Would you be for the legalization of Marijuana?

Lets not forget the original patent on nylon rope. If people can make their own hemp rope from the plants in the field why would they spend money on that new fangled stuff? But if people can't grow hemp then profits just might start rising on that nylon patent.......

Marijuana made by GOD? Illegal. Very strong drugs made and pushed by man? Legal.

God made porcupines too, doesn't mean He intended them to be shoved up our a$$. Just saying.

I say legalize it. If crimes are committed and you test positive, then I say make it an additional offense. Just like alcohol.

God made porcupines too, doesn't mean He intended them to be shoved up our a$$

now you tell me!

LOLOL!!!

No problem with that Dame. It's not the SUBSTANCE at fault, it's the USER.

If only people could separate the two.

The Founding Fathers grew hemp...

I am for legalization and for the studies left hidden to be revealed. I often wonder why hemp has taken a hit. After all trying to smoke pot from a hemp plant gives on bust head and dry mouth. How harmful can that be? The uses of hemp for clothing, rope, food, paper and other products would certainly pump up the relief in the elimination of other scarce resources. As far as smoking marijuana there haven't been any findings of it being harmful and cancer victims and those with chronic pain have found great relief in using this substance.

Legalize and tax heavily

lets not go over board and make it too expensive least another black market pops up to compete with high prices and taxing.

Remember income from illegal drugs goes largely untaxed and that does hurt the economy and the people.

Some tax, ok. Heavily? Big mistske.

Tax free when dispensed for medicinal purposes.

I voted for Unrestricted (except of those up to 21yrs old)

I think mMost pot smokers are just irresponsible bums that want to get high. They need to pay for being fools.

Durn, I am an irresponsible loser? Durn...guess I should sell my cars and houses, huh? Ignore my kids? Quit my six figure job...?

Some are, but most AREN'T. It's just been fashionable to trash us for a long time. The VAST majority of us are hard-working, tax-paying, home-owning, child-rearing American CITIZENS, who simply prefer a safer drug than alcohol or tobacco. That stuff will kill you, ya know?

Not all of us are Jeffrey Spicoli....in fact, very few are. Do you accuse anyone who drinks of being an alcoholic bum?

Legalize and tax heavily,

If legalized, wouldn't most people simply grow their own and avoid the tax?

I bet home stores would make a killing in their garden departments the year legalization occurs.

Frank - I doubt it. How many folks you know that grow their own tobacco? Brew their own beer? There're some who will (and are), but the vast majority of Americans like convenience and consistency, without the learning curve.

I think this one may differ a bit in that many people who use it today already grow it.

Also, if it is taxed "heavily" people may find the practice more practical.

I can see your point moving forward though. People new to the market would perhaps rather buy ready-made.

Yeah Frank, some do grow it, especially with the new Medical Marijuana industry, but I would strongly dispute more than maybe 10%. In fact, 2/3 of the Mexican Cartel's profits are from cannabis trafficking. I know of no other government policy, that exults in funneling American citizen's money into the pockets of foreign, criminal organizations, instead of into the pockets of American farmers.

There is a balance to strike re: taxation, that will keep it palatable, versus encouraging its 'moonshining.' But believe me, there's nary a hippie out there that would rather give our money to overseas thugs, than Ma and Pa Farmer.

Perhaps you are right, I was drawing my conclusion from my associations growing up.

Where I lived, if people smoked, they grew it themselves.

No, you have a valid point, there IS a segment of the population who home brews, grows their own veggies, etc. There WILL be people who do so. I would compare it with tobacco, not many folks grow that though it's perfectly legal.

Personally I would love to (just so I know it's not blood weed), but in an urban area, people notice that type of plant pretty easily (and turn you in, or steal it), not to mention the DEA has been charged with the capability of taking away your HOUSE if they catch you growing in it (or 'manufacturing!' a plant). So most folks I know who use, won't even consider growing, because they don't want to donate their home to thieves.

Oh, I didn't mean it like that, I hope it didn't come across that way! I loved your article and I think more people should be writing about this! Your article was very well written and the more people who make the case for the legalization of marijuana, the better. =)

I cannot believe the amount of money going to Denver, Breckenridge and Boulder because they have legalized it. It needs to be done from a federal level, though, to clear up confusion amongst law enforcement and those who partake.

I agree Holly, if we only legalize it state by state it's going to put a tremendous amount of strain on law enforcement. It's difficult enough trying to keep it out of the country. A mixed map of legalized states would only confound the issue. And while I'm sure those who smoke marijuana probably aren't big fans of law enforcement lol, I do think we should try to make things easy on them if we pass these laws.

