Should Marijuana be legalised?

[woodyloveslinkin]

What is Marijuana?

 

Call it pot, grass, weed, or any one of nearly 200 other names, marijuana is, by far, the world’s most commonly used illicit drug—and far more dangerous than most users realize. So, there is just cause for alarm when adolescent marijuana use increases, as it did in the mid-1990’s, and the age at which youngsters first experiment with pot starts to drops.

 

Marijuana has been around for a long while. Its source, the hemp plant (cannabis sativa), was being cultivated for psychoactive properties more than 2,000 years ago. Although cannabis contains at least 400 different chemicals, its main mind-altering ingredient is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).The amount of THC in marijuana determines the drug’s strength, and THC levels are affected by a great many factors, including plant type, weather, soil, and time of harvest. Sophisticated cannabis cultivation of today produces high levels of THC and marijuana that is far more potent than pot of the past. THC content of marijuana, which averaged less than 1 percent in 1974, rose to an average 4 percent by 1994.

 

For the highly popular form of marijuana called Sinsemilla (from the Spanish "without seeds"), made from just the buds and flowering tops of female plants, THC content averages 7.5 percent and ranges as high as 24 percent. As for hashish, a resin made from flowers of the female plant, THC levels may be five to ten times higher than crude marijuana’s.

 

 

How is it Used?

 

Marijuana and other cannabis products are usually smoked, sometimes in a pipe or water pipe, but most often in loosely rolled cigarettes known as "joints." Some users will slice open and hollow out cigars, replacing the tobacco with marijuana, to make what are called "blunts." Joints and blunts may be laced with other substances, including crack cocaine and the potent hallucinogen phencyclidine (PCP), substantially altering effects of the drug.

 

Smoking, however, is not the sole route of administration. Marijuana can be brewed into tea or mixed in baked products (cookies or brownies).

 

 

How Does it Affect You?

 

A mild hallucinogen, marijuana has some of alcohol’s depressant and disinhibiting properties. User reaction, however, is heavily influenced by expectations and past experience, and many first-time users feel nothing at all.

 

Effects of smoking are generally felt within a few minutes and peak in 10 to 30 minutes. They include dry mouth and throat, increased heart rate, impaired coordination and balance, delayed reaction time, and diminished short-term memory. Moderate doses tend to induce a sense of well-being and a dreamy state of relaxation that encourages fantasies, renders some users highly suggestible, and distorts perception (making it dangerous to operate machinery, drive a car or boat, or ride a bicycle). Stronger doses prompt more intense and often disturbing reactions including paranoia and hallucinations.

 

Most of marijuana’s short-term effects wear off within two or three hours. The drug itself, however, tends to linger on. THC is a fat-soluble substance and will accumulate in fatty tissues in the liver, lungs, testes, and other organs. Two days after smoking marijuana, one-quarter of the THC content may still be retained. It will show up in urine tests three days after use, and traces may be picked up by sensitive blood tests two to four weeks later.

 

 

The Impact on the Mind

 

Marijuana use reduces learning ability. Research has been piling up of late demonstrating clearly that marijuana limits the capacity to absorb and retain information. A 1995 study of college students discovered that the inability of heavy marijuana users to focus, sustain attention, and organize data persists for as long as 24 hours after their last use of the drug. Earlier research, comparing cognitive abilities of adult marijuana users with non-using adults, found that users fall short on memory as well as math and verbal skills. Although it has yet to be proven conclusively that heavy marijuana use can cause irreversible loss of intellectual capacity, animal studies have shown marijuana-induced structural damage to portions of the brain essential to memory and learning.

 

 

The Impact on the Body

 

Chronic marijuana smokers are prey to chest colds, bronchitis, emphysema, and bronchial asthma. Persistent use will damage lungs and airways and raise the risk of cancer. There is just as much exposure to cancer-causing chemicals from smoking one marijuana joint as smoking five tobacco cigarettes. And there is evidence that marijuana may limit the ability of the immune system to fight infection and disease.

 

Marijuana also affects hormones. Regular use can delay the onset of puberty in young men and reduce sperm production. For women, regular use may disrupt normal monthly menstrual cycles and inhibit ovulation. When pregnant women use marijuana, they run the risk of having smaller babies with lower birth weights, who are more likely than other babies to develop health problems. Some studies have also found indications of developmental delays in children exposed to marijuana before birth.

