But most people are lazy and would rather pay $5 for a joint then have to bother buying, installing, and cultivating the weed themselves.
Congress should capitalize on this....weed could be the source of funding needed to pay for their stimulus plan! LOL Not to mention the sales of taxable food goods like BROWNIES and chips and salsa!
Hell, even I'd smoke a few joints if it would help the country!
Sure one could but it's much easier to grow your own pot then have your own distillery station set up in your house. Oh well such is life it won't be legal ever so who cares.Originally Posted by misslindsay
The following is my opinion only !!
I have had this opinion on the legalization of any street drug since before I became a Registered Nurse and Alcohol and Drug Counsellor. "I think all persons involved in the sale, distribution or use of illegal street drugs should be jailed".
I'll add:
Made to pay restitution(sp?) to the family, friends, co-workers, and society that such activity wrecks havoc on!
The U.S. prison population is 2.3 million is presently; there are about 13 million drug users in the U.S. Extrapolating from current costs, it would cost around 1.6 trillion dollars to build prisons to hold them all, which would cost an additional $300 billion annually to operate.
You may want to think of a more practical solution. Did you ever see the movie Soylent Green?
Stimulus package funds?
Yes, excellent idea. :D :D
So does that imply that people involved in the sale, distribution, or use of LEGAL street drugs should NOT be jailed? Oxycontin is legal, therefore street users of oxycontin should not go to jail, but users of marijuana should.I have had this opinion on the legalization of any street drug since before I became a Registered Nurse and Alcohol and Drug Counsellor. "I think all persons involved in the sale, distribution or use of illegal street drugs should be jailed".
If the drugs were legalized, you'd be OK, right? That would seem to argue for legalization.
RT
You can start with the CEO's of Phillip-Morris, RJR, and Budweiser. Do you realize that over 30% of our medicines are derived directly from botanicals? How many people have required medical attention as a result of an overdose of Marijuana, in your career as a nurse?
REEFER MADNESS!:drop:
My roomate died of a heroin overdose. I've played guitar professionally since I was 12. I had to cut off my fingers to quit smoking cigarettes. What do you want to talk about?
I'm Dave! Now open the door!
Legalize (adults only) and regulate it all, including prostitution. Tax it so the price stays below the street price. Watch the crime rate drop like a rock. When we've put organized crime out of business, then, and only then should we try to restrict the availabilty of the more addictive drugs. Users should be able to aquire pharmaceutical grade and dosed products as needed.
Madness is right. Take a look at why it was made illegal.
No medical testimony in favor of the proposed federal anti-marijuana law was presented at the 1937 Congressional hearings. Indeed, the only physician to testify was a representative of the American Medical Association–– and he opposed the bill. 18 Marijuana, he pointed out, was a recognized medicine in good standing, distributed by leading pharmaceutical firms, and on sale at many pharmacies. At least twenty-eight medicinal products containing marijuana were on the market in 1937.
http://www.druglibrary.org/Schaffer/...tudies/cu/cu56
Science is a way of trying not to fool yourself. - Richard P. Feynman
Experience is the hardest teacher. She gives the test before the lesson.
So should alcohol be made illegal, because it is addictive?
The government tried this- it was called "Prohibition" and it made folks like Al Capone a lot of money running illegal booze.
On the one hand...
Once something is legal, it is awfully hard to "put the genie back in the bottle." I would think a lot more kids would experiment with pot if it were legal- if for no other reason than it would be more omnipresent.
Also, given the ridiculous steps being taken by US society to avoid the "dangers" of second-hand smoke, one has to wonder where one could legally consume marijuana! Certainly not in a bar, or a house with children...
On the other hand...
It does seem a bit silly to prosecute and jail people for choosing to consume a substance with effects that are comparable in magnitude to other, legal substances.
Intersting opinions in the forum. Popular arguments for legalization seem to have 3 common elements.
1. Gov't would keep more tax money.
2. Marijuana is better than alcohol.
3. The person doesn't use marijuana themselves.
It makes me wonder.
1. If you don't use marijuana, why are you so concerned about increasing the governments tax?
2. What other tax income issues do you promote?
3. Do you want to criminalize alcohol?
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
Jacqui, when you were an addictions counsellor, did you find many of your clients were solely addicted to marijuana? I find the addictions counsellors I talk to say that alcohol, prescription drugs, and hard drugs are what they encounter regularly.
I have seen a few that were addicted to marijuana only. I can't give the numbers as my records are in storage right now. Almost every addict that I have worked with has stated that they started with marijuana and proceded from there.
Still wondering how many medical emergencies have been brought on by excessive Marijuana use? I bet many of your old patients actually started on cigarettes. I wonder if they were asked that question. Probably not, even though 443,000 Americans die each year from them.
Last edited by KStraker; 04-15-2009 at 12:15 PM.
Personally I think it should be legalized because it will bring about much needed new industry. Hemp can be used for biofuel, building material, all sorts of textiles, food, cosmetics, insulation, composite materials for autos, etc. Legal or illegal, Marijuana is the 4th largest cash crop in the US. Estimates are 5.5 million pounds worth about 20 billion dollars.
PS-I tried it a time or two(every week for 15 years) and I did inhale. I think it works great for stress, pain relief, appetite, and help sleeping.
Last edited by KStraker; 04-15-2009 at 01:35 PM.
standard preface: I dont use it, blah, blah blah.
An interesting point raised by the film "pineapple express" (a pretty mediocre film) is that because its illegal, people who want it have to deal with really scummy people to get it. I think that is the only reason it "leads" to other drugs.
I think if prohibition of liquor was still in effect, and you could only get it from seedy criminals who also had heroin and other hardcore drugs, a lot of alcohol users would be "gatewayed" into other drugs.
My knowledge of marijuana is only from a high school health class and pop culture, but it seems a helluva lot less dangerous than alcohol or nicotine.... and maybe even caffiene.
Life is too important to take seriously.
WALDO!
When there is more knowledge of addiction here, I will add more from personal experience.
addiction to marijuana? isnt it debateable that its even addictive?
supposing it is adddictive, whats the worst case scenario? the addictee gets fat and lazy from fast food, and has a crappy short term memory. If they smoke it, they may have other health issues of course.
Still seems like a less dangerous addictive substance than alcohol, cigarettes or caffiene. Not to mention that 2 of those can be dangerous to people in society who dont partake in them (cigarettes & alcohol).
Life is too important to take seriously.
WALDO!
Define addiction.
You know, you're probably right. It is less dangerous than cigarettes or caffiene. That is exactly what I told your kid's bus driver while we were toking up 30 minutes before he picked the kids up at school.
I can speak from experience of addiction. I started out with marijuana, then moved on to meth and cocaine, even tried heroin a few times. I was up to about $500/day meth habit at my peak (funny way to think about it). I finally got sick of watching friends go to prison or the graveyard and stopped completely. I have been clean of illegal drugs now for 11 years and 3 months. There isn't a week that goes by that I don't still get a craving for those drugs.
Why should we make it any easier to get than it needs to be. Addiction sucks! Unfortunately, you don't realize it until you've been addicted and come back from it. If you haven't been there, you can't imagine what its like.
Last edited by bob_f_aboc; 04-16-2009 at 09:14 AM. Reason: couldn't count the years
A lack of planning on your part DOES NOT constitute an emergency on mine!
better than boozing it up instead.
Life is too important to take seriously.
WALDO!
Why?
it could just be my high school health class knowledge of the stuff, but doesnt it slow reaction time, etc. to a lesser amount than alcohol?
I dont drink alcohol either... so again, im no expert.
Life is too important to take seriously.
WALDO!
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