Why Marijuana is Illegal (Ridiculous)
Marijuana is not illegal because it is unhealthy (it’s not) or because it has negative effects on the mind (it doesn’t). There is no logical or sound reason why marijuana cannabis is illegal in the United States. This ignorant legislation was the result of lies, corrupt motives, vague wording and demonization. This is the real story:
Marijuana has been around for a LONG time. It was ingrained into the culture of America as early as the Jamestown era. Prior to the federal ban in 1937, hemp (marijuana) plants were a huge business for their potential to be made into a variety of products, including cloth, rope and food.
America loved the marijuana plant until it became associated with Mexicans in the early 1900′s. Mexicans were the latest group of immigrants and of course Americans jump to hating anything that is new and different, (ex. Africans, Irish, Chinese). So when they came over the board smoking marijuana, people noticed and California quickly became the first state to outlaw the “preparations of hemp, or loco weed.”
Soon state after state was making marijuana illegal for various, often racist reasons. A prime example of this was one legislator’s comment on the decision in Montana:
“When some beet field peon takes a few traces of this stuff… he thinks he has just been elected president of Mexico, so he starts out to execute all his political enemies.”
Another Texan senator said on the floor of the Senate: “All Mexicans are crazy, and this stuff [marijuana] is what makes them crazy.”
Excellent reasoning for making ‘loco weed’ illegal.
William Hearst
The next source of pot demonization came from Mr. Henry Hearst, famous yellow journalist. Hearst made it his goal to wipe hemp completely off the map. His reasons are as follows:
1) Mexicans had brought it over and were associated with it, and Hearst hated Mexicans.
2) Hearst invested heavily into the timber industry to support his newspaper business and he did not want hemp as a competitor.
3) Stories of marijuana making Mexicans rape white men made for riveting stories in his newspaper.
Here are some excerpts about marijuana from his journalism and others like it:
“By the tons it is coming into this country — the deadly, dreadful poison that racks and tears not only the body, but the very heart and soul of every human being who once becomes a slave to it in any of its cruel and devastating forms…. Marihuana is a short cut to the insane asylum. Smoke marihuana cigarettes for a month and what was once your brain will be nothing but a storehouse of horrid specters. Hasheesh makes a murderer who kills for the love of killing out of the mildest mannered man who ever laughed at the idea that any habit could ever get him….”
- San Francisco Examiner
“Users of marijuana become STIMULATED as they inhale the drug and are LIKELY TO DO ANYTHING. Most crimes of violence in this section, especially in country districts are laid to users of that drug.”
“Was it marijuana, the new Mexican drug, that nerved the murderous arm of Clara Phillips when she hammered out her victim’s life in Los Angeles?… THREE-FOURTHS OF THE CRIMES of violence in this country today are committed by DOPE SLAVES — that is a matter of cold record.”
Harry Anslinger
The third driving force behind the illegalization was the director of the newly-created Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN), Harry Anslinger. Like many other corrupt politicians, he saw his job as a business opportunity rather than an organization to promote the public well-being. Anslinger wanted the FBN to be a massive organization and he thought that the war on cocaine and opiates weren’t big enough targets for his goal to be reached. Consequently he latched on to marijuana and began a campaign portraying the plant as a cause of violence and social disorder.
Chief among his exploits were the so-called “Gore Files” that “documented” the horror stories of marijuana usage. Here are some quotes from those files:
“This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and others.”
“You smoke a joint and you’re likely to kill your brother.”
“Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality and death.”
“Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men”
“Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind.”
Anslinger planned for two years and finally brought The Marijauna Tax Act of 1937 (making marijuana illegal on the Federal level) to Congress He brought with him a book full of Hearst’s ridiculous stories, quotes from the “Gore Files” and a whole bunch of racist comments. The only person that stood in his way was Dr. William C. Woodward, Legislative Council of the American Medical Association (AMA).
The brave Dr. Woodward criticized Anslinger for construing AMA statements to make them appear in support of his anti-marijuana legislation. He also reprimanded the legislature and the FBN for using the term “marijuana” in the legislation, which at the time was not publicly known to represent hemp/cannabis. Marijuana was a racist term used to describe the smoking of cannabis by Mexicans. Thus many people who had a vested interest in marijuana such as hemp farmers, vendors and cannabis smokers did not know that this new law would outlaw their beloved hemp. A very snide trick indeed…
Woodward went on to accuse Anslinger of using hearsay evidence and listed the many holes in his “scientific” reasoning for making marijuana illegal. The legislature and Anslinger both retorted by stating that Woodward only had criticisms and no hard evidence as to why marijuana should remain legal.
The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was then OK’d by the committee and passed on to the house floor. There, the discussion was exactly this:
“Mr. Speaker, what is this bill about?”
Speaker: “I don’t know. It has something to do with a thing called marihuana. I think it’s a narcotic of some kind.”
“Mr. Speaker, does the American Medical Association support this bill?”
