Why is weed illegal?

[Budget Player Cadet_]

Medical use and things it cures
Nausea
Vomiting
Pain
HIV AIDS

Beg your ****in' pardon?!

 

[Izanagi97]

Beg your ****in' pardon?!

Google it

 

[Soup's On!]

It's not on us to find sources to verify your list. Do you have any evidence to present?

Hemp

Hemp for industrial uses (which is what most, if not all, of this list is) is very, very different from marijuana for smoking. Actually, hemp, while controlled, isn't restricted on the level marijuana is. I could buy some hygiene products made with hemp oil, or buy some hemp rope, right now if I wanted to.

Drug
Safest on the drug list
Gateway Drug theory is a myth
The happy plant
Makes one more creative
Lot of great people are/were pot smokers (Bill Gates, Micheal Phelps, Seth Macfarlane

"The happy plant" means nothing. If the gateway drug theory is a myth, all that does is debunk one reason for marijuana to be illegal, which by itself isn't a compelling reason for it to BE legal. Does it helping creativity mean it should be made legal? And I hope you don't mean to suggest because great people have/are used/using marijuana that it should be legal because of it.

Medical use and things it cures

I'd be interested in seeing a source for a lot of these, especially for HIV/AIDS and cancer. And "Neurological problems"? What problems might those be, specifically?

Also, your little ending bit there... listing off strawmen and calling people who disagree with you stupid and sheeple isn't exactly good form, yeah?

 

[Budget Player Cadet_]

Google it

You're apparently new to the debate hall, so let me fill you in. When you make a claim, particularly an absurd claim like "Cannabis cures AIDS", it is on you to back up your assertions. Responding to a request for a cite with "google it" is not welcome here, thanks.

 

[Izanagi97]

You're apparently new to the debate hall, so let me fill you in. When you make a claim, particularly an absurd claim like "Cannabis cures AIDS", it is on you to back up your assertions. Responding to a request for a cite with "google it" is not welcome here, thanks.

Okay, that part might have been hyperbole (plus, I start ranting when the subject of pot is brought up) and I was posting that while tired.

But it is fairly true in that the THC in cannabis can bring back the cells HIV destroys and halt the spread of HIV.

At the very least it can halt the spread of HIV/AIDS

And absurd? Give me a ****ing break, the one thing I hate more than anything is lying about something.

 

[Soup's On!]

Okay. Please present your evidence.

 

[Izanagi97]

"According to Leaf Science, the study by Louisiana State University researchers showed that THC (a main component of marijuana) given to monkeys over a 17-month period decreased damage to immune tissue of the gut — an important site of HIV infection — by acting at the gene level."

"Leaf Science reports that while HIV normally spreads by infecting and ultimately killing immune cells, researchers "observed higher levels of healthy immune cells in animals that received THC – something they noticed in a previous study as well.""

Source: Study says Marijuana may stop the spread of HIV
Article Date: 2/11/14
Website: HIV plus magazine
Author: Diane Anderson Minshall

 

[Foxus]

The fact alcohol is legal and weed is not astounds me. The fact weed has its medical benefits, including that for nausea, epilepsy, and depression, makes me irritated. You can overdose on alcohol, but you cannot overdose on weed. My mom, who is chronically disabled, uses weed to aid in her nausea condition. Alcohol causes liver damage and expands the liver therefore expanding the waistline. I lost both my grandfathers before I was even conceived to alcohol (well, with the stupid choice of smoking). I heavily do not condone consumption of alcohol of any form.

I come from one of the states that have legalized weed on a state level. Its gonna be a lot of kicking and screaming before its legalized on a federal level.

 

[Desu_Maiden]

A professor of mine gave a perfectly valid reason. He said weed is illegal because the government is trying to oppress Mexican people. Mexican people used to (and still) grow a lot of weed. The government wanted to oppress Mexicans by prohibiting Mexicans from growing weed. Yes, this is a conspiracy theory, but it has been proven to be correct. Since the people lower in the social-economic ladder like to grow weed for a living, the government oppresses them by making weed illegal to grow.

 

[zaiman12345]

Because americans are idiots and want people who profit off weed to be poor as s*it

 

[Izanagi97]

The fact alcohol is legal and weed is not astounds me. The fact weed has its medical benefits, including that for nausea, epilepsy, and depression, makes me irritated. You can overdose on alcohol, but you cannot overdose on weed. My mom, who is chronically disabled, uses weed to aid in her nausea condition. Alcohol causes liver damage and expands the liver therefore expanding the waistline. I lost both my grandfathers before I was even conceived to alcohol (well, with the stupid choice of smoking). I heavily do not condone consumption of alcohol of any form.

