Why is Marijuana illegal?

[holycow83]

A Song On Marijuana -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKSzm8i1ekw

 

[Maeisgood]

Why would it be so hard to tax marijuana? Tobacco is a plant also native to the Americas, but it is taxed. Tobacco probably grows wild in some places in the US, because the Native Americans had it. Prohibition of a substance didn't work the first time it was tried...

There would be such a demand for weed if it became legal, companies would be selling products like "Marlborough Greens" and stuff. The price of weed would go down. People could pay a tax on it or just be fined if they didn't pay the tax like any other product.

Are people punished for growing their own tobacco?

 

[Wired for Sound]

That's probably the most racist thing I've ever heard. So the conspiracy theorists are dangerous, but the average joe isn't? Should people who listen to rap music not be allowed to drink alcohol, because it impairs judgment, perception, and causes loss of consciousness?

How is what I said racist? I never mentioned any particular race. YOU made the conclusion that I was talking about black people. I also never spoke out about listening to rap music. What I SAID was that these people who were driving down the street "bumpin' da rhymez" should not have unregulated access to marijuana, as they're already mentally unstable. And yes, mentally unstable people should not have access to alcohol either.

Just say you hate black people and cut the crap.

:crackup: All disagreements aside, that was pretty funny.

Crack keeps the black man down. Not weed.

Such a cop-out. A true echo of our times. Nobody wants to be held accountable for their shortcomings. The "What's in it for me?" attitude continues to prevail among America's youth. Of course it's not a question of personal ambition, good judgment and quality parenting that causes a black person to end up in prison. It's the existence of CRACK! What a joke.

And I wasn't complaining about the loud music, I was just indicating the typical individual who would just LOVE to have marijuana legalized. As far as my references for lives ruined/severely hindered, I have/have had about a half dozen friends I could name. In the interest of anonymity, I'm not going to provide them over the Internet. Like everything else on SoSuave, you'll just have to take my word for it.

 

[Flabbergasped?]

How is what I said racist? I never mentioned any particular race. YOU made the conclusion that I was talking about black people. I also never spoke out about listening to rap music. What I SAID was that these people who were driving down the street "bumpin' da rhymez" should not have unregulated access to marijuana, as they're already mentally unstable. And yes, mentally unstable people should not have access to alcohol either.



:crackup: All disagreements aside, that was pretty funny.




Such a cop-out. A true echo of our times. Nobody wants to be held accountable for their shortcomings. The "What's in it for me?" attitude continues to prevail among America's youth. Of course it's not a question of personal ambition, good judgment and quality parenting that causes a black person to end up in prison. It's the existence of CRACK! What a joke.

And I wasn't complaining about the loud music, I was just indicating the typical individual who would just LOVE to have marijuana legalized. As far as my references for lives ruined/severely hindered, I have/have had about a half dozen friends I could name. In the interest of anonymity, I'm not going to provide them over the Internet. Like everything else on SoSuave, you'll just have to take my word for it.

So these people are mentally unstable because they listen to loud music and "disturb your neighboorhood?"

There are white kids who skateboard in my neighborhood and disturb me with their clanking skateboards. They play all over the front of my house, and that irks me. Therefore, they are mentally unstable and should not be allowed to consume any psychoactive drugs.

Why didn't you state the above paragraph? I know why. Because the people "bumping the rhymez" are black, and you're a bigot, so you contrive these idiotic reasons for why they should be denied access to substances everyone else can use (alcohol, namely).

Emo kids, skateboarders, goths, and other counter-culture caucasian kids spend their time idolizing violence, contemplating suicide (emo music), and more. But that's ok. But to wired for sound, if a Black guy listens to 50 cent rap about b!tches and ferraris, they're dangerous.

I wish I could lynch you.

P.S.: There's a large black population in prison because of a very biased judicial system. I'm not saying there aren't black criminals. I'm just saying that, per capita, there are more black people stopped/arrested for things than white people. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/w...ode=&contentId=A52488-2003Aug12&notFound=true. The cops assume that "blacks and hispanics are more likely to be drug dealers," so they pull them over and arrest them more. People of all races get away with crime because they aren't caught. Therefore, higher arrest rates for one group will lead to higher incarceration for that same group.

