[ACE-OF-ACES]

Originally Posted by TheEditor

After reading your wall of text, I think you've went a little overboard.

Sadly your in good company.. So many today feel that taking personal responsibly for their actions is too much to ask.

Originally Posted by TheEditor

Look, the petition is for hemp which is NOT A DRUG!

I never said it was a drug..

Which begs the question as to why you brought up Amsterdam, when in fact China is the world leader in hemp production.

Originally Posted by TheEditor

I'm also for legalizing marijuana like alcohol.

That is good to hear.. But why stop with mary jane? Why not make all drugs legal?

Originally Posted by TheEditor

Marijuana is less harmful to your body and mind.

Maybe less harmful

Hard to tell say with certainty due to the fact that it is illegal it is harder to collect data on peoples habits.

But we know marijuana is harmful, only questions left is how harmful. Common since should tell you to avoid inhaling smoke of any kind.. Hence the natural instinct to cough when there is smoke.. It is something you have to learn/train your bodies natural instinct to ignore.. Most marijuana smokers consume a lot less cannabis than cigarette smokers consume tobacco, however the harmful effects of smoking marijuana should not be ignored. Marijuana contains more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke and because marijuana smokers typically inhale deeper and hold the smoke in their lungs longer than tobacco smokers, their lungs are exposed to those carcinogenic properties longer, when smoking... Scientists have found that regular marijuana smokers can experience the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers do, like frequent acute chest illnesses, increased risk of lung infections, obstructed airways. Marijuana smoke contains three times the amount of tar found in tobacco smoke and 50 percent more carcinogens, it would seem logical to deduce that there is an increased risk of lung cancer for marijuana smokers. However, researchers have not been able to definitively prove such a link because their studies have not been able to adjust for tobacco smoking and other factors that might also increase the risk. Studies linking marijuana smoking to lung cancer have also been limited by selection bias and small sample size. For example, the participants in those studies may have been too young to have developed lung cancer yet. Even though researchers have yet to "prove" a link between smoking pot and lung cancer, regular smokers may want to consider the risk.

Originally Posted by TheEditor

When the last time you have heard of someone smoking a joint and killing their wife?

Well what with todays media it would not surprise me if they filter out such events.. For example, before the SUV, when there was a car wreck, the new would report there was a car wreck.. The news didn't specify if it was a two door, four door, a station wagon, or a pickup.. But now that the media is out to get SUVs and those who drive SUVs, the media always points out it was an SUV involved in such and such even though the ascendents had nothing to do with it being a SUV

Originally Posted by TheEditor

You can't even overdose with weed!

But you can die! Within a few minutes after smoking marijuana, the heart begins beating more rapidly and the blood pressure drops. Marijuana can cause the heart beat to increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute, and can increase even more if other drugs are used at the same time.
Because of the lower blood pressure and higher heart rate, researchers found that users' risk for a heart attack is four times higher within the first hour after smoking marijuana, compared to their general risk of heart attack when not smoking.

Originally Posted by TheEditor

The other drugs don't need to be legalized imho.

Why not? I mean the same arguments made for mary jane today apply to them

Originally Posted by TheEditor

Maybe in the future governments can just decriminalize the other drugs. Portugal has been doing this for around 10 years.

I am all for that too! But as noted, none of this will work unless the government also removes the support for those who 'choose' to F-up their brains!