A good case in point is New York State's cigarette taxes. NYS increased cigarette taxes tremendously as a deterrent from smoking, but people who live where I live, in Binghamton, tend to just drive ten to fifteen minutes south into Pennsylvania to buy tobacco, because the taxes are far less stringent there. With the legalization of marijuana, this would translate into people driving into PA to legally buy marijuana, putting a massive strain on law enforcement efforts. The solution? Legalize it federally, in my opinion!

Why? Who would use it? Legalize it for medicine sure, but leave the 26 MILLION Americans who use it for recreation in the same boat? Solves nothing.

Well Fred, there are those with severe life-threatening illnesses that wish spend their waning days 1) out of pain and 2) aware enough to be with their loved ones in a clearer state.

This new MM is only a cross breed developed by a grower who is filling a need. Good for him.

Agreed, but I also can't wait for Phillip Morris' scientists to get to work......just to see what they come up with.

In cigarette terms I want the lucky strike non filtered version.

I've read that tobacco smoke alone is not even that bad for you.

Alcohol is worse. When I was a resident assistant in the dorm--the joint smokers were polite and did what I asked but the drunks were nasty.

Heroin is not really all that harmful. What is harmful about it is that it is illegal and people who are addicted to it have to deal with criminals who are very likely to do things to it that are harmful. Going to prison for heroin use is also harmful but, if your daddy's rich you can go to a nice cushy rehab instead. Being poor, you are worth more strung out than clean because of the prison industrial complex.

When people talk about how bad heroin is I wonder if they have ever been in enough pain to actually need it?

As long as sick people are treated like dregs of society they will stand a lot less chance of getting well. Addicts are not bad people they are sick people. I wish half the money that is spent putting them in prison would be put into research. It is already known that people who are addicted to heroin and cocaine do not produce as much endorphines as most people. Which means their natural pain relief is not as strong.

I have 2 relatives who are heroin addicts but they are also brilliant one is an artist the other is a mathmatician the mathmatician paints houses and the artist is in prison. They are not bad people I hate that the one who is a senseitve artist is in prison facing God only knows what. He gets just as much dope in prison as he could on the street.

I ask this all the time: what if it was illegal to be a diabetic and you had to go thru what a heroin addict goes thru to get insulin plus have to face the risk of getting a bad dose off the street and also face going to prison? An addict is sick not bad they need help not prison and that is what the largest part of this population does not seem to get.

Before the USA decided that heroin was illegal China used to run opium dens here in the USA. It used to be traded like any other commodity. Opium is just as natural as grass growing in the field and I think anyone who wants it ought to have it or grow it if they want to. Who is the government to tell anyone what they can and can not put in their own body?

Lisafrequency, Great post! Thank you.

Heroin is not really all that harmful.

Only thing in your post that I disagree with. Physically, it really isn't that harmful (in moderation, but almost everything is that way). But, I look at the addictiveness of it, which heroin obviously extremely addictive.

Other than that, great post, Lisa.

• Tobacco kills about 400,000
• Alcohol kills about 80,000
• Workplace accidents kill 60,000
• Automobiles kill 40,000
• Cocaine kills about 2,500
• Heroin kills about 2,000
• Aspirin kills about 2,000
• Marijuana kills 0

Prescription drug deaths:

http://www.west.net/~cure/medical_errors.htm

Some would think that one of the reasons for certain drugs being illegal is because of related deaths when you compare how many people die from other things illegal drug use pales in comparison. If you look at the numbers it looks like a person could stand a better chance if they use street drugs over going to a doctor and using their recommended prescription drugs. To me it looks like prescription drugs ought to be illegal. I really hope people will start facing reality soon on what is dangerous about drugs in reality the quote below is taken from the link provided above. emphasis mine

Medical Errors - A Leading Cause of Death

The JOURNAL of the AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (JAMA) Vol 284, No 4, July 26th 2000 article written by Dr Barbara Starfield, MD, MPH, of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, shows that medical errors may be the third leading cause of death in the United States.

The report apparently shows there are 2,000 deaths/year from unnecessary surgery; 7000 deaths/year from medication errors in hospitals; 20,000 deaths/year from other errors in hospitals; 80,000 deaths/year from infections in hospitals; 106,000 deaths/year from non-error, adverse effects of medications - these total up to 225,000 deaths per year in the US from iatrogenic causes which ranks these deaths as the # 3 killer. Iatrogenic is a term used when a patient dies as a direct result of treatments by a physician, whether it is from misdiagnosis of the ailment or from adverse drug reactions used to treat the illness. (drug reactions are the most common cause).

The most amazing fact I've heard yet, is that ASPIRIN is deadlier than cannabis. More folks die from reactions to aspirin, than suffer physical injury from cannabis.

As long as they can remove the "high", then it should be legal.

Can you remove the drunk from alcohol?

But their are strains of marijuana and pill forms that DO remove the high.

So yes the high can be removed by removing the proper components. ( just been reading up)

The high is a bad thing not a good thing.

