Marijuana
 

How do you feel about this herbal plant / drug / illegal substance / medicinal alternative? I myself have no issues what so ever with people who smoke. I've never been directly impacted by someone who has participated in smoking marijuana. I have never heard of anyone killing anyone, themselves, or doing anything life altering under the influence of this drug. I don't know how many years it will take to get this plant legalized and how anyone can argue the fact that this plant does in no way come close to the effects and ramifications of legal alcohol consumption, but I am one Linux user who waits for the day when I can walk into a store and legally purchase Marijuana.

You're probably gonna get slammed but I believe you are correct sans the overall PC view.

The statistics have always proven that among both illegal and legal drugs, marijuana is among the safest in terms of toxicology.
Far safer than alcohol, prozac, tobacco, etc yet it is not legal.
More importantly is that the legalization and sale of Marijuana would lift the entire country from it's deficit. It is a fact that just the domestically grown Marijuana is the undisputed number one cash crop even when you combine all the others (corn, wheat, etc).

Admittedly I smoked Marijuana daily for over 25 years (not now) without any issues. Problems such as driving, etc are encountered mostly by new users. Long time users actually suffer very few side-effects except for maybe being hungry:)

Whether you smoke it or not, if Marijuana should be illegal then so should Tobacco, alcohol, and lots of other things. Being that our country is supposed to based around individual freedom it should be legal.

As a matter of fact a friend of mine relocated to California just so he could smoke pot every day legally and look at all the hottie's on the beach. He now doesn't have to fear judgement or legal issues.

that's my 2 cents, dude

Personally, I've always found the alcohol and tobacco analogy weak. Just because we have people risking their health with some drugs, how does that justify enabling them to do it with others? There definitely seems to be medical evidence that marijuana is harmful, and it has been regarded as causing mental instability for centuries in India.

I think there will obviously be a national colour to opinions on this. In countries where the state (i.e. the tax-payers) has to pay for the sick, it will naturally be seen to have the right to have a say on how they look after themselves. In a country where the poor rely on charity or die in the gutter, the individuals 'right to pursue happiness' will be rated higher.

I think you should take all the governments opinions of toxicity with a grain of salt..

They've said it causes brain damage, men to grow breasts, hallucinations, blah, blah.

none of it is true and there has never been one case where Marijuana was proven to cause any kind of cancer.

It's the reason I love living where I do.

Beats the hell out of pain killer pills which I can purchase legally.
I know elder folks who are Oxycontin dependent for pain and to get a good nights sleep because alternative sources are illegal. It is all about the money in my view.

As long as the substance is not available for people under 21 and there's nobody smoking the crap nearby, I don't care.
It is your life, so if you wanna smoke, smoke. But if somebody's going to smoke somewhere around me, or will try to introduce some of my family to the substance, then regardless of "health effects", I will feel strongly inclined to resolve matters in harshest way possible - either using cops or violence.
I knew a quite problematic region where teens from schools (aged 14) could get the stuff, and as far as I know, this is definitely wasn't good. Once you've grown up it is your personal business, but IMO it definitely shouldn't be available for people under 21.

Violence seems a bit childish and I'm all for keeping things away from kids who are easily influenced in making bad decisions but to tell a grown adult that Marijuana is bad for you is an insult. There's not been any evidence that proves smoking Marijuana has any ill side effects. I find the alcohol argument a complete legit one. How can you blindly argue the fact that alcohol which kills millions of people and is extremely addictive and classified by the surgeon general as a "disease" is legal and Marijuana which no evident side effects except of the made up ones by politicians and bogus studies / reports. It's the only drug that is illegal yet it has zero negative effects and the profit and economy benefits are so extreme...it's quite ridiculous.

Almost certainly. It was prohibited in the USA following pressure from the pharmaceutical, oil and forestry businesses -- backed by Hearst's newspapers demonizing it. Most of the rest of the world followed suit, bowing to pressure from the USA.

