Why do people have to be so ignorant and not open their eyes and learn the truth about marijuana?

I have to honestly say that I think I know one person that doesn’t think it’s due to be legalized. And the people that I know span across plenty of demographics. Heck, even my 86 year old grandmother thought it was silly not to legalize it.

Because, for a person to admit they were wrong about a drug or a politician or anything else they have believed to be true, based on lies fed to them by the government/media/family/church/school, means they have to admit to themselves that they were fooled.

A lot of egos simply won’t allow that.

Marijuana is virtually harmless. False

there has never been a death caused by marijuana. You’re ignorant if you believe that no one has ever died from doing something they wouldn’t if they weren’t high.

It’s not addictive, and not a gateway drug. False

Organized crime is only around because of prohibition. Nope.. Organized crime was around long before anyone smoked dope, and they will be around long after it is legal.

So I’m just wondering why most people believe all the government propaganda and don’t bother to do some real research

I’m wondering the same thing.

at filmfann: There are no recorded deaths caused from marijuana. I’m talking about effects of marijuana, not stupid things some people do while high. I’ll put it into simpler terms for you. Cigarettes cause lung cancer. Alcohol causes liver failure. Marijuana causes nothing. I’d like you to go out and find a death caused by the effects of marijuana on the body.

It’s not addictive. It’s habitual, not addictive. When deprived of marijuana, a person does not experience withdrawals as would someone who smokes cigarettes, or does harder drugs.

It’s technically not a gateway drug. The only way to obtain marijuana is by getting it from a dealer. The dealer may have harder drugs on them, and may offer them to the buyer. The buyer may be willing to buy the harder drugs. It’s proven that marijuana has nothing in it that would suddenly make you want to go try meth or coke or heroin.

I’m talking about organized crime caused by marijuana. The only reason that’s around is because of prohibition and it being illegal. Don’t believe me, take a look at the prohibition of alcohol in the 1920’s. Complete failure.

So filmfann, when I asked why people are too ignorant to do actual research and open their eyes, your response has showed me that this question was aimed at you. Don’t believe me yet? How about watching this documentary: The Union: The Business Behind Getting High. It explores everything there is to know about marijuana, from effects, to uses, to legalization and basically everything else. Maybe then you’ll see the light and not be one of these ignorant people I’m referring too.

Dr Andrew Weil, who has never suggested he thinks drugs are bad for people ,said that any kind of smoke taken into the lungs often can be harmful. There are chemicals in it. He says occasional weed is fine; but in excess, just like most anything else, is bad. I didn’t say it; he did. I don’t even know if he’s right.

It’s proven that marijuana has nothing in it that would suddenly make you want to go try meth or coke or heroin.” Right. MJ won’t make anyone “suddenly” want to go try meth or coke. It’s more complex than that. It has to do with environment and influences and judgement. If someone is already hanging out with pot smokers, eventually they’ll meet others who are doing coke. So now you have environment. Next comes influences and then judgement. I’m sleepy; sorry if this sounds dumb.

Marijuana can be abused.
Even friends of mine that are total stoners will tell me that pot smoke is bad for your lungs. Geez everyone knows that.
( I think marijuana should be legalized. But I can’t say it’s 100% healthy and good for you, that’s just silly. )
Marijuana is a gateway to arts and crafts :)

My issue is not whether marijuana is harmless or not. My issue is why is marijuana illegal while tobacco and alcohol are legal? If it’s to “protect” people, why are we not “protecting” them from the harmful effects of tobacco and alcohol? Alcohol leads to drunk driving, alcoholism can destroy families, alcohol can can cause cirrhosis of the liver or death from alcohol poisoning, etc. The only reason why we can’t get rid of alcohol is because we are too used to it and too many people use it (myself included). It’s too difficult to get rid of something that is so ingrained into our society and history. But when you compare alcohol and marijuana side by side, it makes no sense why alcohol should be legal over marijuana.

By the way, I voted to legalize marijuana in California, even though I know it’s not going to pass…

@DominicX Word. I don’t think it has anything to do with protection, rather than it is about making cash. I’m sure the government would legalize it if they had the monopoly on it.

