit would be looking at prison time...

That really depends on how you define "harmful"...
Dietary restrictions? You've got to be kidding me...
Maybe it’s just the high school kids constantly smoking... that might be what's getting to me...
Marijuana doesn't always lead to that typical sense of relaxation... it can go a different way depending on the person...
I'm really struggling to wrap my head around this one... I just don't get it.
So, once again, we're seeing that underlying capital at play...
The government could just as easily tax pedophilia pornography... yet they don't...
So, you're telling me the government would actually step in to regulate what kind of equipment some grandma out in rural Ohio uses to spray her marijuana...
8. If the rule of law actually worked, people wouldn't be getting away with everything...
The same logic applies to rapists, murderers, thieves, pedophiles, and all those other criminals too.
9. We all choose our own path. If someone chooses to break the law, they really should,
under the law, face the consequences. Laws aren't just made up by whoever feels like it...

Gerald Cox38 said:Please, just read this carefully... these are facts, not opinions.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS

* The earliest Bibles were printed on paper made from hemp

* The first American flag was actually made from hemp

* Both the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were printed on hemp paper

* You can produce over four times more paper from one acre of hemp than from an acre of wood, and hemp regrows in less than a year...

* Henry Ford even built a hemp-powered car

* "Marijuana" is actually just a Spanish term for hemp

* Birds tend to live about 20% longer when hemp seeds are part of their diet

* Hemp seed oil has endless uses—from machine lubricant and oil painting to cosmetics and nutrition...

* Back in the 1600s, certain parts of the US actually encouraged hemp cultivation through legislation

* In the 1700s, you could practically pay your taxes with hemp for the next 200 years in the USA

* Throughout history, hemp seeds have saved people from starvation. Today, while protein deficiency causes issues for many children globally, the government restricts certain plant growth... it's almost illegal to grow what we need

* Science has identified specific brain receptors that bond exclusively with THC

* While ozone depletion threatens nearly half of all soybean crops, hemp remains immune to UV damage—in fact, UV rays actually help boost THC production

* Hemp produces more ethanol than corn does

* It requires minimal processing; it grows in the soil (cleaning it of toxins), then it’s harvested, dried, and used. Isn't it strange that governments won't pursue Marijuana legalization to collect tax revenue instead of hiking up existing taxes to fix the budget deficit??
-

"And God said: Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree that hath seed in itself, to you; it shall be for meat!"

Bible, Book of Genesis 1:29

SOURCE: http://www.knottyboy.com/
TRANSLATION: embrlajzer

Well, why didn't you lead with that?
If I had known the US Constitution was printed on hemp, I would have started growing and using it immediately...
A lot of nonsense listed here though.
Especially that bit from the Bible...

James Nguyen13 said:cigarettes and coffee aren't the first step to heroin, marijuana is. a major exception

And do you actually have any scientific backing to offer for that claim?

This is pure nonsense, plain and simple.

First off, there is an enormous number of people who took that "first step" and never touched anything else for the rest of their lives. You don't hear about them in public because they represent successful usage rather than abuse; the fact that these are high-achieving individuals with careers and families who just happen to light up on the weekend to unwind isn't considered apocalyptic enough for hysterical anti-drug propaganda.

Second, and most importantly, the only reason marijuana "leads" to harder drugs is its illegal status, which forces you to buy from dealers. There isn't a single shred of scientific evidence suggesting that marijuana chemically predisposes anyone to other substances. That connection to harder drugs is social—hanging out with a dealer or being in circles where other illegal drugs are present—not chemical. If coffee were illegal, it would serve as the exact same "gateway" to heroin.

Marijuana legalization would actually sever that critical social link to the illegal market and harder drugs, which we can clearly see demonstrated by the example of the Netherlands.

The opposition to legalization based on the idea that "marijuana leads to harder drugs" is a complete logical paradox. Everyone pushing this "gateway drug" argument is actually advocating for legalization, even if they are too pathetic to realize it themselves.

I am in favor of 😁

What about Marijuana legalization? 🙂
Honestly, I think we should be looking at criminalizing tobacco instead, mainly because nicotine is way more addictive than THC.
And don't even get me started on alcohol—it’s pure evil.
As for those sedative pills, they really ought to stay strictly under a doctor's supervision.

wanderingmaker8 said:First off, there is a massive number of people who take that very first step but never go any further than that. They don't make the headlines because they represent successful usage rather than abuse. The fact that these are high-achieving professionals with families who just happen to light up on the weekend to unwind... it's simply not dramatic enough for the hysterical anti-drug propaganda out there.

