If Marijuana Is Legal, Will Addiction Rise?

The New York Times ^ | July 20, 2009 | The Editors

[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?

[Jonny foreigner]

I’m not afraid of needles...I would gladly have blood drawn from me every work day if I could be confident that my smoking weed on the weekends wouldn’t affect me being able to keep my job.

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Well personally i don´t like needles this much but anyway.
they can force you for a blood test in the US? because here this is not possible because this counts as “battery assault” or “ bodily injury “ sorry but i don´t know the exact translation for the german word “Körperverletzung” in english.

[The Louiswu]

Stay classy Star Traveler, you are doing a great service defining yourself on this thread.

[Star Traveler]

There’s only one definition that counts on this thread and that’s *not a retard pot smoker* ... LOL...

[jessduntno]

“Why aren’t the millions of current pot smokers, doing that now?”

They are...wait until you see the census...of course, maybe you’re right...legalize it and become Haiti...

[stuartcr]

You said...’because one evil is legal we really need another one’...why change the original word you used? It doesn’t help. Do you also consider alcohol and tobacco evil?

[stuartcr]

???

[enraged]

Sure there would be, they just would have a gov. ID.

[enraged]

Uh huh, granny smoked for 20 years then quit. I don't think she ever smoked weed, or snorted coke.

The real gateway is ‘weakness’ there are more people who don't take (illegal) drugs than there are people who take drugs.

[EEDUDE]

“Many pro-legalization advocates also want employment protection.”

I have heard no one advocate this. This is news to me.

It appears that is is perfectly legal to deny employment to someone who smokes cigarettes, so why not?

Come one, come all.

[Jonny foreigner]

I’m not against legelization. I’m against gov’t picking who will prosper in this. They will allow a few large contibutors to charge exorbitant prices, take their cut and come down hard on all others.

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yeah but i think if you legalize it government owned would not be a bad start at all, because of the fact of quality. just think about the many cases of methyl alcohol at the starting before there was some “generell” quality standart for alcohol. after that why not make it a common buisness like the production of alcohol. a fixed tax rate and leave the price for the open market.
greetings

[TheOldLady]

I’ve heard rumors, but I’ve never known anyone who was addicted either.

[Atomic Vomit]

"Because the vote for Obama if they can figure out how to make it to the poles."

Which pole, north or south???

Or, do you refer to the citizens of Poland?

I have a bunch of pot smoking friends who vote Conservative- they want the govt. to leave us and them alone.

You are a Conservative, right? You want the Feds out of our lives, right?

You cant say we have too much govt. when you support a big govt. solution to pot smoking.

Legalize pot and shut down the BATF. For a start.

AV

[Jonny foreigner]

i do know many people who would say take away my ganja and i would not wanna live any more :-) but to be serious no one of this people i would call addicted to it. i never heard of something like physical symptoms because someone is not able to smoke it. and on the other side it´s possible to die if you are a real hard core alcohol addict because of withdrawal symptoms.

[vpintheak]

Try it once, fine, I did. Do it again = Retard

[Star Traveler]

Okay..., I’ll go along with that one... people do make stupid mistakes and then realize it and get out...

[Nevski]

Hear, hear.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

If its going to be legal than legalize it. They will make it similar to ciggs without the tax stamp. If the politicians are doing it just for the money what is the differance between them and drug dealers? What’s next in their craven search for funds?...Heroin,Prostitution,you name it.

[vpintheak]

I am sorry to hear about your condition, which is why I said I can understand the medcal use in my first post. I will send some prayers your way brother.

[Jonny foreigner]

My point is that if drugs are legalized, employers should still have the choice not to hire those that use them. Many pro-legalization advocates also want employment protection. I say, give them the choice to use marijuana but do not take away the choice of employers to not hire those that use it.
Clear?

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sorry but i have to dissagree. since when is it up to your employer what you are doing in your free time?for example shure nobody would want to have a drunk employee but anyway if he is sober during his work? whats the problem? if he/she gets the work done it´s none of the buisness what he/She may does in his freetime. but well thats just me

[Jonny foreigner]

If its going to be legal than legalize it. They will make it similar to ciggs without the tax stamp. If the politicians are doing it just for the money what is the differance between them and drug dealers? What’s next in their craven search for funds?...Heroin,Prostitution,you name it.

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Well it´s legal in the netherlands for example. they don´t have a problem because of that. the state just collects its taxes the same way it does from the sell of alcohol for example. so what is the different between the US and a drug dealer? (because alcohol is still a drug “we” only legalized it). Heroin, prostitution... Well heroin really can ruin someones life so i´m not that pro legalizing it. but then agian if someone manages to have a clear criminal record (i admit happens not often) why crimilize him? as long as he/she harms no one? at the end it is his/her live. for the rest who break the law (even maybe because of the drug) we have laws to pretend this or at least to enshure it will not happen again.