# Medicinal Marijuana



## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

There is a new show coming out to Discovery Channel called "Weed Wars".

Weed Wars Sneak Peak - Discovery

Thoughts and Opinions?

Anybody a user?


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## mind_business (Sep 24, 2011)

Not a user, but I support the use of medical marijuana. I have a sister-in-law that uses medical marijuana, along with a couple of friends.

For general use ... absolutely not. I could care less what people do in their own homes, unfortunately it likely won't stay there. Don't need more people driving their cars while high.


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

What does it matter if it's used for general use? Assuming it's controlled in the same way as alcohol I can't see why it matters if people do it or not. Of course you shouldn't drive or operate tools, machinery, etc., but it's not like people do any harm couch surfing or playing Frisbee.

Personally, I don't see what it does in a medical sense. As a ex-heavy user (still recreational, I'm more against drinking than smoking), I've never noticed any medicinal effects myself in terms of pain relief. It "changed" the pain, but it didn't alleviate it. At most it made pain easier to ignore, so maybe that is the benefit? I have chronic tendonitis in my back and it didn't help with that, but I suppose cancers and other illnesses are different?


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

I think it should be allowed for medicinal and recreational, but I think recreational needs to be done on your own property.

As long as you're smoking it at home, no biggie. Who's it really going to hurt if you're just sitting on your porch having a little bit of nature's finest?

In terms of driving high - well, yes, it might happen. But a person's judgement is skewed by alcohol for a much longer period.

After 30-45 minutes of being high, you'll be alright.

There was actually a study done where they tested drivers that were high and ones that were not. The drivers that were high actually drove better. They didn't speed (if you're high, whats the rush?) and they obeyed all the rules of the road (why not? life is good).

I think its a valid argument. People are usually more content when they are high. More content than the 40 year old business man at 5pm on the roads who hates his job and his boss, speeding down a 60km road at 100km/h in his Mercedes.

I wouldn't consider myself a user. I may enjoy it once or twice a year at most, and it's never purchased by myself. However, I think if it were legal, I may be more inclined.

It's an interesting drug. It helps pass time, helps you sleep, its relaxing.

People drink at bars and cause fights all the time.

How many people cause fights that are ripped? Not many...

I wonder if I would be able to get a medicinal marijuana card for my back pain and migraines. I wake up at least 5 times a night because of my back issues. If I could get a marijuana card, I would do it without hesitation.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

I cant believe the government isnt legalizing it from a tax stand point.
Like the ciggerette industry and alchol,taxes on booze and smokes are what 50-60%.

It would reduce crime,im surprised the government isnt looking @ this( loves there coffers),sure one day they will want to capitlize,guess its not morally accepted,imagine a powerhouse like phillip morris if they got into this,huge untapped market if legal.


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

The price would have to remain the same. If it jumped there would be no reason to acquire it legally as I doubt they could crack down any more considering it's outright illegal right now. That would leave pretty slim profit margins for the grower.

From a business standpoint it's likely much more profitable if it remains illegal but I think the "right thing to do" is legalize/tax it.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Most Canadians support legalization and taxation, but when did the government ever listen to the people?

Nobody takes personal use serious anymore.......except Harper.

I think something must have happened to him as a kid.....he is bit of a weirdo.


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

He's a robot. He looks just like Data with his waxy skin.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Maybe he should switch makeups!

(To be fair, nearly all politicians use makeup because of the cameras)

Pot should be legalized, mainly to take away the biggest industry for organized crime. But then, I would be open to legalizing cocaine, heroin, etc. by prescription to go hand-in-hand with rehab treatment. Better to be getting relatively safe drugs than buying rocks on the corner.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

I need a doctor's approval to even use OTC drugs because of my job, but I'm more interested in the business side of it. I'm all for legalizing and taxing it. Netherlands makes +$500 mil in taxes let alone the tourism impact, and it's not even legally grown. Canada can grow it legally, good stuff from what I hear. What you do is control where it can be sold like liqueur licence, limit the age and quantity that can be sold etc. After the debt crisis really hits Canada could buy the USA


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

I'm going to need some medicinal marijuana to forget all this market turmoil!! 

I'm a *Category 2* Patient: Stress, Anxiety, Insomnia, Chronic Financial Pain (no pun intended by using the word chronic)

Anybody think I'll qualify for a card?


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

KaeJS said:


> I'm going to need some medicinal marijuana to forget all this market turmoil!!


Ok., but be careful KaeJS because I read that marijuana can increase the risk for schizophrenia in some individuals.


