I am a fairly liberal person but I tend to lean more right when it comes to drug policy. I do not think people should serve jail time if they use drugs but I think they should be illegal for [i]recreational [/i]use and anyone who does so should have to take part in a rehabilitation program. If someone thinks the use of drugs only affects the person who is taking them, then I find the person who thinks that to be foolish. A drug user can affect many people around them in many negative ways. And even if it didn't, it still affects the user in many negative ways as well. I do not want to watch people throw away all their money and their lives for plants.
I'm fine with medical use.
English
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Edited by Diver2441: 5/30/2014 2:55:15 AMedit: misread what you posted. Still, keeping drugs criminal takes otherwise innocent people, who have done no harm to anyone, and turns them into criminals. not to mention ensuring the cartels a profit that we could easily take away from them.
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So your saying you would rather exploit people's weaknesses and just let them sit there and throw out their lives so you can squeeze as much tax payer money from them as you can? Do you know how immoral that sounds? Unless by "contributing members of society" you mean the smokers actually get a working job. In which case, you are clearly delusional. I had to lay off a guy because he could not go two minutes without having a cigarette. I could not imagine if it were something like marijuana. Drugs get in they way of work - not advance it. They start out as apart of your life, but then [i]become [/i]your life. You eventually depend on the drugs more than anything else. Trust me, growing up in Philadelphia, I have witnessed many go through it and lost them too. Sure it does not happen to everybody, but it should not happen at all! It amazes me how cigarette smoking is now at an all time low because we view it as bad for you but now people want to make marijuana and pot legal even though it is even worse!
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People want to make pot legal because an 18 year-old that is college-bound doesn't deserve to be locked up with murderers and have his life taken away because he set a plant on fire. /emotional plea The reason I think it should be legal is because it isn't physically hurting anyone. Psychological damage to friends and family? Possibly. But there's no way to gauge that. Besides, prohibition doesn't work.
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Why should the government be concerned with how other people live their individual lives? Whether or not it impacts those around them is irrelevant. Don't jail for drug use, jail for assault when the user goes on a rage and beats the shit out of their partner. Don't jail for drug use, jail for child neglect when the user spends all the good money on cocaine and can't feed their own child. Laws that inhibit drug use only inhibit responsible users.
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Edited by theUSpopulation: 5/30/2014 2:37:57 AMOkay Mr. Drama: 1.) Did you read my post? I said: [quote] I do not think people should serve jail time if they use drugs...[/quote] 2.) [quote]inhibit responsible users.[/quote] What the hell is a responsible drug user? He only gets high once a week as oppose to once a day? I think if anyone uses drugs, they probably are not that responsible. It is an addictive substance through dopamine and people can experience withdraw. If someone is a "responsible" drug user now, they will not be for long. They crave it more and more, then they will use it more and more, then it becomes a problem. Besides, if people feel as though they have to smoke weed or pot, then they are weak - not responsible. If they cannot live in happiness without the use of drugs then they are weak and need [i]real [/i]help. That being said: 3.) I do not think the government should be exploiting people's weaknesses for tax dollars. Sure they can just lower the taxes but I believe having it outright banned can protect people from its harm. Why arrest people [i]after [/i]they assaulted their wives and deprived their children, when you can stop it beforehand? Additionally, one of the biggest reasons why people do drugs is because they are not educated enough to know better. They are unaware of the negative side effects. They should not throw away their lives because they did not know the effects of a plant. Making drugs illegal can help prevent that, even if it is a little.
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Edited by MalvOfAlaska: 5/30/2014 2:51:34 AMIf you don't think the government should profit off people's weaknesses, then you're against them taxing alcohol and cigarettes, which are much more addicting than something like pot. A responsible drug user is someone who can use drugs and still live a life without inhibition from their pastime. I have friends who smoke pot every day and are still incredibly smart individuals, who don't let their activities ruin their lives. I myself get high every two months or so. Not because I can't live without it, but because it's fun with a few of your buddies when you want to celebrate something or just have a good time. That's responsible drug use. We are perfectly safe when we're high. It has been proven that marijuana is not physically addictive one bit. It can be mentally addictive, but so can literally anything else. People can be addicted to adrenaline rushes, but it's not the chemical itself that's addicting. [quote]Why arrest people [i]after [/i]they assaulted their wives and deprived their children, when you can stop it beforehand?[/quote] Okay, why not just attach video cameras everywhere and monitor everything 24/7 because it [i]might[/i] stop something from happening? Why isn't locking yourself in a room and doing bath salts, completely unable to harm anyone but yourself, any less illegal than doing bath salts and chewing someone's face off?
