Puerto Rico says NO to Marijuana Legalization (sale, 2013)
U.S. TerritoriesPuerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, etc.
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Ok, this may turn out to be one heck of a controversial thread, but it needs to be discussed. And please, let's not BS ourselves.
As many of us will agree and admit, drug use is rampant almost everywhere in Puerto Rico. Alcohol aside, it's a known fact that people have smoked weed and have used other illicit drugs for decades. So, given PR's high drug consumption it does NOT seem unreasonable to - in the very least - propose the legalization of the most harmless drugs of them all, i.e., Marijuana.
One would think that most people would favor legalization given that it would deglamorize its consumption and possibly reduce its use. But NO! Not in Puerto Rico! Seems like >70% of those surveyed voted against any such proposal. Please see the following Spanish article link which appeared today in El Nuevo Dia newspaper:
I found people there very polarized on the issue. Either they smoked without thinking, or it was in the exact same category as the hard stuff. There didn't seem to be much in between when I lived there.
I found people there very polarized on the issue. Either they smoked without thinking, or it was in the exact same category as the hard stuff. There didn't seem to be much in between when I lived there.
As I've said in the past to others, Puerto Rico's National Sport is not Baseball. The National Sport is saying NO to anything and everything! Just off the top of my memory I can name several proposals that have been rotundly declined by PR's voting populace, such as:
- El Supertubo (a fresh water pipeline which was ultimately installed)
- El Gasoducto (a natural gas pipeline)
- Waste-to-Energy facilities (despite severe waste management problems, not one has been built)
- CEMEX (a cement plant in Ponce which was ultimately installed)
- Coal Fired Power Plant in Guayama (the plant was ultimately installed)
- Sale of Potable Water to St. Thomas (Don't know what happened)
- Cellphone antennas in Moca (ultimately installed)
Consider the possibility that the greater portion of the voting population feels extraordinarily victimized by the level of drugged fueled crime (burglaries, robberies, car jackings, shootings, gang violence) common to the San Juan and surrounding areas and don't see a separation between marijuana and other illegal drugs.
Granted marijuana users, people who use just marijuana are not the persons responsible for these crimes but marijuana is almost always used by people who use harder drugs, the crack, cocaine and heroin users etc.. With the level of helplessness that the general population feels in regard to the relationship between crime and drug use it wasn't a surprise that legal marijuana use was rejected.
Consider the possibility that the greater portion of the voting population feels extraordinarily victimized by the level of drugged fueled crime (burglaries, robberies, car jackings, shootings, gang violence) common to the San Juan and surrounding areas and don't see a separation between marijuana and other illegal drugs.
Granted marijuana users, people who use just marijuana are not the persons responsible for these crimes but marijuana is almost always used by people who use harder drugs, the crack, cocaine and heroin users etc.. With the level of helplessness that the general population feels in regard to the relationship between crime and drug use it wasn't a surprise that legal marijuana use was rejected.
Good point! It's easy for most people to associate marijuana with other drugs and crimes. Yet, truthfully, most people high on weed just want to chill, eat, listen to music, and laugh a little. Committing a crime is probably the last thing on the mind of anyone who's smoked a joint.
Meanwhile, places like Colorado move forward in the right direction by legalizing and now TAXING marijuana:
Chacho - I agree, folks who just smoke pot are not the criminal element that people are afraid of. But I don't believe with the current level of drug related crime in PR people are going to separate the two.
Personally I believe if drugs were decriminalized and the profit taken out of the business then the crime problem would resolve itself. Tax them and use the proceeds for education and we'd all come out ahead.
Marijuana affects the mind and once you are hooked to that it could lead to other powerful drugs. The last thing we need is to have a bunch of people under the influence of pot behind the wheel and out in public.
I have been around pot heads all my life and I know what it does when you are hooked into that.
and you are right, one of the side effects of a pot smoker is he/she doesn't give a damn about anything, they are in their own fantasy world escape from reality.
if you think that's good for society then go ahead and open the can of worms. There is a reason why the military and most work places ban that stuff and do testing. They don't want that environment in the workplace.
if you are an adult and want to smoke that cr@p in the privacy of your home that's your business but when in comes to CHILDREN and the public then its EVERYBODY'S business.
After an initial “up,” the user feels sleepy or depressed
Increased heartbeat (and risk of heart attack)
LONG-term effects of marijuana
Reduced resistance to common illnesses (colds, bronchitis, etc.)
Suppression of the immune system
Growth disorders
Increase of abnormally structured cells in the body
Reduction of male sex hormones
Rapid destruction of lung fibers and lesions (injuries) to the brain could be permanent
Reduced sexual capacity
Study difficulties: reduced ability to learn and retain information
Apathy, drowsiness, lack of motivation
Personality and mood changes
Inability to understand things clearly
if you want to legalize this drug guess who is going to pay for the consequences? the taxpayers and working class with higher taxes and higher premiums on the health care industry.
I have been around pot heads all my life and I wouldn't trust them babysitting my kids or operating machinery under the influence.
Would you want your airline pilot under the influence of pot while you are up in the air? would you want your kids bus school driver under the influence driving your kids everyday to and from school?
Marijuana affects the mind and once you are hooked to that it could lead to other powerful drugs. The last thing we need is to have a bunch of people under the influence of pot behind the wheel and out in public.
I have been around pot heads all my life and I know what it does when you are hooked into that.
and you are right, one of the side effects of a pot smoker is he/she doesn't give a damn about anything, they are in their own fantasy world escape from reality.
if you think that's good for society then go ahead and open the can of worms. There is a reason why the military and most work places ban that stuff and do testing. They don't want that environment in the workplace.
if you are an adult and want to smoke that cr@p in the privacy of your home that's your business but when in comes to CHILDREN and the public then its EVERYBODY'S business.
The last time I lit up a fat one, I was 21 years old. That was a loooong time ago.
From what I've read, MJ is not physically addictive. It is psychologically addictive.
Those who overindulge in its use tend to appear unconcerned about life's day-to-day obligations and responsibilities.
As with alcohol consumption, smoking MJ must be banned from workplaces and from those driving motorized vehicles.
Neither would I advocate it's use in open public spaces. Anyone wanting to smoke weed should do it in the privacy of their homes.
As like in Colorado, it should be regulated and taxed by the gov't.
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