Marijuana is by far the safest recreational drug, study finds

[disappoint]

You don't have an "argument." You have an analogy so obviously faulty that a child, even a stoned child, could see its flaws.

And yet, instead of pointing out those flaws so easily seen, you resorted to name calling instead. How sad for you, to have debate skills bested by a stoned child in your own view.

 

[TechBoyJK]

And yet, instead of pointing out those flaws so easily seen, you resorted to name calling instead. How sad for you, to have debate skills bested by a stoned child in your own view.

You know, sometimes taking the time to point out flaws to people who don't care is really a bad way to spend time.

So it's easier to just say 'fuck off, you're dumb' and move on to more respectable fights.

 

[amicold]

I see lots of potheads and lots of backwards (prohibition-minded) morons in this thread. Half the reason it's not technically legal now is because people who don't toke regularly enjoy laughing at the potheads say the same thing about why it should be legal. That said, both sides overstate their points by far. Very similar to alcohol in that a majority of people use it on occasion or chronically. (no pun)

Edit: Should be legal and regulated. Leaving P&N now, this place is scary.

 

[gdansk]

Legalize it and tax it. It will make my task of ignoring morons easier.

 

[shira]

Caffeine isn't a recreational drug ?

Even if it is, there IS a lethal caffeine dose (estimated at around 6 grams). And there's this website that allows you to calculate the lethal intake level for various sources of caffeine. For example, for brewed coffee, the site estimates that about 84 cups provides a lethal dose to a 190 pound person.

That means that the "margin of exposure" for caffeine is less than 100. Meaning that smoking MJ is more than 100 times safer than drinking coffee.

 

[SlowSpyder]

So you're saying you agree. Thanks for agreeing with my oh so flawed argument.

You likened smoking pot to cutting your arm off with a chainsaw. The data largely shows that smoking pot has very, very little likelihood of harming you at all. Do you see the problem in that analogy?

No one is suggesting legalization for children. But it should be legal for adults.

 

[SlowSpyder]

I see lots of potheads and lots of backwards (prohibition-minded) morons in this thread. Half the reason it's not technically legal now is because people who don't toke regularly enjoy laughing at the potheads say the same thing about why it should be legal. That said, both sides overstate their points by far. Very similar to alcohol in that a majority of people use it on occasion or chronically. (no pun)

Edit: Should be legal and regulated. Leaving P&N now, this place is scary.

If this thread scares you, then you must be softer than baby shit in real life.

How do you feel the pro-pot side is overstating their argument? Objective facts: Studies find no link between smoking and cancer. A study posted found a possible protective benefit from smoking marijuana. It would be exceedingly difficult (impossible?) to OD on marijuana smoke.

I agree, the anti-pot side always overstates their side, though. It is because they are not able to separate propaganda from truth, and/or they are emotionally invested in what they are saying. Logic and critical thinking simply do not agree with their desire for prohibition.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Even if it is, there IS a lethal caffeine dose (estimated at around 6 grams). And there's this website that allows you to calculate the lethal intake level for various sources of caffeine. For example, for brewed coffee, the site estimates that about 84 cups provides a lethal dose to a 190 pound person.

That means that the "margin of exposure" for caffeine is less than 100. Meaning that smoking MJ is more than 100 times safer than drinking coffee.

Not just is marijuana safer; the harmful effects that lead up to death are much more severe with caffeine.

Smoking as much pot as you can would be a wild ride for most people, but they would at most feel naeseous, silly, sleepy and maybe disoriented.

Drinking as much coffee as you can before you have to stop? Yea, that's not going to be nearly as much fun, and the crazy ass shit it will do to your nervous system could have you regretting it for the rest of your life.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Speaking of...

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/26/politics/republicans-dc-pot-legalization/index.html

 

[bshole]

If this thread scares you, then you must be softer than baby shit in real life.

How do you feel the pro-pot side is overstating their argument? Objective facts: Studies find no link between smoking and cancer. A study posted found a possible protective benefit from smoking marijuana. It would be exceedingly difficult (impossible?) to OD on marijuana smoke.

I agree, the anti-pot side always overstates their side, though. It is because they are not able to separate propaganda from truth, and/or they are emotionally invested in what they are saying. Logic and critical thinking simply do not agree with their desire for prohibition.

