I'M NOT ENCOURAGING ANYBODY (STRICTLY CHILDREN) TO SMOKE MARIJUANA. MARIJUANA IS CURRENTLY ILLEGAL AND POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA IS STRICTLY ILLEGAL IN SOME COUNTRIES. I DO NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR MISUSE OF ANY INFORMATION HERE. THIS WHOLE DOCUMENT DEAL WITH MATURE CONTENT AND EXPRESS PERSONAL VIEWS ON AN ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE. READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED!

 

Okay, So I decided to make a short resume about the movie The Union.

 

You can watch the full movie here.

 

I just took notes of the important keywords and put them in a word document to share it with all of you who won't have time to watch the movie/too lazy to and/or just can't watch the movie.

 

Brief marijuana history 101:

Cannabis can be hemp. It is the most durable natural soft fiber on the surface on this planet. Since thousands of years, hemp always had many uses on the industry. A lot of medicines and clothes were made from hemp. It is said that the famous movie "Reefer Madness" caused marijuana to be illegal. It was believed that marijuana caused the user to be violent but many politicians later opposed that myth. In fact, marijuana calms and mellows the user.

 

-Does prohibition really works?

Prohibition in fact has never worked. Prohibition has never stopped people from using marijuana. In 1937, it was estimated that there was 15,000 marijuana users. Now, it is estimated to be 15,000,000+ marijuana users.

 

-Dangerous of using marijuana?

People believe it kills brain cells, etc... The government did an experiment on monkeys to determine and see if marijuana kills or causes any damage to the brain or brain cells. The monkeys died. 6 years later it was finally released how the experiment was made. They pumped astronomical amount of smoke on monkeys. The smoke and the lack of oxygen made the monkeys suffocate and die. The dead brain cells were from the lack of oxygen and not from pot. Thus, the experiment results were invalid.

In fact, in 2005 a study showed that marijuana could stimulate the growth of brain cells on the brain.

 

-What about lung cancer?

All the studies used always that marijuana "may" or "should" cause lung cancer. But it has never been reported that someone had lung cancer solely from using marijuana. But smoke is harmful because of the proprieties of smoke. Any smoke could harm your lungs. But nothing in the cannabis plant ever caused lung cancer.

A study has been made and showed the tobacco smoke is more harmful than marijuana smoke.

 

-Which drug is causing more death per year?

Tobacco kills more people than all illegal drugs combined with accidents and aids per year.

It causes over 450,000 deaths per year. Even knowing that tobacco is being the number one killer in the country, the government still plants it and sells it.

Then we got alcohol. It is responsible for the death of over 85,000 people per year. Then we got caffeine which cause from one to 10,000 deaths per year. Even aspirin causes from one to 7500 deaths per year. What about marijuana? People believe it kills from 50,000 to hundreds of billions per year. In fact no single case of death has been attributed from using marijuana in the history of the human kind from thousands of years. You have to smoke 15,000 joints in 20 minutes to die from marijuana which is almost impossible.

 

-What about addiction?

Only 3% of the patients on the rehab system went voluntarily from being independent on marijuana. The others were either told by a judge or a guardian. Some people get the choices either going to jail or you go to a treatment. Everyone chooses to go to a treatment. They consider these people addicts. Marijuana is known to be less addictive than coffee. There are no severe withdrawal symptoms after stopping the use of marijuana. Its use can be discontinues easier than any other drugs.

 

-Marijuana is more potent now.

Marijuana being more potent now won't change its effects it had thousands of years ago. For it being more potent will just take fewer amounts from a user to get high thus, inhaling less smoke.

 

And marijuana could never be overdosed.

 

-Is marijuana a gateway drug?

Many studies had been done and never actually found something IN marijuana that could push user to go for "hard drugs"(such as cocaine, heroin, etc...)

In fact, any drug (such as food) could lead in using another drug. Example: milk could lead someone to drink alcohol.

 

Because of the current status of marijuana, users are forced to deal with the black market. Prohibition could be the reason of marijuana being a gateway drug. (Common scenario: -You got weed man? -No man but I got you these nice pills/powder/etc... I will let you try some for free.)

