Discussion about hot topics trending today

[Annoyed]

that's not the 5/4 ruling you should be worried about

No, it's the liberal court rulings we should be worried about.

However, that is being tended to.

I read that Trump is telling Feinstein and her liberal cronies in California to take a hike and is nominating 3 justices to the ultra-liberal 9th Circuit court out of California.

Dems fume as GOP advances Trump judicial picks during Senate recess

As Obama said, "Elections have consequences", and I am glad Trump and the Republicans are making the best of it.

[SoulReaver]

No, it's the liberal court rulings we should be worried about.

However, that is being tended to.

when your conservative courts rule that Jean Botham's killing was lawful (among other things) that's when the fun stuff will begin

[Chaka-Z0]

So weed is legal as of today in Canada.

About. damn. time. I can see lots of $$ coming our way.

[Annoyed]

NY State is going that way too. And I agree with it, with one caveat.
Under no circumstances should marijuana use be able to be used as an on-ramp to the welfare and social services benefits free-ride way, the way alcohol and other drugs are.

You get stoned and lose your job, don't expect anyone else to support you.

[Chaka-Z0]

NY State is going that way too. And I agree with it, with one caveat.
Under no circumstances should marijuana use be able to be used as an on-ramp to the welfare and social services benefits free-ride way, the way alcohol and other drugs are.

You get stoned and lose your job, don't expect anyone else to support you.

You don't believe people in difficulty should be eligible to Gov support? These welfare-leeches you talk about, if they had a damaging addiction to cannabis (which is rare, you can't get wrecked like alcohol or chemical drugs such as coke etc.) they had it way before it became legal so that's not going to be a new problem.

People smoked it then, smoke it now and will keep smoking it whether its legal or not. At least the dealers won't have monopoly on that market anymore, and if they don't mess up the pricing, I don't see why dealers would keep selling weed.

Personally, I'm glad because its going to kill the taboo, eventually, that many have considering cannabis on the same level than any other hard drugs or as a ''gateway'' drug.

[Annoyed]

You don't believe people in difficulty should be eligible to Gov support? These welfare-leeches you talk about, if they had a damaging addiction to cannabis (which is rare, you can't get wrecked like alcohol or chemical drugs such as coke etc.) they had it way before it became legal so that's not going to be a new problem.

People smoked it then, smoke it now and will keep smoking it whether its legal or not. At least the dealers won't have monopoly on that market anymore, and if they don't mess up the pricing, I don't see why dealers would keep selling weed.

Personally, I'm glad because its going to kill the taboo, eventually, that many have considering cannabis on the same level than any other hard drugs or as a ''gateway'' drug.

No, not in the case of addiction, if there really is such a thing. If you decide to put something in your body to get high with, and it destroys your ambition or your ability to hold a job, that's entirely on you, and the taxpayers should not have to pick up the tab for it.

I'm sorry, but I don't completely buy into the "addiction" theory. There is no disease on the fact of that earth that can physically force you to ingest or smoke something.

[Chaka-Z0]

No, not in the case of addiction, if there really is such a thing. If you decide to put something in your body to get high with, and it destroys your ambition or your ability to hold a job, that's entirely on you, and the taxpayers should not have to pick up the tab for it.

I'm sorry, but I don't completely buy into the "addiction" theory. There is no disease on the fact of that earth that can physically force you to ingest or smoke something.

People with a substance use disorder have distorted thinking, behavior and body functions. Changes in the brain’s wiring are what cause people to have intense cravings for the drug and make it hard to stop using the drug. Brain imaging studies show changes in the areas of the brain that relate to judgment, decision making, learning, memory and behavior control.

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-...t-is-addiction

Seems like you're overdue for an update on mental disorders, which is, a disease. Unless you're going to refute scientific proof that physical changes happens in the body of an addict? There is a mental and physical component to addiction.

