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H.R.5843 Act to Remove Federal Penalties Marijuana Use
washingtonwatch.com — H.R. 5843 would eliminate most Federal penalties for possession of marijuana for personal use.
omegaredIX- 3527 diggs
- digg it
- imacommi, on 04/27/2008, -7/+244Write your congressmen and state representatives and let them know how you feel. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!!!
- JustinHopewell, on 04/27/2008, -3/+33It's better to handwrite a letter, but NORML has a form setup so you can have a printed letter sent. It's already written for you, but you can edit it, or write your own message.
http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=112 ...- kaykfrink, on 04/27/2008, -9/+1From what I have read it is actually better to send email since most regular mail goes though such a lengthy searching process now. It could be weeks before somebody reads a handwritten letter verses hours or days for an email.
- chaosium, on 04/27/2008, -0/+9ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
Emails are not granted the same respect as snail mail.
Even if they may be more easily read, they do not carry the same weight as representing their constituency.- ElWizardo, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Have your kids write a sob story it in crayon... it will tug at their heartstrings.
- klipseracer, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4Exactly. Sending an email is too easy. Something printed means you went out of your way... Its terrible to think that a printed letter is 'going out of the way' these days...
- chaosium, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1In addition, the "lengthy searching process" probably amounts to running the incoming mail through a biological agent scanner, of which the infrastructure is already well in place.
It's absolutely absurd to think that If would take weeks before legislative offices received their mail.
- chaosium, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1In addition, the "lengthy searching process" probably amounts to running the incoming mail through a biological agent scanner, of which the infrastructure is already well in place.
- Kauzman01, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2However, being that I have worked for the Senate in constituent relations, I would recommend that you write a personal letter as many repeat letters are not regarded as highly by staff, and the idea loses effect. Better a personal email than a non-personal, pre-typed snail mail.
- chaosium, on 04/27/2008, -0/+9ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
- kaykfrink, on 04/27/2008, -9/+1From what I have read it is actually better to send email since most regular mail goes though such a lengthy searching process now. It could be weeks before somebody reads a handwritten letter verses hours or days for an email.
- acceleriter, on 04/27/2008, -26/+4And be on the list of people to raid after the bill fails? No thanks.
- MasteRR, on 04/27/2008, -1/+48It's this kind of fear that proves there is something seriously wrong with this country.
- acceleriter, on 04/27/2008, -8/+11You think the government is above using a letter supporting marijuana reform as probable cause? Sure, it's fear, but hardly unfounded. People who have families to take care of and things to lose have to be careful about exposing themselves in such ways.
- DangerMouse9, on 04/27/2008, -0/+19I don't smoke the weed, but I'm for this.
- Andyschism, on 04/27/2008, -0/+12Same here. Dont use it, just support it.
- Akronos, on 04/27/2008, -0/+10His point wasn't that you shouldn't fear, but rather, that you should act regardless of the fear. Any rebellious or revolutionary act is going to have some possibility of consequence intrinsic to it, but that doesn't stop them from occurring. Did Martin Luther King fear? Perhaps, but that didn't stop him from marching on Washington. Did the Founding Fathers fear? Definitely, but that didn't stop them because they knew a life under tyranny was a life not worth living.
- andburn1, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4You think there's no legislative oversight in this country? This would get dropped at court in an instant. Stop being stupid. The Federal Government doesn't give a ***** about some joint-a-day joe shmo anyway.
- acceleriter, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2@andburn: what "legislative oversight" are you talking about? If you mean judicial oversight, what case law are you talking about that would prohibit a constituent's letter from being used as evidence against him? Do you have any to cite, or do you just call people stupid without evidence to back up your claims?
- acceleriter, on 05/03/2008, -0/+1Guess I have my answer. You have no evidence and don't know *****.
- acceleriter, on 04/27/2008, -8/+11You think the government is above using a letter supporting marijuana reform as probable cause? Sure, it's fear, but hardly unfounded. People who have families to take care of and things to lose have to be careful about exposing themselves in such ways.
- JustinHopewell, on 04/27/2008, -0/+9I think the key is not talking about actually using the drug in the letter. You don't need to say, "Hey, I'm really stoned right now, and I wish this was legal!" Just present why you feel it should be legal in a sensible, mature manner.
- acceleriter, on 04/27/2008, -13/+5"Oh, Mr. Representative, I don't smoke weed, never have, but I sure wish it were legal" is still inviting a no-knock warrant. At the very least, anyone writing in support of the bill is going to be more susceptible to surveillance than those who didn't.
- andburn1, on 04/27/2008, -1/+6Are you ***** kidding me? That is the stupidest assumption I've ever heard.
- acceleriter, on 04/28/2008, -3/+2@andburn1: what case law have you to cite that would prohibit such a letter's content from being used against him?
- NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -2/+12Acceleriter, that has never happened... There are no cases out there where someone had written their congressman to support something, and gotten in trouble for it.
You're just paranoid... I along with many people I know, have written in about this issue, and never once come under threat or prosecution for it.- acceleriter, on 04/27/2008, -4/+2Of course, I can't find the citation, but I've run across one instance in which a constituent wrote a Congressman about drug laws and received a reply indicating his letter had been forwarded to law enforcement officials. Of course, the people doing the digging down have nothing to lose, but they're also not the biggest voting block in this nation, so the drug laws wills stay pat.
- acceleriter, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Wow, truth hurts. Looks like y'all have more diggs than votes, though.
- JustinHopewell, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Acceleriter, I wear my tinfoil hat pretty often, I'll admit, but sometimes you need to stand up for what you believe in if you want anything to change, even if it's a little risky. You can't always assume that someone else will do it for you, because there will always be several people who feel the same way you do now. If this is an important issue to you, you should take a stand and let your representative know in a non-threatening, well-thought letter. I seriously don't think they're going to be collecting these letters and mailing them around their state to the police. Believe it or not, they have more important things to do with their time.
With that said, though, I understand why you're apprehensive about it, and I won't push the subject any further.- acceleriter, on 05/03/2008, -0/+1I appreciate the fact that you've made an insightful reply as opposed to going on the attack like some others did here (and who offered no evidence to support their claims that such misuse of a constituent letter would be illegal). Unfortunately, the political climate has changed such that *I* would rather not get on the radar of the authorities, as the corruption is *so* endemic that I can no longer be assured that the state wouldn't use my exercise of free speech against me in some way. It's not that much trouble--it's just an entry in a database, to be kept if needed someday.
- acceleriter, on 04/27/2008, -13/+5"Oh, Mr. Representative, I don't smoke weed, never have, but I sure wish it were legal" is still inviting a no-knock warrant. At the very least, anyone writing in support of the bill is going to be more susceptible to surveillance than those who didn't.
- Ymeg, on 04/27/2008, -0/+8*Contact your House representative:
https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml
*Contact the Speaker of the House – Nancy Pelosi:
http://www.speaker.gov/
*Contact the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee – John Conyers:
http://judiciary.house.gov/contact.aspx
*Contact Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee – John Dingle
http://energycommerce.house.gov/membios/contact_fo ...
*A message that is already written.
http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=112 ...
**Email all your friends and ask them to do the same thing. Use the tools on this site.
(Mostly taken form a post on WashingtonWatch.- Ymeg, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2replied to the wrong person...
- BOFH2, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3I do not smoke anymore never really did - 15 times maybe - but know that the medicinal benefits are necessary for some. So they can raid me all they want.
- MasteRR, on 05/04/2008, -0/+1You really want to consent to letting them raid you? Really? REALLY? We have a right to privacy, whether you are guilty or not, and you should exercise that right.
- MasteRR, on 04/27/2008, -1/+48It's this kind of fear that proves there is something seriously wrong with this country.
- metalmilitia430, on 04/27/2008, -0/+20Already did, received a letter back stating that David Davis from TN will not be supporting this bill.
- pcghost, on 04/27/2008, -1/+35That's an easy one. Support whoever runs against him in the next election.
- dexter411, on 04/27/2008, -3/+5Don't hold your breath. Davis' seat has been in GOP control for over 125 years.
- CokeBear, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2I have a feeling that there will be lots of previously safe GOP seats up for grabs in November. If he feels it is such a safe seat, he'll never see the challenge coming...
- Lewie, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2there's always the Primary
- dexter411, on 04/27/2008, -3/+5Don't hold your breath. Davis' seat has been in GOP control for over 125 years.
- NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -1/+27So the next step is to write back asking him why, hold the issue with him... And express that you are not pleased, and will not support him in the future, by not voting for him.
Calling his office would also be an effective way to send the message.- metalmilitia430, on 04/27/2008, -1/+14I plan to write him back. In his reply he made several statements on the evils of marijuana, all of which would be assumptions that a person not educated on the subject would make. I think it is safe to say I will not be voting for him, ever.
- NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5Ah good to hear. ^_^
- klipseracer, on 04/28/2008, -0/+5Don't reply in spite. Reply with a professional stance, that way he doesn't associate you with the people he's refering about. I mean, c'mon. Bill Clinton hit the bong. He even admitted it :)
- chaosium, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Would it really do any good? Most every politician is smart enough to know better, but they're also afraid to admit it. It'd be too easy for their opponents to spin.
DID YOU KNOW THAT SO AND SO SUPPORTS TERRORISM?
- metalmilitia430, on 04/27/2008, -1/+14I plan to write him back. In his reply he made several statements on the evils of marijuana, all of which would be assumptions that a person not educated on the subject would make. I think it is safe to say I will not be voting for him, ever.
- Ishiguro, on 04/27/2008, -1/+4Appeal to the fact that TN is one of the top growers in the US, and the primary reason for it to be outlawed is big Wood. Also ask him exactly what aspect of the Constitution give him authority to outlaw it.
By the way, I think smoking marijuana is stupid, but it shouldn't be against the law, especially federal law.- ParticleMan420, on 04/27/2008, -4/+2as stupid as alcohol?
at least! - triplehelix, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1i had a beavis and butthead moment when i read, "big wood".
- ParticleMan420, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1hehe "wood"
- ParticleMan420, on 04/27/2008, -4/+2as stupid as alcohol?
