One of the reasons it is not legal, and other harder drugs are not legal (coke, heroin, etc...) is because the C.I.A. would lose billions of dollars a year of un-traceable money to spend on clandestine affairs and weapons.

As long as these drugs are not legal and not taxed, then they can act like there is a (ahem) <<cough-cough>> "War on Drugs" going on (smoke-screened by another government office called the "D.E.A."). When actually the C.I.A. is most likely the world's largest drug dealer.

Here is one fact to ponder.

When 9-11 happened, the Taliban was in control of Afghanistan. Under Taliban controlled Afghanistan they produced 45% of the world's opium products. Opium is the prime ingredient behind the production of black market heroin, and retail morphine.

Today, according to this news article

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/11/16/opium-study.html
(8th paragraph down)

(and many more you'll find by Googling the topic)

Afghanistan now produces 93% of the world's opium products.

The white wash is that the drug trade is fueling the current Taliban insurgency. If this is true, then the pharmaceutical companies who buy natural opiates (from the Taliban) to produce morphine and other drugs are actually funding the war in Afghanistan on the Taliban side.

I have a different opinion.

Pharmaceutical companies need the raw natural resource of opium to produce morphine to treat (among other things) cancer patients. Morphine is also one of the # 1 drugs used in post-operation surgery pain treatment. The C.I.A. is perpetuating the war in Afghanistan much like it perpetuated the war in Vietnam. Many people felt the War in Vietnam was a cover for the importation of China White heroin.

You decide.

If any of this is true, then a case could be made to the effect that the C.I.A. planned the bombings of the World Trade Center and Pentagon in order to sway public opinion in such a fashion as to send U.S. troops to Afghanistan to conquer the opium fields.

Opium production for Afghanistan has increased from 45% of the world's resource, to today 93% of the world's supply of opiates. And the country, for the most part, is under U.S. military control.

So much for the war ON drugs... I think it is more properly named the war FOR drugs.

Something to think about, anyways.

As long as the black market drugs created by the opium poppy are illegal, there will be a non-designated amount of money being trafficked by any government in control of the natural resource.

Right now that government is the United States.

if it were made legal, people would just grow it for next to nothing and nobody makes any money

well these capitalists can't have that now can they

How do people in general feel about the Netherlands and Amsterdam's approach to marijuana use and distribution? I asked that a ways back but I dont think anyone responded directly or if you did and I missed it, I apologize.

Im just curious how you all feel?

In Amsterdam marijuana is legalized and it is permissible to engage in its use either in your private residence or in designated areas where marijuana is also sold to consumers.

That's a start. Although even getting that far would be a little difficult in a society that is so paranoid that it doesn't allow cigaratte smoking within 20 feet of an enclosed area.

Personally, I would be more interested in the legalities of production than in distribution that in use. Is it just another control and income mechanism for the state, or is it really true freedom? Are you allwed to grow it yourself? Are you allowed to give it away? What about co-ops? Who is allowed to sell it?

If you can answer those, I'd be interested. If not, no problem. They are mostly rhetorical questions anyway, since you just asked for opinions on the distribution and use.

Before such statements are issued they should be researched.

http://www.drugwatch.org/CEDARS/MarDeaths2002e.pdf

An excerpt:
“For 2002, there were a total of 157 death in the 31 metro areas in which marijuana was the ONLY drug reported. Two of these deaths were reported as being induced, or directly caused, by marijuana (an overdose). … There were no marijuana-only drug abuse deaths in 11 of the 31 metro areas, However, Detroit reported 39, Kansas city 32, and Philadelphia reported 16. Six other metro areas had between 7 and 9 marijuana-only deaths each. …”

There are plenty of reports of driving “under the influence” causing death and serious injury and harm. There is also an alarming number of offenders who use marijuana “first” and then combine it with other drugs or alcohol, suggesting it’s mind altering properties are as dangerous as other drugs and alcohol. Further, combining marijuana and alcohol, during pregnancy, causes severe and irreversible brain damage to the fetus. If that’s not enough, there are current studies underway about other health risks, one is that, like smoking there is a greater risk of fatal heart conditions at younger ages.

