Quoted: 2. Chronic use can make you get fat (munchies are for real) and/or grow tits. No shit. It somehow futzes up your hormones. I have a pretty skinny (6'2", 175ish) male relative with a pretty handsome pair of B-cups.

Well thank you…

That is exactly the picture I wanted in my head this Sunday night.

Bunch of squares here man!

I don't smoke pot.  I never have.  I know two people one late 40's and one in his 50's who have smoked pot their entire lives, daily.  They both have PhDs and have probably over a half a million in assets, and will probably have 3/4 of a million by the time they retire.  They are not deadbeats.  Their ambition was never killed by pot.

Blaming pot just because someone is a loser is a cop out (no pun intended).  A deadbeat is a deadbeat with or without pot.  There is no physical addiction to pot.  There is no physical addition to alcohol.  Correct me if I am wrong on either of those points.  Its the mental addiction.  People can get addicted to wacking off or other sexual preversions, its no different (ban KY!).  Harder drugs do cause much more of a physical side affect than pot.  Hence detoxing.  Lumping pot in with these is wrong.  Even then people should be free to be an idiot.

It would not be a gateway drug if it was not illegal.  Its a gateway drug because the illegal drug dealer selling you pot can probably sell you other illegal drugs.

The person who lives to get high, would be living to get drunk, or living to get some other buzz if pot did not exsist.  It is not the drug itself, its the poorly developed sack that calls themselves human.  How is pot any different that some soccer mom who complains to their doctor and gets put on anti-depressents just for the buzz?  How many people walk around in life "high" (otherwise impaired) from legal drugs?  Pot isn't any worse than any of these.

Pot should be legal.  Its a thing, not an act.  No *things* (like guns) should be illegal.  Only acts should be illegal.  Getting high is not a drain on society.  Crime to support said habit is bad, but that is already illegal (enforce the laws we already have).  All drugs should be legal and regulated.  We got along fine trough out the 19th century that way.  With legal drugs we should treat cronic abusers of substances like we do alcoholics.  

Absolute freedom includes the right to be a dumbass.  Only acts that violate other's freedoms should be illegal.

Quoted: My ex-BIL used to smoke dope like a fiend, and had 4 children with the same woman-his 1st wife.  Both of them smoked dope extensively, and 3 of their children were just not as sharp as the other kids.  I'm convinced that the THC affected their pregnancies and didn't do the kids any favors.  These were two sharp people, that by all accounts would've produced normal mental capacity kids. IMO, stay away from it if you ever want to produce children. HH

If she drank all through out her pregnacy then the kids would be just as messed up.  Its their own stupidity, not the pot that is the problem.

I used to say anything in moderation.
I smoked a whole lot of weed and I can tell you that it's nice now not to have to worry about a random drug test, and being a nurse I WILL NOT take a chance at fucking up because of pot.
When a LEO shoots someone they come in and get a blood and urine test immediately. Wouldn't you feel like a loser getting popped like that?
I have a weed head friend who is self employed and thinks everybody ought to smoke....he hates it when I ask if he'd rather have a surgeon operate on his daughter who smokes or one who doesn't.
We now give drug screens for anyone who hurts there self at work and is seen in the ER.....injuries have plumeted. Any substance abuse is an undesirable personality problem..I could go on, but I won't.

I did when in high school.

1. Utter waste of time. The friends you have and music you listen to when high are utterly forgettable (both).
2.  Do you want to take that polygraph about your drug use now, or later?  Want to serve as an officer in the military, DEA, or intl?
3.  If you and/or your friends are in a CJ program and using illegal drugs....I don't even want to finish the sentence.
4.  You're perjuring yourself if you answer "NO" when filling out a 4473 - want to have your right to buy firearms taken away?
5.  Utter waste of time.

Get a healthy, conservative, non-drug-using chick who really likes you and likes to ****, and you'll be way ahead of the game.

Edit: added:  That said, I know people who've died from alcohol intoxication, and nobody who has died from marijuana. It in and of itself is probably pretty innocuous, if you consider behaving like a eunuch dullard a proper use of your time on earth.  I think it should be decriminalized, since a lot of people do behave like eunuch dullards anyway.

But:  grownups who focus on recreational intoxication are people with drug issues. Adults just don't have time for that crap.

Just try it out. I read a lot of BS responses here already.

I used to be totally against marijuana, but one night when my friends were doing it I figured I may as well give it a try.  I enjoyed it very much.  I now use it regularly and my grades are just as good as they were before I started, and my attendance is even better.  The reason for this is that I know that it makes people lose ambition and all that shit, so I do what I can to prevent that.  I don't want to be another stereotypical pothead, and I'm not.  I still do everything I have to do (school, work, studying, etc.), but I enjoy kicking back and getting a little messed up at night.

I have noticed that I have a bit more trouble concentrating for the next day or two, but once it leaves my system I'm back to normal.  So, my advice to you is that if you do decide to do it, avoid doing it a few nights before important days (important lectures, tests, job interviews, etc.).  

