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[crux]

And you haven't pointed out any evidence that it isn't harmful.

The impetus isn't on anyone to prove that marijuana isn't harmful to others, as it is the argument that it is harmful to others that is being used to justify its prohibition. The weight is on the accuser.

This is an argument about prohibition, by the way - not regulation. If your answer is to regulate drug usage, I'm in full agreement. It's the idea of prohibition that I think is counterproductive.

[MrPopo]

And you haven't pointed out any evidence that it isn't harmful.

The impetus isn't on anyone to prove that marijuana isn't harmful to others, as it is the argument that it is harmful to others that is being used to justify its prohibition. The weight is on the accuser.

This is an argument about prohibition, by the way - not regulation. If your answer is to regulate drug usage, I'm in full agreement. It's the idea of prohibition that I think is counterproductive.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that cigarettes and alcohol should be banned as well. But alcohol especially is far to ingrained into society for prohibition to be pulled off. Marijuana has not yet achieved the ubiquity that alcohol has, so I'd prefer to keep it that way.

What I can't get is why any of you (I'm assuming you use marijuana if you're spending all this time arguing with me about it) tried it in the first place, knowing that it was illegal. Then again, I don't understand why anyone tried it in the first place. Who thought up setting some leaves on fire and then inhaling the smoke? Traditionally smoke is a bad thing to inhale. And, if what I've heard is to be believed, you don't even get high off the first couple times. So now you've got an expectation after the first time or two that it will not produce a high. Why would you continue to do it and hoping for a violation of expectations? But I digress. You knew that it was illegal before you started. Why did you start?

[GSZX1337]

Personally, I'm of the opinion that cigarettes and alcohol should be banned as well.

You remember the Prohibition period?

What I can't get is why any of you (I'm assuming you use marijuana if you're spending all this time arguing with me about it) tried it in the first place, knowing that it was illegal.

1. They wanted to get high.
2. They don't care about the law.
3. Peer pressure.
4. Parents/other family members does it.

Then again, I don't understand why anyone tried it in the first place. Who thought up setting some leaves on fire and then inhaling the smoke?

I always wondered that as well. I know you can get high from eating marijuana, but it's not near as effective.

And, if what I've heard is to be believed, you don't even get high off the first couple times. So now you've got an expectation after the first time or two that it will not produce a high. Why would you continue to do it and hoping for a violation of expectations?

Because they want the high. It's the same reason why people keep having sex even if their first few times sucked.

I have a question for you. Why do you call for prohibition? It's been proven ineffective and it'd result in an increase of crime (more than the already high 1-100 adults*).

*From wikipedia's references: http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/upl ... %20100.pdf

[RyaNtheSlayA]

And, if what I've heard is to be believed, you don't even get high off the first couple times. So now you've got an expectation after the first time or two that it will not produce a high. Why would you continue to do it and hoping for a violation of expectations?

This is not true, at least it was not in my experience.

Also, I tried it knowing it was against the law, but I don't really care. If I have freedom of all these other things why am I not allowed to do something that is probably less harmful than many other things.

[Limewater]

Also, I tried it knowing it was against the law, but I don't really care. If I have freedom of all these other things why am I not allowed to do something that is probably less harmful than many other things.

Two stories of people's first (and only) experience with marijuana.

My wife tried smoking pot once. She did not get high and found the entire experience unpleasant.

My brother was once unknowingly fed a pot brownie while staying with a family in Jamaica. He did get high. He wanted to get mad about it, but he really couldn't manage it until later.

[Overload]

And you haven't pointed out any evidence that it isn't harmful.

The impetus isn't on anyone to prove that marijuana isn't harmful to others, as it is the argument that it is harmful to others that is being used to justify its prohibition. The weight is on the accuser.

This is an argument about prohibition, by the way - not regulation. If your answer is to regulate drug usage, I'm in full agreement. It's the idea of prohibition that I think is counterproductive.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that cigarettes and alcohol should be banned as well. But alcohol especially is far to ingrained into society for prohibition to be pulled off. Marijuana has not yet achieved the ubiquity that alcohol has, so I'd prefer to keep it that way.

What I can't get is why any of you (I'm assuming you use marijuana if you're spending all this time arguing with me about it) tried it in the first place, knowing that it was illegal. Then again, I don't understand why anyone tried it in the first place. Who thought up setting some leaves on fire and then inhaling the smoke? Traditionally smoke is a bad thing to inhale. And, if what I've heard is to be believed, you don't even get high off the first couple times. So now you've got an expectation after the first time or two that it will not produce a high. Why would you continue to do it and hoping for a violation of expectations? But I digress. You knew that it was illegal before you started. Why did you start?

You really want all these things banned? Banning them won't stop people from using them.
There are less problems with regulation instead of prohibition.

It's been used for thousands of years. Who knows what the first use was. Hemp was very prevalent in ancient times. Marijuana has also been used medicinally for a long time, and of course it has, is, and will continue to be used to get high.