Removing the high and keeping the medical and other benefits is what should be legal.

I don't think Engineer gets it.

Cannabis is less physically addictive than caffeine, that's right, Starbucks is more addictive. Furthermore, it is non-lethal, you CANNOT die from taking it (aside from death by misadventure).

Why are you insisting on taking away the part of it that makes it enjoyable? People wouldn't drink alcohol if they didn't get buzzed, why would people ingest cannabis if they wouldn't get high?

Marinol is not effective for those who need nausea relief. What good does it do to swallow a pill if you can't keep anything down?

The high is the good thing, what's wrong with a buzz?

The medical and other benefits are what has a serious chance of getting it legalized and those benefits are worth it. In fact those benefits are what most adovcates bring up when trying to legalize it.

The high is what holds it back from being legalized.

No reason all the benefits should be legally lost just to keep the high. I still suspect that as long as it has a high, it won't ever be legal.

We should keep the tons of benefits if it simply means dumping the high.

note: I was wrong to say the high is a bad thing. It is not a bad thing. But it is viewed as "the" bad thing.

Ok, I see what you're saying Engineer, but we 'potheads' won't be happy with that, and will continue to cry out against the injustices visited upon us by the majority.

It's "high" is no worse than alcohol's, but we have members of Congress celebrating alcohol and the end of Prohibition, while simultaneously exulting in the continued ban of cannabis.

Where's the moment of "Hypocrite" self-recognition when you need one?

The high is what holds it back from being legalized.

Then alcohol should be outlawed because it has no other redeeming quality at all that I can think of. Get the gov't out of my business.

note: I was wrong to say the high is a bad thing. It is not a bad thing. But it is viewed as "the" bad thing.

good, thanks

So what's your argument on keeping hemp illegal? Hemp is not a psychoactive plant but has been grouped in with marijuana due to corporate interests yet has thousands of real world applications.

The high is what holds it back from being legalized.

The high has always been there. People that think they have the right to determine what other people do with their own bodies are the ones that made it, and kept it, illegal. But, of course, I don't really care about marijuana specifically.....I care about the government and other people thinking they have the authority to tell other people what they can and can not do with their own bodies.

There is a grand total of nothing inherent to the plant that makes it illegal. There is nothing inherent to the plant that makes it in any way harmful to others. There is nothing inherent to using it that harms others.

The high is what holds it back from being legalized.

80 years of lies and dissinformation is what is holding it back from being legalized.

Reefer Madness (1936) You can watch the entire film here.

Also see the documentry Grass (2000) Narrated by actor and pot activist Woody Harrelson

I wonder how many people when they go to the hospital and are in serious pain do not get high as a kite when they are injected with morphine? The high is a part of the pain relief. It helps to stop the suffering. geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeee

Go get em Lisa! I'm lovin it!

The only problem I have with marijuana use is that it can impair judgment if one uses it just before going to work. Will its use cause more on the job accidents? I also have a problem with people using it before or during driving although I often wonder if those road rage drivers would have been more mellow if they had smoked before taking to the road. I really do not want to work near a pot smoking fork lift driver, for example.

Your worry is unfounded. If they're toking up just before operating heavy machinery, they ALREADY have impaired judgement. Not to mention, with all the people popping pills and driving, drinking and driving, texting and driving, applying makeup and driving, eating and driving, nodding off at the wheel while driving, cursing at the guy in the next lane while driving, pot's probably a safer alternative.

They don't allow drunks at work. Same thing should be for MJ.

Layoffs? Empty cells? You mean they could keep the violent offenders like child molesters, rapists, and murderers in prison for the whole sentence instead of paroling them to make room for the pot heads? Heaven forbid! I would rather the kids in my neighborhood be exposed to real criminals not just those hazy, lightheaded, pretend ones.........

oops... it's 40% of arrests... not prison sentences.

Ah, so now your saying that if we stop the persecution of pot heads that child molesters, rapists, and murders will get their day in court 40% sooner? That they will get remain free on bond 40% less? Geez, now who is going to act as professional role models, hanging out, looking for things to do, trying to impress the young kids when all these upstanding citizens are sent to prison........

I always wondered about "possession" sentences.

Lets just say for arguments sake......Let's say I'm a drug user going on vacation.....I go see my dealer to get a 2 week supply of whatever I use. I've never committed a violent crime and am a user only, Not selling. On the way home I get pulled over and my stash gets discovered. I go through the system and get sentenced.

Now suddenly, I'm in jail (prison depending). I'm still a drug addict....anyone who thinks there are no drugs in prison are fooling themselves. Except now I'm surrounded by true criminals...thiefs and rapists and who knows what else. You have to now deal with violence and other "advances"....Eventually I mange to serve my time and get out....except now I'm out, still a drug addict but also a hardened criminal with a record....I'm @!$%#ed.

Where is the rehabilitation in this. How does this system help anything?