[mad_gater]

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-...t-is-addiction

Seems like you're overdue for an update on mental disorders, which is, a disease. Unless you're going to refute scientific proof that physical changes happens in the body of an addict? There is a mental and physical component to addiction.

once they start using then yes.....I think what he's getting at is that there is no disease that destroys your free will...in other words there was nothing that forced them to actually start using to begin with...basically...if they'd said no and didn't start using then they wouldn't be having those detrimental changes occurring inside their bodies

[Annoyed]

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-...t-is-addiction

Seems like you're overdue for an update on mental disorders, which is, a disease. Unless you're going to refute scientific proof that physical changes happens in the body of an addict? There is a mental and physical component to addiction.

Yeah, I know, someone will say tinfoil hat.

But who stands to make a shiznitload of govt. provided money "treating" these so called diseases?

[Ian-S]

I wish the UK was as open minded as Canada, we have literally only just legalised pot for medical use, and a child had to almost die to get that, and it's very strict licensing, and to be honest we really only probably got that because the relatives of the MPs who made the decisions have shares in the only company licensed to grow pot in the uk.

I have a theory over the addiction of pot, when I was a lot lot younger we used to smoke it every so often, but we would only smoke it neat, weed only, no tobacco and never had any cravings etc. It was a case of "got any? Nope ok maybe another time"., one spliff would last five of us all evening, none of us got addicted to it.

About five years after my last spliff, I started smoking, and was instantly hooked, I continued to smoke for about 15 years until e-cigarettes became a thing, and I managed to stop totally this time last year. In the last 20 years, I've had one spliff, which is when I noticed the different way people smoke them now.

What I noticed was people nowdays start mixing pot in with tobacco, probably to save money because it's so expensive here (it's illegal durr), and there are people hooked everywhere - my theory is they are not addicted to the pot, but the nicotine in the tobacco, but a lot of people mistake that for addiction to pot, of the few people I know that do smoke it, the only one not addicted, aggressive or a headcase is the old codger who smokes it neat and doesn't add tobacco, every other person I know that smokes it is crazy and they mix it with tobacco.

But you try having a rational discussion with someone over whether pot is addictive of not, you can't because hardly anybody smokes it without mixing in tobacco to it nowdays, they look at me like I'm stark raving bonkers if I even suggest smoking pot neat.

[Chaka-Z0]

I wish the UK was as open minded as Canada, we have literally only just legalised pot for medical use, and a child had to almost die to get that, and it's very strict licensing, and to be honest we really only probably got that because the relatives of the MPs who made the decisions have shares in the only company licensed to grow pot in the uk.

Was exactly the same here before today. My best buddy's Dad hasn't been able to work in 15-20 years now, due to chronic pain diseases. The only thing that makes him feel better, on top of the hundreds of pills, is weed. His Doctor had told him that basically to have access to medicinal pot, he needed to have a prognosis. So if you're not going to die anytime soon, nothing for you. Needless to say he grew his own, understandably.

I have a theory over the addiction of pot, when I was a lot lot younger we used to smoke it every so often, but we would only smoke it neat, weed only, no tobacco and never had any cravings etc. It was a case of "got any? Nope ok maybe another time"., one spliff would last five of us all evening, none of us got addicted to it.

Pot is way down the scale in terms of addiction if you compare it to cigarette, you don't get withdrawal effects from pot unless you smoke an ounce a day. Some people get addicted to it, but not for the same reasons. You get addicted to pot because of the euphoria or relaxation effect you get (Pleasure addiction, just like some are addicted to porn for instance). You get addicted to cigarettes because of the chemicals in it (nicotine mainly).

I quit cigarettes for a year, and when I quit, I almost punched my boss for no reason.

What I noticed was people nowdays start mixing pot in with tobacco, probably to save money because it's so expensive here (it's illegal durr), and there are people hooked everywhere - my theory is they are not addicted to the pot, but the nicotine in the tobacco, but a lot of people mistake that for addiction to pot, of the few people I know that do smoke it, the only one not addicted, aggressive or a headcase is the old codger who smokes it neat and doesn't add tobacco, every other person I know that smokes it is crazy and they mix it with tobacco.