I come from one of the states that have legalized weed on a state level. Its gonna be a lot of kicking and screaming before its legalized on a federal level.

The reason booze is legal is because the last time we tried to make it illegal, **** went down real fast. I just wish that they legalize drugs in general because if you criminalize something, people will want it more.

A professor of mine gave a perfectly valid reason. He said weed is illegal because the government is trying to oppress Mexican people. Mexican people used to (and still) grow a lot of weed. The government wanted to oppress Mexicans by prohibiting Mexicans from growing weed. Yes, this is a conspiracy theory, but it has been proven to be correct. Since the people lower in the social-economic ladder like to grow weed for a living, the government oppresses them by making weed illegal to grow.

That is actually quite true, America was super racist back then. Nowadays, we criminalize pot because many people get rich off of druggies going to jail. Said people have high connections and are very much corrupt (in my eyes.) A conspiracy theory is that Big Pharma is profiting off their medicine not curing.

Because americans are idiots and want people who profit off weed to be poor as s*it

It is a lot more complicated besides Americans being idiots (which is semi true, the real reason is likely because criminalized drugs make people with connections rich, which means votes)

 

[Foxus]

What is **** is the conservative argument that using weed will lead to more hardcore drugs, like heroin. That's just nuts and sounds like what a extremist would say.

 

[Desu_Maiden]

The war on drugs garners massive profits for giant multinational corporations. It is basically a big business. It employs a lot of cops. The war on drugs creates a lot of jobs. Unfortunately, the war on drugs is very violent and brutal. Many people die from it. We should end the war on drugs ASAP because it only causes misery.

While some illegal drugs are harmful, making them illegal makes no sense. Regardless of how dangerous certain drugs may be, people will do them for the sheer fun of it. Making something illegal isn't going to stop people from doing it. Paradoxically, making highly dangerous drugs legal, reduces the number of people that do those drugs because fewer people will do them for the trill of it.

There is this thing called the Streisand Effect. Basically, the more you try to hide something the more people will try to do the thing you are hiding. By making drugs illegal, the government attempts to hide drugs. But by doing so, this encourages more people to do drugs.

For example, Portugal made drugs legal. And guess what? Fewer people used drugs.

Making drugs illegal is basically censoring aka hiding drugs. The more you try to hide something, the more people will do it.

As a side note, the CIA used to deal drugs. So the government commits the very crimes that it is supposed to prevent. Therefore making the government hypocritical. The government profits off the war on drugs. The government is using the drugs as a method of fear mongering. And by making you scared, the government will better be able to control you.

 

[Izanagi97]

http://www.perkel.com/politics/issues/pot.htm

Good article there.

What is **** is the conservative argument that using weed will lead to more hardcore drugs, like heroin. That's just nuts and sounds like what a extremist would say.

That's because they are extremists, People have gotten life without parole for smoking pot. Jared Fogle Got 5-12 years for Child Porn, Soliciting minors for sex, and having sex with minors, something a hell of a lot more serious than having a puff.

The war on drugs garners massive profits for giant multinational corporations. It is basically a big business. It employs a lot of cops. The war on drugs creates a lot of jobs. Unfortunately, the war on drugs is very violent and brutal. Many people die from it. We should end the war on drugs ASAP because it only causes misery.

True, the drug war is little more than an excuse to fill up prisons due to the prison industrial complex.

While some illegal drugs are harmful, making them illegal makes no sense. Regardless of how dangerous certain drugs may be, people will do them for the sheer fun of it. Making something illegal isn't going to stop people from doing it. Paradoxically, making highly dangerous drugs legal, reduces the number of people that do those drugs because fewer people will do them for the trill of it.

Not even overly harsh sentences will deter them

There is this thing called the Streisand Effect. Basically, the more you try to hide something the more people will try to do the thing you are hiding. By making drugs illegal, the government attempts to hide drugs. But by doing so, this encourages more people to do drugs.

That's why prohibition failed

For example, Portugal made drugs legal. And guess what? Fewer people used drugs.

Making drugs illegal is basically censoring aka hiding drugs. The more you try to hide something, the more people will do it.

