Why is marihuana still illegal in the U.S.?

It has to do with money, Op, you are correct. Big Pharma, war on drugs etc.

However, public opinion plays a part. It doesn't help public opinion when the stereotype of the stoner who doesn't know what's going on, gets the munchies and is too high to hold a conversation, get an education, a good job, a career and who still lives at home with his parents at 40. I can't stand being around people that are stoned. It's almost as bad as being around someone who drinks too much.

I think Pot should be legal. The medicinal value is phenomenal. However most people that get high, don't do it for the medicinal value. They do it because they need a crutch to get by in life and because they'd rather party then become succesful in life. You have and should have every right to get high, but stay the heck away from me and be a loser in your parent's basement.

originally posted by: smirkley
Because the huge freightliner called the SS USA takes about ten miles to turn around at 1 knot with too many hands at the helm.

I don't mind slow change over things that aren't deathly, personally critical to most people.

a reply to: Blue Shift

I dont disagree. But it is painfully humorous watching a hundred "captains" pulling at the helm with each one thinking the ship should go a hundred different directions.

a reply to: wantsome I guess you would rather see people in jail than slightly "altered". People are going to use it anyway legal or not, so why not legalize it ?

Oh, and I forgot to add,...

Facebook has been a larger further reaching damaging drug to young adults and adolescents than mj ever could be compared to.

originally posted by: amazing
However most people that get high, don't do it for the medicinal value. They do it because they need a crutch to get by in life and because they'd rather party then become succesful in life. You have and should have every right to get high, but stay the heck away from me and be a loser in your parent's basement.

This stereotype is ridiculous. It gets old seeing people using their personal experience as the example for the rest of the world.

The majority of the extremely successful people I know smoke marijuana. Many of THEIR successful friends smoke marijuana. Some of them also use other drugs and, big surprise, drink alcohol. Running a business and/or having the responsibility of upper management is stressful and people tend to deal with that stress in various ways. If you want to call it a crutch, feel free, but they're successful in life and certainly not living in mom's basement.

Just because some losers smoke pot does not mean that smoking pot makes them a loser. Correlation does not equal causation. Do you really think that if the "loser potheads" you know stopped smoking pot, they'd suddenly become an ambitious and successful person? Get a clue. If you actually hang around with successful people, there are likely several of them who use drugs and drink alcohol whether you know it or not.

originally posted by: Answer

originally posted by: amazing
However most people that get high, don't do it for the medicinal value. They do it because they need a crutch to get by in life and because they'd rather party then become succesful in life. You have and should have every right to get high, but stay the heck away from me and be a loser in your parent's basement.

This stereotype is ridiculous. It gets old seeing people using their personal experience as the example for the rest of the world.

The majority of the extremely successful people I know smoke marijuana. Many of THEIR successful friends smoke marijuana. Some of them also use other drugs and, big surprise, drink alcohol. Running a business and/or having the responsibility of upper management is stressful and people tend to deal with that stress in various ways. If you want to call it a crutch, feel free, but they're successful in life and certainly not living in mom's basement.

Just because some losers smoke pot does not mean that smoking pot makes them a loser. Correlation does not equal causation. Do you really think that if the "loser potheads" you know stopped smoking pot, they'd suddenly become an ambitious and successful person? Get a clue. If you actually hang around with successful people, there are likely several of them who use drugs and drink alcohol whether you know it or not.

I am succesful and I do not smoke pot or drink or smoke tobacco. I have no time for crutches. When I'm stressed I work out, lift weights hit the bag, do Jiu_Jitsu, stick fight and any number of things...not all sweat inducing, I walk my dogs, hang out with my family as well.

I realize that some successful people get high, but that's a small number. I would say that 70-80% of people that get high fail in life. I would put forth that of those 70-80 percent of pot smokers, a majority of them would start succeding in life if they quit getting high all the time.

We all know that smoking tobacco is bad for you but we also know people that have chainsmoked for decades and are healthy as horses, the exception doesn't negate the rule.

There are a lot of sources on the web and lots of good research but some of my concerns are these:

1. Adolescents who use cannabis regularly are 50% more likely as their nonuser peers to drop out of school, experience cognitive impairment and develop psychoses as adults.
2. Long term use leads to long term memory loss.
3. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, is known to impair nearly all aspects of memory, including short term memory.
4. There are many studies on pot use and lack of motivation, many studies are looking at lack or diminished levels of dopamine in long term pot users as one reason.

