Massachusetts launches real inititave to legalize/tax pot.

[Ehwmatt]

Also, why do pot smokers get so incensed when people don't agree with their claims? Every time you try and argue with them it's like your insulting their mother or wife or shitting on their face without the good grace of laying some cellophane down first.

I agree. I'm against pot being legalized for many reasons. And there was a story on the news last week about a family that had to move out of a small town b/c of all the people growing pot everywhere. Places exploded b/c many were indoor growing, one right next door to their hom. She was a principal of a high school and said they finally had to think of their children and move away. So there it was legalized and look at all the losers it drew in there for growing purposes. And from what they showed, bigtime losers, just moving into the town to start their growing operations.

I know some very successful people who smoke (whose careers would be ruined if I ever got the urge), but I also know a lot of potential has been ruined by pot. Pot smokers' natural tendency is to act like you're being all prim and proper and clueless about it. Sorry, that's not reality.

I know many, too, that are very, very successful that smoke it, but I know just as many that b/c they do it all the time (daily), it affects their marriage and their drive careerwise and they don't see it. But I definitely don't think it should be any more than a misdemeanor to be caught with small amounts of pot. It's basically a slap on the wrist, as it should be to me.

Yeah, I mean I'm on the fence about actually legalizing it or not. I just have a problem with the arguments the pot smokers have to legalize it because I don't think they are honest, good faith arguments. Pot's not the only thing to ruin a career/marriage/life etc., plenty of legal things do that.

EDIT: And if people wanna smoke all day every day, fuck themselves up, and talk themselves into thinking they aren't doing anything adverse to their bodies, that's their prerogative as far as I'm concerned.

[S2M]

pot will be legal when the government finds a way to make a buck off it.....ummm....DUH!

[Liquid_Drummer]

Alcoholism killed my father, his father and one of my brothers. I dont drink much at all but what I see is a drug that is legal and deadly. Pot has never killed anyone. My beef isnt the drug itself. I dont even smoke the stuff anymore. My problem is having a nanny government telling what I can and cant put in MY body. I can run to the liquor store and drink myself in to a coma but thats legal ? Logic ?

Interesting stats here..

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

DOT HS 808 078 NOVEMBER 1993

MARIJUANA AND ACTUAL DRIVING PERFORMANCE

EFFECTS OF THC ON DRIVING PERFORMANCE


CONCLUSIONS

The major conclusions from the present program are summarized as follows:

* Current users of marijuana prefer THC doses of about 300 ug/kg to achieve their desired "high".

* It is possible to safely study the effects of marijuana on driving on highways or city streets in the presence of other traffic.

* Marijuana smoking impairs fundamental road tracking ability with the degree if impairment increasing as a function of the consumed THC dose.

* Marijuana smoking which delivers THC up to a 300 ug/kg dose slightly impairs the ability to maintain a constant headway while following another car.

* A low THC dose (100 ug/kg) does not impair driving ability in urban traffic to the same extent as a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04g%.

* Drivers under the influence of marijuana tend to over-estimate the adverse effects of the drug on their driving quality and compensate when they can; e.g. by increasing effort to accomplish the task, increasing headway or slowing down, or a combination of these.

* Drivers under the influence of alcohol tend to under-estimate the adverse effects of the drug on their driving quality and do not invest compensatory effort.

* The maximum road tracking impairment after the highest THC dose (300 ug/kg) was within a range of effects produced by many commonly used medicinal drugs and less than that associated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08g% in previous studies employing the same test.

* It is not possible to conclude anything about a driver's impairment on the basis of his/her plasma concentrations of THC and THC-COOH determined in a single sample.

In other words it is way more dangerous to drive while talking on a cell phone than it is to be high as it does not impair motor function enough. Someone with a 0.08 blood alcohol level (not considered DUI in some states) is way more of a hazard.


Link
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/mis ... ot78_1.htm

[Jana]

Alcoholism killed my father, his father and one of my brothers. I dont drink much at all but what I see is a drug that is legal and deadly. Pot has never killed anyone. My beef isnt the drug itself. I dont even smoke the stuff anymore. My problem is having a nanny government telling what I can and cant put in MY body. I can run to the liquor store and drink myself in to a coma but thats legal ? Logic ?

