Another Reason to Legalize Marijuana

Katana

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New research shows that the active ingredient in marijuana may prevent the progression of the disease by preserving levels of an important neurotransmitter that allows the brain to function.

Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in California found that marijuana’s active ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can prevent the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from breaking down more effectively than commercially marketed drugs.
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Linky Winky

And it's all natural!

:D

ETA: The disease is Alzheimer's.
 
How can they pass a law that legalizes a substance that has one major side effect?

Charlie (namely happiness) Monoxide
 
In case you have already forgotten ---

There's another thread on this HERE


ETA --

I thought this thread was opened because you were going to provide "another reason" ------
in my opinion (and the opinion of many others) the other reason to legalize marijuana is the vast amount of minor arrests, which waste the resources (and money) of Law Enforcement, not to mention the taxpayer's millions $$$$ spent for incarceration and legal costs, yet achieving nothing in preventing the widespread use and growth of marijuana, a demonstrably beneficial plant.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws reported that the FBI's Uniform Crime Report for 2005 showed a record 786,545 people nationwide were arrested for marijuana offenses. Of the total, 696,074 were charged with simple possession.

"These numbers belie the myth that police do not target and arrest minor marijuana offenders," said NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre. "This effort is a tremendous waste of criminal justice resources that diverts law enforcement personnel away from focusing on serious and violent crime, including stopping terrorism."
 
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All interesting stuff - and I'd like to recommend the History Channel's documentarys on illegal drugs (Hooked: Illegal Drug), in particular the one on marijuana. According to the History Channel, marijuana was basically made illegal because of a Mexican "illegal immigrant" problem in the SW.

Has anyone seen this documentary?
 
Charlie Monoxide said:
How can they pass a law that legalizes a substance that has one major side effect?

Charlie (namely happiness) Monoxide
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Well, two side effects if you include consuming an entire bag of Cheetos or a half gallon of Haagen Daas ice cream. ;)
 
Mephisto said:
All interesting stuff - and I'd like to recommend the History Channel's documentarys on illegal drugs (Hooked: Illegal Drug), in particular the one on marijuana. According to the History Channel, marijuana was basically made illegal because of a Mexican "illegal immigrant" problem in the SW.

Has anyone seen this documentary?
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I saw these documentaries (History Channel is one of my holy Trinity of TV watching, Comedy Central, Discovery, and History). The shows came across fairly objectively and didn't go the route of trying to scare you. There was 2 other factors for the prohibition of marijuana as well, black musicians during that time period were known to be avid users and Hearst (he of the newspaper chains) saw marijuana used as a fiber a big threat to his newly purchased pulp and paper mills. Hearst papers were known for their rabid editorials and general paranoia for a ban on pot ....

Charlie (no hope with dope) Monoxide
 
Katana said:
Linky Winky

And it's all natural!

:D

ETA: The disease is Alzheimer's.
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The tax revenue, and the national debt? Not only that, but all the fast food companies and pizza delivery chains would see booming sails as a nationwide epidemic of "the munchies" set in.

If one could mitigate the "driving while stoned" problem in a similar way to the drinking and driving issue, there could be a strong case made for being able to go to the store and buying Marlboro Green Bud, made with real California grown buds.

Cheech and Chong already made the advertisement: no stems, no seeds, just killer weed! Let the bidding begin, and . . .

Buy American! :)

DR
 
webfusion said:
There's another thread on this HERE

ETA --

I thought this thread was opened because you were going to provide "another reason" ------
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Sorry. I actually did a search to see if anyone had, but obviously I didn't do a very good job.
 
Mephisto said:
All interesting stuff - and I'd like to recommend the History Channel's documentarys on illegal drugs (Hooked: Illegal Drug), in particular the one on marijuana. According to the History Channel, marijuana was basically made illegal because of a Mexican "illegal immigrant" problem in the SW.

Has anyone seen this documentary?
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I saw the entire series and it was very well done. Truly amazing, the process of how those drugs go from legal to illegal. Of course in the case of alcohol(which in my opinion, is more dangerous than marijuana), it went from legal to illegal and then back to legal again.

In addition to what Katana said about marijuana helping people with Alzheimers; many MS, Cancer, and Glaucoma patients also claim that it helps them.
 
Trantor said:
I saw the entire series and it was very well done. Truly amazing, the process of how those drugs go from legal to illegal. Of course in the case of alcohol(which in my opinion, is more dangerous than marijuana), it went from legal to illegal and then back to legal again.

In addition to what Katana said about marijuana helping people with Alzheimers; many MS, Cancer, and Glaucoma patients also claim that it helps them.
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If my next door neighbor wants to sit on his back porch with his wife and get stoned out of his mind, I don't mind so long as they keep the noise down, and pick up the Twinkie wrappers so that they don't blow into my lawn. :cool:

DR
 
I personally hate the stuff and find my self easily annoyed by pothead culture. However, I hate wasting my tax dollars on fighting it quite a bit more. I agree that it should be legalized and I see that happening sooner or later. I think the common misconception is that Marijuana is a "gateway drug" because the drug itself often leads people to try harder drugs. The reality is that it is the dealer that often leads people to try harder drugs. Your local 7-11 clerk is unlikely to do so.
 
bob_kark said:
I personally hate the stuff and find my self easily annoyed by pothead culture. However, I hate wasting my tax dollars on fighting it quite a bit more. I agree that it should be legalized and I see that happening sooner or later. I think the common misconception is that Marijuana is a "gateway drug" because the drug itself often leads people to try harder drugs. The reality is that it is the dealer that often leads people to try harder drugs. Your local 7-11 clerk is unlikely to do so.
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Hey they might try to turn to from pot to alcohol, a harder drug after all.
 
