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Please refer to this first: “MA residents to vote on marijuana decriminalization”
Should marijuana be decriminalized?
November 3, 2008
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420 • Nov 20, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Before if someone was caught with posession of marijuana, they would get arrested, the arrest would go on their permanent record. This could have ruined people’s chances to get into certain colleges or get certain jobs. Decriminalization is not the same as legalization. Even though the very opinionated Bill Mahr has asked for this on almost every show he does.
This may however make people more likely to smoke because all you have to do is pay a $100 fine (if you are under 18 you also have to take a class). This is the main concern among the opposition. Every single DA in MA was against this.
Andy R • Nov 19, 2008 at 2:38 PM
I don’t have a problem with decriminalization, nor particularly with legalization but the way I see it I don’t want to live in a world where there’s a “pot smoking section” at the Villa.
And yes, it seems to be addictive and dangerous.
... • Nov 19, 2008 at 10:59 AM
its true that natural marijuana is less harmful than tobaco however, now a days, most pot is laced with more harmful chemicals. Pot also makes you stupid and lazy when you take it. at least you can be productive while smoking ciggerets. however i belive that it should be legalized because there are much worse drugs than pot.
e.1999 • Nov 12, 2008 at 12:23 PM
anon: yahoo answers is hardly a reliable source. it operates on the same principles as wikipedia and is far less regulated.
as far as you being an American for 17 years, i’m not really sure where you’re going with that. congratulations, you’re the same as everyone else on this board. there are a few people who have been around here for quite a bit longer, they’re called native americans.
anonymous • Nov 12, 2008 at 8:18 AM
Now that it has been decriminalized we will see what happens, I believe that Marijuana will somewhat be the same as alcohol and that it leads to driving when high…but thats just me
W.B. Jenkinshire • Nov 11, 2008 at 6:29 PM
Matt, I know an eighth in two sittings is a VERY liberal amount to estimate, but I would rather guess higher than guess a low amount and have somebody say, “Well, these are the facts, and you are wrong!” To anon, don’t just trust Yahoo Answers. That person could be just as wrong as you or me.
wilborrow • Nov 10, 2008 at 1:32 PM
i think it should because there are bigger problems.
anonymous • Nov 10, 2008 at 9:59 AM
to anon, although it may not be a long time tradition with the founding fathers, there is no doubt that people have been smoking marijuana for thousands of years. Scientists have concluded that pot has been smoked since 5000 bc. I think pot should not only be decriminalized, but legalized as well. There are several reasons for this. First off, legalizing pot would get rid of the gateway effect. The only reason pot is a gateway drug is because it is illegal, and people who want to smoke have to obtain it from drug dealers, who eventually lead them into trying harder drugs. Secondly, legalizing pot would greatly downsize the amount of organized crime in the united states. The main way of financing organized crime is through drug trade, and by legalizing pot, you eliminate their main source of income. This would not only lower crime rates throughout the United States, but also by putting drug smugglers out of buisness, you reduce the amount of harder drugs available on the streets, which would also diminish the idea of pot being a “gateway drug.”
Also pot is much safer than alcohol. that is a fact that cant be argued. In a country where thousands of people die each year from alcohol poisoning, i see no reason for pot to be illegal when 0 people die each year worldwide from thc overdose. Also unlike alcohol, pot does not cause people to lose motor functions and inhibition, making it much safer.
and lastly, i dont believe the government should have any say in what someone chooses to put in their body. If someone is allowed to go everyday to mcdonalds and eat 5 big macs, they they certainly should be able to smoke as they please. (and i can guarentee you in the long run 1 joint isnt nearly as bad for you as a double quarter pounder with cheese.)
Matt Kaye • Nov 10, 2008 at 9:01 AM
anon, do not hide behind anonymity. Yes, the founding fathers did smoke weed, they mixed it with tobacco for a more pleasant effect. Also, I too have been an American for 17 years. Roughly 60% of all American’s above the age of 15 have smoked weed at least once. This number is higher, because many of the baby boomer generation smoked a large amount of weed. To push this argument back on topic, many adults voted yes because of their past experiences. Besides those adults, there were also the thousands of parents with teenagers who knew that there was a chance their child might smoke pot, and voted yes to protect them. To Jenkinshire, 8 joints a week is approximately an eighth of an ounce. That is a lot of weed to smoke in two sittings alone. Also, also anti-drug commercials say don’t smoke when you need to be responsible, or when you have to drive. That is a very good lesson. The lesson is don’t smoke weed, but if you do, be responsible about it.
