Legalize Pot?

raggedyanne · 07-31-2007, 11:17 PM

Do you think that marijuana should be legal? Should everyone have access or just people who use it for medicinal purposes? If it becomes legal, what impact may the ruling have on other drug cases?

DeathChii · 07-31-2007, 11:22 PM

There's already a thread for this, but yeah, I don't see why it shouldn't be legalized. It will lower the crime rate.

Cicero · 08-01-2007, 12:49 AM

There's another thread on this, but it's a few years old so nevermind.

Why marijuana is still illegal is beyond me - it's safer than cigarettes or alcohol. It's just not so good for those predisposed to schizophrenia and the like, but hey, cigarettes aren't too good for those predisposed to cancer (or even those NOT predisposed to cancer). Plus marijuana smells nicer.

Saphyra Runa · 08-01-2007, 12:51 AM

The whole subject of legalizing pot has been going on for well over 25 years. Your best arguments are nothing new. I have heard or said it myself since I was 14, 17, 20, etc... I'm over 40 now.

My concern is that the tobacco companies will have first dibs on it if it ever does get legalized. Then they will add those fun little bits to it to like they do to tobacco to make sure you get addicted to the stuff so you keep buying it, thusly making it everything it isn't now.

just my 2 cents.

Beneath the Shadows · 08-01-2007, 01:42 AM

I don't think the cigarette companies would have as much of a strangle-hold on the marijuana industry as they do on the tobacco industry. Mainly because you don't need as much space to grow marijuana as you need for even a single tobacco plant. Also, with tobacco you have to dry it and age, while with marijuana it can basically go right from the plant into your pipe. In other words, there would definitely be a large number of at-home pot farmers. I'm sure a lot of those would probably just be growing their own personal stash, like many people brew their own beer for just themselves and friends. But, like with the alcohol industry, their would be a good number of micro-farmers, probably a larger percentage than micro-breweries. Which means that the tobacco companies wouldn't be bringing in nearly as much money as they would be if their weren't any micro-farmers.

CptSternn · 08-01-2007, 01:51 AM

The reason its illegal has nothing to do with health and everything to do with money. As I pointed out in the other thread, the companies that lobby the hardest to keep it illegal are all part of the 'Partnership For A Drug Free America'. Those are the people who make the 'this is your brain on drugs' ads.

That group consists of Phillip Morris, Budweiser, Merck, and a cadre of other beer/cigarette/medical drug manufacturing companies.

Most of the anti-drug efforts in America are run by these very groups. They have no interest in protecting peoples health, and fight 'the drug war' to keep competition off their doorstep.

biohazard · 08-03-2007, 11:26 AM

I think pot should be legal. When nicotine and alchohol became legal, much of the crime rate lowered. Also, ciggarates and alcohol will now have some competition, possibly making them lower their outrageous prices.

Beneath the Shadows · 08-03-2007, 11:27 AM

When was tobacco ever illegal?

KontanKarite · 08-03-2007, 11:45 AM

It wasn't.

Legalize Cannibus. Regulate it like you would alcohol. I've seen pot being abused, though it was by a very depressed individual that I was living with. Now he's gone and I'm happy that the apartment doesn't smell like a strawberry flavored fart. But legalize it anyway. Why not?

delicti · 08-03-2007, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biohazard

I think pot should be legal. When nicotine and alchohol became legal, much of the crime rate lowered. Also, ciggarates and alcohol will now have some competition, possibly making them lower their outrageous prices.

Most of those tobacco costs are "sin tax;" government-imposed fines on "immoral" behavior. In tax-free areas, cigarettes cost under $2 a pack.

But I say go for it. Any drug that does not create violent behavior should be legal, as long as the companies peddling it are forced to inform the public of the dangers and side-effects in easy to understand language.

Methadrine · 08-03-2007, 11:57 AM

Legalize pot? Never.

It slows down your reactions... cars + dopeheads = bad idea. It's enough with all the drunk drivers.

KontanKarite · 08-03-2007, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methadrine

Legalize pot? Never.

It slows down your reactions... cars + dopeheads = bad idea. It's enough with all the drunk drivers.

Oh yes, I and others are with you on this one fo' sho' bro'! But it still happens.

Then again it leads to the question: How many people actually abstain from smoking pot because it's illegal?