As for it being a waste of money...  Well, I can buy 20 bucks worth and I'm set for about a month and a half.  Twenty dollars spent on alcohol will get you what?  A 12-pack or two that'll last MAYBE two weekends?  Compared to the other available ways of getting messed up, I'd say it's actually pretty cheap.

Forget what you learned in D.A.R.E.  Doing it once in a while isn't going to fuck up your life.  Just be responsible about it.  

My $0.02

Not that I think it is any more dangerous than alcohol,but if I had a life do-over,I would never have touched the stuff.I most likely smoked half of the entire output of Humboldt County 14 summers in a row.

Being a senior in college, i've seen people's lives ruined because of partying, alcohol, chicks (evil chicks that try to make you marry them!), and weed.

When it comes to vices, all the "stupid" stoners from freshmen year who use weed in excess still go to school, all the "party animals" from freshmen year who use alcohol in excess however, have all flunked out. Marijuana is a touchy substance because of its psychoactive effects, but I firmly beleive that alcohol is worse for society then weed, and we all embrace it whole heartedly ()

My favorite "study" was when the British car show "Top Gear" took their driver who tests all the cars to amsterdam, and had him race around a track with a supercar. Then they got him extremely stoned, and he was able to match his previous performance to the milisecond, haha. But yeah, don't make weed a habbit, it'll keep you in a constant state of mental and physical fatigue if you become a regular user, and you'll think that really stupid music actually sounds good.

Quoted: Marijuana will not make you stupid, lazy, forgetful or anything else.  I know two people getting their PhDs, one at Harvard and one at UChicago, who smoke marijuana.  Some of the most intelligent and successful people I know smoke marijuana.  And some of the laziest, most worthless dirtbags I know smoke marijuana.  Kinda like alcohol.  Like anything else, if you use it to excess it will have negative effects such as the ones listed above.  But if you use it in proper moderation it won't have any ill effects. People in college tend to not to use either alcohol or pot in moderation.  Therefore they are frequently hung over or sleep with skanks or wake up with their face covered in magic marker or are forgetful or waste an entire evening listening to The Wall on repeat.  This is usually a phase, and they grow out of it, usually without any lasting effects.  A minority will become alcoholics or pot heads and not be successful in life, but I tend to think this is a symptom rather than a cause. I was pretty ambivalent about pot in high school, never tried it because I knew I'd be going into the military and never looked back.  I found that I was in the minority of people in the military and even in law enforcement-most everybody else had smoked pot and a few continued to do so.  At this point I don't really care about missing out on it but neither am I fiercely proud that I never used it.  I just never did.  It's not a big deal. That having been said, it is illegal.  That's stupid, but it's the law of the land.  And it's use will not be helpful in getting a job.  If you've gone this long without using it there's no reason to start.  If you're looking for a social lubricant, alcohol is your smart option.  Try not getting drunk but just having a few beers to chill out a little and see if you like it better. And yes this is the wrong place to be asking these questions and what fucking military were you in where you missed out on drinking and sex?!!??  Shit, that's all we did was drink and debase ourselves with loose women. ETA: in red

I was in the Army,(19D,91W) During my time in the Army I was almost always Deployed or training for a deployment.  Or in a school.  I never got of base much the most time I ever had off was mabye six weekends.  I was in the First Cav 1/9,2/12, for the longest time.  

Can't remember

They are finding out that the mechanism behind the "burnout" and memory issues is due to MJ constricting blood vessels in the brain. This can lead to strokes, major or so minor as to be hardly noticable. If you have memory issues from MJ, you have probably suffered from minor strokes. The more you smoke it, the higher your chances are of damage.

Add on the fact that MJ is more carcinogenic than tobacco, volume-for-volume (due to the inhale-hold style of smoking weed).

What a waste of time!

Quoted: They are finding out that the mechanism behind the "burnout" and memory issues is due to MJ constricting blood vessels in the brain. This can lead to strokes, major or so minor as to be hardly noticable. If you have memory issues from MJ, you have probably suffered from minor strokes. The more you smoke it, the higher your chances are of damage. Add on the fact that MJ is more carcinogenic than tobacco, volume-for-volume (due to the inhale-hold style of smoking weed). What a waste of time!

source?

Quoted: Man, did you pick the wrong crowd to ask this question... 1) Marijuana is not dangerous at all. Don't believe the hype. 2) Marijuana does not make you stupid, nor does it cause loss of short-term memory (as proven in a recent study) 3) Using marijuana does not make you a loser. If you believe that it does, please turn off your TV and think for yourself. 4) Not everyone who smokes marijuana ends every sentence in "dude" or "totally awesome" or "extreme" 5) It was a good experience in my opinion. 6) Being High is worlds better than being drunk. 7) And also: I'm a senior in college with a 3.75GPA and a double major in History and Anthropology. interesting list Even Jesus made the list!

