If you were talking about everything OTHER than Marijuana (and including alcohol and nicotine) I would agree with you 100%... However Marijuana is scientifically proven to be NON-ADDICTIVE... and has never caused one single death... ever.

FYI...

Congress, when it passed the Controlled Substances Act in 1970, temporarily labeled marijuana a "Schedule I substance" -- a flatly illegal drug with no approved medical purposes. But Congress acknowledged that it did not know enough about marijuana to permanently relegate it to Schedule I, and so they created a presidential commission to review the research and recommend a long-term strategy. President Nixon got to appoint the bulk of the commissioners. Not surprisingly, he loaded it with drug warriors. Nixon appointed Raymond Shafer, former Republican Governor of Pennsylvania, as Chairman. As a former prosecutor, Shafer had a "law and order," drug warrior reputation. Nixon also appointed nine Commissioners, including the dean of a law school, the head of a mental health hospital, and a retired Chicago police captain. Along with the Nixon appointees, two senators and two congressmen from each party served on the Commission.

The Shafer Commission -- officially known as the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse -- took its job seriously. They launched fifty research projects, polled the public and members of the criminal justice community, and took thousands of pages of testimony. Their work is still the most comprehensive review of marijuana ever conducted by the federal government.

After reviewing all the evidence, these drug warriors were forced to come to a different conclusion than they had at first expected. Rather than harshly condemning marijuana, they started talking about legalization. When Nixon heard such talk, he quickly denounced the Commission -- months before it issued its report.

During their meeting, Shafer reassured the President that he would not support "legalization," even though there were some on the Commission who did. He told Nixon they were looking for a unanimous recommendation. Nixon warned Shafer that he "had very strong feelings" on marijuana. Nixon and Shafer also discussed Shafer's potential appointment to a federal judgeship.

But in the end, the Shafer Commission issued a report that tried to correct the "extensive degree of misinformation," to "demythologize" and "desymbolize" marijuana. They reported finding that marijuana did not cause crime or aggression, lead to harder drug use or create significant biochemical, mental or physical abnormalities.

They concluded: "Marihuana's relative potential for harm to the vast majority of individual users and its actual impact on society does not justify a social policy designed to seek out and firmly punish those who use it."

The most important recommendation of the Commission was the decriminalization of possession or non-profit transfer of marijuana. Decriminalization meant there would be no punishment -- criminal or civil -- under state or federal law.

Nixon reacted strongly to the report. In a recorded conversation on March 21, the day before the Commission released its report, Nixon said, "We need, and I use the word 'all out war,' on all fronts ... we have to attack on all fronts." Nixon and his advisors went on to plan a speech about why he opposed marijuana legalization, and proposed that he do "a drug thing every week" during the 1972 presidential election year. Nixon wanted a "Goddamn strong statement about marijuana ... that just tears the ass out of them."

Shafer was never appointed to the federal court.

Nixon's private comments about marijuana showed he was the epitome of misinformation and prejudice. He believed marijuana led to hard drugs, despite the evidence to the contrary. He saw marijuana as tied to "radical demonstrators." He believed that "the Jews," especially "Jewish psychiatrists" were behind advocacy for legalization, asking advisor Bob Haldeman, "What the Christ is the matter with the Jews, Bob?" He made a bizarre distinction between marijuana and alcohol, saying people use marijuana "to get high" while "a person drinks to have fun."

His marijuana war rhetoric led to a dramatic increase in arrests. One year after his "all out war" comments, marijuana arrests jumped to 420,700 a year -- a full 128,000 more than the year before. Since then, nearly 15 million people have been arrested for marijuana offenses.

For thirty years, the United States has taken the path of Nixon's prejudice and ignored the experts. We now have the largest prison population in world history, and drug problems are no closer to solved. Indeed, plenty of evidence indicates that drug-related problems are worse than ever.

At the same time that the Shafer Commission issued its report, the Bain Commission in Holland issued a report that made similar findings and recommendations. In Holland, they followed the advice of their experts. Thirty years later Holland has half the per-capita marijuana use as the U.S., far fewer drug-related problems and spends much less on drug enforcement. With statistics like that, it's no wonder that most of Europe is going Dutch. Just last week a British Commission issued a Shafer-like report, indicating that the U.K. is moving in the Dutch direction.

Excerpts taken from... http://www.alternet.org/story/12666/

THANKS FOR THE TRUTH! Legalize it now!! Get your laws off my Nature.

YOU my friend are quite WRONG!!! While I support medical marijuana, the idea that marijuana have never caused a death is completely ridiculous!! Just ask the lady from Pittsburg who was run over with her two children. She died and the two toddlers will be forever without a Mom. The driver had just smoked a joint. Sorry but there needs to be some type of control!!!!!!!

