Legalizing Drugs in Mexico !!!

[rkjunior303]

Now, stick some idiot using pot behind the wheel of a car, or give them access to a firearm or other dangerous item, and you have the potential for them to cause injuries to themselves or others. American citizens have already proven that we are not capable of responsible consumption of alcohol, what makes you think it will be any better with marijuana?

But is there even a difference, really, when you compare it to Alcohol abuse? You could use that very argument on why alcohol should be illegal.

[Lohman446]

Now, stick some idiot using pot behind the wheel of a car, or give them access to a firearm or other dangerous item, and you have the potential for them to cause injuries to themselves or others. American citizens have already proven that we are not capable of responsible consumption of alcohol, what makes you think it will be any better with marijuana?

I will ignore the might be addictive part of the argument because it has no bearing on the argument I have made. I will also let go the "public funds might have to pay for it" argument - public funds might have to pay for the long term health effects of fatty foods too.

Using a firearm / car / etc under the influence of a substance is already illegal (I don't see a cry for criminalizing non-prescription medication that makes one drowsy). Those that violate those laws should be dealt with, and dealt with severely. That being said the use of a drug does not cause one directly to do that, and should not be criminalized by our government.

[Muzikman]

Making pot illegal was a political move in the 20's. Legalizingi t now would be another political move.

Personally, leagalize what you want, tax it (but not too high) and you would solve a lot of problems in the US. The ones you would create would equal it's self out in 10 or so years. You have two problems, if you tax it too much you will not remove the street selling of it which is the number one problem you will be trying to solve. You also have to look at the healthcare system. I don't want to be paying for someone elses stupidity, I do that enough already.

[Lohman446]

I would think you would be able to tax it enough to pay for the health care related to its use. Free up our prisons some from those in there for committing "victimless" crimes and you might actually be able to enforce the current laws.

[Muzikman]

Personally, I don't want to see a government healthcare system.

[Lohman446]

Personally, I don't want to see a government healthcare system.

Not exactly what I meant. The government already covers some healthcare costs. Legalizing drugs will likely result in them covering more healthcare costs. Taxing drugs sold legally could offset this. Although I agree there needs to be fundamental changes to our healthcare system I also agree its not government takeover

[CaptaiN_JacK]

Reasons why marijuana should be legalized:

-Reverse-gateway theory: People wont move on to harder drugs if marijuana becomes legal, because everybody will have access to the most potent weed available.

-Medical marijuana

-HARM REDUCTION: Legalizing marijuana will allow much more research into its side effects and better ways to ingest the product safely (hash, cannabutter, etc).

-Let cops focus on more important things than busting a few kids smoking pot.


---No more money will go to shady drug dealers. Why do they get to work tax-free?

-Industrial hemp....

-Free drugs!!! People can GROW their own marijuana. No longer will people have to pay obscene prices for small amounts or marijuana. Money will no longer be an issue.

[magman007]

il take a pack of marijuanal lights please...

i wont lie, that would be just cool, and im not even a user of the stuff.

My stand is that the govt. might as well legailze it, you can get it litterally everywhere already, and its just money the govt. is missing out on, also im willing to bet that the amount of marijuana users is rather close if not higher than alchohol users.

Also, pot has become an acceptable illegal substance in our world. Movies, books, tv shows, music.. its all there, and rarely scrutinized against. Hell, has anyone syou seen grandmas boy?

Sure there may be some negative side effects, but you see even more negative both sohrt term and long term effects pf alchohol.

not to mention that denver, among other cities, has made it completely legal (city legislation) to have an oz or less on you. Now it is still illegal in the state, but it saves the city police a bit of a headache for men that are already over worked.

Oh well, it isnt going to happen any time soon, not within the next 10 years or so, there are too many conservative votes out there for one party or the other to be able to swing it to legalize it.

[CaptaiN_JacK]

Oh well, it isnt going to happen any time soon, not within the next 10 years or so, there are too many conservative votes out there for one party or the other to be able to swing it to legalize it.

The sad truth.

[Steelrat]

I will ignore the might be addictive part of the argument because it has no bearing on the argument I have made. I will also let go the "public funds might have to pay for it" argument - public funds might have to pay for the long term health effects of fatty foods too.

Well, you made arguments about consenting adults, as if what a person does in their home has no impact on the rest of society. Increasing health care costs due to legalized substance abuse are certainly relevant. And just because public funds have to be used to cover the health care costs of current excesses doesn't mean we should just pile more on there. And any substance that causes an addiction is certianly something that society, as a whole, should have a say in, regardless of the whole "consenting adults" argument.

Using a firearm / car / etc under the influence of a substance is already illegal (I don't see a cry for criminalizing non-prescription medication that makes one drowsy).

How does criminalizing medication have any bearing upon a discussion of legalizing marijuana?

Those that violate those laws should be dealt with, and dealt with severely. That being said the use of a drug does not cause one directly to do that, and should not be criminalized by our government.

Nothing DIRECTLY causes people to do anything. As I pointed out, marijuana can cause problems with perception, thinking, and coordination. If you can't see the problems that would cause, just look at how many violent incidents or motor vehicle accidents involve alcohol. Why permit the use of a substance with so many potential risks? And if you are going to permit marijuana use, why not just decriminalize heroin, meth, cocaine, and all the rest? After all, they would be used by "consenting adults."

[Steelrat]

Reasons why marijuana should be legalized:

-Reverse-gateway theory: People wont move on to harder drugs if marijuana becomes legal, because everybody will have access to the most potent weed available.

