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13,621 posts, read 12,731,507 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by freightshaker
Let's see... We have the middle east exploding, we are learning the true effects of Obamacare, our politicians are corrupt on both sides of the aisle, our US attorney general is a criminal, our economy is still not strong, and you really think I'm too concerned about getting marijuana legislation passed??
it would clear out prisons and would create lots of private sector jobs, exactly what the country needs right now, "private sector jobs"
I don't really care if they do or not, but your claim here is BS..
How so? I don't think anyone has been imprisoned for marijuana (use or minor possession) here in California for YEARS, and with some 150-200 cannabis clubs in the greater Bay Area, that equals at least a few hundred private sector jobs.
I think eventually mass sales will return once legalization takes hold. However, prohibiting mass sales at the start of the process is a good way to get the criminal organizations out of the process. Once the cartels who have been holding our country hostage for the last few decades realize that the cost/benefit ratio is a negative, then the idea of mass sales can be addressed.
Yeah I can see your point. Fair enough.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ceece
We don't test everyone to see if they are too high or drunk or whatever to drive or work. WE DON'T!!!!! And we shouldn't and never will. We CAN and DO test people who are obviously under the influence or driving/working erratically. Even then, as far as work goes, I would skip the test and send them on their way. I don't need to know why someone is f'ing up at work to make that call.
We have random, pointless, meaningless drug testing that really just employs people, that the most positive thing I can say about it. The rest is bullcrap.
I couldn't agree more. Drug testing is a racket, and in many ways flawed. Someone who smoked weed 2 weeks ago, having no signs of impairment can fail a drug test, be denied a job, or lose their job, but someone can do cocaine 3 days prior, and it's out of their system. Honestly, I'd rather have a pot head working for me any day over a coke head. Check that! If they can do the job, and it has no effect on their job, then what they do in their own time isn't my business.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CDusr
When you think of all the so-called legal corps involved in this you can see why they don't want that happening. They make money on both sides of the fence. With the current scenario much more can be made in the dark.
It is hypocrisy to say the least.
Quote:
Originally Posted by steven_h
Yes, that is exactly what we crazy Libertarians want to do. Abandon all laws and reason. If drugs and prostitution are legalized, then drunk driving, rape, murder should all be legalized!!!
Such reasoning leads me to believe a few in here are on legal scripts downed with a 1/5th of Bourbon.
or... Maybe we should be rational and simply remove bad laws, and keep the good ones. Fewer laws are easier to enforce. Sins can be taxed and regulated! This would actually HELP the economy!!! Instead of throwing otherwise good citizens in jail just for being high, or getting something on the side; we can concentrate on catching the REAL CRIMINALS!
Yep. Been saying this forever. All of the taxpayer money we waste on prosecuting, and incarcerating people over a GOD given plant is ridiculous! We'd be better served at insuring that LE actually concentrates on going after real criminals. Now once legalization happens, some may have to find a new hobby, but oh well!
Quote:
Originally Posted by steven_h
You do realize that you need land and time to grow... right? How many 9 year olds have the resources to grow? Where are the parents? IF there is a child (certainly not a nine year old) out there with ability and desire to grow, then the law matters not... he will be growing anyway. The only ones putting 9 year olds to work are the corner dealers.
I can't believe I actually had point out the absurdity of such reasoning.
I'm no expert in cultivating it, but there definitely is more that goes into it than just picking it, rolling it up, and smoking it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by crestliner
It is a GOD made natural herp. For many people it is a good natural medicine and should be as legal as sage. The entire criminal subculture based on pot would disappear if we wold just treat it like a natural herb. We don't need the federal food and drug crooks to control it either.If so places like CVS would charge 500 bucks a gram if they could get away with it.
I could get behind this as well. The government hasn't exactly proven that they can do no wrong when it comes to regulating things
Quote:
Originally Posted by cruxan
the way I see it is if marijuana is legalized in all 50 states you will see a significant drop in traffic fatalities and violent crimes because less people will do alcohol and harder drugs. I would rather have a person driving under the influence of weed than a texting driver any day of the week!! most people that smoke weed are safer drivers.
I still wouldn't recommend driving under the influence of pot, or anything for that matter, but texting and driving is also quite dangerous.
Quote:
Originally Posted by freightshaker
Let's see... We have the middle east exploding, we are learning the true effects of Obamacare, our politicians are corrupt on both sides of the aisle, our US attorney general is a criminal, our economy is still not strong, and you really think I'm too concerned about getting marijuana legislation passed??
Yes there are bigger fish to fry, which is why legalization would indeed be a step in the right direction. Prohibition of cannabis, is an unjust, and immoral law, and screws up more lives than it helps. We then can focus on the other much tougher issues that are currently plaguing this country.
it would clear out prisons and would create lots of private sector jobs, exactly what the country needs right now, "private sector jobs"
What private sector jobs do you see being created here? More drug dealers??? Yes, that's just what we need.
And we'd lose jobs because there are plenty of drug dealers but now we need fewer prison guards and police (not that this is reason to keep it illegal. Just pointing out that you're wrong. We'd be trading jobs not gaining jobs.). While this will be a boon for drug dealers as they will have more customers, it will not be a boon for society as society will have to deal with more drug users, people driving high with no way of proving they're high and pot growing in the back yards connected to our own. Easy access will mean younger and younger users. Legalizing it means more users. Yes, this is what we need. More people getting high. We have enough of a drug problem as things are. We don't need this but I have no doubt we'll do it (because society is very immature these days) and society will continue to go down the toilet as a result. In all seriousness, the people I know who are users have gone nowhere with their lives. It's like they're stuck in Jr. High and can't get out. This is not something I'd wish for myself of my kids. I really wonder what is going to happen to them as they reach retirement age given their lives seem to have stalled. Fortunately, most of my friends who used outgrew pot, grew up, had careers and can take care of themselves. Most of the people I know who still use did not. I don't think this is coincidence.
