Bill To Legalise Pot To Be Introduced In House Tomorrow

[ATOMonkey]

I think the gateway thing is real, in that you usually smoke pot first, then try other stuff later on like coke etc. I wonder if more people smoking pot will lead to more abuse of other stuff. I don't think smoking pot is a horrible thing, but there is going to be some consequences to legalizing it, still too many people doing hard time for a recreational hobby, probably no worse for you than alcohol, when alcohol is used in moderation.

The gateway thing is not real. It was concocted in the mind of people who were never high a day in their life.

Why is that?

Because each drug has a different high. If you are tired and need more energy, do you smoke a joint? No, you smoke meth, or snort some coke.

If you're all stressed out and need to unwind, you wouldn't reach for the crack pipe. You'd smoke a joint or have a drink.

If you're totally depressed, heroin is probably your drug of choice.

It's like saying asprin is a gateway drug to viagra.

 

[NYFelon]

I was speaking in a more general sense, not just in law enforcement. In my life, I have known drug users (aside from those who only smoke pot) and none of them have been productive members of society. They were habitual thieves, couldn't hold a job, would lie to you if you asked them what time it was, couldn't take care of themselves or their kids, etc. I don't know if the chicken came first or the egg so to speak, I just haven't ever met a productive member of society who used those types of drugs I mentioned.

I agree with you, I was just looking to make a case that while I've never met a "functioning" heroin addict either, I'm sure one exists somewhere. I'm also fairly certain he's the exception that proves the rule. All that aside, I'm still vehemently opposed to the war on drugs.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Smoking a little pot is different than "ruining their life over drugs." The problem with people that take it that far is that they begin to be a threat to the rights of others. If they threaten the rights of others, then it really DOES matter to the government whos job it is to protect the rights of all the citizens, not just the drug users.

Perfect. We've already got laws for when people infringe on the rights of others. Problem solved.

 

[ATOMonkey]

I was speaking in a more general sense, not just in law enforcement. In my life, I have known drug users (aside from those who only smoke pot) and none of them have been productive members of society. They were habitual thieves, couldn't hold a job, would lie to you if you asked them what time it was, couldn't take care of themselves or their kids, etc. I don't know if the chicken came first or the egg so to speak, I just haven't ever met a productive member of society who used those types of drugs I mentioned.

Good point. They might be terrible people stone sober, and the drugs just kind of help them down that path.

 

[jsharmon7]

Good point. They might be terrible people stone sober, and the drugs just kind of help them down that path.

Possibly, I haven't seen anything to prove causation one way or the other. I have known a couple of guys who were very skilled workers and nice guys, but as soon as they got paid they blew it on coke and would disappear for the next week. Another guy was a great plumber but you couldn't count on him to show up to the next job because as soon as he got paid he'd blow half of it on speed and stop answering his phone or coming to work. I've also met some guys who were the same way completely sober, they just happened to be lazy and mean-spirited types. Obviously the guys I mentioned on drugs were still able to get drugs even though they were illegal. I happen to believe that legalizing ALL drugs will make them more readily available and may tempt some people into trying them that normally wouldn't. That's all just opinion though.

 

[Stschil]

This was doomed from the beginning. As I said in another thread, the fact that Prop 19 in California died tells me that the general public isn't quite ready for marijuana legalization. I have to say that my experience has been that pot smokers don't cause trouble. And I've seen heavy pot smokers quit cold turkey with absolutely no problems. If they legalize/decriminalize pot I don't see it having a negative effect on society. Heroin, meth, crack, etc. though, I've yet to see a regular user of those drugs act as a productive member of society. I'm sure there's somebody out there, but I haven't met them.

Exactly! I know that in my experience, I can't ever recall rolling on a Domestic where the parties were stoned either. They are too mellow to fight
On the other hand, I've seen way too many people that have one drink too many of (insert the spirits of your choice), inhibitions go bye bye, they get aggressive, they get belligerent, they get mean, etc.

The violence involved in the Marijuana trade is a product of the cash involved, not the properties of the drug.

 

[ATOMonkey]

I've tried 'em I don't like 'em.

I don't really even like getting drunk all that much anymore.

 

[NYFelon]

...The violence involved in the Marijuana trade is a product of the cash involved, not the properties of the drug.

As is the case with any prohibition. If a demand exists, a supplier will come forward. It does not matter what the product is. The prohibition of recreational pharmaceuticals and it's enforcement via the war on drugs DRIVES the violence of the illicit drug trade. Since the WoD mandates that any supply of the product in question is delivered via a means outside the law, the regulation of that trade will and is also administered outside the law.

