Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

View Poll Results: Which drug is the most harmful when used regularly?
Marijuana	0	0%
Alcohol	7	31.82%
Tobacco	3	13.64%
None of them are harmful	0	0%
All of them are harmful.	12	54.55%
I'm not sure.	0	0%
Voters: 22. You may not vote on this poll

earth_as_one

#1Dec 22nd, 2011

Public poll above:

...Of the poll's 800 respondents, 59 per cent said they believe regular marijuana use is less harmful than regular alcohol use. It also found that 54 per cent believe marijuana is neither dangerous nor addictive. Moreover, 51 per cent said they do not think marijuana is a gateway drug that could lead to the use of other dangerous drugs like heroin...

Do you consider regular marijuana use more harmful than regular tobacco or alcohol use? How often, and how much, constitutes regular use for any of these substances? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

CBC poll:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity...r-alcohol.html

petros

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Chocolate is the great gateway drug. Bow to your dark lord the cocoa bean.

earth_as_one

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

I agree all three are harmful. But I picked tobacco as the most harmful based on tobacco related deaths.

dumpthemonarchy

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Stoners tend not to be fighters. Look at the bar scene on a Saturday night.

I'd like to grow some pot on my patio and sell it to a wholesaler who would take it away to be processed when its ripe. My patio gets to 100 F in the summer for a few weeks. I could make a few hundred bucks easily but the risk of a break in doesn't make it worth it.

Colpy

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Of course, all drugs are harmful, alcohol, tobacco and marijuana are obviously harmful.

If you want to see how damaging to the mind marijuana is, just watch this space and take note of the foaming-at-the-mouth dopeheads screaming incoherently at the very suggestion that their precious (which is just so not addictive in any way) has any fault whatsoever.

its hilarious.

BTW, I smoked dope daily for close to 25 years, and I think it should be legal.

That does NOT mean I am deluded enough to think it is harmless.

earth_as_one

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

I agree that people would be better off drug free.

petros

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by Colpy

Of course, all drugs are harmful, alcohol, tobacco and marijuana are obviously harmful.

If you want to see how damaging to the mind marijuana is, just watch this space and take note of the foaming-at-the-mouth dopeheads screaming incoherently at the very suggestion that their precious (which is just so not addictive in any way) has any fault whatsoever.

its hilarious.

BTW, I smoked dope daily for close to 25 years, and I think it should be legal.

That does NOT mean I am deluded enough to think it is harmless.

There are some who shouldn't smoke dope just like some shouldn't drink. Pill poppers and powder people can go screw themselves.

Goober

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by earth_as_one

I agree all three are harmful. But I picked tobacco as the most harmful based on tobacco related deaths.

Not many people smoking 3 packs of joints a day. God you think things out so well.

JLM

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

And drinking milk is the most harmful because ALL the victims of each of these substances had been found to be drinking milk prior to the substance use.

Tonington

#10

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by earth_as_one

I agree that people would be better off drug free.

Go burn every piece of music you own. Or at least a good portion of it.

Goober

#11

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by earth_as_one

I agree that people would be better off drug free.

Judging by how you turned out I think you make a positive case in favor of drug use. Just a personal opinion.

Ron in Regina

#12

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Do I consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Answering the title literally (like purchasing and possession),
then yeah....I guess it would be. Currently one is legal, and
one is not.

Daily use of either is pretty dumb, but I think the dope would
be least harmful....if I had to choose one.

Retired_Can_Soldier

#13 Top Rated Post

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

IMO There are two types of personalities. People who can indulge in drug use like alcohol and cannabis socially and still maintain a normal lifestyle and people who have a predisposition to addiction who should steer clear of mind altering substances.

I don't buy the gateway argument.

If you are an addictive personality you will graduate to harder drugs.

Most people outgrow smoking up regularly or power drinking.

JLM

#14

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by Retired_Can_Soldier

IMO There are two types of personalities. People who can indulge in drug use like alcohol and cannabis socially and still maintain a normal lifestyle and people who have a predisposition to addiction who should steer clear of mind altering substances.

I don't buy the gateway argument.

If you are an addictive personality you will graduate to harder drugs.

Most people outgrow smoking up regularly or power drinking.

Outside of what I've seen drugs do to other people I really have no knowledge of the workings of them. With alcohol I would say addictioin only happens to a low percentage (Maybe 5-10%) I have no idea what the addiction rate is for drug use. Can someone clue me in? I know years ago we were led to believe once you started you were immediately addicted, but I rather doubt that is true.

