War on Drugs

[cystic crypt]

@Soon_U_Die:

@DasEwokSS:

@Anonymous:

i say F*** Drugs and i include Weed in that catagory! they are a Cancer to society and must be Eliminated!

I am interested in understanding why you think ‘weed’ is a cancer to society. Could you elaborate on the underpinnings of your belief, specifically with respect to marijuana?

SUD

I think i have made my feelings on the subject clear by now . . .
i can see where our young SS friend is going on this. Reminds me of a group in undergrad who were a “gang” of health-nuts - anti-everydrugalcoholincluded. These drugs would, of course, put one in an altered state of mind - pulling you from the norms of society, limiting your productivity, etc. They actually got violent and were banned from certain “social events” in the event that they came and disrupted things.
Even tho’ i am against putting burning objects in my mouth, i have to admit that i have often thought about doing some weed - especially while camping, or chilling out with my g/f etc.

[DasEwokSS]

well u know somtin Crystic Crypt, Nobodies Perfect :)

[TG Moses VI]

“Even tho’ i am against putting burning objects in my mouth, i have to admit that i have often thought about doing some weed - especially while camping, or chilling out with my g/f etc.”

Don’t you even think of doing weed. No telling what new ideas it’ll put into your mind. :wink:

[yourbuttocks]

I can see where anonomys is coming from with all the harsh punishment. For example take rape. In the U.S., if a rapist is caught he is either acquitted and goes immeadiately back to raping or he serves a few years and goes back to raping. In Arab countries he would have his genitails cut off and he would not rape another woman.

What are some of the immediate effects of smoking marijuana?
Some immediate physical effects of marijuana include a faster heartbeat and pulse rate, bloodshot eyes, and a dry mouth and throat. No scientific evidence indicates that marijuana improves hearing, eyesight, and skin sensitivity. Studies of marijuana’s mental effects show that the drug can impair or reduce short-term memory, alter sense of time, and reduce ability to do things which require concentration, swift reactions, and coordination, such as driving a car or operating machinery.

Are there any other adverse reactions to marijuana?
A common bad reaction to marijuana is the “acute panic anxiety reaction.” People describe this reaction as an extreme fear of “losing control,” which causes panic. The symptoms usually disappear in a few hours.

What about psychological dependence on marijuana?
Long-term regular users of marijuana may become psychologically dependent. They may have a hard time limiting their use, they may need more of the drug to get the same effect, and they may develop problems with their jobs and personal relationships. The drug can become the most important aspect of their lives.

What are the dangers for young people?
One major concern about marijuana is its possible effects on young people as they grow up. Research shows that the earlier people start using drugs, the more likely they are to go on to experiment with other drugs. In addition, when young people start using marijuana regularly, they often lose interest and are not motivated to do their schoolwork. The effects of marijuana can interfere with learning by impairing thinking, reading comprehension, and verbal and mathematical skills. Research shows that students do not remember what they have learned when they are “high”.

How does marijuana affect driving ability?
Driving experiments show that marijuana affects a wide range of skills needed for safe driving – thinking and reflexes are slowed, making it hard for drivers to respond to sudden, unexpected events. Also, a driver’s ability to “track” (stay in lane) through curves, to brake quickly, and to maintain speed and the proper distance between cars is affected. Research shows that these skills are impaired for at least 4-6 hours after smoking a single marijuana cigarette, long after the “high” is gone. If a person drinks alcohol, along with using marijuana, the risk of an accident greatly increases. Marijuana presents a definite danger on the road.

Does marijuana affect the human reproductive system?
Some research studies suggest that the use of marijuana during pregnancy may result in premature babies and in low birth weights. Studies of men and women may have a temporary loss of fertility. These findings suggest that marijuana may be especially harmful during adolescence, a period of rapid physical and sexual development.

How does marijuana affect the heart?
Marijuana use increases the heart rate as much as 50 percent, depending on the amount of THC. It can cause chest pain in people who have a poor blood supply to the heart - and it produces these effects more rapidly than tobacco smoke does.

How does marijuana affect the lungs?
Scientists believe that marijuana can be especially harmful to the lungs because users often inhale the unfiltered smoke deeply and hold it in their lungs as long as possible. Therefore, the smoke is in contact with lung tissues for long periods of time, which irritates the lungs and damages the way they work. Marijuana smoke contains some of the same ingredients in tobacco smoke that can cause emphysema and cancer. In addition, many marijuana users also smoke cigarettes; the combined effects of smoking these two substances creates an increased health risk.

Can marijuana cause cancer?
Marijuana smoke has been found to contain more cancer-causing agents than is found in tobacco smoke. Examination of human lung tissue that had been exposed to marijuana smoke over a long period of time in a laboratory showed cellular changes called metaplasia that are considered precancerous. In laboratory test, the tars from marijuana smoke have produced tumors when applied to animal skin. These studies suggest that it is likely that marijuana may cause cancer if used for a number of years.