That is the most correct of all the posts so far.

If you are really interested in the dangers you can read the collected text of most of the major studies of the subject over the last 110 years at www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/studies.htm

In short, the negative effects are few. Some quick facts.

Number of deaths caused by drugs in the US in a typical year:
Tobacco - about 400,000
Alcohol - about 100,000
Legally prescribed prescription drugs - about 100,000
All ilegal drugs combined - about 10,000
Cocaine - about 2,500
Heroin - about 2,000
Aspirin and Tylenol - about 2,000 each
Marijuana - no recorded deaths in US history.

The lethal dose of marijuana (according to which Federal government authority you want to believe) is either one-third your body weight (US National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, 1972) or 1,500 pounds (Ruling of the DEA's Chief Administrative Law Judge, 1989) consumed in fifteen minutes.  Both studies can be found in their entirety at the link above.

One of my friends was head of the Pharmacology Department at the University of Texas. He became an activist for marijuana law reform after the DEA hired him to find the lethal dose of marijuana in rats. He found that he couldn't give a rat a big enough dose to kill it or cause it permanent harm. In truth, the lethal dose of water is lower than the lethal dose of marijuana and more people die from overdoses of water (not drowning, but overdoses) than are killed by marijuana.

Lung damage - anything you smoke can be expected to cause lung irritation and damage. However, the leading researcher on this topic (Dr. Donald Tashkin of UCLA) has announced that it does not cause emphysema like tobacco does and the latest research shows a negative correlation with lung cancer. That is, it may actually have a protective effect against lung cancer.

Motivation - tell it to the founders of Microsoft and at least a couple of other billionaires. There is no evidence that marijuana reduces motivation. However, it is a drug that people who are lazy already might find attractive.

Violence and other crime -- Generally, a negative correlation. It does not cause violence. This has been known for at least fifty years.

The "Gateway" myth -- Marijuana does not lead to harder drugs. This story was made up in 1951 by Harry Anslinger when he was trying to justify his call for more agents to enforce the marijuana laws. You can read about it in the short history of the marijuana laws at www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/whiteb1.htm  It is funny and pretty surprising.

Short term memory -- Temporary effects only. Lots of studies have shown no long-term brain damage of any sort from marijuana.

Driving -- Alcohol wins all the prizes for destroying driving abilities. There is some evidence that stoned drivers may actually be safer than straight drivers because they are aware of the effects and tend to overcompensate. Road and Track magazine did an article in 1980 called "Puff the Dangerous Driver". They took two groups of drivers and gave one increasing doses of alcohol while they gave the other increasing doses of marijuana. Then they had them drive a timed slalom course. The alcohol drinkers rapidly went to hell while the pot smokers just got better at the course.

Long-term mortality.  The biggest long-term study of the health effects of marijuana was done by Kaiser Permanente. They surveyed the medical records of 65,000 patients. They found no significant differences between the health records of pot smokers versus non-pot-smokers.

Addiction -- According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, it is about as addictive as caffeine. As drugs go, it ranks about as low on the addictive scale as any drug you will find.

Insanity -- There is some association with schizophrenia. However, the numbers of people at risk are very small and there is a good deal of question about causality. While the Federal Government claims that it causes schizophrenia, there is a legitimate question whether people with a tendency to schizophrenia are attempting to self-medicate their symptoms with marijuana. Whatever the causality, it should not be used by people with schizophrenic tendencies. Of course, the same thing is true of alcohol.

Brain damage -- Oddly enough, the active ingredient in marijuana has been shown to protect nerve cells in the absence of oxygen. Therefore, the Israelis and some others are working on marijuana extract as a treatment for strokes and exposure to nerve gas. If someone has a stroke, it might be possible to limit the damage by giving them an immediate joint.

The major negative effects are lung irritation and the legal problems of getting caught with marijuana.

Why is it illegal?  It was originally outlawed for three reasons:

In Utah it was outlawed as the result of a Mormon religious prohibition. They also outlawed a bunch of other things at the same time.

In the southwestern states it was outlawed because of prejudice against the Mexicans who used it. As one member of the Texas state legislature put it "All Mexicans are crazy and marijuana is what makes them crazy."

In the northeastern states it was outlawed because of the fear that heroin addiction would lead to the use of marijuana -- exactly the opposite of the modern gateway myth.

There is a ton of research online on the subject. If you have more questions, let me know. Don't believe most of the bullshit posted here.

I would like to see some hard, documented, empirical evidence that marijuana use causes permanent damage.  I think many of you would be hard pressed to provide it.

That said, I have smoked my share of marijuana, and one thing I can agree with the naysayers about is the fact that it is a costly habit.  Sure, not if you do it once, but it is fun, and the more fun you have with it, the more you want to smoke it.  Simple, psychological "addiction", if you want to call it that.  I have never had a bodily craving for an MJ high, but I have often thought "Man, I'm bored, I could sure get stoned right about now..."  

