Thus Spake the Potheads:

[Thunder_Snus]

I'm on the fence with this one. I once smoked daily, but only at the end of the day. Sure, I did my share of wake and bakes, but I didn't have a family at that time nor did I have to work that day. I could never be functional if I smoked all day. At least I know my productivity wouldn't even come close to what I can do now but I wouldn't act retarded all day. I'd probably sleep a lot.

I'd like to see it legal for the lifetime of persecution many have endured due to the current legality of it. On the other hand, I truly believe that more people will use it and the ones that do now, will use more. I also think that there is a portion of the population that won't be able to handle it. Y'know what I mean...the level of responsibility will likely drop a little. For that reason, and that reason alone I am on the fence. The problem with the people that can't handle it is that it would result in a more inconvenient life for the rest of the population. I know stoners don't drive fast but some people do some pretty dumb shit anyhow, let alone pot adding to the equation. Sure, it's a hell of a lot less detrimental to coordination than alcohol is but i think it's a numbers game with the population nonetheless.

I did go to work high once. once. I worked at a Friendly's restaurant and it was after hours. I, along with two friends worked 3rd shift cleaning the grills, hoods, floors, etc. After our first section was cleaned we went outside and burned a fat one. Dude...we ate everything. I'm talking giant-ass sundaes, fries, deep fired chocolate candy, bagels, you name it. It was a freakin restaurant. We managed to clean up the whole place well but then we made a bunch of sundaes and brought them to the radio station that ended up being our personal jukebox for the night. All in all, it was a fantastic night and we got the job done but it was clear that we used poor judgement. We stole from the restaurant and the potential safety accidents that could have happened were inexcusable. I don't think that we would have done those things sober. Did anyone get hurt? No, but it was wrong and I never did it again because I was ashamed at what I had done. I was 17 at the time.

Now I work in a DOT facility so unless I get a card it's pretty much off the table.

Also, just because it's legal doesn't mean that every employer will accept it. It might make a career challenging for some. It will complicate the lives of the irresponsible and possibly those they come in contact with. I also think that it will simplify the lives of the responsible. It will bring standardization, consistency, and more safety.

The prices listed in the articles about CO are a little north of ridiculous though. One can still buy a Z of great stuff for 30% less than the Z prices listed BEFORE taxes are added. AND I am in a more expensive state to live in (MA...I don't have the data to back this up, but from my visit to CO it's just a feeling I have. Maybe Boston and Denver might be comparable but the rest of the state not so much.)

I completely agree. I have met several highly functional daily users and a decent amount of people who just can't do it. I've seen people smoke go to class get homework done do some research for a paper not do for months and live a totally normal life. Others seem to smoke and it makes doing nothing feel ok and its like their whole life just wastes away by doing pure nothingness. I remember as a drunk stupid shithead 13 year old i tried it once. Can't really remember it at all because i was pretty messed up from alcohol. I'm willing to admit to myself that I have an extremely addictive personality. The second i tried dip i couldn't get enough of it. I played a game of madden for the first time and couldn't put it down until I reached the #1 world ranking spot (3 years later.) I have tweaked and finessed and redeveloped strategies for civ4 for sleepless weekends at a time. I've seen myself buy a pony keg of heineken and refuse to ever stop drinking from it until it was gone. I believe pot lobbyists are right this stuff should be legal in ever sense of the law but just like with alcohol and tobacco people need to decide if this is something they want to try at the risk of becoming addicted to (blah blah weed isnt addictive blah blah, you can still develop a mental dependency on it.) For me I already have enough, I have a tobacco habit that I will never be able to give up, i struggle to keep myself from starting to play a game knowing i will start spending 12 hour sessions on it, and i completely avoid buying alcohol unless I am at a bar for German club for 1 hour a week knowing i will just keep drinking, adding weed into my life is just not a good fit no matter the outcome. Maybe if i can ever outgrow my dependency and addiction to other things down the road maybe i could give it a try though.

[WickedKitchen]

I'm on the fence with this one. I once smoked daily, but only at the end of the day. Sure, I did my share of wake and bakes, but I didn't have a family at that time nor did I have to work that day. I could never be functional if I smoked all day. At least I know my productivity wouldn't even come close to what I can do now but I wouldn't act retarded all day. I'd probably sleep a lot.

I'd like to see it legal for the lifetime of persecution many have endured due to the current legality of it. On the other hand, I truly believe that more people will use it and the ones that do now, will use more. I also think that there is a portion of the population that won't be able to handle it. Y'know what I mean...the level of responsibility will likely drop a little. For that reason, and that reason alone I am on the fence. The problem with the people that can't handle it is that it would result in a more inconvenient life for the rest of the population. I know stoners don't drive fast but some people do some pretty dumb shit anyhow, let alone pot adding to the equation. Sure, it's a hell of a lot less detrimental to coordination than alcohol is but i think it's a numbers game with the population nonetheless.

