Booze, smokes worse than some illegal drugs: study

[BubberMiley]

This is what you get when you have a drug policy established by a collaboration between pseudo-christian moralists and organized crime. You get a society of alcoholics passing judgement on other peoples' healthier habits, and a whole lot of gangsters in our schools.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ernational/home

[Wilber]

Interesting. Perhaps less unhealthy habits might be more accurate. Not sure what it has to do with Christianity. Seems to me that the countries where booze and tobacco are legal and have the death penalty for possession of drugs are not Christian. Organized crime, most definately.

[guyser]

This is what you get when you have a drug policy established by a collaboration between pseudo-christian moralists and organized crime.

Do you think organized crime had a hand in setting the historical agenda against drugs?

[jdobbin]

This is what you get when you have a drug policy established by a collaboration between pseudo-christian moralists and organized crime. You get a society of alcoholics passing judgement on other peoples' healthier habits, and a whole lot of gangsters in our schools.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ernational/home

I'm not surprised by the research. I personally don't use any of the substances listed but I see no reason why decriminalizing marijuana should not take place.

[PolyNewbie]

I prefer mariguanna over booze anytime, but never use booze and hardly ever use pot.

[Canadian Blue]

I think that we would be better off legalizing and regulating marijuana. I don't see any reason to keep it illegal, and I don't think the effects of marijuana are any worse than alcohol or smoking.

[Canadian Blue]

But at the same time we need to ensure that Law Enforcement has the tool's necessary to prosecute and detect people who have smoked marijuana while driving. The biggest concern should be the safety of the public, and if we can't effectively enforce people who are high while driving we won't be able to make much headway on the issue.

[Leafless]

I'm not surprised by the research. I personally don't use any of the substances listed but I see no reason why decriminalizing marijuana should not take place.

Let's be clear what was said and that is all the substances listed are HARMFUL.

Why would you be in favour legalizing yet ANOTHER, harmful drug when we are already saddled with legal alcohol and tobacco, at an enormous cost to society?

Your not really making any sense.

[guyser]

Why would you be in favour legalizing yet ANOTHER, harmful drug when we are already saddled with legal alcohol and tobacco, at an enormous cost to society?

Because it isnt . What harm is there in it?

[Canadian Blue]

Leafless, I don't see the harm in legalizing marijuana. The world didn't come crashing down with the end of prohibition, and it won't come crashing down because of marijuana.

[jdobbin]

Let's be clear what was said and that is all the substances listed are HARMFUL.

Why would you be in favour legalizing yet ANOTHER, harmful drug when we are already saddled with legal alcohol and tobacco, at an enormous cost to society?

Your not really making any sense.

I think I said decriminalizing it. It just means that people wouldn't be arrested for possession. I think it is a waste of the police and court time.

[Canadian Blue]

I don't see how legalizing marijuana will hurt our economy, or our society for that matter. People will do marijuana no matter what, and I highly doubt we'll see a huge increase in people smoking marijuana simply because it's legal.

[geoffrey]

I agree with jdobbin here. Definitely decriminalize posession, but I think there are still many arguments against legalisation that have some validity.

Alcohol has a social context, people don't always drink to get drunk. People always smoke weed to get high/stoned/whatever. I can have a glass of wine or a beer with dinner and not even notice.

Personally, I'm ok with people (adults) getting high in the comfort of their homes (once they leave their house, it's my problem, same with drunks wandering the streets, which is a crime). Being said, the current marijuana industry supports some very questionable actions, and I don't think that the government can win over the purchasers of pot unless they come out with some very strong subsidies.

So really, the outcome of legalisation is more consumption IMO, not because of the legality of the substance, but through price levels and government subsidiziation.

I don't like that thought.

[BubberMiley]

Alcohol has a social context, people don't always drink to get drunk. People always smoke weed to get high/stoned/whatever. I can have a glass of wine or a beer with dinner and not even notice.

People always drink to get a buzz. One beer gives you a small buzz, but you still get one.

Lots of people smoke tiny amounts of weed and go about their daily lives. You just aren't aware of it, because they'd never tell you because you would probably rat them out.

[jdobbin]

People always drink to get a buzz. One beer gives you a small buzz, but you still get one.

Lots of people smoke tiny amounts of weed and go about their daily lives. You just aren't aware of it, because they'd never tell you because you would probably rat them out.

