Marijuana is by far the safest recreational drug, study finds

[berzerker60]

IMO Drugs should not be considered as recreation in the first place. If it is you are already screwed up.

Beep beep boop boop I am a robot

 

[stormkroe]

I have an honest question. What about the increased strain on a healthcare system that Americans are now forced to pay for? I don't know which side is the most accurate on the safe/dangerous attribute of mj, I feel both sides are agenda-coloured and only have anecdotal evidence. I do think that the 'all drugs should be legal' argument simply can't hold water in a health care system that can't deny coverage AND forces people to pay for it. This is really my only problem as of now.
Secondly, are there any studies that test actual tobacco instead of the processed poisons we have in chew and cigarettes?

 

[shortylickens]

IMO Drugs should not be considered as recreation in the first place. If it is you are already screwed up.

Theres no permanent damage from the occasional drink. That's not the problem. The problem is overindulgence. People dont control themselves.

Too much of ANYTHING is bad. Too much water causes water toxicity. That doesn't mean water is bad. It means being unbalanced is bad.

Now in the case of tobacco, I dont think its possible to make it a habit AND have so little that you dont damage your body. So its best to not start.

Same with the heavy shit like opium and cocaine. The safe amount of such substances is so small that you really should just avoid it.

 

[mizzou]

I would suspect alcohol is exponentially more dangerous then weed.

The problem with weed is that you are never sure what you are getting...it could be laced with PCP, it could be a synthetic K2 variant, it could be a noxious plant.

Regular, old school weed, is fairly mundane.

 

[SlowSpyder]

I have an honest question. What about the increased strain on a healthcare system that Americans are now forced to pay for? I don't know which side is the most accurate on the safe/dangerous attribute of mj, I feel both sides are agenda-coloured and only have anecdotal evidence. I do think that the 'all drugs should be legal' argument simply can't hold water in a health care system that can't deny coverage AND forces people to pay for it. This is really my only problem as of now.
Secondly, are there any studies that test actual tobacco instead of the processed poisons we have in chew and cigarettes?

I don't know that the healthcare system would struggle. Users would be buying pharmaceutical grade drugs from companies that make them. They know what they're getting, the exact dose. This is unlike street drugs where one time can be substantially more or less potent and have any unknown dangerous additives compared to a different buy. People overdose this way. I see more money and effort in rehab and education. Just because it is legal, doesn't necessarily mean it is a good idea. But I'm not sure I see more problems... drug users are going to do drugs. Non drug users will not.

I guess we have to weigh the risk to society and individuals when we look at drugs. I do feel that prohibition did not work, but I'm not sure we want a heroin nation either, if some of these drugs are truly so addictive that it needs some tighter level of regulation. I don't know what the answer is. But, I do know that keeping weed illegal is illogical and nonsensical on every level given what we know today especially in contrast to other plants / drugs (alcohol is a drug) we legally allow.

 

[hal2kilo]

MJ won't kill you immediately, sure, but the smoke itself isn't good for lungs. There haven't been a lot of large, definitive studies but common sense would tell you that we weren't evolved to breathe in smoke. http://adai.uw.edu/marijuana/factsheets/respiratoryeffects.htm

I am in no way defending tobacco or alcohol. I'm just saying MJ isn't risk-free, that's all.

Smart people vaporize their pot. Smoking it is old school.

 

[rudeguy]

I would suspect alcohol is exponentially more dangerous then weed.

The problem with weed is that you are never sure what you are getting...it could be laced with PCP, it could be a synthetic K2 variant, it could be a noxious plant.

Regular, old school weed, is fairly mundane.

You really are a stupid and ignorant person.

 

[SlowSpyder]

I would suspect alcohol is exponentially more dangerous then weed.

The problem with weed is that you are never sure what you are getting...it could be laced with PCP, it could be a synthetic K2 variant, it could be a noxious plant.

Regular, old school weed, is fairly mundane.

That would be an example of how if it were legalized and regulated those variables would be taken out. You'd know what you're getting just like you know hard liquor and beer are both alcohol, but have different potency.

