Is Pot Harmless?

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

you didnt promote it it, you used it by starting to talk about all of the other things that people get hurt doing thus implying that if we start talking about pot we should then have to start addressing those things too.

He didn't say or imply that at all. He said that since other, legal things kill a lot of people, and pot doesn't kill anyone, that it is relatively harmless. He was making a simple comparison.

Well thats great for you but it doesnt work for most (statistics would say).

What statistics? Could you reference your source?

[Mr. Wednesday]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

Well thats great for you but it doesnt work for most (statistics would say). I agree with the fact that perhaps the stigma is unwarranted but unless you can get that to change, legalizing it would do more harm then good, IMO.

Wait, I thought you were arguing that the stigma was because it was illegal? If so, you're trying to have it both ways.

[Karlifornia]

I smoke pot every once in a while. I firmly believe alcohol is more evil than marijuana. I've never seen two stoners get into a fistfight. I've never seen two stoners hit their significant other. I've never seen my parents yelling at each other after a night of smoking pot (I don't even know if they ever did it). I've never had a girl physically assault me after getting high. All of these things have happened because of alcohol.

As the Onion once said: New Study Shows Marijuana Linked to Sitting Around and Getting High.

Don't dump the girl over a once a month habit of smoking ganj.

[Eaglesfan27]

I have seen people get into fights over smoking "pot." Part of the problem is you never know what might be in your pot. Particularly here in New Orleans, it is popular to spike a batch with a very tiny amount of PCP to give it "more kick." I'm sure this isn't the only part of the country where pot often is "contaminated" with other substances.

I do agree that uncontaminated pot is less dangerous than many other substances that people to use to become high or drunk.

However, I firmly believe it isn't harmless.

[Flasch186]

Stigma and Legality can be attached HOWEVER they are not necessarily correlated. You can have one without the other. I Think that in this case, regarding marijuana and its moral implications you must remove both to remove one and be effective.

Stats...well theyre everywhere and like you guessed either side can find stats to prove their point so here is just one I got as Im walking aout the door:

http://www.dpna.org/drugtrends/drugstatistics.html

I see that he didn't use slippery slope. I apologize.

I agree with Eaglesfan in that Pot is certainly not harmless considering all of the ramifications involved.

[Airhog]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I have seen people get into fights over smoking "pot." Part of the problem is you never know what might be in your pot. Particularly here in New Orleans, it is popular to spike a batch with a very tiny amount of PCP to give it "more kick." I'm sure this isn't the only part of the country where pot often is "contaminated" with other substances.

I do agree that uncontaminated pot is less dangerous than many other substances that people to use to become high or drunk.

However, I firmly believe it isn't harmless.

I have to agree with Eaglesfan here. Although I do have an addictive personality. I would get in pretty bad mood swings. I can only imagine how much worse those swings would have been had I been doing harder drugs...

[GMO]

People will use pot so they won't have to face reality.
People will use it while driving cars, get into accidents and kill people because of it.

Alcohol has caused a lot of damage. Will bringing in another alcohol-equivalent help society?

Will pot-smoking be shown to cause lung cancer in a few years?

[SFL Cat]

Unbelievable! I have actually AGREED with everything Flasch186 has posted in this thread. There is a first time for everything, I suppose.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by lungs

It's absolutely harmless. Granted, some people would say that I live in my car because I smoke dope. But I also get drunk on a regular basis too. I do know plenty of normal people that smoke dope and have regular jobs with no ill-effect.

It's really a matter of personal choice. You can lead a normal life and smoke dope. Personally I think drinking is more harmful than smoking pot. The only thing bad about pot is that it's illegal. It was a great way to arrest Mexicans when they decided to ban it.

If you can live without it, more power to you. But if you can do it in the comfort of your own home without affecting others, there's nothing wrong with that either.

But if dating somebody who smokes makes you uncomfortable, then that's a personal decision you have to make.

