Yes, I think there's already a topic on this but those are from a really long time ago. As you all know Marc Emery (the prince of pot) ran for Mayor of Vancouver in 1996 and ever since he's been fighting for legalization for marajuana in Canada. And he owns his very own shop in Vancouver with a vapour lounge in it.
http://cannabisculture.com/articles/5310.html
The link above shows you that on Nov 15th 2008 Cannabis Activists are getting elected all across BC.
I live in Vancouver and I'm a huge supporter of Marc Emery. Im so glad that he is still fighting for legalization. I've been to his shop many times before and I've met Marc Emery himself there. He's a really nice guy and I think with time marajuana will be legal here.
What do you guys think of legalizing marajuana?

I dont think marijuana should be legalized, people have cannablis cards here in the US but end up addicts and potheads, we should legalize hemp though, if we want any sort of energy reform independence.

They recently legalized Medicinal Marajuana in my state. I think its really un-necissary to be honest. I had juniors in my class go "im so excited that proposal 1 passed!" which tells you there that it will probably be abused.

i disagree, medicinal marijuana should be definitely be legalized in all states in my opinion. even if people abuse it, i still think it should be legalized for medicinal use. i have a semi severe chronic back problem, and i'm in pain just about everyday and take pretty heavy prescribed pain killers that i'm basically addicted to. i can't just up and stop taking my dosage anymore without withdrawing. if being provided with a non physically addicting treatment helped then i don't care if some idiot teenagers somewhere abuse it as long as it's helping people in pain who have to cope with things like this on a day to day basis. is it really fair to everyone who would use it responsibly to not get to because someone else will abuse it? i think that option should be there for those it helps.


as far as legalizing it in general. i wouldn't say i'm 100% for that because i don't think i have all the facts. i definitely support decriminalizing it, and i probably support legalizing it in general. why is alcohol legal but marijuana not?


yeah and for the record, i don't smoke. so it's not like i'm one of the smokers who is like YEAH WOOHOOO. i don't now, and i highly doubt i would if it was legal since it being illegal isn't why i don't anyway.

I think Marijuana should be legalized.
Maybe, though, there should be an age limit to purchase it.

Please learn to write, spell, and punctuate before posting in debate again.

There are few states in which people can acquire cannabis cards, as medical marijuana is
still illegal in the vast majority of states.

Marijuana is not physically addictive, so no, people will not "end up addicts." In fact, by legalizing marijuana, people would likely have reduced access to harder drugs, as they wouldn't have to go to dealers who could potentially encourage them to try other things, therefore eliminating a lot of the reasoning behind the "gateway drug" theory. As for people becoming potheads, is everyone who's ever drank an alcoholic? No. Moderation is key, and it is not the government's place to ban substances that are not particularly harmful when used safely. Weed is far less dangerous than alcohol, really; it doesn't make people violent, it's not physically addictive, you can't OD on it, etc etc.

This documentary on the subject is pretty interesting.

cancer patients who cant eat get an appetite

pain reliever

more that i dont know of


LIES YOU CAN OD, JUST AFTER SMOKING LIKE 5000 POUNDS OF IT

Even if there were not real medical benefits, I'd still think it should be legalized. Yes, people should be able to get high if they want. If no one else is getting hurt, it is not the government's problem. People go on and on about how they want a small government, and then support government bans on things like marijuana or () gay marriage. It's completely illogical. You shouldn't be asking what the benefits of legalizing something are, you should be asking how we benefit from having it illegal.

not to mention taxing it would be a small boost for the economy

Yeah, definitely better that than to continue wasting money by including pot in the the "war on drugs."

1. freedom is actualized:
we live in a country that proposes to be free. the contents of our minds are a primary aspect of personal freedom. if the government is telling us we cannot control the contents of our minds through the use of drugs, than we can't say we're a free country.
2. the black market is defeated:
the drug war has only made selling drugs more profitable, in an effect, this has added to the proliferation of drugs (making them more accessible to everyone). if we legalize drugs (especially harmless drugs like cannabis) we can eliminate a black market that supports organized crime all over this nation & supplies criminals with the power & money to operate. this will lower associated crime (remember, black market disputes can't be taken to court. if someone snags your scag, you shoot them).
3. innocent people are allowed to live:
over fifty percent of our prisons are full of non-violent drug offenders. these people don't deserve the sentences that they are given. further, they are a costly aspect of our policy; we pay to imprison them & everyone pays when they are torn form their work, their lives, & their families.
4. medicinal benefits:
medical weed already helps millions of people all over the world; we need to jump on the bandwagon already.
5. we end the drug war:
less needless spending & effort & time on a worthless (& offensive) war against the american people.
6. etc.:
you suck for not thinking of any of these.