-source: “Alchohal and Drug Abuse”

II. Acute and chronic effects of cannabis in humans

A. Acute studies

B. Chronic studies

III. Possible adverse effects of cannabis on health

A. Immunity

B. Chromosomal damage

C. Pregnancy and fetal development

D. Cell metabolism

E. Psychopathology

1. Acute panic reaction
2. Toxic delirium
3. Acute paranoid states
4. Psychosis
5. Flashbacks
6. Violence
7. Amotivational syndrome
8. Residual psychomotor impairment
9. Brain damage

F. Tolerance and dependence

1. Cross tolerance
2. Physical dependence

G. Endocrine and metabolic

H. Lung problems

I.Cardiovascular problems

J. Eye problems

K. Contamination

L. Possible accumulation

M. Effects on driving an automobile

-Source: “PHARMACOLOGICAL REVIEWS”
Copyright © 1986
by The American Society for Pharmacology
and Experimental Therapeutics

It’s not like Marijuana is exactly harmless

[Guest]

What was that famous movie name….“reefer madness”? … that was a funny one!

[yourbuttocks]

There are a couple contentions which I disagree with, that Marijuana does not cause car accidents and that it is not a gateway drug.

Q: Does marijuana lead to the use of other drugs?
A: It could. Long-term studies of high school students and their patterns of drug use show that very few young people use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana. For example, the risk of using cocaine is 104 times greater for those who have tried marijuana than for those who have never tried it.(7) Using marijuana puts children and teens in contact with people who are users and sellers of other drugs. So there is more of a risk that a marijuana user will be exposed to and urged to try more drugs.

To better determine this risk, scientists are examining the possibility that long-term marijuana use may create changes in the brain that make a person more at risk of becoming addicted to other drugs, such as alcohol or cocaine. While not all young people who use marijuana go on to use other drugs, further research is needed to predict who will be at greatest risk.

Q: How does marijuana affect driving?
A: Marijuana has serious harmful effects on the skills required to drive safely: alertness, the ability to concentrate, coordination, and the ability to react quickly. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana. Marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road.

Marijuana may play a role in car accidents. In one study conducted in Memphis, TN, researchers found that, of 150 reckless drivers who were tested for drugs at the arrest scene, 33 percent tested positive for marijuana, and 12 percent tested positive for both marijuana and cocaine.(1) Data have also shown that while smoking marijuana, people show the same lack of coordination on standard “drunk driver” tests as do people who have had too much to drink.(8)

[yourbuttocks]

There are a couple contentions which I disagree with, that Marijuana does not cause car accidents and that it is not a gateway drug.

Q: Does marijuana lead to the use of other drugs?
A: It could. Long-term studies of high school students and their patterns of drug use show that very few young people use other illegal drugs without first trying marijuana. For example, the risk of using cocaine is 104 times greater for those who have tried marijuana than for those who have never tried it.(7) Using marijuana puts children and teens in contact with people who are users and sellers of other drugs. So there is more of a risk that a marijuana user will be exposed to and urged to try more drugs.

To better determine this risk, scientists are examining the possibility that long-term marijuana use may create changes in the brain that make a person more at risk of becoming addicted to other drugs, such as alcohol or cocaine. While not all young people who use marijuana go on to use other drugs, further research is needed to predict who will be at greatest risk.

Q: How does marijuana affect driving?
A: Marijuana has serious harmful effects on the skills required to drive safely: alertness, the ability to concentrate, coordination, and the ability to react quickly. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana. Marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road.

Marijuana may play a role in car accidents. In one study conducted in Memphis, TN, researchers found that, of 150 reckless drivers who were tested for drugs at the arrest scene, 33 percent tested positive for marijuana, and 12 percent tested positive for both marijuana and cocaine.(1) Data have also shown that while smoking marijuana, people show the same lack of coordination on standard “drunk driver” tests as do people who have had too much to drink.(8)

-National Drug Institute

[TG Moses VI]

Kind of doubled posted there :roll:

[izcoder]

Good post YB, I completely agree with you.

[cystic crypt]

with respect to YB’s posts, they still do not say that Marijuana is anything that needs to be criminalized, or requires the resources currently aimed at it. Many legal drugs produce similar effects to those listed, and “psychological addiction” is not nearly as bad/powerful as physiological addiction (nor a reason to make it illegal). WRT driving - slap the same penalties for driving under the influence as with alcohol. As for the anxiety etc. has anyone gone for a job interview, or had nasty exams, called up a woman he’s just recently met, etc.? As far as the “gate-way” hypothesis goes, the fact is that controlled use of marijuana would go a long way to prevent the gateway phenonmenon you mentioned - esp if it was sold by a pharmacy/other controlled facility. Finally wrt cancer - people in general do not smoke marijuana to the same extent as “the cancer stick”. If mari-jane was legalized/controlled, there would be filters thrown on those pretty quickly.
Again - not that i’m a closet pot-head - i never touch the stuff. Just looking at the situation realistically.

