Marijuana - Legalise It

[PatrickHenry]

Originally posted by rlwinton, i have yet to see a responsible non-reefer junkie ask for the legalisation of marijuana.

Here's one. I was a toker, for fifteen years, often many times a day. Always illegal. I never had a problem finding weed.

However, I realized that there was a problem and my life was going around in circles. I also realized that the spirit of God, who lives within me, was telling me that I should become sober. I prayed, asking God to make it unpleasant, and He obliged. I don't know how...but it was not the same anymore.

I don't hate that people smoke ganga. It's OK for those who want to. I think it is morally wrong, but so is drunkenness. It's just not for me anymore. My sobriety has lasted for 21 years now and I never sucked another toke. I don't miss it. I am actually grateful for the rescue, because I was drowning and I knew it.

rlwinton, I suppose you could refer to me technically as a "reefer junkie," but that was so far in my past it would be stretching it. I don't consider myself an addict. So my objection to the drug laws against cannabis are from a responsible non-smoking grandfather, with no personal reason to wish for legalization.

I don't favor allowing people in risky jobs to be high at work. I favor research to determine the actual effects and length of the "high." If a worker is still impaired after smoking the night before, they should not be allowed to drive autos, operate machines, etc. Research can determine these parameters.

I highly disfavor the prosecution of "victimless" crimes. If I choose to get high on any drug, and no one else is harmed, I don't think the State should step in and use the justice system to enforce morality. The drug war is an excuse for ever increasing state power over the lives of otherwise law abiding citizens. It is a means for the augmentation of government, and I favor smaller government. The drug war is expensive when you consider the cost of police, courts, and punishment. All for a weed so prolific it will grow wild...

I don't favor "legalization" and control, with taxes going to the state either. Just "decriminalize" it, by repealing the laws and let it go at that.

[dotcoma]

I think it is morally wrong

Really? That surprises me. I think it's a gift from God. Time tested for over 3,000 years (no FDA approval needed). The rastas I know think it has the power to save the world. I don't necessarily agree with that but they make some interesting points. Oh hell, maybe they just like getting stoned. Who knows...

[PatrickHenry]

It has medicinal value.

Sobriety, a clear mind, is a higher value to me than getting lit.

[dotcoma]

Are those two things mutually exclusive?

[dotcoma]

i have yet to see a responsible non-reefer junkie ask for the legalisation of marijuana.

I have yet to experience anyone that states crap like this having even an ounce of credibility...

[PatrickHenry]

I think she's a youngster. What is it rlwinton, eighteen years old? And roxdog, getting lit and sobriety are mutually exclusive, at least for me. I wasn't successful as a casual user.

[dotcoma]

I can see your point. Just remember I'm still young and stupid. I hate drugs but I see pot as something else. Sometimes it wraps the day up nicely.

[rlwinton]

i have lots of credibility.
i did my fair share of drugs and after going through rehab, finally realised that i could live my life without drugs. now i am a psychology major and i research the effects of rehabilitation on drugs and alcohol in college. no, i don't think that someone toking it up in the privacy of their own home should be prosecuted and imprisoned--that space should be saved for men and women who kill, rape and brutalize.
but why should pot be legalised? so that we won't "toke it up as bad" since it's legal pleasure? i know in other countries their addiction rate is lower, but i don't think the solution is in legalising it as much as making drugs/alcohol less appealing. we praise others for their stupidity in druken stupor--all the falling down the stairs, falling asleep in someone else's bed, puking on the front steps of a frat house...i've seen these types of stories shared around bar tables and parties and i've realised that [almost all the time] whenever someone takes a drink, they are expected to reach this level of "coolness". in other societies, alcohol and drugs is okay in moderation. that is what should be taught in our society--moderation.
so should we legalise pot? i honestly think that wouldn't make a difference. the difference lies in moderation.

[dotcoma]

You did your fair share of DRUGS. We're talking about pot. Please stay on topic.

[dotcoma]

...

[PatrickHenry]

Originally posted by roxdog, pot... Sometimes it wraps the day up nicely.

Problem one: expense. Problem two: social compulsion. Problem three: memory loss. Problem four: habitual laziness. Problem five: law enforcement. Problem six: lung and liver involvement.

Use it, but don't abuse it: easier said than done.

Listen to your inner voice(or the spirit of God, if you believe). Be prepared to change, if that is the message. Life is about changing...

[dotcoma]

No, I agree with you. Maybe when I have a kid i'll change. It is possible my selfishness likes to manifest itself in the form of a leafy green substance.

[rlwinton]

Originally posted by roxdog, You did your fair share of DRUGS. We're talking about pot. Please stay on topic.

its all the same--alcohol, pot, cocaine, heroin--altering your state of mind. i've done pot too.

marijuana prohibition does far more harm than marijuana ever could.

[rlwinton]

but how can you be positive about that?

