reefer madness

[Portia]

I thought Sheebs was kind of an odd pseudonym, but I didn't make the connection to the ganja.

On a serious note, does anyone have opinions on marijuana legalization? In my opinion, it seems much less harmful societally and personally than alcohol. I've been around heavy users of both, and while obviously both mind-altering substances, I would say that the potheads are more pleasant and polite than the boozers. (And less scary on the road, if, that is, they can will themselves off the couch.)

Any Colorado or Washington state residents with thoughts on their state laws?

[Imogen]

I had a long conversation about this the other day. Part of the logic is that it will put a stop to some illegal drug activity (an enticing prospect in South Texas because of the cartels), but that's really not true. Trust me, if someone in the illegal drug trade wants you to stop selling your legal product, they will kill you. If you're cutting into their business, they will burn it down and kill you. I think that will be less of a problem is states like Colorado and Washington because they're not as close in proximity to the centers of these cartels (pretty much anywhere south of the Nueces River here in Texas), but I don't ever see legalization happening in Texas.

[Whistler]

I don't know why it's illegal. I read an article about Jamaican women treating their pregnancy morning sickness with marijuana and it sounded lovely. Like any drug, it shouldn't be used willy-nilly, but there are plenty of those already on sale.

[Dragon Lady]

I honestly have no clue how I really feel about it. But Brother brought up a good point the other day when we were talking about it. Many parts of the marijuana plant are very useful and not intoxicating. But because it's illegal due to one use (getting high), no one in America can grow the plant. So we have to import things like hemp, etc.

[Emiliana]

Imogen, you bring up a point about cartels that I hadn't thought about much. Are the cartels heavily involved in marijuana trade in your area? My understanding was that they were mostly into heavier, more expensive drugs like heroin and cocaine, but I could be totally mistaken about that.

That said, I'm very much pro-legalization. My primary reason is that prosecutions of non-violent drug offenders are insane. How many tax dollars are wasted every year on putting people behind bars for smoking a little pot? The prosecution is also unjust -- rich white drug offenders are likely to get a slap on the wrist, while poor and minority offenders are likely to get slapped with jail time and a felony offense that will follow them around the rest of their lives.

And like Portia said, it's less dangerous than alcohol in every way. It doesn't make you violent, it doesn't hurt your liver, you can't fatally overdose on it, and it's not physically addictive*. It's probably not great for your lungs, but not nearly as bad as tobacco. Like Whistler said, it can treat nausea and glaucoma and other illnesses.

*although some people claim it can be mentally addictive (in the same way video games can be), which in my opinion just means you're "addicted" to checking out of life.

[NerdGirl]

I definitely think it should be legal for medical purposes (and it is here), and I lean towards legalizing it for recreational purposes, although that's pretty low down on my list of causes to advocate for.

And I didn't know you couldn't grow hemp in the US. We grow it in Canada despite the fact that recreational marijuana is illegal here. The plants you grow for hemp have very low amounts of THC in them.

[Marduk]

I'd just like to point out that the vast majority of alcohol-related deaths come from vehicular fatalities, since alcohol inhibits quick judgment and slows reaction times, something that pot does as well. I can guarantee legalizing pot would mean many more DUIs from marijuana use.

[Imogen]

Imogen, you bring up a point about cartels that I hadn't thought about much. Are the cartels heavily involved in marijuana trade in your area? My understanding was that they were mostly into heavier, more expensive drugs like heroin and cocaine, but I could be totally mistaken about that.

That said, I'm very much pro-legalization. My primary reason is that prosecutions of non-violent drug offenders are insane. How many tax dollars are wasted every year on putting people behind bars for smoking a little pot? The prosecution is also unjust -- rich white drug offenders are likely to get a slap on the wrist, while poor and minority offenders are likely to get slapped with jail time and a felony offense that will follow them around the rest of their lives.

And like Portia said, it's less dangerous than alcohol in every way. It doesn't make you violent, it doesn't hurt your liver, you can't fatally overdose on it, and it's not physically addictive*. It's probably not great for your lungs, but not nearly as bad as tobacco. Like Whistler said, it can treat nausea and glaucoma and other illnesses.

*although some people claim it can be mentally addictive (in the same way video games can be), which in my opinion just means you're "addicted" to checking out of life.

Cartels will sell anything that makes them money. Pot makes TONS of money in this area.