There's a book, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes", that sets out in exhaustive (and exhausting!) detail the history, including contemporary documents.

yep, I have that book Catkin:)

There's also the huge industry that could be created as the oil in Marijuana can be used for engines, cooking, etc and of course many textiles can be made from it's fibers.
Many problems in many countries could be solved simultaneously if governments would make effective use of this plant.

There's also a side benefit that Marijuana produces more oxygen than almost any other plant.

If you reread my previous reply, you'll see that I did not write/say anything like that.
I said it is bad when kids/teens can access it.

Is it bad for your health? I don't know and I don't care, because I don't smoke it and this is not my problem.
But regardless of health effects I don't want anybody smoking it anywhere where the wind can carry smoke to me.
Aside from that part - it is your life and you live it as you see fit, fully responsible for consequences of your decisions. Consequences can be positive, or they can be negative.

Well as far as India is concerned I believe marijuana will create more peace than any other thing. I do not know of any such statics showing mental illness with specific marijuna abuse/use here.
There are a billion more things in India bothering us and believe me marijuna is not even in that list. I believe 'the pot' has always been a part of the Indian culture and it still is. Anyway all you have to do is ask someone and they will show you a retailer or else I know of places where the drug is sold on the streets like candies or icecreams.
That being said, yes the drug has pharmcutical value and thus should be legalised atleast in circumstances where there is no other option but then somehow I believe we are all hypocrites and all we want to do is show how better we are than the others. And then again there is this religion thing that keeps coming in the way scaring people of offending gods and so on. I believe fear is the key here. This is one issue where any government would be on the backfoot if people ask of proofs and statistics.

Up in smoke...Don't bogard that joint my friend!

Legalize it and tax it.

Positive side-effects:

• Black market for marijuana is destroyed (read: less violence)
• Marijuana-only offenders are not prosecuted and imprisoned on the taxpayers' dime
• A badly needed new tax revenue stream is created

I doubt it will happen, though (at least in the USA). Too profitable for it to be illegal. And there are massively huge departments and enforcement units dedicated to the so-called "War on Drugs", of which marijuana is today a major part.

Stupid, stupid, and inefficient. But I digress.

Parallels with prohibition of alcohol in the US
 

I don't smoke, but I do enjoy an occasional drink. I don't really understand why this substance is considered so 'illicit'. Alcohol is many times more dangerous, and is yet just another drug anyways. I remember watching docs. about the history of Marijuana and the only reason it is so stigmatized is because of the use by immigrants in the US during the 19 and early 20th centuries, and it stuck.

The so-called 'war on drugs' is designed just like the 'war on terror' to last without any real resolution. There would not be any real gain to actually 'winning' or 'concluding' these two wars, it is there to keep the populace under constant tension so that the 'authorities' can be there to 'protect us' from the big nasties out there.. Pff, :rolleyes:

As far as this 'war on drugs' crap is concerned, all I can say is just look back to prohibition of alcohol in the early 20th century in the US, remind me again how did that work out again? What happened when it was outlawed? Oh yea thats right, people went underground, organized crime flourished on illegal 'hooch' (sorry, that was just an excuse to use that early 20th century term for alcohol :D), and actually more people died because of the ban, due to violence and even dangerous watered down drinks of 'dubious' origins because of it. Oh, lets not forget one of the main sources of prohibition was from the fanatical religious types at the time who have so much sway over officials.

Then what happened when prohibition was lifted? Oh yea a major source of revenue for the government! Lets not legalize it though, it is better to keep it deemed illegal, otherwise how will this charade continue anyways? If we lose the Marijuana 'bogeyman', who knows what else might be lost to further instill fear and complacency to masses?

I'm of the opinion that pot is no worse than alcohol or tobacco and keeping it illegal is making it too profitable for criminals. I think we could reduce a bunch of drug related violence by legalizing pot.

