Legalized

[SamSpade]

You forgot pistols, shotguns, rifles, firecrackers,bottle rockets,matches,and candles.

I'll remember that next time I talk with a family member who gets high a lot, and if they even *REMEMBER* where their dope is.

 

[SamSpade]

"My first comment was definitely about your ability to comprehend what you read. And you do not do that well, because you're ignoring the point. My tenure on this board has NOTHING to do with "making me right" - it has to do with "not making personal attacks" - which is exactly what I said, and referred to long time posters to corroborate that - whjch they can. I'm afraid all you're doing is confirming my original point"

that youre an a-hole and can't admit that you attack people instead of staying on topic, got it!

Yeah - THAT was my point the whole time.......

 

[Larry Gude]

Does no one...

...think my John Denver joke was funny?

 

[FromTexas]

...think my John Denver joke was funny?

No.

 

[Toxick]

Looking back.....

Funny, I don't remember saying that anywhere.

I'm quoting you.
I'm using your actual quotes and responding to them.

2. I'm STILL not saying that hordes of formerly law-abiding etc. That's the exaggeration you are making. I've never said that, and denied implying it.

You honestly can't see how I would infer that from what you've written?

Right now, possession alone is illegal enough. Nail someone on possession, and you don't even have to wait for them to drive stoned - or drive a forklift stoned.

Might as well arrest all men now. They are in possession of a penis. Don't bother waiting until they rape someone.

Or rape someone while stoned.

 

[vraiblonde]

that youre an a-hole and can't admit that you attack people instead of staying on topic, got it!

Excuse me? YOU brought up George Bush in a topic that has nothing to do with him, and then say SAM SPADE doesn't stay on topic?????

I smell an Al Gore voter. You did, didn't you, Midnight? You voted for Al Gore. Don't be afraid - you can tell us. And if you try and lie about it, I've got your keyboard rigged to electrocute your fingers.

 

[BuddyLee]

Bush is a former coke head and alcoholic who hasn't done any of that in 25 years, so let's leave him out of this.

Stoners suck - it's cocaine that makes you clear and productive. Pot is a relaxation drug and makes you lay around and go "Dude...".

It's stunning to me that liberal nutties want to get rid of cigarettes because of second-hand smoke and the like, yet are all for smoking pot.

Dur.

Anyway, I'm against legalization. I think it's stupid and it makes people stupid, and the LAST thing we need in this country is more stupid people. Now instead of a few dope smokers laying around, we'll have tons of them. Great idea.

See, that is the thing. The people who are going to be those lay around, unproductive types were probably already that way to start with. I believe that is something you either are or aren't, and you are not going to change the overall make up of productive society much. It isn't changing much except making them more productive because they are taking over some of the tax burden from me. At least they have a use then. I can then be more productive with less tax burden (i.e. greater investments, buying more, bigger homes, etc...).

In Red: True but there will soon be more of these ignorants. That leaves myself and the ones I care about to have a greater chance at meeting up with stupidity in any given day.

In Blue: That is true to an extent. Yes, some are like this but I also know of MANY who were influenced to do mary jane. You have some influencing now, wait until you have many. I don't advocate stupidity even if it does lessen the tax burden.

 

[FromTexas]

In Red: True but there will soon be more of these ignorants. That leaves myself and the ones I care about to have a greater chance at meeting up with stupidity in any given day.

Yet you come to the forums and run into it everyday.

 

[Midnightrider]

Excuse me? YOU brought up George Bush in a topic that has nothing to do with him, and then say SAM SPADE doesn't stay on topic?????

I smell an Al Gore voter. You did, didn't you, Midnight? You voted for Al Gore. Don't be afraid - you can tell us. And if you try and lie about it, I've got your keyboard rigged to electrocute your fingers.

actually i voted for bush, and Camily brought up the whole bush alcoholic/cokehead thing, i responded to, i think it was your counter point about bush.


and wow, no shocks

 

[vraiblonde]

and wow, no shocks

Don't lie. I can smell your fingers burning clear up here.

 

[BuddyLee]

Yet you come to the forums and run into it everyday.

I see an awful lot of stupidity on these forums everyday but that minute portion of knowledge outweighs all the ignored stupidity in any given day.

 

[Midnightrider]

Don't lie. I can smell your fingers burning clear up here.

thats just from the crack pipe, i swear, i even vote for Big Bush 2 times too

 

[Wenchy]

Dude.

 

[ylexot]

...think my John Denver joke was funny?

I thought it was funny, but I was away from the computer...