IF EVOLUTION IS A CRIME ONLY CRIMINALS WILL EVOLVE!

sorry smartass

Actually, Marijuana has been documented to have some theriputic effect, for patients with glaucoma, and for those dealing with the pain of Chemotherapy, or wieght loss associated with HIV/AIDS.

It can have positve effect, just like cough syrup, for some people, and for that reason, I think it should be legalized and taxed. The tax money could then be used to fund research, and detoxification and intervention.

It 'can' be useful, but, most folks don't want to even consider legalization, for fear of setting a dangerous precedent.

Seems rather narrow minded to me. Feel free to actually read a study on the effects of marijuana use, it could be a great help, but, without actually considering it, it isn't even being put up for discussion.

I'd love to be able to smoke a joint and go on about my daily activites. Yes, it would be great.

Marijuana does have some medicinal effects, which is why I believe it should be legalized. But I don't want to hear people saying "Oh it'll get abused and wah wah wah." What do you think people do with Alcohol. Sure legalize it, even if they make dumb ass laws like; you have to be 21, or in a designated area and etc.

It also prevents alzheimer's

It also destroys your short term memory, and problem solving skills.

Agreed entirely!
Nothing wrong with weed.
Too much is bad.

I know someone who is a cancer survivor and is a junior in high school right now. The one thing she said when we were discussing this topic was "When i had cancer i was given all these drugs and the last thing i would need or want is another drug". Im aware medicinal marajuana can actually help my relieving the pain and increasing the appetite, but its one more drug and i think most patience dont want to keep taking and taking drugs.

I think the thing that bothered me most though about legalizing it was how the people who can have it are legally allowed to grow it, and it just bothers me how i hear and see high school students using it and how my former friend is using it now and is f*cking her life over overall now.

Those are NOTHING compared to what Tobacco can do to you.

What does that quote have to do with anything? Marijuana would be a natural replacement for other pharmaceuticals, not "one more drug." It's effective, and could be used instead of taking other addictive chemicals. You obviously have no conception of what cancer patients want or need, and you really have a lot of growing up to do. But we're going by anecdotal evidence here, my aunt had cancer and my mom would buy weed for her. Because it is helpful in making people feel better. We need to prioritize people's health and well being over pharmaceutical companies.

Things should not be banned just because they have the potential to be abused. The people who will f*ck up their lives will f*ck up their lives regardless. I don't understand why "conservatives" feel that "personal responsibility" applies to economy, but not to anything that might approach "moral" territory. If cannabis were to be legalized, it would have an age limit like alcohol and cigarettes, and therefore probably not reach more high school kids than it does now. But as an adult, I should be able to get high off of a relatively harmless drug if I so choose. So long as I don't drive stoned (which is still much, much better than drunk driving) than it is really no one's business but my own. If I choose to "f*ck my life over" with it, that's my prerogative. Personal responsibility, personal responsibility, personal responsibility.

You really need to grow up.

^yeah what she said.


i think you missed my point. my point being that i'm physically dependent on the pain medicine i take now, and there's not really anyway around that because that's just the reality of high strength pain medicines, narcotics. it wouldn't be "one more drug", but really it would be one less drug, because it would be a replacement that isn't physically addicting. i don't want to keep taking and taking drugs, just like other people don't want to. so if there is an alternative they should be able to take advantage of that.

so i don't think you're looking at it like people in pain look at it. i would be willing to bet if you're friend said that, she doesn't know much about marijuana in the first place. it's probably a lot safer than any drugs she had to take.


and yeah, if we're going to ban everything that has the potential of being abused we'd have to ban the majority of drugs in the first place. so that makes no sense at all. we might as well ban tylenol, i mean people can abuse that!

Marijuana was legalized in Massachusetts. Just felt like pointing that out.

It is so annoying when people write that.

I dont think it should be legalized because it is a drug. For medicinal purposes, thats fine. Of course people are going to abuse it.. people abuse laws all the time. Ya, there are some benefits to legalizing it, but I dont want any drugs to be legal. Alcohol and drugs are different. That is why alcohol is legal.

You cannot be serious.

Caffeine is a drug.
Nicotine is a drug.
Aspirin is a drug.
Ephedrine is a drug.
Xanax is a drug.
ALCOHOL IS A DRUG.
etc. etc. etc.

Jesus f*cking Christ.

Aspirin is a medicine. Ephedrine is a medicine. Xanax is a medicine.

Even putting marajuana into the same category as caffeine makes you an idiot.

