Research into medicinal marijuana grows up.

http://www.slate.com/id/2203922/

I'm disappointed michigan legalized it

as per one of my clients who is a dr. "suddenly, everyone is going to have glaucoma"

I wonder how many Michigan unionized autoworkers will be protected when they show up at the plant half-baked.

Good for them.

Grtechguy wrote: I'm disappointed michigan legalized it as per one of my clients who is a dr. "suddenly, everyone is going to have glaucoma"

In California, that phase didn't last all that long, maybe a year after we legalized it for medical purposes?

Be prepared for the Feds to get all pissy about it.

..and the problem is?

ReverendDexter wrote:

Grtechguy wrote: I'm disappointed michigan legalized it as per one of my clients who is a dr. "suddenly, everyone is going to have glaucoma"

In California, that phase didn't last all that long, maybe a year after we legalized it for medical purposes? Be prepared for the Feds to get all pissy about it.

i've heard that all you have to do is say you get headaches a lot and have trouble relaxing, and they'll write you a prescription

Kramer wrote: I wonder how many Michigan unionized autoworkers will be protected when they show up at the plant half-baked.

What plant?

Tim Baxter wrote: What plant?

That's funny unless you live near Detroit...

I wish I didn't live here.

Show up at the plant baked? When I worked at a big 3 plant just east of Toronto they were not only smoking it in the plant but growing it there too. Management would bring in the police once a year to clean up and take some people away, but within a month there would be fresh plants hidden in another portion of the mezzanine above the plant floor. The union always managed to get the offenders hired back, even if they went to jail for it. "Its a disease, they just need help."

Bob

I still fail to see why marijuana is illegal. There's already laws in place against operating vehicles/heavy machinery while intoxicated, public intoxication, open container laws, etc. What exactly would the horrible ramifications be of legalizing it?

I'm not a smoker, but I don't see why other people can't be, or why they should go to jail for it.

ReverendDexter wrote: I still fail to see why marijuana is illegal. There's already laws in place against operating vehicles/heavy machinery while intoxicated, public intoxication, open container laws, etc. What exactly would the horrible ramifications be of legalizing it? I'm not a smoker, but I don't see why other people can't be, or why they should go to jail for it.

Might as well legalize cocaine, heroin, and meth while you're at it!

HiTempguy wrote: Might as well legalize cocaine, heroin, and meth while you're at it!

Except that the physical effects of Marijuana are not exactly comparable to the drugs you've mentioned. If you are legitimately making this argument, I would assume that you would call for the prohibition of alcohol as well. If legalization and regulation has proven to be the most effective way to handle alcohol use, I don't see why the same approach couldn't work with another similar substance.

on one hand you have the "slippery slope" argument( what will they legalize next...)

But IIRC drug laws... cost alot, for lack of better wording, enforcement, jail costs, ect.

If it was legalized we could regulate it, hand it over to big tobacco and tax the E36 M3 out of it. We would go from wasting tax dollars on it to making tax revanue. OTOH, it seams that this country is closer to criminalizing tobaco than legalizing pot, so... But it's not that simple

HiTempguy wrote:

ReverendDexter wrote: I still fail to see why marijuana is illegal. There's already laws in place against operating vehicles/heavy machinery while intoxicated, public intoxication, open container laws, etc. What exactly would the horrible ramifications be of legalizing it? I'm not a smoker, but I don't see why other people can't be, or why they should go to jail for it.

Might as well legalize cocaine, heroin, and meth while you're at it!

By what logic do you make this argument?

on one hand you have the "slippery slope" argument( what will they legalize next...)

I thought more people would pick up on it.

I've always wondered about the prohibition on alcohol (because that is the argument everyone brings up). If they were to do prohibition today, would drunk driving stats go up or down?

The fact is (and you can't really argue it, it WOULD happen) is if weed is legalized that will open doorways towards legalizing other drugs. And to tell you the truth, I don't really think inhaling any sort of smoke is good for you rollseyes Pretty basic concept.

Whether or not you think smoking is a good choice, it is not your job to make that decision for anyone else. I strongly doubt legalizing weed would lead the way to legalizing "hard" drugs like coke, meth, heroin, etc. Those drugs do far more damage to society than pot. People don't rob/kill people to score $20 to buy a bag of weed.

Why not legalize all drugs? You do realize that only 1% of people don't do drugs because they're illegal. 1%

Also, think of all the violent, cruel, and addicted potheads in prison now. That was sarcasm there. We pay for those guys twice. Once to support them in prison and then again with the lost taxes from their wages.

The war on drugs is a boondoogle. Legalize it all. Tax it to high heaven. Free health care for everyone from the proceeds.

Besides, if someone wants to kill themselves on the end of a needle or pipe who am I to tell them no? As long as they don't harm anyone doing it I say have at it.