 

[Jhhnn]

I have an honest question. What about the increased strain on a healthcare system that Americans are now forced to pay for? I don't know which side is the most accurate on the safe/dangerous attribute of mj, I feel both sides are agenda-coloured and only have anecdotal evidence. I do think that the 'all drugs should be legal' argument simply can't hold water in a health care system that can't deny coverage AND forces people to pay for it. This is really my only problem as of now.
Secondly, are there any studies that test actual tobacco instead of the processed poisons we have in chew and cigarettes?

I seriously doubt that cannabis users can be shown to burden the healthcare system more than the population in general.

Legalization advocates don't need to prove anything that hasn't been proven over 50 of widespread use in this country. If there were something seriously wrong about cannabis use, we'd already know it.

The State simply cannot show any overarching concern wrt prohibition, no legitimate interest that justifies the enormous expense of the war on marijuana or the toll in human misery invoked by it.

Universal prohibition has been sustained by ever shifting falsehoods & fearmongering. It's easy when there's no basis of comparison to anything else. That's all changed with state level legalization. Scientific data driven comparisons are now possible, putting honest concerns to rest. I stress the word "honest" because the fearmongering will obviously continue for some while, authoritarians being who they are. The propaganda becomes much more abstract, going on about selected studies & experiments pertaining to tangential issues about teen brains & the potential harms of cannabis smoke while ignoring real world results.

If you want to know what really happens, just pay attention to Colorado, Oregon, Alaska & DC. Yes, I omit Washington State because they're mired in their own peculiar mess.

Nothing's perfect, but the unfolding Colorado experience has been positive overall. We seem to be getting it right & taking it in stride. It's a declaration of peace made by the people & forced upon the bureaucracy. It turns out that otherwise law abiding cannabis users are just law abiding citizens when cannabis isn't a factor. They're pretty much like everybody else, spanning all age groups & occupying all walks of life. Colorado citizens have granted the respect they deserve, just as other efforts granted respect to other groups in the past.

 

[TechBoyJK]

The problem with weed is that you are never sure what you are getting...it could be laced with PCP, it could be a synthetic K2 variant, it could be a noxious plant. Regular, old school weed, is fairly mundane.

You make the case for legalization.

"The problem with weed is that you are never sure what you are getting"

With all due respect, let me correct you.

The problem with the illegal marijuana "market" is that, due to lack of regulations, many buyers are not afforded basic consumer rights; such as clear information detailing what is in the product, and safety issues, health concerns, expiry dates, etc. etc. etc. etc.

By legalizing marijuana and regulating the market, you will be able to be sure what you are getting. You should have just as much confidence in your marijuana purchase as you do when you buy milk. In fact, you should have more confidence. And as seen with many of the best operating dispensaries in the country, such as Harborside, they follow the law, are transparent, and provide absolute quality products. Rather than getting 'dirt weed', or 'kind bud' or 'skunk' or 'strong stuff', you can pick with precision the type and quality of cannabis you desire.

 

[Jhhnn]

I would suspect alcohol is exponentially more dangerous then weed.

The problem with weed is that you are never sure what you are getting...it could be laced with PCP, it could be a synthetic K2 variant, it could be a noxious plant.

Regular, old school weed, is fairly mundane.

You're right about alcohol. OTOH, black market cannabis is rarely adulterated with other drugs because those drugs fetch a higher price on their own. There's really no faking bud cannabis, either, although clever fakes wrt extracts may exist. I couldn't say.

When it comes to MMJ & retail cannabis, the only real concerns are about some of the chemistry involved in production, not adulteration. Standards & testing for that & mold spores are being instituted as this unfolds.

 

[Fenixgoon]

I would suspect alcohol is exponentially more dangerous then weed.

The problem with weed is that you are never sure what you are getting...it could be laced with PCP, it could be a synthetic K2 variant, it could be a noxious plant.

