Should cannabis be legal

[miggy]

Ok, so you just think anything having a "strong" effect on the body should be banned or only for medicinal uses? That's more understandable.

 

Don't you think it should be personal choice tho?

[JonJParr]

Originally posted by miggy

Ok, so you just think anything having a "strong" effect on the body should be banned or only for medicinal uses? That's more understandable.

 

Don't you think it should be personal choice tho?

 

Do you think it should be a personal choice whether one chooses to travel above the speed limit on the motorway? Do you think it should be personal choice whether one chooses to burn rubbish in their back garden? Should it be choice whether one chooses to let their dog foul on the neighbour's garden?

 

Personal Choice - can we choose whether to obey a law or not? As I said originally - it's illegal. If you take issue to this then perhaps you should move to Holland.

 

As for it's medicinal benefits, all of these can be obtained through the use of a prescribed legal drug. It's unnecessary to use an illegal drug and shouldn't be an excuse to flout the law.

[MuteWitness]

If people want to smoke weed aslong as it does not effect anyone else and is in their own home i have no problem, its illegal but the people who use it know that and are taking the risk.

[Tradescanthia]

I still think people who smoke weed are sad. Why not tell your employer that you "do" drugs? Why not tell your parents or your kids [God forbid] Tell your neighbours, then ask them what they all think. You KNOW what they would all think. SO GROW UP AND BEHAVE.

[miggy]

Ok, in turn:

 

JonJParr - you're comparing irrelevant examples. Your examples are a decision that DIRECTLY causes trouble for other people, one is not.

 

This is a discussion about the legality, not about if we should obey the law. HOWEVER, I'd be willing to bet that every single person reading this breaks laws and many on a regular basis. It'll be pirated games or videos, lending someone a video or a tape that's a copy, photocopying text books, going faster than the speed limit, parking on a double yellow line, making an a**e of themselves after a beer too many, dodging a tax or two, etc etc.

 

This isn't an excuse to break the law, I'm trying to show that if that's your one and only argument to lay into cannabis smokers then it simply doesn't play.

 

WHY is it illegal, WHY are other drugs legal? Should the classification change? Should other drugs become illegal or prescribed? This is the argument, not "it's illegal to it must be a really nasty drug". No thought at all has gone into that argument and all the facts knacker it completely UNLESS you want to ban alcohol, fags, and several prescription drugs.

[Andy78]

Originally posted by Nimrod

I still think people who smoke weed are sad. Why not tell your employer that you "do" drugs? Why not tell your parents or your kids [God forbid] Tell your neighbours, then ask them what they all think. You KNOW what they would all think. SO GROW UP AND BEHAVE.

 

I would consider myself an occasional user. As it happens, I have spoken to my employer about this when it's cropped up in conversation. My parents are also aware of the fact as I like to be truthful with them. My parents don't agree with it, but know that my life is progressing successfully so don't worry. My employer knows that unless it affects my job, then it's not an issue.

 

Erm, I have been growing up since birth and think I'm behaving appropriately for my age. Luckily, I don't think anyone that knows me considers me sad, thanks for the advice though.

[miggy]

And for Nimrod:

 

Why do you think people who smoke weed are sad? Why any sadder than those who drink alcohol, coffee, or smoke fags? Or eat chocolate? Or have other addictions, drug based or not?

 

You certainly don't know what my neighbour would think. Or what my parents think. Whatever your opinion, you can see that people have their own thoughts, on whatever side.

 

I know several of my staff drink and smoke, and some may smoke or take possibly less than legal substances. That's their choice. It's only my problem if it affects their work. I suspect your'd be shocked what people in the "creative" industries get up to. Or many students for that matter!

 

I play football, and that DOES detrimentally affect my work (injuries), so should I be banned? It is an addiction of mine afterall. Like other fitness people, I get a high from certain forms of exercise - the internal effects, as pheno will tell you, are not dissimilar to certain drugs.

 

You obviously have a thing about the word "drug". I'd suggest you look at a lot more things as "drugs" and actually learn about what each of them do, good and bad. All "drugs" have a good and bad side. I don't smoke dope, but I'd much rather people were smoking weed than boozing and getting violent/aggressive every weekend.

 

I'd love you to come back and justify your position with facts rather than "ooh, drugs, bad, everyone knows it".

 

If you're just uncomfortable with certain drugs than just say so. Don't be embaressed. Try and explain. Very intelligent and often happy people take various illegal and legal drugs, so it isn't stupidity or unhappiness [altho it can be, I don't dispute that].

[miggy]

And finally:

 

"As for it's medicinal benefits, all of these can be obtained through the use of a prescribed legal drug. It's unnecessary to use an illegal drug and shouldn't be an excuse to flout the law."

 

WRONG. Oh so wrong. Do you know any MS sufferers? I do.

 

Do you know what helps them best? Cannabis. I'm talking people in their 40's and 50's, not what you'd see as druggies.

 

Also, you'll find LSD being re-examined as a possible therapeutic drug in certain circumstances, MDMA came about and was used (and something similar may be used again) for the same reasons, speed is prescribed to US teenagers as a weightloss pill, anti-depressants with "suicidal" and potentially huge long-term problems are increasingly prescribed to children, etc.

 

It's a complicated world we live in so stop seeing everything as right and wrong.

[melthebell]

Originally posted by JonJParr

Do you think it should be a personal choice whether one chooses to travel above the speed limit on the motorway? Do you think it should be personal choice whether one chooses to burn rubbish in their back garden? Should it be choice whether one chooses to let their dog foul on the neighbour's garden?

 

Personal Choice - can we choose whether to obey a law or not? As I said originally - it's illegal. If you take issue to this then perhaps you should move to Holland.

 

As for it's medicinal benefits, all of these can be obtained through the use of a prescribed legal drug. It's unnecessary to use an illegal drug and shouldn't be an excuse to flout the law.

 

Personal choice is fine, as long as your choice doesnt impact on others.............smoking weed doesnt, well smoking does to a certain extent, but then smoking fags isnt illegal...yet............driving above the speed limit is dangerous for other motorists, letting your dog foul impacts on others. etc etc etc

 

as for the medicinal use, some say cannabis works better than already available drugs and has less side effects and is waaaaaaaaay less harmful to you

[MuteWitness]

at least weed is natural unlike what the doctors are going to give you.