Marijuana Decriminalization Talking Points

[HerbalMethod]

It's not that it's full of retards, it's full of greedy people. A good majority understand the overall societal benefits. However, they also understand the amount of control and money that is kept in their hands due to the current laws.

Socially it alienates a large percentage of the population from a large percentage of the population. I mean, I personally don't have many friends that don't smoke pot.

In terms of good points...

Money from pot supports gangs and lots of generally foul people. These people only make the money off of it because, just like the mafia with alcohol during prohibition days, it's illegal but there's a demand so it's handled by mostly shady people. Honestly I luckily only have one or two friends I trust to go to but in my time I've met to messed up dealers.

Do you ever see people running underground alcohol and tobacco rings? NOOOO!

People may buy them for people under-age more often then lots of people like to admit BUT it's still harder for people under-age to get them then most illegal drugs. When I was 15 it was easier for me to get bud than cigs any day of the week. At school it was even easier.

Compare the amount of money the A.T.F., Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, spends controlling the things legal but regulated to what the D.E.A. spends TRYING AND FAILING to control the illegal things and it becomes quickly apparent at just how much we're standing to save. Not to mention being able to tax it, the amount of non-violent pot offenders let out of prison and jail thus saving 60,000 dollars a year per person. That's around 30-40% of the prison population last I checked...don't hold me on that though.

Then again, if you want to know where the government REALLY stands on the issue of drugs just look into the CIA trafficking cocain into the US on government planes. They don't want to stop the war on drugs, which is truely a war on a large portion of humanity, they want to fuel the fire.

Drug users are the new target of a too powerful government that needs an enemy. In terms of laws the government has passed every major law that Nazi Germany passed right before they started collecting people en-mass. Torture laws, presidential over-rides, spying bills, being allowed to read everything you write in e-mail and what-not.

Believe it or not Germany was a lot like America back in the 30's. Lots of wealth, lots of liberal groups, including feminists and gays. They started making lists, lists of where jews lived, lists of who owned what guns, and lists of people they simply didn't "trust."

Currently, there are over 1 million americans on the "suspected terrorist high-fly-risk" threat list. If on these lists you get searched, thuroughly, every time you board an airplane. Now tell me how on earth there are 1 million suspected terrorists in america?

I know my history and I know my a good lot of current politics and when this sort of shit happens somebody takes the fall...and the government has been making enemies of drug users for all too many a decade.

Food for thought...

[¿Кактебязовут?]

A couple more points that would help is that if Marijuana was legal then this would free up funding for the War on Drugs to fight other hardcore drug trade such as cocaine, acid etc.
Also that if marijuana was legalized, hardcore drug usage would not be as prevalent. If they ask you to explain tell them something like this:
Marijuana is said to be a gateway drug, but in reality marijuana is no more of a gateway drug then NyQuill is. The only difference is NyQuill is sold in a controlled situation. The pharmacist or cashier gets the same paycheck every week. He does not care if you buy one bottle or two because he is getting paid the same way. The drug dealer on the other hand is paid by commissions. He realizes that your only going to smoke so much herb at a time. Since marijuana gets you just as high each time you smoke it your not having to buy more and more and more. So the drug dealer wants to maximize his profits. How does he do this? He introduces you to harder drugs which are addictive and need to be chased to get that high like the first time, such as crack, heroin, meth, etc. If marijuana was sold in a regulated environment people would not be exposed to those harder drugs because the cashier would not be allowed nor have the need to expose you to hardcore drugs such as ketamine, dmt, Ecstasy, etc. Then say something like:
It's not a gateway drug it's a gateway situation which we are needlessly and perversely forcing our fellow American's into (substitute your nation if not American).

If someone else said any of this my appologies.

[sunny08]

The government is so ignorant its ridiculous! great, clear information. thanks!

[DaaamnSmokey]

Originally Posted by goldsoundz

among the points you've already made.... i just would like to add, as it is more logical to teach safe sex than it is to teach abstinence (people are gonna do it anyway, ya know?) it should be emphasized to stop feeding people false and exaggerated info about marijuana (the above the influence commercials? i hate them) and try to teach people how to be responsible with their marijuana use...

perfectly put.

[Captain Cannabi]

Originally Posted by goldsoundz

among the points you've already made.... i just would like to add, as it is more logical to teach safe sex than it is to teach abstinence (people are gonna do it anyway, ya know?) it should be emphasized to stop feeding people false and exaggerated info about marijuana (the above the influence commercials? i hate them) and try to teach people how to be responsible with their marijuana use...

