Legalized Pot

[mitchntx]

Yep, no one is saying alcohol wasn't abused, but noting abuse by imbibers of alcohol is hardly compelling reasoning for legalizing another drug.

Agree whole-heartedly.

The other side of the arguement, though, because prohibition was hard and expensive isn't a complelling reason to maintain the legality of alcohol.

 

[jordanmills]

Now this is truly a legit argument. IMO if you want to get rid of the drug cartels or at least make the insignificant the legalize all drugs.

As for Prohibition, well it worked alright just ask Al Capone, Frank Nitty etc.

That said we still have a huge underground market in legal and illegal booze. Wanna buy booze on Sunday, easy, not a problem at all. I remember when beer and wine were not sold on Sunday. No sweat just stop off at the 7-11 store, ask for a large bag of ice for your beer (Coors) at home and that got you 2 six packs as you slipped cash in his hand and you headed for the lake.

Prohibition does not work in full or part.

Not sure which is worse, bunch of stoners or the drug cartels??????

Do the stoners pack drugs up the asses of kids to smuggle across the border, slaughter entire police forces, or start gang wars?

 

[breakingcontact]

Do the stoners pack drugs up the asses of kids to smuggle across the border, slaughter entire police forces, or start gang wars?

No but they fund those who do. (Unless they grow their own)

 

[Ole Cowboy]

Maybe here is a question that should be answered:

While not alone by any means, try finding someone who lived thru the LSC 60's and the Cocaine 70's that never even tried it.

I honestly cannot say why I never did, I did like the taste of good bourbon and have been drinking it with a little water since my college days.

I just never found any appeal to something I snorted, used a needle with or smoked, but 'set'um barkeep, bourbon and branch water' was my thing. I knew others both guys and girls that did not partake. Like me, just not their thing and peer pressue rarely had any effect on me.

I personally feel we should be able to buy booze 24x7...

 

[Acera]

If I am sitting in the passenger seat of a car having a drink, it is not affecting the driver. If I am smoking pot, the driver is being drugged just like I am.

If I am sitting on the couch having a drink, it is not affecting the mental development of children in the room. If I am smoking pot on the couch, everyone in the room is getting some of the smoke, those with developing brains and all, whether they want the drug in their system or not.

I know pot smokers, they don't care about the kids in their presence. Their feeling is it's all good. Watched them smoke around newborns, preteens, and teenagers as if nothing wrong.

I am worried about the irresponsibility of adults that use now and the future of our society.

I empathize with Mitch. Abuse of any substance, legal or not, especially when it causes violence, loss of control, hurts those that you love is bad news.

Hopefully employment drug tests will keep some folks on the straight and narrow.

 

[Younggun]

True. I hated the taste of Scotch but that's all my dad drank and if I wanted a drink then it was Scotch or nothing. After awhile, I found I could tolerate the taste and eventually, I ended up enjoying it.

With the concentrations of THC that there is in today's Hydro, can one actually take a hit or two without getting high?

The THC concentration not across the board. It varies just like alcohol content from beer to everclear.

Taking a couple of drinks (couple beers?)DOES effect you. Taking a hit off weak weed DOES effect you.

Your comparisons are not equal. You are comparing a certain type of alcohol use to a different type of marijuana use.

 

[Younggun]

"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"

-Animal Farm, George Orwell

 

[karlac]

FYI I saw RARE drug use in Vietnam by our soldiers, many because who and where I was at mostly precluded using them. I spent almost 14 mo out in the field, in fact all but 3 weeks had me in the bush, stand down was not a part of my vocabulary unlike most of the units I spent time with.

THen my years in college and back into the Army as an officer this time. I saw plenty of drug use in the military of the 70, at the enlisted level in Infantry units we had about a 90% use factor and I would also say in the Officers ranks it was prob around 20%, but you had to know them very well before they let it be known.

So yea, been around it and rubbed shoulders with drug users most of my adult life...my 25 years being single showed me just how common it was...been to many parties where I was the only one there not stoned or high.

My experiences pretty much parallels yours to a "t", except for the fact that, besides also experiencing all your above, I've had one or both feet in the music business during a good part of the time. That last does tend to give you a little different perspective on the issue.