I think some people belong locked up.....some don't deserve it.

To be fair, for an amount like that and a first offense, you'd usually just get a few thousand dollar fines, sentenced to time served and six months to a year of probation. You lose your license. During probation you're under intense scrutiny and subject to urinalysis and blood tests.

most likely lose your security clearance and your job, even where you don't need a clearance it will be reported to your employer and you may be fired with cause or put in a counseling program.

Why?

Because I believe that the fewer outside chemicals that we put into our bodies, the better off we are.

And, just as a rose by any other name is still a rose...a drug, no matter how harmful it is or isn't, is still a drug.

OK, But what gives you the right to decide what's right for me to do privately in my personal time?

I do not claim that right. Its your choice.

But I do claim the right to believe as I choose to believe.

And should it come up for a vote in my state, I would not be true to myself if I voted for it...except under the circumstances I described earlier.

Its always going to be around. You know that as well as I do. So as long as you wish it to be a part of your private time recreation it will be.

I have to agree with Waydown. I want controls on it too.

I do not claim that right. Its your choice.

And yet you want to throw people in jail for making that choice.

If it remains illegal, and people continue to want to use it, it is their responsibility to use it cautiously, not mine to compromise my personal principles to allow them ease and less worry in doing what I sincerely believe to be wrong.

You do what you can live with doing.

I have to live with myself. And I sleep very well at night.

You don't want controls, you want it to be illegal, you want me to be arrested, pay fines, forfeit ever having any type of job etc, because YOU want to decide what is right for ME. YOU want control. It's not your business what I do.

it's not what you do to yourself that bothers others, it's what it could do someone's child.

WHAT?? Explain.

What is the window of time that testing can narrow down the use to? I mean - if the ER doctor is drunk I can have him tested and know right away that he is drunk. If I test the ER doctor to see if he is stoned, it may show up in his system but how do I know whether he last smoked that morning, last night, or last week?

Are they able to track ingestion to within hours as they are with alcohol?

I don't want a stoned doctor 'cracking' my chest in the ER. I don't want a stoned cop responding to my home invasion call. I don't want a stoned pilot flying me... well, anywhere.

Don't tell me all these things that "I want or don't want." I will speak for myself.

I think I have made myself perfectly clear on my feelings about this subject.

And I do not have to justtify my personal beliefs to you or anyone else.

You are for it.

I am against it.

That happens millions of times each and every day between people.

That does not mean that they are AGAINST EACH OTHER PERSONALLY, just that they hold differing viewpoints on certain issues.

This is my final attempt at explaination.

not mine to compromise my personal principles to allow them ease and less worry in doing what I sincerely believe to be wrong.

Ah yes, the 'personal principle' of forcibly controlling the lives of others. So, somehow, being able to make your own decisions is "wrong", but making them for other people is just fine.

I agree with you, too, Mustang. Here is my take on pot. I'm not going to argue with anybody about it. This is what I have seen and experienced with my own eyes over 46 years.

I have seen good kids start smoking that crap and become unmotivated slackers. I have seen grown men who smoke it, who sit at home on welfare, disability or unemployment. Users say it's not addictive, I say BS. Users say it doesn't effect your IQ, again I say BS.

I'm sorry, it's a drug. If it really does help people with medical conditions - fine. I'm not going to argue about that. But does it negatively effect our society - YES! The only people who say it doesn't, are the addicts.

That does not mean that they are AGAINST EACH OTHER PERSONALLY, just that they hold differing viewpoints on certain issues.

Oh yeah, now he explains that he isn't 'against someone personally', he just wants them thrown in jail for no good reason.

This article asked for people's opinions. That is what we are giving you. Our honest opinion. You are welcome to your opinion, just as we are welcome to ours. I, for one, am not going to fight about it, nor are you going to change my mind about it. Nor I, yours.

I am going to break my own rule and make one more statement.

Ringo you keep saying that I and those who think like me are attempting to make your decisions for you, are trying to control your lives and are trying to get you thrown into jail.

That is just plain foolish.

We are doing no such thing.

We each have the right to make our own decisions. If you choose to make a decision to violate the law and get caught, it is you who are responsible for what happens to you...not me or anybody else.

We do not attempt to control your life. You have absolute freedom to do as you choose. Just be prepared to be held to account for your choices.

Never once have I or any of the rest of us stood at your shoulder and said that you may or may not do anything you are considering. We do not impose our will on you. You impose your will on you.

What you want is for us to pat you on the back and give you our approval to do something that we believe is wrong so that you can feel good about yourself and not have to worry that you might have to pay for your own choices. This we will not do. Live with it.

Personally, I hope that you get to suck down all the dope that you want and never have to get caught or go to jail. But not getting caught is your responsibility, not mine. You end up in the Iron Bar Hotel charge it up totally to a fellow names Ringo.