[Osborn F Enready]

Most people do not have occasion in their daily affairs to worry about dealing with the law, but now, as the invasion of civil liberties is reaching a fever pitch for national security, people are being subjected to more and more and finally starting to see what peaceful pot smokers have known for years. The system is hypocritical, biased, selective and no longer representative of the people, or the ideals of this nation.

It is maddening to examine a vegetable, a plant that grew, and still grows naturally around the world, and then imagine a logical, reason how our system could possibly build a case to outlaw "it" because "we" can't be trusted of our own volition to be "allowed" to use it in any way, shape or form. This becomes a more ridiculous folly for those who seek logic, as they research and investigate the origins of its illegalization. The documentable proof, the "evidence" used to build its entire foundation was racism, fear mongering, and outright LIES. Its effects have been repeatedly proven to be nothing comparable to the "claimed" effects its opponents claim to be fact. This all happened in 1937, and here you can check out some excerpts from the major promoter of criminalization, Harry Anslinger.

The following are excerpts of Mr. Anslinger's testimony before a Senate hearing on marijuana in 1937:

"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others."

"...the primary reason to outlaw marijuana is its effect on the degenerate races."

"Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death."

"You smoke a joint and you're likely to kill your brother."

"Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind."

Find the rest of the facts about the lie called the Drug War here:
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/...y/basicfax.htm


The entire outlawing of a substance because intelligent people can't be trusted, is a flawed, nanny government ideology.

[rlwinton]

I wouldn't be against the legalization of pot if there weren't people who used it carelessly--and the same for alcohol. If we are going to legalize pot, we need to make a cultural change in how we treat it or else the problems that we fear will come true, I believe.

[Osborn F Enready]

RLWinton said:
I wouldn't be against the legalization of pot if there weren't people who used it carelessly--and the same for alcohol.

I say:
Well, you are free to have an opinion, unfortunately in this matter, your opinion conflicts with my RIGHTS, which is unconstitutional. You are asking for the idiot proofing of society, and that is the exact wrong way to address a problem, and in this country, even though right now you wouldn't know it, it is unconstitutional. I don't want to sound rude, but it is people with that attitude that have ruined this country. You have the right, as does anyone under the American Constitutionally Limited Democratic Republic, to live as you see fit, as long as you do not infringe on the rights of another or commit fraud. You want that same liberty based system, to endorse and enforce an OPINION, which is based on lies, and flawed testing procedure on ALL people.
We all are encouraged to fight for what we believe in, through legislation, petition, assembly and protest, HOWEVER, rights are not to be infringed in any way as per the Constitution, and it is not limited to the rights listed, as you will witness by reading the 9th Amendment, which covers those NOT enumerated. This reaffirms the original concept of the people ruling the system, not vice-versa. This war on drugs is a war on the rights of ALL citizens, and it was a stepping stone for the other violations we are now seeing in the Patriot Act, Freedom of Information Act, Free Speech, Gun Rights and the over 53, yes I said 53 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES that have S.W.A.T. like teams for ASSET FORFEITSURE.

RLWinton said:
If we are going to legalize pot, we need to make a cultural change in how we treat it or else the problems that we fear will come true, I believe.

I say:
That is an interesting perspective once again, but where do you derive the moral authority to oversee every citizens life and abilities? Marijuana is outlawed almost solely on faulty testing, factual error, propaganda and racism.
The main reason it was pushed into illegality from what I have found, is because Anslinger, Roosevelt and other key players were friends with the big paper manufacturers. We all know hemp can be made into paper much easier than wood, and it does not require bleaching to get the light color that we prefer. On top of that, hemp has literally thousands of industrial uses, that would have also affected the major economy powerhouses at the time, and more importantly, the major players in the globalist game.

My rights are mine, as an individual as well as all citizens. It is our job to insure our government defends them AS PER THEIR OATH OF OFFICE. We have been failing at our job, and before long, those who have watched their rights be stripped will no longer have others to help fight for the remaining ones. This is the slippery slope of tyranny, and we are about to go for a long ride to the New World Order, globalist police state if people dont wake up and realize just how far this has gone.

drug use is private, a matter protected by the 4th ammendment. the marijuana legality situation needs to be seriously reassessed. marijuana causes very little harm and the costs and negative social effects of banning it and prosecuting those near it are high.

if properly regulated, by not selling it to minors and not letting the intoxicated drive, marijuana legalization could reap great benefits for society and america.

[Trent]

I believe that the most important thing about canabis is that it helps people, including those with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) who are sometimes in pain or emotionaly frozen by past trauma, to get in touch with their feelings - perhaps for the first time. I've found that the almost medical use of this simple herb, if taken in moderation - like anything else, allows some peace of mind, some uplifting of spirits. It doesn't make me want to hit people, harm myself or act like a macho idiot (in the past, whiskey has done all three). Instead it inspires me to be hopeful about life.
Why would anybody want to take that away?

Trent