Marijuana the legalization of it?

[stevetheupsguy]

BTW: I think this is one of the better threads we've had because of a variety of perspectives and I appreciate those here who shared personal downsides of what drugs can do.

I know I didn't fully quote you, but I liked what you said here, and I agree.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

I love it when I walk up to a door during the summer when the windows are open and I can smell the weed and hear someone taking bong hits. When they start a fresh hit I wait a moment until they are about 3/4 of the way thru it and as soon as their thumb comes off of the carb I pound on the door and holler "UPS" in my deep loud voice...at the exact moment their lungs are at maximum capacity. This scares the crap out of them and makes them cough uncontrollably and gag and they have to come to the door all paranoid with eyes watering and snot running down their nose.

That's funny, sober.

BTW: I think this is one of the better threads we've had because of a variety of perspectives and I appreciate those here who shared personal downsides of what drugs can do.

I know I didn't fully quote you, but I liked what you said here, and I agree.

 

[tieguy]

No worse?

yep another way of saying about the same.

 

[JimJimmyJames]

Wow, 3 j's, that took a lot of courage. Sorry for your loss, and thanks for putting some perspective on your thoughts.

Thanks Steve.

I feel everyone's pain here who have experienced what drug and alcohol abuse can do to ourselves and our loved ones. Even though I do partake of an adult beverage now and again, I cannot ignore the fact that alcohol and recreational drug use has caused more tragedy amongst my family and friends than has ever brought joy.

Education, to me, is the key to reducing these tragedies and if popular wisdom dictates we must rely on the government for remedies I would prefer they concentrate more on education and rehabilitation than they do on the "war on drugs".

 

[diesel96]

I love it when I walk up to a door during the summer when the windows are open and I can smell the weed and hear someone taking bong hits. When they start a fresh hit I wait a moment until they are about 3/4 of the way thru it and as soon as their thumb comes off of the carb I pound on the door and holler "UPS" in my deep loud voice...at the exact moment their lungs are at maximum capacity. This scares the crap out of them and makes them cough uncontrollably and gag and they have to come to the door all paranoid with eyes watering and snot running down their nose.

Not a bad description for a non-stoner ...Hey, Specoli, is that you dude..
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3819110681/ .....lol

With the issue at hand being discussed, over the last few days I've watched a discussion between bloggers on legalization over at the paleo-conservative/libertarian website Taki's Magazine. The truth is, no issue has the ultimate perfect answer for every person and every situation but the more information, the more thoughts, facts, ideas we have on this or any other issue gives us the best chance of coming close. At the same time, I happen to believe it's important for each and every person to be free to choose his or her own path. That can get complex and complicated at times so we'll leave the philsophoical for another time.

Being ignorant, (an easily corrected condition) if you will, and laying all your hopes and dreams on a gov't or society leaders to always do the right thing is IMO about like believing in the tooth fairy or Santa Claus. It will only work if someone is there to pretend to fill the role and keep you ignorant of the truth.

That said, here are links to the series of posts discussing the issue from several different angles so hope you find them informative whether you agree or not!

A Second Thought on Legalization


A Third Thought On Legalization


Re: A Third Thought on Legalization


A Final Thought on Legalization


BTW: I think this is one of the better threads we've had because of a variety of perspectives and I appreciate those here who shared personal downsides of what drugs can do in the wrong situation. One common thread the horror stories all share is that the culprit of the problem if you will were not organic compounds in their natural state but had been processed, synthesized and concentrated to achieve a highly powerful dose in every smaller quantities. Some of that has to do with the substance being illegal and therefore the risks of transport demand the highest value in the smallest quantity. Even moonshiners learned to manipulate formulas by reading bubbling content which indicate the concentration of alcohol. Organics in their natural state can't be synthesized in the same way, thus my earlier comments in the first paragraph of post #6 in this thread.

I do think this nation needs to have an open and honest discussion of this issue and I think folks of my generation (late 1960's to mid/late 1970's) should be more open and honest about what they did in those years. Sure, there are the many funny stories but the tragic ones as well. A good friend of mine back in school about 10 years ago put a bullet in his head but the abuse wasn't drugs, it was alcohol. If alcohol were gone tomorrow from the face of the planet, it'd make absolutely no difference to me but I'm not going to crusade to end alcohol because my firend's abuse of it led to his death. As many busted families and torn lives from drugs that you can show, I can show you 10 if not 100 times as many destroyed by alcohol.

Life is about choices and you can destroy lives with drugs, alcohol, debt, sex, gambling and a whole host of other "evils" out there so where does gov't stop and where does gov't not? It all comes down to the individual and the choices he/she must make for themselves. Some of us don't choose wisely and we must pay for those choices, sometimes very dramatic and tragic.

Interesting character you may have a connection with:

http://www.judgejimgray.com/ .......and the war on drugs...

 

[soberups]

Not a bad description for a non-stoner ...Hey, Specoli, is that you dude..
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3819110681/ .....lol

"Fast Times at Ridgemont High"....I loved that movie. Always thought Phoebe Cates was smokin' hot.

I had a copy of that movie on VHS. There was a particular scene that I had paused and rewound so many times that the tape was starting to wear out and lose the picture. How many people here know what I'm talking about?

 

[moreluck]

Brad looking out a small bathroom window at the pool........ Right????

