Why is Weed Illegal?

[supam]

Let's analyze this question.. Why is weed illegal?


Let's look at some facts here: alcohol and tobacco kill more people than all illegal drugs combined, times 1000. Weed kills nobody. There are no recorded instances of people dying from weed.

A lot of people die in car accidents while drunk. Those that smoke aren't going fast enough to die.

Prolonged use of weed doesn't have devastating effect seen with use of alcohol or tobacco. Where in both instances people die. But when people smoke weed, they live long healthy and HAPPY lives.

Weed is used by Rastafari to get closer to god.

You can not get addicted to weed. I tried, trust me on that one.

No, weed is not a gateway drug. That's just a load of BS people that never smoked in their lives will tell you. It's all garbage.


Literally, people that tell you weed is bad for you, never smoked it, and never even considered it could be good. They have no evidence weed is bad. They are just parroting what they've been told.



I asked my friend why weed is illegal, and here is his response:

Because the big pharma has yet to PATENT and make money from it! Anything the drug companies cannot patent and sell and monopolize are all deemed ILLEGAL. Plus it jacks up the price so CIA can make a KILLING from being the biggest drug kingpin on the planet, and you can thank Bush senior who start selling coke week heroin to American kids!

That's the American hyprocritical drug policy... dont forget US secret government us drug profits to fund the secret NSA NRO space programs (moon and mars base for the elites when earth blows up - look up 'Alternative 3 Majestic 12)

here are charts of what weed is used for

http://a215.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/7/l_d316308cf97f2df3d39ef80dd41978e6.gif

http://a509.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/99/l_3ae096eb4c46c4e53342a6bc1725624c.jpg



here is the universal song for all you weed farmers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYQHqLuWuig



Legalize Weed!!!

 

[Rhoto]

No.

 

[Upside]

Let us just legalize coke and heroin too. I mean...it isn't killing anyone compared to cigs and beer!

Do what you want in your house dude, but I prefer living in a weed free society.

 

[forward]

Weed should not be illegal. The reasons it is are both many and complicated. There's the historical reasons of why it became illegal in the first place, as well as the current reasons for keeping it so.

Without going into all sorts of details (which would still be incomplete as I'm no expert), I'd say my overall opinion is that the main reason weed is (currently still) illegal is:
Because so many people think think it is "bad". These people range from mildly disapproving of it to rabidly hating it.

I've heard many conspiracy theories involving corporations and the government, and there may even be a large amount of truth in them, but bottom-line I still think the issue is the large population of "weed-haters". They make it so that it's not electably-safe for politicians to work towards legalization.

But this is my opinion... I've only studied this stuff casually.

It should be legal. It's not going to destroy society, though it might improve it. I find it makes me more creative and helps me to see things from new angles... ultimately increasing my wisdom and intelligence. My wisdom and intelligence of course increase regardless, but I can't help but feel that occasional weed smoking can act as a catalyst.

And on top of that, it makes me feel great and become better at appreciating everything!

To all those who wish to reply with some sort of anti-weed response: Just shut up and try getting stoned already! Seriously, it's wonderful. And no big deal. It's downright silly to be bothered by it.

 

[Desert Fox]

RESPONSE IN BOLD AND ITAL

Let's look at some facts here: alcohol and tobacco kill more people than all illegal drugs combined, times 1000.

HMM, MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE IT IS LEGAL AND MORE PEOPLE USE ALCOHOL/TOBACCO THAT IT KILLS MORE? JUST GOING OUT ON A LIMB HERE

But when people smoke weed, they live long healthy and HAPPY lives.

YES, ONLY BY SMOKING WEED IS LIVING A LONG HEALTHY LIFE POSSIBLE.

Weed is used by Rastafari to get closer to god.

YES, THIS IS A VERY SOLID REASON TO SMOKE WEED. AS SOLID AS SOGGY BREAD.

You can not get addicted to weed. I tried, trust me on that one.

OK MAN, IF YOU SAY SO. WE SHOULD JUST BELIEVE YOU WITH YOUR EXCELLENT SAMPLE SIZE OF 1 PERSON.

No, weed is not a gateway drug. That's just a load of BS people that never smoked in their lives will tell you. It's all garbage.

AGAIN, OK IF YOU SAY SO MAN. YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY UNBIASED AND YOUR OPINION IS 100% FACT.


Legalize Weed!!!

 

[Maxtro]

With the way things are going, I can see tobacco becoming illegal. Smoking will be banned in more and more places then it will become flat out illegal. Frankly I wish it would happen now as there is no benefit at all about smoking, not only does it kill you but those around you.

As for weed not being a gateway drug, I think you're wrong. Most people who are clean would not suddenly start doing cocaine or heroin. I bet that if you talk to the people that use the hard drugs, the vast majority of them would say they started with weed.

