New: One more time - should ganja be legalized?

[Tropicana]

I say no and when I come back, I will tell you why.

[Blackstar*]

Yes

[Emperah]

Once again every plant created by de Creator has it's purpose and man have nuttin but deviousness an evilness as to why dem mek it illegal

Do you know the history of why it is illegal Tropicana?

[Tropicana]

No I don't know why it was made illegal. I'll come back later and share my full view yet again.

I thought this topic had been done to death and we had drawn a conclusion.

Blackstar, you surprise me. Normally you are a sensible smaddy who agrees with me on any and all topics.

[blugiant]

I say no and when I come back, I will tell you why.

no to legalize itt. yes to decrimalizinn itt.

ganja a natural sintinn ann laws a man made ting fe cantrol woo allow fe profit fram growinn itt

[Tropicana]

If you think it is so natural, why are you not for legalizing it? I am 100% against it but don't think people should go to jail for using it. The pushers should do jail time though.

[My Looh]

I could never understand why alcohol is legal and ganja is illegal?

Mek nuh sense at all!

[Tropicana]

IMHO, we don't need either of them. I rarely drink and when I do it is just a tiny bit.

[lonewolf]

IMHO, we don't need either of them. I rarely drink and when I do it is just a tiny bit.

NO, YOU DON'T NEED THEM. It's not a matter of need, but a matter of choice...Just because it's not your thing, you would rather see your opinion shoved down everyones throats, simply because it's something that YOU don't need?...that seems very selfish in my opinion. As an adult, I want to make my own choices. I don't need folks like you making them for me.

[j-kid]

Yep!!!!!!!!!!

[diabolical_Tanya]

I don't smoke weed. That is my personal choice, however I do think it should be legalized and taxed the same way that alcohol is.

[Tropicana]

NO, YOU DON'T NEED THEM. It's not a matter of need, but a matter of choice...Just because it's not your thing, you would rather see your opinion shoved down everyones throats, simply because it's something that YOU don't need?...that seems very selfish in my opinion. As an adult, I want to make my own choices. I don't need folks like you making them for me.

I said I don't need either of them. That is MY opinion and I am entitled to it. That's not why I oppose legalization of ganja though. I'll get into all of my reasons for opposing legalization of ganja soon.

Notice you jumped down my throat but said nothing to the male boardite who raised the point. How very sexist of you...not surprised.

[Tropicana]

FYI, this is the offical position of the White House.

Marijuana

Marijuana and other illicit drugs are addictive and unsafe especially for use by young people. As officials with the National Institute on Drug Abuse state, drug addiction is a progressive disease and the earlier one starts, the more likely are the chances of developing a substance use disorder.
Marijuana contains chemicals that can change how the brain works. And the science, though still evolving in terms of long-term consequences of marijuana use, is clear: marijuana use is associated with addiction, respiratory and mental illness, poor motor performance, and cognitive impairment, among other negative effects. This is especially troubling since research suggests one-in-11 people who ever used marijuana will become dependent on it; this risk rises to one-in-six when use begins in adolescence. In 2009, marijuana was involved in 376,000 emergency department visits nationwide.
Marijuana Prevalence

According to the 2010 Monitoring the Future study, levels of current marijuana use among 8^th, 10^th, and 12^thgraders are the highest they have been in seven years. In 2010, daily marijuana use increased significantly compared to 2009 among all three grades surveyed - among high-school seniors, daily use rose from 5.2 percent in 2009 to 6.1 percent in 2010.
Confusing messages about marijuana use that are being conveyed by proponents of “medical” marijuana perpetuate the false notion that marijuana use is harmless. These messages ignore the very real negative consequences associated with marijuana use and dependence. Given that 1 in 6 adolescents who initiate use of marijuana are at risk of developing an addiction to the drug at some time in their life, we owe it to them to make sure they understand and the people in their lives who care about them understand the real risks associated with its use.
Medical Approval Process

