Legalize Weed?

[Babboo]

I have noticed people who want to do something will go out of their way to rationalize - justify (even self-justify) and use any amount of legalism to make things balance for them.

While pot may have helped folks with illnesses - but so do so many other legal options.

By legalizing for "medical" reasons you are already seeing a spate of "doctors" who will write a script for any body - from aching hair to hang nails - essentially giving them a way to get stoned and not get busted.

Bring on the rationalizations . . . cigarettes are a drug too (yes - nicotine most certainly IS a drug - and cigarettes should be banned also!! besides - one joint is more harmful with all the tars than a whole pack of cigarettes - just imagine what the second hand-smoke does?) Alcohol is legal - it's just like a drug (yup again - and there are laws governing the sale, distribution, use, and abuse of said substance. Not only that - but with all the controls for alcohol being legal we STILL have a problem with those abusing the system or breaking the law for it). If they (being the government) legalize it they could make all kinds of money from taxes - sure could - and then how much on government sponsored rehab programs - for running jails for all the stoners out driving?

There is no solid argument for legalization - it's all just rationalizations and justifications brought on by a haze of smoky logic.

 

[pirateslifefourme]

umm sorry, but i am all for legalization and i dont smoke or do any drugs. IMO the govt or YOU have no right to tell ME what i can or cant do to my body. people say that society has to pay the hospital bills and for jails. well if you legalize it you just took care of the jails. and if your going to whine about the hospital bills, while were at it we can outlaw skateboarding, bike riding, football, hockey and ANY dangerous activity. because you pay for those people also. whether thru public assistance or because of increased insurance costs. Your War on Drugs is an ENORMOUS failure. It has done NOTHING to curb drug use or to keep drugs off the street. the people who smoke now are the same who would smoke if it was legal. Im not going to start smoking just because its legal, i don't like the effects of the substance period. But that is just me, plenty of people do, a LOT more than you think. Law enforcement needs to start focusing on real crime, not petty drug crime, and most LEO agree, they are tired of weed smokers clogging up the system. I hate the Wretched smell of Cigars and Cigarettes but im not trying to make them illegal, even though they are FAR more dangerous, its YOUR BODY YOUR CHOICE, now stay out MY personal business.

 

[pirateslifefourme]

You can't compare the number of people who are "regular users" of marijuana to the number of people who "have admitted to having tried the plant". The part after "in other words" in your post isn't true.

its not my writing, i copied it from a drug policy website, how do you know its not true? your out counting the number of pot smokers in the us and europe? how did you conduct your poll?

 

[pirateslifefourme]

Thank God for California, you can get weed there for Depresion, eating disorders, migraines,Cancer, Aids and almost any other ailment. I have 2 friends who have thier Cards and they get to walk into a store, buy the best weed in the world and smoke it right in front of a cop if they want to and the cop doesnt even care. Thank God for the States that have enough brain power to let the voters decide for themselves who they want to be compasionate to. I have a friend named tommy who had leukemia when he was a teen and he was on a downhill path because he couldnt eat anything. this was way before the legalization though, so his brother snuck him some weed and let him smoke it, and he ate for the first time in a long time withouth throwing up, he started smoking on a regular basis and his health then got back to normal and im glad to say that he has been better for the last 12 years. For those that say that medical marijuana is a myth, i would LOVE for you to meet tommy and tell him. THANK YOU WEED FOR SAVING MY FRIENDS LIFE.

 

[Pigeon]

I have noticed people who want to do something will go out of their way to rationalize - justify (even self-justify) and use any amount of legalism to make things balance for them.

While pot may have helped folks with illnesses - but so do so many other legal options.

By legalizing for "medical" reasons you are already seeing a spate of "doctors" who will write a script for any body - from aching hair to hang nails - essentially giving them a way to get stoned and not get busted.

Bring on the rationalizations . . . cigarettes are a drug too (yes - nicotine most certainly IS a drug - and cigarettes should be banned also!! besides - one joint is more harmful with all the tars than a whole pack of cigarettes - just imagine what the second hand-smoke does?) Alcohol is legal - it's just like a drug (yup again - and there are laws governing the sale, distribution, use, and abuse of said substance. Not only that - but with all the controls for alcohol being legal we STILL have a problem with those abusing the system or breaking the law for it). If they (being the government) legalize it they could make all kinds of money from taxes - sure could - and then how much on government sponsored rehab programs - for running jails for all the stoners out driving?

There is no solid argument for legalization - it's all just rationalizations and justifications brought on by a haze of smoky logic.

And your distinction between rationalization and justification v. "solid argument" would be exactly what?

Because I certainly could term your points regarding keeping it illegal as nothing more than rationalizing an irrational status quo... And there are many, many people like myself who don't smoke MJ who think that keeping it illegal makes no sense whatsoever, so there's no need to brand our opinions on the topic as "smoky logic."

