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Actually it is. People have the right to do whatever they choose to their body. What isn't a right is telling people what they can and can't do to their body.
Let's make weed and other drugs legal but also have mandatory drug testing for recipients of government programs. Then there is workplace drug testing too. So being a legal stoner druggie wouldn't get you too far then.
The push to make recreational pot legal is really about promoting liberalism. Get the kids to be ok with smoking weed and being lazy hippies.
Ummm, prohibition of cannabis was based on liberal policies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimRom
On the flip side, making these drugs illegal is not having the intended effect. While it's been a while since I was a teenager, I can remember those years well enough to know that I never had a problem finding alcohol or marijuana when I wanted it.
What actually happens when you make drugs illegal is that you place them at the forefront of rebellious teens' consciousness, thereby increasing the likelihood that they are going to try it in order to show those pesky adults that they can. Are all teens going to do drugs? No. But prohibiting a substance is a sure fire way to encourage drug use.
Now, what happens when a teen is with a group of friends and overdoses on heroin, cocaine, or meth? Since it's illegal for them to be using it in the first place, they are much less likely to call for help, since they fear that they will get in trouble for using and/or supplying it. Personally, I'd prefer that these substances be legalized, because legalization will increase the likelihood of someone's life being saved when they overdose.
Sorry, but history shows that prohibition of any substance doesn't work, especially when that substance is so deeply ingrained into society. This whole "war on drugs" idea has turned into a war on specific elements of our society that don't see any way out of their economic situation other than dealing drugs and has resulted in thousands of people spending time in prison for crimes that shouldn't be crimes. Let us also not forget that the "war on drugs" has resulted in more homicides than the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.
As usual Jim. Spot on. There is no question that drugs like cocaine, and heroin are extremely dangerous. I never have, nor do I have the urge to try any of those substances. However; I'd rather deal with this as a medical issue, than as a criminal issue. Those who want help, will seek it. Those who don't...well.... we can't save everyone.
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Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson
I agree with you on this one. People will argue tooth and nail that weed is not addictive, but my own personal experience would indicate otherwise (not me, but people who were very close to me). It's really not good stuff and it is as dangerous as cigarettes with regard to potential health hazards. As for it being a "gateway" drug, I am not sure about that. While I have seen people progress to the "stronger stuff", most pot heads are content to be just that. You can argue the fact that buying pot from drug dealers exposes people to the danger of progressing, and that legalizing it would, effectively, remove that problem, but that one small benefit does not offset the many negatives associate with smoking.
20yrsinBranson
In bolded is correct. As for it being as dangerous as cigarettes. Well, there are other ways to ingest cannabis, other than smoking it. As for your last sentence, remind us again how prohibition of alcohol worked? How is "the war on drugs" really working now? It's not.
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Originally Posted by JimRom
Actually, you can't. Thanks to the facts that I've had a rather diverse set of occupations in my life and I tend to hang out with people from one end of the economic spectrum to the other, I probably know more marijuana smokers and/or dealers than the average individual. It is a very small minority of marijuana users that do any other drugs. Most of the smokers I know don't even drink alcohol on a regular basis. Again, these are people from one end of the spectrum to the other, including a couple of lawyers and not a few people in the medical professions. As for dealers, I don't know any that sell anything other than marijuana, and most of them grow and process it themselves.
I don't think there should be a foot in the door, personally. I think the entire "war on drugs" should be scrapped, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc. should be legalized, and we should focus on treating, rather than punishing, addicts. Unfortunately, that won't happen until the electorate and our legislators get away from the idea that they can legislate morality.
This is true. So we as a people need to realize this and stop voting for those who want to impose on the private rights of others.
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Originally Posted by Bettafish
I'm an immigrant and I'm against the use of weed.
It is illegal in most countries in the world.
Why are you against a God given plant that has proven to have a number of medicinal and industrial benefits?
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Originally Posted by itshim
And with that should we legalize child pornography, beastiality, rape and incest? Instead of stopping with drugs, how about we just let loose the whole kit and koboodle?
This is well... just plain absurd. Explain how someone sitting on their couch in their own home smoking a joint can be even closely comparable to what you've listed? Child pornography, beastiality, rape, and incest all are harmful to other people. Someone smoking a joint to unwind poses no harm to anyone, and in fact the only thing in the house that MAY be in danger is those items in the refrigerator, or cupboard!
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Originally Posted by DivineComedy
Ahhh...this idiocy.
"We'll tell you what your rights are."
Everyone should have the right to do anything so long as it causes no harm to another.
Yep. That is what true freedom is all about. I don't ride motorcylces, nor skydive, or bungee jump, all much more dangerous IMO than smoking a little bud once in awhile. Yet I don't feel compelled to restrict those who may want to partake in those activities.
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Originally Posted by totsuka
All societies have certain laws to protect the majority from bad behavior by a minority group of people. I don't see anything positive to making pot legal and a huge downside to it.
So you enjoy continuing to line the pockets of the cartels, and the prison industrial complex, by prosecuting and in some cases incarcerating those over a plant? Those are the only people benefiting on this silly "war." Al Capone and others like him thank you.
Oh... and thanks workingclasshero for the knowledgeable posts regarding the benefits.
If I want to smoke the maple leaves that fell in my front yard, it should not be any concern of yours. So the same should go for growing plants in my garden, for my personal consumption. If adult friends of mine want to consume plants from my garden, that too should not be a concern of yours.
If I want to smoke the maple leaves that fell in my front yard, it should not be any concern of yours. So the same should go for growing plants in my garden, for my personal consumption. If adult friends of mine want to consume plants from my garden, that too should not be a concern of yours.
If I want to smoke the maple leaves that fell in my front yard, it should not be any concern of yours. So the same should go for growing plants in my garden, for my personal consumption. If adult friends of mine want to consume plants from my garden, that too should not be a concern of yours.
If we sit back and allow the nameless, faceless bureaucrats in government to dictate what is bad for us, then they will also dictate what is for our own good too.
If I want to smoke the maple leaves that fell in my front yard, it should not be any concern of yours. So the same should go for growing plants in my garden, for my personal consumption. If adult friends of mine want to consume plants from my garden, that too should not be a concern of yours.
It is not any concern of mine. However, when you start packaging up those maple leaves and shipping them across State or national borders, then it becomes the concern of Congress and their constitutional authority to regulate interstate and international commerce.
It is not any concern of mine. However, when you start packaging up those maple leaves and shipping them across State or national borders, then it becomes the concern of Congress and their constitutional authority to regulate interstate and international commerce.
Yes, but if it weren't for the mountains of misguided legislation criminalizing a freaking plant, there wouldn't be cartels or illegal grow operations to satisfy a clearly in-demand product.
You really have to be a special brand of stupid to legislate your own problems, throw billions of dollars of resources behind this effort, an effort which has all indicators pointing towards the harder we crack down, the worse the problem gets.
But fine, at least this keeps the for-profit prison cells full, someone's gotta make money off this.
Yes, but if it weren't for the mountains of misguided legislation criminalizing a freaking plant, there wouldn't be cartels or illegal grow operations to satisfy a clearly in-demand product.
You really have to be a special brand of stupid to legislate your own problems, throw billions of dollars of resources behind this effort, an effort which has all indicators pointing towards the harder we crack down, the worse the problem gets.
But fine, at least this keeps the for-profit prison cells full, someone's gotta make money off this.
That may or may not be true, nevertheless, Congress stills has the constitutional authority to regulate interstate and international commerce. What your individual State decides to do is entirely up to them. For example, marijuana for "personal use" has been legal in Alaska since 1974.
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