@DominicX & @Symbeline yep. I agree.

sigh. Obviously no one on this thread has seen the beginning of “Pineapple Express”.

@DominicX , @Deja_vu @Symbeline @Aster At least there are people with some reasonable arguments on here. DominicX, i agree with you 100%, its totally ridiculous.

@efritz I have, why? I can’t remember what it was, haven’t seen it in awhile

@jballzz – a secret government testing lab deems marijuana to be ILLEGAL! after the test subject tells the army to fuck itself. Test subject is subsequently put down with all the courtesy due a horse.

@jballzz What I said was completely reasonable.

Going on your question only:

..let me guess, just guess. since you used words like “ignorant’ and “not open” you’re for outright legalization, aren’t you?..

@Deja_vu yes your right. But anything can be abused, and just because marijuana can be abused doesn’t mean it should be illegal. In the documentary i watched, there was one guy they were interviewing who is a comedian, and was the host of fear factor. He was arguing that anything can be abused. For example, cheeseburgers can be abused but you don’t see the government going around shutting down burger kings. He can jam a fork in his eye, does that mean they should get rid of forks? if he jumps off a bridge should they outlaw bridges? He was making a joke out of it but in a way he’s right

@MeinTeil Yeah, just a little haha. I mean ignorant as in those people who just try to deny every bit of information you try to tell them, who don’t even try to reason and have zero disregard for what you’re trying to say.

The biggest argument for the relative harmlessness of marijuana is the fact that there are a lot of folks who use it and, as clever as you may think you are, you have no idea they do.

@jballzz I don’t think it should be illegal. I was disputing what you stated about marijuana being harmless. That’s silly. It also doesn’t make any sense to related to cheeseburgers. I never had a cheeseburger make me feel all paranoid. (fastfood is gross anyways)

@Deja_vu Yeah I know what you were saying. And he was just referring to abusing something, he wasn’t talking about effects. He was just making some fun out of how anything can be abused, not just marijuana

Saying weed can be hazardous if abused is kind of out of context, as just about anything can be shitty if abused. Even fruits and veggies.

However I must agree with @Deja vu, I don’t think second hand smoke from weed is good for people, let alone the smoker him or herself. Beyond that however, I’m not familiar at all with marijuana’s hazardous effects, or lack thereof.

@jballzz I’m all for legalizing marijuana, but I have had more withdrawal systems from not smoking pot than from not smoking cigarettes. I smoked both for many, many years. I know.

When deprived of marijuana, a person does not experience withdrawals as would someone who smokes cigarettes. In my personal experience, this statement is false.

@jballzz quite often sweet little mary jane is laced with something… which in turn technically makes it a gateway drug… ish. (this is at least true for my hometown and surrounding towns).

However, smoking marijuana is potentially dangerous for older people who are heart attack prone as it increases your heart rate and decreases your blood pressure. Regular marijuana smokers can also suffer the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers such as:
* Daily cough and phlegm production
* More frequent acute chest illnesses
* Increased risk of lung infections
* Obstructed airways
Though research has yet to confirm this, Marijuana smoke may actually be cancerous due to it containing 3 times as much tar and 50% more carcinogens. Also, THC impairs/weakens your immune system making you more prone to bacterial infections and tumors. And on a final note, children born to mothers who are regular smokers or used marijuana during pregnancy tend to have problems with neurological development. Prenatal exposure to marijuana can cause:
* Altered responses to visual stimuli
* Increased tremulousness
* Problems with sustained attention and memory
* Poor problem-solving skills

Don’t get me wrong though, I’m all for the legalization of Mary Jane, I just don’t smoke it.

French fries and fast food cause more harm than pot…legalize it and tax the cheese fries already!!.

I agree that it should be legalized. However when thinking about legalizing it I’d have to say…Most of the serious pot-heads I know are super lazy, super out of shape and basically suck. I don’t want to lump the entire world of pot-heads together but….C’mon! An army full of pot-heads getting organized enough to legalize it is quite the stretch.

Americans are brainwashed into thinking that the purpose of voting in a democracy is to grab your own self interests and fight against others’ self interests, but to do it peacefully at the ballot box.

It’s a bullshit way of thinking, yet it’s the attitude of a good number of voters.