Member on the committee flat out lies: “Their Doctor ‘Wentworth’[sic] came down here. They support this bill 100 percent.”
And that was it. Because of one final lie, marijuana was made illegal in the United States.
Since then marijuana has been made a Schedule 1 substance, which by definition has no medical benefits. Except for medical marijuana has been legalized in numerous states and it has been proven to have a wide variety of beneficial medical effects.
The ONLY side-effect of marijuana usage is temporary short-term memory loss due to chronic use. It does not kill brain cells like alcohol and you can safely drive on it. It stimulates appetite. It heighten your creative capabilities. It makes music sounds better, food taste better, sensations feel better, and makes everything just that much more fun. And yet it remains illegal while cancer-causing, highly-addictive cigarettes and alcohol remain totally legal. It’s almost funny how ridiculous the whole thing is. Almost.
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Marijuana and Mental Health
A number of studies have shown an association between chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia. Some of these studies have shown age at first use to be a factor, where early use is a marker of vulnerability to later problems. However, at this time, it is not clear whether marijuana use causes mental problems, exacerbates them, or is used in attempt to self-medicate symptoms already in existence. Chronic marijuana use, especially in a very young person, may also be a marker of risk for mental illnesses, including addiction, stemming from genetic or environmental vulnerabilities, such as early exposure to stress or violence. At the present time, the strongest evidence links marijuana use and schizophrenia and/or related disorders.6 High doses of marijuana can produce an acute psychotic reaction; in addition, use of the drug may trigger the onset or relapse of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals.
What Other Adverse Effect Does Marijuana Have on Health?
Effects on the Heart
Marijuana increases heart rate by 20–100 percent shortly after smoking; this effect can last up to 3 hours. In one study, it was estimated that marijuana users have a 4.8-fold increase in the risk of heart attack in the first hour after smoking the drug.7 This may be due to the increased heart rate as well as effects of marijuana on heart rhythms, causing palpitations and arrhythmias. This risk may be greater in aging populations or those with cardiac vulnerabilities.
Effects on the Lungs
Numerous studies have shown marijuana smoke to contain carcinogens and to be an irritant to the lungs. In fact, marijuana smoke contains 50–70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke. Marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, which further increase the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Marijuana smokers show dysregulated growth of epithelial cells in their lung tissue, which could lead to cancer;8 however, a recent case-controlled study found no positive associations between marijuana use and lung, upper respiratory, or upper digestive tract cancers.9 Thus, the link between marijuana smoking and these cancers remains unsubstantiated at this time.
Nonetheless, marijuana smokers can have many of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illness, and a heightened risk of lung infections. A study of 450 individuals found that people who smoke marijuana frequently but do not smoke tobacco have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers.10 Many of the extra sick days among the marijuana smokers in the study were for respiratory illnesses.
Effects on Daily Life
Research clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s existing problems worse. In one study, heavy marijuana abusers reported that the drug impaired several important measures of life achievement including physical and mental health, cognitive abilities, social life, and career status.11 Several studies associate workers’ marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness, accidents, workers’ compensation claims, and job turnover.
Firstly, it would be helpful if you cited the source of your evidence. Especially since this report is contrary to every single report that has come out in recent years regarding marijuana. I could pull out countless links to reports that state very clearly (and that never use the word ‘unsubstantiated’) that say marijuana has none of these effects.
I do find it comical that this report tries to pin cancer on marijuana when it has been approved without doubt to be an effective medicine for cancer patients. And concerning the rise in heart-rate– I suppose horror films are bad for your health as well. Plus if you had ever had an experience with marijuana, you would know that this is anything but the case. Heart rates may increase upon consumption, but they do level out oh so consistently afterward.
Ok, before I start, I want to say that I have plenty of past experience with the use of marijuana. I have heard a lot of the same arguments from people who support and are opposed to its use.
Fact remains that because it is something that is smoked and inhaled it has a certain degree of damaging effects on the lungs. If you look at it as a per inhale it is probably more carcinogenic than tobacco smoke, but most smokers of tobacco smoke a lot more than smokers of pot. Also, American cigarettes on average have a lot of extra additives, so you get a lot of other badness. I do know that there has not been a study that links pot smoking to any kind of illnesses, but at the end of the day it is still smoke inhalation.
I hear a lot of people talk about its use in cancer treatment, but most people are not aware of how it is used, because I hear a lot of people say that it “cures” cancer or what not. The use in cancer patients is as a pain killer. Unfortunately any cancer treatment these days is extremely painful, and depending on the treatment other pain killers cannot be used because of the adverse affects of mixing them with the treatments. I am not doctor by any stretch of the word, but apparently THC is very safe to mix with a variety of cancer treatments, and is why it is given to those in treatment.