As with alcohol, once grass has been made legal & taxed, there will be restrictions. Never, ever smoke before getting behind the wheel of a car. Rooster, the question is should it be legal to use it in your own home without fear? The stupidity of that driver in Pittsburgh is the thing that killed that mom...do not blame the weed. That's completely ridiculous. We need to legalize it, tax it to the max (I'm willing to pay) and create penalties for the sort of situation you've described. It's horrible that those children won't have a mother to raise & love them, but please PLEASE don't blame the marijuana. It has helped me over the years to see what true internal peace is all about and it should be legalized. Most of the folks who do it (I cannot drink alcohol) are good, responsible people who can't express their opinions about it for fear of losing their jobs. Decades of treating us as criminals has done nothing for this great country.

theRooster

YOU my friend are quite WRONG!!! While I support medical marijuana, the idea that marijuana have never caused a death is completely ridiculous!!

If your saying that I'm wrong, then your also saying that... the most comprehensive review of marijuana ever conducted by the federal government was wrong... a commitee made up of a former Republican Governor of Pennsylvania, as Chairman, the dean of a law school, the head of a mental health hospital, and a retired Chicago police captain, along with two senators and two congressmen from each party ... called The Shafer Commission -- officially known as the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse -- took its job seriously. They launched fifty research projects, polled the public and members of the criminal justice community, and took thousands of pages of testimony.... they all came to the conclusion that it is relatively harmless, and should be legalized... But of course they don't know anything, and you do.

No it is a fact.... No one has ever died from smoking Marijuana... I'm talking about as a direct physical result of it's usage... in terms of overdose, or physical malady....

but as for your example...

Just ask the lady from Pittsburg who was run over with her two children. She died and the two toddlers will be forever without a Mom. The driver had just smoked a joint. Sorry but there needs to be some type of control!!!!!!!

That wasn't because of Marijuana, that was because the driver was a moron... an irresponsible idiot... just like every drunk driver that gets on the road... HOWEVER we have laws against drunk driving, but we do not ban alcohol... a far more dangerous, and lethal substance than marijuana... Do you propose we reinstate prohibition then? Or are you just being hypocritical?

Sounds like you're in the program Abyssoft. Sobriety is the only solution.

Legal pot? It contains no THC - making it legal NOTpot. @!$%#ing idiots.

theRooster - She was also drunk. Wow... double @!$%#ing idiots.

Rooster-

That lady and her kids were killed by a car, not weed. Outlaw Buick.

PebblesDropped-

You closed-minded hypocrites are the worst advertisement for sobreity.

From President Nixon who was known to consume 3 to 5 martinis a night while watching the 3 major broadcast networks news programs to make sure they weren't talking about him.

There are actually still people who think that marijuana is addictive and/or deadly?

Wow, I thought we debunked these myths enough times to find every person hiding under a rock in the middle of nowhere. I guess we missed a few.

Cannabis is non-addictive and non-lethal. Caffeine is physically addictive, aspirin results in overdose deaths, but cannabis falls in neither category.

http://youtube.com/user/OhioCompassion has two short, informative videos up on the topic with more on the way. This group is working to break down the ridiculous myths to pave the way for legalization of medical cannabis in Ohio, which is currently in the House Health Committee. There are regular posts at http://facebook.com/OhioCompassion as well so you can learn more.

Also, bottom line... MSNBC, there is no such thing as synthetic pot. K2 is not marijuana and does not behave like marijuana. Educate yourselves before misleading the public.

abbysoft:

Take a look at your quote, "For those who wish to use the "it's legal" argument for prescription medications, alcohol, and medical marijuana, it still alters a person and who they are; A drug is a drug period."

I'm going to tell you about a substance that REALLY, REALLY alters a person. It's called food. Stop using this stuff and you die. Keep eating and you live. Now we're talking a profound change in reality - a REALLY, REALLY profound altering of reality.

Fact is, a drug is a drug only if people choose to call it a drug. The insulin that diabetics take is naturally produced in the bodies of non-diabetics. (Makes me want to go out and smack the crap out of that diabetic drug user. I don't want to hear any of that garbage about "medicinal" drugs. Know what I mean?)

Now about that food thing. I have studied just a teensy-weensy bit of chemistry, and I know for a fact that the food that you have been eating is actually a precursor for "drugs" that are created in your body, like that damned insulin and - dare I say it - endorphins.

These addicts are everywhere. Please lead the way to purity. Show us how to stop eating. Lead by example.......PLEASE!

I am not going to pay taxes on things I grow in my garden. Whether tomatoes, carrots, or marijuana. If the government wants to outlaw a plant, I suggest they start with poison ivy. It has caused all sorts of misery, yet remains totally legal.

Sorry pal, you need to read more. The driver had just finished a joint. He then was too distracted to remember to stop at a stop sign. The result was a lady died. Chances are that had he not been a pothead, she would still be alive.

theRooster, where did we say driving under the influence wasn't hazardous? We're talking about consuming cannabis, not driving on it. Get a grip on reality. Millions of people drink without driving.