 

 

Marijuana as Medicine

 

Although U.S. law classifies marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance (which means it has no acceptable medical use), a number of patients claim that smoking pot has helped them deal with pain or relieved the symptoms of glaucoma, the loss of appetite that accompanies AIDS, or nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy. There is, however, no solid evidence that smoking marijuana creates any greater benefits than approved medications (including oral THC) now used to treat these patients, relieve their suffering, or mitigate the side effects of their treatment. Anecdotal assertions of beneficial effects have yet to be confirmed by controlled scientific research.

 

 

Teens and Marijuana

Although dangers exist for marijuana users of all ages, risk is greatest for the young. For them, the impact of marijuana on learning is critical, and pot often proves pivotal in the failure to master vital interpersonal coping skills or make appropriate life-style choices. Thus, marijuana can inhibit maturity.

 

Another concern is marijuana’s role as a "gateway drug," which makes subsequent use of more potent and disabling substances more likely. The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found adolescents who smoke pot 85 times more likely to use cocaine than their non–pot smoking peers. And 60 percent of youngsters who use marijuana before they turn 15 later go on to use cocaine.

 

But many teens encounter serious trouble well short of the "gateway." Marijuana is, by itself, a high-risk substance for adolescents. More than adults, they are likely to be victims of automobile accidents caused by marijuana’s impact on judgment and perception. Casual sex, prompted by compromised judgment or marijuana’s disinhibiting effects, leaves them vulnerable not only to unwanted pregnancy but also to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

 

 

Marijuana Dangers

 

Impaired perception

Diminished short-term memory

Loss of concentration and coordination

Impaired judgement

Increased risk of accidents

Loss of motivation

Diminished inhibitions

Increased heart rate

Anxiety, panic attacks, and paranoia

Hallucinations

Damage to the respiratory, reproductive, and immune systems

Increased risk of cancer

Psychological dependency

 

 

No.

[4everLP_Shinoda]

All I´m saying is that marijuana is not good at all,even if it´s used as a "medicine".

But that´s my opinion anyway.

[spike91232004]

Ahh..Fuck No!

 

Whoever invented Marijuana to be used in Illegal ways desereves to die and burn in hell!!

 

*Tracks him down and slits his throat with a rusty sharpened butter knife with 20 year old dry ketchup on the tip of the blade*

 

*Dumps his body in Vash's drive way and leaves a piece of fruit in the guys front pocket*

[Hahninator]

*explodes*

[Clogz]

Its illegal for a reason, and the facts posted above only prove why. Personally, I find it to be dangerous also for the fact that, since the buzz isn't that great once an addict is used to it, they will go for the bigger stuff like cocaine and herion.

[woodyloveslinkin]

some people dont agree:

 

http://www.lpassociation.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=12&t=20486&st=60entry677315

[acdcrules04]

yes. yeah, it has it dangers, but so do alcohol and tobacco, and they are both legal. and it's natural it comes out of the ground. it's not like doing LSD or cocaine or something. Yes, it changes your state of mind, but so does alcohol, asprin, benadryl, and cleaning chemicals and they're all ready to be bought at your local gas store. i know a lot of people are going to argue with me, go ahead

[SpikeMinoda14]

yes. yeah' date=' it has it dangers, but so do alcohol and tobacco, and they are both legal. and it's natural it comes out of the ground. it's not like doing LSD or cocaine or something. Yes, it changes your state of mind, but so does alcohol, asprin, benadryl, and cleaning chemicals and they're all ready to be bought at your local gas store. i know a lot of people are going to argue with me, go ahead[/quote']

Anybody go ahead and chew me out but....i agree with you.

[LPGirl]

i agree with acdcrules, yeah i CAN be a danger but it fully depend on who the person is how old they are and how good the grass is, cuz some people can sell bad grade stuff that has extra un-needed stuff that can be harmful in it. and hwat it is used with(if anything at all) shouldnt have any other drug mixed with it cuz well DAH, or alcohol and of course nobody should drive when under the influence, personally i think tobbaco, alcohol and speed are worse but w/e people ignore my comments like always.