Marijuana is a gateway drug for many. Back in my late teens I smoked a lot of it, and gravitated toward others who used it. Then I tried LSD and mushrooms several times, upon their urging, then tinkered with other stuff like speed. The "gateway" thing is two-pronged. First, of course, you want something stronger than pot for a stronger high and better escape. Second, you are told by your clique of friends that law enforcement, politicians, and those who control society fear free-thinkers and that is why THEY keep the stuff illegal.

Ironically, if and when marijuana becomes legal, other illegal, recreational drugs will follow, and it will, in this aspect too, truly be a gateway drug.

I am cool and hip and everything and I guess it should all be legal and left to adults, not government, to decide what to put in our bodies.

Also, back in Chicago I recall Reverend Jesse Jackson arguing that if illegal drugs became legal it would take money out of the hands of inner-city street dealers and put the money into the hands of white males who run the huge drug companies.
 
steverino said:
Also, back in Chicago I recall Reverend Jesse Jackson arguing that if illegal drugs became legal it would take money out of the hands of inner-city street dealers and put the money into the hands of white males who run the huge drug companies.
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Jesse Jackson is walking, talking, pure comedy gold. I don't think he realizes that he missed his true calling.

DR
 
steverino said:
Marijuana is a gateway drug for many. Back in my late teens I smoked a lot of it, and gravitated toward others who used it. Then I tried LSD and mushrooms several times, upon their urging, then tinkered with other stuff like speed. The "gateway" thing is two-pronged. First, of course, you want something stronger than pot for a stronger high and better escape. Second, you are told by your clique of friends that law enforcement, politicians, and those who control society fear free-thinkers and that is why THEY keep the stuff illegal.

Ironically, if and when marijuana becomes legal, other illegal, recreational drugs will follow, and it will, in this aspect too, truly be a gateway drug.
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Being the skepchick that I am, I feel the need to debunk the "gateway" issue.

http://www.druglibrary.org/Schaffer/library/mjgate.htm

It is hardly a revelation that people who use one of the least popular drugs are likely to use the more popular ones -- not only marijuana, but also alcohol and tobacco cigarettes. The obvious statistic not publicized by CASA is that most marijuana users -- 83 percent -- never use cocaine. Indeed, for the nearly 70 million Americans who have tried marijuana, it is clearly a "terminus" rather than a "gateway" drug.

In the United States, the claim that marijuana acts as a gateway to the use of other drugs serves mainly as a rhetorical tool for frightening Americans into believing that winning the war against heroin and cocaine requires waging a battle against the casual use of marijuana. Not only is the claim intellectually indefensible, but the battle is wasteful of resources and fated to failure.
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See, to me, calling the drug a "gateway" puts the responsibility for drug use on the drug, rather than the user. People who are willing to use drugs are willing to use drugs. It doesn't really matter which one they start with. Cigarettes are a gateway, in that sense, as is alcohol. Even OTC medications could be considered a "gateway," as using them conditions children to taking a pill or elixir not gotten from a doctor to cure one's ills.

The term is functionally useless, and a scare tactic.
 
steverino said:
Marijuana is a gateway drug for many. Back in my late teens I smoked a lot of it, and gravitated toward others who used it. Then I tried LSD and mushrooms several times, upon their urging, then tinkered with other stuff like speed. The "gateway" thing is two-pronged. First, of course, you want something stronger than pot for a stronger high and better escape.
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I agree that this may be the case sometimes, but not always. I think it's a personal decision on whether to seek a stronger drug. When I was in college, I did use marijuana from time to time, mostly on weekends, with friends. I was offered stronger drugs on several occasions, including strong prescription drugs, but I never tried them. Like anything else, moderation and self control is the key. Almost any drug can be abused. A single prescription pain-killer pill can help a person that needs it in order to control pain; Popping three of the same pills in order to get high is abuse, and can lead to addition, if done on a regular basis.

Smoking marijuana never effected my grades in a negative way, because I wouldn't let it. If I had an important test, you can bet that I wasn't smoking or drinking the night before. I knew many people that were the same way, and I knew others who were screw-ups. It was a matter of choice.
 
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Trantor said:
I agree that this may be the case sometimes, but not always. I think it's a personal decision on whether to seek a stonger drug. When I was in college, I did use marijuana from time to time, mostly on weekends, with friends. I was offered stronger drugs on several occasions, including strong prescription drugs, but I never tried them. Like anything else, moderation and self control is the key. Almost any drug can be abused. A single prescription pain-killer pill can help a person that needs it in order to control pain; Popping three of the same pills in order to get high is abuse, and can lead to addition, if done on a regular basis.

Smoking marijuana never effected my grades in a negative way, because I wouldn't let it. If I had an important test, you can bet that I wasn't smoking or drinking the night before. I knew many people that were the same way, and I knew others who were screw-ups. It was a matter of choice.
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Mother's milk leads to heroin. Well, it leads to everything. --George Carlin--

DR
 
This evidence does seem convincing. I may have to change my position. Still, the two flaws I see in these statistical data is:

1) Teenagers lie about such things as their drug use, (some will not acknowledge using who actually do use) and ultimately it is up to THEM telling the truth for accurate numbers to be collected.

2) I am uncomfortable utilizing Dutch stats to project what Americans would do if drugs were legalized. They are a different culture, and possibly more enlightened than our nation's dumb-ass Jerry Springer aesthetic.
I mean, look how we consume junk food in the States.
 
Wait a minute. Pot helps treat Alzheimer's?

Hell, when I used to get stoned, I felt like I had Alzheimer's.

Seriously, this sounds like a good reason to do more research into the effectiveness of THC in treating Alzheimer's. It's a ridiculous excuse for legalizing marijuana. There may be good reasons to legalize it, but this isn't one of them.
 
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