legalization of cannabis and hemp

First of all, i would like to point out your interpretation of the "cocktail of drugs." Cannabis is not a cocktail of drugs, although it is known to have more than 66 other cannabinoids, which are a group of terpenophenolic compounds present in Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L) and occur naturally in the nervous and immune systems of animals. At the present time, there are three general types of cannabinoids: phytocannabinoids occur uniquely in the cannabis plant; endogenous cannabinoids are produced in the bodies of humans and other animals; and synthetic cannabinoids are similar compounds produced in a laboratory. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) are the most prevalent natural cannabinoids and have received the most study. Other than that, we simply don't know much more about the other 66 cannabinoids due to the lack of or improper research. Also the idea that cannabis can be considered both a depressant and a stimulant as well as a hallucinogen is absurd. It is classified as a psychoactive drug, which means it is a chemical substance that crosses the blood-brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior. The misconception that you and numerous other people have that cannabis can be all these different things can be related to the fact that not every person is the same and all chemicals ingested by any one person act in an abundance of ways, some I'm sure are still unknown or only guessed at. Saying that, i could say that alcohol does the same, more or less, depending on the individual and how certain chemicals react to the individual. "CHAPTER 1 Alcohol and Other Drugs". ISBN 0724533613. http://www.nt.gov.au.... It is also not well known to increase the risks of stroke or heart attack solely due to the increase in heart rate. Also, all of your cited sites state that these are incomplete and subjective studies, such as the teen depression link, which says, "The report, entitled "Teen Marijuana Use Worsens Depression: An Analysis of Recent Data Shows 'Self-Medicating' Could Actually Make Thing Worse," cites statistics to support its warning message, but experts are quick to note that it should be interpreted with caution. For example, the report's statement, "One 16-year study showed that individuals who were not depressed and then used marijuana were four times more likely to be depressed at follow-up," suggests marijuana MIGHT cause depression. That data from a 2001 study in the American Journal of Psychiatry was only statistically meaningful AFTER the researchers adjusted for variables including age, gender, and antisocial symptoms, suggesting a weaker relationship between depression and marijuana before adjustments were made. The study also showed that those who were not depressed when first surveyed and then used opioids were 228 times more likely to be depressed at follow-up—without any adjustments. That statistic was not mentioned in the Drug Control Policy's report today. "Adolescent marijuana use MAY be a factor that triggers psychosis, depression, and other mental illness," says Walters, acknowledging that "research about causality is still ongoing." In other words, in order for any of these findings to be truly informational, one must conduct a test of the use of tobacco and alcohol in such incidents as well. Another of your citations states that "The researchers caution that the study is preliminary and does not demonstrate that marijuana use causes the brain abnormalities." http://www.sciencedaily.com... And another piece of important information found in this site is the fact that this study was conducted on heavy users, in other words, abusers. This means that like all things abused, it can be very detrimental to your health. Don't make it illegal, let people know how to use it responsibly. I know that my opponent does not point out that either one is worse than the other, but wishes to be clear that both are a problem in society. The issue I have with that statement is that this is just an easy way out of ones problems. Saying that these are the reason society is messed up or are the cause of any social issues is simply saying that one is not able to say no to either substance. The problem in society is not these meager issues but a matter of a persons decision making. I may choose to become intoxicated, either by alcohol or cannabis, however how i choose to and when and where is why people get into any trouble using either one. We as a society don't hear about the people who responsibly utilize either substance to dull the pain of everyday life, instead we are bludgeoned by all the people who drink and drive and kill someone, or go to work impaired and lose their jobs because of it. If people were taught better early on they would make much better decisions in these situations, and know that it is not the substances that are to blame but ourselves for misusing them. Along these guidelines, one could argue that fast food and cars should be under prohibition. However, who will actually vote to abolish McDonald's or Taco Bell, or to take away everyone's car and force everyone to take public transportation with a healthy meal that they don't like on the basis that it is in society's best interest? I for one would not do that. Who can say what is good or bad for you better than yourself? Although I may not know everything, I want to learn as much as I can, to make my own decision and not rely on another persons opinion on what i should or should not do. I am not saying that we should legalize cannabis on the grounds that it is less toxic or less of a societal burden than alcohol or fast food or anything else that has the potential to be abused, I am saying that because it is able to intoxicate you and, once again, like many things has a potential for abuse, it should not be prohibited, but regulated. Yes prohibition brought alcohol consumption down and when it was gone it increased, that is only natural. But it was voted back in by the people in a democratic society who only want the liberty to chose to become intoxicated. And there are consequences to abusing alcohol, fines, jail time, loss of the driving privileges, etc. The same should be true of cannabis. I would say the same with all drugs, and maybe it should be, but we fight for cannabis because it IS known to have lower toxicity and levels of addiction compared to both the legal and other illegal substances, and because of this it should be the right and the responsibility of the individual to make the correct decisions regarding what they want to put in their body and when, not the governments.