As far as eating away my ambitions, I guess YMMV, but I was always studious and went to class all the time.  IMO, it was awesome to get stoned, then go out and experience the stimuli of everyday life, i.e. going to class, taking the bus, eating lunch, etc.  I would sometimes think of things I wouldn't normally think of, and it would certainly make for an interesting paper or some weird mathematical ponderings.

I have heard that MJ lowers the sperm count, which may be true, but for me it always made me want to have sex.  Sex while stoned is something else .  Also, playing video games while you're high ROCKS!  Esp. games like Doom 3, HL2, or any other freaky game like that.

I basically stopped smoking so that I could piss clean for job interviews.  If that was not an issue, I would probably still be smoking, and I might if I can find a reliable detox.

Take it from someone who has tried just about everything...

You are not missing a damn thing.

Nothing new under the sun.

GM

1) Marijuana is not a "gateway" to cocaine, X, meth or heroin anymore than cigarettes are a gateway to pot or than beer is a gateway to liquor.

2) Marijuana is no worse than beer. In fact, driving stoned is safer than driving drunk.

3) Marijuana has no effects whatsoever on memory or learning. Just ask your friends who smoke pot a lot detailed questions about the last time they got really high. The myth about marijuana affecting memory processing and motivation is like the myth about LSD causing flashbacks. Never been proven - in humans.

4) The only reason pot was made illegal was to harrass the poor blacks in the south and keep them down. Read up on your history from sources other than mainstream white historians.

5) The founding fathers regularly grew hemp. The Declaration of Independance is written on hemp paper. Even one of Thomas Jefferson's wigs was made of hemp.

6) There are a LOT of very successful people who get high on pot daily just like there's a lot of very successful alcoholics in the world. Nothing wrong with either one.

7) Smoking pot will NOT make you addicted to it. You easily can quit cold-turkey even after years of daily use. Most longterm pot smokers can attest to that.

8) Smoking pot won't make you more interesting, funny or sexy - but you will SEEM more interesting, funny and sexy to a lot of your peers - and that's all that matters. Image is reality. Your hunch about girls flocking to guys who smoke pot is correct. How do you think Steven Tyler got laid so much?

9) Some of the most creative works in arts and sciences were done under the influence of marijuana - Kary Mullis even came up with the entire idea for the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) under the influence. It's great for unleashing your creative mind. But again, only those who regularly get high a lot will attest to this. Those who don't smoke pot just don't know. Like so many other things - don't knock it till you've tried it.

10) The smoke from marijuana is actually "clean". It has no harmful toxins or irritants like cigarette smoke. It's actually GOOD for your lungs. It really is!

What were we talking about?........

If you think smoking pot is going to score you hot chicks it's not going to happen.

Stay straight and when your buddies get too stoned to do anything wth these hot chicks then make your move.

Plus if you so smoke pot you'll end up playing the piano really, really fast and laughing uncontrollably [from Reefer Madness]

ETA:  For all you conspiracy theorists:  Actually marijuana was made illegal due to the lobbying efforts of the Illuminati and DuPont who had invented a replacement for hemp rope called nylon.  

Quoted: Drugs don't make you smarter or better looking. Dopers are losers.

The same could be said about guns.

Quoted: Drugs don't make you smarter or better looking. Dopers are losers.

Yeah, put down the beer and say it again.

As I noted earlier, I think it should be decriminalized, smoked it myself, and just think it's a waste of time. That said:

Consider the choices you make as an ADULT and how they may reflect upon your character as perceived by others should you choose to serve your community or your country in a position requiring a security clearance.  It may obstruct you in getting your 'ticket'.

Your time in the University should be a time of discovery. Open yourself up to new ideas, try new activities, go places, talk to culturally diverse people. Do these things and when you graduate you will be a truely educated person.

The stoner dumb fucks that you see smoking pot did not get that way from smoking pot. They were stoner dumb fucks already and will be sorry good for nothing losers whether they smoke pot or not.

On the subject of violence and marijuana - Most pot smokers are non-violent for the most part. However when I was in high school there were a few incidents of chicken shit bull riding cock sucking cowboys ganging up on a hippie and beating him to steal his stash so that they could go smoke it.

I suggest you do it. Until you try it, you are going to
have all kinds of unrealistic notions and the whole
thing will be some kind of attractive taboo.

I smoked a bit in high school then a shitload freshmen
year of college. My experience is that I did poorly in
school (but that could have been freshman partying in
general) but what really scared me into quitting was
short-term memory loss.

I've smoked probably 10 times in the last six years.
It just does not have the allure anymore...that is why
I suggest that you try it yourself. YMMV.

Just to nitpick and clarify some points:

Quoted: 3) Marijuana has no effects whatsoever on memory or learning. Just ask your friends who smoke pot a lot detailed questions about the last time they got really high. The myth about marijuana affecting memory processing and motivation is like the myth about LSD causing flashbacks. Never been proven - in humans.