W.B. Jenkinshire • Nov 7, 2008 at 1:49 PM
Though some anti-drug campaigns have stated that one joint contains four times as much tar as a cigarette, let’s look at some other numbers. Someone who smokes marijuana twice a week (a very liberal number) will be smoking possibly eight joints a week. Smokers who smoke four packs (a conservative number) a week will still be inhaling more than twice as much tar. Think about what anti-drug campaigns say, think about the facts, and make the decision for yourself. Don’t mindlessly believe that whatever the government tells you is true. That leads to stuff like Nazi Germany.
anon • Nov 7, 2008 at 1:23 PM
Matt,
I googled “smoking weed founding fathers” and this came up on yahoo answers:
“They did cultivate cannabis, which they called hemp, for fiber and food, but they probably did not smoke it. Smoking cannabis in this country is a relatively new phenomenon, most likely originating with poor Mexicans and blacks around the turn of last century. It wasn’t until cannabis was criminalized in the 1930s that popular culture began to embrace what before then was essentially a poor man’s high.”
You are wrong. Pot is NOT a long cherished American tradition. I would know. I’ve been an American for 17 years.
Rex Bozworth • Nov 7, 2008 at 9:45 AM
Basically, the people the police arrest get thrown in jails, which are already overcrowded, and leads to worse people getting out sooner, just because the government needs more room. How inane.
Matt Kaye • Nov 6, 2008 at 11:07 AM
To 2009, pot is a long cherished tradition in America. Many of the founding fathers smoked weed, and it is an important part of Native American traditions. Do not assume that it was merely introduced in our parents’ generation. Pot lacks addictive chemicals, and can only become addictive if used enough in a certain situation where it becomes a mental crutch. Get your facts. The decriminalization helps rich kids because it allows them to simply pay $100 if they are over 18 and get out of trouble. Making pot decriminalized, does not legalize it. Also, pot can be obtained for various medical purposes besides chemo. For example, eye pain or depression are two common things that can earn someone a medical weed license.
WSPN Adviser • Nov 5, 2008 at 3:00 PM
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W.B. Jenkinshire • Nov 5, 2008 at 12:55 PM
I think this is an important step towards the legalization of a non-toxic and non-addictive natural substance. This act will save the Commonwealth $130 million in taxpayer money that is wasted every year on legal fees, court fees, and booking costs for “criminals” caught with a small amount of marijuana, and they are oftentimes young kids who just made a mistake. Marijuana is not addictive and less harmless than alcohol, which is legal. Some people are opposed to marijuana simply because the government says it is wrong. But has the government always been correct about what is right and wrong? What about slavery? The Japanese internment? Our country is founded on the belief that we should question our rights and limitations every day.
slapped • Nov 5, 2008 at 9:05 AM
it is the same
Mike • Nov 5, 2008 at 3:23 AM
Yes it should definitely be decriminalized and eventually legalized. The path to legalization will be a lot longer and isn’t really in sight now, but should be looked into. I could right an essay on this but I’ll leave it at that for now.
2009 • Nov 4, 2008 at 11:49 PM
Pot is MUCH more addictive than previously thought.
Tobacco is a long-cherished tradition in America, while grass is a South American import consumed mostly in the 60s and 70s and now just by teenagers and small-time criminals.
2010 • Nov 4, 2008 at 9:03 PM
Decriminalization is NOT THE SAME as legalization. It seems that people think if ballot question #2 passes, weed will be legal – not true. This shouldn’t be a debate about marijuana use itself because it will still be illegal regardless of whether the question passes.
The Dude • Nov 4, 2008 at 4:03 PM
Say what you will about the tenets of smoking pot, at least it’s an ethos…
flowery boy • Nov 4, 2008 at 2:50 PM
NO WAY JOSE
2012 • Nov 4, 2008 at 2:50 PM
truth: tobacco is worse for your body and mind than marijuana is. it is addictive – pot isn’t. i’m not saying that smoking in general is worse. no matter what you’re smoking, it will damage your lungs and your brain. but pot is not physically addictive and there are less artificial additives. one drop of pure tobacco is enough to kill a person instantly. pot – not so much.
an ounce of marijuana is all a person needs (or should have). for the most part (almost always), anyone with more than one ounce of marijuana is up to something bad, eg. dealing. if pot was sold legally, more teenagers would have brighter futures, the economy would be better, and (you know it’s true) there would be less hate crimes.
Mike Eagle • Nov 4, 2008 at 2:38 PM
Marijuana has not always been illegal, its a plant that grows in the ground, its natural. Don’t waste anti drug efforts on marijuana when they should be focused on crack cocaine, heroin and ecstasy and actual hard and dangerous drugs.
