In this video, Bill Maher asks Senator Chris Dodd for a "good reason" why marijuana should be illegal. Senator Dodd says he supports some legalization.
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alcohol is the "gateway drug". how many of us first got high or whatever by being introduced to booze around fifteen years old. booze is available any time, any place, any where. as a kid growing up believe me it was soooo easy to find a "buyer". just walk up to any old store and there would always be some old drunk willing to grab a sixer for a cheap bottle of wine in return. it was pretty hard to score a nickel-bag back in the day. marijuana should be legalized. we all know tobacco causes cancer, it is a danger to the public health, but it is legal. as is booze. as always it is about revenue. how to pack and tax. the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, and firearms. i love it alcohol and firearms together. what a joke.
"marijuana should be legalized. we all know tobacco causes cancer, it is a danger to the public health, but it is legal."
RIGHT YOU ARE, kwright!
I never smoked marijuana, YET. Trying to avoid that "gate-way to other drugs". I never smoked tobacco. Trying to avoid DEATH!
Throw a kid in jail for smoking pot, and see if it DOESN'T turn his life around! Certainly PRISON TIME WON'T INCREASE his chances of scoring some of those "gate-way drugs", nor DECREASE his chances of continuing his college education!?
My NON-SMOKING sister and I (ages 58 & 57) suffer persistent coughing (smoke SECOND-HANDED DOWN to us from both our parents who smoke LEGAL TOBACCO?).
My TOBACCO smoking dad is DEAD (heart-attack at the age of 79)!
My TOBACCO smoking brother suffers persistent coughing AND had a heart-attack (13 years ago), at the age of 39 (STILL CAN'T kick the ADDICTION!).
And my son is HOPELESSLY HOOKED on LEGAL TOBACCO!
BUT...It's MARIJUANA that's SO DANGEROUS AND DETRIMENTAL TO SOCIETY, that it MUST be CRIMINALIZED!!!
YEAH...WHA
(And I will spare you all our "Let The EMBARRASSMENT Begin" ALCOHOL-related fond family memoirs!)
Stay safe, healthy and happy,
Love, Loretta
You go, Bill.
Even the nay sayer scientists of pot have admitted that marijuana has shown to have powerful antioxidant properties that protect brain cells from toxic effects of other chemicals. This effect was strong enough that the NIMH [National Institute of Mental Health] filed a patent in 1988 entitled 'Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and Neuroprotectants.
Oakley Ray, Ph.D. and Charles Ksir, Ph.D. note in their textbook Drugs, Society and Human Behavior (NY: McGraw Hill, 10th Edition, 2004):
"There have been...inc
The doses used were in the range of what a very heavy marijuana smoker might obtain, and the treatment was given to the rats every day for ninety days. It's not clear what the implications might be for human beings smoking less heavily and only occasionally. Ironically, some of the nonpsychoactive ingredients in marijuana, including cannabidiol, have been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties that protect brain cells from toxic effects of other chemicals. This effect was strong enough that the NIMH [National Institute of Mental Health] filed a patent in 1988 entitled 'Cannabinoids as Antioxidants and Neuroprote
Seeing how anything that is very heavily abused including alcohol and cigarettes, heck even food can harm your health if not kill you outright. Why should pot be viewed any different or be made illegal? It is actually far safer than alcohol and cigarettes and if you don't "smoke" it and use a vaporizer or just cook with it then it has no bad health effects whatsoever as long as your not using 24/7 which is up to the person. If someone can't be responsible with their vice then why make the rest of us suffer???
You can kill yourself with a simple overdose on water, happens every few years either from a bet or a mental condition that causes one to drink water incessantly, just FYI...
(nice study, thanks for posting it!)
Good point! Water is more dangerous than pot which has never killed anyone.
Earthlings Unite!
Why is it that republicans take the viewpoint that a person has a right to make a choice about whether or not to use tobacco and alcohol but when it comes to marijuana and drugs in general they come up with a whole new argument about health effects. And if they were so worried about health effects they would encourage less pollution and health care for amercians but they dont. Once again their hypocrisy is out there for all to see.
It's very simple, as with all reasons for Republicans doing anything: follow the money.
Republicans receive tons of $$ from tobacco and alcohol lobbyists and corporations. Marijuana, on the other hand, would appear to be a direct threat to other industries that provide $$ for politicians and corporations. I'm only basing this on what I've read, but major anti-pot legislation was enacted in the 1930s by companies like Hearst and DuPont, who were directly (financially) threatened by the prospect of a material (hemp) that could replace timber (for printing newspapers), synthetic textiles (which are all derived from PETROLEUM), etc. As for the physical effects and benefits of weed, if it was admitted that smoking it could actually help you with any physical ailment, it would hugely threaten gigantic mega-pharmaceutical companies who also lobby (read:bribe) politicians.