It does have a proven short-term effect on short-term memory. However, there is no evidence that the effect lasts much longer than the stone.

4) The only reason pot was made illegal was to harrass the poor blacks in the south and keep them down. Read up on your history from sources other than mainstream white historians.

Actually, it was originally Mexicans as the prime target.  See the short history of the laws at www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/whiteb1.htm  However, it was quite convenient to use against blacks and jazz musicians were a prime target of the anti-marijuana enforcers in the 1940s.

5) The founding fathers regularly grew hemp. The Declaration of Independance is written on hemp paper. Even one of Thomas Jefferson's wigs was made of hemp.

Hemp was Washington's major crop at Mount Vernon and it was a secondary crop at Monticello. Early colonial laws required farmers to grow it because it was a necessity for the navy. The US Government encouraged farmers to grow it during WWII when hemp supplies from overseas were cut off.

9) Some of the most creative works in arts and sciences were done under the influence of marijuana - Kary Mullis even came up with the entire idea for the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) under the influence. It's great for unleashing your creative mind. But again, only those who regularly get high a lot will attest to this. Those who don't smoke pot just don't know. Like so many other things - don't knock it till you've tried it.

IIRC, Mr. Mullis came up with the idea on LSD. Carl Sagan was a long-term pot smoker and credited many of his ideas to the creative influence. I have heard that the biggest box office movie star in history never puts his feet on the floor in the morning until he has had a hit.

10) The smoke from marijuana is actually "clean". It has no harmful toxins or irritants like cigarette smoke. It's actually GOOD for your lungs. It really is!

Smoke from most burned vegetable matter is similar. The constituents of marijuana smoke are very similar to tobacco smoke with the exception of nicotine and radioactive polonium which comes from the fertilizers used. However, there is no evidence that marijuana causes cancer like tobacco does and the latest research shows that it may reduce the incidence of lung and throat cancer.

There is an ingredient in smoked marijuana that has been found to stop asthma attacks almost immediately. Therefore, it may help some people with asthma.

Quoted: Also, playing video games while you're high ROCKS!  Esp. games like Doom 3, HL2, or any other freaky game like that. .

Video games do kick ass when you are stoned. I actually play better stoned than if I was on nothing. It peaks my concentration. I personally recommend the Ghost Recon series. Late night fast food runs are fun too.

Quoted: I smoked a bit in high school then a shitload freshmen year of college. My experience is that I did poorly in school (but that could have been freshman partying in general) but what really scared me into quitting was short-term memory loss.

NO!

That's a lie!

You're wrong!!!

Marijuana does NOT affect memory processing!

It's GOOD for you.

It calms people down. It makes them more creative. It let's them handle life's everyday stresses easier. Like valium only better.

Marijuana is HARMLESS and has absolutely no bad effects on humans whatsoever! It's no worse for the body than pure water! But it affects the mind only in positive ways.

So stop spreading erroneous disinformation about marijuana!

Quoted: 2. Chronic use can make you get fat (munchies are for real) and/or grow tits. No shit. It somehow futzes up your hormones. I have a pretty skinny (6'2", 175ish) male relative with a pretty handsome pair of B-cups.

It does increase hunger. Recent research has shown that endogenous cannabinoids (chemicals related to marijuana that are produced naturally in the body) are involved in the hunger system and that baby rats that have their cannabinoid receptors block will stop eating and die. This implies that it is marijuana-like chemicals that are responsible for human babies eating and growing.

Hormone changes?? -- Bullshit, basically. Marijuana has been shown to have effects on levels of hormones but, in all cases, the hormone levels remain within normal limits. If some guy has tits, then he would have had them anyway.

Quoted: I have noticed that regular users of marijuana tend to share a common trait:    They don't seem to grow as people as time goes on.     It seems to arrest their social development and keeps them from achieving more and more maturity and wisdom as the years go on. You're dumb to use it.   You're even dumber to KEEP using it. CJ

That's funny.  I know adults who still think it's totally awesome! to drink a lot.  Just think about all those people who died from marijuana poisoning.  Oh wai . . .

Is this a loaded question?  

AB

Quoted: I have noticed that regular users of marijuana tend to share a common trait:    They don't seem to grow as people as time goes on.     It seems to arrest their social development and keeps them from achieving more and more maturity and wisdom as the years go on. You're dumb to use it.   You're even dumber to KEEP using it. CJ

Tell it to a few billionaires who smoke it. This is bullshit. There is no evidence for this whatever. Think it over while you drink your beer.

ETA: Marijuana most commonly causes insanity and arrested social development in people who have never used it.

Quoted: IMO, the risks are: 2. Chronic use can make you get fat (munchies are for real) and/or grow tits. No shit. It somehow futzes up your hormones. I have a pretty skinny (6'2", 175ish) male relative with a 20+ year pot habit (and, admittedly, a successful business he built himself) and a pretty handsome pair of B-cups.

oh dear God, I want some of what you were smoking when you posted this!

