Weed is extremely easy to control and well tolerated, to a natural extent by our bodies. It never should have been illegal in the first place, as hemp and medicinal marijuana are one the most diverse and highly renewable resources we have. Seriously, hemp crops could wipe out the lumber industry which is why a ban was instilled in the first place on growing hemp in America. Same situation with oil companies today blocking entry to the free market with electric cars, which have been feasible since the late 90s.

For those curious about hemp prohibition, here's a good read on the subject. Marijuana isn't dangerous in the least, and certainly not a gateway drug.

http://www.hempcar.org/untoldstory/hemp_5.html

So yeah, it's stupid that we're paying to lock up these kinds of smokers. Should be legal anywhere that alcohol is.

Why is the vote still so close? Why are people so concerned about what others do in their free time?

I grew up in the Netherlands, tried pot in high school for the first time. (You need to be 18 to buy, yet someone always has an older brother) It wasn't any different from trying the liquor from our parents liquor cabinet. Nobody got hooked, just a fun thing to do on the weekend. Plus it does wonders for mediocre movies or simply enjoying music.

I started buying it myself as a student in University. Just for fun, good stress relief, tons of laughs with friends. Nobody got hooked again. The amount of alcohol consumed at the fraternity club dwarfed any pot use. Pot was seen as a downer, get drunk and get loud instead.

When I started work I started to use it regularly in moderation to help me sleep. Used in small quantities it is still relaxing and moved my falling asleep time from 5AM back to a more survivable 12-1AM. However alcohol use still dwarfed it. Some recreational pot use while playing video games.

I used to go to a lot of clubs back then, and xtc was the perfect fit for trance music. Another harmless non addictive drug, as long as it hasn't been cut with speed or other crap. It actually had some great side effects, or rather the intended therapeutic benefits. It allowed me to open up and be more comfortable with myself among others. Without that experience I might still be living alone, closing myself off from society.

Unfortunately Amsterdam is pretty easy to get any kind of drugs in dance clubs and some of my friends, co-workers, started experimenting with cocaine. I didn't care for it, too risky imo, and indeed a few got hooked and eventually decided to leave Amsterdam to avoid further temptation.

I stopped using xtc after a few years (not continuously, just once in a while kinda drug, effects become less and less when you use regularly) since it became harder and harder to find safe quality stuff. Plus the recovery time only made it suitable for Friday night use anyway.

Then I met a girl (my wife) online, long story short, I moved to Canada in '02, which ended my pot use. No harmful effects or withdrawal or anything. Video games have taken over to get that entertainment 'high'. Which is fine, except they are a lot more addictive, more expensive and take more time. Hence my bedtime is back to 3am ish. PSVR is my new high, next to endorphins from working out, running or cycling. It really does make you happy. And is addictive too, I actually get withdrawal symptons if I don't work out every day :/ Never had that with pot...

I hardly ever drink anymore as it nearly always gives me a headache after. And I hate the smell of sweating alcohol out of my pores. I would probably buy pot again if it was freely available here. Used in moderation, like everything else, it's just a fun alternative way to relax. Focus on the now, get totally immersed in a movie or even a stupid reality show or dream along with some music. No harm in it and I've never broken a controller while stoned. (Plenty of mice, keyboards, controllers, etc have not survived my gamer rage, luckily age has mellowed me out)

Excuse my rambling. I don't see the harm in it, it's fun, not physically addictive, and could really use some legislation and ways to control dosage. Cup of special tea after dinner would be great once in a while.

Doesn't make everyone more peaceful.

My friend tried to stab me with scissors. I practically had to break his arm for him to release the scissors and restrain him.

Well that's a terrible experience, but do you really think that was beacause of the weed? Is a fact that weed makes people more peaceful, now if your friend has a deep mental disorder like schizofrenia or something similar that's were weed can be terrible, specially at young ages, but for the vast majority weed makes people less violent when they are high, and also it usually makes you less reckless, with alcohol you feel able to do anything and many people end up death because of that, weed has a tendency to make you feel less capable so chances are you are not gonna get in your car when you are very high because chances are you gonna be scared of the situation.

Yep ecstasy is another drug that when is pure is way less dangerous than people think and can actually help a ton with comunication issues and depressions without being too addictive, appart from the fact that it can open your world until limits you never thought, but that's a pretty strong drug nevertheless, hard to convince people that is not that terrible, however weed should be really easy, and still too many people are against it without really knowing why.

XTC is not a harmless drug.

The brain area that proccesses feelings such as joy, are overloaded and burn out.

Even just a few uses and that area of the brain is half dead.... prolonged use over a periode of time often leads to people suffering from depressions ect.

XTC is alot more dangerous than Weed is, it also kills alot more than weed does (suecides).

Its pretty common for people high on X to dance themselfs away, without listening to the fatigue of the body, or the need for water.

They die from stress/fatigue/dehydration.

I think its use is more harmfull than cola is.  Its def. not something that should be legalised.

I try my best to be respectful on here, but it makes it difficult to have a meaningful conversation when this is the starting point. Our entire way of life is built upon the foundation that human beings have certain inalienable rights. By definition, that means we don't get to pick and choose whose civil rights are observed. 

You're either a liar, or that stuff was laced with PCP, because weed just doesn't work like that. "Peaceful" might be too specific of a term; "lethargic" is more accurate. And yes, it makes everyone lethargic (unless your biological makeup is drastically different from carbon-based life-forms, you damn dirty moonman).

Hmm, it had the opposite effect on me, it got me out of my long standing depression and started to enjoy life more.
The 'burn out' your talking about is that the high gets less and less with regular use. Wait a few months and it's as strong as the first time again.

The real problem with xtc is quality control. Pure mdma in harmless dosage is hard to come by.
Much of the Molly seized by the police contains additives such as cocaine, ketamine, methamphetamine, over-the-counter cough medicine, or synthetic cathinones ("bath salts"). These substances may be extremely dangerous if the person does not know what he or she is taking. They may also be dangerous when combined with MDMA. People who purposely or unknowingly combine such a mixture with other substances, such as marijuana and alcohol, may be putting themselves at even higher risk for harmful health effects.

Which is the reason I stopped using it, couldn't trust it anymore. I guess I was lucky to be near the source at the time, good quality stuff. I never heard about any MDMA related emergencies during my years clubbing. It was common knowledge however to drink plenty of water and orange juice. Thunderdome wouldn't have been the same without out.

Memories. And we all turned out allright!

But true, pot is safer, you know what you get and less stressful on the body. Students drinking themselves to death was a much bigger problem back then. Fraternity hazings turned bad.

Not legalizing it keeps it the dangerous drug it has become nowadays. You can still get it at dance parties. The more it's hunted down, the worse the quality gets, the higher the danger :/ The Dutch government offered free testing of xtc pills instead. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/dutch-ravers-can-mellow-out-as-official-tests-make-ecstasy-safe-1577713.html
That the Dutch system is successful is clear from the very small incidence of Ecstasy-related deaths. Holland's National Institute for Alcoholism and Drugs has recorded two in the last decade, although the Drugs Advice Centre itself says that six would be a more accurate figure.