I did go to work high once. once. I worked at a Friendly's restaurant and it was after hours. I, along with two friends worked 3rd shift cleaning the grills, hoods, floors, etc. After our first section was cleaned we went outside and burned a fat one. Dude...we ate everything. I'm talking giant-ass sundaes, fries, deep fired chocolate candy, bagels, you name it. It was a freakin restaurant. We managed to clean up the whole place well but then we made a bunch of sundaes and brought them to the radio station that ended up being our personal jukebox for the night. All in all, it was a fantastic night and we got the job done but it was clear that we used poor judgement. We stole from the restaurant and the potential safety accidents that could have happened were inexcusable. I don't think that we would have done those things sober. Did anyone get hurt? No, but it was wrong and I never did it again because I was ashamed at what I had done. I was 17 at the time.

Now I work in a DOT facility so unless I get a card it's pretty much off the table.

Also, just because it's legal doesn't mean that every employer will accept it. It might make a career challenging for some. It will complicate the lives of the irresponsible and possibly those they come in contact with. I also think that it will simplify the lives of the responsible. It will bring standardization, consistency, and more safety.

The prices listed in the articles about CO are a little north of ridiculous though. One can still buy a Z of great stuff for 30% less than the Z prices listed BEFORE taxes are added. AND I am in a more expensive state to live in (MA...I don't have the data to back this up, but from my visit to CO it's just a feeling I have. Maybe Boston and Denver might be comparable but the rest of the state not so much.)

[Frosted]

Whether a drinker gets angry, destructive etc. Is down to genetics and/or mental state. Personally I'm a sleepy passive drunk.
On marijuana I'm paranoid and extremely uncomfortable.
I only drink about once a week and can't drink mire than this due to lack of a hangover tolerance. Same would be with marijuana...I get a hangover with that too.
Drink is not all bad and most use it to beneficial effects... For me it's enforced relaxation and a bit of relief.

[BadAxe]

What about one's physical and mental tolerance to either alcohol or MJ? My pothead friends smoke all day long and you cannot not even tell most of them are stoned. I sometimes wonder since they have been high for so many years if they actually get stoned? or if it is just all psychological at this point.

Alcoholics are pretty easy to spot and tweakers seem to blend in best on Wall Street not sitting in a quiet office.

I still get high, but because its so regular, you learn how to operate normally while high, but yes, still get high, just a functional high.

[truthwolf1]

What about one's physical and mental tolerance to either alcohol or MJ? My pothead friends smoke all day long and you cannot not even tell most of them are stoned. I sometimes wonder since they have been high for so many years if they actually get stoned? or if it is just all psychological at this point.

Alcoholics are pretty easy to spot and tweakers seem to blend in best on Wall Street not sitting in a quiet office.

[BadAxe]

I think people should be able to do whatever they like. I think pot is bad for teenagers and young adults. The downside to legalization is that the numbers of "pothead" teens will increase. This is a crucial time in a person's development. The brain is not fully developed at this point, and pot may cause problems in the future if abused. As adults, we have responsibilities, and it's not very common for people to destroy their lives as adults because of pot smoking.

While I mostly agree with this (based on logic), I do have to say that the brain development part is just not yet known at this time snce very little official studying can or has been done on it because of its illegal status. ANd there are certain studies out there that claim MJ actually aids in brain function, so while i agree that its not a great idea for the youth to plunge in, I can say that the effects of it are not yet truly known. I also disagree that legality will result in more teen potheads. It will not be legal for teens. And its as easy for a teen to get now as it will be if legal. The legality answer remains the same, The issue of legality rarely plays a part in someone trying or not trying drugs. If a teen wants pot now, he calls his friends and gets some. So it being legal will not provide any more opportunity for teens than they have now. Prices will also not drop, as the industry is already adopting street prices as the basis for their prices. So I don't see it being any more available to teens as it already is.

But I guess we will shortly see, as i do not see MJ remaining federally illegal too much longer. Don't think this train is gonna stop now (at least I hope it does not).

[JudasPriest]

I think people should be able to do whatever they like. I think pot is bad for teenagers and young adults. The downside to legalization is that the numbers of "pothead" teens will increase. This is a crucial time in a person's development. The brain is not fully developed at this point, and pot may cause problems in the future if abused. As adults, we have responsibilities, and it's not very common for people to destroy their lives as adults because of pot smoking.

It is very easy to smoke pot as soon as you wake up, and then continue throughout the day stoned. Once you develop a chronic habit, you don't get completely wasted, allowing you to be high all the time without impairing your functioning. There are not a lot of teens (or adults) that wake up to a few shots of vodka to start the day. The ones that do wind up in rehab. The potheads continue because there are no consequences. If you are doing this in high school and college...I don't think it's very good. You now have a "hobby" that doesn't enhance your well being in any way.

Unlike alcohol, no one smokes pot just to get buzzed. You smoke it and get pretty wasted. You can drink a few glasses of wine or beer and get slightly buzzed which hardly compares to being stoned. Alcohol is only more harmful when you drink way too much. If one beer got people wasted, then there would be a comparison to be made.

It's also much easier to become a chronic pothead than an alcoholic. It's rare that a person gets to the point where they are drinking all days long. Alcohol is generally saved for after work, in the evening. Pot is smoked from morning until night, and it's much easier to go from a casual smoker to one that likes to start the day with a bong hit.