It won't cause your hormones to "futz up". (Can we please get this one posted on Snopes?)

The short term memory loss theory is questionable at best. More studies show that people who are already ADHD are more prone to substance abuse thus skewing the sampled populace and making this theory unprovable. Most loosers I know who abuse any substances were loosers long before they became abusers and would still be loosers even if they quit.

Does it cause the munchies? Yeah, probably...but the munchies are the worst part about it.

Has anyone ever died from a smoked overdose of unadulterated marijuana? Not in the recorded history of the human race.

People are going to abuse themselves one way or another, whether it be masturbation, alcohol (or any other chemical for that matter) coffee, tobacco, (now we're talking about a killer).

At present, the punishment in most areas does not fit the crime. But if you plan on applying for a REAL job then there is a good chance that you are going to agree to sign over your right against unreasonable search and siezure (UA's) so just don't do it. If you get arrested, it WILL go on your permanent record and you'll never get a real job. On the other hand, you can be a flaming alcoholic and still grow up to be President so play it safe kids and stick with Jack Daniels

Quoted: I have heard that the biggest box office movie star in history never puts his feet on the floor in the morning until he has had a hit.

Harrison Ford is a stoner?

Quoted: So stop spreading erroneous disinformation about marijuana!

Like everything, Mac, the truth is always somewhere in the
middle. The pot appologists (that you are parodying) say
that it has not effect: they are wrong. The "Just Say No"
crowd says that it causes strokes and makes you
eat babies and causes communism: they are wrong.

When dealing with issues like this, you need some good hip
boots, because the bullshit is deep on both sides.

Marijuana doesn't cause so many health problems as it does social problems.
I personally can't stand the "stoner stutter"
Stoners are much like alchoholics, they will fritter their days away in low end jobs, making just enough money to pay rent and buy weed.

Don't start down that road bud - you wanna make yourself stand out to law enforcement?
Be able to answer the polygraph question "no" honestly, and they will be impressed.
You will be seen as "untouchable" because you did not conform to the social norms of your peers.

Quoted: Quoted: So stop spreading erroneous disinformation about marijuana! Like everything, Mac, the truth is always somewhere in the middle. The pot appologists (that you are parodying) say that it has not effect: they are wrong. The "Just Say No" crowd says that it causes strokes and makes you eat babies and causes communism: they are wrong. When dealing with issues like this, you need some good hip boots, because the bullshit is deep on both sides.

As stated before, anyone who is really interested can find most of the major studies of the subject over the last 100 years at www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/studies.htm  If it has any permanent, long-term effects other than minor lung irritation, they did not show up in the largest study of the health records of pot smokers to date.

Quoted: Quoted: So stop spreading erroneous disinformation about marijuana! Like everything, Mac, the truth is always somewhere in the middle. The pot appologists (that you are parodying) say that it has not effect: they are wrong. The "Just Say No" crowd says that it causes strokes and makes you eat babies and causes communism: they are wrong. When dealing with issues like this, you need some good hip boots, because the bullshit is deep on both sides.

Was I that obvious?


Damn.

Quoted: Marijuana doesn't cause so many health problems as it does social problems. I personally can't stand the "stoner stutter" Stoners are much like alchoholics, they will fritter their days away in low end jobs, making just enough money to pay rent and buy weed.

Bullshit. Plain bullshit with no evidence whatsoever.

Don't start down that road bud - you wanna make yourself stand out to law enforcement? Be able to answer the polygraph question "no" honestly, and they will be impressed. You will be seen as "untouchable" because you did not conform to the social norms of your peers.

See the recent thread on why polygraphs are complete bullshit, too.

Both of the departments I've worked for have increased the time you need to have between the last time you smoked and when you apply. Some places it's three years, and i've heard up to seven years (For federal LE). Also, how many times you have smoked in your life counts too.

Correction...I don't know of any deparments personally that only require 6 months of being clean.

Quoted: Quoted: Marijuana doesn't cause so many health problems as it does social problems. I personally can't stand the "stoner stutter" Stoners are much like alchoholics, they will fritter their days away in low end jobs, making just enough money to pay rent and buy weed. Bullshit. Plain bullshit with no evidence whatsoever. Don't start down that road bud - you wanna make yourself stand out to law enforcement? Be able to answer the polygraph question "no" honestly, and they will be impressed. You will be seen as "untouchable" because you did not conform to the social norms of your peers. See the recent thread on why polygraphs are complete bullshit, too.

Perhaps I confused you.
When I say "stoner" in the same context as "alchoholic" I mean one who abuses marijuana.
Are you saying that it is impossible for one to smoke too much weed?
Also, are you saying that "stoners", like alchoholics, do not become the dregs of society?

Additionally, are you saying that because you can beat a polygraph it means you should do whatever you like?
Have you no sense of honor?