 

[Larry Gude]

Ha!

I thought it was funny, but I was away from the computer...

Thank you.

Damn Texicans ain't got no sense of humor no how...

 

[camily]

"Might as well arrest all men now. They are in possession of a penis. Don't bother waiting until they rape someone."
I think I love you Toxick! That was hysterical!

 

[SamSpade]

Might as well arrest all men now. They are in possession of a penis. Don't bother waiting until they rape someone..

That's silly. Being in possession of a penis has never been illegal. FUNNY, but silly.

Or rape someone while stoned.

That wasn't my point. It's not pre-emption I'm discussing. And that would be ridiculous.

The point is, IF you arrest people for simple possession, they never reach the point where they're being arrested for driving a tractor-trailer while stoned (yes, I KNOW this can happen now) because you've already nailed them for possession. The trail doesn't make it far enough.

It's like this - during Prohibition, which do you think was more likely - getting arrested for driving drunk, or getting arrested for having a *drink*? If it's the latter, do you think the NUMBERS changed? THAT is my point - you don't clear the dockets by making it legal - you just shift the burden further down. People who break the law to DO dope will break the law regarding legal consumption of dope. It doesn't really change anything, except that overall consumption will rise.

(Sigh).

I guess we just probably fundamentally disagree.

 

[Toxick]

That wasn't my point. It's not pre-emption I'm discussing. And that would be ridiculous.

Ok.

The point is, IF you arrest people for simple possession, they never reach the point where they're being arrested for driving a tractor-trailer while stoned (yes, I KNOW this can happen now) because you've already nailed them for possession.

And how is that not pre-emption?

(Sigh).

I guess we just probably fundamentally disagree.

Fair enough.

 

[MysticalMom]

I know I'm a little behind. But I have to throw my 2 pennies in here somewhere.....


Farmers all over this country are payed, by the governmanet , to grow nothing. Stop wasting tax dollars and let them grow pot.
There are factories and processing plants all over this country sitting empty. Doing nothing. And more being added to that list everyday. Re-tool them to process and package pot.

You've saved a bunch of farmers. You have kick started industry adding jobs and revenue to many areas.

Not to mention the taxes you're saving.

You're no longer throwing tax money away to pay farmers to do nothing. You're saving taxes spent on unemployment.You're no longer throwing tax money away trying to arrest some guy on the corner smoking a doobie, arresting,holding,prosecuting and incarcerating people for catching a buzz.
And. To top it all off .....you then tax the hell out of it.

Good for the government. Good for the people. I don't see the problem.

(oops...sorry..munchies)

 

[bohman]

Good thread. In between the personal bickering, there have been a few good points made. However - I think that everybody who is arguing against legalization based on the premise that drug use is bad/unhealthy is missing the point. Sam came closest to the real issue.

And I take it you didn't smoke a lot of dope in college. I did. It was hard to quit, because a) it was way too easy to do when you had nothing else to do and b) life without it was crap. Once I moved away from where it was easy to get, I could put it behind me.

You want to end recreational drug use? Can't do it by physically removing access to the drugs. Simply can't be done; we tried prohibiting alcohol and failed, and we've tried taking away pot and all sorts of other drugs and continue to fail. You have to look at what causes drug use in the first place. Drugs are simply a temporary escape from your problems. Boredom, poverty, mental illness, unemployment, the list goes on. If we can help people address the real problems in life, drug use would decrease. If you already have an active, fulfilling life, why smoke up?

I experimented some in college, too, and drank heavily. Continued to drink heavily for some time after college until I got some self-confidence and got my s*** together. Add in a wonderful wife and a decent career, and now I don't touch drugs of any sort beyond the occasional beer. There are too many other things in life to be enjoyed.

So in the end, legalize it, don't legalize it; tax it, don't tax it. Doesn't matter a bit. For the record, I think we should legalize it simply because I hate to see so many resources thrown down the crapper fighting a futile battle in which so many people get hurt.

I like to listen to Jerry Doyle on the drive home (he used to star in my all-time favorite sci-fi series). One of his short sound bites is encouraging the legalization of marijuana, and commenting about people suffering and dying. Let's be honest - marijuana is not a CURE for anything. It makes people feel better while they suffer. So do a lot of drugs. It's not a case for legalization.

Now as for this point, I couldn't agree more. There are plenty of arguments for legalizing pot, but it makes me cringe to hear people try to tout pot as medicine.

So there's my 2 cents. I hope my avatar doesn't undermine my credibility too much for this topic.