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Marijuana

How should Marijuana be dealt with?

  • Stricter federal laws must be made, and more money put to enforcing them

    Votes: 7 7.2%
  • Give individual states the right to decide how to go about it

    Votes: 32 33.0%
  • Legalize it through a federal law

    Votes: 42 43.3%
  • Give states the right to decide about it as long as they abide by certain Federal guidelines

    Votes: 16 16.5%

  • Total voters
    97
Re: Marijuna

Legalize. Tax. Regulate.
And enjoy :mrgreen:
 
Re: Marijuna

Decriminalize it. If it were legalized, it would be heavily taxed. And more expensive.

Actually it would probably be less expensive than buying from drug dealers because once it becomes legal the price goes down. Plus decriminalizing it doesn't have the benefits of taking away the funds from criminal organizations.
 
Re: Marijuna

I'm with you until the rehabilitation part.

Addiction is a mental illness. It is not uncommon for it to require several rounds of treatment and rehabilitation - for ANY mental illness - before permanent wellness is established. While it's easy to say they "did it to themselves," and in most cases (but not all) that's true, it's ultimately detrimental to society to either let them languish or keep them in indentured servitude for possibly decades.

In addition, a lot of people who develop addictions have a pre-existing mental health problem. And oftentimes they turn to drugs after the mental health system has failed them - an unfortunately common occurrence. How exactly do you deal with that ethically and from a care standpoint?

This begins to expand into other problems we have like the insane cost of health care. Truth is, most people can't afford any healthcare at all without insurance in this country. It's too expensive. It's the most expensive in the world. Expecting an addict to be able to shell that out when even most well-off middle class people can't is insane, and it is essentially condemning them for life.

In addition, the gobsmacking inadequacy of our mental health resources. A lot of addicts are self-medicating because they haven't been able to get decent care. Sometimes for money reasons, and sometimes because the programs either don't exist or were badly implemented.

I think harm reduction programs need to be expanded. I think we need affordable and universal health care. I think we need to work harder at caring for the mentally ill in a comprehensive way.

As you said, it is unlikely that legalizing drugs will increase abuse in the long run (though we may experience a short-term rise - worth it for the eventual outcome, in my opinion). And it is still true now that most people choose to do the drugs they become addicted to. So why would it be any different or any less affordable than it is now? It could be drastically more affordable if we fixed our healthcare system. A drop in the bucket.

Nobody can cure the mental illness of addiction...
 
Re: Marijuna

Legalize it and tax it. The harm it causes is minor, and it simply isn't worth the money and effort to enforce laws against it. I do not feel the same about all drugs though.
 
Re: Marijuna

legalize it, as well as other drugs. These so called "controlled substances" are not controlled at all, instead prohibition has ceded control to an unscrupulous criminal black market.. precisely the ones who should NOT be in control. It makes absolutely no sense.

a few comments on some of the posts or points made in this thread:
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Legalize it but...

I don't think it'll ever become legal on the federal level.

Nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government given any authority whatsoever regarding marijuana. Therefore, per the Tenth Amendment, this is a matter for the states. If one state wishes to legalize it, then that state has that authority, and the federal government has no authority to interfere.* Likewise, if another state wants to criminalize it, with severe penalties for its possession and use, then again, this is that state's right, and the federal government has no authority to interfere.

If we want to make it legal or illegal under federal law, then the only legitimate way to do this is to amend the Constitution, as was done with the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919 regarding alcohol.

If it were to become legal on a federal level it would require either a constitutional amendment, or reneging on the Single Convention on Narcotic Substances and its sister treaties -treaties the US used a fairly heavy hand in order to push onto the rest of the world. The Single Convention is binding unless every one of the 180+ signator countries agree to back out of it, so reniging is not a viable option.

The best that can be done under this treaty is decriminalization (what countries such as Holland and Portugal have done). Legalization is not allowed.. unless there is a constitutional conflict.

Here is the relative section:
single convention on narcotic substances said:
Article 36: PENAL PROVISIONS

1. (a) Subject to its constitutional limitations, each Party shall adopt such measures as will ensure that cultivation, production, manufacture, extraction, preparation, possession, offering, offering for sale, distribution, purchase... ...of drugs contrary to the provisions of this Convention, and any other action which in the opinion of such Party may be contrary to the provisions of this Convention, shall be punishable offences when committed intentionally, and that serious offences shall be liable to adequate punishment particularly by imprisonment or other penalties of deprivation of liberty.

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs - Wikisource

So yes, aside from a Constitutional amendment, making it legal on a Federal level would be extremely difficult, and very unlikely, the best that can be feasibly done here while bound by this treaty is decriminalization. and this does nothing in regards to the real problem of black market distribution.
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Decriminalize it. If it were legalized, it would be heavily taxed. And more expensive.
Actually it would probably be less expensive than buying from drug dealers because once it becomes legal the price goes down. Plus decriminalizing it doesn't have the benefits of taking away the funds from criminal organizations.