Some people are voting against Proposition 19 simply because they fear being exposed to pot smoke, due the fact it would be an irritance or annoyance to them, similar to tobacco smoke. This brings up the fact that marijuana users should never smoke near people who do not want to be exposed to it.

But for christsakes we don’t need to throw people in prison or fine them so much they lose their ability to live properly.

So long as our culture uses jails and fines to correct nonpredatory social vices… our culture will continue to be an infantile and dysfunctional one.

And why do all Republican Voter Guides by various groups in California say to vote ‘no’ on Prop 19? Hypocrites!

@Blondesjon hit the fucking nail on the head with his first answer

@jonsblond mental withdraw like god damn id really like to smoke some weed right now, or actual physical symptoms like the itches and what no?. Because yea sure marijuana is addictive psychologically, anything that feels good is, but not psychically.

@uberbatman Anxiety and diarrhea, bad. just for the first few days

@jonsblond . . . pussy

takes one to know one :P

pussy liquor?

wow diarrhea? hmm ive gone through a bit of the mental withdraw from quiting for my probation but never experienced anything like that. sorry to hear ya went through that.

The legalility or lack thereof should be left to the states and/or cities and municipalities. Once again the federal government overstepped it’s authority with the implementation of this law.

@jballzz Pass it, bro!

Just out of curiosity, how much scientific proof is there either way regarding whether marijuana is perectly harmless or not?

I ask this because, whilst I don’t care whether it is legal or not, I can’t help but think, there must be a reason that it is currently illegal?!

@Leanne1986 Lots of things are harmful to people and they are legal. Mostly vices the government thinks the masses are too stupid or irresponsible to handle. Typical nanny-state mentality. And if you remember alcohol was once deemed illegal and that led to the rise of organized crime.
(And the amounting of a vast fortune for the Kennedy clan.)

If people want to argue that marijuana should be illegal because of its negative health effects or addictive properties then why are alcohol or cigarettes legal? It seems rather hypocritical. It’s also a waste of our tax dollars to have the police enforce laws against it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The governments get tax revenue from liquor and cigarettes. They would have to spend forever to figure out how to get tax monies from pot. People can harvest it and grow it themselves so how could they tax it? it’s all about the moneee

I could grow tobacco in my backyard quite easily as well though…

@Aster A) If you grew it outdoors people would smell it
B) if you grew it indoors you would need some hydroponic equipment which they could start watching more closely,
C) a lot of people are too lazy to put in the time and effort and buy it from dealers who get it from sources that would be taxed anyways or from across the Border.
D) a person could start growing it privately and become a dealer themselves, but dealers and growers who decide to follow the law probably will out sell you anyways.

And yeah the list probably could go on, and there are loop holes around these, but just remember C), most people are just too damn lazy to grow it themselves.

@uberbatman You couldn’t process it quite easily though. There is a lot more to it than you think that goes into it to be ready for use. And most people don’t have the equipment laying around. I’m speaking of the tobacco.

@palerider such as? Grow plant. Cut plant down. Cure plant. Smoke plant. Is there something im missing here?

@uberbatman as you can probably imagine a majority of people would probably mess up on the curing process and a LOT of people would not be able give tobacco the appropriate attention it needs in growing.

@Winters marijuana needs to go through this same exact process though. So to say one is easy to grow while the other hard is simply untrue.

Hell id go as far as saying most pot growers put a whole of a hell lot more attention into their plants than someone growing a tobacco plant for personal use.

@filmfann is right and @jballzz is wrong.

The point is people must learn to deal with potentially harmful psychoactive substances such as alcohol or tetrahydrocannabinol. Many people enjoy wine in moderation, never become addicted and live 95 years. Some do fail though. The same applies to tetrahydrocannabinol.

Whether it’s harmful or not, I believe, is besides the point. The point, I believe, is that we each have a right to live our lives any way we choose to that is peaceful and mutually consensual. If we choose to partake a substance or past-time that is risky or harmful to ourselves, that should be our prerogative.

@HungryGuy – Yes, but we should also care about the victims of bad parenting who don’t understand the risks properly. But education is more effective than laws.

Yes. Education, not regulation. I’m all for educating people, as long as it doesn’t become an excuse for political re-education…