Anon/gif/ • Nov 4, 2008 at 2:36 PM
Okay, look at the sentence you said there ANON. Decriminalizing an item may not mean that it is legalized, but it certainly means that in both cases the punishment has either A) been lightened or B) been removed. Lrn2vocab. Rich people want things to stay the way they are!?!? What kind of an assumption is that? Marijuana in NO way effect the rich people. In fact it may help them. I do support making alcohol illegal, and I do support keeping all doses of marijuana illegal, that do not help a patient feel less nauseous during cancer, or other treatments that require/use chemotherapy, or heavy doses of radiation therapy. Or other ongoing illness’ that may remove pain from certain physical anguishes. Anyways, government propaganda??!?!? Dude, take a look at the statistics.
“According to statistics from the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, the younger a child starts smoking, the more addicted s/he becomes.” There is no age limit for one to use marijuana, and anyone now in Massachusetts will be able to just get some marijuana to “feel good”. Plus, how does economic health play into this, it may actually help the flow of money, but in a bad way. So please, ANON, check the facts before you spurt them out.
deisal • Nov 4, 2008 at 2:16 PM
One of the main reasons that many are against Marijuana is because of the supposed health aspect. While it is true that Marijuana is more toxic to the lungs than cigarette’s, no one smokes nearly enough weed to equal a pack of cigarette’s. If the weed is smoked through a vaporizer, then there is no damage to the lungs at all. Also, the Marijuana can be cooked in fats and eaten through many kinds of food. Decriminalizing a plant that has little bodily damage is a great idea.
ANON • Nov 4, 2008 at 1:50 PM
Anon/gif/, you are an idiot. decriminalized != legalized. marijuana being a gateway drug is government propaganda. and its only illegal for the same reasons smoking tobacco is legal- the US’s economic health, and the fact that really rich people want things to stay the way they are.
1217 • Nov 4, 2008 at 12:39 PM
I think that if you are using the "IT'S BAD!!!" argument to say that marijuana should not be decriminalized, then you might want to start working on getting other things that can be bad for your health made illegal. I guess there should be no fire, cars, alcohol, Drain-O, gasoline, Sharpies, or extreme sports allowed in the USA.
Marijuana has benefits that drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and crack do not. We are wasting time searching for people with an eighth in their pocket. Let's go after the real bad guys.
Matt Kaye • Nov 4, 2008 at 11:30 AM
I know of many arguments that have been posted. None have appeared because moderators are censoring them. Remove this debate, or allow the comments through. Censorship of a debate that has been opened defeats the purpose of the debate. Now for my point, I support the decriminalization of weed for economic reasons, not for personal reasons. The legalization of marijuana could be equated to the end of prohibition. Legalization could bring in upwards of $2 billion dollars in annual profit and taxes. Also, it is wrong for someone to have their future ruined, simply because they were in possession of a joint. Even if they did not smoke it, their future would be ruined. That is wrong and unfair. Anyone who carries over an ounce at a time is obviously selling, so the law is fair in that aspect. Decriminalize, and stop wrongful censorship.
Marshall Jane • Nov 4, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Yes it should. There are ridiculous laws and punishment for carrying a small amount of a non-lethal substance. Secondly, the processing fees, paperwork, and general effort required to arrest pot smokers is absurd. The crime of smoking pot is a victimless crime, because it is impossible to o.d. on, it does not kill unless someone does something stupid while high. The only victims are the smokers, and those who the smokers hurt. Liquor should be outlawed for the same reasons. The reason pot is illegal is because it is non-addictive,thus making it difficult to secure a recurring client base.
anon • Nov 4, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Yes.
Barbara • Nov 4, 2008 at 10:53 AM
I think that marijuana is really bad. So it should not be decriminalized.
1217 • Nov 4, 2008 at 9:37 AM
Our state is spending so much money on putting people who were caught with an eighth of ounce of marijuana in jail. It is a waste of time, and the minor drug offenders aren’t causing that much trouble. People need to understand that marijuana will still be illegal if this is passed.
RZA • Nov 4, 2008 at 8:19 AM
Marijuana is not nearly as bad for your body as alcohol or other harder drugs. It is impossible to overdose on, and many users responsibly use the drug, and enjoy its effects. Why is alcohol legal when it causes thousands and thousands of deaths every year, when marijuana causes how many? Thats right. Zero.
Anon/gif/ • Nov 4, 2008 at 8:17 AM
I do not think that Marijuana should be legalized. As everybody has learned, marijuana is a gateway drug, and it can help make illegal drugs more accessible to anybody. It is a waste of time to un ban it, and it should be against the law because it is and always has been an illegal drug.
WSPN Debate • Nov 3, 2008 at 11:10 PM
Let the debate begin!