Insane in the membrane...
Insane in the membrane...
"I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany"
Okay, seriously... if recreational pot usage were to become as common as alcohol consumption I could see where decreases in productivity could become a consequence.Originally posted by imaplanner
(and I confess I've never heard of anyone becoming addicted to mj)
People will miss that it once meant something to be Southern or Midwestern. It doesn't mean much now, except for the climate. The question, “Where are you from?” doesn't lead to anything odd or interesting. They live somewhere near a Gap store, and what else do you need to know? - Garrison Keillor
The people that already want to smoke pot are smoking pot. In my opinion legalizing it would not result in increased consumption. If pot were to become legal I would not run to the store and pick up a pack just because it became legal.
I think an argument could be made that legalization could result in less consumption if it was taxed and regulated. The people that can't grow there own may not want to pay the cost of a pack of pot after taxes, etc. Similar to what's been happening with cigarettes.
"I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany"
Okay, I can see that somewhat. Personally I think decrease in productivity is not a big consequence. Number 1, I agree with btrage that the people who are gonna smoke are currently doing so, and 2, the people who are gonna be unproductive are likely going to be unproductive regardless of legality and probably regardless of whether they use marijuana or not. Plenty of people are unproductive without using marijuana, and I know of plenty of people who are quite productive and responsible people who use marijuana occasionally. My singer in the band I play in is a giant stoner who also runs a successful and very productive business. I don't think the effect on productivity is as big a deal as others might.
The bigger issue with productivity would be with children in school IMO. But every effort to legalize it that I am aware of would make it still illegal to people under 18 or 21.
On a personal level, I smoked quite a bit through high school and college, and I maintained nearly a 4.0 in high school and ended up with a 3.8 GPA in my major classes in college. But I was freinds with kids who definitely were unproductive in school because of it - though I am of the opinion those guys would have been losers regardless of the smoking.
Children in the back seat can cause accidents - and vice versa.
I am surprised at the comments about not thinking that many more people would smoke dope if it were legal. Keep in mind tobacco companies have salivated years over the market potential for cannibis. If it became legal and sanctioned like tobacco those companies would be spending hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising every year to broaden the markets. Many people smoking pot now kinda enjoy the outlaw lustre, but if/when it becomes legal and socially acceptable, you'll be seeing soccer moms sparking up together in the parking lot after PTA meetings.
People will miss that it once meant something to be Southern or Midwestern. It doesn't mean much now, except for the climate. The question, “Where are you from?” doesn't lead to anything odd or interesting. They live somewhere near a Gap store, and what else do you need to know? - Garrison Keillor
Marijuana is psychologically addictive. Just because stoners aren't violent doesn't mean we should conclude that smoking weed is harmless.
Reason #29 for not legalizing it: If it was legalized, an entire generation that came of age in the 60's and 70's would no longer be able to enjoy playing a game of "J. Edgar Hoover" (you know, where you sit around the table facing each other pretending J Edgar Hoover is sitting in the room and the first person to crack a stupid smile or disintegrate into hysterics loses). I mean what's the point of enjoying paranoia when there's no longer a need to be paranoid?
People will miss that it once meant something to be Southern or Midwestern. It doesn't mean much now, except for the climate. The question, “Where are you from?” doesn't lead to anything odd or interesting. They live somewhere near a Gap store, and what else do you need to know? - Garrison Keillor
It's not addictive in the same manner that alcohol, tobacco and other drugs are. Rather, its habit-forming. As far as it having problems for society, you've had multiple opportunities in this thread to come up with something but you keep just repeating plattitudes.
Children in the back seat can cause accidents - and vice versa.
I've known enough people addicted to weed to make my own conclusions on how harmful it is. These are guys that could've accomplished something with their lives but weed made them lazy and unmotivated. I don't think they would've been losers without weed, as you suspect to be the case with your acquaintences in college. Now is this a big problem for society? Probably not on the order of the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs like narcotics, but I still think it is problem nonetheless.
One thing that no one has ever been able to explain is how places like CO can legalize it, but it is still against federal law.
When compassion exceeds logic for too long, chaos will ensue. - Unknown
Personally, I don't buy the idea of blaming weed for someone's problems. Just like I don't blame alcohol for the fact that a drunk does something stupid, and i don't blame McDonalds for people who have eating disorders. These people may have been lazy and unmotivated without the weed. I'm sure it didn't help- but people who are lazy and unmotivated have only themselves to blame. Blaming the weed, or the fact that they eat too much McDonalds, or drink too much, it a cop-out IMO.
Now weed was illegal when these people became lazy and unmotivated. If it becomes legal will more people become lazy and unmotivated? That's a good question. But even if they do- there are worse things than being lazy and unmotivated, and more importantly, I could care less if someone wants to throw their life away by abusing anything. The majority of stoners I know (and I know alot - I live the the weed capital of the world, Humboldt County) are not at all lazy and unproductive.
I guess my whole point is that I don't believe marijuana use to be something that currently has a noticeable negative impact on society other than the issues that arise due to the criminality of it. There are serious issues related to the fact that it is against the law and the mafia and criminals are involved in the trade. Those are big problems for sure- but they are a cause of the prohibition, not a cause of marijuana.
Children in the back seat can cause accidents - and vice versa.
Since the only harm we can come up for the evil reefer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is anectocal,
One of the best district attorneys I ever met grew their own. Some of my close friends are chronic users, and one of them is one of the most productive teachers I know, another grows their own and has a second job as a Harley customizer. An old GF's parents were chronic, and he built literally 25-30 houses in their small town.
If we are going to go down that road, we should prohibit video games.
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Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
Medical marijuana - staff permitting objection
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