There's so many things here to touch upon, I don't even know where to start.
First thing's first, I fucking hate stoner stereotypes. I've pretty much been high the last couple years almost every day. And I'm not saying this to fill the stereotype of flamboyancy, but to prove a point. I have two certifications in IT (high while studying and during the tests) and work a full time job in IT (usually high throughout the entire day). I never toot my own horn for smoking weed and I never shit talk anyone who doesn't, which will be my next point. There's no reason why people can't be responsible about weed. Stupid people are just stupid people whether they are or aren't smoking weed.
Secondly, weed isn't for everybody. A lot of people react to different drugs very differently. Weed can make an anxious person more relaxed, but then make another anxious person more nervous. I have some extreme anxiety. That's not the reason I smoke. I smoke because I enjoy it. But it definitely helps with the anxiety. I'm not dependent on it at all. I haven't smoked in the last couple weeks because I'm trying to save money to pay off debt. I have no issues with not being high other than it's harder for me to fall asleep at night.... but that's mainly because I'm all hyped playing MK all night haha.
Third, weed is NOT dangerous. At all. Smoking anything can be dangerous, but there's so many other ways to ingest THC other than smoking. I can't believe a doctor would ever suggest that a cancer patient should go home and smoke something. In fact, I know that they don't. Medical cards give you access to 100% safe methods of taking in THC. Anyone who thinks marijuana kills brain cells is simply misinformed. If you want to get in a weed vs alcohol debate... how many people have ever gotten high and went home and beaten their wives? Nobody. Ever go to a sporting event? You know those guys that are overly obnoxious and screaming as loud as they can making a complete ass of themselves? Were they high or drunk?
Fourth, if you want to get all historical about it, weed was criminalized in an attempt to make mexicans move back down across the border in the early 1900s. If you don't believe me, watch ANY documentary about marijuana. There are discovery and history channel documentaries about it and you can say they are biased all you want, but that's simply untrue. The government can't tax it either which definitely isn't a help.
Fifth, legalization would really help a lot more than it is hurting. If you've never bought weed before then you won't understand this, but sometimes trying to get it can put you in a really shady situation with really shady people. People who just enjoy weed and are normal every day people would no longer have to be put in what can be a dangerous situation just to get some. Not to mention that drug cartels would no longer run entire neighborhoods. Sure, there's harder drugs out there that they are interested in but they make way more money off of weed than they do the harder drugs. Look at the prison system. How much money are we spending on drug busts and putting people in prison that simply just hang out at home a completely non dangerous drug? How much money are we spending on keeping these people in prison every year? If you don't think it effects that many people then do some research. We spend a LOTTTTTT of money busting people out for weed. Sure one can make the hemp argument. Our founding fathers all owned help farms and smoked regularly. They would have laughed you out of the room if you had ever told them hemp/marijuana would ever be illegal.
"Two of my favorite things are sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe of sweet hemp, and playing my Hohner harmonica." - Abraham Lincoln (from a letter written by Lincoln during his presidency to the head of the Hohner Harmonica Company in Germany)
"Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country." - Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President
"Make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington, U.S. President
"We shall, by and by, want a world of hemp more for our own consumption." - John Adams, U.S. President
I don't usually do this and I've already spent too much effort typing this up. It just annoys me when people completely misunderstand.