- 4degrees, on 04/27/2008, -2/+6mabye he wants to keep it outlawed because he is making so much money from it.
- pcghost, on 04/27/2008, -1/+35That's an easy one. Support whoever runs against him in the next election.
- zaphar, on 04/27/2008, -3/+10Ok, who wants to bet on whether or not this bill will fail? I bet fail.
- ludar, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5i'd go 10:1 on failing
- Akronos, on 04/27/2008, -1/+7I bet fail, even though most of the politicians have smoked marijuana or done some type of illegal drug or worse crime. No one there, other than Barney Frank, Ron Paul, and a few others, has a spine to stand for what is right and what they believe in because they know it will cost them votes.
- Latka, on 04/27/2008, -1/+7About a week ago a bill like that was approved here in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Penalties for personal marihuana use were lifted.
http://www.criticadigital.com.ar/impresa/index.php ...
- AmnioticEntity, on 04/27/2008, -2/+5to me, this bill looks like a way for the federal government to allow states to do their own scientific tests on/with the plant w/o worry of the dea coming in and busting their test patients. a good thing, but i doubt this bill will do much more than that. so after about 25-30 years of legit tests, maybe then, we will see further decriminalization of this drug/plant/whatever, or maybe we won't - my guess is we will need this plant as a cash crop sometime in the next century, but we don't need it now.
- diggenerate, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1We DO need it now, are you ***** kidding. It will save millions of trees (which are important to our survival) from being made into an enumerable amount of products that can otherwise be made with hemp.
- AmnioticEntity, on 05/01/2008, -0/+1from a dow/jones standpoint we dont need it.
- rand0mm0nkey, on 04/27/2008, -2/+3Done.
- ImTheKey, on 04/27/2008, -3/+4I love weed, but I'm not so optimistic to think that this ***** would pass. It would be great, but let's step back into the real world.
- sykotik, on 04/27/2008, -2/+2Done.
- ParticleMan420, on 04/27/2008, -1/+4you mean John McCain? I dont think he's interested
- senator32, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3Full bill text and comments section here: http://www.statesurge.com/bills/115970
Government officials use this system and will read your comments! Please let them know what you think!!!- floorman56, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2WHAT THE BILL WILL NOT DO
It would not affect federal laws prohibiting the sale of marijuana for profit, import and export of marijuana, or manufacturing (cultivating) marijuana.
So if you grow it or move it, they can still bust your chops...lot of good this does
It would not legalize major drug dealing or create obstacles for agents of the federal government seeking to prevent major drug dealing.
Nothing to keep the cops from busting your chops
It would not affect any state or local laws and regulations.
It would not alter the legal status of marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et. seq.).
So its still ..dope?
- floorman56, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2WHAT THE BILL WILL NOT DO
- ElbowGeek, on 04/28/2008, -0/+0And while you're at it, press them to support legislation which will cut emissions from factories which fill your lungs with toxic smoke. Wait a minute...
- yacks, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1It's a trap!
- JustinHopewell, on 04/27/2008, -3/+33It's better to handwrite a letter, but NORML has a form setup so you can have a printed letter sent. It's already written for you, but you can edit it, or write your own message.
- debunkthelies, on 04/27/2008, -4/+43Already done but my Congress person is Rick Renzi, so not much help there.
- djphatjive, on 04/27/2008, -38/+2***** Pot Heads!
- ORBAT, on 04/27/2008, -0/+14Potting *****.
- xMedic, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5Heading *****.
- Ymeg, on 04/27/2008, -5/+1***** potheading.
- TalkingBanana, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Fail.
- yacks, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Hucking Fot Peads!
- ORBAT, on 04/27/2008, -0/+14Potting *****.
- NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -2/+12Yeah... My guy is sadly no help either... He votes against this kind of thing, and never replies, no matter how I contact him.
I'm sure gonna do all I can, to vote him out... -_- I hate having an ignorant fool for a representative in congress... but that's what I get for living in the middle of no-where-white-farming-America.- xkorbin, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4where? I am a south dakotaite/iowan.
where do you live?- michaelb323, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I live In Iowa.
- diggenerate, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1I live In South Dakota as well and Stephanie Herseth is the congressperson to contact about this, I wrote her asking for support and so should you.
- brycelb, on 04/27/2008, -5/+2I don't really understand the "white" part of your rant. Are you suggesting that only white people have a problem with this? That's ignorant at best. It has nothing to do with the color of your skin. I would say it has more to due with the perceived "moral" dilemma it presents. No matter who off base it is.
- NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3Where the ***** did I say that? I just said I live in the middle of nowhere, and my representative is a bible thumping moralist with no chance in hell of ever supporting decriminalization.
I realize we have bad politicians everywhere, but it was a freaking joke... -_- sheeesh- brycelb, on 04/27/2008, -5/+1no-where-white-farming-America.
You said WHITE right there in the middle. Maybe you forgot. Would it be funny if I said,
I live in the middle of ghetto-overrun-black-inner city-America. - 33PercentGod, on 04/27/2008, -1/+1You do? Tough luck.
- NikoKun, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2-_- He thinks I'm black... LOL
***** off Brycelb, I'm white, so I'm allowed to make fun of other white people. =P - NikoKun, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1*note:
Not that black people can't make fun of us too... I could care less about who's making fun of who, race doesn't matter one bit.
- brycelb, on 04/27/2008, -5/+1no-where-white-farming-America.
- jeet404, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3Actually believe it or not...drug bans came out because the south didn't want blacks to have access to any sort of drug. After alcohol was banned for the colored people. The blacks started to use cocaine which was widely available during that time. So then the southern states tried to pass state based laws to stop cocaine sale to colored people...unless prescribed by a doctor. Even that failed because cocaine like how weed is today was available at every corner. So after that when the congress was about to pass a law requiring medicine to contain ingredients on there bottles, the south made a huge push with media highly publicizing stories of the "Negro high on cocaine rapes a white women" and other such crap. This forced the first ever ban on any drug in history of USA. After this ban everyone jumped on the bandwagon and started to ban the other drugs also.
So in the end actually yes drug ban was because the white southerners were afraid of the freed blacks. So this was one of the ways for them to control there lives. Well not only blacks but any other race that wasn't white.
- NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3Where the ***** did I say that? I just said I live in the middle of nowhere, and my representative is a bible thumping moralist with no chance in hell of ever supporting decriminalization.
- xkorbin, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4where? I am a south dakotaite/iowan.
- gropo, on 04/27/2008, -0/+35Oh crap, my senator is Hillary Clinton /facepalm
- exomni, on 04/27/2008, -2/+1Renzi is an amazingly corrupt *****, but if he receives enough letters his vacant and nonexistent conscience might convince him to abstain from voting on the matter.
- djphatjive, on 04/27/2008, -38/+2***** Pot Heads!
- normlsparky, on 04/27/2008, -14/+392any person with a room temp IQ or higher knows that marijuana is not the demonized drug our news media and politicians have made it out to be. it is far less damaging to individuals or society than alcohol. the endless string of lies offered to defend the prohibitionist viewpoint has become nauseating. it NEVER made black men rape white women. it NEVER caused users to go insane. it DOES NOT cause any society to spiral into a downward hell of crime and violence. canada is a recent example of this. anyone afraid to go to canada? it DOES have medicinal purposes. it is prescribed by doctors for many things around the world. people from all walks of life have used it. fast food employees, college kids, celebrities and even presidents of the united states of america. even if they don't admit to inhaling. there goes the "jobless bum" theory. i'm sure there are more mindless theories out there that are equally ficticious. let's use our common sense for a change. legalize it. regulate it. tax it. let's start treating drug addiction the same way we treat alcoholism. it is a disease, not a crime.
- Crazychipmunk, on 04/27/2008, -3/+20I have a question about pot, if anyone is willing to answer: Is it a hallucinogen? If not, what does it do? I checked wikipedia, but I couldn't find much about its effects.
Any answers would be great.- Protoss, on 04/27/2008, -3/+2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_issues_and_eff ...
- omnithought, on 04/27/2008, -3/+40It makes you hungry, thirsty, somewhat euphoric and spaced out. Then it wears off in a couple hours. That's about it.
- mrsteveman1, on 04/27/2008, -16/+3Technically yea, but that doesn't mean it makes you see colors etc.
- Maver1c, on 04/27/2008, -2/+17Marijuana is not a hallucinogen. It will not make you see anything that is not there. It may boost your creativity, but that's it.
- mrsteveman1, on 04/27/2008, -2/+7Perhaps you should look up the definition of hallucinogen.
Seeing things that aren't there isn't a requisite effect of a hallucinogen, which i already pointed out in the comment you responded to. - mrsteveman1, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4If you want to split hairs, its a psychedelic. Is that good enough for you? that i used a word without "hallucinate" in it?
- mrsteveman1, on 04/27/2008, -2/+7Perhaps you should look up the definition of hallucinogen.
- gravityboard, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5Everyone please note that mrsteveman is buried because he's blatantly wrong. Just saying, if you've never smoked before, don't think that we're trying to hide something by digging him down.
- mrsteveman1, on 04/27/2008, -2/+1Wrong how? Wrong like "haha i think ur wrong cuz i don't know what hallucinogen means" ?
Perhaps you should notify the rest of the world that they got it wrong:'
"One thing that most of these drugs do not do, despite the ingrained usage of the term hallucinogen, is to cause hallucination."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucinogenic - mrsteveman1, on 04/27/2008, -1/+4You might also want to correct the rest of wikipedia too:
"Classification
"While many drugs clearly fall into the category of either Stimulant, Depressant, Hallucinogen, or Antipsychotic, cannabis, containing both THC and CBD, exhibits a mix of all sections, leaning towards the Hallucinogen section due to THC being the primary constituent"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_(drug)
- mrsteveman1, on 04/27/2008, -2/+1Wrong how? Wrong like "haha i think ur wrong cuz i don't know what hallucinogen means" ?
- Maver1c, on 04/27/2008, -2/+17Marijuana is not a hallucinogen. It will not make you see anything that is not there. It may boost your creativity, but that's it.