I know this is a bit of topic, but it pertains other legal substances. If you're old enough to decide that you want to kill people for your country and you have no problem putting your life on the line for that, you're old enough to decide what chemicals go in your body.

I always thought that the purpose of "age restriction" is to make sure (or make it more likely) that the person making decisions has accumulated enough life experience to make REASONABLE decisions and be aware of consequences. Aside from that - I think that you can decide that you want to kill people (for your country) at pretty much any age. Also, some countries have conscription and don't even let you decide that.

Don't use it but don't have a problem with anyone that chooses to, as long as they use it safely, but that goes for all drugs legal and illegal. What i mean by that later point is mainly in respect to driving. I have heard people i know that have used the drug extensively in the past, argue that it's safe, but i'm sorry but i can't comprehend that.
Off topic, but i also feel the exact same way to magic mushrooms, which i have used, and enjoyed, but, once again, needs to be used safely; driving is out of the question! anyone who has used shrooms though will more than likely agree that it's a more obvious point with shrooms.

I smoke cannabis sometimes. I rarely drink (so far this year I've had less standard drinks than a lot of people I know drink opn a friday night). I do not use any other illegal drugs, though in the past I have had a few trips (I wouldtn call it LSD, its not, not here anyway, and never closer together than 6 months).

So its pretty obvious I'm not against the stuff. ;)

Killing others? Not as far as I've ever heard about. Killing themselves? Well....I know of one case, but he was also a regular and heavy user of alcohol, speed, herion, trips, MDMA (ecstasy), amyl nitrite and probably other stuff have forgotten or never knew about. I' dont think he was stoned when he hung himself anyway...

Life altering, heard and seen that plently of times. 'Lets move to Carins!' 'I'm going to breakup with XXXX''I dont like my partents church, sod going to mass today' etc. Nothing 'evil' or especially bad though.

If you found out that using windows, in any form (even the ever popular 'pirate' edition) was legal, but using a safer system like linux was illegal, wouldnt you question the logic behind the laws and regulations that led to that state of affairs?

The western country with the lowest government support (the US) seems to have by far the harshest cannabis laws. Countries where the government pays far more of citizens health bills (like western Europe) have far looser cannabis laws.

Yes, cannabis can be 'harmful'. Mostly because people smoke it, if people moved to eating cannabis the risks to physical health would be lower, pretty much zero. Not many people eat cannabis, its harder to guage the dose, and it takes a 50-100% higher dose to get the same effect. When cannabis is the price it is, a 50-100% increase in dose isnt cheap.

AFAIK vaporisers are safer than smoking, but not many people use them either. They are harder to get and more expensive than the traditional smoking setups- papers, pipes, bongs/hookahs, 'buckets' and all the variants.

As far as mental health goes, thats far more complex. I tend not to believe 100% some of the stupid reports, from experience I know that lots of people who claim to have 'mental health issues' from cannabis didnt get them from cannabis IMO. At least 3 people I know blame cannabis for mental health issues...they dont bother to mention that when they developed 'the problem' they were using a _lot_ of alcohol, speed, 'trips' (which at least in this case was a odd conconction of amphetamines and a few other nasites) and anything else they could get.

IMO its been the speed and nasty trips that has caused the problem...that stuff can rot your brain faster than most people would believe.

I'd like to know what sort of 'mental instability' you think that cannabis causes in India. Maybe Sadhus/sadhvis? Living on the edge of society on a quest for god/gods seems to be a lot less 'unstable' than a lot of the stuff I've seen with alcohol in particular.

I've never seen anyone on cannabis punch out his friend, then half and hour later be doing the whole 'I love you man' thing. Or engage in spousal abuse. Or do 150Kph in a 60 zone. etc..

Teenagers can petty much always get alcohol, tobacco, and any illegal drugs.

