[NeoTifa]

<3

[LoveIsNull]

Sickening.

[raziel_]

i just blazze one

[bohemian9485]

Long live the pot!

[D. Koen]

I think it should be legalized BUT, people who are known to smoke for no reason should be made to attend classes if they have children and these ppls children should be monitored for any signs of abuse caused by the parent's being high and abusing or being high and ignoring (neglecting) their children. Set age limits and tax heavy but take the money back from 3rd world countries that need a more legitimate way to generate national income than endangering children and corrupting teens. And actually enforce the age-limit with something more than just probation so ppl stop breaking the law.

[modi123_1]

D. Koen, on 19 Aug, 2009 - 01:44 PM, said:

I think it should be legalized BUT, people who are known to smoke for no reason should be made to attend classes if they have children and these ppls children should be monitored for any signs of abuse caused by the parent's being high and abusing or being high and ignoring (neglecting) their children. Set age limits and tax heavy but take the money back from 3rd world countries that need a more legitimate way to generate national income than endangering children and corrupting teens. And actually enforce the age-limit with something more than just probation so ppl stop breaking the law.

There's quite a bit of the usual pat answers, but not much in the realm of real solutions.

Biggest one: tax it heavily so the 3rd worlders don't get our money.
First, taxing it heavily defeats the purpose of removing the dealers - if the dealers are selling it cheaper.
Second, a country crop for export is not a legit GDP part?
Third, you admit that drugs endanger children and corrupt teens - why in the world would you cave and legalize it?

Okay so the monitoring of the parents - wow... that would be a legal night mare. Would you expand this process to alcohol and tobacco as well? This is all outside the fact structuring, implementing, and enforcing these classes would be such a sink hole for money it would be better off to NOT legalize it and save some green (pun intended).

How do you propose to enforce the age limit? Already the average city can close down a bar for selling to minors and there are hefty fines. Would we drag along tobacco as well on the ride? What would be fair punishment? A year in jail? Two? Make it a felony?

*sigh* So many issues that crop up. Oh, and no "everyone's doing it so we should just tax it" is not a legit argument.

[LoveIsNull]

It was much easier for me to get drugs in high school than it was to get alcohol. The fact is that most drug dealers don't check ID, and are often times minors themselves. As far as I am concerned, drugs may endanger children and corrupt teens but only so long as the drugs are unregulated and the children are being told blatant lies and misinformation by their parents and educators. This kind of thing happens every day in class rooms around the nation, children are told dirty lies about marijuana and other substances. They might believe them at first, often they are forgotten with age but some times children get curious and find out they have been lied to. This ultimately fuels not only their curiosity but a distrust and resentment for educators, parents and other "authority" figures.
Of course this isn't the biggest price we pay for the war on drugs; aside from advert. campaigns that don't work, law enforcement\incarceration costs and the loss of our freedoms, real lives are being lost every day around the globe. Some of this is among cartels and other terrorist organizations (that we are happy to fund) but the real majority of lives lost are the innocent civilians that get in the way on either side of the "drug war". An example, governments will spray herbicides on hectares of land that they assume is being used to grow the 'evil' crops, this will also kill the not so evil crops that the innocent civilians depend on for food and income as well as poison their water supplies. Assuming they did manage to eradicate some of the coca, marijuana or opium: they will just plant more some where else, not to mention the stockpiles and as an added bonus; genetically engineered coca plants that not only contain more cocaine but are also resistant to herbicides.
It just isn't working, and we wonder why people around the globe hate us.
A more rational solution would be to legalize certain substances for sale and consumption by people over the age of 21, taxed, but not to excess and implementation of sound substance education programs based on common sense and harm reduction.
Above all, I believe decisions about this (like most social issues) should be made on the state or local level. The problem [in the US] is that the Controlled Substances Act was an act of Congress. In order to repeal the CSA or even reschedule marijuana the order would have to come from Congress. This means that 268 people would have to vote to repeal or rectify the CSA to leave decisions about marijuana and other substances open to state governments.

Abusus non tollit usum.
Abuse is not an argument against proper use.

[raziel_]

loveisnull is right when there is no control of the drugs the teens are corrupt easy then if you can by weed in store where you will be kicked out becose you dont have ages to buy it

[Thorian]

Because even cops are starting to think that the WAR on DRUGS is BS

http://www.leap.cc/cms/index.php

[Jaakuuta]

I think this topic is kind of funny.
The fact that it's even a question is hilarious.

1. People are much less impaired stoned than drunk, especially while driving.
2. It already costs a lot in the first place so making it the same price that cigarettes currently are would be a huge discount.
3. Where do people get the connection that it's anywhere near as dangerous for you as cigarettes or alcohol? Those stupid propaganda commercials that the government tries to run to put ideas into your head?
4. Why do people think that stoners are so much more degenerate than alcoholics or cigarette smokers and the like? Every stoner that I've ever known has been a functioning, cool, easy-going person who wanted nothing but to get high and be happy. As opposed to most cigarette smokers and drinkers I've known who have been violent, aggressive people who snap at the first opportunity because they have so much stress all the time.
5. When I am not smoking, my focus is divided and all over the place, I find it hard to think about any one thing in particular. After I have smoked some, I am much more focused and find that some of my best code comes from when I'm freshly baked.
6. No smoking before work or smoke breaks? What's up with this? Why should you be able to smoke cigarettes at work but not J's?
7. Altogether, I am indifferent to others. I could care less if things like coke or heroin are legalized. Entheogens would be good to legalize though. Although if they are, they should be well moderated. It should be moderately taxed, although no more than cigarettes or alcohol are already. I think it should be available anywhere you can purchase cigarettes or alcohol, and should be allowed anywhere you can currently smoke cigarettes.