 

[russian2]

i dont smoke and dont plan on smoking it. but i think it should be legalized.. cigarettes and alcohol kills you, yet weed can be used as medication to treat stuff IE glaucoma. i have no problem with it. doesnt affect me in the least

 

[theunflushables]

Marijuana was originally made illegal through lobbyists from the DuPont company who wanted to get rid of it, so they could push synthetic fibers for clothing. It would be of no use to them if anybody could grow and make their own clothes. Then began the campaigns of propaganda.

I think they should legalize marijuana with regulations. Sell it like they do in the Netherlands, tax it and look at all the money the government would bring in.

As for cigarettes, fvck smoking bans! If you don't want to be in smoky bar, then don't go, or find a bar that is non-smoking. I shouldn't have to step outside in -5 degree weather to have a smoke. The government should not have a say in it at all, if you ban an activity from one group of citizens, whats next? The proper way to settle it, is through the market. Set up smoking bars and a non-smoking bars. If both succeed, thats great. But if one of them fails then there's not enough demand to justify it.

 

[supam]

Because so many people think think it is "bad". These people range from mildly disapproving of it to rabidly hating it.

Now that's some forward thinking. I think you're right! And who has problem with weed? Sheep that never tried it. Somehow they think it's bad for you. Somehow they know it's bad for you. They are the ultimate playa haters, and out formers. One day those people will become obsolete.

Most people who are clean would not suddenly start doing cocaine or heroin.

Before I started my weed sessions I had this christian friend. We were fishing together, cooking together, shopping together. One night I went driving with him, I thought we're going to go read bible or something. Guy went to buy coke. That's when I took my first hit of coke. Before I started smoking any weed.

And let me tell you something. I just took a spec of it, a little tiny bit served to me on a pen's cover. That stuff is addictive.

Though, coke is like coffee. When you smoke weed, you're not here, you're out there, flying. With coke, you're here, you're fine. You are not tripping. It does two things, keeps you awake, and makes you happy. Nothing else.

So how did I came across coke? Thought my christian friend. That was before I done any weed.

That means you are absolutely wrong. Same as people that hate weed. You don't know what you talking about. In fact, since discovering weed, weed is all I want. I don't care about coke, or anything else. Just give me good ganja, and I'll smoke it once in a blue moon to further my spiritual self.

cigarettes and alcohol kills

They do kill you. Especially cigarettes. But only if you use them. There is such thing as 2nd hand smoke, but 2nd hand drinking? I like booze, I do smoke, but I could care less about smoke, they could as well ban it.

 

[supam]

Marijuana was originally made illegal through lobbyists from the DuPont company who wanted to get rid of it, so they could push synthetic fibers for clothing. It would be of no use to them if anybody could grow and make their own clothes. Then began the campaigns of propaganda.

Bingo!


Those sheep that hate weed buying that stupid propaganda. What a bunch of idiots.

 

[PRMoon]

Old tobacco money in government back in the 1700's assured that marijuana would have a very hard time becoming legal in the US.

Who cares though. As long as your not growing, in any state besides california,
most police don't care too much if you have a small amount of weed in your house hold.

 

[Killer_Demo]

USA made it illegal because poor blacks/mexicans would smoke it....cigarettes should be illegal instead of the other way around.

 

[Deep Dish]

As for weed not being a gateway drug, I think you're wrong. Most people who are clean would not suddenly start doing cocaine or heroin. I bet that if you talk to the people that use the hard drugs, the vast majority of them would say they started with weed.

This fallacious line of thinking is committing the fallacy of confirmation bias. It's very easy to find patterns you want to see, even when there is no pattern at all. Sure, virtually all cocaine users began first with smoking weed, but such a confined view is missing the point.

Practically 100% of marijuana users begin with drinking alcohol (and breathing air).
Practically 98% of marijuana users never go on to harder drugs.

Assocation is not causation.

 

[Deep Dish]

I am of the personal belief that marijuana is illegal precisely because it feels so good. The high has an unmistakable sexual element, the world's longest and greatest orgasm. Teenagers love to do it. But we live in a culture whereby parents, teachers, politicians don't want teenagers to have sex. Alcohol and tobacco, comparatively much more dangerous, don't have the sexual element and tobacco is the most legal because it's disgusting. Feeling good brings you onto the radar of morality regulation but sexuality is where you cross the line.

In sociology you learn there are taboos and mores. Taboos are forbidden but violate a more and society will go after you.

And screw conspiracy theories.

 

[Darth]

Weed is scientifically proven to not only decrease motivation about life, but it actually kills brain cells, unlike tobacco. And it contains like 10x the tar of tobacco.

Smoking weed is extremely stupid.

 

[DrD77]

stupid hippie

 

[Deep Dish]

Weed is scientifically proven to not only decrease motivation about life, but it actually kills brain cells, unlike tobacco. And it contains like 10x the tar of tobacco.