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[quote]If you don't think the government should profit off people's weaknesses, then you're against them taxing alcohol and cigarettes, [/quote] I am. [quote]which are much more addicting than something like pot. [/quote]False. I'll explain below. [quote]It has been proven that marijuana is not physically addictive one bit. It can be mentally addictive, but so can literally anything else. People can be addicted to adrenaline rushes, but it's not the chemical itself that's addicting.[/quote]I know this. That is why I said: [quote]It is an addictive substance through [i]dopamine[/i][/quote]Dopamine is the chemical in you brain that makes you feel happiness. It is released when doing certain drugs including pot, drinking caffeine, playing video games, getting social media notifications, winning a game, eating sweets, sex, masturbation, etc. and there have been cases where people have experience withdrawal from [i]all [/i]of these. Drugs are the worse though. You getting high is just you brain flushing an unhealthy large amount of dopamine. Even though it is just a "mental addiction" it can be just as bad as a physical one. Your body depends on it and soon you will not be able to experience happiness from anything else. Ask yourself, can you [i]really, truly[/i] experience happiness without the dependency of drugs? Can you honestly go, say, three months with out them? The whole reason you think you can is because you do drugs and you do not want to admit you cannot because your mind views that as a sign of defeat. You [i]do [/i]have to depend on drugs. Tell me what is wrong with this quote: "I am not addicted to cigarets and I can quit anytime I want - I just chose not to." See what is wrong with it? Now replace "cigarets" with "marijuana." That is you right now. You think you are not addicted to the dopamine, but you are. Trust me, I was telling another rebutter how I witnessed it countless times with friends, some closer than others, when I lived in Philadelphia. So this topic is a bit personal for me. As for the "responsible drug user" argument: congratulations - you use safety precautions. I still do not think you are that responsible if you feel for the peer pleasure of taking drugs in the first place. And as for the legality behind it, I do find it ideal to put "responsible" marijuana/pot users in a rehabilitation (or at least a self-help group) and to put anyone who brakes a greater law (i.e. assault) while high should serve jail time. Trust me when I say that there is nothing good about using pot/marijuana recreationally. I know this from experience. Unless you prefer to believe an article you found online from a half-ass study.
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Edited by MalvOfAlaska: 5/30/2014 4:34:32 AM[quote]Dopamine is the chemical in you brain that makes you feel happiness. It is released when doing certain drugs including pot, drinking caffeine, playing video games, getting social media notifications, winning a game, eating sweets, sex, masturbation, etc. and there have been cases where people have experience withdrawal from all of these. Drugs are the worse though. You getting high is just you brain flushing an unhealthy large amount of dopamine. Even though it is just a "mental addiction" it can be just as bad as a physical one. Your body depends on it and soon you will not be able to experience happiness from anything else.[/quote] First you say that marijuana is addictive. Then you say that it is addictive because of another chemical that is not a component of the drug. Marijuana in it of itself is not addictive. This has been scientifically proven. In addition, your statement about being high is completely and laughably false. For marijuana, the THC goes into your lungs, where it is absorbed into your bloodstream, and goes to your brain. Once in the brain, it activates receptors which cause the feeling of being high. Dopamine is a part of it yes, but it is ultimately what [i]foreign chemical[/i] is in your brain that causes the high: the fact that different drugs cause different highs is enough to invalidate your statement that dopamine is the main cause of the high. [quote]Ask yourself, can you really, truly experience happiness without the dependency of drugs? Can you honestly go, say, three months with out them? The whole reason you think you can is because you do drugs and you do not want to admit you cannot because your mind views that as a sign of defeat. You do have to depend on drugs. Tell me what is wrong with this quote: "I am not addicted to cigarets and I can quit anytime I want - I just chose not to." See what is wrong with it? Now replace "cigarets" with "marijuana." That is you right now. You think you are not addicted to the dopamine, but you are. Trust me, I was telling another rebutter how I witnessed it countless times with friends, some closer than others, when I lived in Philadelphia. So this topic is a bit personal for me.