Why can't we follow Portugal's example

As a side note, the CIA used to deal drugs. So the government commits the very crimes that it is supposed to prevent. Therefore making the government hypocritical. The government profits off the war on drugs. The government is using the drugs as a method of fear mongering. And by making you scared, the government will better be able to control you.

That's why I don't follow the bull**** propaganda (And might be why I'm a conspiracy theorist).

 

[Izanagi97]

http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_1640_the-23-most-insane-things-done-in-war-marijuana/

That photoplasty will make your blood boil

 

[Foxus]

I wonder if Donald Trump would end the "war" on drugs. He says he wants to make America great, then act on what you speak if you don't wanna be seen as a hypocrite. Ending the "war" on drugs will bring down crime, because the thrill of breaking the law by taking drugs will be eliminated. Go ahead Trump, amaze us. Make America great agian.

 

[Nona]

What is **** is the conservative argument that using weed will lead to more hardcore drugs, like heroin. That's just nuts and sounds like what a extremist would say.

I think that's typically an argument given by people that aren't as educated on marijuana, or are trying to scare adolescents into not being users. To them, "drugs are drugs are drugs". My mom gave me the same lecture on how marijuana will lead into using hard drugs and that there are "better alternatives", which to her is popping ~5 different kinds of prescription pills a day, which is potentially more dangerous. Some other drugs that treat the same conditions as medical marijuana (benzodiazepines for example, like abusing Xanax for highs) can lead to an actual physical dependence, whereas marijuana is moreso a mental dependence.
http://healthland.time.com/2010/10/19/is-marijuana-addictive-it-depends-how-you-define-addiction/
http://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0401/p2121.html

Yes Marijuana is used as a medical excuse, but I will vow that 90% of individuals do not carry a medical condition however instead they disguise themselves as they do carry a medical condition when in reality, they're bluffing.

This can be true in some cases. I've known a couple people that overinflated their symptoms to a sympathetic doc with the intention of getting a medical card, and succeeded. But medical use is very helpful for those that truly need it, and not everyone reacts well to medications (Zoloft for example completely ruined me, and I'm not willing to go through another week of being 'cracked out' to see if it'll actually work)

and who says weed doesn't cause deaths?

 

[Izanagi97]

http://medicalmarijuana.com/treatments-with-medical-marijuana-cannabis

^ List of things medical pot can be used for.

Biggest person to blame for the problem that is weed prohibition is Nixon, and that dude was a paranoid conspiracy theorist.

http://www.alternet.org/story/12666/once-secret_"nixon_tapes"_show_why_the_u.s._outlawed_pot

Also, I have said this time and time again to myself and on twitter: When has prohibition of a substance EVER worked?

Never, it never has.

(nonsensical cuss heavy angry (by my standards) rant incoming)

People have proposed that a reason for illegal pot is to fuel the Prison Industrial Complex. There is also that Tough on crime crap (it is not being smart on crime) and the mandatory sentences we have. I have read that smoking pot in Canada and getting caught will just get you a slap on the wrist or a fine. Here in America, it can be as bad as life in jail without parole for being a proxy while some dude only got 12 years max for being a pedo. It just pisses me off so much that we have heavier sentences for smoking a harmless plant than we have for mass shooters and people with child porn. Also, the only reason Pot is schedule 1 is because of politics and racism, not any actual danger. You can't get addicted to pot, there are a ton of medical benefits, and the only reason there is no safety is because you can't overdose. Many people want it legal, but the people that don't (Big Pharma, DEA, Private Prison lobbies, etc.) have a hell of a lot more money, and therefore can keep this stupid drug war going. It makes no sense and never will. I'm starting to think that America's close to becoming a police state.

 

[Claire Diviner]

A rather old article, but it shows that decriminalizing drugs could be better for the country than anything. It worked out for Portugal.

http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html

 

[DunnoBro]

Good for the country generally means bad for the government.

 

[M15t3R E]

While still a narcotic, it is far safer than every other recreational drug known to man. It's difficult to tax and control, however many states have already wisened up and realized that they CAN compete quite well with the drug's illegal trafficking. It's a matter of time before the rest of the states follow suit.

 

[muddykips]

wasn't it to have an excuse to punish mexican immigrants who possessed it?

they did a similar thing where they searched chinese immigrants for opium.

 

[Izanagi97]

Good for the country generally means bad for the government.

