Marijuana: Friend or Foe?

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dali

Sicc OG
Feb 28, 2006
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#41
You don't agree with anything I write, so who cares if you agree with that statement? Doesn't surprise me.
Redundant.

I make money writing, son. I'm a published songwriter and poet, and I'm working on shit for other publications as we speak.
Congrats, but making money in the US with songwriting and poetry says nothing about the quality of your writing skills. I wish you luck for all your future endeavours, though (I don’t mean this ironically)

You can criticize writers all you want, but at the end of the day writing requires skill and you have no business telling somebody they have none...unless you are a professional editor and/or publisher. You call Dickens dull, but people enjoy what he wrote and he was an accomplished writer. Same goes for anybody else you want to criticize who has published something.
Redundant. Already told you why I disagree.

Sports, same shit. You can criticize somebody all you want, but they are where they are because of talent. You don't get drafted to the NFL because you're "alright".
Jürgen Klopp used to play in the 3rd German Football Division. The guy never really had any talent as a player. But he studied the game viciously and became a great coach. He’s now the head coach of Borussia Dortmund, which are bound to win the title this year (Superbowl equivalent). Klopp never had to become a great football player in order to fully understand the game and be able to judge its contents. See my point?

Rap is a different ball game. Anybody with $5,000 can put a record out.
Anyone with $5,000 can print a small amount of books or newspapers. My point: I don’t have to be a rapper to say that Masta Ace raps good and Nelly or Serio don’t.

The fact that you can read doesn't mean you understand writing. Based on your rant about my inability to write, you don't even know the difference between journalism and recreational writing. If I wanted to be a journalist, I'd go work for a newspaper. So if you call my piece journalism, you don't even understand how you should be judging my work.
Is that your excuse for sloppy work? Like in I knew it was a fact, just didn’t feel like finding it at the time? You should take the fact that I considered it Journalism as a compliment. I didn’t realize the website offers recreational writing, which, I take it, completely relies on the authors mood to be factual. The world really needs more of these sites.

Reading a good amount of books and articles doesn't mean you know the difference between good writing and shitty writing. All it means is you know what YOU CONSIDER good and shitty writing.
The same counts for your devine editors and publishers who first had to read a good amount of books and articles to become who they are. You have no idea how many times later well established writers have been rejected by editors and publishers who thought they had shitty literature in front of them! Just because you pursued a commercial career in the field doesn’t make you automatically good at it..and it certainly doesn’t mean you know more about literature than someone who has had more input and experience in his life. More input – more knowledge – more objectiveness in your judgment.

Tell me this. You said you only played devils advocate. But what is your personal opinion concerning the article. Do you think the country would be a little bit more relaxed if Marijuana became legal? Don’t you think the article has a certain undertone and implicates your personal opinion all along?
 
Apr 25, 2002
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#43
Congrats, but making money in the US with songwriting and poetry says nothing about the quality of your writing skills. I wish you luck for all your future endeavours, though (I don’t mean this ironically)
I didn't say I was making my writing money from songwriting and poetry. People are paying me to write shit for them (probably not because my writing sucks). I'm also helping two writers put novels together. Again, probably not because my writing sucks.

Ironically? Don't you mean sarcastically? Ironic is unexpected or coincidental.


Redundant. Already told you why I disagree.
You can disagree all you want. It's your opinion, and it is not a PROFESSIONAL opinion. Like I said, you criticize accomplished writers, so what you're speaking on is your own taste and not actual knowledge of how a writer should write.


Jürgen Klopp used to play in the 3rd German Football Division. The guy never really had any talent as a player. But he studied the game viciously and became a great coach. He’s now the head coach of Borussia Dortmund, which are bound to win the title this year (Superbowl equivalent). Klopp never had to become a great football player in order to fully understand the game and be able to judge its contents. See my point?
You know what they say..."Those who can't, teach." This is why I write and don't tell other people how to write.

Anyone with $5,000 can print a small amount of books or newspapers. My point: I don’t have to be a rapper to say that Masta Ace raps good and Nelly or Serio don’t.
Again, it's your opinion and not based on any expertise whatsoever. Rap is an entirely different ball game, bro. In fact, any music is an entirely different ball game. You have song structure, but you can say whatever you want, how you want. If you want to be a good, well-respected writer, you must have a good command of the English language, something interesting to write about, understand sentence and paragraph structure, know how to spell, and captivate your audience by painting pictures with words.