YOU said no one has died because of marijuana. You were wrong. Maybe you need a better grip on reality and a little education on it as well.

People die from things everyday, and yes some of those things are caused from marijuana or because someone was high on marijuana and they weren't thinking clearly. I think that any altered state of consciencousness, reguarless of whether or not it is caused by something that is legal or illegal, can cause negative effects. I also would like to point out to V... that just because you found an article on the internet that seems to prove your point doesn't make the article true. From the excerpt you chose it sounds like the writer of the article is slightly pariniod that the goverment is out to hide things from us. Whether or not if the article is true doesn't really matter. What matters is that we, as a country, shouldn't blindly legalize marijuana without fullly knowing all of the side effects and negative outcomes that will happen. It's hard to close a door that large once it's opened. Look at all the things that we are still finding out the nicotine, alcohol, and even prescriptions can do to a person's body. Those are all things that have been researched and studied for YEARS and the only thing that we keep finding out is that every person's body reacts differently to different things, so while marijuana might not effect you in a negative way, it can someone else. I also would like to add, that I know someone who smokes it on a regular basis and I have seen them go without it for a couple of hours/a day and by then they are craving it so badly that they are trying eveything in their power to find some more. That is addiction to marijuana, so YES it is addictive, I have seen it.

"YOU said no one has died because of marijuana. You were wrong"
Admittedly, some folks tend to speak in absolutes that aren't quite accurate. However, cannabis IS non-lethal (aspirin is less 'safe' pharmacologically), and it is considerably less likely to cause an accident than alcohol.

Really, nothing is totally safe, you can poison yourself with WATER for crying out loud.

And yes, it can cause DEPENDENCY GFL, but as far as physical addiction is concerned? It is less addictive than caffeine. People become dependent on TV, the internet, food, exercise, SEX....shall we outlaw those, and imprison their practitioners as well?

God-fearing-lesbian

First off... one of the oddest user names I've come across.... pretty interesting.

People die from things everyday, and yes some of those things are caused from marijuana or because someone was high on marijuana and they weren't thinking clearly. I think that any altered state of consciencousness, reguarless of whether or not it is caused by something that is legal or illegal, can cause negative effects.

Then either ban alcohol and prescription medication or stop being hypocritical... it's a double standard... and one that all research shows (marijuana) to be the least harmful, and yet the most punished... makes no sense.

I also would like to point out to V... that just because you found an article on the internet that seems to prove your point doesn't make the article true.

This is not the first time I've come across this story... it is true... I read constantly (books, not just the web) and I've come across this story a few times before.... I think it should be up to the doubter to prove a statement false.... if you doubt it, look into it.

From the excerpt you chose it sounds like the writer of the article is slightly pariniod that the goverment is out to hide things from us.

Right... because the government would NEVER try to keep information from the public... He may sound paranoid, but you sound NAIVE.

Whether or not if the article is true doesn't really matter.

Um.... YES IT DOES!!!!!

What matters is that we, as a country, shouldn't blindly legalize marijuana without fullly knowing all of the side effects and negative outcomes that will happen.

Are you serious? THAT"S EXACTLY WHY THEY FORMED THAT COMMISION AND DID THAT STUDY!!!! What your asking for has already been done, The President (at the time) just didn't like the results saying it was relatively harmless... And there has been numerous studies since then.... WHY DO YOU THINK IT"S BEING LEGALIZED FOR MEDICAL REASONS??? BECAUSE IT"S HARMFUL?????

It's hard to close a door that large once it's opened. Look at all the things that we are still finding out the nicotine, alcohol, and even prescriptions can do to a person's body.

And yet they are not only legal, but ADVERTISED IN OUR FACES 24/7....

Those are all things that have been researched and studied for YEARS and the only thing that we keep finding out is that every person's body reacts differently to different things, so while marijuana might not effect you in a negative way, it can someone else.

Then I should be allowed to smoke, and that person should choose NOT TO!!! It's called free will..... part of the whole Life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of HAPPINESS thing, that our founding fathers tried to give us.... By the way, those founding fathers ALL GREW POT on their lands... and it is widely accepted by historians, (though not put into history books for obvious reasons), THAT A GREAT MANY OF THEM WERE SMOKING AND HIGH!!! It wasn't called the age of ENLIGHTENMENT for nothing!!!

I also would like to add, that I know someone who smokes it on a regular basis and I have seen them go without it for a couple of hours/a day and by then they are craving it so badly that they are trying eveything in their power to find some more. That is addiction to marijuana, so YES it is addictive, I have seen it.

BULL$HIT!!!! Addiction is when the body PHYSICALLY reacts to the removal of a substance... your friend is obviously a lazy ass pothead, who smokes everyday to avoid dealing with the mundane day to day act of living, and craves it MENTALLY when life comes creeping back into focus.... that is a weak individual, who is too lazy to live, and his or her lethargy is simple escapism. Those "cravings" are just FEAR manifested.... Addiction, is a PHYSICAL process, once addicted to alcohol, heroin, cocaine, prescriptions, crack, hell even nicotine, if the substance is removed, the person shows physical symptoms of withdrawal, and even illness.

