@KKGator I'm not a conspiricy theorist, but I believe that the original scare campaigns and resulting legislation was due to the very powerful (at the time) lumber lobby, they were afraid that hemp was going to replace wood as a substitute for paper (and they were right!)

@RobCampbell It was the lumber lobby, newspaper barons, like William Randolph Hearst, and those who wanted a legal reason to deport Mexicans and imprison black people. There were quite a few factors that went toward criminalization of both hemp and marijuana. Two of the biggest factions in keeping it illegal on the federal level are Big Pharma and Law Enforcement. Both are making millions keeping it illegal.

@RobCampbell I read about that . They were also concerned that it would replace nylon , a new product that the oil industry wanted to market then . Lastly , they knew that those cultures that used it , used less tobacco & alcohol , 2 titans that no one other than big oil , could have a chance against .

I could have shown you a case nearly 20 years where I got so high I beat a bunch of Mac and cheese with a spoon. Ate it all up. No witnesses.
Haha

@NeoXerops sounds like a cereal killer I knew once

@Douglas Haha, I'm sure the Trip Rabbit and Cap'n Crunch had it coming.

I could, but it would be breaking HIPAA

@RushinroundWI are you going to tell me there weren't other substances being used, for real?

I get that you are on some sort of mission here . I will neither confirm nor deny anything but I have seen some bad stuff stemmed from unregulated weed only consumption. Let’s agreed to disagree and leave it at that! @Dida

I can’t disclose cases from my experience, however with Adolescent and young adult population I have seen severe psychosis cases stemming from use of weed only, from what we could tell based on the UDS results and reports. Use it if that’s what your choice as an adult but please do not share it with your children . That’s all and yes there’s hard evidence of earlier onset of schizophrenia with weed use. @Dida [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]

I don’t need to google it, I work in AODA. But you do you! Whatever works for you , hope you can vouch for the quality of it. @Captnron59

I don’t operate on hearsay but on the sound clinical evidence. That said, I’m not, by any means, are here to make any choices for you. I’m only making choices for myself. My choices are clear, no substances that alter my mind coming into my own body. As for schizo disorders, that’s the bag you don’t want to open with me, as well as any substance disorders. And you are right, people lie all the time, medical tests do not lie for the most part, and I’ve been around to know better as well when it comes to taking people at the face value. @Captnron59

@Stevil And we have a Pharma industry bent on keeping patients and growing new ones.

@Stevil , you'll be happy to know that New York State got a licence to grow hemp. The farm is about 60 miles away from me. They planted the seeds ( low THC, from Canada) last fall, under armed National Guard "protection. We will develop products that are viable ( meaning they can make money from it) and sustainable. Some farmers are really positive about this project, seeing that corn is not the way to make money , at least in NYS.

@Stevil And Switzerland developed the same policy right at the same time. And we like Switzerland. That's where all our money sits.

You're right.
Hell, not to long ago there was a mock up of a "weed cigarette" from Marlboro. (Pretty sure it was them)

That's a legitimate concern.

Rugglesby, if one believes the information that is given to the public (yes, I know that's always questionable), the cannabis currently being sold in legalized states is highly regulated for a variety of characteristics, and so far, it does not appear that the majority of suppliers are affiliated with the major tobacco companies, or cartels.

A good area for concern but given the level of present usage and the cottage industry that supplies it. I doubt if big tobacco would get away with the crap they put into stuff now. Too many people know whats good and whats not. Recent experiences of " legal " states in the US have found that market forces have driven up the quality of weed.

@273kelvin Not just big tobacco I was worried about. Say you have a good legal supplier, goof product, but someone buys them out, buys many of them out manage the market and so on. I am naturally suspicious.

@Captnron59 yes yes testing started back in the 80's didn't know about that then. Now retired so I don't have to worry.

@Fanburger I have serious doubt that Marijuana causes permanent brain damage. Certainly I would just hazard a guess that it does significantly less to the human brain than the equivalent dose of Ethyl Alcohol.

OK... about what I expected. This is from Scientific American:

    The Claim:

        Casual cannabis use harms young people's brains.

     The Facts:

         A study found differences in the brains of users and nonusers, 
        but it did not establish that marijuana use caused the variations 
        or that they had any functional significance.

I used to be a big stoner back about 25 years ago . Why do they have reserves for the word ?

@Douglas I don't know, I guess it is not used as much anymore.

The driving issue was my only hangup when the measure came up for vote. But, I voted for it when it dawned on me people were doing it already.

@Condor5 Was watching VICE channel and they did a before and after demonstration on a closed driving course with a driver in place next to the stoned person. It's something awful.
But you're right they're already doing it. And on every drug whose bottle says "Don't operate heavy machinery".

I think it's probably similar to alcohol, some people can handle it, some can't. That said, I don't condone driving under the influence.

@Stevil no, I don't recall ever seeing that.

@Knd502 they drive slower, anyway, right?

@Stevil That is a tolerance thing. Just like plenty of people on narcotics become tolerant and can drive well on what would make others drool. - State by State this has been interesting because Medical Marijuana pts pulled over for a tail light out have been prosecuted for driving while high. Even though they aren't functionally high.
Kind of looking forward to self driving cars.

I used to live in Maine when it was illegal , but I smoked it anyway . Then when my dad past away , I quit drinking & smoking everything . I don't have anything against it , I just decided to clean up then . I went back a few years later when it was authorized by one doctor for the entire state , & I lived around a lot of French stoners on the Northern Boarder that had to travel all the way Down East when the price of gas was almost $4 a gallon . My family talked me into coming back & getting a house here in WV. Not long after that , it was full blown legal up there . I wouldn't smoke it , but i wonder about what those snack treats would be like