These days, the only thing that makes music sell is a beat and a hook. That's the equivalent of having a nice book cover and a catchy title.

Is that your excuse for sloppy work? Like in I knew it was a fact, just didn’t feel like finding it at the time? You should take the fact that I considered it Journalism as a compliment. I didn’t realize the website offers recreational writing, which, I take it, completely relies on the authors mood to be factual. The world really needs more of these sites.
I didn't need to find it...it wasn't part of my agenda. Sloppy would be stating something as a fact without citing it. I knew it was a fact but could not confirm it at the time, so I did not quote it as a fact. It's that simple. And why would I consider journalism a compliment? Journalists are one-sided and have their own agendas. Journalists feed you the side that fits THEIR views, but don't cover entire stories. Their job is to be balanced, which they are not. My job for this article was to pick a side and make an argument, which I did.

And no, recreational writing is what it is...recreational. It's not always to post facts. Many articles on my site are opinion and advice pieces. I have no desire to be a journalist. The people who write for me have been through a lot of shit in life, including myself. The MAIN purpose of our site is to entertain people with sports and give advice to those who seek it. Go read the mission...

The same counts for your devine editors and publishers who first had to read a good amount of books and articles to become who they are. You have no idea how many times later well established writers have been rejected by editors and publishers who thought they had shitty literature in front of them! Just because you pursued a commercial career in the field doesn’t make you automatically good at it..and it certainly doesn’t mean you know more about literature than someone who has had more input and experience in his life. More input – more knowledge – more objectiveness in your judgment.
Of course they were rejected...everybody gets rejected at some point. Nobody claimed to know more about literature than anybody. Why do you keep comparing this to literature? Did I write a book you didn't like that I don't know about? And you don't know what input or experience I've had in life. You know what you see right here, and that's it. All I know is I wouldn't be where I'm at in life RIGHT NOW if I were a stupid individual who couldn't write (like you seem to believe).

Tell me this. You said you only played devils advocate. But what is your personal opinion concerning the article. Do you think the country would be a little bit more relaxed if Marijuana became legal? Don’t you think the article has a certain undertone and implicates your personal opinion all along?
I don't have an opinion on weed legalization or decriminalization. I couldn't care less because it doesn't affect me or my family. Do I think it will reduce crime? Yes. Do I think it will end crime? No. Do I think weed makes people stupid? That's up for debate. Some people are complete morons, and some people handle their weed well. The same goes for anything. So no, I don't really care if it's legal, illegal, decriminalized, or wiped off the planet. What I do know is there are a lot of people who say certain things about weed. Being a person who used to smoke it and who many folks respect, the unpopular side was a good one to pick to show that it isn't as bad as the government has labeled it.

And no, I don't think the article has a certain undertone. I know exactly what it is because I'm the one who wrote it. People know if I say I'm not taking sides, I'm not taking sides. This is the reason you will never find a "fact-based" article backing a left or right on my website...because we choose not to go there. However, we have a healthcare article written by somebody who has to deal with the bullshit politics of healthcare every week. So while he doesn't agree with healthcare reform by Obama, he only speaks from his experience dealing with a state-run worker's comp program.

At the end of the day, you think what you think. I can't change that, and I don't care to.
 
Dec 2, 2006
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#44
Just like alcohol, marijuana will at some point be legalized, regulated and distributed by our government. The pattern is all too familiar. We legalized alcohol and that ended the great deperession. Will marijuana replace alcohol and bring us out this hole? You be the judge....
 
Apr 25, 2002
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#45
Sydal you suck! ...kidding.

Friend indeed. ( Sydal & Mary Jane )

for those who oppose, who have no problem popping a pill for a headache (or any other problem going on in their lives) really have invalid & null opinions.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

...like everything else within reason in life, it is a grown persons better judgement & we use better judgment on a daily basis weather that is "shall I cross the street" or "shall I smoke some dank"

it is on an individual basis.

....stones need not be thrown in this glass house we all live in.
You're right...I do suck. I should just quit my life and go work at Super Taqueria.
 
Dec 2, 2006
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#46
for those who oppose, who have no problem popping a pill for a headache (or any other problem going on in their lives) really have invalid & null opinions.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

...like everything else within reason in life, it is a grown persons better judgement & we use better judgment on a daily basis weather that is "shall I cross the street" or "shall I smoke some dank"

it is on an individual basis.

....stones need not be thrown in this glass house we all live in.
Exactamundo!
 