[DaneAU]

Ah yea cigarette smokers are downers aren't they ? Sorry i smoke cigarettes and i take offense to that generalisation. Alcoholics yea for sure they are sad cases, however lets not look at the extremes in the situation but rather the mid ground. If you look at the mid ground for any user of cigarettes, alcohol, weed they are all functional people and you would never think any less of them.

Now lets consider the extremes
Smoke - coughs a lot and smells
Alcoholic - drinks 24/7 permanantly pissed, diabetes.
Weed - Permanantly off the planet and eventually onset schizophrenia.

@6 - You can smoke before work and at breaks simply because it does not make you a downer for the next few hours. Should you be allowed to down a bottle of Chivas Regal and go jump back in and drive a crane on a city rooftop building during your break ?

[Jaakuuta]

bbq, on 18 Sep, 2009 - 05:55 PM, said:

Ah yea cigarette smokers are downers aren't they ? Sorry i smoke cigarettes and i take offense to that generalisation. Alcoholics yea for sure they are sad cases, however lets not look at the extremes in the situation but rather the mid ground. If you look at the mid ground for any user of cigarettes, alcohol, weed they are all functional people and you would never think any less of them.

Now lets consider the extremes
Smoke - coughs a lot and smells
Alcoholic - drinks 24/7 permanantly pissed, diabetes.
Weed - Permanantly off the planet and eventually onset schizophrenia.

@6 - You can smoke before work and at breaks simply because it does not make you a downer for the next few hours. Should you be allowed to down a bottle of Chivas Regal and go jump back in and drive a crane on a city rooftop building during your break ?

I apologize for the generalization of cigarette smokers. That's just something I've seen in a lot of people that I know who smoke.
I can get what you mean by permanently off the planet lol but I don't see where you get "eventually onset schizophrenia".
@6 - I was referring to toking during breaks or before work, not drinking alcohol, which like I said makes you far more impaired than weed does.

[DaneAU]

Yea and i was referring to the fact that being High and operating heavy machinery is absolutely ludicrous in the same way that drinking and being tipsy is.

Heavy consumption of any substance results in illness, the associated illnesses vary from substance to substance however the Marijuana works on the brain and if you believe there is no issues associated with long term use you are delusional. I am all for smoking weed if you choose to however i also am aware of the consequences and the final outcome. Although the onset schizophrenia is inevitable and if not that peoples brains are mush. If you smoked it every day of your life the cloud you would be in would no doubt be cloud 9, however to anyone else of a 'normal' mind you would appear slow, delusional and 'off the planet'.

I live with a light user of marijuana ( she is 60 and not a parent lol ) and believe me her mind although sharp is truly a mess when it comes to non academic content but rather social situations and idealistic living.

PS : No problem about the cigarette comment ~ just thought i would set the record straight about cigarettes, what you must remember is there are no immediate side effects from smoking only long term.

[syfran]

It alters your mental state, whether you like it or not and therefore will and should be disallowed from a workplace.

I'm a senior in highschool and see the effects of weed every day. Don't give me the bullshit about how it doesn't affect you.

[Jaakuuta]

bbq, on 18 Sep, 2009 - 06:53 PM, said:

Yea and i was referring to the fact that being High and operating heavy machinery is absolutely ludicrous in the same way that drinking and being tipsy is.

Heavy consumption of any substance results in illness, the associated illnesses vary from substance to substance however the Marijuana works on the brain and if you believe there is no issues associated with long term use you are delusional. I am all for smoking weed if you choose to however i also am aware of the consequences and the final outcome. Although the onset schizophrenia is inevitable and if not that peoples brains are mush. If you smoked it every day of your life the cloud you would be in would no doubt be cloud 9, however to anyone else of a 'normal' mind you would appear slow, delusional and 'off the planet'.

I live with a light user of marijuana ( she is 60 and not a parent lol ) and believe me her mind although sharp is truly a mess when it comes to non academic content but rather social situations and idealistic living.

PS : No problem about the cigarette comment ~ just thought i would set the record straight about cigarettes, what you must remember is there are no immediate side effects from smoking only long term.

Hrm... well it has been almost every day, sometimes a number of times per day for about 8 years now, but it hasn't affected me too much. Admittedly it does make you a bit spacey, but I have no problem with that. I guess it depends on your job as to how much it will impair your ability to do it. Academic stuff is always great as you said, but I don't think it's so much the smoke that necessarily causes issues in social contexts for me. I think it's moreso that I just don't really know much about how to talk to people. I mean not everybody likes talking about programming and math and the like all the time lol. Besides that, I have plenty of smoker friends that do just fine with social situations so I don't quite agree with this conclusion.
I just don't see why people make such a big deal about it and yet they don't seem to have as much of an issue with cigarettes or alcohol. Not to mention all the horrible, dangerous, prescription drugs on the market that will mess you up worse than weed would any day.

This post has been edited by Jaakuuta: 18 September 2009 - 11:54 PM