Many black market dealers now tend to go for harder drugs. Why? It is easier to carry pills and powder that could be easily hidden. Marijuana is harder to hard and to sell. It has a strong smell so it makes it harder for dealers to carry it.

 

-You will be useless to society if you use marijuana, right?

No. If that's true, then there are about 50 million people who smoke marijuana in the USA and over half of the population of Canada has tried marijuana at least once and yet both societies seems to flourish. Even some famous celebrities use marijuana. Many musicians and writers use marijuana daily. Even doctors and judges. Every presidential candidate has used marijuana at least once in their life.

 

People who are lazy and stay home and smoke weed were going to stay home and do nothing even without marijuana.

 

There is no evidence that marijuana had been the cause of a single crime. Legalizing it in Europe decreased the crime rate after being the highest crime rate in the world. Legalizing alcohol caused by far many more accidents and crimes then it is causing now from marijuana.

 

-What about drug availability?

Students in high school and schools claim that they could have access on illegal drugs easier than legal drugs.

Because of its current status on the country, its price and availability is unregulated and is on the hands of the growers. Marijuana could fully grow and flower in 2 months - 3 months. It is not hard to grow marijuana. It needs water, air and light just like any other plant.

 

 

The government spend over 7.7B$ to enforce marijuana prohibition. Legalizing marijuana and taxing it could give the government up to 14B$ in profit.

 

Some police officers know how marijuana is way safer than alcohol and would like to not prosecute criminals possessing marijuana but they don't want to lose their jobs. They just enforce the laws that already exist.

There are 786,566 marijuana arrests in 2005 for simple possession. 88% of marijuana arrests are for simple possession.

That's almost 1 million people in the USA arrested. either you go in jail or not, your future is destroyed. You don't find a job that will accept you with a criminal record. The government is telling us in other ways that's its okay to rape and murder but your career life will be deeply ruined if you do or smoke illegal drugs.

 

Drug tests:

They cost a lot of money. At first they said they are going to test pilots and police officers. Then they said they are going to DT professional athletes. Later on they planned on testing every child on every school.

In fact, THC (chemical produced from marijuana) stays on someone's system for up to 20 days (although people nowadays find ways to detoxification in several days) but harder drugs like heroine could leave someone's body in 3 days. That also tells the people to use the hard drugs and avoid soft drugs like marijuana.

 

What about its medical benefits?

Pharmaceutical companies are the most profitable industry on the US. What happened if marijuana is legalized? Well they will lose money because people found a lot of treatment coming from a natural plant.

Marijuana can slow Alzheimer. It treats glaucoma, back pain, depression, nausea, ADHD, anxiety, help patients with AIDS and cancer and could prevents cancer. There is no a product that provides as many as medical benefits as marijuana.

People in some states in US and in Canada could get a medical marijuana card if they have been checked and proven by a doctor that they qualify for a card. That card helps the patient against any arresting for possession of marijuana.

 

Marijuana is one of the most useful, if not the most useful plant known to mankind and it should not be illegal while keeping tobacco and alcohol legal.

 

 

 

Would like to see some comments and if that document changed your view about marijuana or not.

 

 

UPDATE: California and Massachusetts are getting marijuana fully legal soon (2010) for anyone who is 21+ years old!! The law didn't pass yet but officials said it's MOST likely it will pass and will BE LEGALIZED!!!

The Netherlands has legalized Marijuana with no problems. I don't see why it can't work here, as long as people know of any health problems it may have.

To me, weed is fine so long as other people don't have to breathe in the smoke or whatever...(and something else I'm not saying).

The Netherlands has legalized Marijuana with no problems. I don't see why it can't work here, as long as people know of any health problems it may have.

Please tell me what health problem do YOU know that marijuana could cause...

Other than smoke because it can be vaporized or eaten..

 

 

To me, weed is fine so long as other people don't have to breathe in the smoke or whatever...(and something else I'm not saying).

I agree with you...