[acdcrules04]

*happy dance* anywho, the person that started the thread on LPA is retarded. no soild facts, backing it up with only biased bullshit. the only reason its illegal is some congressman with a stick up his ass 60 years ago and who ever thinks pot is adictive needs to get their stuff straight. marijuana is in no way physically addicitive, if you have an addictive personallity, then you might have problems. but you choose to become addicted.

[LPGirl]

yeah my mother told me that, you know the famliy that invented polyester or something like that? well you know the stem of grass can make the strongest cloths and rope and shit well anyways that famliy saw hemp ie grass as a threat to there company and start rumour and shit saying only black people smoke it and it kills and shit and it got banned or at least thats what i heard.

[acdcrules04]

yes, hemp is awesome, if people would get over their fear of 'taboo' then we could harness hemp and ues it in so many effictent ways. marijuana does NOT kill, it a bunch of crap

[LPGirl]

yeah i know fucking idiot people. like come on ciggies are worse and other drugs as worse as well like speed, it rots ur brain cuz its made in basements by bikies and dangerest non natural chemicals and stuff. like come the fuck on!!! grrrrrr...

[acdcrules04]

lol i say put an age limit on it and call it good, that's what they did with cigarettes yeah, i wouldn't definintly never do meth or something like that, because that's made in some crack addicts dirty basement

[LPGirl]

yeah like maybe 21? cuz thats when your brain fully stops growing, cuz it can effect people like us cuz are bodys are still growing and shit. oh and i dont think metally ill people should smoke it cuz come on it would make them worse, like mix with the medication they already have and stuff, lol

[acdcrules04]

that could be a good age, not that it would stop anyone, if they do it when it's illegal they'll sure as fuck do it when their.... let's say, 14

[LPGirl]

yeah true, stupid rebels, lol

[Rusu_luvs_LP_4ever]

some people dont agree:

 

http://www.lpassociation.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=12&t=20486&st=60entry677315

 

Yeah, but thats because they are those gangsta pimps who need to get "High".

[Solid Snake]

Lets see.......It's legal in the UK, right? I think that's where it's at, I'll have to check again.

 

Anywho, it's legal there BUT it has restrictions. There's an allowed amount per household, they HAVE to grow it themselves and they can't take it out on the streets to sell it.

 

Turns out it helped lower crime rate by a pretty decent percent.

 

If it lowers the crime rate and saves the lives of a few cops, then.....I would have to get behind it.

 

The tar in one joint is equal to 4 cigs, so, it contirbuts to lung cancer.

[Rusu_luvs_LP_4ever]

mmm, I love my lungs filled with tar!...but thats true Snake

[Solid Snake]

But it should start off as an experiment; one state at a time. The crime rate needs to be watched along with the death rate over a period of 2 to 5 years.

 

I personally HATE drugs, ALL drugs. My bro was a pretty big drug addict and it took him 3 years to quit. He still has lots of problems and it’s a struggle from him everyday.

[Cyro]

yes. yeah' date=' it has it dangers, but so do alcohol and tobacco, and they are both legal. and it's natural it comes out of the ground. it's not like doing LSD or cocaine or something. Yes, it changes your state of mind, but so does alcohol, asprin, benadryl, and cleaning chemicals and they're all ready to be bought at your local gas store. i know a lot of people are going to argue with me, go ahead[/quote']

 

Ok I'm not saying I disagree/agree with you, but I want to play the "devil's advocate" here for a second.

 

While it does have the same effects as everything you listed, it is amplified considerably in weed. Anyone who's done it obviously knows that the high it gives you, you can't get from anything else except stronger drugs like cocaine. That alone, and the fact that it can give you lung cancer 4-5 times faster the ciggarette's make it dangerous.

 

Not to mention that a very high percentage of people who do it, ended up trying something stronger like cocaine. The high experienced from weed causes the body to need more of it to have the same, desired effect, which leads to even more weed, or an even stronger drug.

[diva__007]

if it was legal heaps of people would be taking it in the street and stuff, and it would b 2 crazy. i think it should stay illegal

[woodyloveslinkin]

Yeah' date=' but thats because they are those gangsta pimps who need to get "High".[/quote']

 

 

Thank u. i could make out with u if u werent a chick.

 

 

btw. weed kills. every drug (except legal ones) are illegal for a reason...and that reason would be...??? THINK !

[Rusu_luvs_LP_4ever]

Who said I was a chick? *Shifty eyes*

 

Yeah...Pot is bad