Don’t spout garbage about being a responsible user – there are none. If you use it, and condone it as a protected and unlimited freedom, then you are not being responsible to all those who would abuse it and in that abuse would harm themselves or others.

Another article – you can find many more.

http://alcoholism.about.com/b/2003/11/02/marijuana-causes-many-deaths-reported-as-accidents.htm

Marijuana Causes Many Deaths Reported as 'Accidents'
Sunday November 2, 2003
Marijuana use is much more dangerous that believed and hundreds of young people die each year in "accidents" caused by their prolonged use of the drug, according to Britain's most senior coroner.

Hamish Turner, the president of the Coroners' Society, told The Telegraph that the marijuana, often portrayed as harmless, has increasingly been the cause of deaths that have been reported as accidents or suicides.

"Cannabis is as dangerous as any other drug and people must understand that it kills," said Mr Turner. "From my long experience I can say that it is a very dangerous substance. Increasingly it is mentioned not only as the first drug taken by people who overdose, but also in suicides and accidental deaths.

"It is an awful waste of young lives. People are trying the drug at a very young age. Many go on to harder drugs and I am dealing with more and more heroin overdoses. People can also suffer severe consequences from the cannabis alone, however.

"Bereaved parents say to me, 'We didn't realise how dangerous it was until it was too late, if only we had done something'. It is heartbreaking."

Turner said that stronger varieties of cannabis are now common, leading to physical and mental problems in young people, compared to the pot that was available in the 1960s.

Source: The Telegraph. "Cannabis use causes 'hundreds of deaths a year', coroner warns" February 2003.

2 deaths attributed to marijuana...29 could have died from some odd million different combinations of things, the problem is because we are steered by the media and don't steer the media they can propagate anything within a 7 minute segment.

Fact: Marijuana use alone has only been attributed to 2 deaths proven beyond a reasonable doubt as an OD (this equates to roughly 10 times the body weight of a 150 pound male). You cannot just go and blame something because it was in someone's system at the time, I'm curious what else was wrong? Psychosis (marijuana is a slight hallocinogenic and should not be used by anyone with a pre-cursor to mental illness). As well as how much was consumed, how it was consumed and whether or not it was combined with anything else (a lot of marijuana these days is laced with opium, heroin, meth, etc.).

I researched marijuana, have been researching for the last 5-6 years...and real research not a "web" search.

Responsible use is always recommended (as with alcohol, by the way how many deaths were because of alcohol in 2002?).

Aye, wait a minute...that same article says that it is nothing more than some coroner's writing them, with no names of the coroner's or the agency that the coroner is reporting for...and quickly it says "Drug abuse death figures contain substantial elements of underreporting" it further goes on to say in so many words that what they put there "could or could not" be true. How about you do independent research, talk to an actual scientist or coroner...I've done both, multiple times, one coroner was fired because his ruling went against that of what the state said...no other than "died of acute inhalation of marijuana smoke".

Problem is there is no concrete proof that marijuana is as bad as it has the stigma of being, this leads to "underreporting" from agencies that are adamently against any drug use. In order to really turn a head with something of that nature you need sources, reference points (preferably university studies), and your own research.

Oh please, do share any on-line (credible) information you have discovered. I'm sure we will all wait impatiently.

Tell me, how does this dispute the rest of my commentary? It alters the mind - and you have learned what - if not that alcohal does the same thing. You would seek to double or triple the number of fatalities in this country by adding yet another mind alter drug into our mainstream - legally.

How much do you actually smoke?

some silly stuff in this thread. both for and against

I was checkin out a documentary about marijuana, they talked about the late 60's up until now and one thing that stood out to me was the weed they smoked back in the 60's is not the same as the weed people are smokin today..They stated that the THC levels back then was lets say around 3(fake number but just to give you a example) now that say its about 45, my point is this stuff isnt natural anymore...the dealers are putting more and more drugs on the weed, its all hybrid stuff these days...I know people who smoked when I grew up and they were nothing like the people who are heavly into it today......