Your Star touched on a few valid points in her response to you evanesence, but I want to bring up anther point. If legalization was to work it would necessitate reducing the scope of the black market, and this in turn would necessitate selling an equivalent or better product at cheaper costs. There is no way to do this without undercutting the black market prices, and drastically reducing their presence in the market.

There is ample room to manufacture, regulate, tax and distribute the product while still undercutting the inflated prices seen in the black market. It is crucial that a balance between greed for tax dollars and a hefty reduction of the scope of the black market is attained. So no, it will not be more expensive, because if it is it will not work, there would be no way to out-compete the already established (black) markets.
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I'm not a user, but in those I know who use, I do not see the "gateway" to other drugs that was the big scare tactic used by the feds for years..

The gateway theory is a myth, or at least the perception that it is the drug itself that is the gateway is grossly inaccurate. In the 90's The ONDCP (Office of National Drug Control Policy) was pushing hard on this gateway hypothesis, they even commissioned a report from the IOM (Institute of Medicine) the following are direct quotes from the report they commissioned:

In January 1997, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) asked the Institute of Medicine to conduct a review of the scientific evidence to assess the potential health benefits and risks of marijuana and its constituent cannabinoids. That review began in August 1997 and culminates with this report.

The fear that marijuana use might cause, as opposed to merely precede, the use of drugs that are more harmful of great concern. Judging from comments submitted to the IOM study team, this appears to be an even greater concern than the harms directly related to marijuana itself.

the section of this report on whether or not marijuana is a gateway drug (sect. 3.21) concludes with this:

... ... it is the legal status of marijuana that makes it a gateway drug.

Marijuana as Medicine - Assessing the Science Base - Institute of Medicine Report

Unfortunately prior to this report the ONDCP pushed this whole gateway thing very hard and there was an abundance of propaganda pushing marijuana itself as a gateway drug, but when the study the ONDCP sanctioned concluded that it was the legal status that was the gateway the public heard little to nothing of it, and as a result the gateway BS continues to this day.
 
Re: Marijuna

It should be legalized, period.

Exactly. Prohibition NEVER works. History has shown us that over and over and over again. All prohibition does is create global crime syndicates, along with all the death and destruction rival syndicates wreak in their greedy attempt to protect their own turf and take over somebody else's.
 
Re: Marijuna

Decriminalize it. If it were legalized, it would be heavily taxed. And more expensive.

Not if you grow it yourself or get it from where it is not heavily taxed.A dark five gallon bucket, an aquairum air pump,net mesh basket, grow rocks, and some grow big and bloom hydroponic solutions, a good source of light and you can grow your own.
 
Re: Marijuna

You must legalize it through the Fed. CA has decriminalized pot but the Fed will not honor that. It has to come from the top down.

I agree that criminalization isn't about mind alteration. After all, alcohol has worse effects than pot - it incites people to be violent, unconscious, and it shuts down dopamine receptors in the brain. No, criminalization is about keeping hemp illegal, which would cut out many other industries.
 
Re: Marijuna

You must legalize it through the Fed.

Uh, the DEA can reschedule it...? Marinol is already classified as a Schedule III, and it's essentially a synthetic form of THC prescribed for the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and the loss of appetite associated with AIDS.

This whole controversy surrounding marijuana is insane and it so obviously being skewed by politics, which is ironic, because every year, more and more people agree to just legalize the damn stuff already. So where is all this political pressure coming from that keeps it in this BS legal-limbo state?
 
Re: Marijuna

Actually it would probably be less expensive than buying from drug dealers because once it becomes legal the price goes down. Plus decriminalizing it doesn't have the benefits of taking away the funds from criminal organizations.

I doubt it. Look how the government taxes cigarettes. And consider how strict the laws are regarding the sell of cigarettes.
 
Re: Marijuna

Not only shouldn't it be allowed to become legal, consumable alcohol and tobacco should be made illegal as well. There is no need for any of those products.
 
Re: Marijuna

Uh, the DEA can reschedule it...? Marinol is already classified as a Schedule III, and it's essentially a synthetic form of THC prescribed for the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and the loss of appetite associated with AIDS.

This whole controversy surrounding marijuana is insane and it so obviously being skewed by politics, which is ironic, because every year, more and more people agree to just legalize the damn stuff already. So where is all this political pressure coming from that keeps it in this BS legal-limbo state?

my guess is that it will take a solid 60 percent majority of public opinion to get legalization. we might be ten years away from that. politicians are more concerned with covering their asses.

when enough people get tired of having their kids get criminal records for possession of something that they themselves got away with, that might help turn the tide. and some kids even lose their grants because of this failed, idiotic attempt at neoprohibition, so that should chip away at support for the failed war on pot, as well.
 