I'm neither for, nor against its USE, would prefer to see it legal, if for no other reason than the hypocritical aspect of me and the government telling someone else what to do, lifestyle or otherwise. I keep telling myself it is only a damned plant, after all, and with 25% of the world's population of inmates in the US, there is something wrong with the picture.

But, I will say this - out of all the many heavy pot smokers I've known, and many are still very good friends to this day, I can't think of one in the bunch I would instinctively trust my life to.

Granted, statistically speaking, that ain't worth a warm bucket of spit, and it may arguably say more about me than them; but I have nothing else to go on; and it is our own experiences that definitely color how we take the measure of a man. Judging from your above, you can certainly appreciate that such an instinct may have well saved your bacon at one time or another.

 

[Younggun]

That is valid.

However, there are many things legal to civilians that are subject to UCMJ.

I don't instinctively trust my life to 99.999 percent of the people I've ever met.

 

[Charlie]

Maybe I missed it but has anyone considered the effect of pot on the boys and girls in their teenage years (13 to 19) while their bodies and minds are still developing. You won't get me to believe (after working in the public schools for 29 yrs.) that legalization of pot will not filter down to the younger folks. I saw lots of pot use in the middle and high schools and it always had devastating effects on the student's learning ability and social skill development. I personally don't care if a grown adult wants to toke a little as long as they don't drive or put my family's life in any sort of jeopardy (which won't happen!). Right now, 99% of the time anyone buys or smokes a joint, however minor that seems, they are contributing to the cartels and their terrible crime machine. Just my two bits.

 

[hellishhorses]

Alcohol, gambling, compulsive shopping, pornography, infidelity, self-mutilation and job addictions are all just as destructive to families and individuals yet they are completely legal. These are self-correcting for the most part. When we start legislating moral behavior (like we already do) we won't stop any of it.

 

[karlac]

That is valid.

However, there are many things legal to civilians that are subject to UCMJ.

I don't instinctively trust my life to 99.999 percent of the people I've ever met.

Agreed ... but IME at least, the percentage difference is notable, for and against.

 

[Sapper740]

"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"

-Animal Farm, George Orwell

Hoist upon our own petard?

 

[Younggun]

Not really.

 

[Younggun]

The passage relates to the government controlling the actions of, and making decisions for the people justifying it with the excuse that the people might make the wrong decision.

Good book, you should read it for context.

 

[Mike1234567]

I tried it about 3 or 4 times and hated it. But I've know several people who smoke pot and, from what I've seen, it doesn't negatively affect behavior any more than alcohol and probably less so. I'm all for legalizing pot but not to make it easier or cheaper to acquire. I'm for it because it'll kill 90+ percent of the drug cartel's business south of the border. Plus it will keep US money in the US.

 

[breakingcontact]

If I am sitting in the passenger seat of a car having a drink, it is not affecting the driver. If I am smoking pot, the driver is being drugged just like I am.

If I am sitting on the couch having a drink, it is not affecting the mental development of children in the room. If I am smoking pot on the couch, everyone in the room is getting some of the smoke, those with developing brains and all, whether they want the drug in their system or not.

I know pot smokers, they don't care about the kids in their presence. Their feeling is it's all good. Watched them smoke around newborns, preteens, and teenagers as if nothing wrong.

I am worried about the irresponsibility of adults that use now and the future of our society.

I empathize with Mitch. Abuse of any substance, legal or not, especially when it causes violence, loss of control, hurts those that you love is bad news.

Hopefully employment drug tests will keep some folks on the straight and narrow.

Again thats where the libertarian argument breaks down. It does affect others.

As far as drug testing keeping people on the straight and narrow it will do the opposite and keep people on the welfare, disability and unemployment rolls which have expanded under BHO.

 

[breakingcontact]

"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"

-Animal Farm, George Orwell

Quoting socialists now?

 

[Younggun]

Quoting socialists now?

Yes.

Do you believe Animal Farm or 1984 do not show the dangers of totalitarianism or the paths that lead there?

Even George Orwell, a man who was a long standing member of the socialist party, saw the dangers of letting government dictate our daily lives. Why can't the freedom loving members of this site see it?

 

[jrbfishn]

^^^^^ We can