 

[Darsa]

I just thank God that my daughter has the brains and common sense to know how stupid an idea it is to smoke anything, cigarettes OR pot, not to mention other drugs (which I tend to believe pot smoking leads to).

Whew! for sensible children!

 

[xoprincessmomxo]

I have noticed people who want to do something will go out of their way to rationalize - justify (even self-justify) and use any amount of legalism to make things balance for them.

While pot may have helped folks with illnesses - but so do so many other legal options. Like morphine, oxycontin, or codeine because they are much safer and less addicting?

By legalizing for "medical" reasons you are already seeing a spate of "doctors" who will write a script for any body - from aching hair to hang nails - essentially giving them a way to get stoned and not get busted. Is there a spate of unethical doctors around? If a doctor would prescribe a pain reliever for a hang nail, I'm much more worried about the doctor than what he prescribes.

Bring on the rationalizations . . . cigarettes are a drug too (yes - nicotine most certainly IS a drug - and cigarettes should be banned also!! besides - one joint is more harmful with all the tars than a whole pack of cigarettes - just imagine what the second hand-smoke does?) Alcohol is legal - it's just like a drug (yup again - and there are laws governing the sale, distribution, use, and abuse of said substance. Not only that - but with all the controls for alcohol being legal we STILL have a problem with those abusing the system or breaking the law for it). If they (being the government) legalize it they could make all kinds of money from taxes - sure could - and then how much on government sponsored rehab programs - for running jails for all the stoners out driving?

Not many stoners go to rehab for their addiction to pot. The same smokers that are driving stoned now are the same ones who will do it then, and are usually the same ones who will drink and drive. It's not like it's going to up the numbers. Legalization, restrictions, and taxes.

There is no solid argument for legalization - it's all just rationalizations and justifications brought on by a haze of smoky logic.

Many people who have never smoked it are all for legalization, too. Are you going to blame that on their smokey haze? I know, this won't matter to those who are completely against legalizing pot, and I've read many other stories on here of the same situation. My mom died from cancer 8 years ago. The morphine by the end was not working. She couldn't eat. She was in agony. I watched her die and there was nothing I could do to ease her pain. And you think that if there is something that would have helped her that it should remain illegal and make people like her criminals? My mother never smoked pot, but, if it should help someone in their situation, why should we deny them that?

 

[maddhatir]

I just thank God that my daughter has the brains and common sense to know how stupid an idea it is to smoke anything, cigarettes OR pot, not to mention other drugs (which I tend to believe pot smoking leads to).

Whew! for sensible children!

I am not trying to be disrespectful and this is not directed at you -- however............

I am tired of society using children as a reason why *I* as an adult, cannot make a choice as to what I, as an adult, would choose to do in my adult life.

 

[Darsa]

Fine. And if you drive stoned and crash into my car and kill my family members, please don't take it personally if I have a problem with that. Having to dodge drunk drivers is bad enough.

Thanks.

I have a brother in law that was driving while he was high, and crashed into a minivan and injured two children. I wish he was still in jail, but he got off quite easily, considering 1) he's had prior OUI's, drunk and high, and 2) the police found several pot plants at his home. This really has nothing to do with my (admittedly) vicious hatred for this and any other illegal drug; I have always had a vendetta against exceptionally stupid behavior, regardless of the person's age. I have definitely done stupid things in the past, but they've never gotten to the point where I would do something like sucking drug-filled smoke into my lungs so that I can feel stupid and lazy for a period of time, and maybe helping others in my vicinity to feel that way by way of second-hand smoke.

Okay, I'll shut up now, sorry.

 

[onelilspark]

Ok, first, I haven't read all the pages on this. I just had a conversation on this topic the other day. Here's my thoughts on legalizing really any drug:
1) if you're not hurting me, I really don't care what you do in your own home.
2) if we legalize drugs and sell them through respectable means, we can tax it. Then, we can take out of the equation all the drug dealers. This will also free up our legal system--how many crimes are drug-related? Plus, it takes away the allure of the drugs...if you can get them easily, if it's not taboo, why do it? IMO, people would be less likely to start. I would also then make the laws about driving under the influence, basically the alcohol laws would apply to drug use. Just makes common sense to me.

FTR: I've never done drugs, I don't smoke (just drink sometimes.) And I also think we should legalize prostitution as well and tax it.

 

[maddhatir]

turn on CNBC

 

[sanfran22]

I say legalize it. i may need it for the next 4 years

 

[maddhatir]

I say legalize it. i may need it for the next 4 years

maybe 8!

 

[Darsa]

Oh no, PLEASE don't turn THIS into a political thread as well, sheesh.

 

[maddhatir]

Oh no, PLEASE don't turn THIS into a political thread as well, sheesh.

Nooooooooooooo thank you! That topic gets people into way too much trouble!

We are just mellow over here