[izcoder]

Fine, legalize marijauna for those people who are in dire pain. Give doctors the discretionary ability to prescribe it. But what good does it serve in legalizing that crap for the entire country?

[TG Moses VI]

We all know drugs are bad, that isn’t the issue. With this logic, I can go ahead and ban alcohol. Legalization is the issue at hand. Should we waste billions of dollars each year financing a drug war that we cannot win?

[izcoder]

Yes we should. I pay thousands of dollars in taxes for a public school education that I don’t use. I pay thousands of dollars for welfare that I don’t mooch off of. I have absolutely no problem paying even more money to save some lives from drug usage…and niether do the majority of American people.

[Mr Ghoul]

Besides sitting on extremely high moral ground, why would you care about some complete stranger who decides to do drugs.

Smoking pot is no worse than alcohol or cigarettes, probably less so than the latter.

I’m not sure about other"hard" drugs as I don’t know enough about them.
I’m not junkhead. :wink:

[izcoder]

I don’t feel like being killed by a pothead in a car-accident. Or being shot by someone who is strung-out on crack. A stranger doing drugs can affect me directly…

[cystic crypt]

izcoder - by your logic, we should ban alcohol. Or parkinson’s drugs, etc.
The fact is, as far as the health of the nation goes, pot seems to be far less problematic than nicotine (evil weed!). I would far rather see cigarette use legislated more strongly than pot use.
Also alcohol is a much MUCH greater social problem than pot. Maybe not in moderation (where it might be healthy - unless you are an alcoholic), but overall it destroys people’s lives.
I agree with Ghoul. Pot is NOT cocaine, or heroin. Pot users are not “criminals” - aside from “breaking” a stupid law. Put the laws, cops and jails we have to better use - fighting real crime.

[TG Moses VI]

And I don’t like a drop out from public schools to shoot and then rob me.
I find it amusing how many people are easy to disprove of drugs when they have tried it themselves…

[izcoder]

FYI Moses…I haven’t tried drugs, nor do I intend to.

Cystic Crypt, you’re missing my point! I’ll be the first to agree that alcohol is AS BAD as drugs (how many times as that been said in this thread? :wink: ) I fail to see what LEGALIZING MARIJAUNA WILL DO TO HELP THAT! Actually, pot smokers are criminals, whether you agree with the law or not. And as for putting law enforcement to better use, fighting so called “real crime”…they’re attacking the crime at it’s source.

[yourbuttocks]

First, the reason that Marijuana does not cause as many social problems as alchohol is that not as much of it is used as alchohol. If Marijuana is legalized (without a prescription), then it will be cheaper and easier to get, thus more people will use more of it. And before it is said, people use weed because it gives them a high, not because it is illegal.

Crackdown on the inflow and send addicts to treatment programs, not jail. Since 9/11 we have accidentally been catching a lot more weed at the border. What would happen if we really tried?

[TG Moses VI]

First, the reason that Marijuana does not cause as many social problems as alchohol is that not as much of it is used as alchohol. If Marijuana is legalized (without a prescription), then it will be cheaper and easier to get, thus more people will use more of it. And before it is said, people use weed because it gives them a high, not because it is illegal.

Marijuana is worst than alochol. It’s almost impossible to OD on marijuana. I don’t see the problem with more people using marijuana moderately -it’s a good way to unwind.

Crackdown on the inflow and send addicts to treatment programs, not jail. Since 9/11 we have accidentally been catching a lot more weed at the border. What would happen if we really tried?

We already spent billions of dollars fighting the influx drugs, I see this as tax payer’s money going to waste.

smokers are criminals, whether you agree with the law or not. And as for putting law enforcement to better use, fighting so called “real crime”…they’re attacking the crime at it’s source.

Legalization is the primary source of temptation to involve otherwise law abiding citizens into illegal activity. (This seems to flow partly from a conviction on their part that they are not doing anything wrong and that the government has been irrational and dictatorial) Marijuana can be grown cheaply and sold for more than the price of pure gold. U.S. production has soared some 400% in 20 years, making it one of the leading cash crops in many states. Illegal marijuana is more available to most teens than legal alcohol. Under current conditions, I say that about 50% of our young adults are criminals, eroding the criminal justice system and respect for the law.

FYI Moses…I haven’t tried drugs, nor do I intend to.

Though I can’t say the same about many others… cough Bill Clinton cough