You want it...have at it! More power to you!

But quit trying to blame others for you're having to worry when you break the law. If you can't stand by your decisions when you make them without a case of nerves showing up, or blaming others for you having to walk around looking over your shoulders, then don't make those decisions.

Lots of happy people live without dope, even your "harmless" weed.

Wow!! That was damn well said! KUDOS!

That is just plain foolish.

We are doing no such thing.

So now you are saying that you don't support the criminalization?

We each have the right to make our own decisions. If you choose to make a decision to violate the law and get caught, it is you who are responsible for what happens to you...not me or anybody else.

Alright, you seem to be having some difficulty with this concept, but I'll try to explain. What a person does with just their own body is only their business. If you choose to throw people in jail for exercising their own rights, it is you who are responsible for what happens.

We do not attempt to control your life. You have absolute freedom to do as you choose. Just be prepared to be held to account for your choices.

*sigh* Some more of your 'we do not attempt to control your life, we just want to imprison you if you don't live it the way we say' crap. Absolute freedom? When making your own decisions about your own body can get you thrown in jail on the whim of others? That isn't even REMOTELY freedom, let alone absolute.

Never once have I or any of the rest of us stood at your shoulder and said that you may or may not do anything you are considering. We do not impose our will on you.

Ah yes, because locking someone up is not 'imposing your will'?

"What you want is for us to pat you on the back and give you our approval to do something that we believe is wrong so that you can feel good about yourself and not have to worry that you might have to pay for your own choices. This we will not do. Live with it."

Oooh, but when you don't have a leg to stand on, why don't you just resort to a little dishonesty? Oh, too late I see. What I want is for people like you to stop trying to exercise authority over the rights of others. I don't smoke marijuana. It is my body, it is my choice.

Lots of happy people live without dope, even your "harmless" weed.

I'm one of those people. Feel no real desire to smoke marijuana. The difference is that I also feel no desire to tell others what they can and cannot do with their own body.

No, not well said. In saying that, he's saying go ahead and break the law, more power to you, but I'm going to keep the thing you want to do illegal, and keep you breaking the law THAT CONTROLS YOUR LIFE.
But he just said he didn't want to control my life!!

By keeping it illegal, YOU ARE CONTROLLING MY LIFE!

Actually, I hate alcohol, too. But it's controlled. Kids get it unfortunately, but it's really hard for them to get it. It's also taxed.

How am I controlling your life, Fred?

I voted for it to be legal here in California. It is legal here for medicinal use. There are plenty, I mean PLENTY of licensed physicians who will gladly hand you a prescription if you pay for it.

Exactly how am I controlling your life?

What is the window of time that testing can narrow down the use to? I mean - if the ER doctor is drunk I can have him tested and know right away that he is drunk. If I test the ER doctor to see if he is stoned, it may show up in his system but how do I know whether he last smoked that morning, last night, or last week?

Pot can be tested in your system for 30 days after last use.

The anecdotal stories about pot users is based on personal evaluation and conclusions. So the pot smoker who is lazy, you attribute it to pot when in reality he could be lazy even if he's never had anything stronger than milk and cookies. Losing brain power, really? Based on what? Did you test for age, senility, Alzheimer's etc? No, it's your biased opinion. You have no idea how many pot users are around you and YOU"LL NEVER KNOW because it doesn't turn them into blithering idiots.

Either outlaw alcohol or legalize pot, that simple. Alcohol has more harmful effects than pot and it is legal - a subsidy to the industry. You can not argue that legalizing alcohol and criminalizing pot is in any way defensible.

Of course I didn't test for senility...I do know, however, that every kid I've caught smoking weed acts like a complete moron. I do not need documented proof. I am not going to take you to court over this, it is an OPINION. In my opinion stoned people are morons and worthless.

I cannot argue with you about the fact that alcohol is horrible. I hate the stuff.

every kid I've caught smoking weed acts like a complete moron.

as opposed to every kid acts like a moron, sorry - I was laughing when I read that!

I am not going to take you to court over this

No but you support sending me to jail and losing my job over your personal dislike of it.

Bob,

I'm not saying that it shouldn't be legal, I don't care what you do as long as it doesn't affect me. More than half of my friends smoke pot on a regular basis, some can function normally, some are as incapable of normal function when stoned as are many people I know when they are drunk.

We have laws against drinking on the job or being drunk at work, if legalized I believe that we should also have laws against being stoned at work. Maybe you work in an office, but I work in a machine shop environment and there are safety issues.

I was never a heavy smoker, but did smoke socially when I was younger. I quit over 25 years ago and have no desire to start again. It has nothing to do with legality, I just didn't like the way it made me feel.

Again, I have no problems with legalization as long as there are ways to test my pilot, doctor, responding officer, etc., to see if they are stoned at this immediate point in time.