I'd agree, a lot of problems could be solved by better use of the cannabis plant. Not that I'd expect that much in the way of a seed crop from cannabis users, the seedless versions (grown without a male plant nearby, not some sci-fi thing) are more potent. Male and hermaphrodite plants are normally removed as soon as possible (and if someone is growing for seed, they still remove the hermaphrodite plants, no-one wants a messed up XX/XY plant...)

I'd like to add- hempcrete (you can make that from cannabis) and it would be a very useful 'green manure' crop.

I wouldnt call driving stone that safe, but IMO its a lot safer than driving under the influence of alcohol. I will never get in a car driven by someone who has been drinking again, but I'll hop in a car with stoned driver most of the time. (depends on the driver, how trashed they are, destination, etc..). Most of the time, stoned drivers go slower, not faster. Unlike most other drugs.

Driving on mushies is _crazy_. I personally think that mushies are crazy anyway, too much stricnine. But hey, I havent dug to far into mushies, its possible that you got some 'clean' strain of psilocybin mushroom, not the drity stuff I've used twice (never again!). Goldtops are dirty, blue meanies are the mushroom from hell, and thats all I've ever seen.....

There is no stricnine in real magic mushrooms! (unless some arse as laced them) that is a myth that for some reason many people believe. The active chemical in magic mushrooms is psilocybin, and psilocycin. Gold tops and blue meanies are commen terms i don't use as what one person would call a 'gold top' ect, someone else might call it something else. The only known commonly agreed common name i am aware of is liberty caps, which refers to psilocybe semilanceata.
If you are interested in learning more about magic mushrooms, i would recommend the FAQ at shroomery.org. It is chock full of knowledge and the forums there are extremely helpful in helping people identify any type of mushroom.

I've been to grows, Both visiting and as 'the help' (both where it was legal) ... and the amount of work that goes into pot is amazing. Even for outdoor grows it is unbelievingly time consuming. At the same time, anyone can grow a plant or 3 in their closet. I'd like for it to be legal ... As it does have it's place much like anything else in the world. The places I've been to have quite the economy going just off of sale of marijuana. But it also poses it's own risks, Such as fires at indoor grows because of the heat lights, Spreading mold and mites to other plants in the area (if neighbors are close enough) in outdoor grows ... Risks other then health.


As far as judging the effects, It takes different strokes. I don't smoke as much as I used to because now it gives me minor headaches and anxity. others are fine for 50 years. But I can safely say the general side effects people will experience are not that bad. Hungry, Sleepy, Giggly, and the intense urge to play videogames doesn't seem all that horrible to me. I don't think we can say 'marijuana is safe for 100% of people 100% of the time.' but it's safe at least 90% of the time, and that's a helluva lot better then even Tylenol.

Overall I'd vouch for it, not only from a medical perspective (glucoma,artritis, and such) but on the grounds it never should have been illegal in the first place.

I wouldnt go making blanket statements about mushrooms. ;) To many species, too little research.

Yeah, I've heard the 'no strychnine in magic mushrooms' theory before, its its quite likely that most mushrooms dont have any strychnine.

There are quite a few alkaloids closely related to strychnine, eg brucine. So a organic/industrial chemist could be 100% correct in saying 'there is no strychnine in magic mushrooms', but the mushroom could well have other componds that are similar to strychnine and have the same effect. There are also other chemicals that are quite different to strychnine but have the same baic effect.

I really couldnt be bothered making distinctions between what is technically strychnine, and what just gives a similar effect.

Unfortunately I've lost contact with the chemists I used to know who actually knew this stuff backward....

BTW, I have seen the shromomery site, and I'm not impressed. I'd guess you are going off this?

http://www.shroomery.org/8758/Is-the...e-in-mushrooms

Nice dead link, stuff which is out and out wrong- ("No, there is no strychnine in mushrooms. There is no strychnine in LSD, either. In fact, there's no strychnine added to any drugs!"). Funny, the industrial chemist I knew who made 'trips' (at queensland uni, LOL) told me that the stuff he makes does contain a small amount of strychnine. At a _very_ low level, but it was there.

