Posted on 07/20/2009 11:11:12 AM PDT by cryptical
A New York Times article on Sunday discussed the debate over whether more and more potent types of cannabis affect the levels of addiction to the drug. This particular issue has become part of the larger debate over whether marijuana should be legalized or decriminalized.
Antidrug activists say that if the drug is legalized, more people will use it and addiction levels, made worse by the increased potency, will rise too. Legalization advocates note that pot addiction is not nearly as destructive as, say, abuse of alcohol. What would be the effect of legalization or decriminalization on marijuana abuse and addiction?
(Excerpt) Read more at roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com ...
Ever hear of Corruption, NYT?
If legalized, I think you would see stronger marijuana come out to get people really addicted to it. It’s also called a gateway drug for a reason.
How would anyone know if someone was addicted to marijuana?
Can’t wait, they will be talking on the phone, driving AND high! So much fun with these idiots out there
Then we won’t have TV as the opiate of the masses, we can actually have opiates for the masses! Saying we should legalize this shit now is for one thing only - tax revenues. Why not all drugs? Prostitution? WTF...think of the taxes we will be able to raise to give to the ruling class...what we needd is less of this shit, not more...
Fine, legalize it with this condition. Employers reserve the right to require drug tests and can legally refuse to employ those that use drugs.
If they legalize beer/wine then everyone would graduate to vodka and become alcoholics.
Marijuana is not psysiologically addicting, so whether it is more potent or not is irrelevant.
Would that include tobacco and alcohol?
If you get caught growing a couple plants for your own use here in California it’s no big deal. If they “legalize” it they will crush you. This is about money,nothing else.
Sales of Cheeto’s, Cap’n Cruch Cereal, and Taco Bell will go thru the roof!!! LOL...
If should be Legalized and our tax funds should be used to get rid of truely dangerous drugs like Meth. Not saying Pot is harm less but it’s like spending tons of money to treat the common cold when there are much worse sicknesses out there. Control Pot Tax it Sell it only in very small quanities in special stores....Then Down size gov’t Law enforcement Bureaucracy...
Start by downsizing The DEA or combining agencies. Would also open up space in over crowded jails....Maybe save a couple of bucks so Barry could tax us elsewhere I guess....LOL
Is the pope Catholic?
“How would anyone know if someone was addicted to marijuana?”
They would be unemployed and living in your basement.
It should include anything.
My point is that if we are to give one group a “choice” we should not take away the choice of another.
Age, race, gender and in some cases disability are the only legally protected groups.
Ex. I should reserve the right not to hire those that eat celery on Fridays.
Marijuana is not physically addictive.
“How would anyone know if someone was addicted to marijuana?”
Because they lay about all day, ignore life, act dumb, have no memory, smell like pot...
Because the vote for Obama if they can figure out how to make it to the poles.
Alcohol is a much stronger gateway drug than the ganja. I have a friend that is a law officer and he said he would much rather pull over a car load of potheads than drunks becuase drunks can get very violent and potheads are mellow. I have friends that smoke and they are very reasonable people and only do pot and drink a little. I guess I am a Libertarian on the issue.
It’s also called a gateway drug for a reason
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Because we certainly cannot admit publically that alcohol is the number 1 gateway drug of all time.
C’mon freepers. ‘Fess up.
Your first experience with drugs was what? Alcohol or reefer?
Me first. Alcohol.
Good Point, because one evil is legal we really need another one,
Yeah, that will work.
Definitly DOOBIE.
I now stick to one beer, probably three a week.
On glass of RED wine once a night.
I think most people know that on the whole, retards smoke dope. Maybe a few more will try it, but not many. Any medicval uses are excluded from my reatrded comment. Other than that, retarded!
This test done on Spiders should settle the argument once and for all, Drugs should not be made legal. Watch what they do when given THC. Yikes!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHzdsFiBbFc
“Marijuana is not physically addictive.”
It does produce physical dependence with various withdrawl symptoms after long-term heavy usage. The psychological dependence is much stronger, however.
I’m libertarian on this too. Weed is not addictive. In fact the only drugs that I would call addicitve are the uppers like cocaine and meth that require more and more to equal the original dose’s effect. Even heroin and morphine are easy to kick by comparison, and don’t do near the damage to the body that speed does (or heavy alcohol use, for that matter).
The whole drug prohibition racket is just that, a racket. The effects of drug abuse should be a medical issue, not a criminal one.
“If they legalize beer/wine then everyone would graduate to vodka and become alcoholics.”
Just about 90% of the jugheads out there who end up sucking on a vodka bottle and sitting in an AA hall will tell you they started drinnking beer when they were kids. What’s your point, that somehow there is no progressive part of addicition?
Yep, alcohol IS the “gateway drug”, and it’s a drug that is far more harmful both to the individual user and the collective.
Prohibition failed. The “Drug War” is failing. Time to go back to the drawing board, with the first order of business being the legalization of marijuana. Ignorant conservatives will continue to oppose it, but happily it appears conservatism is headed in a more libertarian and hence enlightened direction.
well first i would say that alcohol is more “dangerous” then marijuana. the difference is alcohol is legal so it´s not considered as a “beginning” drug. i don´t know how the reports in the US are but here mariujana ist often reported to be the “drug” which most people started before they become addicted to harder drugs. and this is in my personal impression total BS because i´m pretty shure that someone who does hard drugs shure have had a beer before in his live.
“I think it is kind of hypocritical...”
God forbid we should be hypocritical...
“It does produce physical dependence with various withdrawl symptoms after long-term heavy usage.”
Your source, please?
“Ignorant conservatives will continue to oppose it, but happily it appears conservatism is headed in a more libertarian and hence enlightened direction.”
You forgot the /borderline insane sarc tag...
Addiction can result from anything that results in a mood change. Gambling, Sex, Food, Pot, Alcohol, Cigs, Coke, Meth, Shopping, etc.
There are certain people that do these things and never get addicted, OTOH there is a small segment (8% or so) that will try something once and they are hooked. You only hear about these people.
The gubment has been trying to demonize weed for years and it hasn't done anything except drive it underground.
No more than alcoholism. Legalize it and tax the $hit out of it, just like booze. Take some of the tax burden off the working man's back. I guess we learned nothing from prohabition.
Perhaps they should use the tax revenue to establish spelling/capitalization/grammar/punctualization programs for on-line forum contributors. You know, so they can present cogent, rational arguments about the lack of side effects to chronic marijuana use.
I think that’s a pretty good idea.
Can’t people grow their own tobacco and brew alcoholic beverages themselves, now? Why would this be different?
btw. it´s legal in the netherlands since years and there are no reports that this had any influence on “drug addiction” in general. the only factor is that amsterdam is crowded with people of other EU countries who drive to the city to legal consume it :-) but if it would be legal anywhere this would stop too.
It doesn’t have to be smoked, does it?
Why aren’t the millions of current pot smokers, doing that now?
How about those that smoke celery just on weekends?
You said — If legalized, I think you would see stronger marijuana come out to get people really addicted to it. It’s also called a gateway drug for a reason.
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Yep..., I’ve seen enough dumbos smoking weed and getting nothing done in their lives to know what a wreck this country would be in (more so than even now...).
And..., on top of that, you’ve got a group of FReepers wanting to smoke up a storm, too... LOL...
I think there are a lot of users, that aren’t like that at all.
You said — They would be unemployed and living in your basement.
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Exactly right! LOL...
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