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## Helianthus (Oct 19, 2010)

andrewf said:


> Maybe he should switch makeups!
> Pot should be legalized, mainly to take away the biggest industry for organized crime. But then, I would be open to legalizing cocaine, heroin, etc. by prescription to go hand-in-hand with rehab treatment. Better to be getting relatively safe drugs than buying rocks on the corner.


I support your view.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Unfortunately, our current government does not share the 'harm reduction' philosophy. They prefer those morally deficient addicts to die in the gutter with a needle in their arm, as they deserve.


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

I just wish the people who smoke the stuff wouldn't smoke it in the building, it stinks up the halls and then the 96 year old lady asks me "What is the funny smell in the halls" 

Smoke outside on your balcony and I do not care! 

Personally I do not think that it is worse than alcohol. Both are extremely destructive if abuse and quite fun to use socially in a non addicted way. However there are no social crack users that I know of. Same with heroin. By the time you get to those drugs, you've committed to the druggie deathstyle. 

On the other hand, when I was younger, I knew quite a few people that would be described as needing rehab. Today a few are dead but the majority are grown up and completely normal. Many ex is in Alberta last I heard, in really bad shape, his sister says they constantly expect a phone call that he's passed away. There's a guy who has tried to get help tons of times and it just never stuck to him. 

One thing is for sure, addiction is a serious problem that destroys people and their families. Very sad. I'd say a good 50-80 percent of evictions are people with drug problems. Every single person I've evicted this year is on Ontario Works and parties all the time. A serious addiction problem is totally debilitating and make people unemployable.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

^ Cigarettes are just as bad. I could never live in an apartment building, with the stale reek of cigarettes in the hallway.


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## Dmoney (Apr 28, 2011)

jcgd said:


> The price would have to remain the same. If it jumped there would be no reason to acquire it legally as I doubt they could crack down any more considering it's outright illegal right now. That would leave pretty slim profit margins for the grower.
> 
> From a business standpoint it's likely much more profitable if it remains illegal but I think the "right thing to do" is legalize/tax it.


This is a question I've asked myself regarding the price point at which people will continue to grow it. The comparison would be to home-brewed beer/wine. I'm sure it's much cheaper, but from what I've heard it's much worse. If the government, or government sponsored weed-growers can grow very good weed, it might command a premium. Also, if it remains illegal to sell weed that isn't government sanctioned, most people who can buy legally for a couple bucks extra will buy from the Weed store or whatever.

When I look back at high school, I could get weed from 20 different people in my grade, but to buy alcohol I had to either drive to quebec where they never ID'd, or find a fake ID and risk getting turned away 50% of the time. It becomes much less economical to grow illegally when the product is available legally.

I'm all for legalizing and taxing, but like contraband cigarettes, if you overprice the product, there's the chance for the illegal variant to remain.


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## Larry6417 (Jan 27, 2010)

The Canadian gov't position on marijuana is nonsense. A British medical group looked at data on drugs in Britain, both legal and illegal, and classified them according to the harm caused to the individual vs. harm caused to society. The drug most harmful to society, by a large margin, was alcohol. The drug most harmful to individuals was heroin. Marijuana was well down the list in both categories. We already sell (and tax) a far more harmful substance: alcohol. I would support legalization and taxation.

That being said, I'm skeptical about medical marijuana. The proven scientific uses of marijuana are less than people think. I think many (most?) people seeking "medical" marijuana do so for, how shall we say, _non-medicinal_ reasons. However, I have no problem with that since we already allow people to use far more harmful substances.


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## twowheeled (Jan 15, 2011)

KaeJS said:


> In terms of driving high - well, yes, it might happen. But a person's judgement is skewed by alcohol for a much longer period.
> 
> After 30-45 minutes of being high, you'll be alright.
> 
> There was actually a study done where they tested drivers that were high and ones that were not. The drivers that were high actually drove better. They didn't speed (if you're high, whats the rush?) and they obeyed all the rules of the road (why not? life is good).


I've heard about these studies as well, but I don't believe them at all. (a friend of mine who is not me) can drive fine after a few drinks, but after a good toke? Hell no! My good friend would never even try that. While alcohol impairs your vision and emotional state, and perhaps even your reaction time, (my friend) believes that smoking is much worse. It alters the state of mind, distracts the attention, makes a person "zone out", hallucinate, perceive sight/sound differently, etc. In short, after a few drinks, a street light is still a street light albeit a little blurry. After a good toke, a street light is now some kind of waving foreign object that changes its distance and possibly shape. The only thing one should do after smoking is parking their butt on a couch and taking a back seat while the brain takes you on whatever adventure it has planned that day.


