Legalize it NOW!

[Jude]

If people were actually concerned primarily with practicality we wouldn't be arguing about this to begin with.  The war on drugs has quite clearly failed and costs a ridiculous amount of money.

[Kate]

Jude - you and I disagree on many things but that last statement I agree with.
Novell - I agree with your stance 546456 percent

Remember legalizing does not imply it will not be regulated, moderated or controlled.

just like prescriptions for some drugs - giving people 100000 pills of something and expecting them to take one a day and 10 in a day is dangerous can be silly for many drugs - that is why chemists give out only enough for a week or so. "medically prescribed use" (ie california) where "I want it for recreation and reasons and like how it relaxes me" to me is enough for "ok dude here you go - but hey you have to read this form and I will do some checks for subsequent stache - i will monitor you ra ra ra"

All animals seek "to get high" and actively chemical rushes to do so.

In Africa there is this tea that drops fruit which is a narcotic (a potent one). When this happens ALL animals go out of their way and snack like there is no tomorrow (carnivors even eat it - and they are rolling about with what would otherwise be prey effectively all off their trolly). Some forrest tribes natives rub their lips with a crude form of cocaine.

Drugs isnt something that just "appeared" with modern society, dangerous drugs also have been about for ages, nor has any society naturally formed with the idea of "drugs are bad mmmook" to my knowledge. The armish etc could be said to but they outright reject a lanscape of things - narcotics one of many for reasons I doubt relate to the main cause of dispute of this thread.

Yes there are some dangerous drugs, yes there are dangerous cars to get into. Minimising danger is possible, but Not all agree that minimizing danger as a focus over choice is a good thing.

Yes some drugs are addictive - what many dont beleive is that THOUGHTS are addictive - remember that person you hate ? Well how many times have you thought of "why" you do - over and over and over again - or something your proud about ? Or something you love ? - thoughts which you cycle over and over again.

Addiction itself is not bad, even dependency can be debated not to be bad (some are dependent on wheelchairs WHILE they maintain a set of intentions with the current state they are in) - the only point I am making with this annalogy is that the word "dependency" does not = bad logically, it may be bad circumstantially, but not universally.

For a 0 chance of myself binge drinking in the short term I may be dependent on a light spliff being available OR a good friend being about OR .. OR ... or. Same thing with people being dependent on their partner to be wealthy or their lover to feel calm, or calling their mom every day to feel like a good daughter  - dependency exists - SYMBIOTIC dependences can be good - when souls should mature out of certain dependencies should be their choice - and a choice to BE dependent on this or that is also a choice, it may be what they want in life.

IF you want to minimize drug dependency  - we should remember when things are not integrated well into society (ie you need to associate with a crowd that naturally are lawbreakers or do not respect the "machine" in regards to how the machine wants to regulate their life and others in order to even get something) ... that is when culture become split.. as there is a REASON for the culture to split (as it is imposing behavior of those living in it which didn't suit them - like everyone being forced to be catholic "or else")

People shouldn't change their behavior to suit the society they are in.

Society and culture should evolve to suit more and more individual desires.

The justification for my reasoning is that most I talk to desire society to be utopia.

If things were legalized and regulated - how potent some strains of this and that could be controlled - there would be less of a black market for the product - more too loose and risk trying black market stuff - and less of an underworld association with needing a "fix" - In all less reasons for splinter cultures to exist - as the prime culture is becoming more inclusive.

I myself adore marijuana - love it.

Some times I feel a need to relax and not care about the world - If i had a spliff about I would have one, to get the same effect while one is not available I may drink a lot of alcohol - way way way more than I should - doing way way more damage to my health and efficiency and coordination than a light spliff would.

I don't want to give my money to those I do not think deserve it, nor ones charging me a fortune because they are the ones which are risking more to be in a black-market industry - a price the consumer ends up wearing as well as the supplier. And frankly society pays for this also as the money I paid is so much more proportional to the cost of its creation - a difference compared to a regulated product would have been spent on other products or services - increasing wealth distribution and more industries.

I want my product regulated, controlled - ideally cultivated by someone what has ALL my desires for that product at heart - in a quality controlled way. Where some of the proceeds of my purchase would likely refining the product so its safer as well as gives me a cleaner "fix".... perhaps until a point its completely safe it all regards.

The only way that is going to happen is if its legal and regulated to me MUCH better than the government not caring at all either way - but all options are better than making it illegal.

[Oniya]

I'm surprised that no one has posted about the fact that California is putting this issue on the upcoming ballot.  If anyone reading this is in California - regardless of where you stand on the issue - make sure you go on down and vote your conscience.

[Kate]

I think California and nations like Denmark really should be the model for what the world should look towards.