Heat lights....man, sometimes this whole cannabis business just depresses me. What a waste of power.

I live in a fairly hot climate, and I've seen small grow rooms hit 55C+ in summer. Even in winter when it can drop as low as 2-3C here, the grows rooms are still well into the 20s. People are slowly going to move to LEDs here, not just because of power draw (IIRC you can replace 800-1000watts of HPS with 250-300watts of LEDs) but also because of het output from 'traditional' lights.

If there is a mold problem, thats enviromental. Mites....typical monoculture problem, the sort of thing that can be avoided. That would require legallity, or at least quasi-legallity though, and even if cannabis was legalised, IMO we would still see lots of monoculture setups (both indoors and outdoors). :(

'Lets take the failing method of big argibusiness and apply it to our cannabis crops'. Lame.

Yes that would be part of the faq, specifically referring to the topic of strychnine. If your chemest mate said that, that's great! i won't say they're wrong because i don't know them, or the authors of the FAQ in mention. To be honest i don't really care, i just provided you with a good websight, (wasn't meant to be a link) in case you were interested in learning more. The websight is simply there to educate people better; the community is very knowledgeable on mushrooms, and i think that if any health issues were identified with magic mushrooms, it would mention them somewhere. If you're not interested, or 'not impressed' then great, because i wasn't trying to impress anyone.

It should be legal. I don't see why tobacco is legal, because it is much more dangerous and addictive.

Either way, I don't want anyone smoking anything near me.

If you choose to use it, it should be legal to do so, but I recommend only taking any drug for a reason. I know they have studies that show some anti-cancer properties to THC, so this is when you might use it. Otherwise, you shouldn't use anything as a habit or for no good reason.

I personally dont dislike ppl smokin it, i smoke it few times a year myself and i grow my own plants sometimes, atm have one plant that is about to turn from seed to actual plant. its ok thing i guess if u dont provide income to criminals by buying it from them.

Those criminals exist because it is illegal.

your freedom ends where my freedom begins
ALL drugs should be legal
you want to destroy or kill your self
then by god it should be up to you how you do it
you should not be forced to use alcohol to do it

I for one would rather share the road with people doing ANY drug other than alcohol
the worst drug of them all bar none is alcohol
as far as problems with drugs go the law and it's effects dose far more damage than
it all the drugs would do even if they were given away free as much as anybody wants

given that there is such a thing as taste in drugs just about everybody who would do
a given drug is already doing it legal or not

I'd just like to point out the waste issue too. It's not so much in reference to cannibals, but you say all drugs. I am talking mainly about needles. i am on not the same but a leaning your way of point of view, but i think that all waste should be strictly disposed of in the appropriate manna.

Something to listen to while you're discussing in this thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD3HHbzHoc0

:)

I agree that marijuana is way less harmful than some legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco and should be legal. People under the effects of alcohol do all sort of stupid things and can even kill, something that doesn't happen with marijuana... That said, I don't support the legalization of other drugs like cocaine, heroine and crack; these substances really can mess up and destroy lives.

there are other ways to destroy your self that don't require drugs (gambling comes to mind)
ALCOHOL destroys more people in one day than ALL DRUGS destroy in 4years
I doubt there would be any increase in the use of the hard stuff
there may even be a decrease in the use of the hard stuff
as people switch to psychedelics
unlike other classes of drugs psychedelics can only be used once every 3 days of so with out a large increase in dosage

we would be better off if the human population were thinned out some (like 80%)
BUT
Q) who is to decide who is to die
A) nobody
let people volunteer let them kill themselves with any drug in any amount they want

we should even be giving out birth control in schools with the idea of lowering the population

the legal forms of all drugs could be vaporized and inhaled (the fastest way to do any drug) the waste would be inert like an empty beer can

Has Sauron really convinced you of this ? Sure, all his propaganda networks are screaming it, "demographic tsunami", etc. Do you really believe it ? What convinced you ?