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## jcgd (Oct 30, 2011)

Holy crow. Where can I find that stuff? Hallucinations? 

Drinking is most definitely the more dangerous of the two, in nearly every measurement possible. You shouldn't drive with either in your system in any amount, IMO.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

jcgd said:


> Holy crow. Where can I find that stuff? Hallucinations?


You need to buy a nice strain of Sativa. 

The Sativa strain of marijuana is the more psychoactive of the two. The Indica strain is the one that leaves you paralyzed and feeling a body buzz.

If you get a full Sativa blend (more rare), you are likely to hallucinate. As twowheeled has said, it alters your perception of sound and you can hallucinate sounds which is more likely than hallucinating images.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

The worst thing I observe about marijuana is that usage starts early in life and interferes with young people at a critical time in their lives. They would rather indulge and spazz out in the afternoons then attend high school classes. Eventually they get into trouble at school, get booted out, and then head down to the Ontario Works office for some cash and sit around partying every day.

By the time they realize how badly they have screwed up their lives, they are too embarrassed or unmotivated to return to school or do much of anything else.

I was in lots of apartment buildings, when I was running a food delivery business, where I could have gotten high just hanging around the hallways.

Still........even with the problems, I think marijuana abuse should be treated as a health concern, not a criminal one that ties up the valuable resources of police, courts, and the prison system.

I am sure they all have better things to do.


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## balk (Dec 6, 2010)

Toronto.gal said:


> Ok., but be careful KaeJS because I read that marijuana can increase the risk for schizophrenia in some individuals.


My understanding is that marijuanna doesn't increase the risk overall, it just accelerates cases of schizophrenia for people who are at risk. 

Also, I would love to see that study that shows people are better drivers when stoned. I smell bullshit.


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## balk (Dec 6, 2010)

twowheeled said:


> I've heard about these studies as well, but I don't believe them at all. (a friend of mine who is not me) can drive fine after a few drinks, but after a good toke? Hell no! My good friend would never even try that. While alcohol impairs your vision and emotional state, and perhaps even your reaction time, (my friend) believes that smoking is much worse. It alters the state of mind, distracts the attention, makes a person "zone out", hallucinate, perceive sight/sound differently, etc. In short, after a few drinks, a street light is still a street light albeit a little blurry. After a good toke, a street light is now some kind of waving foreign object that changes its distance and possibly shape. The only thing one should do after smoking is parking their butt on a couch and taking a back seat while the brain takes you on whatever adventure it has planned that day.


I think the main problem with smoking and driving is that it is difficult to measure how stoned you are. With alcohol you can keep track of your consumption but it is much more challenging when smoking. What are they going to do, limit you to one toke per hour? The other challenge is that some grass is stronger than other grass. I guess that the government could list THC content if they regulated and sold it. 

On a whole, I do not see why it is not legal. It would also make it harder for youth to procure because it is currently easier for youngsters to get weed than alcohol. Plus legalization and regulation would bring in revenue for the government and cut down on organized crime.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

balk said:


> 1. My understanding is that marijuanna doesn't increase the risk overall, it just accelerates cases of schizophrenia for people who are at risk.
> 2. I would love to see that study that shows people are better drivers when stoned.


1. You could be right; I really haven't read much on the subject and made the comment mostly to frighten/discourage KaeJS from using, hence the smiley  [should clarify that I was not making fun of mental illness].

I have read enough however, to know that the drug causes cognitive impairment.

2. I don't buy it.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Speaking of brain manipulation, there is an interesting show on TVO about Psilocybin [magic] mushroom.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

I got to agree with pot altering your life later on,ive had my times with it here and there and found myself "out back" in high school from time to time.(dont get me wrong,were all young once)The thing about it is everybody i knew who did it heavy in my youth gate-wayed to the next drug and then into the heavy stuff.

Its the gateway drug and thats what makes it a hazard,i own a construction business and alot of guys i know (guys in 30s and 40s)are needing to smoke this stuff daily so there is def a addictive aspect to it.I think its sad when one finds themself with this habit way past the youth stage,will say this thou nothing is worse than alchol-alchol does the most damage BY FAR-that drug rips families and people apart.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Unfortunately as it presently stands, it is illegal to possess marijuana in any quantity, and while most police officers just throw away a tiny amount found on a young person, there are some who stick to the letter of the law and lay charges.