Personally I think it should be legalized. I know that there would be a rash of idiocy as people who didn’t use it because of the legality issues got their hands on it, but this would subside quickly in a few years. Hands down alcohol is chemically and socially more dangerous than pot. If you over dose on pot you will just fall asleep, but you can actually die from an alcohol over dose. Also alcohol is far more damaging to the body than pot is, and no one can argue that point and back it up with real-truthful data. Aside from a few people I have known, pot tends to work as a sedative. I have seen it have an opposite effect on some people, but it is rare, and usually linked to some kind of ADD/ADHD issues. When everyone else just wants to vegetate on the couch with a movie, these few individuals want to go out and paint the town red.
As far as driving on pot… If it is legalized, I think that it should carry the same restrictions as alcohol. In a sedated state your reactions will be lowered and for most people I think that would pose a serious danger to the rest of the public.
My 2 cents….
i dont know if your aware but you dont have to only smoke marijuana you can eat it and vaporize it
Haha yes, I’m aware. However I heavily prefer smoking it. Vaporizers give me a less intense high with more pressure in my head and eating it just turns me into a vegetable. I smoke for creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, and that is heightened by smoking.
Marijuana has been proven to have negative effects on the brain, as with tobacco, it is a major factor in the loss of brain cells, and causes a severe decrease in motor skills, ability to cognate, and communicate effectively.
These are all things that can be observed by ANYONE who has ever been around anyone who is on Marijuana.
While I agree that Marijuana shouldn’t be illegal, you have to observe that saying “Marijuana has no negative effects, and is not unhealthy” is a very ignorant thing to say.
I use the word ignorant, with its LITERAL definition. Ignorant of several scientific studies, ignorant of observable detail, ignorant of several medical studies.
By the way, Marijuana has not been proven to be an effective treatment of cancer. It has been proven to ease the pain of cancer patients. Which are two VERY DIFFERENT things.
Unless, of course, you’re on of those “the scientific community is lying” people. Which is just ridiculous. And is the basic view of Religious Fundamentalists in this country, and is a serious problem.
So, the only REAL point you have is that Marijuana isn’t as bad as tobacco. Which I would basically agree on, except that tobacco doesn’t impair you.
CONCLUSION: Literally anyone, and I do mean anyone, who can say that Marijuana has no negative effects on the body and is not unhealthy, is wrong, undereducated, ignorant, and misguided.
I’m not sure if this has been addressed to the anti-cannabis people responding to this article, but if not I would like to do so now.
Making claims such as “chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia” is as easy for me to say “chronic McDonald cheeseburger users have increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia”. My point: there isn’t much I can think of as in terms of recreational use that should be abused. Even so, if that person wishes to eat 10,000 cheeseburgers… let him. If somebody wants to eat 10,000 pot brownies or smoke 10,000 joints… let him. Individually I believe we all have that right. I can see a response to this with something like “ARE YOU SAYING WE SHOULD LET SOMEBODY DRINK 10,000 BEERS, BECAUSE IT’S THERE RIGHT??!!!??” No, I’m not I’m not even justifying somebody eating 10,000 cheeseburgers, that’s fucking gross. The only thing I’m justifying is Cannabis.
Personally, experiencing “God’s Holy Gift” for myself, I have only felt feelings polar opposite of depression, and have came nowhere near suicidal. Actually, most of the anxiety and schizophrenia come simply because people are fearful of the law. And who wouldn’t be!!??!! No one wants to have to go through court and pay fines and risk reputation simply for doing something such as taking a hit from a joint. If anything should be illegal it should be in the order of alcohol then cigarettes.
This is a topic I have openly debated, discussed, and reviewed for a little over a year, and the number one thing I notice Anti-Cannabis advocates use are facts merely based on SMOKING. Do not create facts solely based around smoking, because this is only one of several different techniques the herb can be in taken. The herb can be prepared as a beverage, dessert, or active ingredient in a dish. Tell me you would be depressed after eating a delicious bowl of macaroni and cheese with an active ingredient that stimulated nothing but good vibes and even euphoria!
I’m not sure if this has been addressed to the anti-cannabis people responding to this article, but if not I would like to do so now.Making claims such as “chronic marijuana use and increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia” is as easy for me to say “chronic McDonald cheeseburger users have increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia”. My point: there isn’t much I can think of as in terms of recreational use that should be abused. Even so, if that person wishes to eat 10,000 cheeseburgers… let him. If somebody wants to eat 10,000 pot brownies or smoke 10,000 joints… let him. Individually I believe we all have that right. I can see a response to this with something like “ARE YOU SAYING WE SHOULD LET SOMEBODY DRINK 10,000 BEERS, BECAUSE IT’S THERE RIGHT??!!!??” No, I’m not I’m not even justifying somebody eating 10,000 cheeseburgers, that’s fucking gross. The only thing I’m justifying is Cannabis.Personally, experiencing “God’s Holy Gift” for myself, I have only felt feelings polar opposite of depression, and have came nowhere near suicidal. Actually, most of the anxiety and schizophrenia come simply because people are fearful of the law. And who wouldn’t be!!??!! No one wants to have to go through court and pay fines and risk reputation simply for doing something such as taking a hit from a joint. If anything should be illegal it should be in the order of alcohol then cigarettes.This is a topic I have openly debated, discussed, and reviewed for a little over a year, and the number one thing I notice Anti-Cannabis advocates use are facts merely based on SMOKING. Do not create facts solely based around smoking, because this is only one of several different techniques the herb can be in taken. The herb can be prepared as a beverage, dessert, or active ingredient in a dish. Tell me you would be depressed after eating a delicious bowl of macaroni and cheese with an active ingredient that stimulated nothing but good vibes and even euphoria!