- JustinHopewell, on 04/27/2008, -1/+21It has never caused me to hallucinate, but it does increase all of your senses, especially your sense of hearing. The hum of an air conditioner running, for instance. Sometimes, depending on your dose, you may hear slight audible hallucinations, but never anything on par with acid or the way pot smoking is depicted in movies and tv shows.
- JustinHopewell, on 04/27/2008, -2/+17I would also add that it does make you slightly paranoid, but that's usually only stemming from the fact that its illegal. Outside of that, depending on your personality, you may be more sensitive to having your feelings hurt or hurting someone else's. It tends to make you care about people more. If you're out in public when you're high and you kind of forget that you're high, you may end up talking to people you never would have talked to before. It's actually a very social drug, especially if you have a group of friends to do it with. Don't listen to the propaganda on tv!
Although, I'm very jealous of the guy in that commercial who wraps himself up in a cocoon of weed. - sweetholymosiah, on 04/27/2008, -4/+17I dunno man, I find it is quite anti-social... I get spacey, and can't think of things to say to beautiful women.
- djm101, on 04/27/2008, -2/+11The paranoia does not stem from that fact it is illegal, it stems from the fact the drug increases your level of paranoia. What may however increase it further is the fact it is illegal. Not the other way around.
- fyngyrz, on 04/27/2008, -3/+9No. Paranoia is "delusion of persecution"
The actions of the government are *actual* persecution.
There's no delusion here. This would be simply be what is called a heightened sense of awareness; exactly what users of the drug value in the general (positive) case.
Of course if your awareness is being impinged upon by the reality of a huge organization of jackbooted thugs who you know would not hesitate for a moment to break down your door, ruin your life, and when you finally get released from pound-you-in-the-ass prison, ensure you instantly join the bottom class of never-get-hired for anything but a Mcjob...
...then I'd say it might not be the best choice to enhance your awareness in the first place. Wait until it's legal; then indulge. Otherwise you may pay a ridiculously high price for a comparatively small pleasure.
Spend your time working to correct the system instead. Save yourself, and uncountable numbers of future victims, from the idiots in the legislature, their enforcement minions, and spending time in the disgusting excuse for a prison system they maintain.
- fyngyrz, on 04/27/2008, -3/+9No. Paranoia is "delusion of persecution"
- JustinHopewell, on 04/27/2008, -2/+17I would also add that it does make you slightly paranoid, but that's usually only stemming from the fact that its illegal. Outside of that, depending on your personality, you may be more sensitive to having your feelings hurt or hurting someone else's. It tends to make you care about people more. If you're out in public when you're high and you kind of forget that you're high, you may end up talking to people you never would have talked to before. It's actually a very social drug, especially if you have a group of friends to do it with. Don't listen to the propaganda on tv!
- stonewaljacksn, on 04/27/2008, -3/+4"corner of your eye visuals"
- camiloteram, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1I get that.
- Pschkqitzsough, on 04/27/2008, -8/+6If you smoke it you get about 7% of the THC if you eat it, you get 100% (it must be cooked to activate the THC) and I have seen colors after eating brownies that had a lot of really good weed in them. It's nothing like LCD though as far as visuals go.
- sweetholymosiah, on 04/27/2008, -0/+9You've gotta mix it with some sort of fat so your body can ingest and metabolize it or something though...
- TJ11240, on 04/27/2008, -0/+35Yea I hear LCD screens have really good visuals these days.
- mrsteveman1, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5Only if you crush them up and snort them
- fyngyrz, on 04/27/2008, -0/+14You just need to go organic, man. The visuals on an OLED are Sgt. Pepper-worthy. LCD's are like... a beatnik habit. So not happenin'.
- StickWST, on 04/27/2008, -1/+4Heat doesn't activate anything, the THC just has to bind to a fat or alcohol.
- NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -0/+13The best description I can give you, is that it makes things more fun and interesting, even when those things are simple or sometimes pointless.
It gives you a euphoric feeling, makes you feel more cheery and less worried about your every day stresses. Also gives you a body high, and relaxes your joints and muscles, and makes them feel nice.
It also helps me to let go of issues that bug me... And calms my mind, which is incredible for helping me get to sleep.
It also enhances the enjoyment of experiences, music, food, TV/movies/games, social situations, sex, it makes them all better.
And it's not really hallucinogenic, unless you do way too much, and even then it's rare... It's a low harm drug, and doing too much generally just makes you sleepy. And although it can slow you down, or sometimes negatively effect memory or motor function, that is a minimal effect, and for experienced users, hardly effects them at all.
So frankly, I think it can easily be a far safer drug for society, than Alcohol is. - eggsovereasy, on 04/27/2008, -1/+7I think audial hallucinogens are more common. Hearing the phone ring or a knock on the door for example.
- rory2267, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2(last night)
- oxdeltaxo, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Foot steps for the more paranoid person.
- stoanhart, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3Sometimes if you close your eyes you will vaguely see patterns and colors. Mostly, it affects your mood. You lose the ability to multitask, but you can focus in one thing in particular: music will captivate you, and will sound better than ever before; a movie will be more engaging and funnier; video games will be much more exciting. The physical effects mainly include a sort of relaxed, warm, buzzing sensation. If you've had a very stressful day and your head feels like its about to explode, smoking weed is like a massage for your brain.
- GhostyBoy, on 04/27/2008, -3/+14It makes it so your dog can fly.
- haus34, on 04/27/2008, -2/+3a hallucinogen is a substance that can cause subjective changes in perception, thought, emotion and consciousness
i would argue that marijuana is a very mild hallucinogen becuase it can slightly alter most of the above
most people dont understand that just because something doesnt make you see things that arent there, doesnt mean it isnt a hallucinogen- kevbyrne, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2so alcohol is a hallucinogen?
- haus34, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3no alcohol is a depressant because it diminishes the function of the senses rather than amplifying or distorting them
sorry i didnt specify correctly. should have said that hallucinogens cause a distortion of perception, thought, and emotion
either way, i stand by my statement that marijuana is a mild hallucinogen
- haus34, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3no alcohol is a depressant because it diminishes the function of the senses rather than amplifying or distorting them
- kevbyrne, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2so alcohol is a hallucinogen?
- 4degrees, on 04/27/2008, -0/+12its all purely subjective really, some people get hungry others dont. some sit and laugh others want to go out climbing or swimming or some kind of activity. Really, it feels good "high" really is the way to describe it. Its definitely worth a try, if ya dont like it, ya dont like it.
the ads telling you weed makes you sit in a dank basement is only a half truth. Really its the fact that it is illegal that makes one hide in dank basements.- HeyLew, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2***** the government
- BabaRamDass, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1It depends on what your definition of "hallucinogen" is. Strictly speaking, a hallucinogen is a substance that causes one to perceive things that are not truly there; for example, seeing a pink elephant sitting in the living room. Not even drugs like psilocybin, mescaline, and LSD are true hallucinogens, though they are so often incorrectly categorized as such.
So no, marijuana is not a *true* hallucinogen; that is, it does not cause you to perceive things that are not truly there. It can, however, be a hallucinogen in the sense that psilocybin, mescaline, and LSD are hallucinogens; that is, it can cause you to have modified perceptions of things that are there. This typically only happens in larger doses, oftentimes when eaten--not smoked. And typically the effect is largely auditory, not visual.
Hope that answers your question. - joloveli, on 04/27/2008, -1/+0"Whatever I'm already doing becomes enhanced when I smoke pot. It can also be demotivating, because if I'm not doing anything and I smoke a joint, it enhances just sitting in a chair. Then I don't even want to get up to change a record. That might not be a bad thing, but you have to get things done once in a while." Chrissie Hynd (the Pretenders)
"The only effect that I ever noticed from smoking marijuana was a sort of mild sedative, a release of tension when I was overworking. It never made me boisterous or quarrelsome. If anything, it calmed me and reduced my activity." Robert Mitchum (actor)
"I was a heavy drinker, but the alcohol affected my heart rather than my liver. So I stopped. I smoke grass now. I say that to everybody, because marijuana should be legalized. It's ridiculous that it isn't. If at the end of the day I feel like smoking a joint I do it. It changes the perception of what I've been through all day." Robert Altman (On the advisory board of NORML) - HeyLew, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1just try it a few times... if you havent smoked cigarettes you most likely arent going to understand how to smoke pot. so it may take a few times to get it down. also i don't even remember why i was scared of pot before i tried it. because nothing bad happens, besides being heavly critisized or misunderstood if you live in a conservative area. i went to a lutheran highschool and 80% of the kids in my class were against alcohol.. bla bla bla so bad.. then they went to college and come back after the first semester.." oh yeah man we drank so much, bla bla bla, its so fun....anything that scares you about trying something is just ***** propoganda that makes its way down the chain, and has been in our socienty for over 80 years.
- Uggamugg, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2it actually speeds up the rate of perception (what we refer to as time). So you are able to analyze more of the world faster which will lead you to a different view of the world. Don't expect to remember those thoughts entirely as the these memories will be encoded differently than normal. You will have a better chance of remembering if you're in the same state of mind again (high off weed in this instance). So get a video camera or a note pad, smoke some weed and check out the note pad or video the next day.
- kelmaster1, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Cannabis IS a hallucinogen, but can only be noticed in large doses; eating it is the only way to achieve this effect ,unless it's super-medical-chronic THC~30%, which only hydroponic super strains can achieve, ie. you've never smoked it before. Most good chronic is around 10-15% THC.
- diggenerate, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1That is not entirely true, there are several strains that are widely available that contain high amounts of THC ~25-30% (like White Widow) which are very common you can pick up a gram from your local street pharmacist for about $20 U.S.
- omnithought, on 04/27/2008, -2/+5Well said
- kelmaster1, on 04/27/2008, -0/+0indeed
- Typhoon2009, on 04/27/2008, -4/+23I have to say. My friend smokes weed once in a while, and he's a very smart person. Probably coulda gotten into MIT if he tried hard enough. He made a very good point once: Whether MJ acts as a 'gateway' depends on the user. A person who's an escapist, trying to get away from the harsh realities of his life might try MJ first... then he might get involved in something stronger... and spirals down. A person who smokes it just for the sake of it rather than to escape something generally doesn't fall down that dark hole.