Your lazy cowardly friend will NOT be the standard by which it will be decided what I or anyone else can choose to ingest, or inhale...

theRooster, because I care, I'll try one more time...

Marijuana does not kill you. Nobody, ever, at all has died from consuming marijuana.

Consuming marijuana then driving a car? That is not a death from consuming marijuana. That is a death from operating a motor vehicle while impaired.

PebblesDropped

so marijuana impairs you? HELLO??!??!?!?

Depends... Should one go drive a bus? No.... Should one go paint a painting, play some music, enjoy a nice meal, see a movie, have awesome sex, etc... all those actions would be enhanced, not impaired

makes you do stupid things. Hello again?!??!

Only stupid people. If you think marijuana only makes you do stupid things, and has no positive effect on what we do then you know what? All that great music from the 60's and 70's you may as well throw them away, and remove them from the world, because all those artists were REAL FRIGGIN HIGH.

alcohol does too

Lets play a game... you're at a ballpark, or a concert... a man is seemingly intoxicated, and being obnoxious... swearing around children, becoming aggressive, looking for a fight, and ruining everyone elses good time... now.... is he... a)drunk .... or... b) stoned..... if you said drunk, good for you, 5 points for having some common sense... someone who is high is much too relaxed to bother annoying others... he's not thinking fight.... he's thinking Taco Bell.

but at least i dont have to smell the smoke like in marijuana has.

Call me crazy, but I think pot smoke smells great! Everytime I go to a concert and somewhere in the crowd someone lights up, as it wafts over the crowd, you can hear many, many, murmurs of... "smells gooooood".... and... "mmmmm nice".... I think you just sound really uptight, and could probably do with doing a doobie...

so smoke it at home, not in a public establishment. the same for alcohol. drink it at home.

Yavol Heir PebblesDropped.... no need to call zee S.S.... Vee vill do as you say und stay inside our homes, und not try to enjoy life in a free country created by zee founding fathers who all grew zee pot plants on zer lands... Zee wicked evil plant vich vas not illegal for the first 150 years of this country's existance.... Sieg Heil Pebblesdropped!

Do I hear a little Bill Hicks in there, V? RIP Bill!

Another Bill Hicks fan here.....

Yeah... I been reading him again lately .... guess I should've given credit to him there.... my bad.

The book is Bill Hicks: Love all the People, if anyone is interested in waking up from their corporate/advertising induced coma.

You actually can overdose on nicotine. Usually those who do are farmers that handle the tobacco bare handed.

Tell that to the lung cancer and emphysema patients.

It's a regular occurrence for toddlers to end up in the emergency room after eating their parent's tobacco. Rarely, death occurs. The LD50 of nicotine is like ~50 mg in humans. An average cigarette smoked will give you 1-1.5 mg.

As far as smoking too much and ending up in the hospital, that's unlikely. Even when people (usually kids) smoke for the first time and get sick, it only lasts for like 15 minutes.

What the f** does this have to do with the story at hand?

Really? I doubt that, very, very much.

You've seen plenty of people who have been in ER's, in hospital wards, in hospice care and in the morgue for having smoked too much tobacco. They are people with COPD, with lung and other cancers, with all kinds of other health problems. All you need to do is to open your eyes and you'll actually see them.

When I talked about "smoking too much tobacco", I meant in one session. Not the illnesses that come with long term smoking.

HD-2, whether it was in one session or over a lifetime makes NO DIFFERENCE!

You can make an extremely deadly poison out of cigarette butts. Water, heat, and an ashtray full of cigs all you need to make one of the dealiest poisons. I wouldn't advise trying this, just one drop on the skin will kill you almost instantly.

Dragon, I think you may be incorrect. I just tried your recipe. My sister is still alive.

If true, that was attempted murder...

It is called lung cancer

Real pot doesn't cause heart palpitations, anxiety, vomiting, and hallucinations in some people? You sure about that? Hell, I'm for legalizing the @!$%# but I hate it when people like you make it out to be completely harmless.

The problem with this stuff is that you don't know how much you're getting. The chemicals that get you high are called JWH compounds and are active at 1 mg or less. People smoke these blends thinking it's going to be the same as smoking pot and end up getting far too high a dose.

Real pot doesn't cause heart palpitations, anxiety, vomiting, and hallucinations in some people?

Yes, that's what he said. It doesn't.

Yes, it does. I'm not even going to get sources because it is a well accepted fact. Many people have adverse reactions to pot. Marijuana "activists" like you will never be respected and taken seriously because you refuse to admit pot has any risks. You say it can cause no bad reactions and isn't addictive. That's simply not true. Lots of people are addicted to pot. Not physically but psychologically. Pot can also worsen mental illness. Now all that said, I truly believe it's safer than alcohol in most cases. But it is far from harmless.