I love your argument, Bob. All health accusations aside, IT IS OUR RIGHT to do what we want to do. If I want schizophrenia, I should be able to induce it and not get in trouble! And of course, I also have never experienced anything close to those “effects” listed, in fact just the opposite. Too bad Prop 19 didn’t pass..
The kind of claims made by Dr. Chet Kret’s post are typical of what the article is talking about.
The world would be a better place with booze and weed in moderation and tobacco banned.
The world would be a better place with NOTHING banned. Self governing = true FREEDOM ! ! !
I’m a drug and alcohol studies student in New Zealand, and the one thing that puzzles me to no ends is precisely what Dr Chet above says….according to what we’re taught in our curriculum, weed causes anxiety, psychosis, depression, etc…..but PERSONAL EXPERIENCE of 10 or more years….mine, and other peoples(friends) says that its none of those things….And the people who get the symptoms(anxiety,etc) are the ones who already had them in the first place.I personally believe that the REASON is that maybe marijuana is so good for you that you might just become an enlightened person on regular use and thats what all the political monopolies all over the world are scared of….so they make up and exaggerate facts out of proportion to suit their purposes. GOD MADE WEED CHOOSE>
Hey Rinkadink,
It’s insane that your curriculum teaches those falsities about such a safe and enjoyable substance. I completely agree that marijuana brings enlightenment (which is well documented on highdeas.com). Luckily I live in California which has marijuana legalization on the ballot in November 2010. I really hope that legalization here starts a wave of reform in the way people view marijuana. Fingers crossed!
when is inhaling smoke ever safe? I think your very 1 sided admin. While i agree with you in the sense that marijuana isn’t that bad,, and its far better than smoking cigarettes— saying that its outright safe is ridiculous.
Actually from my experience it totally slows down your reflexes (even though it feels awesome when the world is in slow motion :) )which could mean getting hurt more.(my friend fell off a bridge while we were high, thankfully only very minor injures) Believe it or not, not everyone will experience or react the same way as you have with it.
I had friends when i was younger that dropped out of school cause all they ever wanted to do was smoke pot. The only time they ever felt good was after they smoked because they were so used to being high and loving it. (case in point, i have another friend who smokes pot daily and functions just fine, does what she needs to do etc…)
People react differently to different things. Then next morning after smoking pot, i feel really fried and mentally drained. I used to more or less have to burn(sit around and do nothing) the next day to recover.
I used to smoke lots of pot and i am very glad i stopped cause my life has improved a huge amount without it. Id love to get high everyday :) but i know from experience that it will be a problem and will harm me in every aspect :(.
And finally, just because pot is ‘safe than’ alcohol or tobacco doesn’t make it safe.
Anyways, take care! I Loved smoking pot when i did it,,, its to bad it didn’t love me :-D.
P.S.
“The ONLY side-effect of marijuana usage is temporary short-term memory loss due”
I don’t know about you, but short term memory loss seems like a pretty bad side effect! I’m sure anyone could think of a myriad of problems that could arise if you forgot something crucial :)
Well I gotta say marijuana has never left me at a point where I could fall of a bridge or hurt myself in any way, no offense of course. Yup reflexes are slower but that’s kinda what you’re going for when you smoke: slow, smooth pleasure and brain-tickling thoughts.
It’s strange that you felt so drained from smoking because I always wake up feeling great. ESPECIALLY when compared to drinking. You are correct that it can’t be considered safe just because it’s better than cigs and alcohol because those are 2 of the worst substances you can use for you body. It’s safe because there are no long term effects, you can drive safely, reflexes are not killed to the point of unsafe behavior (if anything you’ll do safer things) and no one has ever died from it. No adverse health effects!
You’d be surprised how little smoke does to your lungs if it’s not cancerous or full of chemicals :) Plus the short-term memory (as you know) would not prevent you from remembering something crucial. I’m talking more about remembering the name of the number of tacos you ate for lunch. Trivial things! Anyway thanks for the comment, I enjoyed reading it.
- Jordan
Jordan, I think that’s exactly what Sage is saying. Mary Jane works for some people and for others, it doesn’t. You and I are the blessed ones haha
“that’s kinda what you’re going for when you smoke: slow, smooth pleasure and brain-tickling thoughts.” – I agree with this. Let’s not forget anything like pot or alcohol ought to be used only as an enhancement or for recreational purposes, not ALL THE TIME, that’s called addiction, and it’s a disease with a whole other set of problems all it’s own. Great site.