Re: Marijuna

when enough people get tired of having their kids get criminal records for possession of something that they themselves got away with, that might help turn the tide. and some kids even lose their grants because of this failed, idiotic attempt at neoprohibition, so that should chip away at support for the failed war on pot, as well.

LOL. Any child of mine would be BEGGING the cops to hold onto them, if they were ever caught with Pot on them. They'd by 1000 times more scared of ME than of the police in that sort of situation. Then again, I turned in a college roommate for possession of marijuana during my freshman year in college and got him expelled.
 
Re: Marijuna

I turned in a college roommate for possession of marijuana during my freshman year in college and got him expelled.

While I don't like you at all anyway.

I like you even less now, which is hard to do but there it is.

Dick move.
 
Re: Marijuna

While I don't like you at all anyway. I like you even less now, which is hard to do but there it is. Dick move.

The college I went to has a Zero Tolerance Policy (or at least did) for alcohol and drugs on campus. They also did probably 3-4 unscheduled room searches every trimester (11 week term). If contraband was found, everyone in the room got expelled. No questions asked. I gave him two warnings over a four day period, then turned him in. No way was I going to lose MY education because he couldn't follow the rules..... alcohol in the room. drugs in the room. tobacco in the room. Attempted to date rape his girlfriend in the room one night while I was there (about 2am and he was drunk as a skunk). Trust me, this guy had no business being at a college to begin with.
 
Re: Marijuna

I'm all for legalizing weed, because I know several people that actually contribute to society that smoke it. My biggest pet peeve though is when these stoners claim to have "medical problems". "I need my medicine," blah, blah, blah. Its all just a bunch of bull**** to get high easier. These morons are abusing something that some actual sick people need. Cancer patients deserve every right to have access to marijuana, but some of these damn pot heads that are constantly complaining about being in pain, depressed, need to get off their ass on do something. You feel so much better when you finally stop smoking anyways. Marijuana causes anxiety and depression, trust me. There is nothing wrong with doing it every once in awhile or on the weekends, but this everday, even at work BS is annoying as hell to me.
 
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Re: Marijuna

The college I went to has a Zero Tolerance Policy (or at least did) for alcohol and drugs on campus. They also did probably 3-4 unscheduled room searches every trimester (11 week term). If contraband was found, everyone in the room got expelled. No questions asked. I gave him two warnings over a four day period, then turned him in. No way was I going to lose MY education because he couldn't follow the rules..... alcohol in the room. drugs in the room. tobacco in the room. Attempted to date rape his girlfriend in the room one night while I was there (about 2am and he was drunk as a skunk). Trust me, this guy had no business being at a college to begin with.

Well that's different.

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Re: Marijuna

Make it legal at the federal level and let states and municipalities handle how they want.

In my life, I have yet to hear a good reason to keep marijuana illegal.
 
Re: Marijuna

I'm all for legalizing weed, because I know several people that actually contribute to society that smoke it. My biggest pet peeve though is when these stoners claim to have "medical problems". "I need my medicine," blah, blah, blah. Its all just a bunch of bull**** to get high easier. These morons are abusing something that some actual sick people need. Cancer patients deserve every right to have access to marijuana, but some of these damn pot heads that are constantly complaining about being in pain, depressed, need to get off their ass on do something. You feel so much better when you finally stop smoking anyways. Marijuana causes anxiety and depression, trust me. There is nothing wrong with doing it every once in awhile or on the weekends, but this everday, even at work BS is annoying as hell to me.

Well, it's the only way they can justify their use. Again... best intentions were to let medical marijuana's legal use for those who could REALLY benefit by it, and it's corrupted by idiots who then make claims and get scripts written not because they really need it but because they just want to get stoned, or stay stoned. I say legalize it and we can stop the pretense that some people are "sick" who need "medication". I agree... it's annoying.
 
Re: Marijuna

Not only shouldn't it be allowed to become legal, consumable alcohol and tobacco should be made illegal as well. There is no need for any of those products.

May I politely suggest a history lesson? Study the prohibition. And then get back to me.

I turned in a college roommate for possession of marijuana during my freshman year in college and got him expelled.

You must be so proud. :roll:
 
Re: Marijuna

There is no good reason behind legalizing it. Keep it illegal and crack down on pot use. Prosecute the states that break federal law and "legalize it" for "medical use."
 
Re: Marijuna

There is no good reason behind legalizing it. Keep it illegal and crack down on pot use. Prosecute the states that break federal law and "legalize it" for "medical use."

Seriously? Spend more money on enforcing laws against an essentially harmless substance?
 
Re: Marijuna

Seriously? Spend more money on enforcing laws against an essentially harmless substance?

Essentially harmless by your viewpoint. I think instead of putting offenders in jail we should fine them heavily to help fund their rehabilitation and correctional proceedings.
 
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