Comments on: America's Love-Hate History with Pot

With a New CBS News Poll Finding 41% Now Support Legalization, CBSNews.com Examines Changing Views of Marijuana in the U.S.

[scottportraits2]

Yeah, but all the folks at ONDCP and DEA have a nice secure job, at about $60,000. a year, plus benefits. If the current laws changed, they would all have to find new jobs. Result: more unemployment.

[scottportraits2]

What have they accomplished?? Well, they put about 800,000 American citizens in jail every year. They've also helped many lobbyists make a comfortable, tidy living perpetuating a "War with Ourselves", as ABC's John Stossel once called it.

[scottportraits2]

LEAP.cc is a great organization. ASA, Americans for Safe Access, is another great association that want to make medical cannabis available to patients and doctors who need it.

What could be wrong with a substance that makes chemotherapy endurable??

If they put everyone who ever smoked it behind bars, including Bush, Clinton, Obama, and most of Hollywood, then we'd have a very humongous prison population (even more then we already do). Most of us would be in a cage. Sounds like Stalinist Russia, or Nazi-Germany. Just throw people who don't agree in jail. End of story.

[scottportraits2]

Beckie, you are so right. The cost absolutely outweighs any imagined, illusory, delusional "benefit" derived from it's enforcement. We are wasting money and police resources.

[scottportraits2]

"Racist overtones", you've hit the nail right on the head. Tell it like it is. Those anti-cannabis laws were first enacted to oppress and persecute Mexican immigrants and southern 'jazz music' blacks. And they are still used that way today - so law enforcement can shovel as many low-income, poor, minority people into jails on any pretext. Plus they can get a 'strike' against them, while they're at it.

I think CBS's poll is jaundiced: I think they only ask stabilized middle class people these questions, and avoid the out-of-work, minority, youthful, or disenfranchised masses. 41% is not the REAL statistic; it would be much higher, but you'd have to reach out to the rest of the world for more responses - not just to comfy-cozy suburbia.

It's probably more like 60 or 70% that now favor such a change, if you take the time to bother counting up ALL of us folks.

[OregonJames]

Government spends around ten billion dollars each year in their marijuana war, yet it is abundant everywhere you go. Prohibition just does not work, so why waste all that money? Invest that ten billion dollars annually into our nation's energy infrastructure, where we will all reap benefits.

[lepageman8]

Please temporarily shut the propaganda flood gate long enough to hear a sensible side to all this madness!?
Right at this very moment, Any kid in America can walk up to a drug dealer and buy a bag of marijuana. Do you think the drug dealer asks that youth for an I.D. to prove that they are 21? Of course not! As long as your money is green, you are getting served! As far as Marijuana being a gateway drug, the only reason it could remotely be considered a gateway drug is simply because it is on the black market. The drug dealer your buying your weed from is also more then likely the go to guy for the harder stuff (Heroin/ cocaine ect). These drug dealers know they can make by far more money off of you with these harder drugs then what they can from selling you weed. Lets forget a moment about the economy, the murders that are taking place in Mexico, the failed war on drugs, Lets look at our youth. If there ever was a reason to legalize marijuana it would be for the simple fact that it would make it so much harder for youth to get their hands on it if it was regulated like alcohol (no brainer!?) you ask any youth right now that has experimented with marijuana and they will tell you that it is by far much easier to obtain then alcohol by a long shot. Now lets look at the more sinister side of all this. Right now, because marijuana is on the black market and purchased illegally, there is always an excellent chance that the dealer could lace the weed with something harder that could get you hooked or even kill you!!! There is also the fact that because marijuana is illegal the places you sometimes have to go to get it can sometimes put you in a position to where you could be caught in the crossfire when the bullets start to fly.
If you regulate it like alcohol, you will separate marijuana from hard drugs which would help to accomplish 2 things
#1 you will make it harder for anyone under 21 to get it.
#2 You will disassociate marijuana with the lethal drugs.
I do not smoke marijuana but I used to be a drug counselor in one of the most dangerous prisons in the state of Florida and I used to hold a drug and alcohol meeting once a week, in one of our local jails. I have met so many inmates that were in jail/prison because they drank alcohol and made bad desicions that had negative consequences. I had also met a lot of people who were in Jail/prison because of marijuana. When I say that, I don't mean these people had used marijuana and robbed a bank or beat their wife, they were either simply caught in possession of or selling marijuana. These are non violent people who's lives are ruined because they choose to use a substance that is by far less dangerous then alcohol and cigarettes.
I believe the answer is education! I also believe that the task of educating falls on the parents shoulders and not the governments. Teach your kids that drugs are bad and what the consequences can be if they choose to use them. After they leave the nest and become adults it will then become their choice and that is exactly what we are talking about here CHOICE!
No American ADULT should be told what they can and cannot do in the privacy of their own home. If someone comes home after a hard days work and wishes to unwind by smoking a marijuana cigarette then they should have that CIVIL RIGHT.
We are playing a dangerous game here and it has been going on too long. Our history has shown us that Prohibition does NOT work but yet we keep dumping money into this thing we call the "war on drugs" and people continue to die, and families continue to be torn apart and billions of dollars keep getting flushed down the toilet.
It is time to end this madness. Is doing drugs OK? no of course not! But what is going on now is causing by far more damage then if we taxed and regulated!
Just my 2 pence!

