A trite observation on the legality of marijuana.

[Locut0s]

Thinking about the absurd US "drug war" the other day I couldn't help but be amused at the dichotomy that is our western laws surrounding cigarettes and pot.

Yes yes I know this is nothing new and has been said a billion times. I guess the sheer absurdity of it is so often overlooked that sometimes when it's brought back to light by some incident I can't help but talk about it.

Here we are sitting around trying to argue back and forth as to the health effects and morality of smoking pot. Whether it has any appreciable long term effect at all is debated back and forth (there is some evidence both ways). All the while decades of research and legislation has long ago brought to light the fact that cigarettes are not only unhealthy but one of the deadliest pastimes people can partake in on a daily basis.

Yet pot is the devil and corrupts infinitely and cigarettes are as acceptable as bottled water.

[Mz Pip]

1. I have no doubt that

the biggest push to keep pot illegal comes from the tobacco and alcohol lobbies. Less profits from cigs and booze if people are smoking something else.

[Lemonwurst]

2. I quit cigs 25+ years ago thanks to pot

No kidding. I was only 3-4 years into smoking, so it's not a fair example. But I never could mix the two (it would take hours after getting high to want a cigarette again), so I figured if I just got high a little more for a few months, goodbye cigarettes.

This is NOT a recommended technique, of course !! Back in the late 70's, a college kid could get away with looking (and being) high most of the time. Today, you'd look like an idiot.

But your point is well taken. We also won't have hemp products as long as the cotton industries have enough influence to suppress it. Given the choice, I'd say hemp could potentially be a bigger boon to the economy that recreational pot.

[Locut0s]

3. Well since I live in BC (CAN) my OP doesn't apply here quite as much...

It's still illegal here but it's almost in name only.

[drm604]

4. I'm not so sure about that.

They might be some of the first to sell it if it were legalized. Especially the tobacco companies, since they already have the necessary physical infrastructure.

[C......N......C]

5. Like pain pills, the pharmas push the opiate laws because it is

too cheap a solution for many people in real pain.

[Mz Pip]

6. Them too

medical marijuana seems to work for so many people. It's cheap and easy to obtain. Just grow the stuff. No need for fancy labs.

I've got arthritis and can't take the NSAIDs that work well for many people. I am tempted to try pot to see if it helps, but don't know how it would interact with other things I take.