Oh, as far as not causing heart palpatations and anxiety and whatnot: I do not smoke it because it causes these very effects in me. There's a first hand source. I also experience nausea but no vomiting or hallucinations though they can occur in some people. So don't tell me it doesn't.

Should milk be illegal since some people have adverse reactions?

So, HD, your personal experience is the reason it should be outlawed? I don't think I used the word "harmless," either. And, frankly, not being taken seriously by you costs me nothing. Live in your little world, with your little symptoms, with your petty labels, and keep your kids close underwing. They'll be smoking pot before they're 16.

Real pot does have side effects like those that cause the heart to race in some people. Most of the time a person just has to know how much they can handle.

Pebbles, are you related to Richard Nixon? Instead of going into each thread and calling everyone who is more educated on this subject a "bunch of potheads," perhaps you could do a little research and try to disprove them. Unfortunately, you'd find that they're right, but at least you wouldn't be making a fool out of yourself by promoting myths.

K2 is synthetic THC - developed at Clemson University. I've smoked it, and there basically is no difference between the two, other than the odor. If there has been an increase in emergency room visits, (of course we know that if it's a news story, it's gotta be true) it's only because of easy accessibility by non experienced users. Pot can cause panic attacks in new users, mainly because the experience is totally new. They don't know what to expect, and if the person is prone to go panic, then the experience may become enhanced.

That all being said, I prefer to grow my own. I do not intend to pay taxes to anybody for whatever I grow.

This is not about figuring out how to become high all day everyday. Some people do that with alcohol. Some do it with pot. I have known people that were addicted to Coca-Cola. Really.

I once met a lady at church who said, 'If Jesus had only known what He was doing, He never would have made that wine." That is something to think about.

"PebblesDropped

Potheads, you got to love them."

Naw, I prefer judgmental folks who love to vilify something and someone they know nothing about.

Sad thing is, there are FAR more of us out here than you realize. about 1 in 10 adults. Many of us are VERY accomplished, and VERY productive. But I know it's fun to joke about the Bill and Ted lifestyle, be aware, they are NOT the norm. Most of us are hard-working, tax-paying, home-owning, child-rearing, college educated American CITIZENS, who simply want to relax with a substance that is demonstrably safer than alcohol or tobacco.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Dragon and Jr.,

You both missed my first post where I said "Hell, I'm for legalizing the @!$%#". I just don't think it's as harmless as some people make it out to sound.

Jr., you said "Yes, that's what he said. It doesn't." referring to my post challenging someone who said real pot doesn't cause bad side effects. It can though. That was my only point.

FYI, I'm in my mid-twenties and have no children but when I do, I will not let them use pot and will make sure they know the real dangers of drug use, not nonsense propaganda. I know more about drugs than I wish I did. I drank regularly starting at age 12 and was shooting heroin and cocaine daily when I was 17. So please don't mistake me for some misinformed, ignorant old man who knows nothing of drugs or the "real" world.

It's true: Pot is not for everyone, neither is alcohol, tobacco, or prescription drugs. And the side effects of what I listed are different in every person. So, Your point is?

HD-

Not trying to make light of your history of drug abuse- heroin and cocaine are a recipe for disaster, but if you were drunk since 12 and shooting speedballs before you got out of high school, how do you know that these adverse affects were from the weed??

Actually, I got those effects before I ever did heroin or coke. But I'm a naturally anxious person. Social and generalized anxiety plus panic disorder. So I think the weed just really exacerbates my conditions. But it's still not true that weed doesn't cause bad effects in anyone. I know people who are otherwise totally normal but freak out when they have pot.

Also, I dropped out of highschool at 15. I do apologize for being a jerk the other night though. It was just one of those days.

True, but I think the question is should they be in prison for smoking????

jr-700062, that's NOT the question. The real question is why tobacco is not legislated against, because it's actually more of health threat than is alcohol.

I have no problems with medical marijuana, by prescription. It's a potent anti-inflammatory and pain med, so much so that it should only be available by prescription.

The problem, though, is when you and other marijuana enthusiasts insist on your absolute right to use and abuse the stuff at your will. You and others who espouse this as an absolute right are the ones who make getting marijuana for medical purposes so very difficult and so very frowned upon by governments, by so many health care professionals and by far too many civilians who don't and don't want to understand the difference.

Wise up, please, and let those of us who have a medical need for marijuana, for anabolic steroids, for all kinds of other drugs that are seen as street drugs only to get the help that we need. Stop being selfish!

Excuse me, but I believe my question was "do users deserve to be incarcerated?" Where do I call this "an absolute right?"

Wise up, please, and let those of us who have a medical need for marijuana, for anabolic steroids, for all kinds of other drugs that are seen as street drugs only to get the help that we need. Stop being selfish!

I'm not sure if this is a plea on your part for legalization, or if you think I'm somehow the problem/cause of prohibition laws. Care to expand on your post?