Naive assumption, at best.

-Medical marijuana

possibly the only realistic argument for marijuana, but it has been horribly abused in California. People would walk out of the pharmacy and immediately start selling it on the street. Its human nature.

-HARM REDUCTION: Legalizing marijuana will allow much more research into its side effects and better ways to ingest the product safely (hash, cannabutter, etc).

You can research it all you want right now, if you are an actual researcher. Billy testing it in his kitchen with his buddies is not "research."

-Let cops focus on more important things than busting a few kids smoking pot.


---No more money will go to shady drug dealers. Why do they get to work tax-free?

-Industrial hemp....

You know that hemp fibers are used now, right?

-Free drugs!!! People can GROW their own marijuana. No longer will people have to pay obscene prices for small amounts or marijuana. Money will no longer be an issue.

Great, now everyone can get wasted, addicted, and end up a stoned out loser. Score!

....

[Lohman446]

Well, you made arguments about consenting adults, as if what a person does in their home has no impact on the rest of society. Increasing health care costs due to legalized substance abuse are certainly relevant. And just because public funds have to be used to cover the health care costs of current excesses doesn't mean we should just pile more on there. And any substance that causes an addiction is certianly something that society, as a whole, should have a say in, regardless of the whole "consenting adults" argument.



How does criminalizing medication have any bearing upon a discussion of legalizing marijuana?



Nothing DIRECTLY causes people to do anything. As I pointed out, marijuana can cause problems with perception, thinking, and coordination. If you can't see the problems that would cause, just look at how many violent incidents or motor vehicle accidents involve alcohol. Why permit the use of a substance with so many potential risks? And if you are going to permit marijuana use, why not just decriminalize heroin, meth, cocaine, and all the rest? After all, they would be used by "consenting adults."

I'm not against decriminalizing all drug use, and all victimless crimes. It might increase the cost on society. Might - then again taxes may very well offset any increase on costs and perhaps more. Operating a vehicle well under the influence of drugs should be illegal, and is. That does have an impact on society - the simple use of the drug does not.

Show me where the federal government has the authority, in the Constitution, to criminalize any victimless crime.

Your argument taken to the extreme could become a regiment of mental, physical, and dietary fitness that failure to follow would be criminal. Caffeine influences perception, thinking, coordination and has shown to be addictive... it should be outlawed. MSG has been shown to do the same, it should be outlawed... I think you get the point if the argument was taken further.

[tropical_fishy]

Not everyone will become a marijuana user if it is legalized. Not everyone is an alcoholic or a cigarette-smoker or a caffine addict, but there are people who, despite warnings that these things are bad for their health, do them anyway. Agh I have to go to work. I guess I just wanted to say I agree with Lohman, and that there are plenty of legal (DXM, salvia, peyote) drugs that cause more troublesome reactions than THC does-- anywhere from mild to acute hallucinations, which worries me, personally, more than some stoner sitting around smoking pot. I realize this response is kind of addled, but I'll be back to clarify later.

[stop whining buy a mag]

So far I'm agreeing with most of the points made so far except for what Steelrat has been saying. I think he's coming from the side of seeing irresponsible marijuana smokers. It is very similar to alcohol. Some people can be responsible while others have to get in their car after 8 shots of vodka.

I don't see this causing healthcare problems. If you don't smoke marijuana now because it's illegal, I doubt you would smoke it if it was legalized. You also have to look at the positive side of the healthcare issue. If marijuana and marijuana paraphinalia were legalized it would be much easier for people to use healthier methods of smoking such as bongs, bubblers, and vaporizers.

I'd really like to see some more tests on the long term effects of smoking marijuana. So far, the only proven things are that it may effect the development of the brain (the brain develops until you are 25) and a greater chance of lung cancer due to the smoke (if you smoke out of papers, bowls, or bongs).

The gateway theory (or reverse gateway theory) is biased. If marijuana was not so easily availible it would not be the "gateway drug". The easiest mind altering substance to obtain is what is called the gateway drug. Sure, most people smoke marijuana before they do coke but I'll bet 90% of those people also started drinking in their teens before smoking.

Legalization will only work if the government sets it up like alcohol distribution in NC. Have state run stores distrubite the marijuana to people over the age of 18. Use harsh penalties for people who illegally grow. Basically use the same alcohol laws. As long as the marijuana is not schwag (like the medical stuff) people will buy it for reasonable prices. This will force the dealers (who collect wellfare checks) to actually get a real job or sell drugs that give much harsher penalties.

Many successful people smoke marijuana so calling them all stoned out losers doesn't quite fit. We just need more responsible people in the US.

[slade]

Making pot illegal was a political move in the 20's. Legalizingi t now would be another political move.

i always hear that the criminalization of pot was a political move, but why is that so? care to explain it any further?

How does criminalizing medication have any bearing upon a discussion of legalizing marijuana?

you stated as a reason for the criminalization of pot that it has adverse effects on driving. over the counter medications do too, so by that same token they should be criminalized.

just about the only good explanation i have heard is that with alcohol police can use a breathalyzer to test to see if someone is drunk, whereas with pot, THC stays in the bloodstream for months, and therefore its much harder for police to test to see if someone is high. then again, that still wouldnt prevent someone from driving while high if pot is illegal.

Show me where the federal government has the authority, in the Constitution, to criminalize any victimless crime.

actually, the elastic clause theoretically allows for anything, its just hard to make changes.