Also, Hearst hated Mexicans and blacks, who were the stereotyped abusers of the devil weed in the 20's and 30's. Too bad not much has changed since then, except... oh wait--Scientific research which seems to negate everything we've ever been taught about the smoke of hell.
Just follow the money. Who needs the truth when billions of dollars are at stake?
Even contiously using the Spanish word marijuana to make it seem even more evil.
Well said! Follow the money!
Republicans beleive very strongly in 'Right to Life' - that is, their Right to control your Life.
They won't let you abort your fetus; they tell you which drugs you can't use; they tell you which religions are evil; what artwork is bad; they promote murder and mayhem on TV, but a bare nipple causes panic in the ranks of the faithful..
Marijuana will never be legalized as long as there are Billions to be spent on law enforcement, whether it be local, state, federal or International.
Billions are also funneled to other countries coffers to allow the US to continue to play Pot Policemen.
Jamaica, which 80% of its population and about the same for its tourism use MJ frequently. It was going to be legalized or at least decriminalized until the US squeezed them to maintain the appearance of illegality with hundreds of millions in aid and assistance not relatede to MJ at all.
If MJ were government sposored and sold by the government and the us government got to keep all the proceeds from MJ plus taxes, it would never equal the amount of money the governments get to spend keeping it illegal.
Speaking of Jamacia, I have a friend who had a 100 year old great grandmother there. She grew her own pot and made her own rum..worke
Hmmm. try googling "I'm 120 but my joints are ok."
As well, Marijuana will never be legalized because then all of the other countries under the United Nations would have to do the same.
Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961
Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971
Convention against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988
It is high time we address this issue. Gosh,
how backwards can the US be? People think that
more people will do drugs, what nonsense to assume that. Never touched the stuff, never will but I do see the need to make it legal -
politicians make too much money off this and yes, our overpopulated prison system. People must be insane not to see the need for it.
Actually LIR, scientists have shown that Marijuana does not kill brain cells like alcohol and that marijuana actually helps create new brain cells and that THC can actually help prevent cancer due to THC killing aging cells that are more likely to mutate into cancer.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation states in their 10/13/05 article "Cannabinoids Promote Embryonic and Adult Hippocampus Neurogenesis and Produce Anxiolytic- and Antidepressant-like Effects" by Xia Zhang et al.: "We show that 1 month after chronic HU210 [high-potency cannabinoid] treatment, rats display increased newborn neurons [brain cell growth] in the hippocampal dentate gyrus [a portion of the brain] and significantly reduced measures of anxiety- and depression-like behavior. Thus, cannabinoids appear to be the only illicit drug whose capacity to produce increased hippocampal newborn neurons is positively correlated with its anxiolytic- [anxiety reducing] and antidepressant-like effects."
So truthfully there is no reason for marijuana to be illegal except the greed of Pharmaceutical companies who don't want free pain relief available to the public which would cut into their profits of prescription drugs which are far more addictive and dangerous than Marijuana and have finally begun outpacing the abuse of illegal drugs in America. As well as the Feds not wanting their money machine to stop rolling which gets millions of dollars a year from fines, court costs, and taking away peoples cars, boats and homes.
there are 3 other reasons: 1) before 911 it was the most used justification for ignoring the 4th amendment and 2) it is likely a source of undisclosed revenue for our intelligence agencies and 3) making it illegal is a price support.
"So truthfully there is no reason for marijuana to be illegal except the greed of Pharmaceutical companies who don't want free pain relief available to the public which would cut into their profits of prescription drugs which are far more addictive and dangerous than Marijuana and have finally begun outpacing the abuse of illegal drugs in America."
RIGHT YOU ARE, FloridaDrummer!
PHARMACEUTICAL Companies are our BIGGEST DRUG DEALERS ... and all "perfectly" LEGAL!?
Marijuana SAVED Montel William's LIFE!
Years ago, he sat in his closet at home with a gun to his head, because his ADDICTION to PHARMA drugs rendered him UNABLE to function MENTALLY (THIS is your BRAIN on PHARMA drugs!!!)
THANKFULLY, somewhere in the deep recesses of his PHARMA-fogged BRAIN, a thought escaped...
Now, MARIJUANA works PERFECTLY to HELP him manage his Multiple Sclerosis, and his LIFE!
Stay safe, healthy and happy,
Love, Loretta
Yeah, but the government would rather approve all of these pharm. drugs with long long lists of side effects. Some FDA APPROVED anti-depressants actually cause people to kill themselves. But we can't take a toke to lighten our spirits withour breaking the law? SAD!!!!