I'm not saying I'm right, and I agree about alcohol. Alcoholism destroys more families than anything. My fear is with pot being sold on every corner like alcohol is, and way more accessible and accepted, that no good will come out of it. Many more people b/c it's legal and sold down the street will stop in and buy it, and b/c it's convenient I can see more abuse of weed occurring with it. But it's easy for me to say, though, b/c I hate pot, never liked it, just passed out off of it. And I have a familiy member that their spouse's abuse of it has affected the marriage and career, so biased. But I have enough friends that do it socially and it has no effect adversely on their lives any more than if they were drinking.

[Rick]

I just don't see why people need to intoxicate themselves. Can't people just be happy being themselves? I'm going to drink another beer and think about this some more.

[Jana]

I just don't see why people need to intoxicate themselves. Can't people just be happy being themselves? I'm going to drink another beer and think about this some more.

The path to enlightenment.

[Liquid_Drummer]

I just don't see why people need to intoxicate themselves. Can't people just be happy being themselves? I'm going to drink another beer and think about this some more.

The path to enlightenment.

Bill hicks about musicians and drugs... Funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J10w3FuCwfQ&feature=fvw

[WalkInMyShoes]

pot will be legal when the government finds a way to make a buck off it.....ummm....DUH!

Maybe that's how we can pay for healthcare.....

[S2M]

[bluejeangirl76]

I thought you didn't like posting pictures of yourself?
Good to see you coming out of your shell.

[Sarah]

Well, too many people in this country (including me) need to chill the fuck out, maybe pot will help. haha

Personally, I don't think it's a gateway drug but I don't know a ton of drug users, either.

I've only smoked like 3 times in my entire life because I've always been scared of drug tests while applying to jobs, or random tests on the job. It'd be nice if it was legal, cause I'd use it responsibly (i.e. not driving or on the job).

[The Sushi Hunter]

I'm completely against pot. Sure when I was a kid I had friends who smoked it and I laughed at them and they were still my friends. But over the years I've seen too many of the people I know start out with pot and advance to more dangerious drugs. Bottom line, all the heavy druggies I know of have one specific thing in common with one another, they all started using pot first.

Pot destroys lives. I know, I've seen it happen all around me through the people I knew. My father used to smoke pot back in the 70's. He's been off of it now for about 20 years. Through his experiences smoking it, he says that he wouldn't vote to legalize it because people who are on it don't have any ambition to go out and be productive individuals or anything, just sit around smoking pot and eating. And when it comes time to actually go to work or whatnot, they basically don't want to go and do it. Matter of fact, most long term pot smokers build up a resistance to want to follow laws, rules and don't like to follow instructions by higher authority.

Plus look at all the health issues the old 60's hippies now have. Many of them can't even control their bodily fluids anymore. After their brains are so fucked up from drugs, yeah, they need to get high to forget about their problems, that's unfortunately where medical pot comes in. People are so fucking stupid sometimes.

They didnt start with pot. They started with caffeine like all of us did. Pot is not a gateway drug. That is total B.S. People who are drunk are way more likely to try other things because their inhabitions are lowered. Anything can be a gateway if you allow the gate to be opened.

I have never ever, ever seen pot destroy anyones life. I smoked it for 20 years and never had any problems and I can say the same for at least 20 people I know. We all held jobs, advanced in our careers etc. What destroys lives is when a non violent pot smoker is locked up, losses his job and cant support his family because he is in jail.

I am totaly against alcohol and tobacco. These are legal and are the top causes of preventable death in the world. Mcdonalds has destroyed more lives spreading obesity and heart disease. There isnt one single report of a death from pot and there are no statistics to back up your claims.

That's quite interesting cause back in high school when the majority of my friends were smoking pot, no one was drinking coffee, a matter of fact we'd associate coffee drinkers with old people from church.

So you smoked it for 20 years and never had any problems. You may not think you have any problems but.....ask a crazy person if they think they are crazy and they're probably not going to say they are.