I think it should be legalized, it can help the economy from what I hear. I don't see how alcohol is legal while marijuana is illegal, the effects and dangers of marijuana are much less then those of alcohol.

http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/cannabis/dangers.htm

 

I think it should remain illegal, but with lesser consequences for possession. Legalize it and the only way to get it will be in prepackaged joints stuffed full of nicotine and carcinogens.

The Netherlands has legalized Marijuana with no problems. I don't see why it can't work here, as long as people know of any health problems it may have.

Please tell me what health problem do YOU know that marijuana could cause...

Other than smoke because it can be vaporized or eaten..

 

Potential health hazards as well. The main health risk is smoke. But if there are any health hazards that could potentially harm the user then they should be warned.

http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/cannabis/dangers.htm

 

I think it should remain illegal, but with lesser consequences for possession. Legalize it and the only way to get it will be in prepackaged joints stuffed full of nicotine and carcinogens.

Well, if they legalize it, I would hope they would legalize being able to grow your own and whatnot. Although, knowing the U.S. government they will probably do something stupid like what you suggested.

Legalize it and the only way to get it will be in prepackaged joints stuffed full of nicotine and carcinogens.

A-O.

 

I find it hilarious how people just look at marijuana being legalized and think it'll be a chicken in every pot and a bong in every room. They don't look at how it will be taken advantage of by tobacco companies at all. It seems like nobody has noticed that. Yet, for some reason, I wouldn't be surprised if the government and bigger companies have.

 

Of course it will still be sold alone, probably as "rolling marijuana", and for the first couple of years as everybody legalizes it, maybe it will be just great. But plenty of people who think, "Hey, alcohol is legal, weed should be too!" aren't old enough to drink alcohol. I believe that if it's legalized, penalties for smoking underage will be FAR more extreme than penalties for drinking. That's just common sense.

 

Anyways. Think about tobacco for a second. How much of the population that enjoys smoking buys totally 100% natural, unaltered tobacco and smokes from a pipe? Grows their own? Buys rolling tobacco? Even dip and chewing tobacco aren't natural. It's just easier to smoke cigarettes.

 

I have no doubt it will be legalized before I graduate. I also have no doubt that all your hopes will crash to the ground. Sorry, folks. Big business has big ideas for your bong.

http://www.thegooddrugsguide.com/cannabis/dangers.htm

 

Smoking point is invalid because you can use a vaporizer/eat it, second is because carrying your life savings around with you at night also causes paranoia but isn't illegal. Paranoia is also a stupid reason to ban something. Drug induced psychosis is not only rare, but the effects only last a couple days at the most. Even if it happens multiple times (by then you would know to stop) there is only a small chance that it becomes chronic.

 

None of those reasons cause issues to other people, it's just a violation of our rights to ban it.

 

In reality marijuana was banned for corporate profit, and the myths still floating around today wouldn't exist if people did their own research.

That was actually supposed to show that there really weren't too many negative effects, smoke aside.

Legalize it and the only way to get it will be in prepackaged joints stuffed full of nicotine and carcinogens.

A-O.

 

I find it hilarious how people just look at marijuana being legalized and think it'll be a chicken in every pot and a bong in every room. They don't look at how it will be taken advantage of by tobacco companies at all. It seems like nobody has noticed that. Yet, for some reason, I wouldn't be surprised if the government and bigger companies have.

 

Of course it will still be sold alone, probably as "rolling marijuana", and for the first couple of years as everybody legalizes it, maybe it will be just great. But plenty of people who think, "Hey, alcohol is legal, weed should be too!" aren't old enough to drink alcohol. I believe that if it's legalized, penalties for smoking underage will be FAR more extreme than penalties for drinking. That's just common sense.

 

Anyways. Think about tobacco for a second. How much of the population that enjoys smoking buys totally 100% natural, unaltered tobacco and smokes from a pipe? Grows their own? Buys rolling tobacco? Even dip and chewing tobacco aren't natural. It's just easier to smoke cigarettes.

 

I have no doubt it will be legalized before I graduate. I also have no doubt that all your hopes will crash to the ground. Sorry, folks. Big business has big ideas for your bong.