Now back to my car, I have a bottle of whiskey waiting for me.

I just think it is great a guy named 'lungs' would post in this thread.

And legalize!

[Marc Vaughan]

I personally think Pot is relatively harmless if used sensibly, the problem is that few such substances are used 'sensibly' by people who have addictive personalities ... any such substance whether alcohol, pot or another drug can have serious consequences imho.

The risks from Pot as I see it are death or similar problems from actions taken while 'stoned', it leading onto 'harder' drugs, general problems with lifestyle from excessive usage (ie. retaining credibility at work etc.) and possible police problems.

I don't advocate pot being legalised, then again I'm amazed in todays PC society that alcohol is still legal (and fully expect society to start making moves towards banning that sometime after the current move to fully ban smoking is completed) ...

Then again perhaps thats just my naturally cynical nature

[MrBigglesworth]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I have seen people get into fights over smoking "pot." Part of the problem is you never know what might be in your pot. Particularly here in New Orleans, it is popular to spike a batch with a very tiny amount of PCP to give it "more kick." I'm sure this isn't the only part of the country where pot often is "contaminated" with other substances.

I do agree that uncontaminated pot is less dangerous than many other substances that people to use to become high or drunk.

However, I firmly believe it isn't harmless.

I share your same concerns with tainted pot. Alcohol was like that during prohibition. When something is produced underground, it doesn't usually get FDA approval before consumption. However, if it were to be legalized, regulated, and taxed, those particular dangers would be gone.

[lungs]

Originally Posted by GMO

People will use pot so they won't have to face reality.
People will use it while driving cars, get into accidents and kill people because of it.

Alcohol has caused a lot of damage. Will bringing in another alcohol-equivalent help society?

Will pot-smoking be shown to cause lung cancer in a few years?

Being someone who lives in my car and smokes lots of dope, I can tell you it's much harder to drive drunk than it is stoned.

Usually when I'm stoned I'm too lazy to drive but whenever I'm hungry for a double cheeseburger after I get stoned I have to drive down to McDonald's. Usually I end up driving about 10 miles under the speed limit. Ever see some teenaged to twenty something person driving really slow? Yup they're stoned all right.

Driving stoned is relatively harmless. I've driven drunk and I've driven stoned. I've driven both drunk and stoned. The worst is a combination of the two. I tried it once and just pulled over and fell asleep.

I'm on absolute sobriety now so I just park my car when I get drunk. But there's no convenient way for the police to test if you are driving stoned. How many DUI of marijuana arrests do you see made? There is no dopealyzer that'll measure dope on your breath either.

[Marc Vaughan]

I'm on absolute sobriety now so I just park my car when I get drunk. But there's no convenient way for the police to test if you are driving stoned. How many DUI of marijuana arrests do you see made? There is no dopealyzer that'll measure dope on your breath either.

In the UK I believe the police can take you to the nearest station and take a blood sample which will show it up ...

Personally I think anyone who drives drunk or stoned is very very scarey and irresponsible - try to think how you'd feel when you 'sobered up' if you hit someone while driving in that state ...

(sorry but I had to say it, part of being a parent is relentless nagging, you recieve classes in this once you have your first child )

[lungs]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

In the UK I believe the police can take you to the nearest station and take a blood sample which will show it up ...

Personally I think anyone who drives drunk or stoned is very very scarey and irresponsible - try to think how you'd feel when you 'sobered up' if you hit someone while driving in that state ...

(sorry but I had to say it, part of being a parent is relentless nagging, you recieve classes in this once you have your first child )

Yep, they can do that here too. But unless there is a burning joint or smoking bowl in the car you rarely see it.

Otherwise I bet a lot of people with red eyes caused by allergies would be hauled down to the station and given a blood test.

And the other thing is, and I'm not sure how it would work, but if you have dope in your system from a few days ago would that count against you? My guess is the person would have to fail the stupid human tricks test. I practice all the time for when the situation arises.