Marijuana itself is not an approved medicine under the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) scientific review process. Yet 16 states and the District of Columbia have permitted marijuana to be sold as “medicine” for various conditions. Although, some of the individual, orally-administered components of the cannabis plant (Dronabinol and Nabilone are two such drugs available today) have medical value, smoking marijuana is an inefficient and harmful method for delivering the constituent elements that have or may have medicinal value. The FDA process for approving medicine remains the only scientific and legally recognized procedure for bringing safe and effective medications to the American public. To date, the FDA has not found smoked marijuana to be either safe or effective medicine for any condition.
No major medical association has come out in favor of smoked marijuana for widespread medical use. Further, public health organizations including the American Cancer Society, American Glaucoma Foundation, National Pain Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and other medical societies, do not support smoked “medical” marijuana. The American Medical Association has called for more research on the subject, with the caveat that this “should not be viewed as an endorsement of state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product.”
This Administration joins major medical societies in supporting increased research into marijuana’s many components, delivered in a safe (non-smoked) manner, in the hopes that they can be available for medical professionals to legally prescribe if proven safe and effective. The U.S. Federal Government is the single largest funder of research on marijuana in the world.
Furthermore, the Administration opposes drug legalization. Legalization threatens public health by increasing availability of drugs and undermining prevention activities. It also hinders recovery efforts and poses a significant health and safety risk to all Americans, especially our youth. Marijuana is a harmful drug and its use should be prevented and treated – not promoted. Outside the context of Federally approved research, the use and distribution of marijuana is prohibited in the United States.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/marijuana

[Tropicana]

Briefly my reasons for opposing legalization are:

1. No proven medical benefits - I will post research to show that.
2. Definitely not everyone can handle it and it can trigger latent psychoses in some individuals. At UHWI, every year students end up in psychiatry after messing around with it. I have observed this personally.

3. Legalization of ganja will ensure that Jamaican tourism attracts undesirable elements. We can do without that type of tourist....is the word riff-raff too strong. Look at the experience of The Netherlands for a taste of things to come.
4. Ganja makes users really passive and lethargic...hardly what we need to build a stable and productive nation in Jamaica and healthy communities abroad.
5. Legalization of ganja in Jamaica will for sure attract organized crime elements to the island. We have enough problems of our own.
6. Legalization of ganja in Jamaica if it is not legal in the US will bring major heat on Jamaica and its citizens from the USA. Again, we have no problems we don't need it.

[Tropicana]

I'll come back to point 1 soon....

2. Marijuana triggers latent psychosis in some individuals.


This article is quite detailed and technical but it demonstrates:

The Cannabis-Psychosis Link

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/schizophrenia/content/article/10168/2017327

Here is the conclusion.

ConclusionsDespite all of the uncertainties surrounding the cannabis-psychosis link, we are left with the task of translating these results into clear recommendations for our patients. The evidence suggests that cannabis is associated with an increased risk of psychosis when it is used frequently. Whether cannabis can trigger a primary psychotic disorder that would not have otherwise occurred is unclear. However, in most individuals who use cannabis, psychosis does not develop, which suggests that the increased risk must be related to other vulnerability factors (genetics, frequency, or age of onset of cannabis misuse).
Cannabis also seems to negatively alter the clinical course of schizophrenia. While meta-analyses suggest better cognitive function among cannabis-using patients, this may be a reflection of a higher-functioning subgroup of schizophrenia patients. Accordingly, cannabis-using patients who achieve abstinence may demonstrate improved symptoms and cognitive performance.
The first step in communicating this information to our patients consists of screening for cannabis use and obtaining a thorough substance use history. Psychoeducation and early interventions for young patients who may be vulnerable to psychosis should be used, and motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy should be considered to encourage reduction and cessation of use.
There are no accepted pharmacological treatments for cannabis use disorders, yet several potential agents are under investigation. Future studies that control for both environmental and biological risk factors are needed to more clearly elucidate the mechanisms linking cannabis misuse to psychosis.