Whoever the admin of this site is is a moron. He’s attempting to explain science with such academic terms as “brain-tickling thoughts.” And since when does being intoxicated make you a better driver? That’s a completely ridiculous thing to claim, not just because of the conclusion you clearly made up but because of the studies that would have to go into making such a conclusion (which of course there aren’t and haven’t been). We get it. You think pot is completely safe. Your opinion does not discount science, though you ironically demand sources from others while providing none but the BS you make up in your head about how “the point of marijuana is to slow your reflexes.” Since when does a plant have a “point?” God, i could just spend all day pointing out the ways in which you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.
Haha thanks for the laugh, Michael. I kept waiting for you to pull out a counter-argument of some kind for any of my so-called “BS” that I “made up in my head,” but it never came :(
In Jordan’s defense, I have one of the most crucial driving instructor you could possibly ask for. My mother! She has only on one occasion ever giving me a complement for my driving skills, and guess what??? Yup, I was balls to the wall high!
on a funny side note, its 4/20 so i doubt you will respond to this today!,,, Happy 420 :-D
You were correct haha. I hope you enjoyed my blog while celebrating the holiday!
do you have a source for those anslinger quotes?
It’s a shame it went down like that. Too bad Americans (and the rest of the world) still suffer from much of the same problems as back then. Namely being born into a system that demands obedience to outdated ideologies, where truth is based on authority rather than authority being based on truth, and seeing through the haze of normalcy that’s draped over the whole thing.
That is something pot helps me do. See through the haze. May not be for everybody though. I imagine there’s a spectrum of different effects for the spectrum of different people. Much like alcohol which I am also fine with but a few people I know aren’t.
nice post, funny comic! tweeted!
man i love the picture on this fat roor bong and nice tits hahahahahahaha but seriously marijuana is a billion doller crop and its ignorent people like in the gov. who dont realize it to just keep making man made products instead of using the natural products produced from marijuana….thank you and that is my 2 cents!
“that’s kinda what you’re going for when you smoke: slow, smooth pleasure and brain-tickling thoughts.
Safe to drive??? I don’t want the drive on the same road as some one who is “slow” and has his/her mind on something else. Being high and driving is dangerous.
You know there is ONE thing that can set me off and it’s assumed knowledge about drugs. Unless you have smoked marijuana, you do not know. There was a study conducted recently where they tested high drivers vs. placebo sober drivers and the high drivers drove MORE safely. It’s completely safe. I have done it hundreds of times and never had any problems.
driving while high is safe? oh please! never ever would i drive when high. i don’t how high you get buddy, but the way i and most people do it, there is nooooo way you can drive safely.
I have mixed feelings about this issue. Before I share my opinions, let me say that I do have both positive and negative experiences with smoking pot.
On the one hand, it is hard to argue that smoking pot in itself is a relatively fun and harmless activity. It does slow down your reflexes, make your mind wander, and make sensations feel better, as you have mentioned. Also, weed doesn’t carry a ton of the medical baggage that alcohol or more serious drugs carry – after all, it is a medicine.
However, the issue that hasn’t yet been discussed is the fact that marijuana can be, and oftentimes is, used as a gateway drug to more serious drugs such as cocaine, ecstacy, and others. Like it or not, marijuana is a DRUG. It causes you to experience a sensation you could not experience without the drug, and this can be overwhelming for people. They think, “Wow, look at how harmless weed is, let’s move up the ladder and experiment.”
In my opinion, if marijuana was legalized (and everyone was allowed to use it), it would be detrimental to society because it would be put in the hands of people incapable of using good judgment about which drugs are safe and enjoyable and which are potentially destructive. I understand many of the people arguing on this forum do not fall into that category as they are able to enjoy weed by itself and do not feel compelled to climb the drug ladder, but that is not the case for everyone.
The government’s job is to protect the people. Granted, there are a fair amount of twisted political aims underlying the decision to criminalize marijuana, but overall, I think that banning it as an illegal drug ultimately protects society by insulating it from other, more serious drugs.
The same can be said about Alcohol and Tobacco. Both are also drugs. If the government was to “protect” us from everything, then they would outlaw those as well.
As far as doing other drugs, not all drugs are completely bad. Read JL’s article about other safe and fun drugs. Drugs have been around for ages and they have not torn down the fabric of society. It seems like you have no experience with drugs to begin with, so you’re speaking from assumption. Ask around and see how many people actively smoke or have smoked pot in the past. You’d be surprised how many professionals smoke regularly without any hindrance to their daily lives.
And for anyone who uses the argument that “smoking anything is bad.” Yes, smoking anything is bad, that’s why you can use a vaporizer or ingest it, thus giving you absolutely no negative health effects.