Learn your sh!t before citing things like personal ambition, good judgment, and quality parenting. As if the average black guy says to himself, "I don't want to make anything of myself, therefore I will deal drugs sloppily and allow myself to get caught, since my father was never around to teach me better." All races have issues like the three you listed. Even if the single-mother household rate was 75% in blacks (not sure if it's that high), it doesn't account for why 12% of the population is the majority in jail.

 

[Rhoto]

I'm curious, how old are you Wired? And how much are your parents worth? You're premed if I recall, correct? Who pays for your schooling?

Such a cop-out.

So you haven't read the book. Perhaps you should then you may understand the satirical nature and the context (the destructive nature of purified cocaine) of my statement.

Nobody wants to be held accountable for their shortcomings. The "What's in it for me?" attitude continues to prevail among America's youth.

Being accountable for your life and the "whats in it for me" are the same thing. So your argument is DoA.

If you're speaking in terms of a lack of ambition and tolerance of mediocrity, why do you care? It just means less competition.

And I wasn't complaining about the loud music, I was just indicating the typical individual who would just LOVE to have marijuana legalized. As far as my references for lives ruined/severely hindered, I have/have had about a half dozen friends I could name.

Of course there are people who have "ruined" their lives because of bud, THC is a depressant. People have ruined their lives with alcohol, prescrip meds, video games, sexual urges, lack of control, et cetera. The one thing they share in common? Will power, or lack of there of.

Now as far as your sweeping generalization about smokers who would love legalization. I started smoking in college. Nearly every single person I smoked with then (and it's wayyyyy more than six), and today have a college degree(s) and save for the 4 that are in jail for pushing, are contributing members in society.

Some work pedestrian jobs, but they're content. I also know men that make absurd amounts of money, and smoke every single day. There is no "typical" smoker. You aren't a smoker, so what the fvck do you know about smokers?

And I'm not, nor any one I know who smokes, "mentally unstable" from smoking weed.

- Edit - ​

All these conspiracy theories and "keep da black man down", "maintain government control" garbage makes me laugh. Marijuana is a drug that screws up lives. However, weed is particularly detrimental in many other ways. Studies have proven this.

You still haven't even provided one, let alone two. As I asked you to produce in post #25. I'm waiting........

 

[Deep Dish]

Why would it be so hard to tax marijuana? Tobacco is a plant also native to the Americas, but it is taxed. Tobacco probably grows wild in some places in the US, because the Native Americans had it. Prohibition of a substance didn't work the first time it was tried...

There would be such a demand for weed if it became legal, companies would be selling products like "Marlborough Greens" and stuff. The price of weed would go down. People could pay a tax on it or just be fined if they didn't pay the tax like any other product.

Are people punished for growing their own tobacco?

Exactly! The taxation argument is rubbish. It seems almost as if some stoners secretly want marijuana to remain illegal, despite all their whining about a "police state," so then their beloved plant can remain untaxed and with higher potency than would exist if legalized. In fact, I have heard some anti-legalization stoners say it "wouldn't be fun if everybody did it."

To everybody:

If legalized, most people would rather pay for weed than grow it themselves and they would rather pay a premium for especially good weed then lower quality weed which they grew for free. The commercialized dealers would provide higher quality and more specialized weed than their suburban housewife counterparts (think of "Nancy" on the hilarious Showtime series Weeds). Concievably, one might argue the "really good stuff" provided by commercial dealers would be ripped off by neighborhood amateurs, but it's the difference between Rednecks brewing moonshine and buying beer from a liquor store; anyone with the right resources can brew beer, but who can make it memorably good? Sure, the government would not have total control over the market, as the black market will always exist, friends will always be giving friends a hook-up, but a satisfyingly huge sum of taxes would still be collected. The fact marijuana would be under regulation goes back to the point how a good certain segment of stoners seem to secretly want marijuana to remain illegal.

As it stands, the government spends who knows how much money arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating people for simple possession; but yet relatively few people ever get caught, with the vast majority ending their smoking career before getting "popped." But if marijuana were legalized, the government would have more money for other things and more money from stoners; since stoners would be more open and careless with their posessions, getting ticketed for untaxed marijuana would become synonmous with speeding tickets or littering.

Just my stoner opinion.

 

[JahGlory]

Arguing is for idiots..

You have nothing better to do than make sure someone on the internet knows your opinion is the exact opposite of theirs??

Come on.