RPearlston says, "You and others who espouse this as an absolute right are the ones who make getting marijuana for medical purposes so very difficult and so very frowned upon by governments,...". Wow! That is the most mind numbingly incredible statement that I have seen in a looooong time!

And I suppose women who are raped are responsible for having been sexually assaulted?

I guess you don't know that drugs made from cannabis were legal across the entire planet prior to the early 20th century? At the time the prohibitory laws against cannabis were enacted in the US in the early 20th century, most Americans had never even heard of "marihuana"? Up to 1937 drug stores used to sell preparations made from cannabis as over the counter preparations for home use and now when people are demanding that cannabis be available for medical purposes once again, it's all their fault that that isn't happening because those nasty people are demanding it!!?? Wow!

Go to Google Video and watch: "Run From The Cure - The Rick Simpson Story" and prepare to be astounded.

Perhaps you will wake up and realize that an enormously useful plant is being deliberately suppressed as to being freely available for medicinal purposes because doing so would interfere with the enormous profits of the disease "treatment" industry. That is the industry that earns BILLIONS of dollars per year "treating" illness - not CURING illness - just "treating illness". Why do they "treat" illness rather than cure it? Because there is more money in treating patients with expensive and usually futile treatments and having them die, than actually curing them. Natural remedies made from natural sources can't be patented by drug companies.

So is your thought that because it was once legal, it should be now.

So was slavery you moron...come up with a new arguement.

Nice Caveat, Pebbles (if the smoking lead to an accident- duhhhhhh). Bam-Bam must be very proud.

If the drugs didn't work...you would still be standing in the corner banging your head against the wall instead of being able to type such an assinine statement.

I guess you missed the bit about cannabis being a source for treatment of disease USSA? But then if you could actually think and use some logic then you wouldn't need to call others morons. I invariably find that those whose "arguments" consist of "You are and idiot", "you are a moron", "You are are (fill in the blank)" have no rational basis for their opinion and therefore have to resort to ad hominem arguments, otherwise they would have nothing to say at all. Sigmund Freud called it "projection". It is a sad and impotent neurotic condition.

Marijuana temporarily affects short-term memory. It does not suppress learning capabilities.

My theory is that governments inhibit learning, they try the same thing over and over again expecting a different result every time.

PebblesDropped-

Got my degree in '94, haven't gone more than a week without a job since Bush Sr was in office, never been fired, promoted regularly. My instructors loved me then and my boss loves me now- so do my clients. If it inhibited my learning than I must be a helluva a lot smarter than the average sober person... But I think the truth isn't that I'm smarter, it's that you're wrong.

PebblesDropped

Graduated from high school in the 10th grade (83), had a 50K a year (tech) job by the time I was 18, bought my first house at 22. While working 40+ hours a week went back to school (on my own dime) and earned a degree in robotics. All while smoking at least a 1/4oz a week.

I also find it funny that I have had many people wonder why my kids are so great while other family members (who don't 'do drugs') have all kinds of problems with their kids.

Don't mock people that have a degree just because you don't have the skills to do the same.

PebblesDropped

You're a daft tool. I can't believe there are people like you that still exist. I bet you a lot of people who you've seen progress through life personally were closet smokers, at least around you and your narrow mind up your narrow ass, and boy you were just proud weren't you! Little do you know, Lambchop.

Pebbles

Laughing while your friends die, huh. Finally, your true colors show thru. Hope your righteousness still fits. And be honest, you don't have any friends. Tell the truth.

What's your point cball? Who cares what the term is? My son smoked this crap because I kept doing home urine drug screens on him. All his friends did the same. He had seizures from this sh*t and almost died. Now he's in a rehab center for teens. We just pray to God that he gets it and stops doing drugs. What ever you want to call this stuff (his was called Pep Spice) it needs to be illegal. It is a poison smoked by teens EVERYWHERE!

There's a difference between a "user" and an "abuser," too.

You're repeating yourself Pebbles... short term memory loss? Who is the "they" that you keep referring to? Ever heard of a vaporizor? No Smoke Necessary. What's your obstacle now? Keep lobbing 'em up here and I'll keep knocking 'em out of the park.

What is sad is that you are critical of pot heads and that they never learn, but yet in several of your posts you misspell words and make multiple grammatical mistakes. Be careful of tossing those stones in your glass house.

@pebblesdropped

I'm sure there are alot of people that you know and admire that smoke pot on a daily basis. You would never know about it because it does not make people stupid. If you dont like it that is fine with me but dont try to make people look stupid. Your only making yourself look stupid your ignorance.

I've stepped in puddles deeper than you, PD.

Who cares what they call it. It is synthetic pot used to create the same effect but get missed on drug screens.

You're right, who cares what they call it? Let's call it "beer" and sell it in 6/12/24/36 packs.

That's the problem, K2 is not bud!!