That's great man, that's how I try to teach people man, gotta be responsible with your herb man.
It's the irresponsible people that ruin it for everyone else, but the government needs to stop enforcing this over 70 year old reefer madness mindset they have.
We need a serious reform man.

[squirrelnuts]

We voted in the dumbest man ever into to white house. this dumb ass doesn't even know why marijuana illegalized in the first place. He doesn't think that it would help the economy at all to decimalize marijuana. He doesn't think it would create jobs and treats what the some people consider a valid issue to be some kind of joke. thanks obama you fucking hippocrate. What you dont belive me look for yourself: Search

[Flaw of the Law]

Originally Posted by squirrelnuts

We voted in the dumbest man ever into to white house. this dumb ass doesn't even know why marijuana illegalized in the first place. He doesn't think that it would help the economy at all to decimalize marijuana. He doesn't think it would create jobs and treats what the some people consider a valid issue to be some kind of joke. thanks obama you fucking hippocrate. What you dont belive me look for yourself: Search

Well, it's apparent to most that legalizing marijuana will help the economy. IIRC, 10$ billion dollars would be pumped into the economy if pot was legal. But the same could be said for legalizing any drug. There would be a 80$ billion dollars gained to the U.S. economy if ALL drugs are legal. We can't look at it too much financially, since that would doom pro-legalization people. (Such as myself )

Indian Toker and ¿Кактебязовут? made excellent points, and here's some more facts/points.

Every year hundreds die from eating peanuts. Yet in all of human history, NO known cases of such as an allergic food reaction to weed has been documented. As of studies of the 1990’s; coffee is the MOST medically harmful drug consumed by American's on a wide basis. Peanuts and coffee already sound pretty damn bad. :P
Also, many studies is showing weed with anti-cancer properties. Inhaling it cancels these benefits quite a bit, but consumed it does seem to have some anti-cancer properties. The cancer threat politicians mention, is the threat that exists from smoking anything. Anything you burn creates carsogenic chemicals. (well, any biomass) HOWEVER no one smokes 2 packs of joints a day. And that fact alone drops it down to far safer than cigs. (Not to mention the lack of added chemicals) . THEN, add to that you can use vaporizers and water bubblers to remove most to all of the carcongenic dangers.

I read a study that was done in the UK, that showed that stoned drivers were actually safer drivers then non-stoned.... it had to do with the greater level of attention and caution being applied.

Though being stoned creates some depth perception and reflexes problems.

[¿Кактебязовут?]

Originally Posted by sunny08

The government is so ignorant its ridiculous! great, clear information. thanks!

Hahaha not ignorant, they know these points. The problem is the government is ran nearly as a business because of the pull lobbyist from major corporations have. So it's not that their ignorant, their just wrong. On a level of the laws and of common morality. They are ran by the "all mighty dollar" instead of the ideas our fathers died for. Though in all honesty they were just as warped and hypocritical, but what are you going to do about the nature of man, you know. I guess we could stand up, but how are you going to get a nation of mtv raised apathetic asses to stand up for something they don't care about.

[¿Кактебязовут?]

Originally Posted by squirrelnuts

We voted in the dumbest man ever into to white house. this dumb ass doesn't even know why marijuana illegalized in the first place. He doesn't think that it would help the economy at all to decimalize marijuana. He doesn't think it would create jobs and treats what the some people consider a valid issue to be some kind of joke. thanks obama you fucking hippocrate. What you dont belive me look for yourself: Search

Don't flame a man for playing politics. Flame yourself, me and the rest of this nation for letting the government run us, instead of us running ourselves.

[NotPC]

Well... This is my first time blogging on this site and this thread caught my eye...

I wrote a short essay on the subject:

Marijuna Legalization

[MAD HATT3R]

[QUOTE=Captain Cannabi;2797625]Okay, stick with me, I have lots of info to share.



ANNUAL AMERICAN DEATHS CAUSED BY DRUGS

TOBACCO ........................ 400,000
ALCOHOL ........................ 100,000
ALL LEGAL DRUGS ................ 20,000
ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS .............. 15,000
CAFFEINE ....................... 2,000
ASPIRIN ........................ 500
MARIJUANA ....................o
__________________________________________________ ________________________
if caffeine has that high of a death rate then shudnt starbucks be closed instead of having so many of those shudnt their bee like a weedy mcjoints? t

[srfrgyharp]

The state of California saved nearly $1 billion dollars from 1976 to 1985 by decriminalizing the personal possession of one ounce of marijuana, according to a study of the state justice department budget.
REFERENCE: M. Aldrich and T. Mikuriya. 1988. Savings in California marijuana law enforcement costs attributable to the Moscone Act of 1976. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 20: 75-81.


so is it still decriminalized in california?