Hey man,
I didn’t get time to read the whole article but I did want to make a quick point about marijuana. I smoked weed everyday for 4 years, it was awesome, I thought “there is no way this is bad for me” etc etc. But it does wreak havoc on your mind if you smoke it EVERYDAY! This is the key, eventually I got really unhappy when I smoked, it didn’t give me the creative boost it used to, and eventually I started to feel actually psychologically addicted. Thankfully I have a strategy for quitting and it has really helped me. I love weed, make no mistake, it is sweet nectare and have always enjoyed its taste and effect, but too much of a good thing is a bad thing, and now I have to take some serious time off, I am thinking at least 3 – 6 months, before I can ever go back to MODERATE USE, I believe in moderate use, but with pot, its really really easy to fall off that wagon and start smoking everyday and become lazy and losing touch with your skills, talents, and abilities.
Just saying, I speak through true experience, I live in British Columbia, Canada, we love weed here, I know my shit.
Cheers
check out Super High Me…….awesome!!!
no drawbacks taking cannabis
I was what I would refer to as addicted to MJ from age 21 to age 56 or so. I define addiction as anything we do or use to avoid feeling feelings. Even pain is an important feeling, it tells us we have done or are doing something that is against the principals of living positively. yes there is a point where pone must do something about the pain. I had a fractured spine which led to a great deal of pain for 20 years so you could say I was justified. But the anger and self hatred I felt from early in life was the source of my injuries, so the living was actually the issue . There were a lot of other issues as well and all contributed to the abuse of the substance.
The abuse of this very potent substance ( I had the very best one can obtain usually) compromised my immune system and created opportunities for serious health problems to become greatly enhanced over time. learning complex, left-brained systems were very difficult. I know this is easier for some, it really depends on one’s orientation from the start.
The use of this substance should be evaluated by a person through truly responsible self examination. If it interferes with one’s personal goals, at any point, it will seriously impair over the long haul. Everyone is different to some extent. One rule does not fit all. Young people are especially vulnerable due to inclinations to short term rationalization.
Addiction is something you do that you can’t stop. Not something you so to make yourself feel better.
“increased rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and schizophrenia”
I’m not sure about schizophrenia but I’ve dealt with the other three and, personally, marijuana helped me overcome those things. Moderate use really levels me out emotionally.
How it got its bad name…. Wow. Well I have a unique profession, I drive a horse carriage through a city and give a tour in the process. It definitely doesn’t hinder my ability to be a champion multi-tasker in fact it actually increases it. When working with animals you have to be completely calm and be more like the animal in order to actually get along with your co-worker (in this case). When I smoke before work I actually become more calm and relaxed and that is crucial because if you freak out about something that the horse is freaking out about it could cause the horse take off on you which is never a good thing. If they freak and you don’t, your influence takes over making the animal relax and a situation avoided. It’s good for an animal’s health to be around someone of a calm nature. The way I see it too much of anything is a bad thing, but not having something because its frowned upon and misunderstood (when 90% of our founding fathers used it back then and made America what it is today) Is really a bad reason to make something illegal. Divorce rate would go down because men wouldn’t be beating their wives when they get drunk, instead they will smoke a doob and laugh with them instead. Less food will be wasted because when someone is high they will definitely not waste food. There are a whole bunch of fixes that could come about by smoking marijuana. Ben Franklin smoked weed and he invented things that are still in use today. The smartest man of all time smoked weed, Albert Einstein probably did as well. It should be as legal as it was when it was first smoked a 1000 years ago. Most of our Presidents smoked weed and would never admit it. Like someone said above… God made seeds for humans to use to survive, Lets use them then.
Just read over the comments here, and the main thing I’ve seen is that those against it claim depression and anxiety are caused by Marijuana, and those for it claim it HELPS with depression and anxiety. I listen to ridiculous music when I’m feeling sad to brighten myself up. My depression is not caused by ridiculously happy music.
Also, we had another yearly anti-drug talk at my school; this time, they were saying that weed severely damages your long term memory. Their example was actually the speaker at the time, who kept saying that she was addicted to alcohol and weed throughout high school, and couldn’t remember any of it. I’ve always found it funny how all of their examples in talks and videos will say alcohol and weed, or ecstacy and weed… The only people with legit mental problems from JUST weed in the videos had claimed to smoke it about 2-4 times a day for 13 years, at least…
I was going to reply to this a couple months ago when I first read it. I’m glad I held off because the following video explains it a lot better.
The title to your article is very misleading. ”Why Marijuana is Illegal (Ridiculus)” isn’t what you’re arguing. You basically explained “how Marijuana became illegal,” not “why it is currently illegal.” But even the reasons listed for how it became illegal are suspect, based on loose, questionable secondary historical accounts. You didn’t even hit on the major theories.
