The Official "War On Drugs" Thread

[Spurminator]

I was just suggesting that as a way of regulating its production... If it were my choice, I wouldn't make it illegal to produce. But if your standard for successful government regulation is whether or not they can prevent someone from producing marijuana, then it can be said that the government is equally ineffective at regulating alcohol because it can also be produced. Yet alcohol is legal.

[Nbadan]

As for why it isn't legal, especially marijuana, someone else brought it up. Gov. can't regulate it so it doesn't benefit the gov. to legalize it.

Much like with cigars smokers, people who smoke pot regularly appreciated quality. If it was legal to do so, and you had the time, sure you could grow small amounts of kind-bud or whatever to feed your own habit, but by in large part most people, being creatures of habit, are probably gonna tend to buy the name-brands that would pop up if it was sold legally with a adult prescription or under heavy State and Federal regulation (like acohol). Since the cost to produce the product is so inexpensive, most of the cost would be a windfall for the government. Money that can be used to help treat recovering alcoholics, drug addicts, the mentally-ill, and those who lack basic health insurance.

[Experiment2100]

I was just suggesting that as a way of regulating its production... If it were my choice, I wouldn't make it illegal to produce. But if that's your standard, then we're back to the question of why it's okay for alcohol but not marijuana?

Simple, one can make his own beer if he wants to devote the time and money to it. However in the long run it's cheaper, more efficient and safer to just buy it. However, if one wants to make marijuana, which is a thing that goes from the ground, you may spend 10 minutes a planting it and 15 minues max a day watering it. If the gov. taxes MJ up the ass ala cigs. Then I may just grow my own. Gov. can't regulate something so easily manufacturable.

[timvp]

Simple, one can make his own beer if he wants to devote the time and money to it. However in the long run it's cheaper, more efficient and safer to just buy it. However, if one wants to make marijuana, which is a thing that goes from the ground, you may spend 10 minutes a planting it and 15 minues max a day watering it. If the gov. taxes MJ up the ass ala cigs. Then I may just grow my own. Gov. can't regulate something so easily manufacturable.

Well in my scenario, it'd be illegal to consume off the designated properties. And I think that'd hold up if you keep the weed prices/quality good. Why grow your own and risk jail time if you can just go get some for cheaper?

Sure it's not a perfect system, but it's main purpose is to cut down on the deaths and numerous jail sentences associated with drugs. If some guy has a pot plant growing in his basement for his own use, it'd be low on the priorities to bust down his door and throw away his plant.

[Experiment2100]

Much like with cigars smokers, people who smoke pot regularly appreciated quality. If it was legal to do so, and you had the time, sure you could grow small amounts of kind-bud or whatever to feed your own habit, but by in large part most people, being creatures of habit, are probably gonna tend to buy the name-brands that would pop up if it was sold legally with a adult prescription or under heavy State and Federal regulation (like acohol). Since the cost to produce the product is so inexpensive, most of the cost would be a windfall for the government. Money that can be used to help treat recovering alcoholics, drug addicts, the mentally-ill, and those who lack basic health insurance.

That's a nightmare. There are currently over 300 ingredients added to cigarrettesincrease "flavor". For the love of God they put cyanide in it. If it's legal Lord knows what would be added to it, and how it would react to those changes.

[Experiment2100]

Well in my scenario, it'd be illegal to consume off the designated properties. And I think that'd hold up if you keep the weed prices/quality good. Why grow your own and risk jail time if you can just go get some for cheaper?

Sure it's not a perfect system, but it's main purpose is to cut down on the deaths and numerous jail sentences associated with drugs. If some guy has a pot plant growing in his basement for his own use, it'd be low on the priorities to bust down his door and throw away his plant.

How big of an area are we talking about here?

[timvp]

, you can make dope amusement parks. Have it regulated but not controlled by the government and those in the private sector will fight over making the best weed hut with the lowest prices and the best entertainment.

[Experiment2100]

Then there are many variables to consider. Do you really want people hopped up on drugs so close to each other? Pros ution and rape come to mind immediately. If this place gets full do you really expect the addicts to take a number and wait.

[Nbadan]

That's a nightmare. There are currently over 300 ingredients added to cigarrettesincrease "flavor". For the love of God they put cyanide in it. If it's legal Lord knows what would be added to it, and how it would react to those changes.