Your right it is your house so your rules. You crack a beer or have a martini when you get home? Anything can be pyschologically addictive because it part of a daily routine.

You really kicked out your son for smoking marijuana? I hope you don't have alcohol or tobacco anywehre present in your home either. I actually bet that you would rather him have been a alcoholic or a pack a dayer jsut because those are legal but a whole lot more harmful.

Yes, you have the right to control your house. But should your son be IN JAIL? Should he be denied a job in the future? I don't want my nephews to smoke weed, but if they chose to I certainly don't think they should be incarcerated.

Do you drink coffee every morning? What about Tylenol? Careful, your hyopcrisy is showing...

Sounds pretty harsh to me NO DRUGS. As far a K2 not giving you a positive test. If your job requires testing don't smoke. I know plenty of people that have yearly drug tests at work. Their employers always give the test the same week of the same month every year. Wink Wink and no one gets caught. Drug tests only catch the stupid. Coke meth etc are out of your system in a couple of days. Those that use those drugs are hardly ever caught until they show up too high at work or become a problem due to attendance or poor performance. I would like someone to explain why you can be a fall down drunk 7 days a week and have no problem at work but smoke one joint on the weekend and they want to hunt you down it makes no sense. While I agree with your my house my rules I can't help but think you may have done the boy a favor by "kicking him out". I am not so sure that he didn't choose to leave like in more weed less you. Personally I would not want to loose a child over weed. Many smoke it and are good productive people

I'm with you no drugs. Comparing weed to tobacco is a joke. We don't drink alcohol in my house. Pot is the great demotivator. You just sit on a couch stoned and get the munchies. Pot is also the gateway to other drugs; like it or not. Most addicts got their start smoking weed.

Dear @!$%#ing idiots -

Marijuana is not the gateway drug; alcohol and tobacco are.

I'm not a fu*king idiot Dragon. If you waste your time getting high, then you are a pathetic human being. There is a way to enjoy life without chemicals, believe it or not.

I enjoy life without chemicals everyday.

Go read a book or something.

Lloyd-

You take yourself too seriously.

Lloyd S, I just want to offer a bit more clarification on your just about correct view of marijuana.

Former Canadian heavyweight boxing champion George Chuvalo, a man who never hit the mat for even a second in a 15-round fight against Muhammed Ali, lost three of his five children to OD's. Less than a week after he buried that third lost child, his first wife committed suicide by taking a drug overdose. This is a man who very much knows what it's like for the families of drug abuser. And he disagrees with the concept that marijuana is the gateway drug. He acknowledges the role that it plays, but in his mind, tobacco is the gateway drug, because it's usually the first one smoked, and that makes it easier for people to move on to smoking pot and then to abusing other drugs.

All street drugs, from tobacco on up, have legitimate medical uses, but the selfish bleeps who insist on their right to abuse them make it very, very difficult for those of us with medical need for any of the drugs to get what we need from our doctors, and to not be judged for it by law enforcement or civilians.

I, too, stand with No Drugs-2095538. For those of you who don't understand that, it's called tough love. Sometimes it's absolutely necessary in order to help someone to see the need to turn their lives around, or at the very least to help their family members to cope with the disruptive forces.

I'll go further. Street drugs were always discouraged by my parents. They never banned us from using them, but they were discouraged. My brother took that one further. Whenever he asked friends over for a house party, he laid down the law - no drugs and no alcohol, and if found anyone using either at any of his parties, he'd toss that individual from the house, making certain that they got home safely, and not invite them back again. But he never had to toss anyone, because they RESPECTED his rules. That's the point that was made by No Drugs-2095538

Good for you rpearlson. Thing is, you try to dictate my life you will get burned.

That is tough love. Now if you are so against drugs, go protest the government for invading Afghanistan all because the TALIBAN WIPED OUT HEROIN PRODUCTION. Today, heroin production in Afghanistan accounts for 80-90% world supply. HMMM.

Vietnam - golden triangle

Iran-Contra - CIA selling crack to kids in Cailfornia

Afghanistan - golden crescent

There's more. Much more.

The alcohol has is rotted your brain if you think pot/weed is addictive in any way, shape, or form. It isn't that your son can't quit, it is that he doesn't want to quit...and at 18, thats his problem and he should be out on his own. Or were you going to hold his hand for the rest of his life?

You don't want to follow my rules in the house I pay for, get a job...get out and find out about the other bills that come just as regular as rent.

They make too much money off it being illegal. Just look at Afghanistan, the US invaded Afghanistan BECAUSE the taliban had nearly wiped out heroin production. Look at the production levels today - 80-90% of world production. Same thing with vietnam (golden triangle) and afghanistan is the golden crescent.

Scientists already have created a synthetic form of THC, one that is safe for use, and is used in pain management. The generic name is Nabilone, and it's available by prescription.