[purplesunrise]

Normal (The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) offers these talking points regarding the decriminalization of marijuana:

Decriminalizing marijuana frees up police resources to deal with more serious crimes.
Far more harm is caused by the criminal prohibition of marijuana than by the use of marijuana itself.
Decriminalization does not lead to greater marijuana use.
Criminal laws prohibiting marijuana possession do not deter marijuana use.
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[scumbragger]

One country has decriminilaized ALL DRUGS in 2001 (Portugal) and the only reason they didn't legalize them was the same reason it won't happen until the motherland USA lets it happen...here's the study of the results to drug use in Portugal as a result...ironically the study is by a policy institute in Washington.

Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Drug Policies | Glenn Greenwald | Cato Institute: White Paper

Drug Decriminalization in Portugal:
Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Drug Policies

by Glenn Greenwald

On July 1, 2001, a nationwide law in Portugal took effect that decriminalized all drugs, including cocaine and heroin. Under the new legal framework, all drugs were "decriminalized," not "legalized." Thus, drug possession for personal use and drug usage itself are still legally prohibited, but violations of those prohibitions are deemed to be exclusively administrative violations and are removed completely from the criminal realm. Drug trafficking continues to be prosecuted as a criminal offense.
While other states in the European Union have developed various forms of de facto decriminalization — whereby substances perceived to be less serious (such as cannabis) rarely lead to criminal prosecution — Portugal remains the only EU member state with a law explicitly declaring drugs to be "decriminalized." Because more than seven years have now elapsed since enactment of Portugal's decriminalization system, there are ample data enabling its effects to be assessed.
Notably, decriminalization has become increasingly popular in Portugal since 2001. Except for some far-right politicians, very few domestic political factions are agitating for a repeal of the 2001 law. And while there is a widespread perception that bureaucratic changes need to be made to Portugal's decriminalization framework to make it more efficient and effective, there is no real debate about whether drugs should once again be criminalized. More significantly, none of the nightmare scenarios touted by preenactment decriminalization opponents — from rampant increases in drug usage among the young to the transformation of Lisbon into a haven for "drug tourists" — has occurred.
The political consensus in favor of decriminalization is unsurprising in light of the relevant empirical data. Those data indicate that decriminalization has had no adverse effect on drug usage rates in Portugal, which, in numerous categories, are now among the lowest in the EU, particularly when compared with states with stringent criminalization regimes. Although postdecriminalization usage rates have remained roughly the same or even decreased slightly when compared with other EU states, drug-related pathologies — such as sexually transmitted diseases and deaths due to drug usage — have decreased dramatically. Drug policy experts attribute those positive trends to the enhanced ability of the Portuguese government to offer treatment programs to its citizens — enhancements made possible, for numerous reasons, by decriminalization.
This report will begin with an examination of the Portuguese decriminalization framework as set forth in law and in terms of how it functions in practice. Also examined is the political climate in Portugal both pre- and postdecriminalization with regard to drug policy, and the impetus that led that nation to adopt decriminalization.
Glenn Greenwald is a constitutional lawyer and a contributing writer at Salon. He has authored several books, including A Tragic Legacy (2007) and How Would a Patriot Act?</EM> (2006).</EM>



The report then assesses Portuguese drug policy in the context of the EU's approach to drugs. The varying legal frameworks, as well as the overall trend toward liberalization, are examined to enable a meaningful comparative assessment between Portuguese data and data from other EU states.
The report also sets forth the data concerning drug-related trends in Portugal both pre- and postdecriminalization. The effects of decriminalization in Portugal are examined both in absolute terms and in comparisons with other states that continue to criminalize drugs, particularly within the EU.
The data show that, judged by virtually every metric, the Portuguese decriminalization framework has been a resounding success. Within this success lie self-evident lessons that should guide drug policy debates around the world.

[Stealson]

Originally Posted by Captain Cannabi

Okay, stick with me, I have lots of info to share.

First off.