Many people don't get high the first time because they don't know how to smoke properly.

Unjust laws don't deserve to be obeyed. Tons of people break the law to smoke because it's a dumb law.

"In any civilized society, it is every citizen's responsibility to obey just laws. But at the same time, it is every citizen's responsibility to disobey unjust laws." -MLK Junior

Marijuana was legal until some time in the 30s. It was used in a variety of medicines. You know who jumpstarted prohibition? Harry J. Anslinger. He associated cannabis with Mexicans and other minorities and said it made them crazy, violent, and would make them want relations with white women. He gave it the name "Marijuana" so it would be associated with the Mexicans. Racism was very prevalent, and this gave cannabis a bad image. Many people didn't even know that marijuana and cannabis were the same plant.

[MrPopo]

Personally, I'm of the opinion that cigarettes and alcohol should be banned as well.

You remember the Prohibition period?

Way to skip the next sentence.

What I can't get is why any of you (I'm assuming you use marijuana if you're spending all this time arguing with me about it) tried it in the first place, knowing that it was illegal.

1. They wanted to get high.
2. They don't care about the law.
3. Peer pressure.
4. Parents/other family members does it.

1. There's a lot of things I want to do that I don't.
2. Then why are they whining about it being illegal?
3 & 4. Cop-out

And, if what I've heard is to be believed, you don't even get high off the first couple times. So now you've got an expectation after the first time or two that it will not produce a high. Why would you continue to do it and hoping for a violation of expectations?

Because they want the high. It's the same reason why people keep having sex even if their first few times sucked.

Except we have a biological drive to procreate, while we don't have a drive to get high having never been high before.

I have a question for you. Why do you call for prohibition? It's been proven ineffective and it'd result in an increase of crime (more than the already high 1-100 adults*).

First off, let's make sure we have our definitions straight. Today there is prohibition for marijuana. It has not kept the drug out of the country and out of the hands of the citizens. It would be incredibly naive of me to think that we can ever completely get rid of something. The best we can do is get it minimized to a small portion of the populace and show consequences for those who partake of it in an effort to keep it from being accepted by the population at large. There's also prohibition of murder, but that certainly hasn't gotten ride of the violent crime.

Now, the example that always gets brought up is the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. However, there is a large differences between marijuana and alcohol. Alcohol has been a pervasive part of life dating back 4000+ years. Prohibiting alcohol is like prohibiting meat. Now, I would LIKE to get rid of it, but I am realistic enough to know that it won't work, as was evidenced by gangers such as Al Capone. Marijuana, on the other hand, never achieved that level of prominance before it was made illegal. And in a similar case, you have cigarettes, which are only 300 years old. With cigarettes they are legal, but you are slowly seeing them being pushed out of many corners of society. Many cities are enacting local legislation which removes smoking from restaurants and sometimes even bars. It pisses off a lot of smokers, but smoking is nearly as pervasive in American society as drinking is.

[crux]

For the record, I've only smoked marijuana about a half dozen times in the last three years, so don't attempt to paint a box around me. As for the why's, I ask you, why not? I've always been a collector of experiences, and I found the experience safe and worth having. Peer pressure played a part the very first time, to be sure, but that's neither here nor there. If video games were prohibited, would you also ask why to those that partake in them? As so many people who excuse piracy seem to say (piracy being a view I rarely agree with), morality supersedes law when the law doesn't otherwise justify itself. So, again, why not? And a very appropriate MLK Jr. quote, Overload, both given the subject and the week. If only it were made yesterday!

For the record, some 42% of seniors in high school have tried marijuana as of 2008. The percentage inherently grows as they age. Thus why the "war on drugs" is a war that can't be won. You'd rather continue to prohibit it than take measures to better regulate it and educate those that choose to use it?

Also, and I don't mean to come off rudely, but the issue is being skirted around. Is there any statistical evidence that marijuana is harmful to others? There is evidence that links it to car accidents, but not so severely as alcohol, cell phones, or sleep deprivation. And again, that's an issue of education and regulation. What, then, is the argument for complete and total prohibition? I see no reasonable argument that doesn't invade civil liberties (the right to cognitive freedom) and doesn't ignore the fact that it's a victimless crime when used responsibly (again, education and regulation).

[Overload]

I share crux's viewpoint. As far as we know, you only live once, so you might as well have as many experiences as possible. It took me a while until I tried it for the first time actually. Friends of mine had done it, but I didn't have any interest. I was a bit close-minded in the beginning. I was never pressured into it. I was offered by my best friend to try some, but I declined, and he dropped it. Eventually, I decided I wanted to see what it was like. I enjoyed it, and continue to do so on occasion.

I still haven't come across any evidence suggesting that marijuana isn't relatively safe. Every study I've read about claiming it was harmful was later deemed unscientific because of the methods used.

And most importantly, as crux stated, smoking cannabis is a victimless crime.

[Pookie]

And most importantly, as crux stated, smoking cannabis is a victimless crime.