Oldmustang:

I'm sorry, I think I must have gotten my posters mixed up (shouldn't do this stoned, haha just kidding). I think we are in agreement on all points, the whole issue can be dealt with reasonably.

No but you support sending me to jail and losing my job over your personal dislike of it.

No, I don't. I'm not making you smoke pot while it's illegal. I'm all for making it legal, taking it away from dealers and putting controls on it.

I'm sorry, I think I must have gotten my posters mixed up (shouldn't do this stoned

Ah huh, you said it, I didn't.

Bob,

Thanks, but no apology necessary. I didn't make my point very clear in my first post.

"what I meant there, was that I would imagine most folks don't care what other people do with their own bodies - but what they do tend to care about is when the substance winds up in the hands of their young children."

Yep, there ya go! That's it in a nut shell!

I would be interested to see if any marijuana-using parents here encourage their children to use it as well - and if so, how young did you get them started?

I can't speak for other parents but I have NEVER encouraged my 24 year old daughter to use it, never used it when she was home, never spoken lightly of it. I went out of my way to hide it because I was worried her friends might catch on and try to find it or something. I wish the parents of her friends who drink had been as careful with the alcohol in their homes. My daughter does not smoke, she does drink, drank the first time at a friends while the parents were at home. They thought it was better to let high school kids drink at home than to go out looking for trouble. That was one ugly show down. SHe was in college when she told me she knows but she had tried it at college and didn't like it which is fine. Maybe you could ask the same question of parents and alcohol.

Grammar-Phobe: Sorry, I misunderstood you. I seem to be in complete agreement with you too. Please don't attack my grammar, I'm self conscience about it, I'll plead stoned if I've made mistakes.

Prohibition doesn't serve society well. It manifests a situation in society which is the exact opposite of its stated objectives. And in defending the intentions of prohibition, a modern prohibitionist must defend, then, the outcome of their own plan.

This means that to defend prohibition one must advocate for the proliferation of virtually uncontrolled substances, in terms of purity and addiction potential and age restrictions, throughout society and especially in schools and colleges where rebellion and experimentation is the norm (and where a lesson in responsible use cannot be heeded if society will not accept that some use is not necessarily abuse).

The prohibitionist must argue that, since the battle cannot ultimately be won, and will last indefinitely, the only way forward is to increase punishments, increase police presence, increase police powers, increase government powers, acknowledge that the concepts of self-determination and individual responsibility are dead (the government now strives to make that determination for you and takes responsibility for making sure you don't make choices that are perceived by some to be less good than others), and make the claim that free human beings have no right to receive the gifts of nature without the express written permission from some "authority" who is motivated by either money or politics.

Of course no prohibitionist will say they want most, if any, of these things. Proof of efficacy is never required. Only fear is required, along with your cooperation, either willingly or through coercion. And they will call that freedom because they believe it is their freedom to restrict the freedoms of others.

If, as a society, we cannot let other groups exercise their peaceful freedoms without fear of arrest for essentially political reasons (cannabis use is a political crime, essentially, whereas prohibition is absolutely a criminal offense), then freedom is truly dead. This is such an important issue, the legal status of cannabis, precisely because it is so marginalized and neglected - with disastrous consequences.

No, haha! When I signed up it was about an article regarding people who are mean to others on forums like this when they make grammatical errors or misspellings. I hate when people do that, that's why I put "fear of grammar". I'm not really, but I hate to see people attacked for something stupid like that.

I applaud what you said about your daughter and I agree with you about the alcohol. I'm actually like your daughter. I've tried it, I didn't like it.

There's nothing funnier than watching someone who is stoned try to do the most remedial tasks - like talking and standing.....

Man, I can still picture my son high. If I hadn't been so angry, he might have been pretty funny. He sure had a goofy look on his face...

Disclaimer; Dad is/was a "biker" (Gypsy Joker) and is locked up for good now.

Speaking from the other end, my dad asked me when I was 16 if I had smoked pot. I already had. We smoked together for years afterwards. He wouldn't "sell" to me, he wouldn't smoke with my friends, he wouldn't let his friends and I smoke. It was a me and him thing as long as we were together.

My dad is a real @!$%#ing @!$%#, but those moments were some of the best times I shared with the guy. We might not have liked each other much all the time, but we did fine sharing a smoke.

You can say that's bad or immoral or whatever, but I'm glad I had those times with him.

what I meant there, was that I would imagine most folks don't care what other people do with their own bodies - but what they do tend to care about is when the substance winds up in the hands of their young children.