I agree with letting tobacco and alcohol companies have a shot at cannibus. Create a tax and abuse safety net as well as fund the $700bn bailout with the remainder of the proceeds.

Whether or not you think smoking is a good choice, it is not your job to make that decision for anyone else. I strongly doubt legalizing weed would lead the way to legalizing "hard" drugs like coke, meth, heroin, etc. Those drugs do far more damage to society than pot. People don't rob/kill people to score $20 to buy a bag of weed.

Holy double standard batman. Just pointing that out there. Let people do what they want EXCEPT for these specific things. Like I said, slippery slope (how slippery who knows?)

Besides, if someone wants to kill themselves on the end of a needle or pipe who am I to tell them no? As long as they don't harm anyone doing it I say have at it.

If only it worked that way though. Case in point drunk driving and the killing of innocent people. Also, it seems like a lot of Americans want national healthcare. SUPRISE, these drug addicts don't die, they take your money to keep themselves alive, wasting valuable resources and hospital space. Then they set up things like "safe injection sites" in liberal places like Vancouver so we can pay for nurses to make sure these people don't overdose and have medical treatment available ASAP in case something goes wrong.

You can legalize anything you want. I also don't have a problem with what somebody does as long as it doesn't affect anyone else. The fact is that is NOT how it EVER works. And (IMO) just because it makes it "easier" to enforce, doesn't mean that it should be made legal (this applies to anything).

Wow, there is a bunch of ignorance from some folks concerning marijuana in here.

Look, do some research for yourselves about why it is actually criminalized, and if you're in here arguing about it and you have no clue how hemp ties in or what hemp is, you need to do more reading before continuing to express your opinion. I have yet to see a mention of it, which says something about the depth of this argument.

Just MHO, gents.

HiTempguy wrote:

Whether or not you think smoking is a good choice, it is not your job to make that decision for anyone else. I strongly doubt legalizing weed would lead the way to legalizing "hard" drugs like coke, meth, heroin, etc. Those drugs do far more damage to society than pot. People don't rob/kill people to score $20 to buy a bag of weed.

Holy double standard batman. Just pointing that out there. Let people do what they want EXCEPT for these specific things. Like I said, slippery slope (how slippery who knows?)

Besides, if someone wants to kill themselves on the end of a needle or pipe who am I to tell them no? As long as they don't harm anyone doing it I say have at it.

If only it worked that way though. Case in point drunk driving and the killing of innocent people. Also, it seems like a lot of Americans want national healthcare. SUPRISE, these drug addicts don't die, they take your money to keep themselves alive, wasting valuable resources and hospital space. Then they set up things like "safe injection sites" in liberal places like Vancouver so we can pay for nurses to make sure these people don't overdose and have medical treatment available ASAP in case something goes wrong. You can legalize anything you want. I also don't have a problem with what somebody does as long as it doesn't affect anyone else. The fact is that is NOT how it EVER works. And (IMO) just because it makes it "easier" to enforce, doesn't mean that it should be made legal (this applies to anything).

And I'm mostly talking about you. Nothing you're saying has anything to do with the de-criminalization of marijuana, Chicken Little. At all.

I just read a CNN story last night about some farmer types in North Dakota who are pushing for the legalization of industrial hemp, citing that they were unable to compete with nearby Canadian farms that could legally grow it and were apparently making a killing selling the stuff to Automakers as some sort of insulation or sound deadening material. (I had no idea it was used in such a capacity, does anybody else know anything about this?)

For my money, I'd be totally OK with legalizing industrial hemp and Marijuana for that matter. Put some farmers to work without huge subsidies, make some money from taxes on the other end, maybe even export or create a tourist industry and make money from it.

Xceler8x wrote: Why not legalize all drugs? You do realize that only 1% of people don't do drugs because they're illegal. 1% Also, think of all the violent, cruel, and addicted potheads in prison now. That was sarcasm there. We pay for those guys twice. Once to support them in prison and then again with the lost taxes from their wages. The war on drugs is a boondoogle. Legalize it all. Tax it to high heaven. Free health care for everyone from the proceeds. Besides, if someone wants to kill themselves on the end of a needle or pipe who am I to tell them no? As long as they don't harm anyone doing it I say have at it.

Amen.

Nothing you're saying has anything to do with the de-criminalization of marijuana

Actually, yes it does. Thanks for actually reading my post thoughtfully and having a better reply than "your wrong/your argument is wrong". As I explained, it is the "slippery slope" concept in case you missed it.

You also failed to miss that I said I was not against legalizing it, but then you are creating a double standard that helps lead to said slippery slope and all the problems that come with it.

I have no problem with people doing what they want. In fact, it would be great for marijuana to be taxed. But keep in mind the precedence that a decision like that would have.

Edit- And just to clarify, I in no way support marijuana, drinking, and smoking.