Then you have those who actually do continue down that path of "steps."
Honestly, I think constantly harping on about the whole "Marijuana is a gateway drug" thing is both foolish and unproductive.
There are so many different ways to look at this.
And sure, there are also successful people with careers and families who enjoy getting a little buzzed on the weekends. So what?

wanderingmaker8 said:Secondly, and most importantly, the only reason Marijuana "leads" to harder drugs is because its illegal status forces you to deal with dealers. There isn't a single shred of scientific evidence suggesting that Marijuana chemically predisposes someone to other substances. The connection to harder drugs is social—hanging out with dealers or being in circles where other illegal drugs are present—not chemical. If coffee were illegal, it would be seen as the "first step" toward heroin in exactly the same way.

I could certainly get behind that point.

wanderingmaker8 said:Marijuana legalization would essentially sever that critical social link to illegal activity and harder drugs, which we see working quite well in places like the Netherlands.

We are talking about a country where there are legal political parties and organizations for pedophiles, sodomites, necrophiles, and so on.
Do you really think you can compare America to that kind of state?

wanderingmaker8 said:Opposing legalization based on the idea that "Marijuana leads to harder drugs" is a logical paradox. Everyone pushing that "gateway drug" argument is actually advocating for legalization without even realizing it...

That isn't really what a logical paradox is.
I honestly have a soft spot for when people throw around terms like "logical paradox" without having any clue what they actually mean...

Justin Foster4 said:I am in favor of 😁

It feels to me like your current stance and the one you've laid out in your signature are pretty much at odds with each other...

Gerald Cox38 said:Me and the rest of the weed community are out here "fighting" for Marijuana legalization.

Tell us what you think. Should Marijuana be legalized, even if it's just for medical use?

I'm against it, and the law will be against it too. Go ahead and "legalize" it out East then.

wanderingmaker8 said:Marijuana legalization would actually sever that critical social link to illegal substances and harder drugs, which you can clearly see happening in the Netherlands.

Look at the Netherlands. Most people today only associate that country with legalized marijuana and prostitution. Who even travels there besides high schoolers looking to blow off steam on graduation trips?

I think decriminalization makes sense—it’s just illogical to build entire criminal records over tiny amounts. Marijuana isn't any more dangerous to society than alcohol; if anything, you see way more legal trouble and chaos caused by people drinking. Sure, we won't have the full picture until Marijuana is completely legal, but even someone clueless can see that alcohol messes with your coordination and consciousness much worse. As for health risks, people get carried away. First off, Marijuana absolutely nukes your short-term memory. It kills brain cells just like alcohol does and acts as a direct trigger for mental illness—especially if you've got the genetics for it. While you're high, it shreds your concentration and makes actual intellectual work impossible. Occasional use won't hurt anyone, but the real issue starts when these young idiots begin using it without any sense of moderation. That's when the consequences hit, parents form lobby groups to pressure the government because "drugs" are supposedly ruining their kids. Of course, some burnout smoking ten joints a day is going to fail school, drop out of college, or talk back to his mother—what do you expect? These kids often move on to harder stuff too, becoming incapable of living a normal life. It all comes down to a lack of restraint. Then everyone blames Marijuana, and those of us who just want to smoke a joint in peace get thrown into the same dirty bucket as the mouth-breathers who think they're playing God after their first high. I'm saying this from years of experience as an occasional user; I've seen every kind of fate imaginable in this environment. Honestly, the funniest thing today is seeing guys I used to run with—guys who were pulling ten joints a day—running away from weed like it's the plague. They're as terrified of it as an alcoholic is of a shot glass. And to think, they used to let dealers walk all over them just for half a nail of hash. I know I'm caricaturing, but whatever. Because of these screw-ups, Marijuana unfortunately won't see legalization because monkeys don't know how to control themselves.

Decriminalization? Sure. Full legalization? No way. This corrupt government would just make things even worse...

nimblemarlin17 said:I mean, who even shows up there besides high schoolers heading to prom for "obvious reasons"?

Just people looking to get on the good side of the great Johnny.

Azra 👍

nimblemarlin17 said:Take a look at the Netherlands. It’s pretty much reached the point where most people only associate that country with Marijuana legalization and its red-light districts. I mean, honestly, who actually travels there anymore? Aside from groups of high schoolers heading over on graduation trips for... well, we all know exactly what kind of "educational" reasons they have in mind.