[/quote] I experience happiness by doing the things I enjoy. I don't have to have drugs to have a really good time with my friends, nor I do have to have them in order to play my guitar. I don't have to have them to enjoy a fantastic meal, or experience the company of those I love. I hang out with my stoner friends 95% of the time without smoking pot, and still get as much happiness as being with them. I have also gone three months without being high, and was not bothered by it at all because [i]I don't need drugs to be happy[/i]. Now you can go ahead and say that I do need them to be happy and I don't know it, but that is a lie. You do not know me, you don't know my morals, my values, or my situation. You are literally a digital persona on the Internet, and you presume to know [i]me?[/i] Your arrogance is offensive. I saw one of my best friends delve deeper into drugs all throughout my high school career, and not once was I tempted to use. Not. Once. [quote]As for the "responsible drug user" argument: congratulations - you use safety precautions. I still do not think you are that responsible if you feel for the peer pleasure of taking drugs in the first place. And as for the legality behind it, I do find it ideal to put "responsible" marijuana/pot users in a rehabilitation (or at least a self-help group) and to put anyone who brakes a greater law (i.e. assault) while high should serve jail time.[/quote] Once again, as long as I take measures to ensure that I am not endangering myself or those around me, I am being responsible. Learn what it means to be responsible before you start judging others for not being a term you don't even know the definition of. So drug users who can use their substance safely without it ruling their lives need to go to a help center? Yeah, because someone who has their pastime under control and takes the necessary precautions is clearly damaged and needs help. You're a moron if you really believe this.
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Edited by theUSpopulation: 5/31/2014 12:04:58 AMOkay, listen (er.. or read) I was going to ignore you post but there were several points that bothered me: 1.) [quote]First you say that marijuana is addictive. Then you say that it is addictive because of another chemical that is not a component of the drug. [/quote]You fail to call me out on hypocrisy because, since the beginning, I have said it was addictive through dopamine. 2.) [quote]Marijuana in it of itself is not addictive. This has been scientifically proven. [/quote]Not true. A very large portion of the pharmacologists, psychologists, and any other scientist who studies these things believe marijuana is addictive in it of itself. I am actually NOT one of these people but because of that I am in the minority. Where the hell did you learn it was scientifically proven? There is [i]evidence [/i]for that but not [i]proof[/i]. 3.) [quote]I experience happiness by doing the things I enjoy. I don't have to have drugs to have a really good time with my friends, nor I do have to have them in order to play my guitar. I don't have to have them to enjoy a fantastic meal, or experience the company of those I love.[/quote] Then why take drugs? If you are [i]really [/i]happy without them, then why take them? If your answer is because "it is fun" then that means you need drugs to achieve happiness like I was saying! 4.) [quote]Now you can go ahead and say that I do need them to be happy and I don't know it, but that is a lie. You do not know me, you don't know my morals, my values, or my situation. [/quote]And you are right. I should not have gotten too personal and I am genuinely sorry. Do not think of is as me telling how your body is acting to marijuana, think of it as providing another perspective to smoking it. Do not assume you are alright because you say you are. I do not know you, but from my experience, people who smoke do not know themselves either. 5.) [quote]Once again, as long as I take measures to ensure that I am not endangering myself or those around me, I am being responsible. Learn what it means to be responsible before you start judging others for not being a term you don't even know the definition of. [/quote]Son, you are protesting against a law by breaking it. That is not the ideal trait for someone who is responsible. There are many laws I actively disagree with. But instead of breaking them, I speak out in a responsible and mature manner. I don't just say [i]fu[/i][i]ck the man[/i] and go against what every authoritative figure tells me. That is like me saying [i]all water should be free[/i] and I express my belief by going to the store and stealing the water bottles. It is just being stupid and immature. I am probably not going to reply to whatever you are going to say next so say what you want. P.S. I knew these words sounded familiar: [quote]For marijuana, the THC goes into your lungs, where it is absorbed into your bloodstream, and goes to your brain. Once in the brain, it activates receptors which cause the feeling of being high.[/quote] I had to read [url=http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana]this[/url] article for a course I took in college about the effects on drugs. You use almost the exact wording as the article under "How Does Marijuana Affect the Brain?" If you trust this source, then you would probably be interested in the part "Is Marijuana Addictive?"