Quoted: Perhaps I confused you. When I say "stoner" in the same context as "alchoholic" I mean one who abuses marijuana. Are you saying that it is impossible for one to smoke too much weed?

Anything is possible, but it takes some incredible amounts before it really interferes with daily functioning.

Also, are you saying that "stoners", like alchoholics, do not become the dregs of society?

That's exactly what I am saying. It is also what every major study of the subject in the last 100 years has said.

Additionally, are you saying that because you can beat a polygraph it means you should do whatever you like? Have you no sense of honor?

I am saying that polygraphs are bullshit pseudo-science with no basis in reality. There isn't a shred of scientific evidence to support them -- like your statements above.

Quoted: Personally I think alcohol is more dangerous, but I am not a pot smoker either.

Alcohol is a lot more dangerous and detimental.
The worst thing about pot is"IT IS ILLEGAL"

Quoted: Quoted: Perhaps I confused you. When I say "stoner" in the same context as "alchoholic" I mean one who abuses marijuana. Are you saying that it is impossible for one to smoke too much weed? Anything is possible, but it takes some incredible amounts before it really interferes with daily functioning. Also, are you saying that "stoners", like alchoholics, do not become the dregs of society? That's exactly what I am saying. It is also what every major study of the subject in the last 100 years has said. Additionally, are you saying that because you can beat a polygraph it means you should do whatever you like? Have you no sense of honor? I am saying that polygraphs are bullshit pseudo-science with no basis in reality. There isn't a shred of scientific evidence to support them -- like your statements above.

Really?
Most people I know who smoke everyday are quite unable to function as a normal human being  i.e. not act like a dumbass.
But then again, pot alters your perceptions.
Since you no doubt smoke often, it has altered your perception of yourself.
Even though you think pot hasn't changed you, it has, and those around you can tell.
But you cannot - think about that the next time you're sucking on a hash pipe.

Quoted: Really? Most people I know who smoke everyday are quite unable to function as a normal human being  i.e. not act like a dumbass.

Now there is scientific evidence for you. I would wager that, with your attitudes, most pot smokers you know don't share their personal habits with you.

I have posted links to the largest studies of the subject ever done. They all agreed that the "amotivational syndrome" is bullshit -- including the latest Institute of Medicine report commissioned by the US Drug Czar himself. Of course, that's the same thing that a few billionaires who are pot smokers could tell you.

But then again, pot alters your perceptions. Since you no doubt smoke often, it has altered your perception of yourself. Even though you think pot hasn't changed you, it has, and those around you can tell. But you cannot - think about that the next time you're sucking on a hash pipe.

If that is as good as your observations get, then let me assure you that you are totally wrong on all points.

Gateway Drug.

Quoted: www.narconon.org/druginfo/buds.jpg Gateway Drug.

Ok, we have heard enough about the idiot theory of the "gateway" myth. Here are the facts:

First, there is no drug that will magically give you a craving for other drugs you have never had. That is a belief in witchcraft, not science.

Hemp was George Washington's primary crop, and a secondary crop for Thomas Jefferson, so hemp has been around in America for a long time, without apparently causing much destruction in society.  Each sailing ship carried several tons of hemp in its rope and sails, so cultivation of hemp was a major industry.  Even though cannabis was widely grown, there were no allegations that it led to harder drugs.(2,3,5,10)

In 1910, they believed that the certain steppingstone to opiate addiction was "eating Mexicanized food".  The fundamental idea comes from America's puritanical history.  It is the idea that pleasure is sinful, and small pleasures lead to cravings for larger pleasures.  In this example, those who crave spicy food will inevitably crave larger pleasures, such as opium.(1)

In the 1920s, some states outlawed marijuana because of the belief that heroin addiction would lead to the use of marijuana - just the opposite of the modern myth. (2,3)

Cannabis had been widely known and used in many medicinal compounds for hundreds of years, so there was ample evidence in the 1930s to know whether there was a connection between marijuana and harder drugs. (7,8)

In 1937, Harry Anslinger, head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, testified before Congress that there was no connection at all between marijuana and heroin. In the testimony for the Marihuana Tax Act he said:

ANSLINGER: This drug is not being used by those who have been using heroin and morphine. It is being used by a different class, by a mostly younger group of people. The age of the morphine and heroin addict is increasing all the time, whereas the marihuana smoker is quite young. MR. DINGELL: I am just wondering whether the marihuana addict graduates into a heroin, an opium, or a cocaine user. MR. ANSLINGER: No, sir; I have not heard of a case of that kind. I think it is an entirely different class. The marihuana addict does not go in that direction. MR. DINGELL: And the hardened narcotic user does not fall back on marihuana. MR. ANSLINGER: No, sir: he would not touch that.