- Malacandra95, on 04/27/2008, -1/+50The whole "gateway drug" talking point was a fallacy: post hoc ergo propter hoc: "after this, therefore because of this".
You could just as easily demonstrate that 100% of heroin users started out drinking milk.- JustinHopewell, on 04/27/2008, -1/+19The only truth I can find to Marijuana being a gateway drug is the government's fault. Public school, television, and politicians all spout off uninformed ***** about drugs, but most especially marijuana. I remember that after I had tried marijuana a few times, did some research on my own, hadn't noticed myself getting any dumber from supposed dead brain cells, didn't feel addicted to it, still got out of the house, still had a job, and realized that I had been lied to all my life about it-- yeah! Yeah, I started to think about trying other drugs; who's to say they didn't lie to me about that, as well?
And while I've tried a plethora of other substances, am I addicted to any of those drugs? No. Did I ever end up in the hospital because of drug use? No. The reason is that I'm responsible with my use both to myself and to the people around me. And there's numerous other responsible users in this country who shouldn't be in prison or shouldn't have to deal with a racing heart anytime a knock is heard on their door, thinking it may just be the cops this time, here to haul them away for hurting no one and abusing no one else's rights as a citizen of the United States.- fyngyrz, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1"Public school, television, and politicians all spout off uninformed ***** about drugs, but most especially marijuana"
And this surprises you?
Anti-drug efforts provide for incredible amounts of spending; the federal DEA alone is 2.5 BILLION dollars a year; add to that all the other sectors that receive funds from the feds, and THEN add in all the state and local operations...
If everyone stopped using drugs today it would deal a crushing blow to law enforcement. That's not going to happen. But if we managed to legislate the spending away by legalizing drugs, it would have the same effect -- so you can be sure that there is no way on this green earth that is going to happen either.
They've turned your personal choices into a huge cash cow they can milk forever by scaring the hell out of dumb parents and gullible flag-wavers, which together -- sadly -- comprise the bulk of the US population.
The best option for anyone is to opt-out of the whole mess by skipping the entire taking drugs option, and working to chip away at the easiest to attack portions of the system, which is definitely marijuana laws.
There's no question in any sensible, informed person's mind that the entire US drug policy and pendant enforcement is nightmare of wrongness on the part of the government; but this is an area where civil disobedience leads to far too harsh a result to seriously consider it -- if you're smart.
Sadly, again, the reality of the Gaussian means that about half the people aren't very smart. That means they don't think ahead, and that means if they're drug users, they're potential victims of the system. Those are the people I'd like to save from the government. They're victims of the evil and corrupt in the truest sense of the phrase. - jbnumba1, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Dugg for racing heart when there's a knock at the door. i HATE that *****.
- haus34, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1"I started to think about trying other drugs; who's to say they didn't lie to me about that, as well?"
in this sense many anti drug programs (i.e. D.A.R.E.) are counterproductive - fyngyrz, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Of course the lying, stupid anti-drug program doesn't work to counter drug use. That's not what it is for. It is there to keep the anti-drug industry going and supported by the rank and file ignorant citizen. And it does an excellent job of it. 2.5 billion dollars a year just to the DEA. Imagine how much goes to state and local efforts, and how much time is wasted looking after a non-problem while the legislators themselves ignore or bury issues of actual significance.
The trick is not to fall for it. They *want* you to use illegal drugs. The entire system is designed to trick you into it. It's a multi-billion dollar a year system with the single goal of arresting you, prosecuting you, delivering up any money you might have to lawyers, and finally placing your sorry ass in prison where the prison system extracts another fifty grand a year out of giving you the opportunity to engage in non-consensual anal sex. After which, to top it off, they make sure you can only get a Mcjob. So don't fall for it. Skip the whole illegal drug thing and indulge in sex, moderate legal alcohol use at home, and put the money you would have put into drugs into something useful. Like a savings account. Or a Hitachi Magic Wand. Something which chicks *actually* dig. :-)
- fyngyrz, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1"Public school, television, and politicians all spout off uninformed ***** about drugs, but most especially marijuana"
- Subliminational, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5Continued marijuana use does mean that you are hanging around people with deeper links to the drug culture. That is, they have access to harder drugs, thus giving you more opportunities to try drugs you might not have tried otherwise. Not that you necessarily will. Someone who has decided only to use pot can certainly stop themselves from using other drugs. However, being around people who use harder drugs can desensitize you to some extent to the use of harder drugs. I've seen this happen with several of my friends. Perhaps they would have sought out harder drugs anyway, but I think that their associations played at least a small role.
- fyngyrz, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1"Continued marijuana use does mean that you are hanging around people with deeper links to the drug culture."
No. It doesn't. No more than buying bread means you hang out with bakers, or regular flying means you hang out with aircraft mechanics. You're just regurgitating the government's lies on this. Some dealers only sell weed; there are many reasons to go this way. Think for yourself. What you use is your choice. Always. If you CHOOSE to use something, that's your fault -- not the fault of the substance, or the last substance you used, or the friends you hang out with. YOU.
- fyngyrz, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1"Continued marijuana use does mean that you are hanging around people with deeper links to the drug culture."
- 4degrees, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3though i agree with you the whole "gateway" thing is horse *****. One would think that drugs that were already legal like booze and cigarettes would be the first to be labeled "gateway drug". But alas poor weed does not have corporate backup to defend its honor and prevent its labelling.
- JustinHopewell, on 04/27/2008, -1/+19The only truth I can find to Marijuana being a gateway drug is the government's fault. Public school, television, and politicians all spout off uninformed ***** about drugs, but most especially marijuana. I remember that after I had tried marijuana a few times, did some research on my own, hadn't noticed myself getting any dumber from supposed dead brain cells, didn't feel addicted to it, still got out of the house, still had a job, and realized that I had been lied to all my life about it-- yeah! Yeah, I started to think about trying other drugs; who's to say they didn't lie to me about that, as well?
- stonewaljacksn, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3marijuana is not a gatewat drug. someone who is willing to smoke pot obviously already has the inclination to experiment with substances. I drank alcohol before I smoked weed, and I wouldnt call alcohol a gateway drug.
- cutiger, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1I would.
- Subliminational, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2I'd certainly be more willing to do things that I was normally opposed to if I was drunk.
- diggenerate, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1but when you smoke weed you usually don't have the motivation to do anything ( except smoke more weed and eat munchies )
- i11ma7ic, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1my first day trying alcohol was also my first day trying mj... 3 shots of greygoose was totally a gateway drug to dro that day, but ever since then, i hardly ever drink and hardly ever do pot...although i really like pot way more. i'm basically saying that alcohol isnt a gateway drug, and pointlessly saying that i only do it for kicks!
- Spudster, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Everyone uses drugs as an "escape" in the same way as people who watch TV as an escape from their normal lives. Any form of entertainment has the purpose. The problem in drug addiction comes when people use it too much that it interferes with their life.
- imgstacke, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1The fact that it is illegal is its only detriment in so far as you must get the drug from people selling 'Other' harsher drugs. That is its only association with hard drugs. If it were sold and regulated, there would be no underground market for it, and its gateway status would evaporate.
- Malacandra95, on 04/27/2008, -1/+50The whole "gateway drug" talking point was a fallacy: post hoc ergo propter hoc: "after this, therefore because of this".
- atact88, on 04/27/2008, -23/+7Pot can be the catalyst that triggers schizophrenia in individuals who have a prior mental vulnerability. I know three guys who went round the bend. They had been smoking up for years, but one night, after lighting up a joint or a bong, it triggered something. One of my buddies walked into a bathroom after getting high one night, and when he came out he was gone. Totally schizophrenic. He's on heavy meds to this day. Another buddy of mine also went totally schizophrenic after pot, in combination with an antidepressant he was on. He ultimately committed suicide. A third friend - same deal. Smoked up, never came back.
For ninety-something percent of us, pot is perfectly safe. But it's inaccurate to say that it NEVER caused users to go insane. It can act as a trigger, as I said, in individuals with a mental vulnerability.- stonewaljacksn, on 04/27/2008, -17/+1dont you dare try to disagree!! this is the freethinking free speech loving digg where you will be dugg down for providing information that is contrary to the herd's viewpoint....kind of like a microcosm of america i guess. but yeah I love weed, and I have seen serious mental problems "open up" in people as a result of weed. whether or not he went back to normal after he came down i dont know
- SzaszMan, on 04/27/2008, -2/+17The supposed strong causal connection between pot and mental illness has been pretty much debunked. Alcohol, which has been legal in the US for decades now at this point, has a correlation with psychosis far stronger than cannabis by several orders of magnitude - and society seems to do just fine.
- Evermin7, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1I agree....except for the whole "society seems just fine" thing. Heh.
- TimeLincoln, on 04/27/2008, -2/+2That LSD you are thinking of...not weed....
- HeyLew, on 04/27/2008, -1/+1don't dis acid
- Pschkqitzsough, on 04/27/2008, -1/+8Correlation (one following the other) does not necessitate causation. Many people suddenly become schizophrenic with no pot or meds etc. It could have just as easily happened if he hadn't have smoked pot.
- atact88, on 04/27/2008, -4/+0but within 5 minutes of smoking pot?
- Pschkqitzsough, on 04/28/2008, -0/+5I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing you've had 3 friends who have all smoked pot and gone insane. The chances of that happening are ridiculously low(i.e. virtually impossible) considering only about 4 people in 1000 has the disorder..
Assuming you don't have anywhere near 1000 friends you are either A) lying or B) someone is tainting your pot with schizophrenic inducing chemicals IMO. However, the former seems much likely. Did all 3 lose it immediately after smoking? Was it from the same dealer? The story doesn't make sense to me as I've never heard of anyone going insane; pot or not and I know quite a few potheads (almost all of my friends smoke it and it's mostly girls who don't)..
- Pschkqitzsough, on 04/28/2008, -0/+5I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing you've had 3 friends who have all smoked pot and gone insane. The chances of that happening are ridiculously low(i.e. virtually impossible) considering only about 4 people in 1000 has the disorder..