[dmunkey78]

hy?poc?ri?sy?[hi-pok-ruh-see]:
?noun, plural -sies. 1. a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.

How about the fact that a plant containing (the newest Reefer Madness argument of) 13% THC (active ingredient in Cannabis) is labeled as a Schedule 1 narcotic (up there with Cocaine, Heroine, and Meth) as having NO human benefit what so ever is completely illegal, evil, mind bending, and lil kitten raping BAD. While the FDA approved, and government (and prohibitionist)pushed pill Marinol contains 100% THC, and comes with some nasty side effects.
Can one of you "pot head" hating prohibtionist please explain that to me.

[dowell100]

by bonz8420, by bobnjersey, by Chiefsfan42 and others:

Impaired drivers kill people. If dope is legalized, the general population will be smoking the stuff in larger numbers and the number of impaired drivers on the roads will increase dramatically. That means more death.

The fact that some of you say there are already some pot-impaired people on the road now does not prove anything, except perhaps that pot impairs logical thinking. If your logic differs, then YOU show some prove that dope smokers are not driving risks. I say, from simple logic, that the more drugged people behind the wheel means there will be more killers out there, and society doesn't need the grief.

Dope smokers will always always have a million excuses why getting high is okay. That's a bad thing. However, it doesn't make me angry in any way. I only feel deep pity that so many have such horrible lives that they need dope to escape it.

Getting high is not entertainment, but is a desperate cry by tragic people who have no meaning in their life. It is a need to escape reality by individuals who are ill-prepared to cope with reality. To legalized dope is to enable already troubled people.

i think we should...wait. what was the question again? i forgot. oh yeah we need to legalize beer

[Dr_Z5]

Not to jump on Dowell100...but seriously?? People love to spout off and throw out completely irrational stats. He obviously has no clue what he is talking about and is brain washed into believing what he has heard about the "devil weed". People love to take a stance based on what they "think" they know...thats one of the major problems here...the huge amout of mis-information and how people blindly believe it. I can tell you one thing.....I would way rather be on the road with 1000 "evil pot smokers" than one drunk. Who do you think paid for all of those "anti drug" adds you see? Might want to look into that too.

[bonz8420]

Your a moron Dgunner do they take away welfare if you drink alcohol or smoke Cigs both of which are far worse for you than pot!

[Dr_Z5]

Armyoftwelve. Funny thing is that I bet you meet people everyday who are those evil "POT SMOKERS" you hate so much. Maybe your doctor, people you work with...almost anyone. Thats the problem...your statement and people like you who think you have it all figured out, and you assume everyone who smokes pot is the stereotypical "pot smoker" you hate. Little do you know how short sighted and wrong you are.

[bonz8420]

They dont want to make it legal because of the prison industrial complex,we build 8 prisons to every college, we arrest far more people than any other country in the world.

And yes BIG PHARMA they dont want it legal either because then we could grow it and they wouldnt be able to profit from it,drug comp are trying like crazy to come up with a synthetic form so they can profit from it and our GOVT who gets billions of dollars of lobbying money from them are helping them out!!

[bonz8420]

Here is a couple of findings for this topic complete with the sources!

In March 1999, the Institute of Medicine issued a report on various aspects of marijuana, including the so-called Gateway Theory (the theory that using marijuana leads people to use harder drugs like cocaine and heroin). The IOM stated: "There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs."

Source: Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A Benson, Jr., "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research, Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999).


The Institute of Medicine's 1999 report on marijuana explained that marijuana has been mistaken for a gateway drug in the past because "Patterns in progression of drug use from adolescence to adulthood are strikingly regular. Because it is the most widely used illicit drug, marijuana is predictably the first illicit drug most people encounter. Not surprisingly, most users of other illicit drugs have used marijuana first. In fact, most drug users begin with alcohol and nicotine before marijuana, usually before they are of legal age."