Pot can and does create panic attacks and lifetime generalized anxiety disorders in those with a genetic predisposition.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Pot can and does create panic attacks and lifetime generalized anxiety disorders in those with a genetic predisposition.

I've never once said that pot carries zero risk to 100% of the population. My claims have always been that it is far less likely to harm a person than other substances that are legal and that many of the negatives have been overblown due to government propaganda.

The first couple times I ever tried it (years ago), I would get a panic attack. Really bad, my heart would race, I'd lose color and my friends said I turned pale gray in complexion. I felt sick and couldn't calm down, felt very uneasy. Then I remember one time, tried it again, the same thing happened and I told myself that no one dies from pot, relax, I've done much worse in my life. And suddenly I felt better and was able to see the enjoyable side of it.

If you've tried it and don't like it, that's great. But there is no reason it should be illegal.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Pot can and does create panic attacks and lifetime generalized anxiety disorders in those with a genetic predisposition.

You make a point for regulation.

'Pot' does not create panic attacks. Not 'pot' in general.

However, certain strains may. And through REGULATION and proper labeling, consumers could 'choose' to avoid those strains.

I really don't like Indica's, especially the extreme indicas. They lay you out, make you slow and docile, and can make you get lost in your own mind.

Sativa on the other hand; it's like spiritual energy. It's uplifting, does not mess with your head, does not mess with hand/eye coordination or reaction time, etc. It's wildly different than Indica.

Saying 'pot' causes anxiety is like saying FRUIT tastes bad. Uh, there are 100's of types of fruit with wildly different tastes and qualities.. so much so that saying fruit tastes bad means nothing.

 

[Jhhnn]

Pot can and does create panic attacks and lifetime generalized anxiety disorders in those with a genetic predisposition.

Panic attacks are rare & generalized anxiety disorders even rarer. If we think about it at all, the fact that it's illegal just raises the anxiety level at square 1.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Pot can and does create panic attacks and lifetime generalized anxiety disorders in those with a genetic predisposition.

Anything can cause a panic attack in someone with a genetic predisposition. That's a pretty broad reason to use to ban one specific thing.

 

[bshole]

Anything can cause a panic attack in someone with a genetic predisposition. That's a pretty broad reason to use to ban one specific thing.

I have never once advocated the ban of pot. I am very violently against drug prohibition. I was merely stating the scientific fact that pot can be a life-altering drug (in a pretty horrible way) for people with the right chemistry.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I was merely stating the scientific fact that pot can be a life-altering drug (in a pretty horrible way) for people with the right chemistry.

So can peanuts

 

[SlowSpyder]

So can peanuts

Anything can. I don't get the point that is being made by bshole. Anything, even things generally regarded as safe, can have negative effects, sometimes severely, in a small portion of the population. I don't think a single person said that pot is great for everyone and/or children.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I have never once advocated the ban of pot. I am very violently against drug prohibition. I was merely stating the scientific fact that pot can be a life-altering drug (in a pretty horrible way) for people with the right chemistry.

It's an odd point to make because it seems to be in favor of prohibition, which you claim to be against. Why bother bringing up that marijuana might be dangerous for some people if you're just following it up with "but let's keep it legal anyway"?

 

[Jhhnn]

It's an odd point to make because it seems to be in favor of prohibition, which you claim to be against. Why bother bringing up that marijuana might be dangerous for some people if you're just following it up with "but let's keep it legal anyway"?

Coming from a different poster, I'd rate it as concern trolling. There's a lot of it swirling around legalization, more of the usual fear mongering. I don't think that was the intent.

Despite prohibition, cannabis has become a normal part of life in America. Nothing short of a police state can change that so we should stop pretending that it might, stop pretending that locking people up for a mostly innocuous pastime somehow serves the common good.

Yeh, sure, I get it that the war on marijuana is really just a jobs program, workfare for brownshirts, politicians, lawyers, judges & etc, but we ought to be able to create jobs w/o creating victims at the same time.

 

[rudeguy]

Coming from a different poster, I'd rate it as concern trolling. There's a lot of it swirling around legalization, more of the usual fear mongering. I don't think that was the intent.

