Would Marijuana Legalisation Lead to Domestic Terrorism?

Source: Times Online

Spoiler:

Quote :: Marijuana legalisation debate in California ignited by home-made bomb
Chris Ayres in Los Angeles

As far her neighbours in the Los Angeles suburb of Lake Elsinore were concerned, Rebecca Kuzelka, 55, was an ordinary mother who ran a children’s day-care centre from her home. That was before 11.30pm on Wednesday when the bomb went off.

Residents on the quiet, tree-lined street in Riverside County later told police that they thought the loud bang was a thunderstorm. In reality Ms Kuzelka’s son, Benjamin, 23, had been making explosives, and had blown off one of his hands in an accident.

When police searched the house they found not only a stockpile of home-made bombs but also a small-scale commercial marijuana farm. An investigation into potential links with organised crime is under way.

The case is one of many that have resulted in the Los Angeles authorities losing patience with the semilegal status of marijuana in California — even amid efforts by supporters of the drug to make it fully legal in the state through a “ballot initiative” in 2010. One California assemblyman, Tom Amino, has even proposed taxing California’s pot trade, a move that could raise $1.3 billion (£800 million) for the near-bankrupt state in the first year.

While the farming and distribution of marijuana for medical use has been tolerated in California since the 1990s, it remains a crime under federal law. During the Bush Administration this frequently led to clashes between local police and the FBI, with the latter raiding dispensaries even though they were technically authorised by the state. President Obama vowed to end this stand-off, saying that “federal resources shouldn’t be used to circumvent state laws”. Steve Cooley, the Los Angeles County District Attorney, has different ideas.

He argues that the vast majority of LA’s 800 or so dispensaries are now purely commercial operations, often providing cover for organised crime. This week he declared that virtually all of them were illegal, even under state law.

Mr Cooley’s hardline policy is based on a recent Supreme Court decision that he interprets as concluding that “over-the-counter” sales of marijuana are illegal. Owners of such dispensaries have been known to make as much as $2 million a year, and often boost revenues by selling humorously branded snacks and drinks such as Pot Tarts, Munchy Ways and Toka-Cola.

Supporters of legalisation are exasperated at the crackdown and argue that it will cause medical users to suffer and the drug back underground.

Ms Kuzelka and her two sons have been arrested on suspicion of manufacturing explosives, growing marijuana, and child endangerment.

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What am I supposed to comment on here? Legalize pot!

It's the absurdity of the article itself. This family was growing weed and they also happened to be making explosives. Reaction? The anti-marijuana crowd is claiming that it leads to domestic terrorism. Suspect

Everything leads to domestic terrorism. If anything, I'd think that pot leads to a more relaxed group of individuals. They're too hungee to be abusive.

Well, quite the opposite according to the federal government. Of course, their statistics have been called into questions or juts flat-our disproven in clinical studies, but we'll ignore that. Marijuana is baaaad.

Hey, marijuana contributed in a large way to killing my uncle. I'm not a fan.

That's an interesting case. What happened, if you don't mind me asking?

My uncle got brain cancer from smoking cigarettes and weed. He smoked a LOT of it. Died when he was in his late 40's or early 50's. a couple years ago now. When he was in the hospital, he was hallucinating to the point where he was trying like hell to light imaginary joints in his hands and freaking out on people that visited.

Wow, THC isn't a hallucinigen, so it's very probable that it's something else that caused the hallucinations. The cancer, I can't really say, but that's more likely to be from the tobacco than anything else.

I've done a lot of studying on the medicinal properties of the plant itself. It's actually less harmful than say, drinking alcohol. Very Happy

I believe the cancer damaged a part of his brain that handled the way he perceived things around him, and that caused his "hallucinations." I'm not sure if that was a technical term used by the doctors or not. Mom just told me he was trying to imaginary joints.

You know, it is possible for weed to grow mold on it if left in a dark/damp environment for too long (similar to bread).

If he ever smoked weed with mold on it, the mold could cause hallucinations or long-term damage, but that's just a matter of upkeep.

I adamantly stand by the fact that marijuana is a less harmful vice than cigarettes or alcohol. Smile

Nooblet Posts : 21 Reputation : 1 Join date : 2009-10-09

You can tell a marijuana user by how strongly they support that its safe to use ;D

Though I'm not a stoner, I've seem a lot of research showing its safe. Most of what i've learned is that its the fact that you burn it is whats the most harmful. In the same way its like cigarettes, your inhaling smoke. Inhaling too much of any smoke is harmful.

