4 ms·

How many people here, ACTUALLY think cannabis is "completely not harmful" ? I'm all about making your own choices and i've tried most drugs on the planet, prob

by mam2 6y ago

How many people here, ACTUALLY think cannabis is "completely not harmful" ? I'm all about making your own choices and i've tried most drugs on the planet, probably more than you dear reader, and totally assume the potential risks. but still most people I know who do cannabis regularly either: - Have scary memory problems. - Have autodestructive or at least exagerated "passive" tendencies toward improving in any way you want to define it. - Have similar friends who definetely drag them down and not up. I literally know NO ONE i would admire that do it. And please don't say Elon Musk who's the most famously unbalanced CEO on the planet. I don't understand the push of legal cannabis because i don't want my children to think it's risk-free to do it. The danger of drugs is always the frequencies you do them. Hopefully it stays contained to the US.

amanaplanacanal 6y ago
I think most people would say that it is less harmful than other drugs which we already accept as a society. The other argument would be that the costs of keeping it illegal are much higher than the benefits. These both seem like good arguments for legalization even if you accept that usage has risks for some people.
- mam2 6y ago
  This is an anti cigaret argument, not pro cannabis. Im not sure the money argument is really a matter on wether we want our children to think its legal and ok.
dumbfoundded 6y ago
Cannabis certainly has negative side effects but these pale in comparison to the effects of prohibition. From a physical standpoint, the negative effects of cannabis are far less severe than smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. We should put the money used for policing into community building and health services so people feel less inclined to use drugs of any kind.
- mam2 6y ago
  > From a physical standpoint, the negative effects of cannabis are far less severe than smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. Thats an argument against cigaret, not pro cannabis. Yes for the money but still do we reeeealy want it legal ?
  - dumbfoundded 6y ago
    Absolutely. The only benefit of illegality is imprisonment. It does not reduce consumption. The only way to reduce consumption is by treating it as a health and community problem. Not a crime.
    - mam2 6y ago
      The benefit of illegality isbthat a majority of people dont think its ok and thus dont do it. With your argument you legalizr everything.
      - dumbfoundded 6y ago
        With your argument, we should live in a criminalized nanny state. Ice cream is pretty bad for you. Heart disease kills way more people than any drug. Maybe we should make it illegal to be fat. Or in a sane world, we treat health problems like health problems.
        mam2 6y ago
        You still need to put a line otherwise yeah sure lets legalize heroin. Also your argument doesnt hold because theres not one unique cause of heart disease. And yeah tbh i would say everyone know being bat is b1d.
greggyb 6y ago
Your replies seem to indicate that criminalization and harsher penalties for drug use decrease rates of use. In fact, there are many studies that indicate the opposite - it is the case that decriminalization does not tend to increase rates of marijuana usage. Where decriminalization has been followed by increased marijuana usage, we can see states with harsher penalties experience greater increases. If you believe that marijuana use is an absolute bad, and you want to decrease people's use of marijuana, you should do so from a place of knowledge and data. Seek out interventions that actually decrease drug usage. Don't cling to a demonstrably ineffective intervention (harsh legal penalties) just because it feels good, especially if that intervention is expensive and harmful to individuals. Ninja edit for link to review of decriminalization studies: https://norml.org/aboutmarijuana/item/marijuana-decriminalization-its-impact-on-use-2 https://norml.org/aboutmarijuana/item/marijuana-decriminaliz...

by mam2 6y ago

amanaplanacanal 6y ago

I think most people would say that it is less harmful than other drugs which we already accept as a society. The other argument would be that the costs of keeping it illegal are much higher than the benefits. These both seem like good arguments for legalization even if you accept that usage has risks for some people.

mam2 6y ago
This is an anti cigaret argument, not pro cannabis. Im not sure the money argument is really a matter on wether we want our children to think its legal and ok.

dumbfoundded 6y ago

Cannabis certainly has negative side effects but these pale in comparison to the effects of prohibition. From a physical standpoint, the negative effects of cannabis are far less severe than smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. We should put the money used for policing into community building and health services so people feel less inclined to use drugs of any kind.

mam2 6y ago
> From a physical standpoint, the negative effects of cannabis are far less severe than smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. Thats an argument against cigaret, not pro cannabis. Yes for the money but still do we reeeealy want it legal ?
- dumbfoundded 6y ago
  Absolutely. The only benefit of illegality is imprisonment. It does not reduce consumption. The only way to reduce consumption is by treating it as a health and community problem. Not a crime.
  - mam2 6y ago
    The benefit of illegality isbthat a majority of people dont think its ok and thus dont do it. With your argument you legalizr everything.
    - dumbfoundded 6y ago
      With your argument, we should live in a criminalized nanny state. Ice cream is pretty bad for you. Heart disease kills way more people than any drug. Maybe we should make it illegal to be fat. Or in a sane world, we treat health problems like health problems.
      - mam2 6y ago
        You still need to put a line otherwise yeah sure lets legalize heroin. Also your argument doesnt hold because theres not one unique cause of heart disease. And yeah tbh i would say everyone know being bat is b1d.

greggyb 6y ago

Your replies seem to indicate that criminalization and harsher penalties for drug use decrease rates of use. In fact, there are many studies that indicate the opposite - it is the case that decriminalization does not tend to increase rates of marijuana usage. Where decriminalization has been followed by increased marijuana usage, we can see states with harsher penalties experience greater increases. If you believe that marijuana use is an absolute bad, and you want to decrease people's use of marijuana, you should do so from a place of knowledge and data. Seek out interventions that actually decrease drug usage. Don't cling to a demonstrably ineffective intervention (harsh legal penalties) just because it feels good, especially if that intervention is expensive and harmful to individuals. Ninja edit for link to review of decriminalization studies: https://norml.org/aboutmarijuana/item/marijuana-decriminalization-its-impact-on-use-2 https://norml.org/aboutmarijuana/item/marijuana-decriminaliz...