 

[azanon]

... because they know I don't want to smell that foul smelling plant burning out in public. One of the things I hate most about going to certain concerts is knowing I'm going to have to smell that s***.

 

[Bible_Belt]

... because they know I don't want to smell that foul smelling plant burning out in public. One of the things I hate most about going to certain concerts is knowing I'm going to have to smell that s***.

That's because you're from Arkansas, and for the most part, pot does stink in Arkansas, literally and figuratively. People in your neck of the woods smoke sh!t that is an embarrassment to marijuana. That's why you don't like the smell. Go hang out in an Amsterdam coffee shop - it is not the same smell as that brown Mexican schwag they smoke near you.

 

[Squiggly Sponge]

Exactly! The taxation argument is rubbish.

I'm not particularly savvy so how much would it cost a person to grow weed and how easy is it to do? What about a few friends pitching in to grow their own stash? Would this make it more beneficial to go for the "cheaper, but not as good stuff", as opposed to paying a premium for better quality.

Bear in mind, that newcomers to weed won't know a damn thing about quality and what to look for. Some people may be happy having a smoke every once in a while on the cheap. As the market matures though, more and more people will learn and go for the better stuff.

Think about this though: there's a hell of a compelling argument for the government to legalise weed. Tax and regulation. But still the government insists on spending millions to make sure it remains illegal. The cost of legalising weed must be higher than these benefits (bearing in mind the costs of enforcing the tax and regulation).

That leads me to your argument of "everyone" doing it. We all know that pot is really no more harmful than smoking or alcohol. Legalising it will further cement this image in people's minds. So what happens if the amount of pot smokers are on par with alcohol/smoking numbers?

The costs of regulating and accounting for all of this is going to increase, then the government has to raise the marijuana tax, then there is less of an incentive to buy premium stuff as the "premium" increases. More people will grow their own stuff, then the money recouped in taxes is less, so the government has to increase the marijuana tax... you get where I'm going with this.

It may be cheaper for the government to impose *fake* illegality on marijuana so only a small percentage of the population will take it. Think of all the negative advertising and stigma surrounding pot... all of which will literally vanish if the government legalises the drug!

"So it's okay to smoke weed now?"
"I guess so!"

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

I'm not particularly savvy so how much would it cost a person to grow weed and how easy is it to do? What about a few friends pitching in to grow their own stash? Would this make it more beneficial to go for the "cheaper, but not as good stuff", as opposed to paying a premium for better quality.

Actually I'd have to argue with Deep Dish.

Many home growers take pride in their weed and treat it as much as a science as an art.

Most homegrowers do not beleive in growing for profit and grow purley for the passion for growing and to smoke good and exotic weed every now and then.

Although I neither grow nor smoke, growing is something I've researched.

With an initial investment of $500-$600 and some space, a home grower can grow year round and produce top quality plants in almost any variety.

The only real expence is the electricity to run the lights.

There is also a lot to know to produce good quality buds with high THC content. Must home growers grow spend years learning how to maximize a harvest and determing the best strains and cloning the best plants.

In fact, I don't understand why more smokers don't grow their own.

 

[Ganondorf]

i knew a Girl Named MariJuana once. true story

hahaha....good times...good times

 

[Wired for Sound]

So these people are mentally unstable because they listen to loud music and "disturb your neighboorhood?"

By definition, narcissists (those that put themselves before all others, and never consider the comfort of others) are mentally unstable. So yes.

There are white kids who skateboard in my neighborhood and disturb me with their clanking skateboards. They play all over the front of my house, and that irks me. Therefore, they are mentally unstable and should not be allowed to consume any psychoactive drugs.

Now you're getting it.

Why didn't you state the above paragraph?

Because kids on skateboards don't cause enough vibration to make me bounce into a different position on the couch. They're also much less common than douchebags that drive down the street with their bass on full blast.

I wish I could lynch you.

Right. You're an unreasonable person, and therefore have irrational urges. Someone disagrees with you about a political issue, therefore you want to murder said person. This is just redundant. You base your arguments off of emotions instead of facts.

P.S.: There's a large black population in prison because of a very biased judicial system.

Save your breath. I'm not on your conspiracy theorist, hyperracialized perspective wavelength. More minorities are in prison because more minorities commit crimes. Occam's razor. Oh, and the Washington Post is a firmly left-wing publication. Citing a biased newspaper doesn't really do you any good.