- atact88, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1Believe what you want. I know the chances are ridiculously low, and the fact that I've had 3 friends go is a remarkable fact. But to me, it is a clear illustration that ***** can happen.
- atact88, on 04/27/2008, -4/+0but within 5 minutes of smoking pot?
- NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -1/+12Alcohol is a FAR greater contributor to schizophrenia, and general mental diseases, than Marijuana is.
Such claims are pointless, and harmful propaganda, unless compared to currently legal drugs. So stop spreading that misinformation scare *****.
Even if such a claim is true (which the studies for suggesting that are severely flawed), it is Still safer than alcohol. And not a reason for keeping it illegal. - anachronaut, on 04/27/2008, -0/+7You're either lying, leaving something out, or you don't have a complete understanding of what really happened to your "three friends".
That's why you're being dugg down.
- TimeLincoln, on 04/27/2008, -1/+6Marijuana isn't even addictive. I was talking to a guy,who in his psychology class said his professor showed them a chart. It range from 1-100 1 being least addictive. Marijuana was about a 15, where alcohol was about 60-70.
- jbnumba1, on 04/27/2008, -0/+6You can DIE from alcohol withdrawals.
- Commodore84, on 04/27/2008, -5/+6That's a reputable resource--a chart with no units or citation on a Powerpoint slide in a psych class some dude was taking.
- Quag, on 04/27/2008, -0/+7http://www.procon.org/AddictChart.htm
- joloveli, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1it's psychologically addictive.... but that is not necessarily a bad thing. you can be psychologically addicted to anything (a person, pet, blanket, stuffed animal, etc.) but that is no reason for it to be illegal.
i'll be the 1st to admit i'm psychologically addicted to it. but let me explain: i don't have thoughts such as "ahh i need to get high!!" but rather i know what it does to me, how it makes me feel/think, etc. and i know the appropriate & inappropriate times to use it and by god if i feel like smoking, i'm going to smoke.
random side note: i live in austin,tx where possession is still illegal (but cops have the option of arresting you or giving you a ticket... *****, but that's another issue..) but any outdoor concert or festival, you will find people smoking pot and cops looking the other way. (even at the obama rally at the capitol!). of course tons of people still get in trouble for it on a day-to-day basis, but it's nice to see folks recognizing it's not harmful and that it can be used in public and not cause problems.- diggenerate, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3I like smoking weed before going to a funny movie, or my favorite restaurant. It makes everything better.
- Pschkqitzsough, on 04/27/2008, -1/+23My brother is a computer scientist and a math and physics genius (not JMO). He smokes at least 3 or 4 times a day and is most definitely THE most smart person I know. He works at Cisco Systems Inc. (the networking Co. NOT the food service) and makes over 100,000/year and has only been there for a little over a year. He said there are quite a few other computer scientists that he works with that also smoke pot daily including his g/f that he met at work and is a fellow comp. scientist. Another note, he is probably the hardest working person I know as well, because he constantly is studying to further his knowledge to advance himself at his job (which is actually required).
- gropo, on 04/27/2008, -1/+9Absolutely, sometimes it's an ideal way to relieve the pressure of highly focused thought. Far better than bathing your liver in fatty-tumor-promoting poison.
- AmnioticEntity, on 04/27/2008, -8/+1hey can i get a reference? i've been trying to get an intern gig @ cisco since i moved to raleigh...
- isaactwito, on 04/27/2008, -5/+13A warning to everyone. I personally am all in favor of weed. I toke a few times a day usually. But it is important to remember that WEED IS NOT COMPLETELY SAFE. My father is a psychiatrist and has talked to me before about pot and has let me read some of his medical journals and texts that cover legitimate medical tests on the effects of marijuana. While it is not nearly as bad for you as most drugs, there are serious mental health concerns that could arise. If you are predisposed to psychosis, schizophrenia, or other similar mental health disorders, you could trigger effects of these from smoking marijuana. It's not by any means common, but if you have a family history of psychosis or something, then you might not want to take the chances (however small) of ending up with a disorder like this just because you wanted to toke some. While this is barely a problem in the larger scheme of weed due to the rarity of it, we need to remember that while fighting for the rights of marijuana we cannot ignore the other side of the argument.
- insllvn, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5Thank you for bringing that up. It is a harmful to the cause to spout lies about how cannabis has NO ill effects as it is to go off on how once you smoke weed, next thing you know you'll be hanging out with jazz musicians/joining gangs/shooting heroin/etc. Cannabis is a drug, and there are some dangers associated with it. Too much of anything is not good for you and cannabis is no exception. The fact remains that it is much safer than alcohol, caffeine, and any number of other legal prescription drugs. End prohibition, it only breeds disrespect for the rule of law, and organized crime.
- haus34, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2very good point, and intelligibly stated as well
we need more pot smokers with your sensibility and intelligence to fight for the cause - StickWST, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1This is true, but shouldnt affect the legal status. Many OTC drugs could do the same.
- gravityboard, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2If you're predisposed to heart disease that could cause heart attacks, the government doesn't limit the amount of running you're allowed to do.
You're correct about predisposition to medical conditions, it just needs to fall under the category of "personal responsibility".
- gwellington, on 04/27/2008, -1/+6my IQ temp is in units of kelvin
- 4degrees, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4what is it with people and loving to tax things?
- nakani, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1They feel like they have to give something back to the gov't to appease them
- user5124, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2Because it is the best way to convince the government. They won't change the laws simply because it would massively benefit the people. They'll change the laws because of a combination of pressure and greed.
- blackdeath88012, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1^^ That nigga knows..
- BriVaps, on 04/27/2008, -4/+1i see that you mention that marajuana has never caused a user to go insane
that is wrong
I know somebody who flipped out and developed scitzophrenia because he smoked some really strong weed
google marajuana and scitzophrenia- positron, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3No, no you don't.
- normlsparky, on 04/30/2008, -0/+2that is your opinion as a medical professional? people "flip out" and develop schizophrenia for many reasons. even people who don't use any drugs at all.
- ashfish, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1I've hallucinated once in my 6 years of smoking and the hallucinations lasted for about 2 minutes. This was also when I was new to smoking. The chances of hallucinating on weed are very small but it does happen. The experience is different for everyone, but on a general scale it makes you feel relaxed, kinda sleepy at times, hungry, and sometimes silly. It's like anything else where after you've built up a resistance to it your reactions to it change.
- b4u68k, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5alcohol is a gateway to death
- nightterror, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Life is a gateway to death. Some of us just get there faster than others...
- magixx2, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Life is the gateway to death.
- Spudster, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Just to clarify, contrary to popular opinion, marijuana is NOT decriminalized in Canada yet. The bill was implemented by the ruling party, but fell alongside the government that introduced it. We have a Conservative government now that has no intention of decriminalizing marijuana.
- Crazychipmunk, on 04/27/2008, -3/+20I have a question about pot, if anyone is willing to answer: Is it a hallucinogen? If not, what does it do? I checked wikipedia, but I couldn't find much about its effects.
- kemp34, on 04/27/2008, -8/+177End the ridiculous prohibition.
- dha07030, on 04/27/2008, -2/+1This is sorta spamming but everyone has to check out"There Will Be Bud" on Youtube, you will not regret it.
I would link it but then people might think it is a rickroll.- alz0rz, on 04/27/2008, -3/+4eh, it was okay (i actually went on youtube and looked it up), sort of exaggerated though..
here it is for anyone else: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0- dha07030, on 04/27/2008, -3/+1Cool glad I could share it with you.
- dha07030, on 04/27/2008, -1/+4***** I am naive. His link is a rickroll, but really check out "There Will Be Bud" ***** hilarious.
- daguito81, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2I really haate you right now!
- IanPR, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1*****, why did I not check the comments?!?!
- alz0rz, on 04/27/2008, -3/+4eh, it was okay (i actually went on youtube and looked it up), sort of exaggerated though..
- swiftekho, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3I agree, this bill does try to get rid of federal laws that interfere with state laws, so I'm completely for it. Long live the Constitution.
- Akronos, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1I just don't want to pay for petty criminals to stay in prison.
- 33PercentGod, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1The only way it will end is when all the people in power die out with time and a new generation of people get put in place.
Sad,but true. - kelmaster1, on 04/28/2008, -0/+0Ya, its sad cannabis used to be legal, then they called it marijuana to get the typical stupid American to think it was some sort of crazy drug from Mexico, and everyone bought it. Farmers used to smoke cannabis all the time.
- dha07030, on 04/27/2008, -2/+1This is sorta spamming but everyone has to check out"There Will Be Bud" on Youtube, you will not regret it.
- Itazura, on 04/27/2008, -3/+32"Action Required at State Level: The bill would divest the federal government of authority to prosecute low-level possession, but state laws would still need to be changed for responsible users to be protected, except potentially in Alaska."
- dexter411, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2Yep... gotta love the Tenth Amendment.
- Rocketbird, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3Yeah, but it's a lot easier to convince the state to change its mind than the federal government. I live in Colorado and Denver legalized marijuana. It doesn't mean anything since it's still illegal at higher levels, but if it were only illegal at the state level and the state CAPITAL legalized it? There'd be a good chance the state would follow suit legalize it. This begs a problem though, in that states without penalties for marijuana will soon be flooded with dirty hippies and those without penalties will be full of uptight conservatives : That would probably contribute another element to the polarization of America.
- BenderFlexo, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Just like that South Park episode!
- x0rcist, on 04/27/2008, -29/+15"Smokin' Cali weed, it helps to calm a nigga down." - Brisco
- wmcsm, on 04/27/2008, -2/+3This was NOT necessary!!
- Chaos12, on 04/28/2008, -2/+2***** you this is the internet
- ORBAT, on 04/27/2008, -1/+4That, or a nice dose of thorazine hidden in a watermelon.
- wmcsm, on 04/27/2008, -2/+3This was NOT necessary!!
- Heysal, on 04/27/2008, -3/+70Dow isn't gonna like it when we can grow hemp and get ourselves some nice affordable and durable natural fiber clothes again. Tsk.
