Cannabis, Tobacco and Alcohol Use - Comparing risks of harm and costs to society

she's my main squeez, she make's make's me feel all right, she make's my heart sing.

Marijuana is illegal because it promotes a feminine, pacifistic lifestyle. That's BAD for a capitalist market. Alcohol on the other hand makes people extremely competitive, promotes masculinity etc so forth. It's not about 'fair' it's about the continued prosperity of the economy and our position as the world superpower. All superpowers in history have enacted similar restraints on their people to promote their desired 'standard of living' to the masses. Freedom of thought, freedom of expression they're dangerous to the status quo.

I may point out I do not use alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana! But I'm sure as shit not going to come down to where you work and slap the joint out of your mouth. Because I believe in fucking AMERICAN FREEDOM BY GOD! *in my most Oklahoman tone* *salutes flag* *eagle tear*

I like them quotes ya got.

Except that Barack Obama stated in the same breath that legalizing was not on his agenda.

Also, I've seen those quotes often all in the same place. I'm not judging the authenticity, rather one's CTRL + C , CTRL V practice.

...Freedom Hater.

how does your unsupported personal opinion lead to that conclusion?

Years spent smoking every kind of cigarette imaginable, and a breadth of experience with the tobacco industry. Go ahead and get your wagging finger ready to scream how bias that makes me. I don't care.

You presume a lot based on me asking a simple question. I didn't offer an opinion of my own so you really should have no reason to be so defensive towards me. Anyways since you have already stated you're biased, and you don't care I'm pretty much satisfied. Thanks.

how exactly would legalizing cannibis make it just as dangerous as tobacco?
oh, and before you say i'm just a stupid biased stoner, i'm straight edge, and i still understand that there is no reason that marijuana should be illegal.

Tobacco, by itself, is a relatively safe commodity to smoke. Commercializing the product and introducing government mandated preservative chemicals subjects the product to harboring of carcinogenic particles that makes the end product more structurally stable, but less safe for the consumer.

The government WILL place the same regulations on marijuana, should it ever become legalized.

So you think that if you start regulating marijuana that people will somehow start dyeing of multiple health issues that were never before related to marijuana use?
It never ceases to amaze me the lies that legalization opponents will tell and the lengths that they will go to in order to continue there assault on the personal freedoms of Americans.

"So you think that if you start regulating marijuana that people will somehow start dyeing of multiple health issues that were never before related to marijuana use?"

No, what the fuck are you talking about? Should marijuana become a legal and marketed commodity, you will see people developing health issues extremely similar to those seen in lifetime cigarette smokers. How can you not see this?

ccco - "organic" and natural tobacco products are on the market, and that's certainly a possibility for marijuana, should the time come, but the trouble is that it's far easier and less expensive to make mass produced products that adhere to more stringent government regulations. Natural products like (in the tobacco world) American Spirit and Nat Sherman are much, much more expensive.

because tobacco and marijuana are not the same... that's the point of this study. the health risks are negligible especially in comparison to two other harmful and widespread substances. if marijuana had a major negative health effect we would know by now. millions of people smoke daily for years. it didn't take billions of dollars in research to know that coke and heroin will kill you. the deaths spoke for themselves. as far as marketing it as a commodity and controlling it goes, if people have a problem with it they can just grow their own. even middle school kids can do that with just a lamp and a closet...

The government WILL place the same regulations on marijuana, should it ever become legalized.

I'm so sure people wouldn't just grow their own or go to all the coffee shops and marijuana clubs that would spring up and get it fresh. No preservatives needed.

Why can't you people understand that if marijuana is legalized, it will be subjected to the SAME regulatory practices that tobacco products experience, and will be just as (non)dangerous as it already is?

Oh that's right, because you're all dickheads all the time.

The problem with this is that most of those additives in cigarettes are not in place as preservatives but instead are put in to either alter the effect/flavor/burning properties of the cigarettes. Also a problem with your argument is that the methods or cultivation for tobacco and marijuana are very very widely different. Marijuana traditionally undergoes NO curing step which cuts down on any sort of spoilage like what is seen during tobacco's curing process.

Even then, you can buy additive free tobacco currently but IT IS NOT HARMLESS. A big confusion people make with looking at the "safety" of natural cigarettes is that they figure since nicotine has no direct carcinogenic effects (although it can cut down on bodies defenses against) that pure tobacco also has no direct carcinogenic effects. This is DEAD WRONG.

Smoking additive free tobacco still exposes your lungs to dangerous levels of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and cyanide. The problem isn't just the additives in cigarettes, its the plant and largely its cultivation process.

Marijuana, no curing process, no need for additives, natural antibacterial properties, unfortunately not antifungal or you really wouldnt have to worry about additives ever.

Umm yea man it does stain your teeth a little not as bad as cig's but there is still tar stains on my teeth.

It is there, it's just small.