Pretty soon, he'll be pushing for war, or who knows, maybe lots of people will be declared "terrorists" and put down like dogs. Do you really agree with it ? Is it really us, the people, who have to die ? and why ?

Marijuana? Only tried it twice, both times were at parties when I'd had a fair bit to drink - so I couldn't tell if the effects were from marijuana or alcohol. I'm neutral on whether it should be legal or not.

Even if you believe that the 'good' magic mushrooms will not have any nasty (organic) chemicals, and discount the possibility of getting the 'wrong' mushrooms, all drugs have possible mental health effects. Pyschadelics/hallucinogens are not free of those problems.

Most of the real needle users I've met were smart enough to know you can game the system with sharps bins (in australia, legally, they cannot be opened, even by the police...or at least they couldnt, that may have changed over the last few years). Some of the really hardcore needle users I've spoken to have said that if 'kit' were legal they would have a nice glass one, and a stone for sharpening the needle, not the throwaway cheap crap that they use now.

Sure, you will get some idiots who throw used needles away, rather than disposal in a sharps bin. I used to know of several places I wouldnt walk without a good pair boots. Personal reccord- five needles in one boot in one step. Still, as far as waste goes, the amount of used needles around is nothing compared to the number of thrown and shattered beer/wine/spirits bottles.

BTW, its 'website' and 'manner'('manna' is bibilical or from gaming). I know, I'm hardly someone who can pick on people for spelling.....

Dunno about that. In most cases, I'd rather deal with drunks over speedfreaks, or worse yet crazies on PCP and from what I know, crack (never been exposed to crack). Both of them can make people more unstable than alcohol, and at least drunks have slowed reactions. Some of the pysch drugs can have scary effects as well. Even pyschadelics/hallucinogens can be worse than alcohol with some situations and/or people.

In some ways I agree, IMO there wouldnt be much, if any, increase in use of the harder drugs if they were legalised.

But I dont think that people would 'switch' to psychedelics (showing your prefered drug class there mr rice?). Various reasons, I'll post them if you've any intrest in my opinion why. ;)

It is possible to take psychedelics far more often than once every 3 days or so without large increases in dosage. I've seen friends (O.K., x-friends really) trip for 2-3 weeks straight without increasing the dose that much (IIRC with the people I saw do that mostly started with 1 'trip' per day on day 1, moving up to 2-2.5 a day by the 3rd week).

@ Cascade, thanks for picking up my spelling mistakes, lol. its true there are mushrooms that will kill you, a few people in our country recently died from them coincidentally. that websight is there for that very reason, to educate people. it doesn't just teach u what to pick but what to look out for and what looks like desirable mushrooms but isn't. you sound like you know more people whom use drugs then I do. I live in a country town and honestly never seen a needle laying round here or know anyone who uses them, and for that reason I wont comment on those needle users you know, but like you Ive been to sydney and seen them there, and I didn't like it.

Isn't that what Bill Gates and other super rich are trying to do...

http://www.naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=A1...3290536575C723

I've had a friend almost die from eating the wrong mushroom. I know the mistake he made, and it wasnt a beginner mistake...

Possibly, though most of the people I knew who were real drug fiends are people I wont talk to at all anymore, or dead. Or I know/knew more people who were/are open about it.

I saw a LOT more needle use in a small country towns than I have anywhere else. You just have to know how, where and when to look...if its not totally obvious, like it is in Nimbin.

Bill Gates going on about CO2? *snort* I've leave my cycnical response peppered with swearing off this forum.

I will say that its not just the super rich who think that population should be reduced. I personally believe that it would be a good idea if countries would adopt the Chinese 'one child' policy, and gone even further than the Chinese did (eg, remove the exemptions).

Not possible. Poor countries need children and rich countries need poor countries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpgWAAmVwDM
Another reason why I'm voting for him to be president.