End the war on drugs.

 

[Phil502]

The gateway thing is not real. It was concocted in the mind of people who were never high a day in their life.

Why is that?

Because each drug has a different high. If you are tired and need more energy, do you smoke a joint? No, you smoke meth, or snort some coke.

If you're all stressed out and need to unwind, you wouldn't reach for the crack pipe. You'd smoke a joint or have a drink.

If you're totally depressed, heroin is probably your drug of choice.

It's like saying asprin is a gateway drug to viagra.

I am not so sure about that, I know very well what the progression was with people I grew up with. A few are dead now, thats the honest truth. Maybe in the big picture the gateway thing is not an indicator as to what actually will happen, but in some cases I believe it is.

Sometimes kids get high just to get high, not because they are tired or uptight or anything, it's just part of experimenting and having adolescent fun.

 

[IUBrink]

This definitely needs to pass, though I won't get my hopes up. After attending IU I can definitely say I've met my fair share of people who smoke and quit at the drop of a hat.

As for the gateway theory; if kids are getting high for the sake of getting high then legalizing may help the situation. The kid is going to find his high an any way possible. If you legalize marijuana...he may stay with marijuana, however, if you keep marijuana illegal and his dealer is out of marijuana and only has crack...the kid is obviously going to buy crack.

Marijuana will never give you cancer, emphysema, or any bit of neurological damage. However it will shrink tumors and help aid brain cell growth, and that in itself makes pharms unhappy that they can't patent it.

If California votes again in 2012 and it does not pass, then that is a guarantee that some form of government is toying with the results. All polls since ~2008 show that the California public wants it legalized, however when polling times come they just seem to lose by a small margin. I don't buy it.

 

[Baditude]

I think one of the issues with it is determining level of "highness" like alcohol. Simply under the influence is a grey area ie DUI vs DWI.

Also doesn't it reuire a urine test and the results make take awhile to process vs a breathalyzer?

 

[Prestige WorldWide]

wrong thread, sorry

 

[DragonGunner]

Care to post some reasons why that aren't based on false statistics, hysterical appeals to emotion, or baseless threats of the world coming to an end?

INGO rules forbid my answers.....I can refer you to the beginning of my sig line below though....perhaps mods will let me quote John Adams...?
who said..." Our Constitution was made only for a morale and religious people."

 

[christman]

As much as I can't stand to be around people using....I also, can't stand the governments interference on this matter. It irritates me to think of the money since the mid 80's that has been dumped into this cesspool they call a war.

With morals going out the window left and right in the last 15 years...I'm surprised the war on drugs hasn't been called a wash already.

 

[femurphy77]

I think one of the issues with it is determining level of "highness" like alcohol. Simply under the influence is a grey area ie DUI vs DWI.

Also doesn't it reuire a urine test and the results make take awhile to process vs a breathalyzer?

There has never been a market for a "quick" marijuana test. Create the demand ie legalize mj, define intoxication for ticketing purposes and somebody will come up with a breathalyzer style test. Personally I think something simple like placing a large pepperoni pizza just out of reach of the suspect. . . .

 

[RockofStrength]

As much as I can't stand to be around people using....I also, can't stand the governments interference on this matter. It irritates me to think of the money since the mid 80's that has been dumped into this cesspool they call a war.

With morals going out the window left and right in the last 15 years...I'm surprised the war on drugs hasn't been called a wash already.

The morals may have, but the gravy-train from drug busts has not. And there are plenty of indoctrination programs in schools etc that make sure the public knows exactly what they should do with drugs

 

[snapping turtle]

Everybody take a deep breath and slowly exhale, then take a deep breath and hold it.

What would Willie do.

 

[Kase]

INGO rules forbid my answers.....I can refer you to the beginning of my sig line below though....perhaps mods will let me quote John Adams...?
who said..." Our Constitution was made only for a morale and religious people."

So smoking weed all the sudden makes a person the antichrist?

 

[Kurr]

Speaking of the Constitution, can anyone explain why a constitutional amendment was required before they could ban alcohol, ratified by 2/3 of the states and none required for marijuana, coke, meth, etc etc?

Doesn't that seem to make ALL the drug laws unconstitutional? Or do they claim they can ban it under the commerce clause?

I would really like to know how they got away with it in the first place without a constitutional amendment.

 

[level.eleven]

INGO rules forbid my answers.....I can refer you to the beginning of my sig line below though....perhaps mods will let me quote John Adams...?
who said..." Our Constitution was made only for a morale and religious people."

You should check out what he had to say about hemp.