I would like to see the scientific evidence marijuana kills brain cells, because I vigorously researched marijuana while majoring in Criminal Justice in college—which ironically enough changed my opinion from very anti-marijuana to pro-marijuana—and, to wit, I saw no credible evidence marijuana kills brain cells. There is also no evidence marijuana causes apathy; it may excaberate apathy, but it itself does not cause apathy. (Weed can be thought of as a sleep aid. Obviously, while sleepy you may not be motivated to do anything, but the lack of motivation is temporary. There is no evidence any apathy is long-term.) The OP is wrong in stating marijuana does not have any negative effects, because it does, but you're not doing a better job.

One joint is equivalent to four cigarettes. I personally don't smoke joints that much, but, one needs to bear in mind, joints are about half tobacco and people smoke joints far too infrequently compared to cigarette smokers.

 

[Rhoto]

Please do your research.....

Marijuana was originally made illegal through lobbyists from the DuPont company.

The illegality of weed/cannabis is rooted in the racism and puritanism that still plague America today.

It was made illegal so the US government would have a justification for rounding up Mexicans and blacks in the southwest. El Paso outlawed it in 1914, Cali the next year, all of Texas in 1919 and so on and so forth.

In the 1930's the Anti-Marijuana movement gained momentum. Headlines such as "I wish I could show you what a small marihuana cigaret can do to one of our degenerate Spanish-speaking residents." (Colorado newspaper headline circa 1936) were a commonplace and added to the fear and hysteria of smoking pot.

The DuPont theory stems from Jack Herer and his following of pro-hemp industrialists (used very loosely). However, most historians conclude this as unlikely. Herer argued that DuPont anticipated the new tax ($100 per ounce) in their 1937 annual report, and worried that taxes "may be converted into an instrument for forcing acceptance of sudden new ideas of industrial and social reorganization." (The Emperor Wears No Clothes) However it seems much more likely that this was a typical corporate response in regards to the New Deal's social and business regulations.

Herer also claimed that a banker Pennsylvania, named Andrew Mellon was part of the conspiracy, providing the funds and acted as the "chief financial backer." However, there is no credible evidence to support this. And DuPont, as the leading manufacturer of explosives during WWI was wealthy enough by itself.

In a country that is puritanical enough to outlaw alcohol in 1919 (the most pervasive recreational drug in the world, well at least the west), and prejudiced enough to form immigration restrictions against Jews and Italians and its opium laws against the Chinese, it's easy to understand how an unknown substance that was used by the even more despised Mexican immigrants and blacks, was banned in 1937.

Personally, I'd love to have marijuana legalized both for my own personal convenience and to shrink the pool of competition in the workplace.

And the biggest gateway drug? The public school system.

Hemp was grown less than 5 years after the founding of Jamestown, but not being as profitable as tobacco it fell to the wayside in pursuit of wealth. But the English weren't the first to bring it to the new world, the Spanish did in 1545 in Chile.

stupid hippie

You are aware the both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington grew a boat load of hemp? Eh,probably not, the south isn't exactly full of rogue scholars. *eye roll*

 

[Maxtro]

Sure, virtually all cocaine users began first with smoking weed, but such a confined view is missing the point.

Is it missing the point? It would be a stretch to say that all users of hard drugs started with weed, as the late supam did not in his example. Though I really do believe that most hard drug users did start with weed.

As for cigarettes, fvck smoking bans! If you don't want to be in smoky bar, then don't go, or find a bar that is non-smoking. I shouldn't have to step outside in -5 degree weather to have a smoke. The government should not have a say in it at all, if you ban an activity from one group of citizens, whats next? The proper way to settle it, is through the market. Set up smoking bars and a non-smoking bars. If both succeed, thats great. But if one of them fails then there's not enough demand to justify it.

I live in the great state of California where it is illegal to smoke inside a public place. Smoking is being banned in more and more places. The community college I graduated from has just enacted a smoking ban. It will not be too long till smoking is banned everywhere except your private home.

There are no benefits at all to smoking. The risks are well known to everybody and only a complete idiot would still be smoking today. Yes I am calling you, and everybody else who smokes an idiot. Just because one is addicted to their death sticks, does not give them the right to kill those around them.

I can't wait for the day that cigarettes stop being sold.

 

[Luveno]

I do not want to breathe in other people's smoke when they are at an outside establishment. If someone wants to increase their cancer risk, they can do it in their own homes. Sure, smoking feels good for people, but really, so does taking a crap. Both smell bad, both are disgusting, and both are public health hazards. Expecting a double standard is ridiculous.


As for weed, I do not see the big deal. Chemically, the worst it can do is increase somnolence and make men lactate and grow breasts. Further effects have not been studied heavily. Although the tar is far greater in marijuana, tobacco is far more addictive due to the heavy nicotine content. Thus, tobacco smokers light up far more than weed smokers do; tobacco smokers light up approximately 16 cigs/day on average. I've not met anyone who isn't a complete social miscreant who smokes that many joints in one day, let alone month or year!


I do not do drugs of any sort. However, it is hypocrisy for a governing body to legalize alcohol(the most devastating drug) and tobacco but outlaw marijuana.