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Violence in Mexico, crumbling budgets build momentum for debate
Quote:
National polls show close to half of American adults are now open to legalizing pot — a constituency encompassing today's college students and the 60-something baby boomers who popularized the drug in their own youth. In California last month, a statewide Field Poll for the first time found 56 percent of voters supporting legalization.
Quote:
In a telephone interview, Kucinich noted that both Obama and former President Bill Clinton acknowledged trying marijuana.
"Apparently that didn't stop them from achieving their goals in life," Kucinich said. "We need to come at this from a point of science and research and not from mythologies or fears."
Now this could very well be one of the best ideas since sliced bread ..
I don't smoke it (never have) but I can see taking the power away from the drug cartells, and, providing a tax base that may amount to billions of dollars nationwide.
I'm not into pot either, but I do think it should be legalized.
Look at the DEA's statement:
"Legalization of marijuana, no matter how it begins, will come at the expense of our children and public safety," says a DEA document. "It will create dependency and treatment issues, and open the door to use of other drugs, impaired health, delinquent behavior, and drugged drivers."
How can they make these arguments when tobacco and alcohol are legal? These slippery slope arguments are all red herrings. They're similar to the argument that allowing same-sex marriage is going to lead to people wanting to marry their pet iguanas.
It may be that this recession/coming depression is exactly what it will take to force legalization.
The MOST important issues IMO are:
Potheads are NOT VIOLENT.
Not enough is being done to fight meth/coke/heroin.
Legalize pot and then the DEA will have a ton of extra time to spend on the most dangerous drugs. One of the main reasons pot is a "gateway" drug is that because it is illegal. Teens try it, realize it is nowhere near as bad as all of the bullsh*t they have been told, and then decide to try other things that are illegal as they now think they aren't as dangerous either. Not only that, but being exposed to scene of purchasing marijuana as an illegal substance SUBSTANTIALLY increases the likelihood that one will also encounter other illegal drugs for sale in the process, raising the lure when suddenly their pot guy is out of pot but happens to have a little coke available. If pot users were buying their weed legally, they would not get this crossover effect that a very big cause of the so called gateway phenomena.
I'm not into pot either, but I do think it should be legalized.
Look at the DEA's statement:
"Legalization of marijuana, no matter how it begins, will come at the expense of our children and public safety," says a DEA document. "It will create dependency and treatment issues, and open the door to use of other drugs, impaired health, delinquent behavior, and drugged drivers."
Ah yes ... a very feeble company line, designed to save a few jobs at the Fed ... no worries ..
For almost 40 years we've been hearing this worn out message about marijuana as a gateway drug. Just a lot of BS. I've known many users who have never done any coke, crack, or heroin. There isn't any interest.
I've smoked and enjoyed. During my spare time I paint with acrylics and write. The weed sure jolts the creativity with loads of imagination. I have no intention of doing other drugs because I don't want to become lethargic.
I'm all for it being legal.
I probably wouldn't smoke it but I'm all for adults making that decision for themselves, just as they do with alcohol.
I think most people in Congress lack any guts to legalize it
I would at least like an end to federal raids in states that allow medicinal marijuana and going after people who participate in medical marijuana programs at this point in time. I don't think many Americans are quite ready for it to be legalized, lets wait until its about 60%. Plus some states are more comfortable with it than others.
I'm just not all that comfortable with the government regulating it.....
I'm afraid they'll do what they have done with the cigarettes.
As a product of the hippie 60"s, I can tell you with certainty that you can damage your brain with long time pot use. 98% of us quit after a few years. All the long time users...are today either dead or they are almost useless. These people, my old friends, are stuck in a time warp and most of them are barely coherent. A good percentage of them are disabled.
Prohibition worked well, 70+ years ago, didn't it?
See any similarities to what is going on today?
They will never learn, from history. This is one of those, DUH! moments.
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