Add the mandatory drug testing industry.
I appreciate Bill raising the issue. These laws make criminals of decent, productive people for no justifiable reasons.
If you're in the prison business there is every reason for pot to be illegal.
the answer is that a lot of people earn their livings working in the war against pot (and other drugs).. This includes lawyers and jailmakers (Halliburton probably) and jailers and cops. And the drug and liquor lobby people. And the people in the Partnership for a Drug Free America. So yes, the answer is .. it is about money. It's ludicrous that we can't grow our own damn weeds and stick 'em our ears if we want to! It wasn't made illegal until the thirties..
Yes, LIR, you're right. Too bad pot isn't like tobacco or alcohol, which has no health risks whatsoever.
right, and too bad it isn't safely manufactured by some Pharmaceutical giant so we would know it's safe, like Vioxx and Zelnorm and Phen-Fen and all the innoculations with Thimerisol Mercury poisoning (including your annual Flu shot and all those shots we gave our babies)
Bill, I know you are purveyor of weed...fin
Alcohol kills the brain cells, sheeeeesh.
Alcohol only kills the slow, weak brain cells. It's like natural selection.
Actually alcohol does not kill brain cells(with the possible exception of developing babies).
This is one of those widely believed bits of 'Common knowledge' that isn't actually true.
However there is some evidence that alcohol damages the means by which cells communicate within the brain.
When's the last time someone got high and killed someone or robbed a bank?
.
Pot causes communication between brain cells to slow down, leading to imparied cognitive function and amotivational syndrome. Pot has been conclusively linked to emphysema and chronic bronchitis (but not to cancer.)
Is is less harmful than tobacco and alcohol? I'd have to say yes. Is it a harmless drug? Hell no--there's no such thing.
Keeping medical marijuana from those who would benefit is just plain evil. Keeping pot criminalized inflates the price, enriches drug traffickers, and leaves users vulnerable to all kinds of chemicals like herbicides and fertilizers. And putting someone like Tommy Chong in prison for selling bongs (which cool and filter the smoke) is just plain ridiculous.
Those who revel in jailing millions of Americans for possession are most likely reacting to a cultural divide--they hate hippies, or they associate pot with minorities. But those who advocate its use and do silly things like calling it "that most spiritual of plants" are little better.
In an ideal world, it should be legal, IMO, and no one should need to smoke it. In the real world, IMO, it should be decriminalized and its abuse fought as a mental health problem.
http://www
It's no worse than a drug that kills over 100,000 people a year, breaks up families, and ruins lives.
I'm sold!
Start selling it to my kids in the corner stores. After all, we've done so well policing the sale of other things to minors. 6 isn't too young to start is it? Too old? Sorry, I'm new to this everything should be legal be 'it doesn't hurt me, therefore it hurts no one' mentality.
actually it kills brain cells and other cells that are damaged and the kind that cause cancer, so i beg to differ there. it also helps with alzheimers.
try again...
Just keep believing everything you read.
Nope - latest studies show no carcinogenic effects
The study that supports this contention shows a VERY week correlation between the two, a correlation that is NOT causation, since self medication is a big factor in pot use. In many other studies no connection has been found at all.
chiefsjen
actually it kills brain cells and other cells that are damaged and the kind that cause cancer, so i beg to differ there
I couldn't agree more. Since it may in some minute way be harmful, they should lock potheads up by the bussload in overcrowded prisons full of murderers and rapists.
Oh, they already aredoing that?
Nevermind.
( . )
Does this pronouncement come from such detailed research as watching the frying egg brain commercials?
Did you know that Partnership For a Drug Free America is largely funded by drug, alcohol, and tobacco companies who don't want the competition?
Did you know that most of the 'facts' that are flung around in public discussion about marijuana are complete BS?
This is America. You always have to ask where the profit is in any discussion.
Exactly right.
PFDA is a front organization for the 'other' drugs that funnel money through lobbyists to your elected representatives.
This might still be called America, but it is no longer the 'land of the free'. And forget the malarkey about 'life, liberty and pursuit of happiness'.
Mr Dodd you are suppose to stand up for we the citizens constitutional rights not negotiate our rights.
Coming to together is such an old line or working together, give me a brake.
Would you please say something direct as apposed to the never ending political dance.
Separate yourselves by your ideas not your pussy pre-canned responses.
Lets hear what you really think for a change?
If you think at all or are just spineless and reach for a can.
That's right LIR. It would be a shame for those dieing of cancer to do anything that would endanger their brain cells...
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First Posted: 09-13-07 09:42 AM | Updated: 03-28-08 02:45 AM