It's the selfish people who insist on their absolute right to screw with their own brains any way that they desire who make it so very difficult for those of us who have a legitimate medical need for this, for medical marijuana and for any of the other street drugs that have medical value (that's just about all of them including Ecstasy, which was found by a recently released study to be extremely helpful with the most difficult cases of PTSD) from getting what we need, let alone not be judged for it. MiaBella99, that seems to include yourself.

Hah, it's the selfish desire of corporations to SELL drugs to you instead of you growing your own medicine.

Well in order for us to get our "free nature built in high" would mean getting shot, or stabbed, or what have you. Duh. Who wants to suffer a wound to the degree of endorphin release when you can sit down and smoke a bowl instead? Personally I don't like getting stabbed, it's not worth the "high" I got. Tool.

Korven Kuningas, it sounds as though you've never heard of a runner's high. It's cause by an endorphin release. There are many other very healthy ways to get that same release of endorphins. Why not try any of them instead? Why not find ways to bring joy into your life, so that you won't need to think about abusing any substance in order to feel good about yourself.

That you believe that the only way to feel good is to abuse any substance of any kind is a sad commentary of your life.

Oh, like continue taking the medications that have given me three seisures, and nearly blew up my heart? No thanks. I'm happy with my natural drug rather than your synthetic ones.

Sad that I enjoy being high the same way you enjoy being sober? Sad that it eases the pain in my knee that I suffered an injury to a couple years ago? It's how I like to feel, happy and pain free, there's nothing sad about it, and seeing how I live a happy and productive life despite nearly needing a cane after more than half an hour's walk, I'm causing no harm to you or anybody else. Kthnx!

I've had 12 beers a day for the last 25 years. I never got the habit!

Rooster - you're an alcoholic

theRooster

I've had 12 beers a day for the last 25 years. I never got the habit!

That IS a friggin habit!!!

I pity your family Rooster. You may not have lost your job but I bet you've lost relationships or alienated everyone around you. I'm sure you're just a pleasure to be with and to smell when you're done with your 12 pack. If you are married, I pity your wife. She would have to be pretty pathetic to put up with your drunk @ss.

Save your pity for yourself, sir.

I've smoked 6 cigars a day for the last thirty years. I never got the habit!

Rooster... are you the ghost of babe ruth?

Or was your sarcasm sooooo subtle that no one, including myself, was able to detect it?

Ahhhh, sarcasm, what a sign of an intelligent mind!!

I agree with you that this stuff's not good, but that's only because of my biased comparison of it to the real thing. You'd be doing the world more good if you redirected your efforts to an industry producing more detrimental products.

Gina-

What you're doing is called "parenting" and I applaud you. Unfortunately, you are in the minority on this topic.

Gina, my son had seizures from this crap. The problem is that kids are doing it to get around drug testing that parents are doing at home. I thought I was a good parent testing my child only to find out that he gets the same high from this stuff. If adults want to waste their lives getting brain dead on pot, that's their problem but when it comes to my child, I have the right to parent. This sh*t needs to be outlawed and NOW!

I've had seisures from the medications that were prescribed to me, why can't anybody scream for all those anti-depressants to be outlawed too?

Why should I or anyone else be quite about NOT abusing any type of drug? Why should I be forced to be a hypocrite just so that you and others of your mindset can abuse drugs without feeling guilty about it?

The problem isn't with those who don't indulge any more than it is with the law. The problem is with those selfish fools who insist on their absolute right to abuse whatever they wish to abuse, without regard to short-term, long-term or legal consequences. That's the behavior of a child.

I can see making it legal and regulating it like alcohol. The only drawback I can see is if parents started smoking it around their young children, which studies show could mess with developing brains (not that it's not happening as I type this...). Meh.

Agreed, I became physically addicted to prescription painkillers after a sports injury and trust me beating a physical addiction is not easy.

Tax it too. Reduce the deficit!

Montana is great...they are the only state to accept medical authorizations from other states...I'm a WA state MMj patient.....I'm going to make the pilgrimage to MT one day to see what they got......driving through Idaho is going to be the scary part.

It takes no time to cross the pan handle if you're up far enough.

Yeah.....a few minutes in Idaho is an eternity.....

bout an hour stay on HW 2 go into libby the store is right on the HW

Do you have a link for the place????

Never looked it up right in Libby ask for Woodstock gifts

Got my card for a hundred bucks . Did it over the internet Never left the house . Save your hundred bucks back in a month 32.00 not 50 an 1/8 NO aggravation !!

at my dispensary it ranges....the "lows" run about 35 an 8th......the highs are 45.....sometimes they get some "special" and it goes for 50....but still quality and convenience is much better than "on the street".....It's just like going to a store.

Right now its all the same price here And they have it all the hash and brownies are kind of expensive 20 a gram and 5.00 here I can have six plants my wife six too make your own hash out of the leaves ..

While I was in the Marines there was a huge cocaine problem....you smoke a joint and piss positive for a month...you party up a few lines on friday, you will be clean in less than a week.