Most ppl think its a conspiracy between the tobbaco, alchohol and cotton industry, (i.e. Brian Griffin from Family Guy, wish I could find a youtube clip for you). However, when you realize how the pyramid structure of the global empire works, (you’ve seen ZeitGeist yes?) then you’ll understand that the il-legalization of marijuana has little to do with government ineptitude. There is a VERY sound reason for laws against marijuana: the economy would crumble if they weren’t in place.
http://www.youtube.com/user/metedude2
That’s a bit speculative don’t you think. Who really knows what will happen in any event, much legalizing a substance that is already consumed by so many people it’s nearly uncountable.
It is true that many countries where it is legal are depressed in almost every aspect. But they would be that way under most circumstances as it is.
The one thing that is likely true and difficult to refute it that MJ is a depressant and impairs judgment in most people. it is especially troublesome to people who are introverted but would like to spend more time in comfort in social situations.
Sooner or later chronic MJ use will compromise the immune system at the least. Further… If one smokes, as I did, every day from dawn to late night one’s energy field will break down and allow external energy fields to project personality-negating thought patterns which stick there. (People project onto others all the time, nearly constantly). The rate at which this energy draining process occurs is dependent on the degree to which the smoker is chemically sensitive coupled with other factors such as frame of mind, overall self esteem, diet and early childhood patterns. People with a predominant addict archetype unconscious pattern (Jungian psychology) are much more likely to have these types of responses to any chemically induced psychoactive beyond normal food stuffs. In a very sensitive person even simple aspirin with codeine will create opportunities for invasive energy fields. Typically these responses are interpreted as personality disorders or simply moodiness. Look closer, watch the patterns.
That is by far the most interesting argument against marijuana use that I’ve ever read. And I don’t mean interesting as in “oh that’s cool…but sounds like BS.” I’ve definitely seen the effects of people projecting onto each other but I have not seen marijuana greatly magnify that effect. I will say that with extensive use like your ‘dawn to late night’ smoking schedule, the undesirable feelings of being high (paranoia, lack of a clear head, memory hindrance) can bleed over into the sober state. But that’s true with anything. If you’re doing/feeling something ALL THE TIME, then it’s going to imprint on you.
Of course it sounds like BS. Because you have no evidence of it. Try having a conversation with a person who has the ability to see energy fields. or better still, take the time to learn to see them yourself. Study rather than discount.
Sorry Michael, I don’t think I was clear in my reply. I do NOT think it sounds like BS. I’ve learned that pretty much anything is possible so I don’t discount anything (except for religion). I’ve never heard of learning to see energy fields. How do you start that process?
THE GOVERNMENT IS RUN BY THE MAFIA!!!
first off, “In Jordan’s defense, I have one of the most crucial driving instructor you could possibly ask for. My mother! She has only on one occasion ever giving me a complement for my driving skills, and guess what??? Yup, I was balls to the wall high! ”
This is hilarious!!! Made me laugh so hard.
People who are against the legalization of marijuana discount so many facts and are straight up ignorant. It’s now medically legal in 15 states. The government should not try to control people lives and morality and neither should you.
drug addiction is bad.
the drug war is worse.
google “law enforcement against prohibition”.
knowledge is power.
Read “The Emperor wears no clothes – marihuana and the conspiracy against marihuana” written by Jack Herer
before you expeculate and copy/paste bullshit you read on the internet
just like danny douglas said knowledge is power..
stop being mislead by fucking governments and their fucking plots to keep us uninformed!!!
One negative aspect of current marijuana use is the business it has become in the “black market.”
There’s a lot of money made with marijuana so long as it is illegal. Remember marijuana is basically a weed that will grow in almost any ditch in North America. So growing it in Mexico using poorly paid farmers makes it highly profitable…so much so that it enriches those who manage the distribution and selling of it even if 80% of the crop generated is taken out of circulation by police, the DEA, competing gangs or border patrols. Think about that. And where does this money come from…people in this country. Americans have paid exorbitant funds in the “war against drugs” without stopping it…so add another huge cost of wasted money. Where does this money go…out of the country…at a time when our imports of all goods is already draining our resources.
If growing it were legal, it would increase job opportunities, make use of land unsuitable for other crops, reduce the stress on our legal system and enable better enforcement of more important laws.
It would hurt organized crime. That is why it is illegal.
1. Marijuana–not chronic use, but at all–is a common trigger for panic disorder. Does that mean everyone who uses it will have panic attacks? Of course not. But it does mean that if you’re predisposed and don’t know it, you’re going to regret smoking that joint for a very long time. (That also doesn’t mean you won’t get it if you don’t use it, because there are many other possible triggers.)
2. Your argument that it’s ridiculous to say it can cause cancer when it’s used to help cancer patients is a little naive. Chemotherapy and radiation, the two major cancer treatments, both can cause cancer later on.