Don't give me that nonsense. We're talking about minorities making up maybe 12% of the population who have simply found a new home, yet you look at some cities in the Netherlands and find that foreigners make up over 40% of the workforce there. Look at all those massive global institutions that choose to set up their headquarters in the Netherlands. They didn't pick that place just because they saw it as nothing more than a country where marijuana is legal and prostitution is rampant; they recognized it as a highly developed, liberal democracy.

Liberal democracy is nothing more than a pathetic excuse for weak-willed ignoramuses clinging to their prejudices—but honestly, that’s beside the point here. If you ever actually manage to come up with a legitimate rebuttal to the social bond argument, feel free to show up again. Until then, don't bother.

James Turner80 said:We are constantly talking about a country that actually allows political parties and organizations dedicated to pedophiles, sodomites, and necrophiles to exist legally.
Do you honestly believe you can compare a country like America to a place like that?

Aside from the fact that all this talk about necrophiles and deviants is nothing more than blatant lies and hysterical hyperbole, let's get one thing straight: the Netherlands is an actual example here, not some vague analogy. No one is out there claiming that the US and the Netherlands are identical—far from it. On one hand, you have a Catholic, underdeveloped colony populated by an uneducated masses and a shaky, unstable structure, while on the other, you have a rock-solid, Protestant, liberal, and highly developed democracy. But when we look at a concrete example... Politics. It’s always coming back to this, isn't it? Every single time we think we've moved past the noise, the political machine starts grinding again, dragging everyone back into the trenches. It feels like you can't breathe without stepping into some ideological minefield designed to divide us. Whether it's local policy or the heavy hitters in D.C., the constant tug-of-war over how things should be run just seems to drain the energy out of everything else. Everyone's got an opinion, everyone's shouting, and yet, it feels like we're just spinning our wheels in the mud while the actual issues get pushed to the side. It’s just as relevant as any other case where the US tried to copycat foreign policy strategies or healthcare reform models—situations where we end up blindly mimicking other nations that are fundamentally nothing like us.

Look, I wasn't trying to draw a direct comparison between America and the Netherlands; I was using the Netherlands as a case study for a country that actually managed to sever the link between marijuana and street dealers through legalization, effectively neutralizing that supposed "gateway drug" theory. So, let’s get real here—do you actually have a convincing argument that proves why the same thing wouldn't happen in America or any other country?

If you don't have any actual observations regarding pedophiles in the Netherlands, then your input is completely irrelevant to this discussion.

Gerald Cox38 said:"And God said, 'Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree which giveth seed; to you it shall be for meat!'"

Bible, Book of Genesis 1:29

1. It was intended for food, not for smoking.
2. He spoke of the fruit, not the plant itself.
3. Even Muhara was created by God, so she belongs to Him.

Honestly, plenty of people actually eat them. Whether it’s Elijah’s variety, the gray ones, the rough texture, the yellow ones, the oval ones, or those prickly, scaly types—they can be quite tasty.

That mushroom you're thinking of (though you can't quite put a name to it) — Amanita muscaria — is easily one of the most fascinating hallucinogenic fungi on the planet. It contains muscimol, which can become toxic if you ingest more than a single gram, though fatalities are incredibly rare. In smaller doses, the effects feel somewhat similar to other "magic mushrooms," like *Psilocybe semilanceata*, but people generally avoid using it recreationally because of the inherent risks. That said, there is a safer way to go about it: boiling the mushroom can actually convert the dangerous acid into a much less toxic hallucinogenic compound.

This whole thing is a textbook example of how much prejudice, mindless generalization, and a chronic lack of actual facts exist when it comes to drugs and similar substances.

wanderingmaker8 said:This is a perfect illustration of how much prejudice and a chronic lack of actual facts surround drugs and similar substances.

Exactly. Drugs kill, and many people simply fail to realize that.

And here we go again with the baseless generalizations... honestly, it’s absolutely mind-blowing how much state propaganda can actually do to people's heads!

wanderingmaker8 said:So we're just sticking to unscientific generalizations now... It’s honestly fascinating to see what state propaganda can do to people's perceptions.

You're essentially living proof of how "harmful" this plant is supposed to be. Why don't you show me those scientific papers claiming that Marijuana isn't harmful? I suppose you think you're smarter than all the experts at those top-tier universities who spend their lives studying human biology, only to be "wrong" when they conclude that Marijuana is a narcotic.