Apr 21, 2006
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#48
There has been no solid argument from the pro-legalization side on why conservative Americans should legalize marijuana for recreational use. The argument is not there and to legalize it you have to get people who voted "no" or didn't show up to the polls to do so. On top of that a strong counter argument is being made by recreational smokers to NOT legalize it, pointing when prohibition ended and how this destroyed the economy of mountain people. There is also an argument stating historically banned goods give disenfranchised people the opportunity to seize the American dream. To legalize it would mean putting mom and pop weed businesses out in the cold.
 
Apr 25, 2002
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#49
There has been no solid argument from the pro-legalization side on why conservative Americans should legalize marijuana for recreational use. The argument is not there and to legalize it you have to get people who voted "no" or didn't show up to the polls to do so. On top of that a strong counter argument is being made by recreational smokers to NOT legalize it, pointing when prohibition ended and how this destroyed the economy of mountain people. There is also an argument stating historically banned goods give disenfranchised people the opportunity to seize the American dream. To legalize it would mean putting mom and pop weed businesses out in the cold.
What about decriminalization? Then it's not legal, but you don't have weed dealers and users sitting in penitentiaries. What say you?

The thing I have about the disenfranchised argument is you have a bunch of non-white people sitting in cells for small shit like weed. Sure some folks may be coming up off it and making some cash, but what does that get them when they get caught up in the system?
 
Apr 21, 2006
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#50
Sydal give me the proof. What do the Feds give you for bud? The State of California? Why has State parole not tested for marijuana for years? The arrest rates for misdemeanor marijuana possession are high but it's a misdemeanor people are not rotting in prison in California. Soon it will be a ticket. I know people who got caught at the border with tons of marijuana on a truck and got a year. I know people who got caught with one Mexican in their trunk and got two years. Let them legalize medical marijuana in every state with controls on growing it so big business won't step in. Fight to get possession dropped to the significance of a parking ticket. The prices will still drop and the grower, mom and pop, can make a buck.

There is not one person i know personally who feed their family, has purchased homes and businesses off of pot that agrees with the legalization.
 
Apr 25, 2002
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#53
Sydal give me the proof. What do the Feds give you for bud? The State of California? Why has State parole not tested for marijuana for years? The arrest rates for misdemeanor marijuana possession are high but it's a misdemeanor people are not rotting in prison in California. Soon it will be a ticket. I know people who got caught at the border with tons of marijuana on a truck and got a year. I know people who got caught with one Mexican in their trunk and got two years. Let them legalize medical marijuana in every state with controls on growing it so big business won't step in. Fight to get possession dropped to the significance of a parking ticket. The prices will still drop and the grower, mom and pop, can make a buck.

There is not one person i know personally who feed their family, has purchased homes and businesses off of pot that agrees with the legalization.
Proof of what? I'm not talking about California, I'm talking about the big picture. If you get caught with weed in California by a federal agent, it's still a federal crime because state law doesn't trump federal law.

According to Legal Match...

Possession
ANY amount. Unlike many states, the federal law does not qualify possession by amount. Possession of any amount of marijuana (even a single marijuana cigarette) is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of $1,000 on the first offense. The second offense carries a 15-day mandatory sentence, and can be extended for as long as two years in prison. Any possession after that gets a 90-day to three year prison term, and a $5,000 fine. (It should also be noted that distribution of a small amount of marijuana for no money is usually treated as simple possession).

Sale
This is where the federal law becomes extremely severe. The sale of anything less than 50 Kilograms of marijuana (which is obviously the majority of cases by far) is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a whopping $250,000 fine. Selling more than 50 Kilograms is generally something that is relegated to the criminal underworld, but the penalties get exponentially worse:

50-100 Kilos distribution/cultivation: Up to 20 years in prison, with a $1,000,000 fine
100-1000 Kilos distribution/cultivation: Mandatory 5 years, up to 40 years in prison, with a fine of $2,000,000
1000 Kilos+ distribution/cultivation: 10 years to Life in prison, with a $4,000,000 fine
What's more, distribution of anything over 5 grams to a minor (under 21 years of age, not 18), OR within 1,000 feet of a school, housing project, youth center, video arcade, public pool, or playground automatically doubles all the punishments listed above (both jail time and fines).

Surprisingly, the federal government can even administer the death penalty for marijuana sale. This is reserved only for the heads of criminal enterprises that distribute more than 60 metric tons of marijuana OR annually make more than $20,000,000 from marijuana sales, but there have been past attempts to lower this threshold significantly. For instance, in 1994, it was proposed to introduce a mandatory death penalty for the second offense of smuggling only 50 grams of marijuana (the bill did not pass, however).
 

