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Unfortunately, the debate gets sidetracked by talking about the benefits of marijuana or that it's not as bad as alcohol. Those are irrelevant arguments. The only issue worth debating is this; Should the government have the authority to tell me what I can eat, drink or smoke or tell me who I can have sex with or tell me how I can spend my money. I say it should not have that authority.
If we cede that right to others (government), then there is no end to what others can control in our lives (witness the large soft drinks ban).
This. It's the same tired attempts at deflection. "But, but, but alcohol you guyssszzzzsss!!!1!1!!11!!!!"
The subject is NOT alcohol. The subject is marijuana. I also support allowing the states to decide to legalize it, but have been vocal about not denying what it can do to you. It is not harmless, it does affect you. That's my only beef with those who smoke it...just fricken admit that it does affect you. Just do that little fricken bit.
No matter what, however, the Federal Government should not be up in our business at our dinner table, in our bedrooms, in our living rooms, in our kitchens. Why do people INSIST on giving the Federal government all of this power? It should not be up to them, no one should go looking to them asking for permission like it's their own damn mother, they should be voting on it in each individual state, and let the people make the decision. Why is this so hard?
As an adult, I can eat or drink what I choose. Why not drugs? I don't use drugs, or want to, but why can't I use them if I want to use them?
Who benefits from our current drug policy? I think it is gangs, criminals, government agencies, and prisons. Making drugs of all ilk legal negates the need for them all. Making drugs legal would be a positive.
Agree - I favor legalization even though I don't smoke it. But I have known several people who are addicted to pot and admit to it. They buy pot rather than paying their rent or utility bills, go to work high every day and are in a panic if they run out. If that is not addiction what is it? But legislating behavior is a waste of time and money. If someone chooses pot over all other pursuits, that is their choice to make.
People also say they are addicted to porn and to sex and to golf, etc. That doesn't mean they are.
You're right. It has actually been BETTER than "pretty good".
I have a feeling you don't live here. I call lower crime, lower traffic deaths, huge economic growth, and excess tax revenues "pretty good".
You probably should stick to subjects you know about.
Your over one-year old article at least admits to some of its flaws. You are grasping at straws.
But for the sake of argument, lets say it is 100% accurate. Then, when we compare the handful of issues it mentions to the sheer amount of cannabis being consumed, you see a different picture.
For example, 74 tons of cannabis flowers were consumed by people smoking them.
In addition to that, 4.8 million edibles were consumed by people eating them.
Those numbers are for Colorado only, 2014 only, and legal sales only. The numbers can't be argued with because they came from the state's computerized tracking system where each and every plant has a RFID tag, and every event that happens from planting it to processing it to selling it is tracked. 37 million events were recorded with this system in 2014.
If numbers like that creates only a handful of problems, the percentage of users that experienced these problems is less than .0001%. That gives it a safety record which is considerably better than Tylenol, water, and caffeine.
These links are much fresher and they all find that the sky isn't falling as predicted after all. I can produce hundreds more if you are not convinced.
Not to mention the governor himself is pleased with the results so far.
People can get addicted to anything and suffer mental and physical anguish when kept from it. We are just special like that.
I'm 100% in favor of legalization because, like gay marriage, I want this ridiculous point to be OVER. But no, it's not a fun fancy candy that solves all your woes and some folks will/already do have trouble because of it. That's not a matter for the police though.
You're right. It has actually been BETTER than "pretty good".
I have a feeling you don't live here. I call lower crime, lower traffic deaths, huge economic growth, and excess tax revenues "pretty good".
You probably should stick to subjects you know about.
Your over one-year old article at least admits to some of its flaws. You are grasping at straws.
But for the sake of argument, lets say it is 100% accurate. Then, when we compare the handful of issues it mentions to the sheer amount of cannabis being consumed, you see a different picture.
For example, 74 tons of cannabis flowers were consumed by people smoking them.
In addition to that, 4.8 million edibles were consumed by people eating them.
Those numbers are for Colorado only, 2014 only, and legal sales only. The numbers can't be argued with because they came from the state's computerized tracking system where each and every plant has a RFID tag, and every event that happens from planting it to processing it to selling it is tracked. 37 million events were recorded with this system in 2014.
If numbers like that creates only a handful of problems, the percentage of users that experienced these problems is less than .0001%. That gives it a safety record which is considerably better than Tylenol, water, and caffeine.
These links are much fresher and they all find that the sky isn't falling as predicted after all. I can produce hundreds more if you are not convinced.
Not to mention the governor himself is pleased with the results so far.
So what was your point again?
Do I really have to explain my point? Yeah, a one-year old article is ancient history.
I notice all your "links" for from left-wing "sources." Yeah, you can produce hundreds more from other left-wing sources. No, thanks!
Very sad when discouraging the use of marijuana has to be explained and defended. But what else can be expected from a decaying society?
Very sad when discouraging the use of marijuana has to be explained and defended. But what else can be expected from a decaying society?
Look, you can discourage the use of it all you want. I have no problem with that.
If you do it by spreading propaganda, not only are you shooting yourself in the foot by doing so, but I am going to call you on it. However, discussing the pros and cons of using it is only one side of the issue. The other side is the prohibition against it.
Regardless of the fact that you wish to discourage the use of it, the fact that you are 100% for continuing with the extremely damagingwar against it tells us how short sighted you are.
Since you refuse to see the data coming out of Colorado for what it is, it shows your extreme bias, to the point of being irrational. It makes me think you have a vested interest in trying to prolong the war. Law enforcement, maybe?
I could now provide you with plenty facts, data, and links to show you the type of damage to humanity and society the war is causing (much worse than any damage the plant itself could EVER cause). But that will not do any good.
That's because the problem is that you view stopping the war against it as encouraging the use of it! That is not the case at all.
We will continue stuck in this useless war and having these useless debates until you are able to separate the two issues.
You can tell that most posters in this thread have already done so. Even the ones who don't use it and don't like it realize the war against it isn't working. Not only that, but this war is just plain immoral. It has turned into a war against people. There are many thousands of people wasting away in jail cells as I type this that have absolutely no business being there.
Once this war is finally over and it is legal anywhere, then maybe we can have debates on the damage (or lack thereof) that it is causing. But until then we have to stop the carnage, and it can't come too soon for me.
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