I don't have a problem with people taking whatever drugs they want to. It's your life and if you choose to risk it that's your problem. If you kill yourself, well its a bit sad, but who am I to mess with your karma? "There is no fate but what we make."

I personally avoid any drugs of which I am unsure of the provenance. This is due to me having a suspicious bastards sense of self-preservation. If some greasy oik rolls up in a bar somewhere and tries to sell me something, how the hell do I know what I've just been given? Could be top class goods, could be rat poison. We're probably better off without those stupid enough to just swallow whatever they're given. Metaphorically as well as literally.

It depends on which side of the pipe you're on I suppose. I myself smoked pretty regularly over the last 15 years. I agree with the idea that it should be legal, even if regulated, taxed, etc. why not. I never thought about it much in a cultural sense. I don't own a bong, no Marley t-shirts etc.

But the issue that I always has was social. Some places I've worked there's always that group of 2-3 people who absolutely need to know if I smoke or not. (Csh-csh-hee hehehehe) Those types drive me nuts. Pot this pot that, it's all they want to talk about. I can't deal with people like that. I smoked pretty regularly but there's more interesting things to talk about.

These days I don't smoke much. Last time was..4 months ago maybe? It started triggering panic attacks and left me feeling just lethargic. There was no "high" anymore so to speak, it left me useless and unmotivated. So, I quit.

As a medical Herb I see no problem. And the reason for that is because, I have some severe damages in my knee, so in some periods I need to take a lot of morphine, and it make me strangely aggressive, and I take it in so long periods I need a "rehab", so when I can feel a pain "attack" on the horizon I take a bit Marijuana, 'cause I often can avoid the morphine then.

As a abused drug, I don't like it, I know people who have destroyed their lifes smoking Marijuana, 'cause it let them to a much hard drug abuse - Which in some cases has let to an OD with a really bad exit (in which case death would have been/would be the easy way)

mipia, good for you. I know a few people who have kept on smoking even hwne they get bnad effects, or no effects at all.

Those 'only want to talk about pot' types drive me nuts. I normally lie to them and say I dont smoke. Besides the way that having a single subject is just boring as hell, I consider them to be a risk.....

'Gateway' drug theory. I'd be willing to bet that most, if not all of the people you have had die (or worse..yes, there is worse) due to ODs started on alcohol or cigarettes.

I know of several people who got nasty harder drug habits due to not being able to get weed (normally due to a 'weed drought' where supply is interrupted for various reasons). Which is just one reason why I think that cannabis should be legal..if people didnt have to get cannabis from drug dealers, there would be no weed droughts...and even if there was, the users wouldnt be associating with drug dealers who can and quite often do sell other drugs.

BTW I actually use cannabis as a painkiller as well sometimes (mainly migraines and back pain). Its one reason why I dont gop crazy on weed, I never know when I might want to use soem for pain relief, and if you've built up to much immunity it doesnt work that well as a painkiller. I cannot take opiates at all, they make me really sick. BTW, as someone who has known a lot of junkies, an aggressive reaction to morphine isnt that uncommon. Nasty effect though.

@cascade9 perhaps you right perhaps not, but for some it is still a stepping stone into something worse

All I know, is that all those substances are not for me, and if any child uses them, then the parents should be blamed. What I disagree with, is the fact, that some people benefit at the cost of others' suffering, be it corrupted administration, or second-hand smoking.

@kuser:) What about in the case where it is used as pain medc?

It is using the wrong tool for the job. It works, but it's the wrong tool.
It can be compared to fighting cancer by using chemotherapy.

how does one conclude what is or isn't the 'right tool for the job's?

It is any tool, that, when used, damages whatever it is being used on, at the same as fixing it. Just like chemotherapy damages healthy tissues and cells at the same as killing the harmful ones.

so what is the right tool in this case then?
I ask because I think you may be simplifying a matter.