WN: Marijuana vending machines open in California - London Telegraph

[Guest yod]

And those are all better excuses for legalization, yes!

I'm not "trashing God's gift"

I thought we were was speaking about legality suddenly making this (or any other) substance "OK". I realize that it is now socially acceptable in the public squares of some places but then again...so is abortion.

Like casinos sprouting up in States where gambling was illegal forever...and doesn't every State have a lottery nowadays? Did they sell it to the public as "hep us fix edjakation" in your state? How is that working out for ya?

The real reason marijiuana will be legalized is money and crooked lawyers. Lots of both.

But no matter what the "gift" might be to use this substance it is still illegal at this time in most states. Where is the contradiction? Oregon/California...vs....the rest of the USA?

Just because something is legal does not necessarily make it "right" and the reverse is also true in a lot of cases as well, don't you think?

[sweetycakes]

I personally would have no problem with it being used as a purely medical treatment. But only if it is prescribed by a doctor.

After all, it is a plant, and most of our medications come from plants.

I do, however, object to it being used for recreational use. It's no use people saying 'It doesn't do any harm'. It does.

I know personally two people who have had their lives ruined by it. One is in a mental health hospital. The other one needs to be in one.

[Guest]

California's first marijuana vending machines open today. The machines can be used by patients who are prescribed marijuana for health reasons.

http://www.worthynews.com/news/telegraph-c...-site-5-page-0/

After looking over the other posts on this thread, I figured I'd go ahead and step on the landmine.

First of all, I'm writing this as someone who did drugs for quite a few years. Yes, I smoked "wacky tobaccy." It didn't do that much for me, except that I didn't have the same hangover as with alcohol. Drugs were great fun -- right up until I "crashed and burned" and had to go to a homeless shelter and ask for a bed.

Mary Jane "for medical use?" I don't know. I guess if the stuff will cut down on the nasty side-effects of chemotherapy, or decrease the suffering on someone with a terminal disease I could see it. Morphine is used in the case of terminal cancer in some cases, and that's under a doctor's supervision.

As a recreational drug -- NO.

I know too many people over the years who wasted years of their lives because they started using pot when they were kids. One man I met at a recovery meeting said something that was a little scary. He said he started smoking pot at 13, and had been clean for just over a year at the time. He said he spent half his life stoned and didn't remember much of those years, that it was like waking up from a dream and discovering that half your life (at that point) was gone.

I felt pretty much the same way after my trip through drug addiction. Jesus set me free of it, but there's about 2 years of my life that I really don't remember all that well. I still think of much of the "debate" about the legalization of pot will probably lead to legalizing others too, eventually. I'll stay away from the stuff in the mean time. I like having a clear head. As far as "big brother" laws about drugs go, I think they are still needed -- even if people are going to do drugs anyway.

[nebula]

No. Have you?

Yes I have. When I was younger. Thats probably true of most people. I was never that big on it because I never smoked and its rough on your lungs. However, in so far as drugs go, tobacco and alcohol included, pot is not that addictive and I have certainly never heard of anyone getting depressed from it. After all, Willie Nelson seems like a pretty good natured guy.

My thing is that who am I, or you, or anyone to tell another adult what they can do to their own body.

First of all, forrest, I spoke of marijuana addiction.

Just as a glass of red wine a day can actually have some health benefits, so can marijuana have some health benefits to those with certain conditions. Just as some people can have an occasional drink and not be affected, so it can with marijuana. But just like alcohol, marijuana can become an addiction, and when it does then it becomes dangerous.

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Marijuana abuse includes the 31 symptoms listed below:

* Symptoms of the "high" from marijuana:

o Pleasurable sensations

o Feeling "stoned"

o Relaxation

o Distorted perception

o Vivid sights

o Vivid sounds

o Dry mouth

o Dry eyes

o Hunger - commonly called the "munchies"

o Thirst

o Increased laughing

o Clumsiness

o Poor coordination

o Poor driving

o Unawareness of time passage

* Other possible symptoms that may occur (especially with excessive doses) include:

o Anxiety

o Fear of dying

o Panic

o Panic attack

o Psychosis

o Hallucinations

o Paranoia

o Confusion

o Vomiting

o Red eyes

* Symptoms of long-term use:

o Cannabis dependence

o Psychological dependence

o Apathy

Note that Marijuana abuse symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Marijuana abuse signs may refer to those signs only noticable by a doctor.

Source

Note the parts I bolded. Do you think that these symptoms aren't dangerous or damaging?

The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), a system for monitoring the health impact of drugs, estimated that, in 2001, marijuana was a contributing factor in more than 110,000 emergency department (ED) visits in the United States, with about 15 percent of the patients between the ages of 12 and 17, and almost two-thirds male.

Source

[buckthesystem]

Marijuana from a medical point of view is supposed to be pretty effective in reducing nausea and some the side effects of chemotherapy for cancer patients.

To take it a step further though, why is it anyone's business whether or not an adult chooses to smoke pot?

I gotta agree with your first statement, it is also pretty effective for pain relief.

As for your second (question, rather) the answer is simple: It is in the government's (all governments I guess) interest to dictate the terms of marijuana use because it is very lucrative for the government to control the growing and distribution. And they must make a fortune in "fines" from it. Plus there's the rush that having the power over people that this provides, for "law enforcement officers".

I can't really comment on the situation in the US, but here the situation is amazing. My friend has lived with her husband on the proceeds of his marijuana crop for 20 years. According to her "the police will look the other way as long as he continues to pay taxes on the crop". Her husband puts his occupation on all "official forms" as "Market Gardener".

So it's all about money, and greed of course, as well as a few power trips.