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[quote]You fail to call me out on hypocrisy because, since the beginning, I have said it was addictive through dopamine.[/quote] If I am addicted to something because of the dopamine that is released in my brain when I experience happiness from doing it, the substance in it of itself is not addictive. The dopamine is. Which is it, the plant or the dopamine? Hint: [spoiler]it's the plant[/spoiler] [quote]Not true. A very large portion of the pharmacologists, psychologists, and any other scientist who studies these things believe marijuana is addictive in it of itself. I am actually NOT one of these people but because of that I am in the minority. Where the hell did you learn it was scientifically proven? There is evidence for that but not proof.[/quote] Yes, it is true. I know it's hard to accept it when you've been fed all this anti-drug propaganda nonsense throughout your life, but it has been tested and proven time and time again that it is not in the slightest bit addictive in it of itself. Anything can be mentally addictive, but that is because the person is weak. Blame the person, not the substance. [quote]Then why take drugs? If you are really happy without them, then why take them? If your answer is because "it is fun" then that means you need drugs to achieve happiness like I was saying![/quote] You're a moron. Don't you dare define happiness for anyone but yourself, you arrogant twat. [quote]Do not assume you are alright because you say you are. I do not know you, but from my experience, people who smoke do not know themselves either.[/quote] Don't condescend to me either. I have alcoholism in my blood, and grew up with drugs and alcohol around me my whole life. I watched my stepfather die as his kidneys failed because of drinking. I watched my mother become more and more helpless to her addiction, constantly becoming less and less reliable, until she went to AA. I watched one of my best friends get deeper and deeper into drugs, until his parents found him passed out on the floor at 2 in the morning, piss-drunk, and likely would have died there had his parents not found him. All the while, I never had any inclination to do drugs. Why? Because I knew myself well enough that it was not who I was. That sense of self is the reason I have only smoked pot three times in my life, all within the past half year. I know myself well enough now that I can hit a bong and be the same person after I come down a few hours later, and that is a fact. I also know myself well enough to know that if I became a regular stoner, I would not be the same person. Hence why I limit myself to very special occasions. [quote]Son, you are protesting against a law by breaking it. That is not the ideal trait for someone who is responsible. There are many laws I actively disagree with. But instead of breaking them, I speak out in a responsible and mature manner. I don't just say -blam!- the man and go against what every authoritative figure tells me. That is just being stupid and immature.[/quote] Even more condescension. Marijuana is legal in my state. In addition, by your logic, Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi also possess the same trait, and I doubt you would find many people who said that they were irresponsible. MLK Jr. said "One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws," and did this many times throughout the Civil Rights Movement. Gandhi also broke unjust laws, particularly in the Salt March, where he and thousands of Indians broke the salt laws imposed by Britain by making their own salt by boiling away seawater. The world is a better place because people protest unjust laws by doing the most efficient thing: breaking them. The outlawing of drugs is one of those unjust laws. [quote]I had to read this article for a course I took in college about the effects on drugs. You use almost the exact wording as the article under "How Does Marijuana Affect the Brain?" If you trust this source, then you would probably be interested in the part "Is Marijuana Addictive?"[/quote] The article you linked is from a US Government website, which is incredibly biased. The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it has no medical use whatsoever, up there with heroin. As for addiction, the DrugFacts article says marijuana has a 9% addiction rate. Heroin has a [i]twenty-three percent addiction rate[/i]. Even better? Cocaine has up to 75%. Tobacco has been shown to be nearly as addictive. Many people around the world are also alcoholics. There has not been a [i]single solitary death from marijuana ever recorded. Ever[/i]. Yet it is a Schedule 1 drug, especially when it has been shown to have a myriad of medicinal uses. The 9% addiction rate is those who have become mentally addicted, because they are weak individuals. Your source is biased, and thus is irrelevant.