 

[MikeTbob]

There was a particular scene that I had paused and rewound so many times that the tape was starting to wear out and lose the picture. How many people here know what I'm talking about?

Stop that, you're gonna go blind man!

 

[wkmac]

Some More Marijuana News

Marijuana May Reduce Tumors

Time Magazine Sez Legalize Weed

Carlos Santana calling President Obama

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Some More Marijuana News


Time Magazine Sez Legalize Weed

So not only am I not supposed to believe in God, because Time says God doesn't exist, I'm supposed to smoke Marijuana, as well?

I prefer to stay sober, thanks anyways.

 

[Jones]

So not only am I not supposed to believe in God, because Time says God doesn't exist, I'm supposed to smoke Marijuana, as well?

I prefer to stay sober, thanks anyways.

Wait, what? When did they say this? And legalizing weed doesn't mean you will be required to smoke it, in the same way that you're not required to drink or use tobacco. Beyond the very occasional glass of wine, I have no interest in using alcohol or drugs these days. I fail to see any reason why the government should have a say in that choice.

 

[MikeTbob]

So not only am I not supposed to believe in God, because Time says God doesn't exist, I'm supposed to smoke Marijuana, as well?

I prefer to stay sober, thanks anyways.

Well then stay sober bro, more power to you. No one is asking you to partake in anything you don't want to. But there is a much bigger issue here rather than just the right to stay sober/stoned. Just read this one paragraph to see what I'm talking about. Quoted from the same link above.

But there are big issues here, issues of economy and simple justice, especially on the sentencing side. As Webb pointed out in a cover story in Parade magazine, the U.S. is, by far, the most "criminal" country in the world, with 5% of the world's population and 25% of its prisoners. We spend $68 billion per year on corrections, and one-third of those being corrected are serving time for nonviolent drug crimes. We spend about $150 billion on policing and courts, and 47.5% of all arrests are marijuana-related. That is an awful lot of money, most of it nonfederal, that could be spent on better schools or infrastructure — or simply returned to the public.

I myself would like to see 47.5 % of over $200 Billion dollars go to something more constructive than "Rehabbing some potheads". Prisons are for bad people, you know murderers, rapists, child molesters...at least that's how I think they should be used. Potheads are not bad people man, I don't care how much weed they smoke or transported, they do not belong in prison and we do not need to be spending close to $200 billion a year trying to rehab them.

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Well then stay sober bro, more power to you. No one is asking you to partake in anything you don't want to. But there is a much bigger issue here rather than just the right to stay sober/stoned. Just read this one paragraph to see what I'm talking about. Quoted from the same link above.
I myself would like to see 47.5 % of over $200 Billion dollars go to something more constructive than "Rehabbing some potheads". Prisons are for bad people, you know murderers, rapists, child molesters...at least that's how I think they should be used. Potheads are not bad people man, I don't care how much weed they smoke or transported, they do not belong in prison and we do not need to be spending close to $200 billion a year trying to rehab them.

And all UPS people are kindhearted angels. Your buddy's that smoke weed may be really cool, dude, but let's not get out of hand here.

 

[wkmac]

Breckenridge Colo. votes to legalize marijuana

 

[island1fox]

I love this discussion -- it crosses political lines ----for me personally --same category as booze !! Pass the munchies !!!!!


P.S. Comment on the world"s oldest Profession --- Has been and always will be with us.
If made legal many of the "sex slave traders" will be put out of business --far more protection for many underage people ---and also with some very serious diseases out there ---HIV-AIDS ----better control and mandatory medicals of Prostitutes would be a help.

 

[wkmac]

I love this discussion -- it crosses political lines

It really does. People can disagree on so many other issues but agree on this one.

I'm also hopeful that in all this talk on marijuana it will open the doors back up for industrial hemp.

And a 2002' study on Hemp from Purdue University

 

[knightablaze]

The problem I have with the comparison with alcohol is this.

I can sit and drink a beer in a room with you and no one gets drunk but me.
You can sit and smoke a joint in the room with me around and I can lose my job with a positive drug test on contact high.

I have no issue with making it legal. I would expect all companies to double if not triple their drug testing programs which would cost big bucks. Even if it is subsidized by the government, that is coming right out of the tax money they would be collecting.

As a UPS employee let alone a driver, I would EXPECT to be drug tested frequently.

That's absolutely false. Unless you're intentionally hotboxing a small, confined space with no ventilation you would never breathe enough smoke to test positive. Plus, if the drug was legal, there would be no reason to drug test employees! That would save a lot of money.

 

[moreluck]

" Plus, if the drug was legal, there would be no reason to drug test employees! That would save a lot of money"

I would still want to know if my employees were using crystal meth or heroine or crack or whatever those fools do to destroy their bodies. Drug testing would remain!!!

 

[John19841]

" Plus, if the drug was legal, there would be no reason to drug test employees! That would save a lot of money"

I would still want to know if my employees were using crystal meth or heroine or crack or whatever those fools do to destroy their bodies. Drug testing would remain!!!

I'm all for the legalization of marajuan.
I'd also be all for regular drug tests that test for DRUGS

 

[pickup]

Good, then maybe they'll legalize prostitution, armed robbery and murder. I can't wait.

Well, I don't know about the latter two but as for prostitution, they have legalized it, it's called marriage.