Despite prohibition, cannabis has become a normal part of life in America. Nothing short of a police state can change that so we should stop pretending that it might, stop pretending that locking people up for a mostly innocuous pastime somehow serves the common good.

Yeh, sure, I get it that the war on marijuana is really just a jobs program, workfare for brownshirts, politicians, lawyers, judges & etc, but we ought to be able to create jobs w/o creating victims at the same time.

You forgot that its also a great way of stripping people of their rights. If you are on probation or parole, you have to identify yourself to a cop, you don't have the right to refuse a search, the courts say where you can go and who you can be with...

 

[disappoint]

You likened smoking pot to cutting your arm off with a chainsaw. The data largely shows that smoking pot has very, very little likelihood of harming you at all. Do you see the problem in that analogy?

No one is suggesting legalization for children. But it should be legal for adults.

I never said smoking pot is akin to cutting arms off with a chainsaw. That would be ridiculous. I understand some people may want to subconsciously or consciously interpret what I meant incorrectly so that they may feel superior because their mind is always trying to make themselves feel good about themselves by making others sound ridiculous, but that doesn't make their interpretation correct.

I said the argument that smoking pot is less harmful than drinking alcohol or using harder drugs is akin to the difference between cutting arms off with a chainsaw and 44 magnum rounds to the head.

One is more harmful, and the other is less harmful. My intent was to show that just because something is less harmful than something else, that doesn't make it not harmful at all, nor a good idea to do.

Oh and by the way if anyone is purposefully misrepresenting what other people say to win an argument they should be ashamed of themselves. As should those who engage in argumentum ad lapidem.

 

[bshole]

It's an odd point to make because it seems to be in favor of prohibition, which you claim to be against. Why bother bringing up that marijuana might be dangerous for some people if you're just following it up with "but let's keep it legal anyway"?

Because it fucked up somebody very close to me very badly. That person has never recovered and the incident happened in the 90s. Being mind fucked for life is a pretty horrible way to exist.

 

[rudeguy]

Because it fucked up somebody very close to me very badly. That person has never recovered and the incident happened in the 90s. Being mind fucked for life is a pretty horrible way to exist.

I just want to make sure I'm clear on this:

Someone very close to you was permanently mentally damaged by marijuana?

 

[SlowSpyder]

I never said smoking pot is akin to cutting arms off with a chainsaw. That would be ridiculous. I understand some people may want to subconsciously or consciously interpret what I meant incorrectly so that they may feel superior because their mind is always trying to make themselves feel good about themselves by making others sound ridiculous, but that doesn't make their interpretation correct.

I said the argument that smoking pot is less harmful than drinking alcohol or using harder drugs is akin to the difference between cutting arms off with a chainsaw and 44 magnum rounds to the head.

One is more harmful, and the other is less harmful. My intent was to show that just because something is less harmful than something else, that doesn't make it not harmful at all, nor a good idea to do.

It is an analogy, it tries to draw parallels. But it is a terrible one. The lesser of one situation is an arm cut off with a chainsaw, the lesser in another is smoking pot. The worse in one situation is a gun shot to the head or doing more harmful drugs. It is a terrible analogy and makes little sense. You would have to show that smoking marijuana causes any real damage to most users at all. An arm chopped off with a chainsaw unarguably does. Also, there is no zero risk medicine or recreational activity / substance I can think of. So your analogy would have to mean eating a yogurt (some small percentage of the population may have a reaction to something in it) also would be akin to chopping off an arm with a chainsaw. But you went with chopping off an arm for marijuana because you actually believe it is bad for you. This has nothing to do with what you think I'm trying to do and more to do with a terrible analogy. Current data shows that marijuana is likely not harmful to any appreciable degree to the majority of users.

 

[Jhhnn]

Because it fucked up somebody very close to me very badly. That person has never recovered and the incident happened in the 90s. Being mind fucked for life is a pretty horrible way to exist.

Unfortunately, some people are fragile. That often shows itself when they're young adults, one way or another. Not to be harsh, but they're a wreck looking for a place to happen. Any sort of traumatic experience sets it off, from their dog getting killed to being in a really scary car accident. The actual mechanism is incidental.