So why is it that you needed to smoke pot to be happy, function, or whatever you smoke it for? Couldn't you just find something beside smoking drugs to fulfill your life? I don't smoke pot or take drugs and never once have, besides asprine for the very occasional headache and the time I had my wisdom teeth pulled. And why did I not smoke pot and take drugs during my life? Because I'm naturally happy. If you think smoking pot is good because it makes you happy, then your no different from a person snorting coke, injecting heroin, or huffing carb cleaner and paint cause doing those types of things makes them happy too. Resorting to using mind altering drugs to be happy is the root problem.

[Ehwmatt]

I'm completely against pot. Sure when I was a kid I had friends who smoked it and I laughed at them and they were still my friends. But over the years I've seen too many of the people I know start out with pot and advance to more dangerious drugs. Bottom line, all the heavy druggies I know of have one specific thing in common with one another, they all started using pot first.

Pot destroys lives. I know, I've seen it happen all around me through the people I knew. My father used to smoke pot back in the 70's. He's been off of it now for about 20 years. Through his experiences smoking it, he says that he wouldn't vote to legalize it because people who are on it don't have any ambition to go out and be productive individuals or anything, just sit around smoking pot and eating. And when it comes time to actually go to work or whatnot, they basically don't want to go and do it. Matter of fact, most long term pot smokers build up a resistance to want to follow laws, rules and don't like to follow instructions by higher authority.

Plus look at all the health issues the old 60's hippies now have. Many of them can't even control their bodily fluids anymore. After their brains are so fucked up from drugs, yeah, they need to get high to forget about their problems, that's unfortunately where medical pot comes in. People are so fucking stupid sometimes.

They didnt start with pot. They started with caffeine like all of us did. Pot is not a gateway drug. That is total B.S. People who are drunk are way more likely to try other things because their inhabitions are lowered. Anything can be a gateway if you allow the gate to be opened.

I have never ever, ever seen pot destroy anyones life. I smoked it for 20 years and never had any problems and I can say the same for at least 20 people I know. We all held jobs, advanced in our careers etc. What destroys lives is when a non violent pot smoker is locked up, losses his job and cant support his family because he is in jail.

I am totaly against alcohol and tobacco. These are legal and are the top causes of preventable death in the world. Mcdonalds has destroyed more lives spreading obesity and heart disease. There isnt one single report of a death from pot and there are no statistics to back up your claims.

That's quite interesting cause back in high school when the majority of my friends were smoking pot, no one was drinking coffee, a matter of fact we'd associate coffee drinkers with old people from church.

So you smoked it for 20 years and never had any problems. You may not think you have any problems but.....ask a crazy person if they think they are crazy and they're probably not going to say they are.

So why is it that you needed to smoke pot to be happy, function, or whatever you smoke it for? Couldn't you just find something beside smoking drugs to fulfill your life? I don't smoke pot or take drugs and never once have, besides asprine for the very occasional headache and the time I had my wisdom teeth pulled. And why did I not smoke pot and take drugs during my life? Because I'm naturally happy. If you think smoking pot is good because it makes you happy, then your no different from a person snorting coke, injecting heroin, or huffing carb cleaner and paint cause doing those types of things makes them happy too. Resorting to using mind altering drugs to be happy is the root problem.

Whoa whoa whoa, that's too far the other way for me. You're sounding like one of those corny public service announcements. Chill out, don't judge so much.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Also, why do pot smokers get so incensed when people don't agree with their claims? Every time you try and argue with them it's like your insulting their mother or wife or shitting on their face without the good grace of laying some cellophane down first.

This is the primary characteristic of smoking pot long term, they don't want to be told what to do by any type of higher authority, they don't want to follow the law and or the rules, and they don't want to be accountable for any of their actions regardless of how wrong they are, plain and simple. This is just one of the many side effects that long term pot smoking has to offer.

As for coffee drinking vs pot smoking and drug taking, about a year and a half ago I completely stopped drinking coffee, cold turkey! I'd drink at least 15 large cups of coffee a day between 6am and 5pm and then I'd go home and wash that all down with a two liter bottle of diet coke/pepsi. Nasty little habit I picked up while in the Persian Gulf War, in which I was drinking two gallons of coffee every 12 hours, I know exactly how much cause I was the one making it in our group.

