Smoking

[DracIV]

Your market system is flawed. It has been proven that, on a massive scale (i.e. country or worldwide), drug usage weakens and eventually cripples economic progress. After the Opium Wars in China we should all know that. The only difference between smoking and other drugs is that smoking is old enough to slip past the ban laws and doesn't (totally) incapacitate the user.

[Unit000]

See, it would be so easy to kill off tobacco companies, you know...if they weren't a prime source of income for our government and they didn't have large shares and own pieces of just about everything. You have to think on the larger scale, these companies are absolutely MASSIVE and they spread their slimy tentacles out and grabbed a hold of agriculture, technology, etc. companies so that we couldn't just simply do away with tobacco companies without causing another great depression. If life was so simple, it'd be boring as hell.

[The_Q]

Actually, I've recently realized that it is not only feasable economically, but probably morally as well to legalize drug use. Yes, marijuana and cocaine, all that nasty crap you hear about in the news. Besides, unless I see proof of this stuff hurting the economy I won't believe it.

Now, that's for a whole different thread, so let's not get onto it again. It is a huge IF to say "they'd be easy to dethrown IF they didn't yada yada..." You could say it's easy to resurrect dinosaurs IF you get good enough DNA samples...but that's a huge if. Illegalization would also be insane. Did the Prohibition work? No. Why not? Loads of people like to drink. Loads of people like to smoke too. In my opinion, people would find "smoke easy's" quite easy to find and cigs would be even less unsanitary than before, as they'd be made IN PEOPLE'S BASEMENTS.

Q

[Porgy]

I fully support the legalization fo marijuana. Although I don't smoke it anymore on an economic standpoint its extremely beneficial as a cash crop to any country that grows it. Look to Canada as a test subject and see the results:

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/americas/09/04/canada.pot/index.html

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/1110/146_print.html

[Porgy]

While we are on the topic of smoking, what are your opinions on people who smoke because it's part of their culture? For instance, many muslims smoke shisha (flavored tobacco) out of large water pipes called hookahs. Their people have been smoking these since the days of anciant egypt. It's a part of their lifestyle. I happen to own a egyptian water hookah and smoke from it on a daily basis. Its a "social smoke." Remarks?

[Tasselfoot]

i love my hookah. bought it in Israel. only, they call the tobacco Narghila. its apart of most middle easern cultures.... it has none of the toxins that cigs have, no nicotine so it isn't addictive. yes, if you smoked it a ton, it would have similar effects to chewing tobacco or a pipe... but its so soothing to sit out on a balcony or porch and smoke some Apple-Mint Narghila. Narghila is the only thing i have ever smoked, and i don't plan on trying anything else.

[Porgy]

my fav combos are straberry daquiri with banana and also cola flavor with coca cola in the bowl (although the smoke is a bit harsher, the flavor is extremely intense which i enjoy). On the suggestion fo a friend of mine i tried it tonight with milk in the bowl as it is supposed to thicken the smoke but I quckly found out the heat froths the milk which pushes it up into the hose. I'm going to have to replace my hose now....

[Tasselfoot]

i sincerly hope the milk didn't spoil. and, that isn't too big of a cost to replace the hose. i'll have to pick up some cola tobacco to try out with coke.

[Porgy]

i think due to the fact it was frothing from the heat it was a little too warm to spoil *crosses fingers*. Yeah, i think a decent one goes from something like $12-$20. I wanted to get one of those plush velvety hoses anyways like all the stoners have on theirs. So purdy....

[Unit000]

I'm up for the legalization of marijuana with an age limit of at least 30...and it should be illegal to smoke it publicly. Since marijuana itself can't harm you, it's what you do while high which hurts people on marijuana. I dunno if it would work or not. I guess it's one of those things you just have to "See" about.

[Tasselfoot]

the rules in the Netherlands works well, IMO. you can't smoke in public. there are stores/cafe's where you can buy in moderation and sit and smoke legally. that is a good policy.

[Porgy]

ince marijuana itself can't harm you

um, any smoking hurts you. As a matter of fact its harsher on the lungs than cigarettes.

[Unit000]

Show me a study

[Porgy]

I could waste my time going and googling a study. or i could use simple knowledge of biology and chemistry. When you inhale marijuana you inhale smoke. Smoke contains carbon, more so than most cigarettes since most people smoke it unfiltered thru a pipe or a joint. Carbon in the lungs is what causes lung cancer. Its especially harmful when (as many pot smokers do) you hold it in your lungs as long as possible.

http://www.well.com/user/woa/fspot.htm

consult the paragraph about "Does Marijuana cause cancer".

[bladerunner627]

Ok, im gonna put this plain and simple. I beleive if you where smoking by me then I have the right to put the cigarrete out. Reason being, your hurting my lungs. Eather that, or a nice drop kick. Oh, btw I know I have bad grammar..