There is nothing about legalizing pot just for the purpose of getting high that helps society.
What private sector jobs do you see being created here? More drug dealers??? Yes, that's just what we need.
And we'd lose jobs because there are plenty of drug dealers but now we need fewer prison guards and police. While this will be a boon for drug dealers as they will have more customers, it will not be a boon for society as society will have to deal with more drug users.
There is nothing about legalizing pot just for the purpose of getting high that helps society.
Legalization takes the black market out of it, and therefore not criminalizing good people for smoking a doobie in the privacy of their own home. Having fewer prison guards isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it means that there are less people in prison. Unless of course you support criminalizing Americans over silly things like having possession of a God given plant, and continuing to grow the Prison Industrial Complex.
You want to go after drug pushers? Go after Big Pharma and the FDA for allowing Big Pharma to peddle their poisonous crap!
what part is bs clearing out prisons or creating jobs..??
Both... There aren't people in prison to speak of for possession. Only for distribution. These people are criminals and if released will commit other crimes if marijuana is legal. As far as jobs created, the numbers would be nominal and not worthy of mentioning on the grand scheme of things... Look, if you want your pot legalized, I won't stand in you way, but don't try to sell it for something it isn't.... At least be intellectually honest about your motives and stop blowing hot air up my pants leg....
Both... There aren't people in prison to speak of for possession. Only for distribution. These people are criminals and if released will commit other crimes if marijuana is legal. As far as jobs created, the numbers would be nominal and not worthy of mentioning on the grand scheme of things... Look, if you want your pot legalized, I won't stand in you way, but don't try to sell it for something it isn't.... At least be intellectually honest about your motives and stop blowing hot air up my pants leg....
You would be wrong on this. The nifty way that marijuana laws are written allows for people to be charged with intent to distribute if they possess over a certain amount of cannabis. These convictions are marked up as distribution convictions. Many of the people who are in prison for supposed distribution were not caught selling, they were merely caught with more than the one or two grams that is considered to be for personal use. So yes, there are a lot of people in prison for merely possessing marijuana. Aside from those who were funneled into the gray area of the laws, the latest estimates I've seen are that there are approximately 40,000 inmates nationwide who are incarcerated merely for possession. I'd say that's enough to speak of, even without the intent to distribute crowd.
What private sector jobs do you see being created here? More drug dealers??? Yes, that's just what we need.
And we'd lose jobs because there are plenty of drug dealers but now we need fewer prison guards and police (not that this is reason to keep it illegal. Just pointing out that you're wrong. We'd be trading jobs not gaining jobs.). While this will be a boon for drug dealers as they will have more customers, it will not be a boon for society as society will have to deal with more drug users, people driving high with no way of proving they're high and pot growing in the back yards connected to our own. Easy access will mean younger and younger users. Legalizing it means more users. Yes, this is what we need. More people getting high. We have enough of a drug problem as things are. We don't need this but I have no doubt we'll do it (because society is very immature these days) and society will continue to go down the toilet as a result. In all seriousness, the people I know who are users have gone nowhere with their lives. It's like they're stuck in Jr. High and can't get out. This is not something I'd wish for myself of my kids. I really wonder what is going to happen to them as they reach retirement age given their lives seem to have stalled. Fortunately, most of my friends who used outgrew pot, grew up, had careers and can take care of themselves. Most of the people I know who still use did not. I don't think this is coincidence.
There is nothing about legalizing pot just for the purpose of getting high that helps society.
No they won't. Once again, what most of us are talking about are legalization of possession, not of unregulated distribution. Once the product is legalized and the black market is no longer required in order to fulfill the demand, the profit goes out of the dealer trade. At that point the drug dealers get to go find something productive to do.
Now, since you are insistent that legalization leads to more users, please show some statistics to back up your claim. The most comprehensive study that I've found on decriminalization and use is in Portugal, which has shown a decrease in the number of drug users since they decriminalized possession in 2001. The number has been cut nearly in half, as a matter of fact.
Quote:
Fortunately, most of my friends who used outgrew pot, grew up, had careers and can take care of themselves. Most of the people I know who still use did not. I don't think this is coincidence.
You are mistaking correlation for causation. There is no way to tell if your friends who are habitual users would have "gone anywhere" with their lives had they not smoked marijuana. However, there are plenty of productive people who use marijuana, and those people argue against marijuana alone being some sort of negative influence on a person's ability to succeed. Let's take a look at some famously successful marijuana users:
Bill Gates
Richard Branson
Barak Obama
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Michael Bloomberg
Ted Turner
Woody Harelson
Montel Williams
Stephen King
Willie Nelson
Interesting that these people who have managed to have a dramatic impact on the political and entertainment landscape of the United States all have one thing in common: marijuana use. Some, like Bill Gates (and supposedly Obama, although that could be open for debate) don't smoke anymore. Others, like Ted Turner, Willie Nelson and Woody Harelson, openly support legalization and admit to smoking on a regular basis. So tell us all again how smoking marijuana will make you unproductive. I'm sure the people on the list above would love to hear it.
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