Marijuana Debating Point
The "Gateway Drug Theory" is one of the many things that pushes my buttons.
To base a great portion of your argument on a spurious relationship shows that there really is no hard evidence behind your claims.
A spurious relationship is best explained in the following scenario: "An example of a spurious relationship can be illuminated examining a city's ice cream sales.
These sales are highest when the rate of drownings in city swimming pools is highest.
To allege that ice cream sales cause drowning, or vice-versa, would be to imply a spurious relationship between the two.
In reality, a heat wave may have caused both.
The heat wave is an example of a hidden or unseen variable.
If I was to apply this to the Gateway Drug Theory we would see:
The rate of hard-drug use is highest among those who smoke marijuana.
Therefor, marijuana leads to hard-drug use.
In Reality, most "hard drug" user ALSO smoke Marijuana, either to "take the edge off" from other, harder substances.
This does not include many other hidden or unseen variables such as the current way our society is set up, the prohibition of such drugs, the laws themselves, the relative ease it takes to produce and sell marijuana, the accessibility to marijuana, and other drugs such as alcohol and nicotine.
If you were to look at the big picture, you would also see that nicotine and alcohol are considered drugs and are often the first drug a person tries, even before marijuana.
Therefore with your logic we should be able to assume that cigarettes and alcohol are "gateway drugs."

Secondly,
Beer is made with hops, which comes from the Cannabaceae family.
If there is hemp in beer and it's legal, why isn't pot?

My opinion is:
The Presidents used to Grow Marijuana(Cannabis Sativa L.)
Or "Hemp" so why can't we?
Marijauana is NOT a "Drug" It is a Plant, a Green Herbal Seed-bearing plant.


ANNUAL AMERICAN DEATHS CAUSED BY DRUGS

TOBACCO ........................ 400,000
ALCOHOL ........................ 100,000
ALL LEGAL DRUGS ................ 20,000
ALL ILLEGAL DRUGS .............. 15,000
CAFFEINE ....................... 2,000
ASPIRIN ........................ 500
MARIJUANA ...................... 0
----------------------------------------
Source: United States government...
National Institute on Drug Abuse,
Bureau of Mortality Statistics



It just so happens it has chemicals in it, oh like Tabbaco has Nicotine, Nicotine can KILL you if you overload on it, Marijuana CAN'T kill you, the amount of Deaths each year by Drinking(100,000), and Drunk Driving is Staggering compared to the number of Deaths caused by Marijuana...Zero(0).
I Say, Legalise it and let the states govern themselves!
Let Personal Freedom back into this country.
No longer should we have freedom of thought and choice be suppressed!
There is nothing wrong with Marijuana, it is just a plant!
I say legalise it, regulate it(make it 18 to buy/use it) If not 18(SAME AS CIGARETTE LAWS) then make it 21 and make cigarettes 21 as well.
sell it in only personal sizes(2.7 grams Equivilance to a $20 Bag)
and people would be happy.
Take some lessons from Amsterdam and The B.C America!


if you filtered 1 Oz of marijuana, and 1 Oz of tobacco through a paper, or cotton filter, you would see that tobacco has far more tar than marijuana.
Not to mention that Marijuana Can kill you over a very extended period, just like cigarettes.
In even less than 30 years, unfiltered cigarettes can kill you vs. unfiltered joints.

you can use any drug irresponsibly, anyone anywhere can abuse almost any drug that they want. whether it's asprine, alcohol, caffeine, ANYTHING.

why should the government be able to decide what you do with your body?

the government tried to ban alcohol, so people just made their own, well the government has banned marijuana, and no matter how hard they try people are always going to be making their own.

I believe that tobacco and alcohol are far worse than marijuana.

some people say that marijuana is "very harmful" and that's why it is illegal. Too much of ANYTHING can be very harmful

I think that a lot of people that absolutely hate marijuana have never tried it.

why judge a book by it's cover?

The government, in my opinion only outlawed Marijuana, not for our own good as they try to brainwash you to believe, but for the money, because when all the money goes to the Drug black market, the more money the Government gets.
The "above the influence" ads always try to play Marijuana off as a dangerous drug, when it is, literally a WEED!
They don't want us buying it, so we try to grow it, then they take that from us, just another way to screw the people over.
What happened to a little thing our country was founded on? called the CONSTITUTION!(which was written on HEMP paper)

i'm tired of people saying that marijuana kills. tons of things kill people. like land mines, guns, alcohol, tobacco, sting rays, and cars.

I believe that marijuana should be a drug that can be used by responsible adults.

Thank you for reading, I shall post with more information shortly.

rep++++