I was in the audience at court one day, and a young man appeared before the judge charged with possessing a minute amount of MJ. His lawyer described it as "lint" in his pocket, but conceded it was marijuana.

The Federal Crown didn't even bother to show up to prosecute, and the local Crown did the case. The judge shook his head and said that while it was a very small amount, it is still illegal, convicted the kid and gave him 6 months probation. Great.......now the kid has a criminal record........and that will have a negative impact on his life for a long time.

Kids believe it is okay, if you only have a small amount.

Sometimes it is.........and sometimes it isn't.

Tragic waste though....to punish a kid so severely for doing what probably everyone else in the courtroom had done at one time or another.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

sags said:


> now the kid has a criminal record........and that will have a negative impact on his life for a long time.


Or perhaps turn his life around.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

No way, T.Gal.

Turn his life around?

sags had it right. Now you're just going to have an angry person with a criminal record.

A little bit of pot never hurt anybody. I want to see the statistics on adults aged over 35 on whether or not they have tried marijuana.

Guaranteed its higher than 50%, and in a democracy, if more people do it than don't do it, how can you give the kid such a rough lesson?

Why not just charge him $100 or something. That's at least beneficial to both parties.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

Kae I must say I am disappointed that you continue to fight to.gal on this. Drugs are bad for you. There's no great mystery about that. You're normally a really intelligent guy but on this I am really questioning your judgement. I really thought you were better than this.


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## balk (Dec 6, 2010)

donald said:


> I got to agree with pot altering your life later on,ive had my times with it here and there and found myself "out back" in high school from time to time.(dont get me wrong,were all young once)The thing about it is everybody i knew who did it heavy in my youth gate-wayed to the next drug and then into the heavy stuff.
> 
> Its the gateway drug and thats what makes it a hazard,i own a construction business and alot of guys i know (guys in 30s and 40s)are needing to smoke this stuff daily so there is def a addictive aspect to it.I think its sad when one finds themself with this habit way past the youth stage,will say this thou nothing is worse than alchol-alchol does the most damage BY FAR-that drug rips families and people apart.


I agree with you that pot can be a gateway drug for some. Although pot does have addicted properties and I have seen a few people whose live revolve around it, I do not see the distinction between pot and smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol, which are also addictive and cause harm to our body. 

The reason I would be for legalization (not just decriminalization) is that it will make it more difficult for teenagers to get if the substance is regulated and sold in stores. I look back at my high school experience and it was far easier for my peers to get grass then it was to get booze. The other reason it should be legalized is that it will save the government lots of money in wasted arrests, court cases, and incarceration.


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## balk (Dec 6, 2010)

the-royal-mail said:


> Kae I must say I am disappointed that you continue to fight to.gal on this. Drugs are bad for you. There's no great mystery about that. You're normally a really intelligent guy but on this I am really questioning your judgement. I really thought you were better than this.


This couldn't be a more condescending reply. I will preface my answer that I am not a drug user nor smoker, but do enjoy the occasional beer. 

Do you not drink? Do you not smoke? Who are you to judge what someone else does to their body? Why not criticize how he eats too? Apart from a question of legality (but not a question of societal acceptance), how is smoking dope that different from the activities I listed above?


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## balk (Dec 6, 2010)

sags said:


> Unfortunately as it presently stands, it is illegal to possess marijuana in any quantity, and while most police officers just throw away a tiny amount found on a young person, there are some who stick to the letter of the law and lay charges.
> 
> I was in the audience at court one day, and a young man appeared before the judge charged with possessing a minute amount of MJ. His lawyer described it as "lint" in his pocket, but conceded it was marijuana.
> 
> ...


This is the true problem. Pot use has become so widespread that it has been normalized and a lot of law enforcement will turn a blind eye to possession of small quantities and use. However, catch the wrong cop and you have a record. The government needs to listen to the population and take a clear stand on the issue so people know one way or the other.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

the-royal-mail said:


> Kae I must say I am disappointed that you continue to fight to.gal on this. Drugs are bad for you. There's no great mystery about that. You're normally a really intelligent guy but on this I am really questioning your judgement. I really thought you were better than this.


TRM,

Many things in this life are bad for you.

Sugar, McDonalds, Too much work, Not enough exercise, Living in the city, Being in the sun for too long, Fretting over the stock market, etc...

Of course drugs are bad, TRM, but you've really got to look at the big picture.

I could have smoked pot everyday since I was 14, and I could be in a car accident tomorrow that kills me because somebody else ran a red light.

