Give me back my ludes dudes, red devils and tuenols. And yes I had a legal prescription for all three. But the government went and put them on triplicate forms. and no one wants to mess with them.

Yes, they were fun to party with, but so dangerous, especially when mixed with alcohol. Most deaths from 'ludes were car accidents while under the influence. I myself had a few crashes this way. Yes, they were fun, but I'm glad they're not around today. Kids today already abuse enough substances.

I do think heaps of legal meds are dangerous and many people have multiple meds to take, not leaving out the trial and error phase of the doctors to get the combo right but this one has too many side effects, plain and simple.

Death is not the worst side effect from an illness. But many people would prefer it to the side effects of marijuana.

Sure we have marinol and others, but they do not encompass all of the positive effects of the plant, containing only one of the active ingredients. It is extremely helpful for dealing with neuropathic pain, a condition that is very difficult to treat, which is currently treated with antiepileptic medications that have their own sets of side effects.

Also, indicated for MS spasticity, nausea, loss of appetite in those with terminal conditions who are so sick they have serious trouble getting their appropriate nutrition.

Pot, on the other hand, is the goody two shoes of feeling high. Whatever. Take it away, make drugs illegal and let criminals control that market. Better yet, kids go sniff paint and glue because a safe alternative isn't there.

Human nature is human nature, and all the don't do its in the planet will never change that. There is no answer but lots of arguments. That, i admit. I do not have an answer but we the people have to think rationally of the alternatives taken by our narrow minded thinking.

I erased government and blame the people. We elect government and never follow up. Government are our employees yet we let them run loose with no direction. Oh yea except to "change" something. Anyone figure out what that is?

That way they will know that he is doctor seeking for more flipping pills! Oh, that's right! when they show up in the ER room at the hospital, the doctors have to by law, medically treat them every 30 days with a shot. i so give up. erin. king county, washington.

- anon52511"

Exactly the point. People will still get what they want, but the government doesn't get to collect taxes on the billions of dollars flowing in the black market.

Except driving, let's just reduce the number of licensed drivers to the 1 percent who can actually do it right and let the rest take a bus.

I mean, I loved taking them for rec purposes but I am so glad they were pulled from the market long ago. Very dangerous drug! If you had the chance to get your hands on them, I would say, don't do it.

In today's age, I refer to them as the date-rape drug. That is how potent they are! Very scary! Also, people started smoking them in bongs. It ended up crystallizing your lungs. So I say stay away!

I'm lucky I got through that period alive. I try to come to these sites and warn people. It's just not worth it.

People are stupid. I've seen the effects of drugs and I've studied their effects on the body. The drugs that are illegal are illegal for a reason.

I agree people are stupid. However I could care less what abuses an addict puts themselves through. It's the innocents around them I worry about. If an addict overdoses, fine. One loser down could save a bunch of lives, that the piece of garbage could have potentially taken.

Let's screen people better and continue to sift out the abusers and help the ones who really need help. Background checks. Make it hard to get the drug and the abusers will stay away and the people that really need them won't sell them because they really need them. Common sense is the trick, doctors just want the money and they don't want to spend the money on drug testing until it's too late.

I have never used recreational drugs but I am a pain management patient and my doctor does everything to protect the patient as well as himself and I think that's great. He really cares about us and not making the drug companies richer and the abusers overdose because they are stupid and the doctors have to pay higher insurance to protect themselves. Then the doctor is accused of the end result, possible death due to abuse and the good honest people suffer.

Believe me I know!

Drug screening can really help. As I said the abusers will stay away because they know it will not be so easy to have the drug dispensed to them. Taking it off the market is not the answer due to so many drugs that are sometimes really needed and effective for those who are really sick. What's the point?

I understand addiction, I do. It is horrible, so get help or have the government pay for rapid detox to give them a chance to live a normal life for god's sake. Someone please hear me and the help for some common sense.

Signed, been there.

I've seen the effects of alcohol, contact sports, and driving on the body. Should we ban these things as well?

As for the "pharmacist" in this thread. Talk to people with joint pain, cancer, aids and several neurological conditions. These people benefit from cannabis use. I'm not saying that its totally harmless. Every substance you put in your body reacts on way or the other but as an epileptic that has used cannabis as an adjunct therapy for about four years I can safely say that marijuana is a lot safer than some of the medications I've been on (one of my meds caused suicidal thoughts).