Marajuana is in the same category as hard drugs, the kinds that shouldnt be legalized... Come on.

Alcohol is a beverage. Having one beer doesnt make you drunk. Taking one drag of marajuana makes you high. Why would we want to legalize something that gets people high??

CAFFEINE IS A DRUG. You said you don't want marijuana legal because it is a drug. A MEDICINAL DRUG LIKE ALL OF THOSE THINGS EXCEPT ALCOHOL WHICH IS STILL A LEGAL DRUG. So yeah, they're in the same goddamn category.

IT IS IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS HARD DRUGS LEGALLY, BUT NOT EFFECTIVELY. (and actually, that's not really even true- cannabis is a class C drug.)

If those other things are okay because they can be used as medicine, then by that logic pot should be too. You've just disproved your own point. Xanax is highly addictive and quite often abused. By most measures it is far more harmful than weed. And alcohol is ALSO A DRUG and still legal.
(You will notice benzodiazepines (xanax) and alcohol and tobacco all higher than cannabis on the chart.)



Edit for the edit:
Um, no, it is all relative. The more you drink, the more drunk you get. The more you smoke, the higher you get. One hit will not necessarily get someone high. Most people don't get high their first time (or few) smoking. Someone with a higher tolerance will not get high off one hit. One sip of beer may not get someone drunk, but one sip of something with a higher alcohol content could get someone with a lot tolerance drunk. It is a beverage that would get people drunk? Why would we want to legalize something that could get them drunk- when that could make them violent, mess with their judgment, become addicted to it, and could die of alcohol poisoning? Why not legalize something that could HELP PEOPLE MEDICINALLY and who the f*ck cares if they get high? Why is it the government's place to say it's not ok to get high, or that it's ok to take this one drug that you could get high off of but not this other one?

Or just go back a page and read the benefits Nate listed.

Has anyone else noticed that Nate dropped an ETHER bomb on this thread? He cut out the fat and got right down to common sense and common knowledge.

why are people so insistent that it's a hard drug? i don't get this. is it just because you only remember what they beat into your head in 4th grade about all drugs being the most awful things in the world? because you need to get the f*ck over that by now. drugs are BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD when you're little because little kids can't differentiate or comprehend differences like this anyway, so there isn't much else to tell them. you need to grow up and do some research though if you're over 16 and you still think weed is a terrible drug that your going to become physically dependent on and kill you.

i don't understand

Maybe legalizing some substances in marijuana would not hurt, and these should be available to people with licenses or with some kind of knowledge of drugs, not to the entire population to get high off of.

Why? Who, pray tell, is hurt by people getting high?

And now look, you have to understand why they feel the need to differentiate between the real thing and "chemically refined by-products that could be taken by mouth." It's not because it's a more effective medication. It's not so people don't get high. It's because pharmaceutical companies cannot make money off of a natural product that people can grow themselves. It's all about conforming to lobbiests' demands. Why would you want to take the synthetic version of something when you could take the natural one?

I think that if it's legalized. people wont be so "hyped" about doing it anymore. I also think it'll become more expensive, and nobody will have the money to buy it anymore.

Ya except that caffeine makes you more alert, while marajuana makes you less alert.


Drugs are bad, brooklyn, and thats why they try to make it clear to children from a young age. Marajuna is the less toxic of all hard drugs, for sure. Besides making you sluggish and lazy, I dont think it has any adverse side effects. But, doing one drug could lead to another and lead to gateways to more drugs. Its not a good idea to make marajuana legal because it is a hard drug.

Anyways, I already said medicinal purposes for marajuana are fine.

It's not really accurate to say that cannabis decreases awareness. It increases concentration. But regardless, that hardly makes caffeine less of, or cannabis more of a drug. There are different kinds of drugs, but they are still all drugs.

No, it's really not a hard drug. The gateway drug theory only holds any weight because it's not a hard drug. If it were, it would not be the drug that people try before they move on to trying other, harder drugs. Why not ban cigarettes, then? Reinstate prohibition? (lol) Most hard drug users first try tobacco or alcohol, and the majority of them are also smoke cigarettes. And oh, yeah, these things really don't have many (if any) medicinal uses. However, an advantage to legalization- as I have already stated- is that marijuana smokers would not have to buy weed from dealers who also sell harder things, which would decrease access. Dissolving the black market would be very beneficial.

