Pot should it be legal in North America?

[Rania]

Your thoughts on the subject.

[TheEnforcer]

Yes, it should. The idea that it's illegal is a joke, especially in comparion to alcohol.

[Magnus3x]

Legal as in the Government gets to set the perimeters of who gets to grow, tax and sell it? or accepted, you wont get busted for anything under an Oz?

I agree with the alcohol comparison, it really impares judgement completely differently than pot does with more extreme outcomes. Though I think smoking and driving is just as stupid as drinking and driving.

[Evil Chris]

Originally Posted by TheEnforcer

Yes, it should. The idea that it's illegal is a joke, especially in comparion to alcohol.

Of course I agree with you on this.

Ask any cop how many times they have been on a domestic call because a stoned husband was beating on his wife.

I just don't think that conservative America is or ever will be ready for weed to be legal. Too many bible thumpers in the states too. *shrug*

[Shane_TDF]

Now here is a thread I can get behind.
I'm all for full legalization of marijuana. Besides the PROVEN medical benefits for terminal patients there are also several "home" remedies it's good for. Ladies... menstrual cramps go away after judicious application of pot. The same for stomach cramps. A lot of people also have said that it's a great cure for headaches.
But let's move on past the medical uses shall we?
Out of all the recreational drugs pot has the least amount of negative side effects. Though the scientific community seems to be split regarding what adverse effects pot smokers may suffer, they have all agreed (well the actual scientific studies, not the bought and paid for ones) that smoking pot is any more dangerous to respiratory system than smoking. Some figures say that it's far less dangerous than ciggies.
Now let's chat a bit about the fun parts of pot. Those of you out there that enjoy the mota know that it's great for stress relief and anger management. It's also a great way to make your friends far more interesting then they really are (I have the plaque to prove it). There are also many ways one can enjoy pot. You can smoke it in a pipe, bong or joint. But you can also put it in certain foods if you don't want to smoke it like with the pot brownies and unlike alcohol it retains it's potency.
I've spent many years conducting my own research regarding marijuana and I have concluded that it does not interfere with daily activities unless the user is already unmotivated. While I can't comment on the potential respiratory system as I also smoke cigs the subjects who smoked marijuana alone seem to suffer fewer respiratory ailments.

So that is a very nutshell summary of my pro pot argument. If we are ever at a show together, I'll be happy to sit down and expand on the theory over a nice blunt.

[SFS]

Keep it illegal.... forever... never let it be legal...

I prefer that my children experiment with glue, spray paint, freon, etc. because they cant buy a joint in fear of getting busted. Bad bad weed...

I prefer my children use the narcotics i have in my medicine cabinet. At least i know its "good safe medicine".

I prefer my children never get a good job and never make it in life because the Govt wasnt smart enough to put a tax on it and sell it like ciggs. God forbid we actually balance the budget using proceeds from taxing pot.

Well, theres my argument..

[TheLegacy]

It's legal in Canada and outside of America's best efforts to warn us - our crime rate etc. has not gotten worse. In fact since it has become more open, there is a more positive atmosphere.

[Panky]

I doubt the States will ever legalize pot for personal use. It's one issue Americans, in general, are not very open minded about.

[Mr. Plow]

I'v been keeping an eye open here in Canada to see if society is collapsing since the legalization of pot, but I haven't seen it. I mean, maybe it collapses a little bit, here and there, on the weekend...

I'm all for legalizing pot, but moderation is the key. The Marijuana Party (yes, that's right our American friends: we have a Marijuana Party and also a Sex Party, btw in my hometown on the East Coast of Canada a few years ago was two hours late for their own press conference. When they finally showed up, they claimed they were "lost in a fog on the waterfront." *snicker*

[SFS]

Originally Posted by Panky

I doubt the States will ever legalize pot for personal use. It's one issue Americans, in general, are not very open minded about.

Yes we are, its the fucked up government bible thumpers who wont allow anything creative or good to happen in this country..

[Kenny B]

Originally Posted by TheLegacy

It's legal in Canada and outside of America's best efforts to warn us - our crime rate etc. has not gotten worse. In fact since it has become more open, there is a more positive atmosphere.

It's not legal but it's just about decriminalized. It's still not legal to own/smoke/sell but if the quantities are low amounts, under 14 grams (1/2 an ounce) then it's not a criminal offense if you're caught with it. You'll simply get the equivalent of a parking ticket.

[Crak_JMan]

Originally Posted by Kenny B

It's not legal but it's just about decriminalized. It's still not legal to own/smoke/sell but if the quantities are low amounts, under 14 grams (1/2 an ounce) then it's not a criminal offense if you're caught with it. You'll simply get the equivalent of a parking ticket.

Actually with our new leader Harper, this will change and he wants to bring down the growers badly. Trust me you don't want to get caught with weed even here.