Actually, if you think about it a filter on a joint, like those stoogies you always see Rap Stars smoking is probably much safer than a regular joint, and much like with cigar tobacco, scientists today could theoretically genetically manipulate the pot seed to produce exotic tastes like Honey, Vanilla or Cinnimon and also regulate the THC content in the process. I'm surprised growers and smugglers haven't thought of producing odor-less weed, but it's probably just as easy and efficient to smuggle the regular stuff right now anyway.

[Experiment2100]

Actually, if you think about it a filter on a joint, like those stoogies you always see Rap Stars smoking is probably much safer than a regular joint, and much like with cigar tobacco, scientists today could theoretically genetically manipulate the pot seed to produce exotic tastes like Honey, Vanilla or Cinnimon and also regulate the THC content in the process. I'm surprised growers and smugglers haven't thought of producing odor-less weed, but it's probably just as easy and efficient to smuggle the regular stuff right now anyway.

I would have to agree with the last sentence.

[whottt]

Interesting.

Do you remember got you into drugs in the first place? Was it trying to be cool, peer pressure, curiousity or what?

It was environmental...the era, the neighborhood I grew up in, and the friends I had. I had a very glamourized perception of drugs. I thought they would be fun to do, as well as enlightening. I honestly thought the people that had their act together did drugs.

I am all for legalizing pot even though I don't smoke it any more.

But I don't understand how anyone that has ever done the hard drugs can say it'd be fine just to sell these and no one will be hurting anyone but themselves.

Those hard drugs your head up. If you do them there are times when you have no clue what the you are doing. They make you mentally and emotionally unstable. Not only that but there is substantial evidence that children of longterm drug abusers have mutated brain development.

These are not something that should just be thrown out there for public consumption.

IMO to begin with...anything that is physically addictive ought to be illegal for anything other than medicinal purposes. It should never be made legal.

What is the point of creating a bunch of addicts?


The fact that we can't control illegal trafficking and selling of these drugs doesn't mean we should make them legal...I mean we aren't ever going to stop spouse abuse, rape and murder either, that doesn't mean we should legalize them.

I know...but drugs don't hurt anyone but the user...well it just isn't true. Not with hard drugs...they are the sort of thing that will destroy the fabric of a society and frankly the person on them isn't always in control of what he is doing.

[MannyIsGod]

Not to be rude, but your posts reek of fear and ignorance Experiment2100.

The policy put into effect right now as it stands with Marijuana is ludicris.

For starters, the legitimate health value it has is never taken into account. There are far more prescription drugs on the market which are more than legal and have far worse side effects than any joint will ever have. However, when you have a powerful industry with companies such as Merck and Pfizer none of that really matters.

Anyhow, almost a year ago there was a study done by the UC of Santa Cruz comparing marijuana use in San Fransisco and Amsterdam. Here is some of what they found:

• The mean age at onset of use was 16.95 years in Amsterdam and 16.43 years in San Francisco

• The mean age at which respondents began using marijuana more than once per month was 19.11 years in Amsterdam and 18.81 years in San Francisco.

• In both cities, users began their periods of maximum use about 2 years after they began regular use: 21.46 years in Amsterdam and 21.98 years in San Francisco.

• About 75 percent in both cities had used cannabis less than once per week or not at all in the year before the interview.

• Majorities of experienced users in both cities never used marijuana daily or in large amounts even during their periods of peak use, and use declined after those peak periods.

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=1164

Your stance also doesn't take into account how poor areas are effected by drug prohibition. Go into a neighborhood on the eastside or westside and tell me what the most profitable job for a 16 year old is. It's not working at McDonalds. It's slinging rock on the corner.

The price we pay for saving the children of the middle class from supposed higher levels of exposure to illegal drugs is paid much by the children of the ghettos.

[Nbadan]

Your stance also doesn't take into account how poor areas are effected by drug prohibition. Go into a neighborhood on the eastside or westside and tell me what the most profitable job for a 16 year old is. It's not working at McDonalds. It's slinging rock on the corner.

The price we pay for saving the children of the middle class from supposed higher levels of exposure to illegal drugs is paid much by the children of the ghettos.