Never understood these folks, why would you waste a perfectly good joint with tobacco? And yes, I've known some people that became smokers because of this. But its different here, specifically in Quebec, we have (had?) the cheapest weed in the whole world. I recall as a kid I used to be able to get an ounce (28 grams) for 100$. In NYC, its about 20$ a gram if I'm not mistaken. But hey we don't go to jail if you're caught smoking, unless you're dealing. Before it was legalized, it was decriminalized, although if you got caught with quantities exceeding a certain amount, you still had a mark on your criminal record.

I just think its sad that the US repressive system actually creates criminals off them by imprisoning them. If they weren't criminals before, they had no choice but to become on to survive jail.

But you try having a rational discussion with someone over whether pot is addictive of not, you can't because hardly anybody smokes it without mixing in tobacco to it nowdays, they look at me like I'm stark raving bonkers if I even suggest smoking pot neat.

Don't let them tell you you're a ''bonker'' - They are amateurs, I do not know anybody personally that does that here. Most people, from what I remember, that used to do that said that it was less harsh on the throat.

[Annoyed]

Regarding addiction or not...
I smoked cigarettes for 24 years. They are supposedly one of the most addicting things out there. But I smoked because *I* chose to.
When the day came that I perceived the downsides to be greater then the upsides, I decided to quit.

So I did. I bought a box of the patches, started using them, and threw out my cigarettes. And then weaned myself off of the patch. Took about 2 months. But I never picked up another cigarette after that day. Yes, I had powerful cravings, it wasn't easy, but as I said above, there is no disease on the face of the earth that can physically force me to ingest or smoke something.

[Chaka-Z0]

Regarding addiction or not...
I smoked cigarettes for 24 years. They are supposedly one of the most addicting things out there. But I smoked because *I* chose to.
When the day came that I perceived the downsides to be greater then the upsides, I decided to quit.

So I did. I bought a box of the patches, started using them, and threw out my cigarettes. And then weaned myself off of the patch. Took about 2 months. But I never picked up another cigarette after that day. Yes, I had powerful cravings, it wasn't easy, but as I said above, there is no disease on the face of the earth that can physically force me to ingest or smoke something.

You can contract AIDS from having unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected individual. Did the disease, AIDS in that case, forced you to have sex?

Do you now realize how ridiculous your point is?

Also addiction is not a disease, it's a disorder. The disorder can create diseases (cancer, etc.). There's a difference, but physical aspects are involved as well. You said so yourself, it wasn't easy and you needed medication to go through it.

[Annoyed]

You can contract AIDS from having unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected individual. Did the disease, AIDS in that case, forced you to have sex?

Do you now realize how ridiculous your point is?

Do you realize your question doesn't even make sense? How could a disease which a person does not yet have force them to have unprotected sex and therefore contract the disease?

Also addiction is not a disease, it's a disorder. The disorder can create diseases (cancer, etc.). There's a difference, but physical aspects are involved as well. You said so yourself, it wasn't easy and you needed medication to go through it.

Disease, disorder, what are you a Philadelphia lawyer?

Maybe you're not familiar with the way it works here.

People start using something, and like it too much. They get fired or get into legal trouble as a result. Some head shrinker then declares them to be addicted to something. This makes them eligible for all sorts of government programs, and provides funding for yet more head shrinkers to treat the individual's "disease". The supposed "addict" gets free room, board and other things you normally have to go to work to earn, and a number of head shrinks get paid by the govt. I've known several people that have deliberately gamed this system in order to avoid having to work; they have it down to a science.

NY is probably going to legalize weed within the next year; Trump's tax reform package is going to force NYS to cut it's confiscatory tax rates, so in order to keep up their spending, they need the revenue. I have no problem with this. Allow people to use it, and use the tax revenue.

But under no circumstances should it be allowed to become another on ramp to the free-ride way.

Regarding my quitting smoking, yes, I used the patch to make it easier. But I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that it was merely an aid. I would have succeeded with or without, because I had decided to quit, and nothing could have forced me to pick up another cigarette. It was a matter of willpower, nothing more. A battle with my own mind, as it were. As evidence, I ask: How many people have tried and failed using patches and all the other aids to quitting smoking that exist?

[Chaka-Z0]

What about heroin addicts? Free Will is sufficient too?