A Good Night For Marijuana Users & Homosexuals

[HBK-aholic]

Originally Posted by Mighty NorCal

Then you nod your head merrily at them as they choose to kill themselves depite overwelming evidence that will be the case. whom is the government to tell people what they can or can't do with their bodies, right? Hasn't that been one of your rallying cries over the years? (I dont mean that smart-ass, I mean it literally....as it is one of my own rallying cries as well) I can volunteer to die for THEIR purposes, but not for my own?(were I to be a person interested in slowly killing myself through the means of cigarettes or weed)

as for your second paragraph, I am sorry to be the one to break it to you, but they can do that now anyway. actually, were it legal, it would be LESS likely for children to be able to come upon it, since there would be regulation, and a legal age limit.

I do believe people should be able to do what they like with their own bodies - as long as it doesn't affect mine, or other peoples. I already detest that to get into work I have to walk through a cloud of people's cigarette smoke. The smell of 'weed' makes me feel physically ill, and is seriously not what I want to have to walk through at 7am after a night shift, or before a 13 hour shift. Nor do I want to put up with it, learning in 50 years time that it could have an adverse effect on those simply around it. It's also not something I want to subject my children to. Now if you're smoking it privately, in your own home, my issues go down a lot. I still think it's ridiculous, but as it's not affecting my body I don't care.

Also, while I realise this isn't an issue in the US, in the UK we have the NHS, and while I am one of it's biggest supporters, we already spend millions, mybe even billions, on cigarette-related illnesses. I would, again, be willing to bet that that would rise hugely if marijuana became legalised. We simply can not afford to make more issues.

Finally, I disagree that legalisation makes it harder for children to come by. Cigarettes and alcohol are incredibly easy for a child to get hold of, all they need is a fake ID, an adult with no responsibilities, even one just passing the store, or a store that doesn't take the licensing laws seriously - all things that would also make it possible for them to gain marijuana. I don't want it possible for them to see a display of the drug whilst shopping with their families.

Originally Posted by Nu Sexier Noun

I give it about 20-30 years before that statement is proven factually wrong in England. It's already a minority occupation (only 20% of people smoke tobacco), which is trending downwards. Once everyone with a strong opinion towards smoking legality have given themselves emphysema they government will start moving towards making it illegal.

I hope you're right.

I know very little about marijuana because I give precisely no fucks about it. However, my understanding of it is that the only toxic effect that it has is are in the brain, potentially damaging mental health. Now, don't get me wrong, mental health is hugely important - schizophrenia knocks off about 10 years of your life but it's not quite on the same level as tobacco's impact on public health.

Would we know what tobacco's effect on public health was if it wasn't so popular in society, legal, and been used a great amount in the past? I don't want to find out the horrible side effects in 50 years when marijuana is used the same way tobacco is now. Also, I don't want a large increase in those mentally ill. In some ways it's worse than being physically ill.

You're overstating how bad cannabis is Becca. I've never smoked it, have no intention of smoking it and wouldn't know where to get some either but it's less harmful than the bottles of vodka which your child will see when buying aforementioned milk. He/she won't get instantly corrupted just by seeing them. Especially if you're a good parent to your hypothetical child(ren).

I don't think cannabis is bad per se. I just don't think it being legal is a good idea. I'm not of the opinion that the police should do a drugs raid on a house because the occupant occassionaly smokes marijuana in his own home, nor do I think those who do smoke it are bad people. But I don't want it to become a socially acceptable thing to do. I'm happy with the way smoking is becoming less 'cool' in the media and society and would hope marijuana would also be seen that way, but I don't want it to become easily accessible only for us to be facing a whole load of new issues inyears to come, in the same way tobacco and alcohol have given us many issues in the last few decades.

[Mighty NorCal]

Originally Posted by HBK-aholic

I do believe people should be able to do what they like with their own bodies - as long as it doesn't affect mine, or other peoples. I already detest that to get into work I have to walk through a cloud of people's cigarette smoke. The smell of 'weed' makes me feel physically ill, and is seriously not what I want to have to walk through at 7am after a night shift, or before a 13 hour shift. Nor do I want to put up with it, learning in 50 years time that it could have an adverse effect on those simply around it. It's also not something I want to subject my children to. Now if you're smoking it privately, in your own home, my issues go down a lot. I still think it's ridiculous, but as it's not affecting my body I don't care.