Guess that explains why a lot of beneficial things are withheld and why there are conspiracy theories saying that we are turning into a police state

 

[Plague von Karma]

In my eyes, weed is illegal because it makes astronomical amounts of money. The government know that this may corrupt the 'gold standard' and create a legion of stoners in poverty which would potentially change the way countries work in the long run. It's difficult to tax and all that too. Just adds up to strange laws, and the governments can't be bothered to do it.

Medicinal Weed is allowed though.

 

[Rich Homie Supreme]

So the arguments for weed are basically slander against anyone who does not support it? Saying we are either only apposing it for financial gain or because we are brainwashed by tobacco companies?

Oh I forgot the other argument, "But mommy, Jhony is smoking something why can't I!"

Oh ya and the third, marijuana is the magical miracle plant that cures cancer regrows brain cells and makes you live forever.



You want to know why marijuana is illegal? It's not to obstruct freedom, freedom doesn't mean everyone does whatever they feel like and to hell with the consequences, freedom also means you're free to live in a society where you don't have to deal with things you don't want, like a society full of degenerates who try and push mind altering drugs on everyone.

Funny how you say that the pro weed people are slandering the people that don't share their position when you're doing the same.
I love hypocrisy. Besides, you are free to leave the country when weed is legalized if you so please.

 

[Chainz]

 

[Y2Kay]

Edit: going to make a clearer point.

How is that marijuana users get the same sentences as meth and Cocaine users, tho cocaine and meth is SO much more dangerous to you.

Seriously, cooking meth can blow up your house!

 

[Murlough]

You know what's funny about all of this?

You go to jail longer for doing marijuna than you do meth or cocaine

Meth is used mosttly by poor white people

Cocaine is used mostly by upper middleclass/ rich white people

Marijuana is more common in poor black and brown communties (its a 50:50 split tho overall)

Somethin' to think about.

Your profile pic is hilarious.

On topic, I don't care if weed is legalized. Actually it may be better if it is since so many people already do it and it supposedly isn't harmful.

All I ask is that it isn't used TOO MUCH. If I choose to have a family someday I don't want my 10 year olds to go outside and see half the neighborhood high out of thier minds. It sets a bad example, ya know?

People should be able to smoke as long as they are smart about it and smoke responsibly. Basically the same standards we have for alcohol and I'm on board.

 

[Cheerilee]

Marinol has been a legal prescription drug since 1986.

 

[LunarWingCloud]

What is **** is the conservative argument that using weed will lead to more hardcore drugs, like heroin. That's just nuts and sounds like what a extremist would say.

That's because that is a trend with hard conservatives. They will not compromise and truly believe anything of the sort is completely irredeemable.

 

[Deleted member]

(please delete my message)

 

[iAmMatt]

While marijuana isn't as deadly as cigarettes, it's illegal because smoking too much of it can impair your judgement. Now alcohol isn't illegal because it has already been around for hundreds of years. If alcohol wasn't discovered till today, it would be made illegal immediately. the prohibition in the 1920's is perfect evidence. The government already tried to outlaw alcohol, but they couldn't. The government received huge backlash once alcohol was prohibited, and if weed was legal and the government tried to outlaw it, I believe the backlash would be even greater.

 

[Sucumbio]

Pot has been around for hundreds of years also. Really it's only illegal because it's been deemed better in the past to allow alcohol use and not pot. But it's not even illegal anymore in certain states. Before long it'll be legal everywhere just like alcohol.

 

[FalKoopa]

The legality depends on where you live, and when it was introduced and the culture.

I live in India where it has been in use traditionally for centuries. While its consumption is strictly controlled by the government, it still can be bought legally.

Yeah, the only thing is to use it it responsibly and not overindulge.

---------------

I think keeping it illegal kinda promotes its consumption due to becoming forbidden fruit. If it becomes legal, it will lose that, and so those people who smoke only to look cool will stop.

If the government wants to discourage its consumption though, banning it almost never works. Taxing it heavily so that it hurts the wallet is more effective from what I've seen.

 

[LeifEriksson]

I think the reason it's illegal is because it's a depressant, and nobody wants people going out and driving while under the influence. Since it's easy to grow, you can't control how much people make or how much they use. Although the same thing can be said for alcohol, so...

I feel that if it was legal for people 21 and older, it would limit the amount of people making dumb decisions while smoking the stuff. But that's just my take on it, let me know if you have anything you want to add or disagree with.