 

[Wired for Sound]

I'm curious, how old are you Wired? And how much are your parents worth? You're premed if I recall, correct? Who pays for your schooling?

26, and the government pays for it. I'm ex-military. What do you want to know next? My favorite color?

So you haven't read the book.

You thinking that "Crack keeps da black man down" has nothing to do with any book. It has EVERYTHING to do with you making excuses for why more black people are in prison than whites.

Being accountable for your life and the "whats in it for me" are the same thing. So your argument is DoA.

WRONG. Accountability involves accepting consequences even when it doesn't benefit yourself. The two lifestyles are mutually exclusive.

Some work pedestrian jobs, but they're content. I also know men that make absurd amounts of money, and smoke every single day. There is no "typical" smoker. You aren't a smoker, so what the fvck do you know about smokers?

I used to be a hardcore stoner. Don't assume. Listen. There's exceptions to every rule. Citing a heroin addict/alcoholic/pothead that makes "absurd amounts of money" is by no means a smoking gun for your argument. These people function normally DESPITE their addictions. Common sense, here.

You still haven't even provided one, let alone two. As I asked you to produce in post #25. I'm waiting........

2 studies? That's it? Here:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe.../marijuana_effects_080602/20080602?hub=Health (This one discusses brain abnormalities linked to pot-smoking)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10122930 (And this one discusses the use of marijuana and the relationship to teenagers developing psychosis in adulthood)

That's really all you want? I got pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages and pages of this stuff. Questioning the detrimental affects of ingesting illegal substances (that are illegal for a reason, I might add) is pointless. The people who have devoted their LIVES to this subject beg to differ with YOU.

 

[Flabbergasped?]

By definition, narcissists (those that put themselves before all others, and never consider the comfort of others) are mentally unstable. So yes.

Narcistic personality disorder is not mental instability. It's a personality disorder, like being antisocial (antisocial PD), a drama queen (Histrionic PD), or being a pervasive loner (avoidant PD).

Mentally unstable people have dementias and hallucinations, seizures, schizophrenia, dissociative fugues, and things are actually wrong with their brain. If a kid's playing loud music, he's being a douche.

I have a psychology degree, don't pull sh!t out of your ass.

Because kids on skateboards don't cause enough vibration to make me bounce into a different position on the couch. They're also much less common than douchebags that drive down the street with their bass on full blast.

Obviously overdramatized. Also, kids on skateboards don't bother you because you're inside, but when I try to pull out of my garage, they're right behind my car skating. By your logic, they're insane and should be denied access to psychoactive drugs, just on the basis that they annoy you. I've arbitrarily decided that you annoy me because you're a bigot, so you shouldn't be allowed to buy alcohol or cough medicine with codeine.

u c wut i did thar?

Right. You're an unreasonable person, and therefore have irrational urges. Someone disagrees with you about a political issue, therefore you want to murder said person. This is just redundant. You base your arguments off of emotions instead of facts.

Except I've argued with fact or logic, whereas you've argued with "kids who play the bass too loud" (and of course, you had to include "bustin' tha rhymez", in case we weren't sure you were talking about black people). Also, I'm arguing not about marijuana legalization, but about your racist ideologies.

Save your breath. I'm not on your conspiracy theorist, hyperracialized perspective wavelength. More minorities are in prison because more minorities commit crimes. Occam's razor. Oh, and the Washington Post is a firmly left-wing publication. Citing a biased newspaper doesn't really do you any good.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/ascii/soo.txt

56% of arrestees for rape are white, and 46% for murder are white, yet 30% of incarcerated people are white.

Majority of arrests are done in cities, which have a much larger population of blacks than the US as a whole. If law enforcement were at the same level all across the country, not just in inner cities, the statistics would be even more startling, how many whites commit crimes.

Yet, racist Wired for Sound calls me a conspiration theorist and knocks off the Washington Post, a reputable paper. Did they fabricate information?

Stop embarrasing yourself and keep yelling racial slurs at the kids blasting the rap music. Hopefully, when the US is majority non-white, your kids can deal with the prejudice you're providing to the bass-thumpers.

 

[silkcru007]

US cant tax you on weed... everyone including me would be growing it.

 

[Wired for Sound]

I have a psychology degree, don't pull sh!t out of your ass.

