Legalizing Pot for Money?!? What Has Happened to America?!?

[+Jarhead1 27]

People always say that weed is the gateway to stiffer and harder drugs, well, really, thats alot like saying that beer is the gateway to harder stronger types of alcohol. Not everyone goes to weed first, then right to meth or whatever else. Some go right to the hardstuff from the start, just like some people dont drink beer, they start right at hard liqour. Thats just my opinion though.

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

I dunno, having smoked it a little bit in my youth, I can say, personally, i don't see what the big deal is. But that's just my opinion. I think attitudes here in Oz about weed are a bit more liberal that in the US, but not as liberal as you might find in Europe. I can see how it could cause harm to some and I can see how it practically doesn't affect others at all. Not all drugs, be they legal or otherwise, will affect everyone in the same way. For example, codine (in things like neurofen, an over the counter pain killer) hardly works for me and causes an asthmatic response in me. But most people I know can use it without any side effects at all. Another, my Dad can't take asprin due to allergies. I'm not into it any more because, defense force membership notwithstanding, I never liked the lethargy that would ensue. I'm keeping much more active than I did when I was first at Uni a decade ago and it's much easier staying healthier now, no longer smoking, eating and exercising right.

 

Now, that said, I think this makes perfect economic sense right now. If it's legalised, think about how the food services sector would be booming, selling munchies to it's ripped patrons. It'd be a gold mine! And at least there'd be no fighting amongst the munters, not like alcohol... Like Bill Hicks said, it's impossible.

[Anthony W. 0]

There is no need for that, I wasn't trying to be hostile, there is no reason not to make your opinion heard.

 

Its not you, I can just see where this is going eventually.

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

But that's just my opinion.

 

Ooh, might I add, that that opinion is not representative of this website or forum, nor it's staff members not named SayWhat?!

[future_tuskegee_airman 13]

I am urged by my conscious and being a Christian I have to speak out. This is wrong. Point blank. There is no gray area in regards to this issue. Once you legalize any drug, then more people will be lobbying to legalize harder drugs. It all goes down hill from there. I expected this to happen. Just not so soon. But I'm still going to keep my faith and keep praying for America.

 

Cameron

[+Jarhead1 27]

Alcohol is a drug, so are cigarettes and any tobacco, aka nicotine, so technically we have already legalized some drugs.

[FastCargo 412]

Jarhead is exactly correct.

 

In simple terms, tobacco, alcohol, weed are all substances that impair you to some extent or other.

 

All have long term destructive effects as well.

 

You can't argue for or against one without the same logical (ie non-faith based) argument for the others.

 

And Anthony W., yet another lesson...if you can't handle staying in a topic you started, maybe you should think about the ramifications before you decide to post.

 

FC

[gumpy 7]

Instead of spending million's of the tax payer's money trying to fight it,all of the states should follow in California's footsteps and legalize it.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Anthony W. 0]

Jarhead is exactly correct.

 

In simple terms, tobacco, alcohol, weed are all substances that impair you to some extent or other.

 

All have long term destructive effects as well.

 

You can't argue for or against one without the same logical (ie non-faith based) argument for the others.

 

And Anthony W., yet another lesson...if you can't handle staying in a topic you started, maybe you should think about the ramifications before you decide to post.

 

FC

 

 

I can handle this at the moment... But I'm afraid I don't want to handle it if it gets hostile like I fear... I also totally agree, all of those are terrible. Sadly, there are some drugs we can't ban without causing mass public unrest.

[Stick 773]

Caesar, it's a choice between emotive and anecdotal truth (a way to tell the truth appealing to personal experience and building up a narrative) or cold and rationnalised truth (more concerned with numbers and their relationships, often offering counter-intuitive truth but no real clue on why things happen).

 

None it better than the other, they offer two different facets of truth, one on how people see and live truth, the other on what's really going on, but without clue on why... I'd rather rely on data, you'd rather on experience, fine by me, both are as good and as true as long as we know of which we speak.

 

I smoke pot on a regular basis-Ive tried harder drugs and honestly I dont quite like them. The reason I like pot is because it goes well with food and sex;I dont like harder drugs because they clamp on your appetite. Its been 6 years since Ive started smoking pot on a regular basis. It was a rather simple choice. At the time and even now I cant afford to drink scotch every night. When I can I guess I might move on.