- JustinHopewell, on 04/27/2008, -1/+11The bill states that growing it yourself would still be illegal. You'll be buying your weed from Phillip Morris or RJ Reynolds.
- esteskid, on 04/27/2008, -0/+7Well you'll also probably be able to buy it from me once I set up my microgrowery. The states would probably love small business types growing/selling it, for the same reason they loosened regulations to lend way for the microbrewery and whiskey distilleries.
- zephyr42, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3Esteskid is right, once you get the country's foot in the door of legalization and the fundamentalists haven't found any proof it makes people crazy, you'll see states start pushing for more legalized cannabis production. This mostly legalized state will also bring more people that have smoked before out of the woodworks and more willing to say "yes i smoke, no i'm not insane, nor headed that way..."
- HeyLew, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2philip morris or RJ reynolds..... great... i cant wait to get chemical adulterants in my joints
- TrevaLVF, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Yeah, they'll be adding all kinds of addictive substances to it along with pesticides, formaldehyde and other crap.
- TH3W1R3D, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3Still a step in the right direction.
- TVarmy, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Philip Morris owns Kraft Foods. Or, it could be argued the other way around. Officially, Kraft owns them, but it Philip Morris was originally the parent company. We are already owned by them, smokers or not. If it's not made by ConAgra, and you're putting it in your mouth, it's probably made by Kraft.
Although, Easy Bake Mac would be a great money saver for college students. - TrevaLVF, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2"You'll be buying your weed from Phillip Morris or RJ Reynolds."
And paying out the ass in taxes that will rise and rise and rise and rise just like with tobacco products. And that will bring about the kind of activities that we have today where trucks hauling tobacco products get hijacked by people that sell the loot on the black market for less money to consumers that cannot afford to pay the outrageous taxes, or don't want to blow all that money on the outrageously high taxes.
It might also be controlled by drug making corporations and (again) where the amount equal to a dime bag could cost consumers over $80. Again, that would encourage a black market.
It needs to be at the same kind of status that growing chives and basil are. In other words, unless you're selling it, you should be able to grow it without fascist government regulations and senseless taxation if you're growing for personal use and freely sharing with friends.- JustinHopewell, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1I agree with you completely, but you and I both know that's fantasy land, not the U.S.
- kelmaster1, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2wow, someone who knows what's up. Its funny that paper can be produced with far less chemicals and substantially cheaper with hemp than wood. That's why Hearst was all about the anti-marijuana campaign or his famous movie "Marijuana Madness". Hearst owned large stocks of timber and large paper mills for his media machine which included, at the time, hundreds of newspapers and magazines. Cheap hemp was a threat to his business as well as Dow's since they supplied the chemicals for paper processing. Dow also supplied chemicals for cotton processing. Its well known that hemp is a miracle crop and has many uses, even Jefferson said it himself. Unfortunately there is still a lot of Hearst media that is still around and the American people in general are remarkably fickle.
- JustinHopewell, on 04/27/2008, -1/+11The bill states that growing it yourself would still be illegal. You'll be buying your weed from Phillip Morris or RJ Reynolds.
- mooseontheloose, on 04/27/2008, -39/+28FYI to Bamabots: Obama would vote against this
- MidgetWannabe, on 04/27/2008, -11/+57FYI to the uninformed:
""I think that we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws. But I'm not somebody who believes in legalization of marijuana. What I do believe is that we need to rethink how we are operating in the drug wars, and I think that currently we are not doing a good job.""
-Barack Obama
http://glassbooth.org/explore/index/barack-obama/1 ...
"Mr. Obama as the lone presidential candidate among the four leading challengers in either party who supports eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana. Mr. Obama's chief rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton, opposes decriminalization, Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer said."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080131/NA ...- ElAssoWipo, on 04/27/2008, -9/+16Well as usual: it means absolutely nothing.
His quote means whatever you want it to mean depending on which camp you belong to. He can't even flip flop because he never flopped (or is it flipped?) in the first place.
He's against marijuana legislation and he's for it too, depends on who he's talking to:
http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_blog/2008/feb/ ...
He wants to pull all the troops out of Iraq also. Something between 1 a year starting when he gets elected and all of them, eventually. Apprently 2013 is too soon for him.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/09/27/dems.debate ...
So he never said he'll pull the troops, that would be making a commitment, he'll "start" removing troops.
The man is a kite. - elnerdo, on 04/27/2008, -5/+10ElAssoWipo, (if you ignore the irrelevant point about Iraq) made a very good point. The statements cited by MidgetWannabe have no meaning. All Obama actually said is that we need to 'rethink' the laws. This is a really tricky statement, and it's very likely that pro-Obama people will take it as meaning whatever they want it to mean. In reality, however, the statement should be ignored, because it's meaningless.
- LoveWidescreen, on 04/27/2008, -3/+7@MidgetWannabe:
That proves NOTHING. There are very few politicians who actually follow through with campaign promises. Theyn say what they think the people want to hear. That's the idea behind being a politician. The fact that you seem to be taking these statements as some kind of golden ticket that he's going to vote for a pro-marijuana bill should it come before him is quite frightening. - ATLien74, on 04/27/2008, -1/+13Did you even read the quote you pasted? Particularly this part: "But I'm not somebody who believes in legalization of marijuana." That's pretty clear to me. The ONLY candidate who is actually for the FULL legalization of marijuana is one of the Republican Congressmen who signed on to support this bill and his name is RON PAUL!
- mGARANDEUR1, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3Obama will not legalize marijuana. He blatantly stated that.
- ElAssoWipo, on 04/27/2008, -9/+16Well as usual: it means absolutely nothing.
- dbs1221, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2He wouldn't vote for it at all it is in the house.
- MidgetWannabe, on 04/27/2008, -11/+57FYI to the uninformed:
- ats314, on 04/27/2008, -8/+269The bill has been introduced by US Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) and co-sponsored by US Presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX).
- zephyr42, on 04/27/2008, -4/+8Yeah the announcement on Real Time with Bill Maher by Barney Frank was a fantastic show. Course I was also smoking a bowl..... that may have something to do with it.
- blueRAP, on 04/27/2008, -9/+11who is Ron Paul?
- weloveronpaul, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Cj3gxqpzw&feature ...
- weloveronpaul, on 04/27/2008, -3/+9Google ron paul or do a search on digg even.
He is not a member of the cfr like obama, clinton, and Mcshame.
He wants to get rid of the federal reserve, the irs and the income tax along with it.
He wants to pull us out of Iraq, and bring our troops back home for real security. He wants to insure freedoms are not infringed upon by the federal govt.- kelerps, on 04/27/2008, -5/+1Wow, too bad there are not more people in congress like him. Wish someone similar to him would run for president, I would definitely vote for them.
- blueRAP, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4I guess I should have used the /joke tag
i fail- gravityboard, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1I dugg you up and got the joke. If that was first-tier on the comment thread near the top it would've been a huge hit...
- blueRAP, on 04/27/2008, -9/+11who is Ron Paul?
- antiorblkflag9, on 04/27/2008, -2/+1Once our generation are the one's in office, we will have no problems legalizing it...although it would be nice to have it now.
- ricree, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3There wasn't exactly a lack of pot users in the 60s, and yet it still hasn't been legalized even though most of the people in office are of that generation.
- antiorblkflag9, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2True...
- ricree, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3There wasn't exactly a lack of pot users in the 60s, and yet it still hasn't been legalized even though most of the people in office are of that generation.
- Skooma714, on 04/27/2008, -0/+6Baby boomers smoked that ***** all the time in the 60s and that didn't change anything.
The current president has used cocaine yet nothing has been done about that.- antiorblkflag9, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1There is a difference between used and uses
- mGARANDEUR1, on 04/27/2008, -0/+6Ron Paul strikes again!
- popnwave, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Good too see people on BOTH sides of the aisle bringing this forward!
- chrispr, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Sorta, but you must admit Ron Paul isn't like the typical republicans of today.
- zephyr42, on 04/27/2008, -4/+8Yeah the announcement on Real Time with Bill Maher by Barney Frank was a fantastic show. Course I was also smoking a bowl..... that may have something to do with it.
- omnithought, on 04/27/2008, -7/+75About time we have a sane and sensible drug policy. Like Bill Hicks said, "Doesn't making nature against the law seem to you a bit...paranoid?"
- DrummerAndrew, on 04/27/2008, -2/+25"...a bit... unnatural." That's the quote.
- wafu, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2Ok... I've read this quote about 10 times on digg since 4/20; I'm sure everyone else has too.
- exomni, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4http://youtube.com/watch?v=jSH6ofHbeUw
Transcript of first 12 seconds:
"Why is marijuana against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn't the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit paranoid?" - sparsely, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5Lies! Do not misquote the prophet.
- ggfobster, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Even though you misquoted; dugg for Bill Hicks... the legend.
- DrummerAndrew, on 04/27/2008, -2/+25"...a bit... unnatural." That's the quote.
- skippyoh, on 04/27/2008, -9/+11It's about ***** time!
- JrGhoull, on 04/27/2008, -3/+29as much as i would like this to pass...it wont.
also, stuff like this makes me glad i live in Massachusetts- wrs123, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3Thats because Massachusetts is the balls. Other than getting a state tax return of -$6 that is....
- klipseracer, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1It won't pass because the congressmen that vote believe everyone thinks like you.
- trumpydumpy, on 04/27/2008, -20/+42Legalize it
Don't criticize it
Legalize it, yeah, yeah
And I will advertise it- Megaten, on 04/27/2008, -4/+13Getting dugg down? WTF? Go figure people on Digg who post in a damn Marijuana thread wouldn't recognize a Peter Tosh/Bob Marley song...
- ORBAT, on 04/27/2008, -7/+6I recognize it but I don't have to like it.
- 33PercentGod, on 04/27/2008, -3/+1Go play in traffic.
KTHNXBI.
- 33PercentGod, on 04/27/2008, -3/+1Go play in traffic.
- anachronaut, on 04/27/2008, -12/+7I recognized it immediately; I just thought it was a trite, pointless thing to post so I dugg it down (and dugg you down too for assuming my digg down was based on ignorance). There are already enough dumbass stoner posts on this topic as it is.
