You don't see cigarette dealers because they are legal and you can get them anywhere!

CarrieLee said:

ahh...yeah. good point carrie!

Shorty said:

Yeah, but note the point that I made earlier...

"Oh, by the way... you would see teenage cigarette dealers if cigarettes were illegal! Your point is made!!!"

IceNine said:

You edited after I posted!

You don't see cigarette dealers because they are legal and you can get them anywhere!

Me gustas marijuana, me gustas tu!

I have mixed feelings on this. If marijuana is legalized it's going to be easier for children to get. Yeah they can put restrictions on it but it's like cigarettes, they can always get someone to buy them. I know if they really want it they can get it anyway, but if it's legalized then they can use that argument of why they were trying to get it.

Maybe this is on a more personal level for me because I began smoking pot in high school. I was in all honors classes until I was introduced to pot. I think things would have been different for me had I not started smoking it.

If it's going to be used for medical reasons, I'm all for it. But if it's going to be legalized just for recreation or whatever, I don't think it's cool. I don't care what anybody says, it's a gateway for other drugs. If you like getting high, you want to try other things for a better high.

I still smoke occasionally so I guess I'm being a hypocrite. I just don't see the need for it to be legalized other than for medicinal use. It will always be around, sometimes it's harder to find than usual but whatever. I just don't think it has to be THAT available. It's a drug, it IS addictive and I think we have enough problems in America to deal with and we should spend time on other issues rather than legalizing pot...

Just my 2 cents, flame away if you wish!

BattierBeMyDaddy said:

LOL, is Manu Chao popular in America or what?

me gusta marijuana, me gustas tu, me gusta colombiana, me gustas tu

garganta said:

¿Que hora son mi corazon?

I dunno how popular Manu Chao is, but I like him!

CarrieLee said:

No flaming, but marijuana is not an addictive drug, as THC is not self-administered by laboratory animals in testing and many clinical trials on humans have shown a similar lack of addictive properties.

As far as being a "gateway drug," marijuana use has not been shown to precipitate the use of "harder" drugs. In fact, there are a great number of marijuana users who have never tried other drugs and do not drink alcohol.

I won't go into too much detail here, but I have written papers on the biochemical basis of chemical addictions. My collegiate studies were in neuroscience and biochemistry, so this is a subject that I am rather interested in.

I can supply lots of cool information if anyone really cares.

...
[This message was edited Wed Nov 6 11:41:43 PST 2002 by IceNine]

CarrieLee said:

No flaming, but marijuana is not an addictive drug, as THC is not self-administered by laboratory animals in testing and many clinical trials on humans have shown a similar lack of addictive properties.

As far as being a "gateway drug," marijuana use has not been shown to precipitate the use of "harder" drugs. In fact, there are a great number of marijuana users who have never tried other drugs and do not drink alcohol.

I won't go into too much detail here, but I have written papers on the biochemical basis of chemical addictions. My collegiate studies were in neuroscience and biochemistry, so this is a subject that I am rather interested in.

I can supply lots of cool information if anyone really cares.

...
[This message was edited Wed Nov 6 11:41:43 PST 2002 by IceNine]

IceNine said:

i agree with a lot of what u say Ice.. but as far as criminal behaviour goes...(you mentioned on an earlier post) the only danger is when ppl become psycotic from abusing pot..i've seen it happen many a time.. as far as the addiction issue goes, it's a difficult one..but i strongly believe marijuana is addictive.. i've seen ppl in detox for marijuana alone..i'm talking HEAVY smokers..i think that pot is fine for recreational use..far better that alcahol for all the reasons you stated.. but there are ppl who can use occasionally.. and ppl who are just drug piggies.. i've been there man..i've seen lives destroyed by marijuana addiction..

MrBliss said:

What!? There is nothing in marijuana that makes it chemically addictive. I believe that one could become addicted to it out of habit or "thinking" they need it. Actually, I know a few of these people... they think that they can't possibly make it through the day without a hit or fifty.

Personally, I feel that it should be legal.

CarrieLee said:

No flaming, but marijuana is not an addictive drug, as THC is not self-administered by laboratory animals in testing and many clinical trials on humans have shown a similar lack of addictive properties.

As far as being a "gateway drug," marijuana use has not been shown to precipitate the use of "harder" drugs. In fact, there are a great number of marijuana users who have never tried other drugs and do not drink alcohol.

I won't go into too much detail here, but I have written papers on the biochemical basis of chemical addictions. My collegiate studies were in neuroscience and biochemistry, so this is a subject that I am rather interested in.

I can supply lots of cool information if anyone really cares.

...
[This message was edited Wed Nov 6 11:41:43 PST 2002 by IceNine]

AzureStar said:

Now I will cut and paste my response to MrBliss and use it here too...



Marijuana usange can exascerbate certain mental illnesses, especially things such as schizophrenia, especially when used excessively. Marijuana can be hallucinogenic when used in very high doses and can affect the psychoses of schizophrenics and other psychotic mentally ill patients.

As far as addiction and THC go, laboratory tests have shown it to be a non-addictive substance and laboratory animals will not self-administer THC as they will cocaine and other addictive chemicals.

"It is well established that chronic heavy use of cannabis does not result in a withdrawal syndrome with severe symptomatology. However, the occurrence of some form of psychological dependence or craving is more probable than physical dependence." - from "Neurobiology of Marijuana Use" by Abood and Martin.

Look...

I was posting at the same time as you... stop doing this to me!

No

AzureStar said:

IceNine said:

Yes!

AzureStar said:

Stop disrupting my Manu Chao talk.

MrBliss said:

What!? There is nothing in marijuana that makes it chemically addictive. I believe that one could become addicted to it out of habit or "thinking" they need it. Actually, I know a few of these people... they think that they can't possibly make it through the day without a hit or fifty.

Personally, I feel that it should be legal.

AzureStar said:

Now I will cut and paste my response to MrBliss and use it here too...



Marijuana usange can exascerbate certain mental illnesses, especially things such as schizophrenia, especially when used excessively. Marijuana can be hallucinogenic when used in very high doses and can affect the psychoses of schizophrenics and other psychotic mentally ill patients.

As far as addiction and THC go, laboratory tests have shown it to be a non-addictive substance and laboratory animals will not self-administer THC as they will cocaine and other addictive chemicals.

"It is well established that chronic heavy use of cannabis does not result in a withdrawal syndrome with severe symptomatology. However, the occurrence of some form of psychological dependence or craving is more probable than physical dependence." - from "Neurobiology of Marijuana Use" by Abood and Martin.