Legal marijuana - good or bad? Any personal experience?

[Rubashov]

I dont get people who need to drink beer everyday to cope. Or drink coffee every day to cope. Or take zanax, or paxil, or any other number of things. Hell i dont get peoples addiction to gum. Or lip balm. Or lotion. Or porn.
Im lucky in a lot of ways that i dont get addicted to stuff easily.

Try heroin its morish....

 

[Gameface]

My friends and I smoked in high school and college. Most of us stopped, including one friend who was a dealer and a very heavy user. He's now a general contractor and runs a very successful business. Two of my best friends continued using it regularly (or at least, semi-regularly). One of them is a trust-funder who never needed to earn a dime in his life, and never has. The other hasn't ever been able to figure out how to make ends meet. Several of us have suggested to him that he ought to give life a shot without the pot, but he won't. He talks like all of the pro-legalization posters here. IMO, he has no clue what a negative impact pot has had on his life. He has a brother who was so similar to him in high school that people who didn't know them well often mistook one for the other. Today that brother owns a very well-known franchise businesses on the Wasatch Front.

People roll out all sorts of studies and arguments for legalizing pot, but none of them are ever going to be more impactful for me than what I've seen with my own eyes.

I'm pro legalization and I have regularly mentioned the very negative impact pot use can have. I've specifically talked about why I don't use pot, because it causes me a lot of anxiety, not the reverse at all. I get paranoid, dumb and completely unmotivated. Some people smoke pot and want to go out and do stuff. If I smoke pot I have no desire to be in public at all. It makes me very self-conscious about how stupid I am and I'm embarrassed for anyone to see me like that.

@fishonjazz I've just got to say I really really hate the "it's just a plant" argument. There are many plants that are poisonous or otherwise harmful. Being a plant =/= being good.

To me the best argument for legalization is that prohibition in and of itself has been far more harmful than the negative effects of marijuana have been. The erosion of our basic rights that the war on drugs has caused is massive. The incarceration of otherwise productive members of our society, the destruction of their families. The fact that enforcement is highly targeted to the poor and minorities, I think it is a huge disenfranchising force and a big reason the police are seen as the enemy in urban neighborhoods.

Will full legalization have negative consequences? Yes.

Should we have full legalization? Yes.

Colorado is doing fine. There is no major movement to re-prohibit marijuana.

Opioid deaths down since legalization
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/201...down-since-marijuana-legalized/9611508300236/

Teen marijuana use lower in colorado than national average
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...und-lower-than-national-average-idUSKCN0Z702N

Marijuana legalization has not increased crime rates in Colorado
https://coloradopolitics.com/despite-claims-data-show-legalized-marijuana-not-increased-crime-rates/

 

[Game6Conley]

I remember seeing an article on how areas with legal weed have drastically reduced their usage of pain-killers, to me thats a major deal-breaker. Here in NY those painkillers are a WAY bigger problem, it's how heroine still gets sold, they get hooked on lesser stuff and graduate to the potent stuff, and then die.

 

[fishonjazz]

I'm pro legalization and I have regularly mentioned the very negative impact pot use can have. I've specifically talked about why I don't use pot, because it causes me a lot of anxiety, not the reverse at all. I get paranoid, dumb and completely unmotivated. Some people smoke pot and want to go out and do stuff. If I smoke pot I have no desire to be in public at all. It makes me very self-conscious about how stupid I am and I'm embarrassed for anyone to see me like that.

@fishonjazz I've just got to say I really really hate the "it's just a plant" argument. There are many plants that are poisonous or otherwise harmful. Being a plant =/= being good.

To me the best argument for legalization is that prohibition in and of itself has been far more harmful than the negative effects of marijuana have been. The erosion of our basic rights that the war on drugs has caused is massive. The incarceration of otherwise productive members of our society, the destruction of their families. The fact that enforcement is highly targeted to the poor and minorities, I think it is a huge disenfranchising force and a big reason the police are seen as the enemy in urban neighborhoods.

Will full legalization have negative consequences? Yes.

Should we have full legalization? Yes.

Colorado is doing fine. There is no major movement to re-prohibit marijuana.

Opioid deaths down since legalization
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/201...down-since-marijuana-legalized/9611508300236/

Teen marijuana use lower in colorado than national average
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...und-lower-than-national-average-idUSKCN0Z702N

Marijuana legalization has not increased crime rates in Colorado
https://coloradopolitics.com/despite-claims-data-show-legalized-marijuana-not-increased-crime-rates/

Good post. However, i dont think i ever made an argument about mj just being a plant so its ok.
I quoted some bible verse in a joking manner (even mentioned that the reason i know about the bible quote is due to the rap group cypress hill).

 

[fishonjazz]

I remember seeing an article on how areas with legal weed have drastically reduced their usage of pain-killers, to me thats a major deal-breaker. Here in NY those painkillers are a WAY bigger problem, it's how heroine still gets sold, they get hooked on lesser stuff and graduate to the potent stuff, and then die.

Yep. Its also a major deal breaker for the pharmaceutical companies which i suspect is a big reason that weed isn't legal everywhere already and why things have taken so long to get to this point.

 

[Game6Conley]

Yep. Its also a major deal breaker for the pharmaceutical companies which i suspect is a big reason that weed isn't legal everywhere already and why things have taken so long to get to this point.

Big Pharma wants every man woman and child on at-least one subscription. it's true. Thats their endgame.

**** em, I know a long list of kids from my area dead from this ****..

Amphetamines a major issue too.. The USA's long-standing love affair with Amphetamines is a criminally under-reported issue..

 

[fishonjazz]

Big Pharma wants every man woman and child on at-least one subscription. it's true. Thats their endgame.