- HeyLew, on 04/27/2008, -2/+5so he was trying to be nice and friendly.... and you give him a thumbs down.. bad attitude!
- ORBAT, on 04/27/2008, -7/+6I recognize it but I don't have to like it.
- Megaten, on 04/27/2008, -4/+13Getting dugg down? WTF? Go figure people on Digg who post in a damn Marijuana thread wouldn't recognize a Peter Tosh/Bob Marley song...
- Biohazard6601, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3wow the whole article was in the short cut-out in the description. lol
- xB4R7x, on 04/27/2008, -0/+0Click "Read More" dude...
- KLowD9x, on 04/27/2008, -34/+158Ron Paul for President!
- cbartlett, on 04/27/2008, -1/+34I did my part and voted for him in Pennsylvania last week. I think my precinct went for Paul because my wife and I voted for him and we are likely the only Republicans in our Philadelphia precinct!
- bassik, on 04/27/2008, -1/+17i did my part and did the same here in Nebraska on Friday. :P
- TonyLocNE, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3Am I in a time warp? We don't vote here in Nebraska until May 13th.... What did you vote for on Friday? Did I miss something?
- SantaClauz, on 04/27/2008, -24/+3Good job wasting your votes both of you. It because of people like you we're still struggling to find a good democratic nominee. You could have been somewhat helpful to society by picking someone that had a chance actually, maybe the lesser of the evils if thats what your mind sees it as.
- Clark3934, on 04/27/2008, -0/+17Since Republicans can vote for democrats in a closed primary...
Even if they wanted to change parties to vote for Obama, the deadline for party changes has long passed in most states.
How about you vote for the candidate that you like, instead of comprimising your position? Hey, if everyone voted for the guy they "like but has no chance," then maybe he would actually have a chance.
- Clark3934, on 04/27/2008, -0/+17Since Republicans can vote for democrats in a closed primary...
- bassik, on 04/27/2008, -1/+17i did my part and did the same here in Nebraska on Friday. :P
- ATLien74, on 04/27/2008, -1/+13I voted for him in the GA primaries. I tried! I'll write him in if I have to!
- iNoles, on 04/27/2008, -0/+6I voted for him in the FL closed primaries.
- SpookyPig, on 04/27/2008, -14/+7Wait... People still think he has a chance?
- HeyLew, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4thats not the point. you shouldnt vote for who has a chance. you should vote for the best candidate
- thallium205, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5He is going to win Nevada! We are going to be sending 9 out of 11 Ron Paul delegates to national!
- mGARANDEUR1, on 04/27/2008, -2/+2It's too bad Bush gives all republicans a bad name. The next president will probably be a democrat.
- jaxontyler, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2I'm voting for him in Kentucky on the 20th!
- cbartlett, on 04/27/2008, -1/+34I did my part and voted for him in Pennsylvania last week. I think my precinct went for Paul because my wife and I voted for him and we are likely the only Republicans in our Philadelphia precinct!
- Typhoon2009, on 04/27/2008, -7/+128Honestly... I don't give a ***** about MJ. I'm probably never gonna smoke it. I don't see the point. That said, there really need to be less harsh punishments for simply owning MJ or smoking it. Why does a college kid who just wanted to get blazed have to serve time in the same place that child rapists and murderers go? It's one thing if he was putting others in danger and it's found that being under the influence of a drug aggravated the situation... but if it's just some kids sitting under a tree playing guitar and smoking the sweet leaf... do they really need such harsh sentences?
- spyd3rweb, on 04/27/2008, -3/+24'less harsh'? how about none at all.
- Typhoon2009, on 04/27/2008, -0/+6Until it's made legal, there will be some form of punishment. Might as well make it minimal if your only crime is being stoned and playing flOw.
- douch3mom, on 04/27/2008, -2/+1AMEN
- Pritchard, on 04/27/2008, -0/+7I'd never smoke MJ. But I might wear it. Use it as animal feed. Use it as plastics. Use it in medicine. Or use it in one of the million other ways it can be used.
- HeyLew, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2or stop world hunger... which we can technically already do.. but nobody is moving too quickly to shift our resources to the less fortunate areas..
- solidcube, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Just smoke it. Embrace the leaf.
- Skooma714, on 04/27/2008, -0/+5Of course they do. The government wants to control more people and have an excuse to steal more money.
- spyd3rweb, on 04/27/2008, -3/+24'less harsh'? how about none at all.
- Akraz, on 04/27/2008, -26/+5"You know, I don't play Assassin's Creed, I don't own a PC,"
what the *****? Cheap bastard- Akraz, on 04/27/2008, -2/+6omg lmao bury me i posted in the wrong thread
- JustinHopewell, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2Haha, I was wondering. Well, at least you owned up to it. :)
- NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3LOL, how did you mistake this for the "Quitting Assassin's Creed" article? XD
- ORBAT, on 04/27/2008, -0/+7He was stoned?
- dbs1221, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1weed creed, they rhyme, they're practically the same thing
- Akraz, on 04/27/2008, -2/+6omg lmao bury me i posted in the wrong thread
- jschrab, on 04/27/2008, -9/+36This is not the bill you think it is.
http://www.house.gov/frank/hr5843summary.html
To quote the page above...
WHAT THE BILL WILL NOT DO
* It would not affect federal laws prohibiting the sale of marijuana for profit, import and export of marijuana, or manufacturing (cultivating) marijuana.
*It would not legalize major drug dealing or create obstacles for agents of the federal government seeking to prevent major drug dealing.
* It would not affect any state or local laws and regulations.
* It would not alter the legal status of marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et. seq.).
At best, it just turns the issue over to the States.- Midtowner, on 04/27/2008, -0/+53Major laws which have essentially become part of the culture are not abolished in one fell swoop.
It's all about incrementalism -- a little bit at a time. Today, decriminalize possession of small amounts. Tomorrow, it'll be something bigger. Eventually? Welcome to the Netherlands.- dancercotillion, on 04/27/2008, -15/+2My only hope is that if countries become "like the Netherlands" towards drugs, the majority of people who do drugs will stop. If the government sanctions it, there's no reason to do drugs. Unfortunately, what will probably happen first is people will go insane binging on now-legal drugs, and our society will suffer for it. It happened after the Prohibition on alcohol was lifted. People went bugnuts drinking, then realized "Wait, it's ok to drink now. Aw, ***** that, I don't want to anymore..."
I hope someone smart decides to start putting chemical neutering agents into marijuana if they legalize the *****.- fgsfds, on 04/27/2008, -0/+9That's because prohibition ended all at once. Besides, aside from the few years of boozery, the worst part of prohibition was the large-scale development of bootlegging and the resulting organized crime.
By the same token, the ban on drugs has made them black market cash cows. The result? Drug smuggling and gang wars.
- fgsfds, on 04/27/2008, -0/+9That's because prohibition ended all at once. Besides, aside from the few years of boozery, the worst part of prohibition was the large-scale development of bootlegging and the resulting organized crime.
- diggdiggerid, on 04/27/2008, -1/+6I, too, choose my activities based on their legal status. TV is legal? Welp, no one watches TV. Internet is legal? Aw, ***** that, I don't want to anymore. Clearly.
- dancercotillion, on 04/27/2008, -9/+1Smoking dope is "cool" because it's illegal. Softbrained retards think it's a great way to snub their nose at The Man by doing drugs, and all the power to 'em for it; I hope they wander into traffic and pass on painlessly for it.
Look, smoking tobacco is rapidly losing it's "rebel" status, so people aren't smoking as much anymore. Smoking in media has been largely left to bad guys and people who are morally bankrupt, as opposed to 50 years ago when only the Cool Guys smoked. This is an easily observable trend. The same is true for people who smoke pot. It has this strange air of being for Cool People, when in reality, it's just another compound that gives you brain damage.
So yes, if pot is made legal, it will become vastly less popular. Your example is flawed because, not only are you insufferably stupid, but TV and the Internet have never been illegal here.
Ta.- anachronaut, on 04/27/2008, -1/+9I'm an old fart who's long past worrying about looking "cool", and I smoke pot on a daily basis because I enjoy it. The legality of it rarely impinges upon my thoughts, unless I'm traveling with pot or paraphernalia on me (which is very rare).
In short, you're making ***** up about a subject on which you're obviously grossly ignorant. You must be a fairly young person (or a bitter older one who never fit in with the "cool kids", I suppose), because you're still making the [typically young person] mistake of thinking that everyone does stuff because they think it makes them look "cool" or "rebellious". Only insecure kids and people who never mentally matured past that point are really like that.
And can you please link to some studies which prove that pot causes brain damage? I think you'll find, if you actually bother to research the topic -- I know, it makes me laugh too to think about an aggressively ignorant person like you actually taking the time to research something -- that you're quite mistaken about this as well. Check out "Neurotoxicology of Cannabis and THC: A Review of Chronic Exposure Studies in Animals," Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 40:671-82 (1991) for starters, where it was proven that it took 200 times the human psychoactive dose of THC to cause brain damage in a rat.
And in a study on rhesus monkeys (RIP monkeys, your deaths at least provided some ammunition to shoot down this idiot's ***** arguments), it was reported that ""while behavioral and neuroendocrinal effects are observed during marijuana smoke exposure in the monkey, residual neuropathological and neurochemical effects of marijuana exposure were not observed seven months after the year-long marijuana smoke regimen."
In other words: you're almost entirely full of ***** and ignorance where this subject is concerned, sir. - a1532b, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3It's not that complicated dancer. I smoke weed because I like it. It feels great.
Really, it's that simple. - dancercotillion, on 04/27/2008, -5/+1Thanks for proving my point re: brain damage, guys.
- ashfish, on 04/27/2008, -1/+2Um, I fail to see where your point was proven but ok...Another negative generalization about the entire pot smoking community, whom you've probably never socialized with considering your statement that you don't smoke; love it. I've been smoking every day for the past 6 years, I graduated near the top of my class, and have a very good job being a bookkeeper in a private firm. Yes, I've experienced mass amounts of brain damage. The reason I started smoking wasn't to "rebel" against the man, it was because I had a really ***** day and I wanted to do something to relax and from there I found out about all of the great properties of marijuana.
