Marijuana legalization

Joseph Kern11 said:You are the perfect example of why this "plant" is harmful. Why don't you show me those scientific papers claiming marijuana isn't dangerous? Clearly, you're far more brilliant than all those fools studying at that mediocre medical school, trying to research human biology just to mistakenly claim that marijuana is a harmful narcotic.

The fact that weed made you stupid and lazy is your PERSONAL problem. Personally, I consume quite a bit, yet I am neither dim-witted nor lethargic... if you want a real-world example—like my college exams—I pass them regularly and grasp the material just as well as I did before I started consuming.

Searching for an excuse for your own stupidity and laziness is your issue... 😘

And calling someone a "stoned addict," even on a forum, is pure idiocy and proof of your own lack of intelligence. Get away from that weed... seriously...

Samuel Brown6 said:the fact that marijuana made you lazy and dim-witted is your own damn problem—I use it plenty, yet I’m neither stupid nor slothful (so

Well, obviously—if you're out there smoking skunk weed filled with seeds. Try smoking a joint every single day for a week... then go ahead and lecture me... we'll see how much of a hero you are. 😉

wanderingmaker8 said:Come on, let's be realistic. That 12% represents minorities who found a new home there, and some cities in the Netherlands have foreign workers making up over 40% of the population. So many global institutions choose the Netherlands as their headquarters... They don't see it "just as a place where marijuana is legal and prostitution exists," but rather as a highly developed liberal democracy.

I don't think he was targeting Islamic groups specifically, but more likely tourists.
And foreigners move to America too... does that mean America is a major Western superpower on par with everyone else?

wanderingmaker8 said:Aside from the fact that all this talk about necrophiles and sodomists is just total lies and hysterical hyperbole...

That's not right.
The NVD isn't advocating for anything other than the legalization of pedophilia, child pornography, and bestiality.
Maybe I did lean a bit too hard into hyperbole when I brought up necrophilia...

wanderingmaker8 said:I wasn't comparing America to the Netherlands; I was using the Netherlands as an example of a country that used legalization to break the link between marijuana and dealers, thereby reducing the supposed "gateway" effect. Do you actually have an argument that proves why the same wouldn't happen in America or any other country?

You guys constantly bring up examples like this.
Do you honestly believe that legalizing marijuana would make dealers disappear?
Even in America today, people sell cigarettes illegally, even though they're perfectly legal... doesn't that happen?
Why wouldn't the exact same thing continue to happen with marijuana?

Samuel Brown6 said:The fact that it made you feel lazy or dim-witted is your own personal issue. For instance, I use it quite often, yet I’m neither slow nor unmotivated... if you want a real-world example from my time in college—I pass my exams consistently and keep up with the coursework just as well as I did before I started using.

Good for you.
How often are we talking?
I can't help but notice how everyone here acts like such an expert, openly admitting on a public forum that you all use illegal narcotics in your spare time. So much for "intelligence"...

Joseph Kern11 said:Alright then, why don't you hand over those "scientific papers" claiming that marijuana isn't harmful?

"Cannabis smoking, even long-term, does not impair health"
New England Journal of Medicine (Nov 11, 1995); Volume 346, Number 8985, November 11 1995

Cannabidiols inhibit the growth of cancer cells

Smoking cannabis does not increase the risk of developing lung cancer

Also check this out:

http://www.medicalcannabis.com/
http://www.crrh.org/cannabis/biodiesel.html

Now, try stepping down from your high pedestal of cannabis demonization for just a second and start engaging based on actual scientific facts rather than the mythomania spread by William Randolph Hearst—it’s honestly staggering how much damage that maniac (who was also a Nazi sympathizer, let's be real) managed to inflict....

Mental health?
Or is that just something we don't count as actual health...

What psychological state? There isn't a single scientific study out there that proves it does any actual harm to people!!!