So in short, stick to stuff like pot brownies. Its the combination of the 2 things stoners love the most, mj and food. Smile

Though on legalization, I would think its fine but the use of marijuana would need to be handled like the use of anything that affect your perception. Like alcohol, don't be under the influence while driving or handling dangerous machinery. You know who I'm refering too with this statement. >.>

Vaporizers work too if you're worried about smoke inhalation itself.

Would marijuana legalization lead to domestic terrorism?

Of course it would!

Everything does!

Buying too much fertilizer makes you a terrorist.

Eating too much makes you a terrorist.

You just have to word it correctly, and use proper imagery.

I hope no one here honestly believes that WEED caused the hallucinations. Your uncle had BRAIN CANCER (which I am VERY sorry happened, btw). That opens up a whole slew of options for why he would hallucinate. Weed and cigarettes don't cause tactile hallucinations like cocaine or amphetamine use.

And there is no peer reviewed research proving that weed causes cancer. So if the doctor said it was the cause, he made that shit up on his own and the medical world would frown on him. Research has to be peer reviewed before accepted as fact.

My grandpa had BAD hallucinations before he passed away so I know how unpleasant it is to watch someone go through this.

In the end, it was a sad experience but sadly, people like to find justification in everything. Could be because of the cigarettes or they could have simply been blamed.

And for the record, Ewal, just because people support how safe it can be, doesn't mean they are pot heads. Its called doing research and not being close minded. ;P My medical terminology teacher from England was vehemently FOR pot use.

If some of this makes no sense, I apologize in advance... I'm still half-awake. Razz

Nooblet Posts : 21 Reputation : 1 Join date : 2009-10-09

hoodsey wrote:: I hope no one here honestly believes that WEED caused the hallucinations. Your uncle had BRAIN CANCER (which I am VERY sorry happened, btw). That opens up a whole slew of options for why he would hallucinate. Weed and cigarettes don't cause tactile hallucinations like cocaine or amphetamine use.

And there is no peer reviewed research proving that weed causes cancer. So if the doctor said it was the cause, he made that shit up on his own and the medical world would frown on him. Research has to be peer reviewed before accepted as fact.

My grandpa had BAD hallucinations before he passed away so I know how unpleasant it is to watch someone go through this.

In the end, it was a sad experience but sadly, people like to find justification in everything. Could be because of the cigarettes or they could have simply been blamed.

And for the record, Ewal, just because people support how safe it can be, doesn't mean they are pot heads. Its called doing research and not being close minded. ;P My medical terminology teacher from England was vehemently FOR pot use.

If some of this makes no sense, I apologize in advance... I'm still half-awake.

You overlooked a lil something in your sleepiness. Note the bolding. "You can tell a marijuana user by how strongly they support that its safe to use ;D",
That was mainly a jab at Matt since he seemed like he was getting overly defensive. Smile

anyway some sorta examples...
A supporter: Naw, it's safe to use.
A supporter and user: How dare you! It's safer than air! Here's research to prove it!
A person against it: It is the devil! It will kill you! Jesus told me so!

My teacher was strongly for it but not a user. xD But probably because her son had liver damage from some narcotics. So she always made a point about how she wished he chose to smoke herb instead.

Well, until this whole weed thing is fixed and legal, I'm sticking to good ol' vodka.

Straight. (don't mix it with anything)

Stolichnaya, or Kalashnikov vodka.

I like my vodka with lemonade! Mmmm.... Vodka lemonade... Otherwise, just beer me.

Ick, can't handle any hard alcohol anymore. Got so sick last Christmas. Not to mention... I was on vicodin for a while because of my knees. Vicodin plus alcohol makes for happy stomach ulcers! lol
Only alcohol I drink anymore is beer. And sometimes a daiquiri.

Oh yeah!? Well I drink a gallon vodka whenever I take my 2 pills made of solid crack!

Oh yeah!? Well, Crown Royal makes me grab men's genitals.

Redtailedboa wrote:: Oh yeah!? Well, Crown Royal makes me grab men's genitals.

Oh yeah!? Well, breathing AIR makes me grab my own genitals at random!

You guys are a bunch of women. How about you do a mans drug like crystal meth.mmmm Very Happy

Raikage wrote:: You guys are a bunch of women. How about you do a mans drug like crystal meth.mmmm

Naw man. Come talk to me when you take LSD suppositories.