- anachronaut, on 04/27/2008, -1/+9I'm an old fart who's long past worrying about looking "cool", and I smoke pot on a daily basis because I enjoy it. The legality of it rarely impinges upon my thoughts, unless I'm traveling with pot or paraphernalia on me (which is very rare).
- dancercotillion, on 04/27/2008, -9/+1Smoking dope is "cool" because it's illegal. Softbrained retards think it's a great way to snub their nose at The Man by doing drugs, and all the power to 'em for it; I hope they wander into traffic and pass on painlessly for it.
- dancercotillion, on 04/27/2008, -15/+2My only hope is that if countries become "like the Netherlands" towards drugs, the majority of people who do drugs will stop. If the government sanctions it, there's no reason to do drugs. Unfortunately, what will probably happen first is people will go insane binging on now-legal drugs, and our society will suffer for it. It happened after the Prohibition on alcohol was lifted. People went bugnuts drinking, then realized "Wait, it's ok to drink now. Aw, ***** that, I don't want to anymore..."
- elnerdo, on 04/27/2008, -0/+38It's a step in the right direction. No congress will ever pass all the things you want to pass in one bill.
- 3ugene, on 04/27/2008, -1/+14God forbid it would let the states make up their minds on their own. This is definitely the start of what we want, Freedom...
- NikoKun, on 04/27/2008, -0/+8Well it's still a good bill for progress in this issue. It's a decriminalization bill similar to what Amsterdam has. And that's better than nothing.
It also gives the states back their right to choose whether they want to decriminalize it or not. Which is probably the Best option right now.
But if we are really interested in improving things, and doing what's right for the good of our country, we really should flat out legalize it... Which would kill the criminal market for it, and the violence which follows from that.- insllvn, on 04/27/2008, -1/+1You are missing the best part, it would be a huge cash crop.
- ATLien74, on 04/27/2008, -0/+10It's baby steps. That's how they take our liberties away, and that's how we are going to get them back... baby steps. I don't expect the U.S. to automagically transform into Amsterdam over night, but at least put a stop to the Feds raiding Medical Marijuana Dispensaries, and decriminalize small amounts for personal use.
- ZiggyDaZigster, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1Highly unlikely, if FEDS wanted to bust you for something, they'd sit on your place awhile, or dig something personal up to arrest you with. In a nut shell, the government will always win. Well unless we all band together..... which as of how it looks now? It might be decriminalized in the next 20 or so years.... unlikely it though. Yes baby steps, in the way that maybe your baby's, baby might one day grow up to be 80 and hear one day its generally okay to smoke, and that wont even be that settle, there'd be a ***** ton of loops holes, in order to get away with it for free.
- djghosttrain, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4imo it's more than a baby step
for example, in states where possession of small amounts is already legal, people wouldn't have to worry about the fact that the feds could still get them - m1ss1ontomars, on 04/27/2008, -1/+1Yeah, but in my state it's somewhat decriminalized. :D
- TonyLocNE, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4I don't know what you're talking about... The bill said exactly what I thought it said the first time I read it. If you missed the fact that Ron Paul was one of the two that introduced it, then I can see where you would be surprised.. but knowing he introduced it, you shouldn't be surprised that it doesn't outright legalize it federally but rather allows states to decide.
- normlsparky, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1wars are rarely won with one victorious battle. the process of change will be incremental. the current laws reflect almost 100 years of government propaganda to influence public opinion. remember the "this is your brain on drugs" commercial with the egg in the frying pan? these messages are repeated over and over, despite lacking medical evidence to support them. at least this bill is a step in the right direction.
- egnilk66, on 05/02/2008, -0/+1Baby steps, dude, baby steps.
- Midtowner, on 04/27/2008, -0/+53Major laws which have essentially become part of the culture are not abolished in one fell swoop.
- Hetayis, on 04/27/2008, -1/+9Damn it, I really wish I lived not in Georgia... http://www.house.gov/frank/hr5843summary.html. All this bill would do is allow the state to regulate it without having to deal with the federal government...so if you live in California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, or Oregon, you'd be all set.
- 3ugene, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4At least then if your state wanted to make it legal or decriminalized, they wouldn't have to fight off the Federal Government after the law was to pass.
- ATLien74, on 04/27/2008, -1/+7I live in GA too, I don't see that happening right in the heart of the Bible Belt. Mississippi is a crock of ***** too... I heard it was decriminalized there, but I went to jail over a ***** nickel bag's worth of weed last summer, and no I wasn't driving or doing anything else. Cost me a night in jail and about 750 bucks! ***** THE BIBLE BELT! ***** BACKASSWARDS BIBLE BEATING BASTARDS!! I'm moving to California eventually.
- TonyLocNE, on 04/27/2008, -0/+1***** yeah for Nebraska! You can get busted here with up to 1 lb. and only receive 7 days jail and a $500 fine, and its still only a misdemeanor... First offense possession under an oz. is only $100 and is treated like a traffic ticket..
- Akronos, on 04/27/2008, -1/+4Then move to another state. That's the beauty of the federalist system we have. Maybe, if there are many others like you, the governors and state congressmen will take notice that there is a massive out-flux of people and that it would be better if marijuana is legal in their state (Probably only so they could tax it).
- TrevaLVF, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Removing the federal government's iron fist, which tends to hammer down on residents of states where the laws have been relaxed, is a positive move. What's the point of any state relaxing their laws if Big Brother Fed commissions its gang of DEA bullies to swoop down on medical marijuana users that might have a small amount of pot, or a couple of plants that are allowable by state law?
- Observer001, on 04/27/2008, -1/+32I don't really care about drugs 'cause I don't need 'em, but cannabis seems like kind of an arbitrary thing to ban. We sell booze, booze is worse. There's value to be exploited here that's just sitting around unused.
- overtoke, on 04/27/2008, -4/+1It's hard to be honest when saying something like "I don't really care about drugs 'cause I don't need 'em."
- Observer001, on 04/27/2008, -2/+6What do you mean? I don't need recreational drugs. Crutches are for cripples. I'm plenty happy without the need to alter the chemical functioning of my damned brain. I take medicine when something goes wrong with my body, but that's about the full of the extent of it. What, you've never encountered a straight edger before who didn't just bellow XXX sXe HARDCOAR nonsense constantly? We exist.
- Akronos, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3Heh, I'm exactly like you. I view susceptibility to drugs as a weakness of the mind and I would never use them. Nothing particularly wrong with using drugs though (We all have our weaknesses) and as long as the user is the only one affected, I don't see why it should be banned.
- HeyLew, on 04/27/2008, -0/+2yet i don't think it has anything to do with a weakness, it isnt some desire from the ID. but like you, this is just IMO.
- Observer001, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2An individual sample expending resources regularly on acquiring a drug designed to make one happy implies a deficit in normal happiness, or in the individual's acceptance of its level of happiness. If an activity expends resources without getting new ones, it lowers functionality; if it lowers functionality, it makes one weaker. Therefore the need to ingest something to make one temporarily happy is definitively a weakness. I don't judge people too harshly for circumstances leading up to weakness, but I certainly note them and allow my decisions to be influenced by them.
- Textzilla, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3If you think that people who smoke marijuana do so because they are mentally debilitated you are very wrong. The only mental weakness that relates to drug use is susceptibility to addictive tendencies, in regards to abusing substances. Any substance abuse is wrong, be it caffeine, cannabis, or cocaine. Honestly, I thought the same way as you two before I found out how harmless marijuana is. Once I found that out, I figured I might as well not judge something that cannot possibly harm me without having some experience with it. One toke isn't going to kill you, consider pot the same way you consider a cup of coffee and you'll be better off. I'm fairly certain you'll fall in love with it. You get to know yourself in an incredible fashion, and you will reconsider everything around you in so many dimensions of thought. Also, I haven't smoked in two months, and have no cravings to do so. But man, I sure would like to.
- Observer001, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Marijauna does cause some harm, don't let either side's propaganda sway you. Marijuana can be linked to mood alteration of a number of types, though the exact effect varies from user to user. Avolition is a common complaint. Marijuana undeniably is associated with interference with the mind 's ability to commit data to short-term memory. Further, it pretty evidently and directly affects motor control. Allow me to refer you to an excellent study: http://books.nap.edu/html/marimed/ , with Section 3 being the one of greatest interest to you. Other possible negative effects of marijuana: lowered testosterone levels(which would interfere with sperm production and produced sperm's utility) and birth defects. All of this is to say nothing of the psychologically addictive effects of a drug which simply makes you feel good.
That said, people ought to be allowed to make their own choices, as with booze. So long as it doesn't affect me, I can't really be bothered to mind too much.
- Observer001, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Marijauna does cause some harm, don't let either side's propaganda sway you. Marijuana can be linked to mood alteration of a number of types, though the exact effect varies from user to user. Avolition is a common complaint. Marijuana undeniably is associated with interference with the mind 's ability to commit data to short-term memory. Further, it pretty evidently and directly affects motor control. Allow me to refer you to an excellent study: http://books.nap.edu/html/marimed/ , with Section 3 being the one of greatest interest to you. Other possible negative effects of marijuana: lowered testosterone levels(which would interfere with sperm production and produced sperm's utility) and birth defects. All of this is to say nothing of the psychologically addictive effects of a drug which simply makes you feel good.
- Observer001, on 04/27/2008, -2/+6What do you mean? I don't need recreational drugs. Crutches are for cripples. I'm plenty happy without the need to alter the chemical functioning of my damned brain. I take medicine when something goes wrong with my body, but that's about the full of the extent of it. What, you've never encountered a straight edger before who didn't just bellow XXX sXe HARDCOAR nonsense constantly? We exist.
- Suricou, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4Its an accident of history. To make a long story short, cannabis became the fasionable drug of choice for blacks, righ
- overtoke, on 04/27/2008, -4/+1It's hard to be honest when saying something like "I don't really care about drugs 'cause I don't need 'em."