Eh, call personality disorders what you will. If someone lacks the ability to consider the well-being of others, I consider that to be a mentally unstable individual. Read as, if it came down to who I'd rather be locked in a dark room with for a few days if there was a loaded gun lying on the table, I'd choose the classical-music listening YMCA mentor over the G blasting Mac Dre out of his ride "wit da dubz". See my point?

Obviously overdramatized. Also, kids on skateboards don't bother you because you're inside, but when I try to pull out of my garage, they're right behind my car skating. By your logic, they're insane and should be denied access to psychoactive drugs, just on the basis that they annoy you.

Well, yeah I dramatized it. Tapping you on the shoulder obviously didn't work so I needed to use a sledgehammer to bang my point home. And I never said these idiots were insane. YOU said that. Freudian slip, maybe Mr. "Psychology Major"?

Except I've argued with fact or logic, whereas you've argued with "kids who play the bass too loud" (and of course, you had to include "bustin' tha rhymez", in case we weren't sure you were talking about black people). Also, I'm arguing not about marijuana legalization, but about your racist ideologies.

So you admit that you don't even want to discuss the topic anymore. Only to somehow expose me for "hating black people"? Talk about an ax to grind, heh. For the record, it makes no difference to me WHAT race you are or WHAT kind of music you're blaring out of your vehicle. Old-ass bikers that think they're cool because their vehicle is noisy blasting country music annoy me. A beat-up truck full of white bros with wife-beaters blasting Three Doors Down annoy me. A 1967 mustang with sparkle paint occupied by two Mexicans blasting their reggaeton annoy the hell out me. I make no discrimination, here. It's just more comfortable for you to say that I am against marijuana being legalized because I "hate black people". A VERY common cop-out among hardcore conspiracy theorists and Democrats.

Hopefully, when the US is majority non-white, your kids can deal with the prejudice you're providing to the bass-thumpers.

Or...OR, we can cross our fingers and hope that the White House remains Republican and we can tighten up border security once and for all. Regardless, in California Caucasians are no longer the majority so you can rest easy. But for the record, narcissists and douchebags come in all shapes, sizes, and yes...colors. Stop playing your little piece of s.hit race card and make some REAL points.

 

[Rhoto]

26, and the government pays for it. I'm ex-military. What do you want to know next? My favorite color?

Naw, I only asked because you have a sense of entitlement and sound like the typical Malibu-republican who hasn't experience the world outside of their county. I was wrong it seems.

You thinking that "Crack keeps da black man down" has nothing to do with any book. It has EVERYTHING to do with you making excuses for why more black people are in prison than whites.

You still got me wrong there. Let me make my position clear: Nothing except the black man, keeps the black man down. I find it funny that people want to blame substance abuse for anything problems of an entire demographic. The only reason I said "crack keeps the black man down" was because I found it comical, and moderately accurate, in terms of drugs and drugs alone.

Can we agree that Crack-Cocaine is something ruins lives much, much more than THC?

WRONG. Accountability involves accepting consequences even when it doesn't benefit yourself. The two lifestyles are mutually exclusive.

I see your point, however the logos of the argument is still weak in my view. Self interest requires accountability to one's self, not necessarily the collective.

I used to be a hardcore stoner. Don't assume. Listen. There's exceptions to every rule. Citing a heroin addict/alcoholic/pothead that makes "absurd amounts of money" is by no means a smoking gun for your argument. These people function normally DESPITE their addictions. Common sense, here.

Can't argue with that.

2 studies? That's it? Here:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe.../marijuana_effects_080602/20080602?hub=Health (This one discusses brain abnormalities linked to pot-smoking)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10122930 (And this one discusses the use of marijuana and the relationship to teenagers developing psychosis in adulthood)

And the final blow.

Thanks for being civil. You have broadened my perspective. But still, legalize it. :cheer:

 

[ProDJ26]

Because "Mary Jane" has 3 side affects...

1) Hungry

If legalized, people would be running amuck in grocery stores and every place that has food. Imagine going to McDonalds only to have the person say, "Would you like ketch up with that?" While digging in your food and eating it cuz their high.

2) Happy

Laughter is good but there comes a time and a place where we must get serious. Imagine your future job interview with "Mary Jane" legalized.

You: "I'm here for the interview"
Interviewer: "Why should we hire you?"

You tell them why and they laugh.

3) Sleepy

Self-Explanatory

 

[YEE]

Marijuana is illegal because the Gov't cannot monopolize it like the ATF!