 

I don't understand this argument. If people want to trade convenience for purity than that's up to them (god knows people have been doing it long enough). People who smoke weed already face inconvenience in being able to obtain their product, and then the further inconveniences you mentioned, like rolling, but still continue to buy it as is. As long as the 'pure' alternative is there, what does it matter that Big Tobacco will add this and that and work their magic?

I don't understand this argument. If people want to trade convenience for purity than that's up to them (god knows people have been doing it long enough). People who smoke weed already face inconvenience in being able to obtain their product, and then the further inconveniences you mentioned, like rolling, but still continue to buy it as is. As long as the 'pure' alternative is there, what does it matter that Big Tobacco will add this and that and work their magic?

I don't give two [cabbage]s what happens really; I don't smoke. I really just like popping bubbles. I've seen it at my school just as well as here, people just get too into what they imagine the world would be like if weed was legal.

If alcohol and tobacco are legal, then there's no reason a drug that's less dangerous than the two should be illegal.

I don't smoke I don't really care tbh. People are still going to smoke it either way and people aren't just going to start accepting it right away anyways which I feel is what most people are seeking when they want it legalized is acceptance by the mass.

 

Side note, Amsterdam sells both "pure" joints and ones mixed with tobacco. Culturally weed isn't smoked in the United State mixed with tobacco so I don't really thing that would be much of a concern here.

I don't understand this argument. If people want to trade convenience for purity than that's up to them (god knows people have been doing it long enough). People who smoke weed already face inconvenience in being able to obtain their product, and then the further inconveniences you mentioned, like rolling, but still continue to buy it as is. As long as the 'pure' alternative is there, what does it matter that Big Tobacco will add this and that and work their magic?

I don't give two [cabbage]s what happens really; I don't smoke. I really just like popping bubbles. I've seen it at my school just as well as here, people just get too into what they imagine the world would be like if weed was legal.

 

It would be (sorry, let's be optimistic: will be) an important moment for social change: Not because more people will get high and 'open their minds' or because fast food sales will increase, but because it will once and for all prove that counter culture can be integrated into mass culture to the benefit of all.

really? another one of these threads..... :shame: here, they will make it legal when they can find a way to tax it /thread

Either;

 

Legalise it with many restraints on where it comes from to make sure it is safe, and tax the heck out of it (plus make the minimum age 18);

Or, continue to keep it illegal as there's little to no good that comes from using the drug through smoking, and prosecute/fine those who are caught carrying/using it.

Smoke weed everyday, Legalize it!

 

It can actually be a great aid to some, reliving pains, sleep problems, social bariers, ADHD and such!

Make it legal, but heavily regulated and supervised.

 

Or, continue to keep it illegal as there's little to no good that comes from using the drug through smoking, and prosecute/fine those who are caught carrying/using it.

 

Marijuana has amazing medical uses, part of the reason why it is still illegal probably. And hemp has sooooo many uses it's unbelievable

I think they should legalize it. It would definitely bring in a ton of cash from taxing it. Weed brings people together, I've made lots of friends just by smoking weed. :thumbup:

The Netherlands has legalized Marijuana with no problems. I don't see why it can't work here, as long as people know of any health problems it may have.

 

Heh' their drug policy is going to change soon.

 

Old one restricting amount :

 

Article

 

Newer one restricting tourists :

 

Article

The Netherlands has legalized Marijuana with no problems. I don't see why it can't work here, as long as people know of any health problems it may have.

 

Heh' their drug policy is going to change soon.

 

Old one restricting amount :

 

Article

 

Newer one restricting tourists :

 

Article

 

I read your two articles and it seems the problem the Netherlands are having is the crime that is still association with soft drugs. If the Netherlands allowed shops to grown their own supplies it would eliminate the trafficking of soft drugs and eliminate what seems to be their biggest concern at least in the BCC article. The tourist factor I can see being harmful because they are most likely the ones who abuse the system the most but member only clubs are kinda silly imo.

I'd rather it stay illegal honestly. If it becomes legal, I lose one of my incomes. I'd rather take the chance of getting caught than lose money.