[Ddavid from NC]

Marijuana from a medical point of view is supposed to be pretty effective in reducing nausea and some the side effects of chemotherapy for cancer patients.

To take it a step further though, why is it anyone's business whether or not an adult chooses to smoke pot?

I gotta agree with your first statement, it is also pretty effective for pain relief.

As for your second (question, rather) the answer is simple: It is in the government's (all governments I guess) interest to dictate the terms of marijuana use because it is very lucrative for the government to control the growing and distribution. And they must make a fortune in "fines" from it. Plus there's the rush that having the power over people that this provides, for "law enforcement officers".

I can't really comment on the situation in the US, but here the situation is amazing. My friend has lived with her husband on the proceeds of his marijuana crop for 20 years. According to her "the police will look the other way as long as he continues to pay taxes on the crop". Her husband puts his occupation on all "official forms" as "Market Gardener".

So it's all about money, and greed of course, as well as a few power trips.

I feel like reading "High" magazine here. I hope you not a proponnent of something illegal here, self-destructive, pathway drug, call weed. As far as it being no one business but yours, that worldly philosophy. Our lives are not our own. Value your testimony if you are a Christian. This is not a matter of conscience, it is illegal. Even the culture labels users "potheads".

[JustinM]

I'm apalled at how many people are willing to accept marijuana addiction as no big thing. A worthless, apathetic pothead is a societal problem and it is in society's best interests to address. There's a group of people called the working middle class, the backbone of this nation. If everyone was stoned all the time from one drug or another, our productivity would decrease. Not to mention all the financial problems that come with medical treatment and social programs for the worthless amongst us already, we cannot afford to allow our society to self destruct. Why do we feel it is so important to intervene when someone is about to commit suicide, but will stand idly by while that same person lives a self destructive life that will have the same end result.

Marijuana is a leisure activity, pursued by the unmotivated. We have enough problems with drunk drivers on the road, sure let's just give more people more access to more intoxicating substances, great!!!

Our strength comes from our respect for the rule of law, our health and our virtues. Most of us value life more than anything else in the world and we highly appreciate hard work. Our laws have made our society more just and fair than any other nation in the world.

We are a free nation, with that comes a world view that all bondage is wrong and we should all be completely free. So, why in the world would we allow our country to become even more enslaved to toxic substances? Why would we enslave our children to drug addiction?

Somewhere, we all forgot what freedom means.

I know what it doesn't mean. I definitely doesn't mean we should have the liberty to become addicted to drugs, it certainly doesn't mean we can live deplorable, risky and unhealthy lifestyles.

The only "drug" that God allowed us to consume was the fruit from the tree of life. When He establishes His kingdom, here again on earth, we will once again feed off that tree of life.

Since the fall, nature was cursed. Most of our drugs are a double edged sword, that's the curse, what brings life, also brings death, what creates, also destroys.

I am seeing a disturbing trend indeed. New Age Christians ignore the Old Testament, they believe it is ancient history. They have no respect for it, but the same God that authored that, is also the same one that authored the New Testament. His rules and standards still apply.

To ignore them, is to be unchristian. You can't call yourself a Christian and have no respect for His teachings. His words ring hollow to the new agers and I am so disappointed in them. I'll take New Agers Christiantity seriously, when they take my Lord's words seriously.

<disgusted>

[Bolts]

I Love this thread!!

I think it it awesome that most of the Lords children have to study and research this topic. And it is awesome that there are those who have been healed and delivered.

The conviction of the holy spirit is what steered me away from addiction. And being given a little insight into the affects it has on family, finances and lifestyle.

You GuYs RocK!!

[JustinM]

For the record, I am a 28 year old Male and I have never smoked, hit or consumed marijuana or any other illegal substance.

I avoided drugs and alcohol as a student and young American, because I respected my parents' rules, I respected my body and I respected God's demands of Holiness.

Our bodies are His Temple, and we are desecrating His temple with our filthy deeds.

Someone here said, it's not our place to tell people what they can or cannot do with their body. Well, their body is on loan, all our bodies are on loan. To say nothing, is to be negligent in our duties as Christ's Ambassadors.

But, go ahead, call yourself a Christian if it makes you feel better about yourself.

So far, all I've seen from many Christians here is New Age Humanism.

You can correct people for their mistakes without being judgemental. It's called care, concern, compassion, empathy, love. . .Christianity.

When did criticism and intervention become a judgement of someone's character? Is it because we all are so proud and lofty of our character? Is it because we say, "I am Christian, therefore I am saved," is it that arrogant, purist attitude that keeps us from hurting someone's feelings?

Gee, aren't we cozy with our "salvation," let's just let the world implode on itself and God will sort out our mess for us.

I plan on having kids soon, the idea, I thought, was to leave with the world in better shape than when we inherited it, for our children, instead we have proponents of self love, leisure living lemmings, sabotaging everyone else's hard work.

My generation has a big mess to clean up, in my lifetime, I have seen things go from bad to worse in the country, not decent to better, like it's supposed to be.

Aren't we selfish, to inherit the Lord's blessing, then squander it and destroy it before our kids have a chance to enjoy it.

Innocence lost, or should I say, Innocent deprived. B-T-W, we now have Kindergartners learning about gay sex. When you were in Kindergarten what did you learn about?

[Bolts]

I Love this thread!!

I think it it awesome that most of the Lords children have to study and research this topic. And it is awesome that there are those who have been healed and delivered.

The conviction of the holy spirit is what steered me away from addiction. And being given a little insight into the affects it has on family, finances and lifestyle.

You GuYs RocK!!

I forgot to add that I have only just recently learnt about Hate and what Hate is and does. I may have to research it like I had to with jealousy.