[Kane Gunlock]

I think California and nations like Denmark really should be the model for what the world should look towards.

seriously California, look I'm all for legal pot but frankly I think that state(well LA at least) should just sink in to the ocean

[Oniya]

Tempe, Arizona thinks the Everglades are greener and wetter,
And Washington, D.C. thinks that Atlanta integrated better,
But I think that southern California has more pain than we can say,
Cause it wants to travel back in time, but it just can't leave L.A.

[noembed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CtNp2YjLwc[/noembed]

[Lady Ayame]

I just hate that people are going to jail for smoking or growing, frankly a very harmless plant.
I say decriminalize.

[Mockingsanity]

I'm from the Netherlands, a country where(as you'll probably know)this particular plant  -is- legalized. After having tried it a few times I really don't get what all the fuss is about. As long as you don't smoke in abundance,  there's nothing to be worried about(except getting behind the steering wheel!)
According to recent surveys, drug use in countries that have a tolerant stance on the use of soft drugs is actually percentually lower than in, for example the US. It certainly seems like the whole anti-drugs policy is counterproductive. Legalizing it seems like the only logical option.

Anyway that's my two cents.

[Oniya]

I seem to recall that when the German exchange students came over when I was in high school, that they didn't really 'get' the whole fascination with alcohol that we American teens had.  We, on the other hand, were amazed that one could buy beer in a McDonalds over there.

[Will]

It could be possible that, since our attitudes toward sex (in general) tend to be more reserved in America, the popularity of alcohol among high school and college aged kids originally had more to do with getting into girls' pants than anything else.  Nowadays, it's just a rite of passage, and those don't have to make sense at all.

Just a random thought.

[Serephino]

I think it has something to do with the fact that it's a big deal, or seems like it anyway.  We humans like to do things we're not allowed to.  When you're a teenager and you score some booze you're doing something bad.  Same with marijuana.  You're doing something you're not supposed to.  My ex friend started smoking for the sole reason that she was tired of always being a good girl.

I've noticed that in any country where things are legal they aren't widely used because there's no rush.  I was in a group with someone from Peru I think it was where cocaine is legal.  He said the locals didn't usually touch the stuff, though if an American tourist pulled any of his neighbors aside and asked where to get some they could tell them. 

[Will]

I think that probably plays a major part in it, yeah.  I'm also thinking it's likely that places where drugs/alcohol are more frowned upon are overall more uptight, thereby creating a market for things that decrease that uptightness.  Thus, drugs and alcohol become popular.

[Oniya]

As I'm sure someone has mentioned in the thread before, look at what Prohibition did for alcohol's popularity.

[misselain]

Alright, I don't smoke pot. Not because it's a drug, or against law etc.  I don't like it and I'm in school for preforming arts. I so though think it should be legalized. I have one MAIN reason why I believe this. If pot is legalized we can put taxes on it, and take taxes off of ridicules thing like oh say FOOD. Plus we won't have to continue to waist money, and the time of our police force.

[Stan']

If pot is legalized we can put taxes on it, and take taxes off of ridicules thing like oh say FOOD.

I don't think you realise how Politicians work.  They'll tax marijuana and keep taxing food.  They're making money on food tax, why get rid of it?

[Noelle]

Not all food is taxed in every state; where I live, for example, most things except candy are not taxed.
Just sayin'.

[Oniya]

In my state, I think I've figured it out - anything that is an ingredient is not taxed, but prepared food (like frozen dinners, boxed meals, etc.) are.

[Ravyn]

I just wish it was legal to grow it.  I wouldn't even want to sell it, hell I'd just give the shit away I don't care...as long as I had enough to toke on myself.

[mannik]

You know there is an orginization that is working to legalize marijuana and destroy the prejudices against it.

http://www.fucr.info/

FUCR stands for Freedom Union and Cannabis Revolution. The site itself is fairly basic, but has some interesting info and quotes in it. Like this one from Abe Lincoln himself.

"Prohibition... goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control mans' appetite through legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not even crimes... A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our Government was founded" -President Abraham Lincoln (December 1840)

[Oniya]

There's also NORML (National Organization - something or other - Marijuana Legalization).  I actually saw one of their offices in one of the nearby towns.

[Will]

National Organization for the Revision of Marijuana Laws, I think.

[Oniya]

Makes sense.  I've just been pronouncing the acronym for so many years that I've forgotten what it spelled out.  ^_^>

[Will]

True enough.  They seem to have been around for decades!  Which doesn't say much for their success. XD

[Ravyn]

National Organization for the Revision of Marijuana Laws, I think.

http://norml.org/
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

It really didn't even take that long to look it up...

[Will]

* Will gives Ravyn a cookie!  Huzzah!