In fact, let's take the same scenario and assume that I took advil for a headache I was having that day, about 45 minutes before the accident happened. Now, I COULD have survived that accident, but now I'm bleeding out everywhere because the advil has thinned my blood and it's not clotting as well as it should be.

Should advil be looked down upon?

Should I never take advil cause it thins my blood, or can cause intestinal issues?

Should we no longer have camp fires, use gas stoves, roast hot dogs and marshmallows? Those are all bad for you...

Should you no longer grill a nice, juicy steak because the charred parts of the steak can actually increase your chances of getting cancer?

There are many, many things that are bad for you, TRM.

You could even argue that the most intelligent people are the ones who use drugs and play video games, just to escape the BS reality corrupt people have caused.

Take one look at Occupy ______ and tell me the smart people aren't just being ignorant, smoking a bowl, drinking a beer and shooting some people online.

The world's got too many people and too many problems.

I'm sure you'll think even less of me after this statement, but:

_Ignorance is bliss._

And I still hope you'd think I was an "intelligent guy", regardless of my position on marijuana use, as I believe that is hardly a measure of one's intellect.


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## Oldroe (Sep 18, 2009)

I worked with many everyday day pot smokers. 

They are way better than drinkers. Sooner or later the drinkers get messy, the pot heads are slow but usually too paranoid to not do there jobs.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Never used marijuana myself. It holds no appeal for me. I drink sparingly (I don't think getting drunk is worth it), but other than that I don't smoke, use drugs or gamble. Not a moral issue, just that they hold little appeal. All of the above can be destructive when abused, and are all to some extent habit-forming. Banning these things doesn't work, so better to have it out in the open and help pick up the pieces for the people who get into trouble as a result.


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## Dmoney (Apr 28, 2011)

andrewf said:


> Banning these things doesn't work, so better to have it out in the open and help pick up the pieces for the people who get into trouble as a result.


We're already picking up the pieces, so why not legalize and tax? It blows my mind from a financial perspective. 

Less and less people are smoking in today's society yet tobacco companies continue to generate _insane_ amounts of revenue for the government. We already educate about the danger of drugs/alcohol/smoking, so no change is needed there. 

In the current system, criminal organizations grow/manufacture drugs which does several things: generates income that is not taxed, removes young men from the workforce (stereotype but live with it, it's mostly men doing this) and just an assumption, but probably leads to many of these people benefitting from social assistance programs while lining their pocket with untaxed wealth. 

Give Phillip Morris, Reynolds, Imperial Tobacco etc. the right to grow and distribute, they each come up with their own weed blend or whatever, sell it in either convenience stores, or Beer Stores/LCBOs, or Weed Stores, and tax the hell out of it.

You can't possibly tell me that something can be grown illegally more economically than legally. You've got economies of scale, access to capital and you don't have to worry about being busted.

It's time that you take out crime where it really hurts... in the wallet.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

When they lowered the taxes on cigarettes back in 1994 due to excessive smuggling (account high taxes for the legal product) the result was a huge uptake in the number of young teen smokers who could now afford to smoke.


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## Dmoney (Apr 28, 2011)

the-royal-mail said:


> When they lowered the taxes on cigarettes back in 1994 due to excessive smuggling (account high taxes for the legal product) the result was a huge uptake in the number of young teen smokers who could now afford to smoke.


Marijuana is probably about 40x more expensive than cigarettes and yet people are still smoking it. Imagine if 1/40th went to production costs/profits and the other 39/40ths went to the government. The only price drop should be to drive out the crime side of things. Otherwise, keep the price up and let the difference come back into our pockets.

Edit: Add to that benefit the millions (billions?) saved by A) not having to process small possessions/sales charges through the justice system, B) not having to deal with the more serious crimes due to dealers/growers defending their turf

By all means, keep the costs up if that is a deterrent. I don't think its use should be encouraged any more than cigarettes, but if an adult makes an educated decision to take a drug, that shouldn't generate revenue outside the tax system, and shouldn't promote criminal activity.

And I shouldn't have to pay police/lawyers/judges and the associated admin to process anything in relation to what should be a personal choice.


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## Helianthus (Oct 19, 2010)

The people here who think that smoking a little marijuana is such a terrible thing are making me giggle. I know a ton of people in well respected positions that like to toke up every now and then; doctors, lawyers, accountants, investment bankers, etc. You only get one run, and if lighting up every once and a while helps you de-stress, or enjoy life a little bit more, then go for it! 