Legman

پراید آش
Nov 5, 2002
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#56
-rolls a blunt and kicks back-

-cough-

-cough-

-cough-

3. ??????

4. profit

but on the real, i didnt read it, i honestly dont need anymore facts of statements on marijuana, you guys all know my position...without it, i might not be here to type this shit

as far as legalizing it for tax purposes or monetary gain, i really dont care aslong as the medicine can be tracked back to the grower, its a regulated market where quality is king, and customers can walk away happy (or atleast be afforded the same benefits of people going to pharmacies for the same relief) and we dont end up in jail for using something thats helping folks out

but the whole stigma about it being a gateway drug, or "the evil weed" needs to end, its fuckin 2011, my ancestors smoked weed.....6000 years ago, we all need to grow up
 
Apr 21, 2006
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#57
The two examples I gave you are federal cases. They're giving people a day a pound. Although the sentencing guidelines should be minimized I would NOT completely legalize it. Historically disenfranchised communities have done well from banned goods. Shit take a trip to canal street in Manhattan. Those Federal stats are strong in an argument for legalization though. You tell a mothafucka they can get fried in an electric chair for pot, they will run their asses down to the voting booth. Especially when they tried to modify it in 1994. I don't agree with legalizing it for economic reasons. I watched the polls, and exit polls and saw who was and who was not voting for legalization. Mexicans and Blacks said NO consistently because of religion and substance abuse in our communities. Rich whites said yes and the youngsters all said yes. Poor people said No as did the middle class.

Also, my parents who voted no could not care less about Portugal's success with pot. If someone stated that college students in India are smoking Pot to ease the stress of exams in engineering they might listen because they're taking our good jobs. They don't care about France or Portugal though. They think men on men orgies in front of children are legal in those countries. England white conservatives will care about maybe if there are strong stats from there. You'd get my parents listening with the death penalty for pot thing.
 
Apr 25, 2002
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#59
The two examples I gave you are federal cases. They're giving people a day a pound. Although the sentencing guidelines should be minimized I would NOT completely legalize it. Historically disenfranchised communities have done well from banned goods. Shit take a trip to canal street in Manhattan. Those Federal stats are strong in an argument for legalization though. You tell a mothafucka they can get fried in an electric chair for pot, they will run their asses down to the voting booth. Especially when they tried to modify it in 1994. I don't agree with legalizing it for economic reasons. I watched the polls, and exit polls and saw who was and who was not voting for legalization. Mexicans and Blacks said NO consistently because of religion and substance abuse in our communities. Rich whites said yes and the youngsters all said yes. Poor people said No as did the middle class.

Also, my parents who voted no could not care less about Portugal's success with pot. If someone stated that college students in India are smoking Pot to ease the stress of exams in engineering they might listen because they're taking our good jobs. They don't care about France or Portugal though. They think men on men orgies in front of children are legal in those countries. England white conservatives will care about maybe if there are strong stats from there. You'd get my parents listening with the death penalty for pot thing.
So you'd rather disenfranchised communities make money off banned goods and risk the consequences? I'm not arguing against you thinking it should remain illegal, but the reasons are what's getting me.

Let's take alcohol for example. Alcohol is consumed by children in many countries...countries that do not have alcohol problems like the United States. The U.S. prohibited alcohol and made organized crime what it is today. Now we have pretty strict laws in regard to the substance, and people die when they shouldn't because they aren't raised with alcohol. When people are RAISED with something, it's not a big deal to them. Sex is another one. MAJOR taboo in the United States, but in countries where it is accepted as part of life they don't have the same issues as we do.

If pot is illegal, people may or may not go to jail. People will die (over the trade itself). If it is decriminalized or legalized, it may or may not contribute to a decreased prison population and real criminal elements.

Two things are certain...disenfranchised communities can get paid from banned goods, and people die at alarming rates over the same goods.
 

Legman

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Nov 5, 2002
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#60
people die over coffee

people die

like i said, we need to grow up, its 2011, we shouldnt be holdin it against people for living a certain way, or puttin certain things in their body

are we really that dense that we think we as human know how to progress thru this life we know nothing about?

its just sad cuz when u ask "do people really need to be told how to live" and the answer is yes, cuz that shows how cookie cutter this life has become, its just disgusting