Taking harmful drugs such as marijuana does not make sense - whether legal or otherwise.

People ought to exercise their intelligence and their conscience - their sense of knowing right from wrong, and never come near such harmful substances.

But alas, the above is prevented by law: when good and wise people automatically avoid a bad substance for fear of the police, they lose the opportunity to instead exercise their intelligence and good sense and allow them to shine.

A more serious reason to decriminalise the usage of bad drugs, is that one can never tell what a future government might consider, and subsequently prohibit, as "bad drug". Recall that someone in power already once declared that "religion is the opium of the people" - today it's marijuana, so who really cares for those fools who use it, but tomorrow it might be anything, including things that could be very very dear to you.

Religion?
Sports?
Music?
Bush-walks?
Pre-marital sex?
Ice-cream and cakes?
Women driving?

You name it - it begins with marijuana, but you never know where it will end!

Yuyutsu,

You should stop thinking Yuyutsu, your not good at it!

Dear Dan,

«You should stop thinking Yuyutsu»

Thank you, I am trying, but it is not easy - as I meditate, thoughts keep creeping in, so it's a struggle and a very long and arduous road: please wish me success!

certainly not an expert however the only time I tried marijuana many decades ago it did little to me. The guy who gave it to me who was only about 17 and a regular user. He became schizo and then killed himself. I don't know what comes first but having that in my mind I have met many suffering from schizophrenia who were dope smokers. I doubt whether you would get any honest answers over those wanting their own personal use even though the wider society is affected.

Alan B,

<<Marijuana doesn't cause the psychosis ttbn, just amplifies what is already there. And just missing but essential brain chemistry.>>

That’s not what the research indicates. In my view, we should not be advocating the legalisation of marijuana for these reasons:

(a) We do not need another means of sucking smoke into the lungs with the potential for more cases of lung cancer. Of course I know that smoking marijuana is not the only means of it entering the human system.

(b) The research shows its devastating impact on those who smoke joints of marijuana or consume it in other ways:

1. One cigarette impairs short term memory for at least six weeks. (Dr's. R. Schwartz, Gruenewald, M Klitzner et al "Memory Impairment in cannabis dependent Adolescents." 1989 Georgetown University)

2. Twenty four hours after one cigarette, experienced pilots performed severely impaired simulator landings. (Dr. J. Yesavage et al Stanford University 1985 & 1991)

3. There was a 600% increase in the incidence of schizophrenia in conscripts who had used 50 cannabis cigarettes or more in their lifetime. (Longitudinal Study at Karolinska Institute in Sweden - study over 15 years with approx 55000 conscripts -Andreasson, Allerbeck Engstrom et al -The Lancet - 1987).

4. There was a 500% increase in the overall incidence of major mental illness in conscripts who were users. (Same study reported in "Schizophrenia in Users and Non users of Cannabis" - 1989)

5. *Decreased empathy (perception of others problems)
*Impaired perception of past, present and future.
*Difficulty with information processing.
*Difficulty with sequential dialogue.
*Apathy, poor judgement, lack of self care, the so called, "Amotivational Syndrome" (Goodman & Gillman - 'The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics' 8th Ed. 1991)

6. Four times the cancer causing potential of tobacco cigarettes. Cancers of the mouth never seen in the young, found in young users. (P.J. Donald - "Marijuana Smoking - Possible Causes of head and neck carcinoma I Young Patients." - Otolaryngology Head and neck Surgery 1986 University of California.)

(continued)

Alan B,

The bad news regarding marijuana intake continues:

7. Depression of Immune system at both humoural [relating to a type of immunity caused by free antibodies circulating in the blood - Collins Dictionary] and cell immunity levels. (H. Friedman et al Florida University - 1985 1st International Symposium Paris 1990)

8. Decreased fertility in males and females (Hambree et al and Mendelson et al respectively). Impotence in males.

9. 1100% increase in the incidence of leukaemia in the offspring of mothers who used while pregnant. (Professor Neglia et al Minnesota University - reported 1990)

10. Marijuana is a drug of addiction with a recognised withdrawal syndrome (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychiatry 3rd Edition)

11. Marijuana & THC accumulate in fatty tissues and they are still detectable 3 months after abstinence. (Cohen S 1986. Marijuana Research: Selected Recent Findings, Drug and Alcohol Abuse Newsletter Vol 15 (1):1-3. & Journal of Psychoactive drugs Vol 19 (2): ii.)

12. DNA metabolism is inhibited thus interfering with cell function and replication. (B. Desoise et al - "In Vivo Inhibition of Entrocyte Metabolism byTHC." 1986 - University of Champagne)

13. Marijuana use has been scientifically linked to the dramatic increase in drug induced schizophrenoform illness and the associated increase in teenage suicide rates (Same study - Karolinska Institute Sweden - 86 references which are available on request)

14. Dr Carlton Turner of the University of Mississippi has developed a data base of more than 10,000 scientific papers on marijuana - none gives marijuana a clean bill of health.

The libertarian advocacy of legalisation of marijuana will receive lots of resistance by me - based on the research.

If we want zonked, demotivated, lethargic people, get them to ingest lots of marijuana. And to make it look legit, get the feds to legalise it through legislation.

It's a pathway to destruction for youth and others.