 

[DPKdebator]

I think the reason it's illegal is because it's a depressant, and nobody wants people going out and driving while under the influence. Since it's easy to grow, you can't control how much people make or how much they use. Although the same thing can be said for alcohol, so...

I feel that if it was legal for people 21 and older, it would limit the amount of people making dumb decisions while smoking the stuff. But that's just my take on it, let me know if you have anything you want to add or disagree with.

Even if weed was legal for people aged 21 and older, that wouldn't stop people under that age from trying to access it. That also doesn't stop people from making dumb decisions- just because someone is an adult, doesn't mean they are a genius.

 

[LeifEriksson]

Even if weed was legal for people aged 21 and older, that wouldn't stop people under that age from trying to access it. That also doesn't stop people from making dumb decisions- just because someone is an adult, doesn't mean they are a genius.

That's true, but you can say the same thing for alcohol. If someone under 21 really wants it, they will try to get it. I get that older people aren't always smart and ready to handle it, but they generally have more experience with the world and usually understand things better than kids and teens.

Just as a side note, I love how civil people are in the debate hall!

 

[KrazyGlue]

It's funny, when I was active in the Debate Hall several years ago, I was militantly anti-marijuana, and now I've completely switched sides...

As to why marijuana is illegal (in America at least): as with many illegal drugs, it was associated with minority and counter-culture movements that the government opposed, so they made it illegal. It has very little to do with actual scientific assessment of harm potential, as it's quite clearly a significantly lesser risk to public health than, say, alcohol (see last paragraph). The difference is, weed was popular among native Americans, while alcohol was popular among European colonialists. More recently, weed was popular among counter-cultural folks and hippies, whereas alcohol was popular among all parts of society, including government officials. Nevermind the fact that alcohol causes people to suffer liver failure, choke on their own vomit in their sleep, and is routinely ranked as one of the very most dangerous drugs known to man, none of which is true of marijuana. (By the way, "how long they have been around" has nothing to do with it. Both drugs have been consumed by humans for thousands of years. For weed, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_(drug)#History) Sensationalism also has a lot to do with it (i.e. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reefer_Madness). Sadly, it may be true that if native Americans had simply been allowed to keep using weed and mushrooms instead of being forced to convert to booze, the community wouldn't have such horrible problems with alcoholism.

A bit off-topic, but related: these are the same reasons why psychedelics were made illegal. They become associated with a counter-culture movement that the government opposed, a few sensationalist stories were written about people jumping out of windows after taking LSD, and they were subsequently banned. It is rather laughable to see psychedelics, which are incredibly well-tolerated pharmacologically, have almost no potential for addiction, and have shown promise as medical treatments, be listed as schedule 1 drugs, where they are characterized as having "high potential for abuse" and having no accepted medical use.

This chart is perhaps a reductionist assessment of drug harm, but it gives you some idea of what we're talking about here: http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2010/11/drugs_cause_most_harm
Note that alcohol is #1, ahead of heroin, crack, and meth, while marijuana is below both alcohol and tobacco and psychedelics are among the lowest ones (mushrooms, LSD). I don't claim that this chart is necessarily totally accurate, but basically any ranking of drug harm you can find will rank marijuana and especially psychedelics lower than legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco.

 

[Deleted member 269706]

While marijuana isn't as deadly as cigarettes, it's illegal because smoking too much of it can impair your judgement. Now alcohol isn't illegal because it has already been around for hundreds of years. If alcohol wasn't discovered till today, it would be made illegal immediately. the prohibition in the 1920's is perfect evidence. The government already tried to outlaw alcohol, but they couldn't. The government received huge backlash once alcohol was prohibited, and if weed was legal and the government tried to outlaw it, I believe the backlash would be even greater.

Marijuana was legal in the United States until 1937 when the Marijuana Tax Act was implemented, effectively criminalizing the usage of the drug.
Source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/etc/cron.html

 

[SSG SAX GAMER]

What i think that people often forget is that we have low standards on other things that could be more deadly than marijuana. For example fast food soda junk food etc. lead to obesity which is more than 35% of adults and 17% of children and obesity leads to heart disease which leads to death, heart disease is the number 1 cause of death in America (I believe I could be wrong). But there are way less deaths from drug overdoses. Also, in theory, it could reduce gangs in general. This is because gangs make nearly all of their money from selling drugs and if we make it legal so that people wouldn't have to go to gangs to buy them then gangs lose their primary source of money making them less prevalent (in THEORY).