I Think Recreational Weed Is Okay!

[SweetHomicidalQueen]

Lets legalize weed everywhere for recreational and medicinal use!

* Restrictions apply

I just believe weed is okay to use recreationally because...

- It helps panic attacks/anxiety

- It's calming

- Everyone has access to it already in some way

- The worst that would happen is a lot of junk food goes missing

- It's OK to share

I believe the restrictions on it though should be:

- Only people 18+ can buy
- You need a license to grow it (21+ can get the license)
- People who're 16-17 can smoke it, as long as there is someone 18+ supervising
- There's an Ounce/Pound limit someone can buy each week/month (i.e. only 1 pound a month etc)
- There can be taxes on it

I think weed should be legal like this (with restrictions) everywhere.

[CœurRosé]

I don't have any qualms about marijuana becoming legal. I think it would definitely help unclog American prisons. I also believe addicts should be treated with the same freedom as any other person but be required to become educated on rehabilitation and treated in GOVERNMENT-funded rehab centers.

The only thing I really have a problem with regarding your Take is your first reason why marijuana is okay. As someone who deals with an anxiety disorder and panic attacks that's worsened by weed, I can say that marijuana doesn't doesn't always help with anxiety. While not a hallucinogen on the level of LSD or shrooms, it still is one, and so it shouldn't be treated as a "quick fix" for anxiety - especially by someone without experience.

[Waffles731]

Sure why not. Its less harmful than cigarettes

[Josht11]

Not sure about the 16-17 rule there are lots of studies that show in young people weed can lead to mental disorders like schizophrenia.
www.rcpsych.ac.uk/.../cannabis.aspx
I'm not a scientist so I don't know when these effects basically are nil which is when people are older but 16 could definitely mean this. Stick to 18 that's when you can smoke cigarettes, join army and drink.

[SweetHomicidalQueen]

I just added that cause I've grown up around people who're pot heads since I was little and I know a lot about it

[Josht11]

I get that I just think that it could have harmful effects on the mental health of the youth at 16, plus I think it's basically accepted that 18 is when your truly old enough to be fully independent and use other drugs that are also damaging so just stick it to that would be best. I am for the legalization of weed aswell, although I'll probably never use it.

[Spiorad_Aisce]

Total disclaimer here - I know very little about weed and anytime I tried it I was already drunk which meant I didn't really notice anything. I am all for medicinal use but recreational use I would just say have an open mind both ways and listen to the research and studies into it to deem what is safe to use. I am sure a hundred years ago the thinking at the time is a few cigarettes a day wouldn't do anyone any harm and I wonder what would have been considered a safe amount of alcohol per day/week/month.
All I agree with the basic point of your take but with very strict control.

[Maxemeister]

This is a nice take!

And I'm gonna kindly disagree! I believe it should be only legalized medicinally, so it can be regulated, AND for research. Marijuana is HIGHLY known to be a gateway drug! For example, children that used gateway drugs such as these are 266 times more likely to start using heroin! For adults, that's 323!

There is a meth epidemic in the states! I do not want more methamphetamine users in America!

But then again we're all entitled to our opinions :)

Either that or tax the SHIT outta recreational weed. Get rich, get weed-getting difficult, and keep the government happy!

[astrOnaut01]

"It help panic attacks and anxiety" - Actually it can make it worse or trigger underlying mental illnesses (especially likely for those under 25) including, but not limited to, anxiety.

"It's calming" - For some. It affects everyone differently.

" Everyone has access.." - True, which is why I believe it should be legalised for medicinal purposes at least (although to be fair, I'm on the fence with recreational use)

"The worst that could happen..." - No, the worst that could happen is a cannabis-induced psychosis, as far as I know - www.rcpsych.ac.uk/.../cannabis.aspx

[26ukdude]

Lol at it helps panic attacks and anxiety. Actually its a well known fact it can cause them, weed made me a mess for several years and does the same to many others as well. Some even end up in hospital because of the damage it does to them.

You will see in a few years what it can do to people, unfortunately you are blissfully unaware of the dangers it can pose to mental health.

And before you say it, yes I know alcohol and smoking are bad, I never said they weren't...

[SweetHomicidalQueen]

everyone reacts to it differently, it's certainly helped my anxiety.
"unfortunately you are blissfully unaware of the dangers it can pose to mental health."
ok hun, my cousin and I both grew up around different people, but they were all pot heads. Trust me, I KNOW.

[astrOnaut01]

I completely agree, man. I am currently in this mess you speak of. I know for a fact that if I never smoked weed, I would excel tremendously and I wouldn't have such spotty mental health issues.

MyTake Owner, do you fully grasp *all* of the dangers cannabis can pose, especially on people with underdeveloped (I. e. Adolescent) brains? Because it really doesn't seem like it.

[26ukdude]

@astrOnaut01 I smoked it for 2 years between the ages of roughly 14 and 16. Then I had a very bad panic attack and I wasn't the same again, its like a switch had been flicked in my brain. I had more panic attacks and depersonalization/derelaization which lasted a couple of years. I did badly at school and had to be put on medication and have struggles with mental health issues ever since. I think the mytakeowner thinks she is more knowledgable than the scientists and psychiatrists that have done studies on this subject simply because no one she knows of has suffered (enough) ill health from it.

[astrOnaut01]

I'm sorry that cannabis affected you that way, I really do empathise with you. I guess I haven't reached that breaking point yet, but I can feel my mental state beginning to worsen. For example, I am becoming increasingly paranoid, and dependant on cannabis for happiness.

