Who here thinks that we should legalize cannabis and sell it like we do with alcohol? Now I've talked to some people who think we should end the drug war completely and legalize cannabis and other drugs. I've asked if they think it should be sold in stores and they answered yes. The problem I see is in giving major corporations carte blanc on allowing them to sell addictive drugs. They'd love to do it because it would be a major industry for them because we all know addicts keep coming back. I mean, is that what the cigarrete smokers of America are doing?( I smoke cigs) My opinion in legalizing drugs is this. I'd like to see the results of the experiment in B.C. in giving away free drugs at hospitals. There I see a way we can undercut criminals who sell it at the same time, we prevent creating an industry from it. I believe dealers of really addictive drugs are only using people they sell it too and it would be the same if corporations got their greedy fingers on it. Instead we should regulate addictive drugs, by giving it away for free, but only to be administered from a hospital/clinic where you hand out informative pamphlets and healthcare workers who encourage them to quit this habit. That kind of sterile environment is much better for addicts, than one where they're on the streets selling their bodies and getting diseases from needles or sex. We might even win this so-called drug war, before the Americans do, by thinking about it from another angle. There is a problem with drugs and crime that has to be stopped, but just arresting addicts and trying to stem the flow by arresting the dealers, is never going to stop it as we have seen. It's like the war on terrorism and a game of wack-a-mole. Instead, diversion is the better method of winning this war and destroying the criminal industry by giving it away for free. It's like that old saying, why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? As for marijuana, specifically, it should be regulated and taxed like alcohol. Marijuana is the only illegal drug that doesn't scare me. I've dealt with it for 10 years of my life and I still am not addicted to it. My brother who just became a truck driver, smoked pot every day after work and quit pretty much cold turkey because his new job had drug tests. I asked him how hard it was to quit and really it wasn't hard, but he still misses it. That to me shows a drug that is worth creating an industry with and it has so many other uses, that aren't always about getting high. NOW... Lets discuss a few things, shall we? I'd love to hear what you guys think about this issue.
It looks as though no one has an opinion about this issue. Do you guys even care about this? That would be a shame as your whole community should be supported by those who oppose this fake and illegal war. "among them are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." -constitution To me pursuit of happiness is a broad and outlined view of choices that we make at the discretion of our own will! I choose Life! I get HIGH!
I would totally be a spokesperson and leading activist for the legalization of Marijuana if called upon. It's not a drug, it's less harmful than alcohol. We should all band together on this issue!
Legalizing drugs? We are then delving into some serious ethical issues here guys and I doubt people look into these issues any more except to say, "Yeah dude! Legalize it man! That would be cool!" I think that by studying other countries that have legalized drugs or access to paraphernalia to use them such as the clean needles program that some European countries have started, would give us an indication if these programs work and if legalization is the way to go. Do these policies work? More importantly, what are the statistical results; the most important question being, are there more users now? Inquiries like these should be answered first! In the meantime the most important issue, and I think most people would agree regardless of where you stand on legalization, would be to lessen drug charges. Seriously! We don't need Joe Blow to be behind bars for 20 years because he was on his way to a party! Let's keep those cells open for violent criminals, not for a dumb pot-head careless enough to get caught with a pound! ~Abel's girlfriend
Consider yourself called upon brother. Be persuasive, and directly address the issues our legislators give for continuing the prohibition. You'll get nowhere arguing one set of issues while they're arguing back to you a completely different set. And you have to be aware of which group in society they most want to please, when you get those people to believe in legalization you'll be successful.
Drug legalization is no more, and no less, an ethical issue than is the legalization of alcohol and tobacco. Drug legalization is simply a different approach to minimizing the dangers that drugs possess. When you weigh up the costs and benefits of the prohibition approach and compare them with those of legalization you'll quickly see that legalization is the far superior solution. You need look no further than the laws governing alcohol to be able to compare the two policies. Every parent in this country has to worry about their children being approached by drug dealers, however not one of them has to worry about bootleggers because the legal sale of alcohol prevents them from entering the market. Seventy years of marijuana prohibition is a decent length of time to test the prohibition solution. By now we should see NO marijuana in this country at all. However in seventy years there hasn't been a single day when our country has been free of marijuana, and currently drug dealers are operating in our schools and communities, increasing the dangers facing our children and feeding on their susceptibility to peer pressure and teenage rebellion. Legalizing the production and sale of marijuana by licensed businesses aren't the full details of legalization. If that is all that's done then the drug dealers and narco-cartels will take action to protect their supply routes and market share. The result would be intimidation, violence and death. In order for the legal sales of marijuana to successfully rid our communities of illegal suppliers the policy MUST go hand-in-hand with the continued arrest and incarceration of illegal suppliers. That is the key to success. That is what works so well in the alcohol market and that is what will be successful in the marijuana market. The issue is not about the benefits and risks of marijuana, but about the ineffectiveness of the prohibition solution as opposed to the proven and highly successful legalization solution.
But you see my friend, I think the government wont legalize cannabis because they know they wont make any money off of it! I mean, how easy is it to grow some decent quality herb? (Not rhetorical) I think retards lets their plants die, either that or they're lazy. The fact is, if weed were legal, the government wouldn't profit much from it. What they profit from more lies in demanding court fees and bail money. To the government, legalizing marijuana would not be a wise business decision. Meh, just my two cents. Oh and lol @ my girlfriend for maliciously getting into my account and posting. A feisty one, that girl is, isn't she? Ya gotta love her..
The thing is, if the goverment legalized marijuana, they could produce their own, and sell it just as commonly as cigarettes. They could tax it, tax weed "Farmers," and make a pretty decent profit. I mean, most people growing shit on their own isn't going to compare to the government growing their own bud. I'm not entirely for the legalization of other drugs, but I'm definitely for the legalization of Mary Jane.
lol ..she writes well! The marijuana market is currently worth $113 billion a year. Taxes on that would amount to $31 billion a year. And while you're right that a large number of people will enjoy growing their own that doesn't mean that'll take them out of the market. Just like the vast majority of the people who enjoy making their own beer today continue to buy beer at stores and enjoy meeting up with friends at bars, most growers will enjoy meeting friends at coffeeshops and enjoy trying different strains. I believe that the reason legislators don't vote for drug policy reform is because they believe that to do so would be a death sentence for their careers. These guys have worked hard to get where they are, they aren't just going to throw away all that hard work for an issue they really couldn't care less about. And there's one other reason that I think is very important. I believe they feel a certain attachment to all the legislators who came before them. They feel compelled to preserve the tradition that was passed down to them. This gives them a driving force to vote against legalization that could be summed up as "not on my shift!".
Actually, I think the government would make a lot of money. How many people brew their own alcohol? You can, ya know. But, it requires work and cost for setup. I would prolly grow my own, but that's cause its fun. Most people who smoke now could grow their own too, but they don't grow everything they smoke! I knew lots of guys in college who grew some plants, but they bought a lot more than they grew... growing was just a bonus. In countries where it is legal, people still even though they can grow it. As for the idea of LEO's losing their jobs; they wouldn't Illegal large-scale grow ops for cartels would still be functioning because they won't want to lose their market. They'll try to sell to kids n' stuff. If it's legal and regulated, anyone who sells to minors would be prosecuted and illegal grow ops would still need to be hunted down just like moonshiners are today. The DEA would actually maybe win that war and keep their inflated budget....
They are supporting organized crime with how things are going, I attended an anti-bill s10 really not too long ago, sadly it's passed through first, but not second hopefully it doesn't! We need more people to help, and speak out.