In India its illegal, but a farce of the highest order. Coppers here prefer to haul up college kids and will turn a blind eye to sadhus and babas(Hindu priests and ascetics) who brazenly boom in public. Heck they'd rather go bust up parties than shake down the local temple where the stuff is sold. So keep the faith...

And the pushers pay the coppers to be allowed to ply their trade.If you missed him last night, the police were probably demanding a price he wasnt willing to pay!

Everything has a way of working out.

Edited February 26, 2009 by Stick

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

I am urged by my conscious and being a Christian I have to speak out. This is wrong. Point blank. There is no gray area in regards to this issue. Once you legalize any drug, then more people will be lobbying to legalize harder drugs. It all goes down hill from there. I expected this to happen. Just not so soon. But I'm still going to keep my faith and keep praying for America.

 

Cameron

 

I have conflicts with this kind of thinking. While you are a Christian, nothing wrong at all with that, using this as a reason to force people to follow your moral code is what leads to things that are not Constitutional. For instance, with my personal views, I have a moral objection to pornography. I worry about myself and simply don't take part in watching pornography, but don't go around trying to push my moral code on everyone.

 

By using the Christian argument for not allowing marijuana to be legal, you support outlawing premarital sex, coveting, using the name of God in vain, lying, coveting others, gluttony, etc. correct? I don't really think you can pick and choose when using the relgious argument.

 

Not all religions are the same, in some the use of certain substances is not forbidden, by using the Christianity argument you are saying that the entire nation should be Christian, correct?

 

Legalization of marijuana will not lead to the legalization of harder drugs. I'm sorry, there will never be a lobby (that is taken seriously) for the legalization of heroin, cocaine, meth, or over the counter purchase of oxy.

 

In short, as a Christian, if smoking pot is against your moral code, don't do it, don't let your children do it. Really that is what you should be most concerned about.

[serverandenforcer 33]

As a military cop, I will say this. I have seen more harm done to people who are intoxicated from alcohol. Even one glass of beer can get a person buzzed, and being buzzed is being drunk. And you can easily over dose on alcohol. Very rarely have I ever encountered a situation where someone has gotten seriously injured due to the involvement of marijuana. Now what I don't know is how quickly one can get buzzed from marijuana, and how much it affects there perception and reasoing skills. But from what I've seen, it's danger level is lower than that of alcohol because you can not over dose on it. So havig the consumption of alcohol being legal, but the use of mairjuana illegal doesn't make much sense to me, which is why most cops don't really give a rat's ass about it. Infact, most cops (not me - that stuff stinks!) have done some weed prior to being a cop (and sometimes with a few while they have been in the department). Now, if marijuana has been legalized, it will do three things. One, it will put a massive dent to the illegal underground marijuana manufaturers that have ties to crimianl organizations. By legalizing marijuana, you will effectively shut down cirmianl organization's (such as the Mexican Mafia and white supremacy groups) main source of revenue. Without a main source of revenue, the more difficult it is for them to carry out their violent operations. Also, with the use of marijuana no longer being illegal, it will allow law-enforcement agencies to redirect their attention to more serious crimes, and allowing quicker responses to much more serious calls. Second, it will increase the number of jobs in a crippled economy. With the way things are going right now, jobs are very few and hard to come by. With the legalization of marijuana, this would open doors to employments at a wide range, and considering how addicts are, I don't think there would be any concern of a slow market. Third, it may possibly reduce the usage of other narcotics that DO have a history in which people have gotten seriously hurt and killed. If drug-A is easier to get becaue it has been legalized and more affordable than drug-B, then which one do you think the addict would go to?