Do you support full legalization or do you think that, like alcohol and tobacco, there should be laws on where said drugs are sold, grown and distributed?

I'm thinking specifically of how this could be lead to criminals trying to smuggle down to the U.S. as in the days of prohibition.

[Wilber]

I'm thinking specifically of how this could be lead to criminals trying to smuggle down to the U.S. as in the days of prohibition.

The majority of Canadian marijuana production is for export to the US that is why legalizing it will have no effect on organized crime until the US legalizes it.

[BubberMiley]

Do you support full legalization or do you think that, like alcohol and tobacco, there should be laws on where said drugs are sold, grown and distributed?

There should be lots of rules regarding drug distribution to try and prevent them from getting in the hands of minors. I support the restrictions that are in place preventing kids from buying alcohol and tobacco, and would like to see the same structure for other drugs.

[jdobbin]

The majority of Canadian marijuana production is for export to the US that is why legalizing it will have no effect on organized crime until the US legalizes it.

I realize this is the fear if Canada decriminalizes marijuana that it will cause an explosion of ever growing drug exports. The question is though that if the U.S. declares a prohibition, does it mean that Canada follows suit in every way? Can't we just work to curb the exports but have our own laws on the matter here?

[jdobbin]

There should be lots of rules regarding drug distribution to try and prevent them from getting in the hands of minors. I support the restrictions that are in place preventing kids from buying alcohol and tobacco, and would like to see the same structure for other drugs.

Do you think companies should be able to market marijuana where alcohol is sold?

[Leafless]

Why would you be in favour legalizing yet ANOTHER, harmful drug when we are already saddled with legal alcohol and tobacco, at an enormous cost to society?

Because it isnt . What harm is there in it?

Duh, your smoking, right, and inhaling more so than with cigarettes.

And besides isn't marijuana the popular little drug youngsters start at at an early age?

http://www.atlantarecoverycenter.com/Marijuana.htm

[DogOnPorch]

The majority of Canadian marijuana production is for export to the US that is why legalizing it will have no effect on organized crime until the US legalizes it.

Very true. You might remember from last year the story about the tunnel under the border near Vancouver. You got to wonder if that was the only tunnel. Demand has made marijuana a much more mobby business where in the good old days, the old hippies living down the street were the source. I'm not sure how bad it is out East, but in Western Canada, there's a big problem with rental property being used as grow-ops. Plus guns were unheard of at one time...now criminal groups guard their operations with lethal force.

The worst drug I've run across by far though is crystal meth which is a hopped-up version of speed. I've watched it turn good people into mere shadows of their former selves...teeth falling out...living in filth, etc. What's even worse is that our welfare system does little to stop this cycle. The circle I witnessed lately is meth junkies going into detox to be eligable for a welfare cheque...then getting out after 'cleaning up'...getting their money...getting high until the money runs out...then going back into detox to be eligable for the next cheque. It's freaking disgusting.

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--Ozzy Osbourne

[BubberMiley]

Duh, your smoking, right, and inhaling more so than with cigarettes.

And besides isn't marijuana the popular little drug youngsters start at at an early age?

http://www.atlantarecoverycenter.com/Marijuana.htm

Duh, but you don't smoke nearly as much, and there have not been documented cases of lung cancer as a result of smoking pot.

As for kids, yes, I agree. The status quo makes it much too easy for kids to get weed. Black market systems are unregulated and don't restrict access to minors. If you were really serious about protecting children, you would call for a change to the existing system of distribution.

[gc1765]

government subsidiziation.

government subsidization?

[BubberMiley]

government subsidization?

Yes, Geoffrey thinks you can lose money selling a weed at $10 a gram and it woujld have to be subsidized. I believe he claims to be an economics major too.

[Leafless]

Duh, your smoking, right, and inhaling more so than with cigarettes.

And besides isn't marijuana the popular little drug youngsters start at at an early age?

http://www.atlantarecoverycenter.com/Marijuana.htm

Duh, but you don't smoke nearly as much, and there have not been documented cases of lung cancer as a result of smoking pot.

As for kids, yes, I agree. The status quo makes it much too easy for kids to get weed. Black market systems are unregulated and don't restrict access to minors. If you were really serious about protecting children, you would call for a change to the existing system of distribution.

You know Bubber, you should really read up on the drug to educate yourself, what could happen to someone like you, by using a toxic substance.

http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/marijuana.html