3. You want cited information? (No bias, I’m citing them as a I see them, positive or negative.)
“Acute marijuana administration thereby produced measurable changes in risky decision making under laboratory conditions.” http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v30/n4/abs/1300620a.html
“Smoked marijuana and oral Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) reduce REM sleep. Moreover, acute administration of cannabis appears to facilitate falling asleep and to increase Stage 4 sleep. Difficulty sleeping and strange dreams are among the most consistently reported symptoms of acute and subacute cannabis withdrawal. Longer sleep onset latency, reduced slow wave sleep and a REM rebound can be observed.” http://www.smrv-journal.com/article/S1087-0792%2807%2900167-0/abstract
“[I]n regular marijuana users, the immediate effects of marijuana may impact on
cognitive–motor skills and brain mechanisms that modulate
coordinated movement and driving.” http://www.springerlink.com/content/v10p2081246q6458/ (embedded pdf file)
“These preliminary results suggest possible hazards of marijuana for patients who survive acute myocardial infarction. Although marijuana use has not been associated with mortality in other populations, it may pose particular risk for susceptible individuals with coronary heart disease.” http://www.ahjonline.com/article/S0002-8703%2807%2901044-7/abstract
“Rather than supporting the interpretation that earlier marijuana use “triggers” later hard drug use, these results suggest that the longitudinal pattern of drug use that has been interpreted as the “gateway effect” might be better conceptualized as a genetically influenced developmental trajectory.” (Meaning it isn’t really a gateway drug unless you’re predisposed.) http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=1842736
“In addition to heart rate, subjective effects were the most reliable biomarkers, showing significant responses to cannabis in almost all studies. Some CNS domains showed indications of depression at lower and stimulation at higher doses. Subjective effects and heart rate are currently the most reliable biomarkers to study the effect of cannabis. Cannabis affects most CNS domains, but too many different CNS tests are used to quantify the drug–response relationships reliably. Test standardization, particularly in motor and memory domains, may reveal additional biomarkers.” http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2008.03329.x/full
“[C]annabinoids impair all stages of memory including encoding, consolidation, and retrieval.” http://www.springerlink.com/content/17082241t5020826/ (embedded pdf)
Interestingly, long term use may damage the corpus callosum, which connects the hemispheres of the brain.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WNP-4S2664X-5&_user=10&_coverDate=07%2F01%2F2008&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1574873856&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=ab6d3979e37139c3b17114ecd1556d20&searchtype=a
“[I]t has been established that chronic marijuana use produces adverse effects on the human endocrine and reproductive systems,” and there is a correlation with marijuana use and testicular cancer. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.24159/abstract
“Changes in brain functioning and neuropsychological performance are also reported after abstinence, but appear to be mild, circumscribed, and transient. On the other hand, functional neuroimaging often reveals subtle differences in the brain functioning of abstinent cannabis users compared with controls. The persistence and clinical significance of these differences, however, remains to be determined.” (There seem to be few lasting effects on brain function with past usage. It’s possible the differences could be caused by usage, or could have caused it, or could be coincidental. Science is tricky like that.) http://www.springerlink.com/content/b430083r47676650/
“[H]eavy adolescent marijuana use may lead to drug and property crime and criminal justice system interactions, but not violent crime.” (ridiculously long link…google it if you care)
“Smoking both tobacco and marijuana synergistically increased the risk of respiratory symptoms and COPD. Smoking only marijuana was not associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms or COPD.” (That is, smoking both is worse than just smoking tobacco, but smoking only marijuana doesn’t do anything. That’s actually kind of interesting.) http://www.canadianmedicaljournal.ca/cgi/content/abstract/180/8/814
Okay, I’m bored with this now. The point is, science clearly indicates marijuana has negative effects. It’s not the terrifying gateway drug that will land you in jail (well, other than it being illegal itself), like we were told in school, but it’s not harmless. What drug is? Even aspirin can kill you. All I did was search scholar google for “marijuana effects,” and the effects that showed up were overwhelmingly negative. If you search for “marijuana cancer,” the entire first page is about marijuana potentially causing cancer. There is one mention of it being used medically on the 2nd page, and one more on the 3rd, but the rest are all negative. Depression is an interesting search, since right away you get evidence that it both causes and treats depression.
The problem is (as I’m pretty sure has been mentioned), marijuana, like any other drug, affects everyone differently. The problem is that you have no idea how it will affect you until after you use it, which is not exactly a good thing if the first time you use it triggers a lifetime of panic attacks, or makes you do something stupid and kill or severely injure yourself. That won’t happen for the majority of people, but it can and does happen.
I fully agree with you that it’s no worse than cigarette smoking, though. Drugs are drugs.
“you can safely drive on it” Wrong!
I was driving my buddies car on a vacation and I was high as funk! I stalled the car a few times, and I had to tunnel my vision onto the road. I did not feel in any way safe, or fit to be driving, but my buddy was super drunk and we had to drop some girl off who couldn’t drive stick.
I’ve never had a problem and I’ve driven high hundreds of times. If anything you are more careful. There are also scientific experiments that have proven sober drives are worse than high drivers.