The reason marijuana had to be outlawed, he said, was because it caused insanity, criminality, and death. One example he gave was of two young lovers who became so crazed after smoking a joint that they eloped and got married. Marijuana causes people to become so crazy that they get married. The other reasons he gave were no more sensible. The hemp industry representatives who testified were uniformly surprised and mystified to hear that a dangerous drug could be made from this widespread and common crop.  The American Medical Association testified that they knew of no evidence that marijuana was a dangerous drug. (2,3,4)

The US Government encouraged farmers to grow hemp during World War II, because it was vital to the country's war effort. There were no claims at the time that marijuana would lead to harder drugs.(2,3,10)

In 1944, the La Guardia Committee Report on Marihuana confirmed Mr. Anslinger's statement -- there was no connection at all between marijuana and heroin.(6)

In 1951, the story changed. Harry Anslinger was testifying for the Boggs Act about why he needed more money and men to enforce the marijuana laws.  Just before he testified, the head of the Federal addiction research program testified that they knew for certain that all of the reasons that had been given for outlawing marijuana in 1937 were entirely bogus.  They knew for certain that marijuana did not cause insanity, criminality and death.  Anslinger was left with no reason for tougher laws so he made up -- on the spot, with not a shred of evidence -- the assertion that marijuana is the certain stepping stone to heroin addiction. He directly contradicted his own testimony from 1937. It has been the basis of US marijuana policy ever since. (2,3)

Since that time, the Federal drug enforcement officials have tried to support this myth with the idea that most heroin addicts started with marijuana, and statistics which seem to show that marijuana users are more likely to have used cocaine.  The first assertion would get a failing grade in any freshman Logic class. The second can be explained by the fact that people who engage in one risk-taking behavior are likely to engage in other risk-taking behaviors.  It, too, would earn a failing grade in freshman Logic.

In 1970, the Canadian Government did their largest study ever of the subject, and found no connection between marijuana and heroin.(9)

In 1972, the US Government did their largest study ever of the subject, and found no connection between marijuana and heroin. (8) This was also the conclusion of the largest study ever done by Consumers Union, published the same year.(5)

Every major study of the marijuana laws in the last 100 years has concluded that the only connection between marijuana and heroin is that they are both prohibited and, therefore, sold in the same black market.(11)

The most recent study of the subject was the report of the US Institute of Medicine on medical marijuana.(12) They reported:

Instead it is the legal status of marijuana that makes it a gateway drug.

In other words, the people who support prohibition are using the bad effects of prohibition as justification for prohibition. The conclusion of all the research is that we have a "gateway drug policy". It is the laws that create the problem.

All of these references can be found on the Internet at www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/history/history.htm

(1) Themes in Chemical Prohibition, NIDA Conference Report, 1979 druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/ticp.html

(2)  History of the Marijuana Laws, speech to the 1995 California Judges Conference, by Professor Charles Whitebread, USC Law School. www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/whiteb1.htm

(3)  Forbidden Fruit and the Tree of Knowledge:  The Legal History of American Marijuana Prohibition, Professors Richard Bonnie, and Charles Whitebread. druglibrary.org/schaffer/LIBRARY/studies/vlr/vlrtoc.htm

(4)  Transcripts of the Congressional Hearings for the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937,  see transcripts of Harry Anslinger's testimony. www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/taxact/taxact.htm

(5) Marijuana in the New World,www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/cu/cu54.html from The Consumers Union Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs, 1972.  www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/cu/cumenu.htm Also found under www.druglibrary.org/schaffer - Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy.

(6) LaGuardia Committee Report on Marihuana  www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/lag/lagmenu.htm- Also found under www.druglibrary.org/schaffer - Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy.

(7) Cannabis Fluid Extract, From the Parke, Davis & Company 1929-1930 physicians' catalog. druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/history/vbchmed1.htm

(8) History of the Medical Use www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/nc/nc1a.htm -- From Marihuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding, by the US National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, 1972 www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/nc/ncmenu.htm -- Also found under www.druglibrary.org/schaffer - Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy.

(9) Canadian Government Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs, (The Le Dain Report) www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/ledain/ldctoc.html - Also found under www.druglibrary.org/schaffer - Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy.

(10) Transcript of Hemp for Victory, US Dept of Agriculture Film, 1942. druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/hemp4v.htm

(11)  Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy -- found under www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/

(12) Marijuana as Medicine, Assessing the Science Base, by the US Institute of Medicine, 1999 -- www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/Library/studies/iomreport.htm


So do us all a favor and drop the nonsense about the "gateway" myth. Repeating it is a sign of abject ignorance and that you have been bamboozled by goverment officials looking to feather their own nest. Get something new and more reasonable -- like, if you smoke pot you will be abducted by aliens or something.

So you want to smoke dope because chicks are around and you are seeking approval from people on an internet board?

Grow up kiddo

Nice cut and paste there, you ever come up with anything all by yourself?

Quoted: Nice cut and paste there, you ever come up with anything all by yourself?

I wrote that, thanks. You may check the references, or supply any actual references you have on the subject.  Nobody should hold their breath waiting for your references, however.