I could go on forever, but as for all of my friends that get high. None of them can have anormal conversation with you while stoned. It has become a focus. Let's go out, no I've got to get high first. I have several freinds who at 30 and 40 still live at home with their parents and on and on and on.

originally posted by: amazingI realize that some successful people get high, but that's a small number. I would say that 70-80% of people that get high fail in life. I would put forth that of those 70-80 percent of pot smokers, a majority of them would start succeding in life if they quit getting high all the time.

Really? Care to cite a source for those statistics or is it just easier to make things up to bolster your BS argument? High all the time? Of course people aren't going to succeed if they get 'high all the time'. Nor would they if they drank all the time, ate all the time, had sex all the time, watched TV all the time, went to the gym all the time, or posted on FB all the time. The world isn't black-and-white grasshopper. Abusing anything will end badly. And I'd check your studies if I were you. You're play fast-and-loose with your 'facts'.

originally posted by: amazing
I could go on forever, but as for all of my friends that get high. None of them can have a normal conversation with you while stoned. It has become a focus. Let's go out, no I've got to get high first. I have several friends who at 30 and 40 still live at home with their parents and on and on and on.

What about your friends who drink? Are they all chatty, motivated people who are good at Trivial Pursuit?

Yes, it's true that there are negative effects to cannabis. But the question is, are they any more negative than the effects of the drugs like alcohol or prescription medication that are legal but controlled?

Of course, because the stuff has been illegal for so long there aren't very many good studies. But for the last 50 years or so there has been a long-term, informal study done by millions of college students and other young folks that seems to indicate that the people who had serious problems with it were going to have serious problems with whatever. Some people get high too much. Some people eat too many Big Macs or smoke legal cigarettes and end up with equally bad or worse health problems.

It's really hard to protect people from themselves, and it seems that at a certain point you just have to let people do what they're going to do and clean up after the people who can't handle it. Particularly when it ends up costing less to do the clean up than to maintain the prohibition.

a reply to: amazing

Oh, and by the way...



losers

Why marijuana is illegal:

Its a gateway drug. For those that say it isn't, I say BS.

An individual can't be tested for intoxication effectively unless the testing is done in a clinical environment.

THC remains in an individuals system for 30 or more days and if it is used regularly an individual is high all the time.

It causes losses in concentration and lack of focus.

a reply to: eManym

Oh My God.... Deny Ignorance much? Holy crap. We need to start having an entrance exam for ATS. Things have gotten WAY out-of-hand.

originally posted by: eManym
It causes losses in concentration and lack of focus.

Yeah. That's the point.

a reply to: Blue Shift

I dont consume it in any form, but I certainly believe it is way past due to be legalized.

As far as causing lack of focus or concentration, I disagree, and even then I have my days like that anyway. I think, wait, what were we talking about again?...

a reply to: RomeByFire

I have no idea.

Why are cigarettes legal and weed is illegal?

a reply to: John_Rodger_Cornman

Because tobacco was a founding industry back in the day.

And now, the tobacco lobby is absalutely huge.

originally posted by: jtma508
a reply to: amazing

Oh, and by the way...



losers

Oh, theres that name again,...

Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

I love that guy. Probably the smartest and most clear headed person on the subject I have ever known.

originally posted by: Ghost147
a reply to: RomeByFire

Yup. I completely agree! I don't mind at all if it were taxed. The sheer good it would do would outweigh the tax 1000 fold.

I disagree, it should be taxed no different than medicine and food, which is to say little if any.

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire
Two things
1 Big Pharma

2 TPTB needed to wait until the economy needed legalization so as to bring all that money back into the mainstream to keep the economy afloat and then tax the living crap out of users.

Good point.
Pharma would have to make a synthetic form of THC in the form of a pill to sell to the public as a pain aid.
Keep the cartels rich and let the violent criminals make boat loads of money off of it.

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire
Two things
1 Big Pharma

2 TPTB needed to wait until the economy needed legalization so as to bring all that money back into the mainstream to keep the economy afloat and then tax the living crap out of users.

His #1 is the main reason, #2 makes alot of sense but Colorado has shown the Nation how it's done. Legalize it sensibly and with a Fed tax also. Maybe some lighter common sense laws too, for those who lack said common sense. Done right it could really benefit the economy, the people, and the government.