Source: Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A Benson, Jr., "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research, Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999).

[bonz8420]

I just wanted to say to dowell100 that pot and alcohol are 2 totally different substances,,I have BIG news for you,there is already people driving while under the influence of pot, keeping pot illegal is not gonna change that!!

Im tired of the anti pot crowd making totally ignorant remarks about due mostly cause of their opinions instead of looking at facts like dowell100 is doing!

[nimo1776]

lazy, mindless potheads for NorCal441

Carl Sagan....World renowned Astronomer
Who said ?the illegality of cannabis is outrageous"

Barack Obama ...Not only can you grow up to be ridiculously smart, you can grow up to be President.

Sir Richard Branson ...the 236th richest person in the world, founder of the Virgin empire.

Michael Bloomberg ...The Mayor of New York. Did he smoke pot when he was younger? In his own words "You bet I did. And I enjoyed it!"

Ted Turner..... a billionaire ? He single-handedly invented the 24-hour news cycle with CNN, was named Time's Man of the Year in 1991, is the largest private land owner in America, and also owns Atlanta Braves. So? Not what you'd expect from a guy who grew pot in his college dorm room.


Arnold Schwarzenegger...is on video smoking weed. In the documentary Pumping Iron, he is seen smoking, and loving, a joint. Since his election to office,California has approved medical marijuana. According to Arnold, marijuana "is not a drug, it's a leaf."

Mark Stepnoski...two-time Super Bowl champion. Who confirmed "responsible use" of marijuana during his pro career. "I'd rather smoke than take painkillers."

Stephen King...writing 1,000 page novels. You can't just 'jam out' The Stand. He's authored upwards of 50 novels and short stories which have sold a collective 500 million copies worldwide. He's also been one of the most vocal proponents for the legalization of marijuana, calling laws against the drug "ridiculous,"

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps ?has a lot of motivation to be the best with 14 medals......All those millions spent on adds to tell us pot heads are not motivated went up in smoke what a waste of time and money.

Ricky Williams...is another great NFL player who has spoken out about the benefits of marijuana. Williams was briefly a spokesperson for the antidepressant Paxil, which he was prescribed to treat his social anxiety disorder. That endorsement deal ended when Williams told ESPN that "marijuana is 10 times better for me than Paxil."

Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati...1998 Olympic gold medalist

Montel Williams...discovered pot late in life. In 1999 he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and couldn't find anything to suppress his symptoms. He tried all sorts of pain killers; none worked, and all had horrible side effects. He decided to try marijuana and it worked wonders for him! He is one of MS's most recognizable faces, and one of medical marijuana's staunchest defenders.

Rick Steves,...author of 27 top selling European travel guides, host of his own TV show and radio show, and a very outspoken pothead. He's a member of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Aaron Sorkin...His work on The West Wing, both as writer and producer, earned him multiple Emmy Awards, and countless nominations for other awards.

Willie Nelson....enough said....There are millions of productive Americans who use marijuana.

"I personally know boxers, body builders, cyclists, runners and athletes from all walks of life that train and compete with the assistance of marijuana," said WWE wrestler Rob Van Dam.
Some of the best cricket players of all time, like Phil Tufnell and Sir Ian Botham, have admitted to regularly using marijuana to deal with the stress and muscle aches common to all athletes. In 2001, half of South Africa's cricket team was punished after being caught toking up with the team physiotherapist.
Regular marijuana use didn't impede the ability of basketball legends like Rasheed Wallace, Charles Oakley or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Indeed, Oakley has claimed that over half of NBA players smoke pot before each game. Since these players are top athletes whose career depends on them being at peak performance for every game, it stands to reason that perhaps they are using marijuana because it provides some benefit to their abilities on the court.
Cannabis can actually enhance and improve human abilities. Discovering how toking up possibly helps the world's greatest athletes to better their performance could also teach us how this plant can better serve us all.
Motivated people smoke pot and unmotivated people smoke pot. Good people smoke pot and bad people smoke pot. Marijuana use does not define a person. Contrary to the propaganda put out by crazed zealots and paid for by taxpayers. We could sure use those moneys for a better purpose.

[peace_nh]

If it is ever legalized I'm going to start a munchie delivery service :)
Peace all.

[peace_nh]

Their = there ooops :)

[peace_nh]

How true. Alcohol is now the only legal buzz available. Lots of money their to fight legalization. Also, if recreational use was legalized then all uses of cannabus would be legal and the timber, cotton, etc... industries wouldn't be pleased. More money against it. Stupid law. Enough said. Peace all. :)