When I was OP's age, I would easily brush off any "anti-cannabis" study as propaganda, and any accusations of an addiction as ignorance, because I could "stop at any time" lmao. I would say that but would still smoke every day but that was only because "I felt like it".

[Prof_Don]

I have ZERO problems with recreational weed being the same legal age as alcohol in all nations. Of course there is more research needed for its long term effects but we DO know that it is a safer substance than alcohol, and alcohol is THE world's favorite drug.

[ThisDudeHere]

I wouldn't mind just trying it myself some time in the future. But of course only for the rare occasion and in very small doses. I have no intention of becoming addicted.

[Other_Tommy_Wiseau]

weed's not addictive, unless you're josh norman (american football reference...)

[ThisDudeHere]

@Other_Tommy_Wiseau I have no idea who that is.

[Other_Tommy_Wiseau]

yeah, i know. i wanted to make the reference anyways... anyways, he's an American football player... and a damn good one. like he's the type of guy who could be one of the best of all time at his position when he plays and can make $10 million a year, easily. well, the national football league (nfl) has a policy saying that you can't smoke weed... so what does the jackass do, get caught with weed. the 1st time is a warning, i think. the second time was like 4 weeks. the 3rd time he got caught (last year) and he got suspended the entire year. so his suspension is nearly up and about a week ago, he had a drug test and got caught with weed in his system, again. so chances are, he'll probably be suspended for another year. now, you might ask, "what's the big deal? it's just weed. it ain't addictive"... and that's true, which makes it more ridiculous that a guy is basically throwing away fame and tens of millions of dollars just to get high when he can, supposedly "quit when he wants" :/

[Other_Tommy_Wiseau]

josh gordon... my bad, not josh norman

i'll let my boy stephen a smith (the black dude) explain it, cause he has the best rants :D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cil7tOPh4qM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8Qvz1BhIXs

[astrOnaut01]

@Other_Tommy_Wiseau It is dishonest to say it is not addictive at all. It *can* be addictive.

[Other_Tommy_Wiseau]

@astrOnaut01 every pothead i've ever come across, including friends (my best friend can puff with the best of 'em) has said that it's not addictive i'm going off what they say. don't kill the messenger :P

[astrOnaut01]

@Other_Tommy_Wiseau But that's your own anecdotal evidence (not even yours, just what your friends say) and you're pushing it as definitive proof that it is not addictive at all.

100% of my pothead friends say they are not addicted as well, but actions speak louder than words. They get irritable and/or low moods if they don't get a smoke, they look forward to smoking more than anything, their relationships with each other are based on nothing but smoking weed/getting high.

Oh and I have my own first-hand experience being psychologically addicted to weed. But it is anecdotal evidence and you can only give me the benefit of the doubt, as I you.

So, how about you do some research instead of listening to what your friends say.

[astrOnaut01]

@Other_Tommy_Wiseau Read through this study. Verifiable evidence > Anecdotal evidence.

mcwell.nd.edu/.../

[Other_Tommy_Wiseau]

@astrOnaut01 I think you are overestimating how many fucks I give. I can't care less about this subject. The only reason I don't want it to be legalized is because I'm a cynical dickhead who likes seeing potheads get uppity over weed. If people say it's not addictive, then that's what I'm going on. If it is addictive, then people need to stop lying to themselves and get fucking help, but seeing how most people can quit cold turkey with virtually no effects, other than wanting to smoke, I'll go with the former for now. Either way it's still not nearly as addictive, both physically and mentally as most drugs, which is the point people make

[astrOnaut01]

@Other_Tommy_Wiseau that's why I say it *can* be addictive. It's not totally addictive, or at least not as addictive as other hard drugs, but we are not comparing. We are looking at cannabis on its own and it can have addictive effects on some people. It's intellectually dishonest to say it is not addictive at all and has no (long term and short term) negative effects

[Other_Tommy_Wiseau]

@astrOnaut01 ok, cool. you win. I literally don't give a shit

https://i.imgur.com/ILyHbuJ.jpg
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[astrOnaut01]

@Other_Tommy_Wiseau I think you're over-estimating how many fucks I give about how many fucks you give

[Other_Tommy_Wiseau]

@astrOnaut01
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[astrOnaut01]

@Other_Tommy_Wiseau I don't care about how much you don't care*

[Other_Tommy_Wiseau]

@astrOnaut01 I know. Which is why you kept explaining shit despite the fact that me not caring. If you can't jaw the hint, I'm done. And if you keep going at it, congratulations

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[Other_Tommy_Wiseau]

*get

[astrOnaut01]

@Other_Tommy_Wiseau I kept explaining shit when you kept stating shit. If you really didn't give a shit then why are you making statements? Now we seem to have gone on a pointless argument about much we give a fuck.

Let's just leave it now.

[Dipsy]

Smoke weed 'erryday

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;P

[Northeast106]

I agree. Luckily legalization has slowly started to happen, but with it legal in 4 U. S States, it's only a matter of time before the rest of the states want the tax revenue and market share.

[BambooforPanda]

Yeah this needs to just happen. Atm as far as I know trade policies with the US are holding up legalization in Canada right now.

[Ginnyweasley97]

Why not? Not any more dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes.

[Mustachekitteh]

There would be less debt in the world if they taxed the shit out of weed. :D

[joeb73]

i wish they would legalize it

[Badbone71]

Amen