Retired_Can_Soldier

#15

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by JLM

Outside of what I've seen drugs do to other people I really have no knowledge of the workings of them. With alcohol I would say addictioin only happens to a low percentage (Maybe 5-10%) I have no idea what the addiction rate is for drug use. Can someone clue me in? I know years ago we were led to believe once you started you were immediately addicted, but I rather doubt that is true.

Well I don't look at cannabis the same way as I look at Meth or Crack or Heroin. Those are highly addictive and if one is stupid enough to shoot it, snort it or smoke it they will likely become addicted. Pot or alcohol might be a factor in this, but at a very low percentage where an addictive personality is involved.

gopher

#16

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Cannabis = God's gift to humanity.

Our Saviouress Seshat:

Ron in Regina

#17

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by gopher

Cannabis = God's gift to humanity.

Our Saviouress Seshat:

Uhm....I'm think'n that's not what you think it is. The pic
looks Egyptian, and dope is a new world (across the
atlantic) thing, wasn't it?

Unless there was ocean going trans-Atlantic trade going
down between these continients a couple thousand years
back....but....maybe there was.

???

???

Cliffy

#18

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

The Arabic people have been smoking hashish for thousands of years. Pot has been used as a medicine for longer than that in just about every part of the world. If it had an origin, it might have been Atlantis or Lemuria. There may have been one strain indigenous to America, perhaps Indica, but I believe Sativa originated in India. Back in the day, I smoked pot and hash from all over the world, but two stood out as being incredibly refined: Nepalese Temple Hash and Moroccan Hash (not the crap that made it here - it was at least 50% camel dung, but the stuff they smoked).

dumpthemonarchy

#19

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 22nd, 2011

Stop the Violence BC, an organisation of police, medical professionals and academics says the war on drugs has been a failure. So legalise, regulate and tax it.

--

talloola

#20

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 23rd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by JLM

Outside of what I've seen drugs do to other people I really have no knowledge of the workings of them. With alcohol I would say addictioin only happens to a low percentage (Maybe 5-10%) I have no idea what the addiction rate is for drug use. Can someone clue me in? I know years ago we were led to believe once you started you were immediately addicted, but I rather doubt that is true.

you pretty well nailed it for me too JLM, don't have a clue about drug use, not interested, don't even think
about it and never will, but the world is in a terrible mess because of drug use, that is enough for me to know how damaging it is, and addicts will get the money for their drugs anyway, anyhow, irrespective of who
it hurts.

yes, for the 'few' who cannot drink responsibly. families can be ruined, emotional problems for
spouses and children and the lack of money for everyday living expenses, same thing as drugs, alchoholics
will get the money from anyone, anytime as 'they' come first.

tobacco is risky to the health of the user, but doesn't really harm anyone else if smoker uses his habit away
from others.
so, I do not consider tobacco as harmful as drugs and alchohol.

I consider drug use riskier because it affects the whole country because of the crime deaths, gangs,
drug lords, smuggling, and generally makes people involved look weak and miserable, and the suppliers look
greedy, and a detrement to the good of the country, and a drain on the police force, and dangerous to
the innocent because of break n entry and general theft to obtain money for drugs.

Cannuck

#21

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 23rd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by Cliffy

The Arabic people have been smoking hashish for thousands of years. Pot has been used as a medicine for longer than that in just about every part of the world. If it had an origin, it might have been Atlantis or Lemuria. There may have been one strain indigenous to America, perhaps Indica, but I believe Sativa originated in India. Back in the day, I smoked pot and hash from all over the world, but two stood out as being incredibly refined: Nepalese Temple Hash and Moroccan Hash (not the crap that made it here - it was at least 50% camel dung, but the stuff they smoked).

Some people used to "bleed" sick people to get rid of the badness. I get a kick out of the idea that because ancient people did something, it must be inherently good or wise.

CDNBear

#22

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 23rd, 2011

Bleeding an infected wound is still an excellent remedy.

The powder off Birch bark is still an antiseptic pain killer. Wood cutting boards are better, because wood contains natural antiseptics.

That's just the tip of the iceberg.

I get a kick out of people that think because science usurped ancient remedies, it somehow negates ancient remedies.

earth_as_one

#23

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 23rd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by Ron in Regina

Do I consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Answering the title literally (like purchasing and possession),
then yeah....I guess it would be. Currently one is legal, and
one is not.

Daily use of either is pretty dumb, but I think the dope would
be least harmful....if I had to choose one.