As for public policy, I support the legalization and taxation of all banned substances. Put the tax revenue in to health care and drug education. Let adults decide what they want to put in to their bodies.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Helianthus said:


> The people here who think that smoking a little marijuana is such a terrible thing are making me giggle.


And those that need it just to feel euphoric [not speaking about medical needs] make me giggle.


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## Helianthus (Oct 19, 2010)

Toronto.gal said:


> And those that need it just to feel euphoric [not speaking about medical needs] make me giggle.


People derive pleasure from a number of different substances, whether consciously or subconsciously. Are you going to look down on people who consume coffee, chocolate, wine, etc? 

Moving on...

The only thing that I don't like with respect to marijuana is the typical methods of consumption. Smoking plant matter is detrimental to your health, and I wish that more people would consider vaporizing or incorporating in to baked goods via cannabutter. 

In the past, I have read some studies that note a correlation between chronic marijuana use and mental disorders, however, I have not seen any studies that have demonstrated causation.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Helianthus said:


> 1. Are you going to look down on people who consume coffee, chocolate, wine?
> 2. Smoking plant matter is detrimental to your health.....


1. It's not about looking down on anyone.
2. That had been my only point.

I have never smoked in my life; not cigarettes and not pot, so I think I'll just butt out!


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## Karen (Jul 24, 2010)

Today's Vancouver Sun published a letter to the editor from Dr. Pat Mcgeer, professor emeritus, UBC Faculty of Medicine. Dr. Mcgeer's specialty is neurological science - his field of expertise is dementia research. He was responding to recent news stories about several past Vancouver mayors, as well as the current mayor, arguing that marijuana should be legalized. This is what Dr. Mcgeer had to say on the subject, and I would consider his opinion more convincing than that of pot smokers who obviously have a vested interest in wanting it to be legalized:

_Young British Columbians should beware the advice of the ex- mayors of Vancouver. 

As a neuroscientist, I have never been able to understand why anybody would be so foolish as to monkey with the biochemistry of their most precious organ, their brain. 

Our laboratory first reported on the damage done to the brain by marijuana in 1972. I later had the opportunity to testify before a U. S. Congressional Committee on our findings. 

In more than 50 years of managing young scientists, I have lost only three. They believed they could plan and execute experiments while using marijuana. They could not. Marijuana had interfered with their ability to think clearly. 

Drug addiction is analogous to an infectious disease. One user seduces another. 

Vancouver has a terrible problem dealing with the wasted lives of the addicted community. But that problem should not be visited upon drug free communities in this province and across Canada. Criminals make money by addicting the foolish. 

It may be too late for the older generation, but by rejecting their advice and saying no, the younger generation could eliminate the problem. 

Patrick L. Mcgeer Vancouver _


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Toronto.gal said:


> I have never smoked in my life; not cigarettes and not pot, so I think I'll just butt out!


... Never? 

You're not curious?


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

Not curious in the least because I'm well aware that it is an unhealthy habit and also because the smell makes me ill [literally]. 

My body also has low tolerance for alcohol, so no bad habits for me, only good ones; chocolate & other.


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## KaeJS (Sep 28, 2010)

Toronto.gal said:


> so no bad habits for me, only good ones; *chocolate* & *other*.


Those are good, too.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Even if you've never smoked, you've been around people who smoke, and you know that its awful. I hate cigarettes.


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## jagger (Jan 12, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzHC3kyJ8-4

I think all drugs should be legal! We've fought this drug war for 30 years, and it's gotten us nowhere. We've corrupted entire countries like Mexico, even Bin Laden funded his organization using drug money.

The amount of crime generate by our fruitless laws is unimaginable. This is something Americans should have learned from alcohol prohibition. It didn't work then, it won't work now.


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

andrewf said:


> Even if you've never smoked, you've been around people who smoke, and you know that its awful. I hate cigarettes.


Second-hand smoke, yeah, tell me about it! 

The worst have been the waits at international airports; mama mia, Rome a few years back, was the most brutal experience when we were stuck/delayed for 10 hours.  Thank goodness for the current smoking laws we have here.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

This is where drug use often leads.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/br...toronto-road-dies-in-hospital-134736093.html/

What an inspiration to get started.


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## Helianthus (Oct 19, 2010)

the-royal-mail said:


> This is where drug use often leads.
> 
> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/br...toronto-road-dies-in-hospital-134736093.html/
> 
> What an inspiration to get started.


Very true -- many of friends have ended up shot dead in the street at the age of 23.


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