 

Now as a Christian, I am opposed to the abuse of any substance whether it being drug or non drug related. The good book does teach against the use of anything that facilitates an altered perception of reality. Infact, it discusses this as away of stepping into demonic possesion. However, I do have a realistic perception on the world, and that not everybody is a Christain nor do they share and accept Christain ideals. So I'm not going to force my faith down somebody elses's throat and say, "hey tough, I dont' care what your feelings are on it because my faith comes first before you." My faith does come first before a lot of things, but I don't think that shoving it in everybody else's life is the correct way of going about it. God gave us choices for a reason. Heck, he allowed the two morons that he first created a choice between two trees - one bad, one good. He didn't keep them from using the bad one, but did proclaim a consequence if they decide to go ahead and eat from it. Legalizing marijuana is allowing a choice for people to make. If there is a way to help reduce violent crimes, keep people from ODing, stop drunk driving, and make it difficult for gangs and mafias to do what they do best, I'm all for it. In this world, you sometimes are left with chosing the lesser of the two evils. Legalizing marijuana is unfortuantely the lesser of the two evils. I also think the concept of it being such a bad thing really has to do with state and federal fear based propaganda exagerating how bad it is when it really isn't compared to other things that have been legalized (alcohol). I would never smoke, as I said that I think it stinks, and I don't like having my perception of reality being altered. Yes, life sucks... deal with it, but deal with it like a man.

Edited February 26, 2009 by serverandenforcer

[+Dave 2,318]

Beer is my drug of choice.....is that a drug? Well I am not going to stop drinking it!

[Anthony W. 0]

Instead of spending million's of the tax payer's money trying to fight it,all of the states should follow in California's footsteps and legalize it.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

 

We can't. Because while they all destroy lives, pot is one thing we can regulate without causing unrest.

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

That was a great post, and am in full agreement with you, however, FYI:

 

By legalizing marijuana, you will effectively shut down cirmianl organization's (such as the Mexican Mafia and white supremacy groups) main source of revenue.

 

White supremacy groups main source of revenue is the legal sale of music and merchandise from their bands.

 

/hijack

[serverandenforcer 33]

That was a great post, and am in full agreement with you, however, FYI:

 

 

 

White supremacy groups main source of revenue is the legal sale of music and merchandise from their bands.

 

/hijack

 

 

Oh, you just had to didn't you

[Anthony W. 0]

I think a big reason for the still standing ban is the scar left on the world from the 70's. Atleast, imo it's a scare

[+Dave 2,318]

Beer?

[Anthony W. 0]

Beer?

 

Well, the only scar left on the US to my knowledge by beer was the failure of prohibition.

[serverandenforcer 33]

Beer?

 

 

Will be keeping a supply of Jack Daniels at my new place once I move in... that is once I get the new place. So come on over whenever you want... or at anytime we'll be having an airshow.

 

 

And if anybody starts posting on me for having beer after that post I made.... I drink responsibly... I only gotten buzzed once, and that's because someone mischeviously added something to my drink that had a bit more of a kick than Bud Lite....

Edited February 26, 2009 by serverandenforcer

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

Beer?

 

I like me some beer, but when it comes to vodka, I just say "Нет"

 

[+Dave 2,318]

Oh I like some Vodka, and Rum,

 

Not to mention some Irish Whiskey....JD though, not so much.

[Sakai 2]

I have to chime in on this since I come from like what got to be the third or fourth biggest pot state in the U.S. The other day, I passed an old lady in front of a super-market with a petition to legalize medical ganja in Maine. I, being both a tax-payer and a voter, signed on immediately. In my life, I have seen FAR MORE damage caused by booze and cigarettes then weed. This is no joke, when polled right before graduation in 2001, my class reported over 80% having tried weed, and 60% of them smoked more then once a week. A very small percentage of that group now does hard drugs, I don't know the numbers but I know the people, and weed is not, in my opinion, what sent them of this path of destruction. The biggest causes seem to be a big lack of self-esteem, depression, etc. It seems crazy to me that a substance like booze, which is addictive, causes violent behavior at times, and severely impairs judgment, is legal and weed is not. Why not legalize it and tax the poop out of it. We pay like $2.00 a pack of cigs. to the state of Maine in taxes, making the price of smokes over six dollars here. That funds our DOT road repair projcts. With the taxes from legalized weed, maybe we could fix them right!!!

[serverandenforcer 33]

Oh I like some Vodka, and Rum,

 

Not to mention some Irish Whiskey....JD though, not so much.

 

 

Will keep a mental note of that for the 2010 airshow.

[Jeremiah Weed 0]

Oh I like some Vodka, and Rum,

 

Not to mention some Irish Whiskey....JD though, not so much.

 

The last time I drank whiskey, it was my moniker, with USAF fighter pilots. Never again...