Legal or not, I wouldn't change my mind about pot in the least. I'm not a smoker by any means.

Beneath the Shadows · 08-03-2007, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methadrine

Legalize pot? Never.

It slows down your reactions... cars + dopeheads = bad idea. It's enough with all the drunk drivers.

I seriously doubt that legalization will change anything with stoned drivers. The number of accidents caused by stoned drivers will still be like 0.5%.

delicti · 08-03-2007, 12:13 PM

It could be an easy fix to change our laws for driving under the influence to reflect pot use as well. There's a lot of controlled substances that can impact reaction time already out there.

I've never understood why we've focused on drunk driving in particular, outside of the volume of drunk-driving offenses. To me, it's all the same. If you're operating vehicles or heavy machinery under the influence of a disorienting substance, it should be illegal.

Onetwothree · 08-03-2007, 12:50 PM

Pot should be legal. It's no worse than anything else. In fact, all drugs should be legal. I won't do any of them, but they should be legal.

KontanKarite · 08-03-2007, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onetwothree

Pot should be legal. It's no worse than anything else. In fact, all drugs should be legal. I won't do any of them, but they should be legal.

Mmm... something we both agree on to a point.

Godslayer Jillian · 08-03-2007, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biohazard

Also, ciggarates and alcohol will now have some competition, possibly making them lower their outrageous prices.

Those outrageous prices are one of the best things that limit how much can someone abuse of the substance before having repercussions in his life.

KontanKarite · 08-03-2007, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Godslayer Jillian

Those outrageous prices are one of the best things that limit how much can someone abuse of the substance before having repercussions in his life.

Then what's with all the smoking bans? I mean, why hit up the addicts on these two fronts?

If someone wants to ruin their body, let them. I would HOPE that the common man would have enough common sense not to let such a thing happen or at least be more mindful of the trajedy that can befall them from using drugs.

Angelic.Scars · 08-03-2007, 01:38 PM

Legalization might as well come around and let it be. It's not like tons of people don't have their hands on it already. I personally don't smoke it, but I don't have anything against people who do because I have plenty of friends who have smoked it or still do. It should be used with discretion of course, not that that means it will be. I don't know if it is because it is illegal or because it's just how my personal friends are, but I know that a couple of my rather good friends who like to get together and smoke pot call me before they do, especially if they want to go do something, and get me to come with them to make sure they don't do anything stupid after they've smoked. They call me their stoner mommy.

Godslayer Jillian · 08-03-2007, 01:40 PM

Everything a member of society does directly influences his society, so I'm in favor of everything to stop addictions until the social perspective of it can be changed.

Methadrine · 08-03-2007, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onetwothree

In fact, all drugs should be legal. I won't do any of them, but they should be legal.

Bet you wouldn't say the same thing the day your kid comes home, high on LSD or any other suitable substance, because he/she wanted to try it out, just as kids try beer etc when they're underaged. ..or when the same kid dies of an OD, or took something that was less than pure and blew his or her nervoussystem, now a vegetable for the rest of its miserable life.

Onetwothree · 08-03-2007, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methadrine

Bet you wouldn't say the same thing the day your kid comes home, high on LSD or any other suitable substance, because he/she wanted to try it out, just as kids try beer etc when they're underaged. ..or when the same kid dies of an OD, or took something that was less than pure and blew his or her nervoussystem, now a vegetable for the rest of its miserable life.

I am not even touching this with a ten-foot-pole. Because this is such a stupid argument.

Methadrine · 08-03-2007, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onetwothree

I am not even touching this with a ten-foot-pole. Because this is such a stupid argument.

No, its facts. Something you are fond of, and thus I'm slightly surprised that you won't bother replying, but nevermind. Guess one has to experience it to see the reality of what drugs does, even if one self won't use them.

Onetwothree · 08-03-2007, 02:09 PM

*rolls eyes* I can give you statistics proving you totally wrong. Do you want them?

KontanKarite · 08-03-2007, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Godslayer Jillian

Everything a member of society does directly influences his society, so I'm in favor of everything to stop addictions until the social perspective of it can be changed.

I understand that. But isn't that essentially going against your anarchy ideals? I thought you said you were an anarchist or would like to be, so you are more of the mind of letting government involvement be very minimal.