Really hard drugs like coke and meth should remain illegal, but to many valuable resources seem to be wasted arresting druggies with a baggie of pot rather than hard-core drug abusers who lie cheat and steal to support their self-destructive habits.

Maybe a approach like that in Oregon where those caught with up to a ounce of pot are given a simple summons, like a traffic ticket, and later fined would work.

[Nbadan]

Are you a pothead? - Jack Walsh, Meet the Parents

Whoa, remember pot?

[whottt]

I've never thought weed stays illegal because the government can't regulate it...I mean, it if was legal they'd be able to regulate it and make money off of it a of a lot better than they can with it being illegal.

I've always thought it has stayed illegal because the alcohol companies don't want anyone taking a bite out of their market share.

[JoeChalupa]

Personally I don't have a problem with the war on drugs although I do think of the punishments are harsh...for pot that is.
I've experimented with drugs but found weed is all I need if I want to kick up my beer buzz a notch.
I think cocaine, smack, exstasy, meth and all that other crap needs to go away. But then again I know many will say that pot leads to cocaine which leads to smack which leads to a life of addiction....and for some that is true.

I don't want my kids doing drugs so that makes me a hypocrite right?

[spurster]

On marijuana growing:

Where I grew up , it is a weed that grows quite well in tree groves. The natural weed doesn't have much potency (of course that is what I'm told, certainly you wouldn't think I performed my own experiments), but I don't think that would be hard to change.

[bigzak25]

i try to kill as much weed as possible and get it off the streets....so i'm doing my part.

[ididnotnothat]

Isn't it already dead before you fire it up?

[exstatic]

The price we pay for saving the children of the middle class from supposed higher levels of exposure to illegal drugs is paid much by the children of the ghettos.

Great point, Manny. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to drive, live, or attend school in any part of town without fear?
As for other drugs, keeping them illegal still leaves the underground, the gang monopoly and the violence in place. Make them legal. Offer them at cost. Give people counseling and rehab any time they want it. It's STILL cheaper than the war on drugs, which is accomplishing exactly zero, except setting up entreprenurial opportunities for gangs.

What many (although not all) of you are missing is the allure of the illegal or dangerous to the youth culture. Make it legal, make it so you can go get it with everyone else, and it loses probably 90% of it's appeal. My mother learned these tactics years ago. If she didn't like a BF that one of my sister's brought home, all she had to do was be nice to him, and tell sis that he's a "nice young man". He wasn't seen much after that, if at all.

You have to end the violence if this country has any hope to go forward together as a total nation, and the only way to do that is total legality, albeit regulated and taxed. , if they sold Mary Jane smokes OTC, they could probably elminate the national debt in 20 years.

[timvp]

What many (although not all) of you are missing is the allure of the illegal or dangerous to the youth culture. Make it legal, make it so you can go get it with everyone else, and it loses probably 90% of it's appeal.

Yep.

Most everyone I've ever asked has indicated they started taking drugs to fit in or be "cool". If you regulate it and make it legal, most people would drop it or never try it because it wouldn't be the hip thing to do.

[Spurminator]

Well, I don't know about that...

It would still be a way to rebel against parents. And there would likely be age limits, so they'd still be breaking the law to some degree.

Drug experimentation would almost certainly increase, but I think the problems we currently have outweigh the possibility of kids trying drugs.

[Clandestino]

i don't think legalizing drugs would cause more people not to use them.. it may rid our prisons of a lot petty criminals, but people will use drugs whether they are legal or not..

[Experiment2100]

Not to be rude, but your posts reek of fear and ignorance Experiment2100.

I don't think people are understanding what I'm saying here, I could care less what the is made legal. Though I do agree on banning the hard stuff. What I'm saying is the gov. does in no way benefit from legalizing marijuana. People, maybe but the gov. itself doesn't gain monetarily because of how easy it is to make. Also more importantly, Potheads don't vote, when they represent a higher percentage of cons uency maybe then, but right now it doesn't benefit the gov.

[SPARKY]

A thing of interest is that despite the overwhelming sentiment expressed by a majority of posters in this thread for some form of drug legalization it still seems highly unlikely that any such legalization will occur anytime soon.

Yes, there are the medicinal marijuana efforts but to me that really doesn't count.