**** em, I know a long list of kids from my area dead from this ****..

Amphetamines a major issue too.. The USA's long-standing love affair with Amphetamines is a criminally under-reported issue..

Agree on all of this. And i know a decent amount of people that died from pain pills/methadone. Including one of my best friends.
Super dangerous stuff.

 

[Game6Conley]

Agree on all of this. And i know a decent amount of people that died from pain pills/methadone. Including one of my best friends.
Super dangerous stuff.

They don't usually give lifetime patents for drugs so inevitably what happens is these companies try to push as much product(quarterly) while it's still exclusive, before foreign imitators can flood the market, and as a result of this some giant in the industry; Johnson & Johnson is offering kickbacks to doctors for subscriptions aka commision based sales.. So they get caught, pay the 2.2 billion in the lawsuit and keep it pushing...

And we get commercials for this ****!! Only country in the world where that ***** allowed... "go ask your doctor" LOL what the **** did they do all that school for if i need to suggest drugs to them ? LOL.. Viagra really exacerbated this stuff.

 

[fishonjazz]

They don't usually give lifetime patents for these drugs so inevitably what happens is these companies try to push as much product(quarterly) while it's still exclusive, before foreign imitators can flood the market, and as a result of this some giant in the industry; Johnson & Johnson is offering kickbacks to doctors for subscriptions aka commision based sales.. So they get caught, pay the 2.2 billion in the lawsuit and keep it pushing...

just another facet of our amazing healthcare system.

 

[green]

I live in Las Vegas Nevada, where it was just legalized. Do I smoke pot? = No. Did I vote to legalize pot? = Yes.
There are still laws in place that go with its legalization and I have always felt that if people use it for what it is intended for there is not a problem. I think that there are great benefits to it that I have seen first hand with friends and families that suffer from illnesses and arthritis and have seen that it is a healthier alternative to pain medications.
The problem is, people don't use it correctly. Even in Vegas, you are not allowed to smoke it walking down the street, hanging out outside of a grocery store, etc. But people do, all the time. I see, smell and interact with people that use it improperly everyday. It doesn't bother me when it's just me or me and my wife. It bothers me when I have my 6 year old daughter with me and now I have to explain to her (5 years before I thought I would have to explain it to her) why some people in this world are idiots and scumbags. And not because they smoke weed, but how, when and where they choose to smoke week.
Does it help people? Yes
Will idiots abuse it? Of course. Idiots will turn all positives into a negative not just for themselves but for everybody.

What do you have to explain to your daughter? How is it any different than someone who drinks? Or smokes a cigarette? Or drinks a coffee?

 

[green]

Mormons would certainly be discouraged from using it for recreational purposes, and such use would be against the (current, modern interpretation of the) "Word of Wisdom" commandment, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_Wisdom.

For medical purposes, it's a much grayer area. Obviously Mormons use drugs medically that would be prohibited by the church for recreational use (opioids, for example). So I suspect most LDS church members and local leaders would be OK with someone using it for legitimate medical purposes--especially if a doctor recommended it. But there's no church policy on it one way or another that I know of. I do recall that the church leaders have come out against a recent proposed law in Utah to legalize medical marijuana, saying that more research needs to be done; see here for example: https://www.deseretnews.com/article...alls-for-more-study-of-medical-marijuana.html.

As a personal example, my wife suffers from chronic pain. If there were any evidence that marijuana would help for her specific condition (which I don't think there is), then both she and I would probably be fine with her trying marijuana to see if it works (assuming the bill in Utah passes). And I'd consider us to be very active, believing LDS church members.

Interestingly enough, and I hadn't thought about this before in this context, the current LDS church president (as of a couple of months ago) is a medical doctor. Obviously retired from that for many years now, but Pres. Nelson was a very highly respected surgeon back in the day. I wonder if that will have any impact on this discussion.

Why is more research needed? Don't they talk to god? Or is god only interested in what the gays are doing (but not the sexual predators in the basement of the MTC)?

I read through the links above and read through section 89 again. Section 89 says beer is ok and meat is to only be used sparingly...actually, it says meat is not to be eaten at all, unless there is a famine or winter or cold, ie no other source of food. Heck, it even talks bout how food is only to be used in times of excess hunger or famine. It talks about wholesome herbs as being made for man as well. It also talks about using all these things in prudence and with thanksgiving. It says it is not an commandment, even though the Church says differently now on all issues. Look at the quorum of the 12 and the first presidency. There is a lot of obesity up there for people following the word of wisdom.

But heaven forbid if they drink a beer (even though WOW says it is ok). But meat, which is forbidden except in times of winter or famine...eat up! And eat in excess! Eat, drink and be merry, am i right?

Forgive me if I don't take very seriously the thoughts of people who can't even figure out what their scriptures say. It's all very inconsistent. Doctrine that seems to blow which ever way the wind blows, depending on the times.

As far as your wife goes, I'd follow the advice over a Dr over a church leader.

And as far as Nelson goes, his license expired in 1992...almost 30 years ago. His medical opinion is very, very limited at this point. Again, not the one I'd be taking medical advice from.

 

[sahlensguy]

I am sceptical of the opponents to legalization. Big pharma has billions of reasons to oppose it. I'm sceptical of any op ed piece with criticisms against it's lagalization. So many can be bought and paid for by those who oppose it.

I am therefore shocked and heartened to hear that Mitch McConnell has introduced a bill to legalize marijuanna's little brother, hemp. Hemp contains 50 times less thc than pot, but still is on the list of controlled substances. It has many uses and is one of the world's most adaptable plants that grows without harmful effects to the environment. Hemp puts fear in corporate America. Amazing and the natural thing to do when both of these plants are as free to use as is the air we breathe.

https://www.google.com/amp/thehill....uld-legalize-hemp-as-agricultural-product?amp