I'm all for keeping it out of the hands of minors (Even though I did start smoking when I was a minor), but, to me, that is a bad way of looking at reasons why it should stay illegal. If we go by "It might end up in the hands of children", basically everything should be made illegal. Alcohol, basically every type of prescription drug there is, cigarettes, knives, tasers, cars.. these all end up in the hands of (reckless) children, but, yet, they are all still legal, and have controls. We hope that children decide to not try these things without being of legal age, and the right conditions to do them. We also hope that the people able to obtain them, do not hand them over to children.

do know, however, that every kid I've caught smoking weed acts like a complete moron. I do not need documented proof.
-- Grammar-phobe

My understanding of your post is that these kids you've caught were acting like complete morons BECAUSE of smoking pot. If that is your actual point, then yes, you do need proof for that. I believe Bob's point was that it's a large possibility that the kids you caught were morons before they started smoking pot, as opposed to being morons because they smoke pot.

It's my kid, now 27 and his friends. I caught them when they were kids. I know what they acted like before pot, and I know what they acted like after...

That said, my son is 27 now and still smokes pot. Though, he doesn't act like a moron any more. He's my friend. I love him to death. I had him when I was very young and we grew up together. HE would have saved himself a lot of grief if he'd stayed away from drugs. But, of the drugs he's done...pot IS the least threatening. But, I want it legalized - WITH controls.

That said, my son is 27 now and still smokes pot. Though, he doesn't act like a moron any more.

So, therefore, it wasn't marijuana was that was causing him to act like a moron, it was him just being a moron, correct?

No, I think it was being stoned off his ass and with his friends. I was pissed and the moron couldn't stop laughing. I wanted to squish his head! Nope, it was the pot...

I am 1000% for legalization...period! I also would have no problem if alcohol were made illegal..although I know that will never happen! Furthermore..it should be legal in ts natuaral state..not messed with by the idiotic pharmaceuticals.

I personally know law enforcement and other prominant officials that smoke, have families, jobs, homes and pay there bills...so whoever stated that pot makes one lazy is obviously ignorant.

"I would be interested to see if any marijuana-using parents here encourage their children to use it as well - and if so, how young did you get them started?"

Good god man, no! That stuff can stunt growth in children, it should be regulated for adults ONLY. Unless those kids got cancer, or had some other reason to ease their suffering that cannabis can help with.

Grammar-phobe, I was responding to Waydowns post, where he simultaneously said he didn't care, yet he insisted it stay illegal, made no sense.

Okay Judy, let me give you a few more examples...

My son, who has an IQ of 145 straight, and an IQ in the single digits while stoned, twice started a fire in the toaster oven, would cook macaroni and cheese, space out until the water was boiled out and the macaroni burning, setting of the fire alarms...cooking popcorn until it was in flames.... I could go on and on and on with his munchie mishaps...

All because he was stoned and spacing the hell out. I'm lucky we all survived without the house burning down! Yep, pot really INCREASES your IQ, doesn't it...

I love him with my whole soul, but I cannot live with a pot smoker. He is 27 now and is manages our restaurant/bar. (Thank God he's like me and doesn't drink) The other day I went up there and the place was really busy, he looked at me and laughed and said, "Do you see why I smoke pot, Mom?" No, I have no idea why he smokes that crap...I can still tell if he does work while stoned because it'll be all screwed up. It drives me and his father crazy! At least he doesn't live here...

I don't recall anyone saying it increases your IQ.. However, it does effect everyone differently. Alcohol makes some people bat @!$%# crazy, while others it calms. So, maybe it just effects your son that way. I guarantee that you have met hundreds, or even thousands of completely successful people, and didn't have a clue that they smoked pot, and even more so, that they were high when you met them.

Actually grammar, i would suggest you get him some help. Some folks abuse cannabis, it's true. If he's using at work, or started fires, he needs help, not prison, and not an enabler.

Some of the hardest working people I know smoke pot. Some people are just lazy. Pot will enhance who you are this much is true; if you are a creative person you will be very creative on pot, a thinker will think more, a clumsy person will be more clumsy.

I do think people who have hazardous jobs ought not be high at work. Some jobs I don't think it matters if a person is high especially something in the creative field (music, art, writing, ect...) could even be enhanced.

People who want to keep drugs illegal do not have a clear understanding of the suffering that is caused by it. I hope something that they need or want never becomes illegal because I do not wish this kind of suffering on anyone. They cannot comprehend it because they are essentially brain washed into believing the propganda and the state loves war and this war is just as good as any to them as long as they have plenty of bombs. They will do anything to keep the masses blindly following their commands to kill.

As for children having access to pot keeping it illegal gives children much more access to pot and also the hard stuff do you think a dealer is going to ask for ID? I don't think so. I am sure that the law does control teen age drinking more so than if it were to be made illegal.

Pot, Opium, Cocao are all children of the earth if you have any kind of concept of God you might can understand that God put it here for a reason. Even the Bible says there is an herb for every sickness growing on the earth. Jesus head was anointed with the finest canabis sativa oil and I know he had to have felt some effects because oil of canabis is stronger.