Finally, I disagree that legalisation makes it harder for children to come by. Cigarettes and alcohol are incredibly easy for a child to get hold of, all they need is a fake ID, an adult with no responsibilities, even one just passing the store, or a store that doesn't take the licensing laws seriously - all things that would also make it possible for them to gain marijuana. I don't want it possible for them to see a display of the drug whilst shopping with their families.

Already legislature in place for smokeless areas for cigarettes as it is. Obviously, it will be the same way were weed legalized. In your own home, or away from those who chose not to, is more and more the norm among lawmakers as it is, surely this will be the case. Don't blame the plant, blame idiots who have no consideration for others. People being selfish twats is irrelevant to wether weed should be legal or not.

You know those three things you just named that a child needs in order to get cigarettes or alcohol? Those are three things they currently do not need to acquire weed.

[Nu Sexier Noun]

Originally Posted by HBK-aholic

Would we know what tobacco's effect on public health was if it wasn't so popular in society, legal, and been used a great amount in the past? I don't want to find out the horrible side effects in 50 years when marijuana is used the same way tobacco is now. Also, I don't want a large increase in those mentally ill. In some ways it's worse than being physically ill.

Yes. Perhaps not as well as we do with tobacco, but we would know. We know the effect of Diazepam (Valium) on public health despite it being around for less than 50 years and restricted for most of that time.

I don't think cannabis is bad per se. I just don't think it being legal is a good idea. I'm not of the opinion that the police should do a drugs raid on a house because the occupant occassionaly smokes marijuana in his own home, nor do I think those who do smoke it are bad people. But I don't want it to become a socially acceptable thing to do.

It's already socially acceptable to do so. Statistically speaking, just under half of the students at my uni smoked pot last year. Only 16% smoked tobacco regularly and a further 24% smoking socially.

I'm happy with the way smoking is becoming less 'cool' in the media and society and would hope marijuana would also be seen that way, but I don't want it to become easily accessible only for us to be facing a whole load of new issues in years to come, in the same way tobacco and alcohol have given us many issues in the last few decades.

In the last few decades? Becca, that's bollocks. Smoking was spotted to cause harm centuries ago, alcohol even longer. The only reason smoking and lung cancer has become a major issue is because people are living long enough to die from cancer rather than anything else.

You know part of the reason weed is considered "cool" at the moment? For the precise reason that it is illegal. It's a "safe" form of rebellion. Put it behind the counter of the grocer's with similar (relevant) warnings to tobacco and ban its advertisement and suddenly it's a lot less cool.

[HBK-aholic]

Originally Posted by Nu Sexier Noun

Yes. Perhaps not as well as we do with tobacco, but we would know. We know the effect of Diazepam (Valium) on public health despite it being around for less than 50 years and restricted for most of that time.

We do already know that marijuana presents health issues, as you've said. And my issue is with what you agree - we don't know as well as tobacco, which we only know because of it's large scale use. At a time when we're trying to get more people to quit smoking, I don't see how added another drug on the market is going to help anyone.

It's already socially acceptable to do so. Statistically speaking, just under half of the students at my uni smoked pot last year. Only 16% smoked tobacco regularly and a further 24% smoking socially.

Source to this? Also, I think you may hang around with different people than me, because in my social circles it's definitely not acceptable to do so. Certainly not in public, at least.

In the last few decades? Becca, that's bollocks. Smoking was spotted to cause harm centuries ago, alcohol even longer. The only reason smoking and lung cancer has become a major issue is because people are living long enough to die from cancer rather than anything else.

I wasn't speaking specifically health issues, though the fact those issues were spotted centuries ago doesn't really help anyone until the age of spreading information quickly and efficiently happened - with tv, the internet etc.

However, other issues include those given to the NHS (Increased HUGELY in the last few years) and social issues; the amount of crime and social disorder due to those drinking and possibly being high is never-ending, and was not as much of an issue 'centuries ago'

You know part of the reason weed is considered "cool" at the moment? For the precise reason that it is illegal. It's a "safe" form of rebellion. Put it behind the counter of the grocer's with similar (relevant) warnings to tobacco and ban its advertisement and suddenly it's a lot less cool.

In the same way alcohol being legal makes it less cool? We both know that's not true. I very much doubt that legalising marijuana will make it less popular.