You can't just ban things because people might want to try other more harmful things. Or because they make people less attentive...seriously, let's ban getting fewer than 8 hours a sleep a night, then.

yeah nicki covered my response again. i was going to say that it's contradictory to claim it's a hard drug, and then claim it's a gateway drug at the same time.

bitch, you need to stfu and hit the blunt, hard drug my ass, acid is a hard ass drug.

the price will drop due to the decreased cost of production & distribution & a market model closer to perfect competition. unless, somehow, taxation is stupid as f*ck on it, weed will become substantially cheaper if legalized & sold by firms.

if you legalize marijuana the cost will skyrocket for killer weed, and it will be regulated by the government. They want there cut of the profit. dude, rock on or shit, out & under

dont legalize it because its needed for medical reasons.
it just isnt necessary for a productive society.
yeah a selcect few people actually need it for medical reasons. they most likely will get it for that reason. legalize it and it will be around kids, and people who just dont want to be near it.

Why the hell does this bother you as well ?
You seem needlessly argumentative.

and alcohol isnt?

So everything legal has to be necessary for a productive society?

They should just legalize it in all states, some states are starting to legalize it anyway for medical use. People are going to get their hands on it regardless so it really doesnt matter.

killer weed? i have no idea what you're talking about. like, dank shit? nah dawg, you have no idea what the f*ck you're talking about. the reason any drug is expensive right now is because of the problem of supply - it's a risk to produce & distribute drugs illegally. if the production & sale of drugs is no longer illegal, the risk will disappear, & many more entrepreneurs will enter the market... this will increase competition (& given lower production costs already) & dramatically reduce the price of the product. duh.




you're a heartless bitch. you know what we don't need in a "productive society?" shit heads like you! people who have no compassion whatsoever for his or her fellow human beingsss... even further, people who have no compassion because of their own self-righteous, moronic, & subservient ignorance! you need to read a book!





drug dealers don't check for i.d. you f*cking idiot.



i don't want to be near your dumb ass... but that's just something we all sort of have to deal with in a free country. word up moron.

Not once did I say anything about tobacco. Sit down and raise your hand next time.

she/hes implying that cigarettes are legal and do more damage to you when marijuana isnt

OKAY MISTER TECHNICAL SCHOOL JUST BECAUSE YOURE GETTING A PIECE OF PAPER THAT MEANS JACK SHIT THAT YOU PAID TOO MUCH FOR DOESNT MEAN YOU CAN GO AROUND BOSSING PEOPLE AROUND TELLING THEM TO RAISE THEIR HAND NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU LEAVE DEAD AND BLOODIED ALONG THE WAY, JUST SO LONG AS YOU CAN MAKE A NAME FOR YOURSELF AS AN INVESTIGATORY JOURNALIST, NO MATTER HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU LOSE OR PEOPLE YOU LEAVE DEAD AND BLOODIED AND DYING ALONG THE WAY.

itt: you're an idiot

okay just to give you an analogy of how stupid you sound,

CATS are felines
LIONs are felines

you want lions to be let out in the f*cking public? hope this analogy feeds your f*cking brain
does that answer your damn question? all Im insisting is that if you wanted to use marijuana as a legal drug, then just use it properly, dont let it get in the hands of people who are going to abuse it.



the f*cking reason this country is in a economic crisis is BECAUSE of lobbyist demands. Even with GM and chrysler, they try to meet lobbyist demands and they neglect the importance of making cars better. thats why American cars are shitty as hell compared to asian imports. If you want to conform to lobbyist demands, your not going to get jack shit done. Legalizing Marijuana is a f*ckin last minute desperate as hell ditch move, your not making patients healthier, your making them feel better (there is a difference). Its the same thing as cars, while Asian countries and england are advancing in stem cell research, Americans are looking towards marijuana to be their saving grace and while brazil is energy independent and advancing faster then any other country in the world, AMericans are still dependent on OPEC, its the same damn thing, lobbyist dont help the people, they only help money hungry corporations.

Calm the f*ck down, neither of those posts were in response to you. The first one was in respone to where Dosomething888 said, "I dont think it should be legalized because it is a drug...I dont want any drugs to be legal. Alcohol and drugs are different. That is why alcohol is legal." So it was far from stupid of me to point out that alcohol is in fact a drug. And that there are plenty of other legal drugs. Seriously, look at the context.

Are you even literate? Pharmaceutical companies lobby AGAINST legalization, because it would decrease their profit, not for the good of the people.

sorry, its just so f*cking frustrating, when I try to make a point, people are always f*cking bashing it, I try to respect everyone's post, but Im not going to be told what to do or be disrespected, and yes Iam literate I must have misunderstood your post, but either way, Im independent on this issue, what Im implying is that if it gets passed, make sure their is a limit of some sort, if it dosent get passed, them oo well.