Thru out time all of these drugs have been used as medicine, food and as part of religious meditations and other ceromonies. All of these products are still out there except for now there is war over them people are dying every single day because our government is hell bent to keep it illegal.

I think most Cocaine on the streets is very adultrerated and I don't think God meant for it to be turned into crack. I think it is meant to be consumed in it's natural form of leaves at times when you might need an energy boost in this form it does not alter the consiousness like crack does and it is non addictive. But, hey that is science I guess. Opium is the world's best pain reliever and it can also make you have dreams. I don't think science can make a better pain reliever ever. The war in Afganastan is partly about cotroling opium. Afganis like their opium a lot and many of them do not like Americans over them telling them to do with one of their favorite crops. It use goes back for centuries. The Sout Americans are probably getting a little tired of their countries being a war zone over cacoa the leaf that cocaine is refined from.

Pot, caoca, opium are products and raw materials that can make a variety of things. Every since Hortec Celeneese and WR Herst got on their high horse about bending our countries laws so god's natural herbs would be illegal while they made their sham product to try and mimic nature. They were so paranoid that people would not like their crap when they have natures perfection to compare it to and reject their crap that they used their power in big money influence to line the pocket of politicians to make laws against it. May they all burn in hell for the injustic they have caused to humanity.

Truely when something that could be used for food, medicine, fuel, paper, fabric ect... who cares if some people use it to make them feel the way they want to feel?

Actually, it's considerably less about taxes, than it is about individual freedoms (but we nasty liberals hate those, don't we?), saving money from a non-issue, and ending the oppression of 10% of American citizens who prefer a more organic buzz than alcohol or tobacco. Not to mention one that is inarguably safer than either of those two substances, not just for yourself but for those around you.

The taxes thing is just something we think will get politicians attention. We'd really rather know what we acquire is going to line the pockets of an American Farmer, not some Mexican. Don't have that choice with it illegal, no way to inspect the growth.

In case you haven't noticed, 10% of us are already in hell, facing daily persecution for liking OUR buzz, while listening to others who are enraptured with alcohol's buzz. A buzz is a buzz, why is mine worse? It doesn't kill, it doesn't addict (although it CAN cause dependency), so why all the hate?

(Mr Mackie Voice)

Drugs are evil, M'kay? Don't do drugs.

(Back to my usual falsetto)

So you ADMIT it's all about taxes!

lol! I admit, it's all about taking your money, you got me.

Are librals for legalizion of pot? Ha! I thought I was the conservatives and all this time I have been following Ron Paul cause I knew for sure he is the one who would end the war on drugs...

Obama has made it clear that he will not legalize pot I guess he likes the war too.

Well said oneforall. Yes, definitely it should be legal.

For one thing it would put an end to so much violence committed by those who are now selling.

If you legalize it there will be more room in the prisons for child molesters, rapist and murderers...Plus all us law abiding citizens will be able to get a buzz at the end of the day.

A police would have more time for solving violent crimes too. I like the part about there being more room in prison for murders, and all people who comitt violent crimes against any age group. Plus, I don't think a pot smoker should ever have to live in confinement with these violent criminals. There are poeple serving more time for drug violations than some people convicted of a violent crime resulting in someone's death. That ain't right.

It's actually Schedule I (I'm guessing that was a typo) but had no business being Schedule I. 1/4 of US states have approved it's use AS A MEDICINE. Kind of blows the whole criteria for Schedule I out of the water, no? But try getting the DEA to admit that....

And Jocelyn Elders was asked for her resignation for that intelligent observation. But, who says American politics values intelligence?

I don't know the drug dealers must have a pretty powerful lobby if it has remained illegal this long. I said something on another article about drug dealers paying off politicians and was struck down as crazy as usual...Like paying off a politician could never happen.

wow... paying off politicians is an American tradition.

Pharma and Law enforcement are the two lobby groups that forbid marijuana. One thing... fundraising used to be a bit deal. As recently as earlier this year, a politician had to spend a lot of time and effort raising funds.

These days, the funds just come in record amounts. No effort is required and the contributions of Law Enforcement and Pharma are small potatoes now. It's unclear that Pharma and Law Enforcement can even afford a Senator now.

Plus... these funds are all about foreign policy. The "new lobbyists" are foreign owned corporations who have issues like Israel and Taiwan. I don't think China cares if I smoke pot... so there is a chance that the Supreme Court accidently provided us with a bit of liberty.

I bet that'll tick 'em off.

The tobacco companies took out patents for names for marijuana years ago. They are still waiting for it to be legalized. I must say I'd rather be around someone a bit high on marijuana than one drunk on alcohol. The high guy is always funnier and has a great appetite, and won't grip about what you are feeding him or her.

When was the last time you heard of two stoners punching their faces in? If they get pulled it's for driving so slow you can walk alongside the car!