But a year and a half ago I stopped drinking coffee after nearly 20 years because I didn't like the fact that my teeth were starting to turn yellow and then brown. I woke up one morning, decided I wouldn't drink it any more, went out and got my teeth bleached and never drank a cup since. That is the difference between coffee drinking and pot smoking and drug taking, people who smoke pot and do drugs lose most or all of their self esteem and don't even notice the negative effects that the pot and drugs are causing to them. And 2)......on drugs they lack the desire to admit that it's not good for them and that they have to stop. So..... drinking coffee is NOT the same as pot and drug use.

[The Sushi Hunter]

I know some very successful people who smoke (whose careers would be ruined if I ever got the urge), but I also know a lot of potential has been ruined by pot. Pot smokers' natural tendency is to act like you're being all prim and proper and clueless about it. Sorry, that's not reality.

I've known some also. Wait until about ten to fifteen years from now though. If they continue to smoke it, there is a high probability that their careers will take a nose dive because they develop an irrational thought process, which will in turn negatively impact their work.

[JasonD]

I'm undecided about this. I believe alcohol is more harmful than pot, but I'm not sure whether I would want pot legalized. *IF* they were to legalize it, I would like to see a legal limit of sorts. I'm not sure how to word this because I don't know all the proper pot "ounce" or "gram" terms but if it were made legal, I would like it to be limited to no more than the amount it would take a roll a couple of joints being found in one's possession. In other words, whatever amount they now view as a misdemeanor, would be seen as legal in this hypothetical situation. Of course, I believe in no driving under the influence & so forth just like with alcohol. Other than some sort of guidelines, I couldn't care less if Joe Blow wants to smoke a doobie while he sits in his basement rec room watching old Cheech & Chong movies.

As for ME personally--- YOWZA--- that's a toughie. I haven't smoked it in close to 10 years for two reasons: One, b/c it's illegal & two b/c I would weigh 300 pounds if I did. That stuff gives me the munchies beyond belief!!!! I could easily mow down a half a gallon of ice cream or leave a good size dent in a delicious chocolate cake.

On second thought..... keep it illegal. The stakes are too "high" otherwise.

[The Sushi Hunter]

A legal issue involved in legalizing pot would also be what to do with all the people locked up in prison for pot offenses and offenses which were enhanced because of being under the influence of pot. Imagine they legalize it and the next thing to happen would be a flood of convicts coming out of jail. Maybe I'm wrong but.....would they have to let out the people who are already in jail for pot offenses? And if so, a person who's in jail where his/her conviction was inhanced/influenced by a the fact that they were on pot or had it in their possession, would they have to then retry all those fuckheads since the laws are now different?

[JasonD]

A legal issue involved in legalizing pot would also be what to do with all the people locked up in prison for pot offenses and offenses which were enhanced because of being under the influence of pot. Imagine they legalize it and the next thing to happen would be a flood of convicts coming out of jail. Maybe I'm wrong but.....would they have to let out the people who are already in jail for pot offenses? And if so, a person who's in jail where his/her conviction was inhanced/influenced by a the fact that they were on pot or had it in their possession, would they have to then retry all those fuckheads since the laws are now different?

Not in my way of thinking. Just like when someone at, say, the age of 30 is proven through DNA testing to have been guilty of a murder he committed when he was, say, 12, they sentence that person as a minor b/c he was a minor when the offense occurred. They go by whatever law was in affect when the act was committed. The poor fucktards in prison would be shit outta luck.

[RossValoryRocks]

Turn on...tune in and drop out!

TL was a genius...of course he was talking LSD not pot...though his diet the last weeks of his life was cheeze whiz on pot buds...what a waste...he should have smoked them!

[Liquid_Drummer]

I know some very successful people who smoke (whose careers would be ruined if I ever got the urge), but I also know a lot of potential has been ruined by pot. Pot smokers' natural tendency is to act like you're being all prim and proper and clueless about it. Sorry, that's not reality.