[pouchface]

Just plain silly. He left written records on every crop of everything that he grew there. I guess tobacco is too evil to mention.

Clearly the anti-pot "Thinker" author can't operate a search engine.....
http://classroom.monticello.org/kids...ation-Economy/

Tobacco was Monticello’s first cash crop. Many slaves were needed to grow and harvest tobacco. They planted, weeded, topped, and cut the tobacco. Then they hung the leaves in a barn. When the leaves were cured, they were packed into barrels called hogsheads. The hogsheads were rolled to the Rivanna River. Boats took the barrels to Richmond.

Also, for your continued reading diversion....
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...6103332AA8R3Zn

"Two of my favorite things are sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe of sweet hemp, and playing my Hohner harmonica." -Abraham Lincoln, U.S. President, from a letter written by Lincoln during his presidency to the head of the Hohner Harmonica Company in Germany

[wa3zrm]

This puts the lie to the alcohol/pot comparison. There are millions of casual drinkers who may have a beer or glass of wine with dinner but have no intention of getting tipsy. Except, however, for the few who use pot for legitimate medical purposes (and I'm dubious about the necessity of this, mind you), the goal of a marijuana smoker is ever and always to get high (drunk). The intention is always to alter his mental state.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...

I don't believe in smoking it... bad for your health. It's good to eat though... lots of fiber... keeps you regular

[Andy105]

I lived about a mile away from Jefferson's house "Monticelo" for a year and when you go take the tour they just say he grew "crops" in this and that field. When people ask if he grew tobacco (typical for that part of virginia fields) They say they don't know what he used the fields for. But they can tell you that this and that famous guy from the time shit in this and that toilet in the house.

Just plain silly. He left written records on every crop of everything that he grew there. I guess tobacco is too evil to mention.

[Thunder_Snus]

Jefferson and George Washington both grew hemp, and ran stills to make whiskey on their property. We sure have lost a lot of freedoms since then.

I lived about a mile away from Jefferson's house "Monticelo" for a year and when you go take the tour they just say he grew "crops" in this and that field. When people ask if he grew tobacco (typical for that part of virginia fields) They say they don't know what he used the fields for. But they can tell you that this and that famous guy from the time shit in this and that toilet in the house.

[Andy105]

Jefferson and George Washington both grew hemp, and ran stills to make whiskey on their property. We sure have lost a lot of freedoms since then.

[BadAxe]

Total difference in the drunk high and the MJ high. And I do not mean one is more right than the other, just completely different. I live most of my life high (not defending or saying its right or wrong) but I can function high and at pretty normal levels. I maintain a good career, and good family life, and do not have many regrets. I could not do that drunk all the time, so there is good reason to partake in a drink or 2 but not get drunk. I can do a dab of oil and go to work (I do not do that, but I could) and I would function normally all day long.

So again, not defending the MJ high, just debating the author of the article that compares it 100% to alcohol. To me, he has no credibility. He was lazy. (ha, look at that, he didn't even need pot to be lazy, take a shortcut, and write a horrible article. Maybe he was drunk.

[lxskllr]

From the last paragraph...

Wherever you stand on pot legalization, about legitimization there should be no debate. A nation that does not maintain stringent social prohibitions (in the least) against chemical dependency will not likely remain strong. Thus, we always must be able to unabashedly say: if you're using marijuana habitually, face it, you're a pothead. You're self-medicating. You're chemically dependent. You have a problem. And drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

This is true whether it's by bottle or bong.

Moralizing ****. I'd like to analyze his life to see what drugs and indulgences he partakes in, but don't care enough about him to dig up the data. Instead of filling the web with tripe, he should reacquaint himself with what this country's really about...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

[Thunder_Snus]

I go to the gym to alter my mental state. I sit in a sauna to alter my mental state. I sleep to alter my mental state. I can go to a psychologist to see if i suffer from depression/anxiety/a.d.d and several other things so i can get pills to alter my mental state. Almost everything you do is to ultimately alter your mental state. I think a big thing people who are for pot legalization are pushing for is that tobacco and alcohol are legal and those kill thousands and up to millions every year while marijuana has not killed anyone. I've never looked into the actual health benefits of marijuana....i know it inhibits cancer growth to existing tumors, but you can call it whatever you want. Why was marijuana banned? It was really just to shutdown a cheaper alternative to existing products paper/cloth etc. Why is gay marriage (mostly) banned. Because a bunch of people are "offended" by it. When you break it down all that happens when you allow gay marriage is that 2 people get a small tax break every year. Sure the significance of it is to solidify a bond in a traditional ceremonial way and some how our government will not allow it because some people get mad because its not in the bible while we live in a country that was founded mostly so that people could gain religious freedom. I think a fine line noone can seem to decipher is that just because you are not gay does not mean you need to be opposed to gay marriage. The poor excuse that these people are always checking you out is terrible. Just like you don't find every woman attractive gay men don't find all men attractive and try to have sex with them. Unless we want to end up like greece or north korea we had better get our shit together here.