Good point about the law. If you factor in the increased risk of harm due to marijuana laws, then yes I'd agree marijuana is more harmful than tobacco or alcohol... by far. Users buy from criminals and support criminal activity which include violence in the form of turf wars and theft. Who are you going to complain to is someone robs you of your marijuana? The law also puts people's careers at risk, interferes with travel...

However if we decriminalize it, we will still have plenty of legal problems which will have to be regulated and diplomatic issues with the US which will have to be resolved first.

Quote: Originally Posted by JLM

Outside of what I've seen drugs do to other people I really have no knowledge of the workings of them. With alcohol I would say addictioin only happens to a low percentage (Maybe 5-10%) I have no idea what the addiction rate is for drug use. Can someone clue me in? I know years ago we were led to believe once you started you were immediately addicted, but I rather doubt that is true.

Drug classification rethink urged

By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News

The entire article is worth reading.
--

I'm not so sure I agree with the relatively light weighting of LSD and Solvents.... I'd like to see the rationale on that. Anyone else challenge the above chart?

Also as Ron pointed out, if you take into account the effect of laws, legally accessible drugs like alcohol and tobacco would become less risky compared to the illegal prohibited ones.

taxslave

#24

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 23rd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by JLM

And drinking milk is the most harmful because ALL the victims of each of these substances had been found to be drinking milk prior to the substance use.

I can also prove that breathing causes causes ALL addictions.
Of far more concern than pot is the number of people that are dependent on various drugs that Big Pharma pushes and the damage caused by them both to individual health and as a cost to society.
I heard a really dumb story yesterday that sort of falls into Colpy's domain. A fellow firefighter is a security at NGH. Many times people leave emrg or day surgery with a healthy dose of morphine or other narcotic and hop in their car to drive home. The security staff has no authority to stop them , all they can do is call 911 and report the driver if they manage to get the license number. Several have had accidents within sight of the hospital. I don't know if this is only in B.C. or Canada wide but it seems dumb and dangerous to me.

earth_as_one

#25

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 23rd, 2011

Regarding marijuana... its habit forming, which is similar to physically addictive. It can trigger drug induced schizophrenia for some people. Its associated with increased cancers of throat and brain, but not lungs unless associated with tobacco. Its reduces slightly the risk of heart attack and stroke. Mostly anecdotal evidence suggests that marijuana can alleviate or reduce the symptoms of a variety of diseases. Active ingredients in Marijuana, known collectively as cannabinoids may have medical/pharmacological uses:

...cannabinoids met with various results in controlled trials, and their success in opioid-induced nausea remains anecdotal. Limited studies suggest that tetrahydro-cannabinol (dronabinol) may be of utility in nausea of certain etiologies, including that associated with chemotherapy, human immuno-deficiency virus therapy, and gastrointestinal malignant metastases. Opioid-induced nausea has not been directly studied with this agent. Antiemetic dosages may be considerably higher than those for appetite stimulation and may limit the drug's use secondary to tolera-bility...
--

>>>>
...the amelioration of nausea and vomiting, stimulation of hunger in chemotherapy and AIDS patients, lowered intraocular eye pressure (shown to be effective for treating glaucoma), as well as gastrointestinal illness. Its effectiveness as an analgesic has been suggested—and disputed—as well... ...Synthetic cannabinoids are available as prescription drugs in some countries. Examples are Marinol (The United States and Canada) and Cesamet (Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States)... ...While utilizing cannabis for recreational purposes is illegal in many parts of the world, many countries are beginning to entertain varying levels of decriminalization for medical usage, including Canada, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, Israel, Italy, Finland, and Portugal. In the United States, federal law outlaws all use of herb parts from Cannabis, while some states have approved use of herb parts from Cannabis as medical cannabis in conflict with federal law. The United States Supreme Court has ruled in United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Coop and Gonzales v. Raich that the federal government has a right to regulate and criminalize cannabis, even for medical purposes.

A person can therefore be prosecuted for a cannabis-related crime even if it is medical cannabis that is legal according to the laws of this state...
--

Last edited by earth_as_one; Dec 23rd, 2011 at 10:03 AM..