As far as makin it legal, I think they should but I dont think they well cause it will drop in value,illegal drugs are big revenue for this country...Just my 2 cents

If it was legal the level of THC would be regulated by government, I think that is the most appropriate way to go about it. THC in the 60's was around 5mcg (I think) now it is up to 30mcg to 60mcg per gram (again, not entirely sure). The reason is because as science has evolved so has growing marijuana, so now it is possible to get higher concentrations of THC in one gram of marijuana.

it's cool how you can breed for characteristics

if most of the money were in rope they would breed it for strength

if most of the money were in cloth they would breed it for that

but they've been crossbreeding for potency for 50 years now and the stuff they are getting out of Humboldt Co., and Hawaii is POTENT

Millions of people use marijuana, yet only 2 deaths are directly attributed to marijuana OD. If it were legal it would save this country millions in the upwards of billions of dollars and at the same time legalize something that has never been proven without a shadow of doubt to even be lethal. I smoke about 3 joints a week, spread out between days. I smoke in my own home and do not leave once I've consumed marijuana (roughly 1 gram of marijuana consumed each night).

Responsible use is recommended, always has been always will be. Won't say I've always been a responsible user, but now that I am older I do choose responsibility over smoking loads and loads of weed. If it were legalized it would be no different than alcohol, you smoke and drive you lose.

2 deaths in only a few metropolitan areas - continued reading would associate marijuana with the death and severe injury to a great many others. The biggest problem is that marijuana is often combined with other mind altering substances and there is no way to determine the number of injuries that could be attributed to marijuana itself.

Severel here had talked about "responsible use" but marijuana is often the 'first' drug used in the combinations. If so many are combining with addictive substances - what makes you think there is any amount of responsibility?

Show me how? Where are the statistics?



It doesn't have to be lethal to the person using, it only has be lethal because it was used. Like Alcohol - the victums are not currently using.



Good for you and anyone else who can make that claim. How many do you think are not like you?



In some ways you are correct, what differnce does it make if your family member, child or loved one, gets killed by a doper or a drunk?

Of course the chances it would be someone you love who dies, would be GREATLY increased by legalizing MJ. But that's not your problem - when/if that happened you would not be responsible becasue YOU smoke responsibly.

personally, I don't use it but I say free the weed man... save the jail space, court dockets and cop beats for real criminals and hard core drug dealers...

ok Im reposting this cause I think you need to know....

A 2005 report from Professor Jeffery Miron says marijuana legalization -- replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation -- would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of at least $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like most consumer goods. If, however, marijuana were taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, it might generate as much as $6.2 billion annually.
Another report from 2006 from John Gettman PhD.shows that marijuana is the largest cash crop in the US, more than corn and wheat combined. Domestic marijuana production has an estimated value of $35.8 billion. The report states the failure of intensive eradication programs suggests that it is finally time to give serious consideration to marijuana’s legalization in the United States.
In 2005, the DEA seized a reported $1.4 billion in drug trade related assets and $477 million worth of drugs.However, according to the White House's Office of Drug Control Policy, the total value of all of the drugs sold in the U.S. is as much as $64 billion a year,making the DEA's efforts to intercept the flow of drugs into and within the U.S. less than 1% effective.

sorry for repeating myself.. but paying attention to all the posts should be considered.. not just the ones people just want to argue with...

anyone who doesnt think it should be legal doesnt know anything about, it has a ton more medical and financial upside than it being ilegal, FACTS supported by our own surgeon general! just not by ow politicians because dumb fire preachers pressure them...nuff said

I was gonna make another post to this thread...

but then I got high...


oooo oooo ooo

cause I got high.. cause I got high.. cause I got hiiiigh...

www.erowid.org

http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30

The fact is there is only 2 deaths worldwide on record where marijuana is in direct the reason for a death, 2 of 6,602,224,175 people...2.

I have a question for you Redy, what are your thoughts on alcohol?