Are you actually playing dumb, or do you honestly believe what you just wrote?

marijuana IS NOT A DRUG... it's true that those with weaker willpower might eventually transition from marijuana to harder substances, but if you firmly establish a mental boundary for yourself—if you decide in your own mind that you won't go there—then you simply won't... if marijuana isn't legal, fine, but then we should just ban alcohol and every single tobacco product too.........

Justin Foster4 said:marijuana isn't a drug

Anything that creates an addiction qualifies as a drug.
And nicotine is a drug too...

Why does every single debate about drugs have to be muddied by this absolute nonsense?

The idea that a drug is defined solely by its ability to create addiction is fundamentally flawed; for instance, a diabetic relies on insulin, but we don't call that a drug. Addiction isn't the defining characteristic because there are plenty of substances categorized as drugs that don't cause dependency—instead, a drug is defined based on its impact on the body.

Anything that alters physiological functions, states of consciousness, or chemically shifts behavior qualifies as a drug. A drug is a substance that primarily acts upon the central nervous system (regardless of whether it's addictive or not), which in turn modifies perception, mood, awareness, and conduct—this includes everything from nicotine and caffeine to alcohol, marijuana, morphine, heroin, and cocaine.

When we talk about the legalization of marijuana, the question isn't whether it counts as a drug or not. The real issue is where the line is drawn regarding government intervention in individual liberty, at what point the state starts acting like a nanny that "knows what's best" for you, and exactly how much control they should actually exert over specific substances and why.

James Turner80 said:Anything that creates an addiction—it’s a drug. Period.
Nicotine is just another drug—plain and simple.

So, what's next? Sex, extreme sports, the internet... is everything just a drug to some people?

wanderingmaker8 said:The legalization of marijuana isn't even about whether it's a drug or not—it’s really about where the line is drawn between individual freedom and state interference. At what point does the government turn into a nanny that thinks it "knows best"? How much control should they actually have over what people consume—and more importantly, why?

Exactly.

Jerry Wood21 said:What kind of mental state are we talking about? There isn't a single scientific study out there that has proven any kind of harmful effect on humans!!!

Go ahead and ask any psychiatrist—marijuana increases the likelihood of developing schizophrenia by 300%!

wanderingmaker8 said:"Using cannabis, even over the long term, does not impair health."
New England Journal of Medicine (Nov 11, 1995); Volume 346, Number 8985, November 11 1995

Cannabidiol inhibits the growth of cancer cells.

Smoking cannabis does not increase the risk of developing lung cancer.

Also see:

http://www.medicalcannabis.com/
http://www.crrh.org/cannabis/biodiesel.html

Now, please try to step down from your pedestal of demonizing cannabis and start engaging based on actual scientific facts rather than the mythomania spread by William Randolph Hearst—it is truly incredible how much damage that maniac (who was also a Nazi sympathizer) managed to inflict...

By that logic, smoking unfiltered cigarettes doesn't increase your risk of lung cancer either; you’re simply being delusional because you can't see past the smoke in front of your eyes.
P.S. Denial is the first sign of addiction.

James Turner80 said:Good for you...
How often do you consume?...
I have to say, I am truly impressed by the collective intellect on display here. Everyone is such an expert, openly admitting to using illegal narcotics on a public forum whenever they have a spare moment. Such profound wisdom...

Wait, are you actually suggesting the police are going to come knocking on my door just because I mentioned using "illegal narcotics"? Give me a break... I can't give you an exact number since my usage fluctuates, but let's say a few times a week over the last several months. That would be the average...

Charles Jackson5 said:Well, naturally, if you’re out there in Hell smoking nothing but low-grade weed packed with seeds... just smoke a skunk joint every single day for a week... then go ahead and try to lecture me on science. See how much of a hero you turn out to be... 😉

Fair enough, things haven't exactly been great lately... I try to steer clear of that nonsense as much as possible. I did smoke some high-grade skunk for a few days straight, and honestly, you feel a bit more out of it than usual, but I'll say this: even then, it doesn't touch my ability to judge situations or remember things... On the other hand, whenever I drink, I feel significantly worse, and the hangover lingers much longer. Alcohol literally wrecks my brain and my focus...

