Proof that marijuana is infinitely less harmless than alcohol? 88,000 people die from it annually in the US and that doesn't even account for deaths from accidents and other health maladies from abuse. How many people die from weed each year?? You'll be surprised by the number..
Yes, making booze is easy and so is growing cannabis. Its literally a weed and grows wild in certain parts of the world. Any idiot can easily grow a few plants in their closet or garden and I would argue its easier than making alcohol, so saying it can be banned while alcohol can't is completely disingenuous.
You're not going to be randomly attacked by homeless junkies under the influence of marijuana LMAO. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were pulling my leg. That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard and completely out of the realm of possibilities. And like I said before, weed is already available to anyone who wants it and homeless people can't even afford dispensary weed, which is crazy expensive compared to black market, so your point is moot. Legalizing it simply lets consenting, law abiding adults buy it safely and legally like they do at a liquor store. Why do you want to turn honest adults into criminals by keeping it illegal? Keeping it illegal doesn't make it go away.
ANY psychoactive substance, whether it be cannabis, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, can have harmful affects, however, the pros and cons need to be carefully weighed and the pros of legalizing cannabis far outweigh any negatives, which is why almost 70% of Americans support legalization.
It's not a social experiment. It should have happened decades ago. Canada legalized it country wide and everything is fine. We have 18 states who have legalized it, including mine, and everything is fine. If someone uses it and they have a bad reaction, then they shouldn't use it again, but we're not going to punish the vast majority for the problems of the few by keeping this plant illegal. Its as simple as that.
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joej2923 (2959)
2 years ago
You aren't from the US so you really cannot accurately comment on US drug policy, eh. You are not informed about the crime problems in the US. I've spent a lot of time in major US cities so I'm aware of the relationships between the homeless, drugs and crime. It's also important to note that homeless
people are not the only people committing crimes in the US.
Junkies addicted to drugs will still need to loot/rob/steal in order to afford drugs from dealers or dispensaries. People addicted to drugs are less likely to hold jobs so they will probably have to engage in criminal activity to get their next fix.
Canada is a much smaller country and has a different demographic mix of people. Canadians don't understand the culture of the US and are not directly impacted by US drug policies. You haven't lived here or spent enough time in the country to understand the problems of the US. I don't debate Canadian political issues and you should not be debating US drug policy, eh.
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Padeen (6459)
2 years ago
I do live in the United States, am extremely well versed on this subject, which is why I mentioned I live in a legal State...I've also spent lots of time in major US cities and recognize the relationship between homelessness, drugs and crime, however this problem has to do with hard drugs like heroin and meth, not marijuana. Please educate yourself.
I completely agree with your assertion that junkies are a plague on our society and will do whatever necessary to get their fix, but what I don't understand is why you're lumping cannabis into the mix when its not the substance that is fueling the problem.
Bullshit. Canada is a perfect model on how a Western Country can legalize and regulate cannabis, as are the 18 States here in the US, which have also legalized recreational marijuana. Stop the fear mongering.
And you never answered my question. How many people in the United States die from cannabis each year? 88,000 die from alcohol - 480,000 from cigarettes, yet looking it up, there don't really seem to be many medically documented deaths from the devil weed which you are crusading against.
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joej2923 (2959)
2 years ago
I misread your post and thought you were in Canada. Sorry about that. There is no excuse for your ignorance since you live in the US. I didn't realize that so many states had legalized marijuana. Just keep an eye out for random attacks by people hearing voices. While Politifact is not a scientific publication, they do rate as TRUE the link between marijuana and psychotic disorders.
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/mar/05/chris-kapanga/yes-marijuana-can-increase-risk-schizophrenia-and-/
Canada is a totally different country from the US with a different population that is much smaller and of a different demographic mix. You cannot compare Canada to the US. We will disagree on that issue.
Your 88K and 480K death numbers are ESTIMATES. Due to the fragmented US health care system, the US government can't accurately keep track of any health data. Annual flu deaths are ESTIMATES. I don't believe any organizational numbers since people in power get paid bonuses based on the numbers. There is a fundamental problem with determining the cause of death. It's easy to determine a cause of death from a shotgun blast to the head BUT it's harder when someone dies in their sleep. There has also been a shortage of medical coroners in the
US so many coroners are not medical professionals.
Too many people focus on DEATHS and that's not the statistic that concerns me. I'm worried about the people who go CRAZY from weed and still walk among us. People are less likely to overdose on weed so that means there is a greater chance of a crazy pothead attacking me when I'm walking down the street or riding the subway.
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Padeen (6459)
2 years ago
Yeah, 18 States have Recreational Marijuana plus the District of Columbia and 37 States have Medical Marijuana. If crazed marijuana junkies were actually a thing, we would have heard about it by now. As for the schizophrenia claim, most health experts agree cannabis doesn't cause schizophrenia outright, but it can trigger it in people who are predisposed to it, which is only around 1% of the population, so banning it for this reason doesn't make sense. Basically, marijuana use has risen exponentially over the decades, yet schizophrenia levels have stayed the same.
They are our neighbor and their populations are mostly concentrated in a handful of major cities, yet they've made legalization work. I don't see why I can't compare it. Also, look at the Netherlands, they've had cannabis "coffee shops" since the 70's where anyone of age can go in and buy it and they have very few problems associated with it. I've been to both Amsterdam and Rotterdam and they are beautiful cities!
You don't have to agree with the exact number, but my point with alcohol and tobacco is that they undoubtedly cause massive amount of deaths, while cannabis doesn't. Millions of people use it and I can't really find credible documented medical deaths. These statistics might not matter to you, but they are important.
I'm worried about the homeless population as well, especially the ones with undiagnosed psychiatric disorders, but I assure you that you're not going to be attacked by a "crazy pothead." Weed doesn't work that way. If anything, you need to watch out for meth heads. THEY are the crazy ones. Ask any cop about this.
Listen, I'm done arguing, but I have one more question. The Bill in question that the House passed was about Decriminalization, not Legalization..Can you at least get behind that? It means people won't have their lives ruined anymore by being arrested while in possession of personal amounts.
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