JLM

#26

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 23rd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by taxslave

I can also prove that breathing causes causes ALL addictions.
Of far more concern than pot is the number of people that are dependent on various drugs that Big Pharma pushes and the damage caused by them both to individual health and as a cost to society.
I heard a really dumb story yesterday that sort of falls into Colpy's domain. A fellow firefighter is a security at NGH. Many times people leave emrg or day surgery with a healthy dose of morphine or other narcotic and hop in their car to drive home. The security staff has no authority to stop them , all they can do is call 911 and report the driver if they manage to get the license number. Several have had accidents within sight of the hospital. I don't know if this is only in B.C. or Canada wide but it seems dumb and dangerous to me.

I'm not sure that all these cases can be attributed to Big Pharma, I remember one or more instances after my wife underwent a procedure she was told in no uncertain terms by the doctor NOT to drive. I'd say a person who drives under the influence of morphine is 100% to blame.

taxslave

#27

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 23rd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by talloola

you pretty well nailed it for me too JLM, don't have a clue about drug use, not interested, don't even think
about it and never will, but the world is in a terrible mess because of drug use, that is enough for me to know how damaging it is, and addicts will get the money for their drugs anyway, anyhow, irrespective of who
it hurts.

yes, for the 'few' who cannot drink responsibly. families can be ruined, emotional problems for
spouses and children and the lack of money for everyday living expenses, same thing as drugs, alchoholics
will get the money from anyone, anytime as 'they' come first.

tobacco is risky to the health of the user, but doesn't really harm anyone else if smoker uses his habit away
from others.
so, I do not consider tobacco as harmful as drugs and alchohol.

I consider drug use riskier because it affects the whole country because of the crime deaths, gangs,
drug lords, smuggling, and generally makes people involved look weak and miserable, and the suppliers look
greedy, and a detrement to the good of the country, and a drain on the police force, and dangerous to
the innocent because of break n entry and general theft to obtain money for drugs.

It is not so much the drug use that is damaging but the illegality that causes so many problems. Drug addiction is a disease , probably genetic and should be treated as such. Treating addiction as a criminal matter came about because someone made big bucks out of it . On both sides of the law.

earth_as_one

#28

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 23rd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by taxslave

I can also prove that breathing causes causes ALL addictions.
Of far more concern than pot is the number of people that are dependent on various drugs that Big Pharma pushes and the damage caused by them both to individual health and as a cost to society.
I heard a really dumb story yesterday that sort of falls into Colpy's domain. A fellow firefighter is a security at NGH. Many times people leave emrg or day surgery with a healthy dose of morphine or other narcotic and hop in their car to drive home. The security staff has no authority to stop them , all they can do is call 911 and report the driver if they manage to get the license number. Several have had accidents within sight of the hospital. I don't know if this is only in B.C. or Canada wide but it seems dumb and dangerous to me.

This is the same problem with working at a bar vs drinking and driving. Usually hospital staff give instructions regarding driving and getting home.

People should have to surrender their keys in order to get access to drugs that affect their ability to operate a motorized vehicle. Until they pass a test, they don't don't get their keys back:

DUI test almost passed - YouTube

taxslave

#29

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 23rd, 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by earth_as_one

This is the same problem with working at a bar vs drinking and driving. Usually hospital staff give instructions regarding driving and getting home.

People should have to surrender their keys in order to get access to drugs that affect their ability to operate a motorized vehicle. Until they pass a test, they don't don't get their keys back:

DUI test almost passed - YouTube

One would think.

earth_as_one

#30

Re: Do you consider marijuana riskier than alcohol or tobacco?

Dec 23rd, 2011

I'd like to see the laws changed.

I'm against advertising or promoting drug use in any form... including alcohol and tobacco. In general people are better off without drugs. Parents should be able to protect their children from advertising which promotes drug use.

I support addict access to pharmaceutical grade drugs... under controlled circumstances. Each drug would have to be treated differently. I don't want a desperate heroine addict in my face looking for drug money at 6:30 AM as I'm heading for a metro station in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago. I want that person to be somewhere warm and drug induced comfortable. I'd support paying for it out of my taxes. I'm not sure how drugs like cocaine and amphetamines should be controlled... But I support addict access, maybe in a locked facility which sort of resembles a bar/rave club with tight security. While getting in would be voluntary, leaving would certainly require passing tests.

Canada would have to practice exit control for people traveling to the US. We'd need an agreement for them to hand over Canadians to Canadian authorities. In exchange we'd hand over Americans to American authorities...

Basically what I would support would be a "least harm" approach, which would require government, criminal/justice, medical and scientific joint management of our drug problems, which includes legal recreational and prescription drugs.

Last edited by earth_as_one; Dec 23rd, 2011 at 10:23 AM..

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