Regular, old school weed, is fairly mundane.

you realize that's what happened when people did a lot of moonshining...and that's one of the reasons WHY alcohol became regulated? because if you don't control your reactions carefully, you created methanol (vs ethanol), which is incredibly damaging and potentially lethal.

 

[TechBoyJK]

you realize that's what happened when people did a lot of moonshining...and that's one of the reasons WHY alcohol became regulated? because if you don't control your reactions carefully, you created methanol (vs ethanol), which is incredibly damaging and potentially lethal.

illegal alcohol is as bad as meth imho

 

[shortylickens]

I would suspect alcohol is exponentially more dangerous then weed.

The problem with weed is that you are never sure what you are getting...it could be laced with PCP, it could be a synthetic K2 variant, it could be a noxious plant.

Regular, old school weed, is fairly mundane.

Thats why you dont smoke random joints you find laying around.

But if you grow your own plants or get pure bud from a known source you will be fine.

 

[shira]

I would suspect alcohol is exponentially more dangerous then weed.

The problem with weed is that you are never sure what you are getting...it could be laced with PCP, it could be a synthetic K2 variant, it could be a noxious plant.

Regular, old school weed, is fairly mundane.

And legalizing/regulating will get most of the bad stuff off the streets. Similarly for other illicit drugs, where the war on drugs creates a black market where the purity and potency vary wildly.

 

[shira]

I have an honest question. What about the increased strain on a healthcare system that Americans are now forced to pay for? I don't know which side is the most accurate on the safe/dangerous attribute of mj, I feel both sides are agenda-coloured and only have anecdotal evidence. I do think that the 'all drugs should be legal' argument simply can't hold water in a health care system that can't deny coverage AND forces people to pay for it. This is really my only problem as of now.
Secondly, are there any studies that test actual tobacco instead of the processed poisons we have in chew and cigarettes?

There are undoubtedly negatives associated with legalizing MJ. But those have to be weighed against the benefits. I believe any honest accounting of gains versus losses of MJ legalization will show a huge overall gain.

 

[pcgeek11]

Exactly. And you should only have sex one time per child. People who do things out of some sense of self gratification are screwed up.

Twist those words spin doctor. We both know that is not what I said.

 

[pcgeek11]

Why exactly?

Because it screws you up mentally. Every stoner I have ever known eventually ended up being a waste of flesh with the mental capacity of a worm.

 

[pcgeek11]

So, I take it you don't drink, right?

Actually I don't.

 

[pcgeek11]

Not being able to get over yourself is far more screwed up.

Humans have an affinity for mind altering drugs. It's been that way since before the dawn of history. It's in society's interest to direct that affinity towards the least damaging substances available, cannabis among them.

You should know more than anyone. Regardless of what you think my opinion doesn't have to meet with your approval. Or anyone else's.

 

[Moonbeam]

You should know more than anyone. Regardless of what you think my opinion doesn't have to meet with your approval. Or anyone else's.

A good way to think when you happen to have any old absurd opinion that comes along.

 

[pcgeek11]

A good way to think when you happen to have any old absurd opinion that comes along.

And that is Your Opinion.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Because it screws you up mentally. Every stoner I have ever known eventually ended up being a waste of flesh with the mental capacity of a worm.

I bet most stoners you met you didn't even realize were stoners, and they blended right in to society and under your radar.

 

[irishScott]

Just because something can potentially have negative effects is no reason not to legalized and regulate it. Like it or not, weak or sick people will make self-destructive choices.

In any case, keeping marijuana illegal has not stopped anyone interested from acquiring it and using it. I've never used it, but I know people who could get me some tonight if I asked at virtually no risk to myself. The war on drugs is, at best, a massive waste of time and money that has improved the lives of exactly zero people and has likely killed tens of thousands over the years by forcing drugs like MJ onto the black market and thereby indirectly funding organized crime.

 

[Jhhnn]

You should know more than anyone. Regardless of what you think my opinion doesn't have to meet with your approval. Or anyone else's.

True. Nobody can force you to be rational, or to pull that stick of self righteousness out of your ass, either.