Marijuana has been proven to be non-addictive, medicinal from www.norml.org
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Marijuana is the third most popular recreational drug in America (behind only alcohol and tobacco), and has been used by nearly 80 million Americans. According to government surveys, some 20 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 11 million do so regularly despite harsh laws against its use. Our public policies should reflect this reality, not deny it.

Marijuana is far less dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. Around 50,000 people die each year from alcohol poisoning. Similarly, more than 400,000 deaths each year are attributed to tobacco smoking. By comparison, marijuana is nontoxic and cannot cause death by overdose. According to the prestigious European medical journal, The Lancet, "The smoking of cannabis, even long-term, is not harmful to health. ... It would be reasonable to judge cannabis as less of a threat ... than alcohol or tobacco."
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I think it would be a great profit center for cruise lines to have Netherlands type hash bars.
Selling loose joints could be a problem since people can hoard them; trouble in less enlightened countries.

Any cruise line in international waters can have hash bars yet keep them under lock and key in port.

Since Marijuana is legal in the Netherlands; Holland America should be the first.

At the hash bar passengers over 18 can buy tokes at $2 a piece from a bong [water pipe] at certain hours of the day. For a non-smoker, a joint can be too hot, and the water cools the smoke.

Marijuana does cure seasickness. It is great to get high and watch and listen to the ships wake. On a ship like Rembrandterdam. One can spend hours getting into the artwork. Try the double staircase.

Cheech and Chong can be the entertainment. The Featured Band can be New Riders of the Purple Sage. Play their song "Panama Red" when going thru the big ditch. Hawaii cruises can be Maui Wowi.

Either way it is the least harmful of the indulgences and can be a great new cruise service.

[ 10-20-2005: Message edited by: desirod7 ]

One thought....because an "x" number of people commit suicide each year does that also mean, according to your thought process, that public policies should reflect this reality? Because a large number of people have a particular habit or lifestyle does that mean that it should be more acceptable? In Rome 2,000 years ago it was acceptable for gladiators to kill innocent people for sport...does that mean it was right or ethical behavior? The majority of people back then thought of it as entertaining, because the value of a human life was so low. I hope we have evolved a bit since then, but from your theories above about marijuana...we still have a long way to go. Because there is a majority...that does not equal correct judgement or right or wrong. One of the reasons we have laws is because we value human life..over the years our laws have slowly been changing to reflect a more liberal lifestyle, but that doesn't make it right does it?

I suppose I should incorporate a response that includes the original "cruise" theme. I know that cruise lines have certain rules and laws onboard the ships regarding the use of marijuana. Many people smoke marijuana on cruises and get away with it because it's not heavily enforced. I remember when I was working on the ships, I smelled marijuana coming from someone's cabin and it stunk up the whole corridor. After informing security, I was told that there really wasn't much security could do about it. Security went to the cabin in question with the marijuana stench oozing from it, and knowcked on the door....the passengers in that cabin just denied it and said it was just a cigarette they were smoking, but it was more than obvious that it was marijuana. The passenger's were so spaced out they could hardly carry a conversation with the security person. Security ended up doing nothing...and every night the smell of marijuana stunk up the corridor. Perhaps other cruise lines have a more strict policy, but this cruise line obviously didn't have a policy at all.

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Since Marijuana is legal in the Netherlands; Holland America should be the first.

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If HAL offered marijauna for sale to the passengers, dont you think they would only allow it in the hash bar?

One cant gamble outside the casino.

Brings a new concept to 'smoking lounge'.

Barryboat; you being so high and moral had no comment on my 'compulsive gambling' thread.

[ 07-15-2002: Message edited by: ROTTERBRANDT ]

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Originally posted by Jamaica Jeff:
Island nite will definitly have a Jamaican theme!

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Sorry, didn't mean to leave you out. I only comment on topics I know something about, and I don't know much about Gambling Addiction...I guess another reason would be that smoking tobacco and the use of marijuana physically effects other people not just the user (second-hand smoke kills) whereas gambling just effects the gambler's wallet.

If you want to think of me as "high and moral" that's ok, but I certainly don't see myself that way....I just tend to speak out sometimes about ethics & my personal morals. If you are offended...I'm sorry...pay no attention to my posts.

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Originally posted by Namlit:
Perhaps selling Amsterdam style "Space Cakes", and other cannabis-laced baked goodies, is the way to go on cruise ships? That way the smell wouldn't offend those that do not partake.

Desirod6's theme cruise idea might not be so far off the wall, when you consider that potential market.

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Namlit, Great idea-better than smoke. I do subscribe to the idea that marijuana should be regulated like alcohol is.

I agree with Rotterbrandt, that gambling is a worse addiction and many lose their life savings, get into all kinds of debt, lose family and jobs.
Does with alcohol, does NOT with marijuana.

Religious addiction brought down the Twin Towers, caused the Jonestown massacre and the Branch Davidian fiasco.

