Possible Debate: Alaska May legalize Marijuana.

[diznygirl]

well, I'm biased on this one....

Although I've never tried it I have seen first hand the effects it has had on two of my good friends, and the problems their children were born with.

Legal or illegal, it's definitely NOT healthy!

 

[LisaSt]

FIK I am sure that is what is on the table for it here and I am sure there will be somethng done to legalize and tax it here within the next couple years.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

My biggest thing is that it will cut down on a lot of street violence. People who sell it , gangs etc. will be kind of out of "business" if it becomes legal.

 

[Maleficent13]

Make it legal. I don't use it now, I won't use it then.

And last time I checked, the government was supposed to be in the business of protecting us from criminals (which potheads certainly aren't) and from foreign agression...NOT from our own decisions (which is why I'd also never favor outlawing smoking, no matter how bad it is for your health).

Agree.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Originally posted by faithinkarma
I figure if they legalize it, they can tax it. Save money by not chasing after it, make money by selling it. Win/win

Not to mention the boost the Cheetos industry would get.

 

[DawnCt1]

Alaska at this point in time seems to have the highest tolerance for marijuana use. Is there a relationship between THAT and Alaska having the highest rates of drug addiction, child abuse and unemployment?

 

[Maleficent13]

Originally posted by Bob Slydell
Not to mention the boost the Cheetos industry would get.

I just got an image of Chester Cheetah all kicked back with a haze of smoke around him...

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Originally posted by Bob Slydell
Not to mention the boost the Cheetos industry would get.

I can see it now....instead of wine parties we will be having pot parties with BBQ, cheetos, chips n dips, mexican, ice cream....

It will say BYOM or Bring Your Own Munchies...

 

[dturner]

Originally posted by The Mystery Machine
I can see it now....instead of wine parties we will be having pot parties with BBQ, cheetos, chips n dips, mexican, ice cream....

It will say BYOM or Bring Your Own Munchies...

Nothing wrong with that, LOL!!!

This is what I don't get, how in the world can the federal government make a plant that is grown by God illegal??? Now, I could see it being illegal if it's something manmade like cocaine, etc. but a plant that grows freely on this earth?

 

[DukeStreetKing]

So much for the saying, "He could sell ice to Eskimos." Well, d'uh, if they're stoned out of their minds, you could sell them anything.

 

[Christine]

Originally posted by EsmeraldaX
My biggest thing is that it will cut down on a lot of street violence. People who sell it , gangs etc. will be kind of out of "business" if it becomes legal.

My first reaction was the above statement. But, that's really not a valid argument because then you'd need to legalize cocaine, heroin, meth, PCP, etc. so that everyone would stop selling them too. And that really shouldn't happen. Also, I think most of the violent crimes are centered around crack, cocaine, heroin.

 

[DawnCt1]

Again, no one is discussing the link between increased marijuana tolerance in Alaska and the highest drug addiction, child abuse and unemployment rates.

 

[MosMom]

I don't see much of a correlation. Florida has the 2nd highest child abuse rate and hasn't lightened up on their feelings about drugs. Not too long ago Washington state had the highest unemployment rate. Many areas (even in Canada) in the pacific northwest have high unemployment rates. As far as drug addiction, Colorado has the highest percentage of marijuana users. Alaska is 5th on the list. Nevada has the highest rate of other illicit drugs and Alaska has the highest rate of any illicit drug INCLUDING ALCOHOL.

I would guess that the majority of that rate is alcohol problems and not marijuana. Unfortunately, many first nations people have a strong dependence on alcohol.

 

[jipsy]

Alaska leads the nation in drug dependency, child abuse and unemployment.

My ex-husband lived in Alaska for 10 years before we were married.

Alaska leads the nation in these categories because the Indian nations who live there are very poor. It has nothing to do with marijuana or legalizing it and everything to do with much of the state living in total darkness or total light and trying to earn a living in a wilderness type state.

Imagine waking up at 6 am and the sun is shining. Now imagine trying to go to sleep at 11 pm and the sun is still shining. It messes up your body clock. The darkness does the same thing. Imagine only having sunlight for just a few hours a day and the rest of the day it is dark. If your job is an outdoor type job, how would you work? What would you do? Watch TV all the time? Draw unemployment, if you are eligible? Go to the bar and drink?

It's also very cold many months out of the year. So cold in fact that they have plug up battery warmers everywhere you park your car so your battery doesn't freeze while you are in the grocery store, or the clothing store.

Most people go to bars. They take drugs to alleviate the harsh seasons/long nights/long days.

Many of the Inuits there are very poor and we all know from experience here in the lower 48 that poverty breeds drug dependence, alcoholism and child abuse.

I think marijuana is the least of Alaska's worries.

 

[tiggr11]

Good to see all the energy around this. I would like to see it legalized to prevent bad people from selling it for profit - the taxes it would produce could pay for a lot of good things for the country (anything but wars is my vote). The fact that we allow certain mind altering "drugs" to be sold but not one that is natural is just wrong - Go you Alaskans- Just wish it was warmer there and that Disney had a park with bunches of great DVD places to stay and enjoy .