James Turner80. said:Anything that creates an addiction qualifies as a drug...

And what exactly makes you think marijuana causes addiction? Wait... are you one of those people who actually got hooked? 😲 😲 I have never experienced any sort of crisis... I would even go so far as to say that I feel more of a crisis after eating a greasy meal and drinking enough beer to make someone think I actually need a prescription... 😬

Just to add my two cents, folks... this entire debate is utterly pointless. Everyone involved here entered the fray armed with pre-existing biases. No matter what anyone writes, you aren't going to sway someone who has already made up their mind, even if they can't formulate a coherent rebuttal. That goes for both sides. You would be better off simply presenting raw facts rather than attempting to force an opinion on others... that’s just how I see things.

Joseph Kern11 said:So, smoking unfiltered tobacco doesn't increase lung cancer risk? You're clearly the one losing touch with reality if you can't see through all that smoke...

marijuana doesn't have to be mixed with tobacco😉

Joseph Kern11 said:P.S. Denial is the first sign of addiction.

Let me ask you something then: Are you an addict?

Joseph Kern11 said:P.S. Denial is the very first symptom of addiction.

You asked for the studies, and now that you've actually got them in your hands, why aren't you tearing them apart? Either go ahead and dismantle them piece by piece, or just be honest and admit you don't have a clue what you're talking about when it comes to this topic.

Until you actually prove you can handle the task you set for yourself, there’s really no point in us wasting any more breath on off-topic nonsense.

James Turner80 said:And what about mental health?
Or are we just choosing to ignore that when it comes to health?

Of course mental health is just as much actual health as anything else.

The evidence suggesting that marijuana causes psychosis just isn't convincing, especially when you consider that there’s plenty of contradictory data out there. Honestly, jumping to conclusions about its negative impact on mental health is premature—this debate is far from settled. For instance, look at what happened after the massive surge in marijuana use during the 60s and 70s; we didn't see a corresponding spike in psychosis rates, which is exactly what should have happened if the link were as direct as people claim.

Alright, here is the current state of scientific understanding regarding how cannabis impacts mental health: Cannabis and Mental health - Response to The Emerging Evidence (stranice 1-6)

The report basically concludes that cannabis acts as a risk factor for worsening mental health rather than being the root cause itself—it’s a lot like how smoking is a massive risk factor for cancer, even though the actual trigger is the mutation of cellular DNA.

wanderingmaker8 said:You asked for studies, and now you have them. Either debunk them effectively or admit you don't actually know much about the subject you're debating.

Until you can actually handle the challenge you set for yourself, there isn't much point in continuing this off-topic discussion.
Of course mental health is just as important as physical health.

The links you sent me lead to websites advocating for marijuana legalization, which are highly biased and lack any scientific rigor. Furthermore, I see people all around me who use weed, and they are all struggling.

Regarding that link you shared,
"However, there is increasing apprehension about its possible role in triggering or exacerbating mental health problems, or of inhibiting young people’s emotional or social development."

Furthermore,

"Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have uncovered troubling similarities between the brains of schizophrenic teenagers and those of teenage marijuana users."

http://www.moravek.net/ovisnosti/vj-20001121-2.htm

It’s one of those age-old debates, right? The classic chicken or the egg scenario.

I’ve been thinking lately that maybe people who struggle with social anxiety or interpersonal issues have a much stronger pull toward using weed,
and honestly, it feels like teenage brains might all be wired in pretty similar ways—regardless of whether someone is considered "neurotypical," dealing with schizophrenia, or experimenting with marijuana.

Don't get me wrong, there’s a very clear reason why we don't let minors buy alcohol or cigarettes; and in my book, regardless of what the law says about legality, kids shouldn't have access to narcotics, psychedelics, or anything else heavy-duty.