I've known some also. Wait until about ten to fifteen years from now though. If they continue to smoke it, there is a high probability that their careers will take a nose dive because they develop an irrational thought process, which will in turn negatively impact their work.

Smoked for over 20 years. Never had any effect on my career. My earnings and career path have went up on a constant curve since I started my career and as I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks I know for a fact it has helped me deal with that without the nasty side effects and addiction that comes along with other things used to treat panic/anxiety disorders. This I know 1st hand.

Common sense dictates that I use responsibly. I dont go to work stoned just as I would not go to work when drinking and I dont drink that much anyway. I use but I dont abuse. As with anything if you abuse it your life can be affected. I hate that a few stupid people can ruin it for others. I see the commercials of these stoner kids all zonked out of their minds and shake my head. It has NEVER affected me like that. No matter how high I have been I can assert complete control when ever I choose and do complex mixing and recording which takes lots of concentration. I could be very stoned and I promise you would NEVER know. These commercials portray stereotypes that I have just not encountered in my lifetime and history of usage. (shrugs).

[Rick]

I know some very successful people who smoke (whose careers would be ruined if I ever got the urge), but I also know a lot of potential has been ruined by pot. Pot smokers' natural tendency is to act like you're being all prim and proper and clueless about it. Sorry, that's not reality.

I've known some also. Wait until about ten to fifteen years from now though. If they continue to smoke it, there is a high probability that their careers will take a nose dive because they develop an irrational thought process, which will in turn negatively impact their work.

Smoked for over 20 years. Never had any effect on my career. My earnings and career path have went up on a constant curve since I started my career and as I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks I know for a fact it has helped me deal with that without the nasty side effects and addiction that comes along with other things used to treat panic/anxiety disorders. This I know 1st hand.

Common sense dictates that I use responsibly. I dont go to work stoned just as I would not go to work when drinking and I dont drink that much anyway. I use but I dont abuse. As with anything if you abuse it your life can be affected. I hate that a few stupid people can ruin it for others. I see the commercials of these stoner kids all zonked out of their minds and shake my head. It has NEVER affected me like that. No matter how high I have been I can assert complete control when ever I choose and do complex mixing and recording which takes lots of concentration. I could be very stoned and I promise you would NEVER know. These commercials portray stereotypes that I have just not encountered in my lifetime and history of usage. (shrugs).

Hasn't hurt your voice either, that I can tell. I wish I could sing like that. Fuckin stoner.

[Jana]

I know some very successful people who smoke (whose careers would be ruined if I ever got the urge), but I also know a lot of potential has been ruined by pot. Pot smokers' natural tendency is to act like you're being all prim and proper and clueless about it. Sorry, that's not reality.

I've known some also. Wait until about ten to fifteen years from now though. If they continue to smoke it, there is a high probability that their careers will take a nose dive because they develop an irrational thought process, which will in turn negatively impact their work.

Smoked for over 20 years. Never had any effect on my career. My earnings and career path have went up on a constant curve since I started my career and as I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks I know for a fact it has helped me deal with that without the nasty side effects and addiction that comes along with other things used to treat panic/anxiety disorders. This I know 1st hand.

Common sense dictates that I use responsibly. I dont go to work stoned just as I would not go to work when drinking and I dont drink that much anyway. I use but I dont abuse. As with anything if you abuse it your life can be affected. I hate that a few stupid people can ruin it for others. I see the commercials of these stoner kids all zonked out of their minds and shake my head. It has NEVER affected me like that. No matter how high I have been I can assert complete control when ever I choose and do complex mixing and recording which takes lots of concentration. I could be very stoned and I promise you would NEVER know. These commercials portray stereotypes that I have just not encountered in my lifetime and history of usage. (shrugs).

Question asked of Roland Orzabal (TFF) in 2001:

Q: How did you avoid the pitfall of drugs that seem so prevalent in the rock'n roll lifestyle?

A: I don't think it's any great secret. I think it just has do to with your constitution and what you can actually handle! (he laughs) I think if you can handle whatever you do, that's absolutely fine as long as it doesn't interfere with your everyday existence. As long as it's not habitual. Everything in small doses, just like alcohol