My original idea was part tongue in cheek with the entertainers, but serious in offering it to cruise passengers.

I am sure Joe Farcus indulged to get his wild ideas for the Carnival ships.

Everybody must get stoned----Bob Dylan.

[ 07-17-2002: Message edited by: desirod6 ]

By the way why does the world think Holland is such a stoned land. Here it is at least spoken openly about drugs which in my eyes is better than to deny the drugs problem, close your eyes to it while maybe a bigger percentage of the population is using drugs then in Holland.

The following is from www.nida.nih.gov/MarijBroch/Marijparentstxt.html

While all of the long-term effects of marijuana use are not yet known, there are studies showing serious health concerns. For example, a group of scientists in California examined the health status of 450 daily smokers of marijuana but not tobacco. They found that the marijuana smokers had more sick days and more doctor visits for respiratory problems and other types of illness than did a similar group who did not smoke either substance.(13)

Findings so far show that the regular use of marijuana or THC may play a role in cancer and problems in the respiratory, and immune systems.

Cancer
It is hard to find out whether marijuana alone causes cancer because many people who smoke marijuana also smoke cigarettes and use other drugs. Marijuana smoke contains some of the same cancer-causing compounds as tobacco, sometimes in higher concentrations. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.(20)

Tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke may work together to change the tissues lining the respiratory tract. Marijuana smoking could contribute to early development of head and neck cancer in some people.

Immune system
Our immune system protects the body from many agents that cause disease. It is not certain whether marijuana damages the immune system of people. But both animal and human studies have shown that marijuana impairs the ability of T-cells in the lungs' immune defense system to fight off some infections. People with HIV and others whose immune system is impaired should avoid marijuana use.

Lungs and airways
People who smoke marijuana often develop the same kinds of breathing problems that cigarette smokers have. They have symptoms of daily cough and phlegm (chronic bronchitis) and more frequent chest colds. They are also at greater risk of getting lung infections such as pneumonia. Continued marijuana smoking can lead to abnormal function of the lungs and airways. Scientists have found signs of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.

I was reluctant to go into the technical details and facts, but you did just fine. We can poke jokes at the use of Marijuana on cruise ships, but the truth is.... Marijuana is a very dangerous drug and not something to take lightly.

Not that if you chose not to smoke you would have a fighting chance of getting near it!

If any lines did allow "getting high on the seas", I would think it would be restricted to your cabin. But still I don't think it would work. A couple of examples...

a) Though the ship may sell all of the berths, how are you going to get 2000 stoned people to the pier on time.

b) Shows would be interrupted by late comers and there would be the constant whispers of people asking each other to repeat the last joke from the comedian.

c) Second sitting in the dining room would be late due to the fact that the "stoners" at the early sitting couldn't make a menu choice in less than twenty-five minutes.

d) There would also be kaos in the passageways as people would be forever searching for their cabin or trying to just find their way about the ship!

If anyone,I think the junk food industry should start this type of cruise lines! These are the people that would profit the most! Imagine the line at an onboard donut stand with 2000+ pax with continuos muchies!

We might see such things as KrispyKremeKruises!

Or ships named "Dairy Queen Of the Seas", "McDonaldam", and "Seven Course Mariner".

It would be interresting to see what would happen if it were allowed on a cruise ship, but I won't hold it in.......I mean hold my breath!

d) There would also be kaos in the passageways as people would be forever searching for their cabin or trying to just find their way about the ship!
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And seasick drunks will just collapse in the corridors

[ 08-18-2002: Message edited by: ROTTERBRANDT ]

I was only joking! I would have no problem with Marajuana cruises. I was just looking at it from a non-tokers point of view.

If the truth be told, I wouldn't be adverse to booking a ship with a hash bar. I might even book because of it. Whether I smoked or not.

I didn't mean to say that it was a bad idea. I wasn't trying to voice my opinion at all, I was just making an observation. I do think that it is "hightly" improbable that we will see anything like it soon, though.

And yes! You are right about the drunks in the corridors. They can be very disturbing on a cruise or anywhere. And I must say that I have never been pestered by some one who was stoned.

To each his own!

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Originally posted by OCEANSDEVINE:
I vote for banning smoking of anything at all on ships. Reformed smoker myself.

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I bet that you did not hold that opinion when you were hooked?

I've always been a non-smoker. I have no problem with people smoking anything in public places, including ships, as long as they wear some kind of space helmet so I do not have to breath share their smoke! Not unreasonable, is it?

You enjoy a cigarette.
Smoke is the residue of your pleasure.
I sometimes breathe your residue.

[ 09-27-2002: Message edited by: Jamaica Jeff ]

Oh dear, I have dragged cruisetalk down into the gutter with me!

Also I guess we are on the countdown to 6000!

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Originally posted by sread:
Malcolm, you must leave someplace on a ship where a chap can have a crafty fag...

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