The Legalization of Illicit Drugs

[Mail Man]

Originally Posted by Symphonic Piece

I think these types of things should stay the way they are.

Why ?

[blinkboy211]

Not really. People get caught all the time. One person getting put in jail for pot is too much. You don't need a plant in your house. If you want weed you go buy it legally. I see the upsides outweighing the downsides greatly. If you were caught smoking weed by the 5-0, you wouldn't want to be put in jail.

People don't get serious jail time for having weed. Now if they have weed with intention to sell then yes they are put it for a bit. People that have a plant in their house are the people who depend on selling weed for fianicial reasons. So you put themn out of jail so then they need to go out find a job in fast food. They then realize they are getting cheated and eitehr start selling other drugs or restort to stealing. The upside isn't much at all. You say this will lower the crime rate, but it is more of a 50-50 shot. It may start off by slowing crime rate but it will go back up.

Weed if legalized would be placed so that you couldn't drive or operate things while under the influence. So someone who shows up to work high could get fired or someone smoking while driving will thus get a DUI. To many problems on regulating it would occur and thus police who apparently get a raise because of taxes are thus busting people smoking while under the influence. Let alone you would thus have to put an age limit on it as with Alcohol. You can legalize weed, but like I said nothing Trag has provide outweighs the amount of downside to it. Might as well leave it how it is because I don't see the pot heads I know complaining to much. Also weed will give people the munchies which could increase buying of snacks, but this then comes back to them driving. There isn't a huge reason to change it because cops are still going to act the same way towards it.

[Johnny Stooge]

Because a cop fining someone for driving under the influence is less cost effective than sending a teenager to court.
Besides, most breath testing set ups include drug testing as well.

Just because pot is legal, doesn't mean people will start driving whilst high. A lot of people do that anyway.

[blinkboy211]

Just because pot is legal, doesn't mean people will start driving whilst high. A lot of people do that anyway.

Well if it is legal people are going to be like "oh well I don't need to worry because it is legal now." So at first people are going to be stupid and still not try to hide it while driving. Also a cop finding someone under DUI is going to still send someone to court. I just think you would have to many problems on figuring out regulations for it as well as regulations won't matter because if you put an age limit on it now the people under it that do smoke will still be able to get it somehow. So really why not just leave it how it is?

[Trag]

Obviously you haven't known anyone that's gotten locked up for weed. Your a fool if you'd like to endure even a day in the jail man, for such a little thing like weed. It's a terrible point of view on life, having these innocent 'criminals' locked up for that shit. Obviously someone driving under the influence will get pulled over anyway,and be put in court anyway. You're points aren't very valid. You're making a false stereotype. You're suggesting that a vast majority of people will come to the conclusion that now that weed is legal, I must drive under it's influence. False. Like Johnny Stooge said, if you drive high when weed's legal, you most likely did it before. Not everyone drives drunk. It's a minority of the consumers. Weed is much different than alcohol also, and your much less likely to drive high. Don't mean to dwell on the same subject, but you're aware when your high, and if your not comfortable driving whilst high, you most likely wont. Which is most of the time if you aren't a practiced high driver. I don't know, I could be rambling, I'm a little high.

Also if your a dumb fucking person who goes to work high with people who actually care, than yes, you have no right to be in that state outside of your home while undertaking a position where you work. You have no right to drive high, you are risking others lives. If you get locked up, your fault. It's no big deal if your getting high in the woods with your friends, or at your house or at some other designated area. It's a completely fair compromise. I, like probably everyone else who smokes pot, am tired of being afraid of being caught with weed, or knowing it's illegal. Fucking lame man, you don't even know.

[blinkboy211]

You're points aren't very valid. You're making a false stereotype.

haha. Did I ever say once that every person will do it. I am saying that retarded people that have smoked while driving are going to get pulled over with the legal substance because now they are going to think since it is legal you can smoke whenever without consequences.

you're aware when your high, and if your not comfortable driving whilst high, you most likely wont.

I known plenty of people who have been high and didn't feel like they could drove, but then drove reguardless because they didn't want to leave their car. Weed is closer to alcohol anyway.

am tired of being afraid of being caught with weed

Your 15 so you would most likely have to keep being afraid of being caught because if it was made legal they would put an age limit on it. The point is that they already have a legal type of weed which is used for medical purposes. So why should they allow the general public to smoke weed legally as well?
You would need a political person willing to take such a risk to propose the law, and then have enough peopel to pass it. Since I don't see a politician risking such political suicide the idea is just stupid. If you smoke you should know when and where you could smoke without being caught. Also a lot of cops really don't care if you smoke pot anyway. Hell I knew two people I work with smoke all the time in the parking lot in the back of the store and there are so many cops passing by. They usually won't try to bust you for pot unless you are caught with something else first ex: speeding or some other traffic stop which again shows that not everyone who has smoked isn't smart about the driving part.

There isn't a point to legalize it. Coffee shops isn't a good idea because some states have a law that says they cannot smoke inside public places. So this pretty much puts the end to the coffee pot shops.

[Trag]

You don't see my point, I couldn't care less about me. Anyone who gets caught with weed is subject to jail time, and that's wrong. When I'm 18, or whatever age they'd make it, I'd appreciate not getting thrown in the brigs for pot. Also, you're terribly mistaken about medical marijuana man. It's not legal. It won't be legal for a while. The DEA can bust anyone for it, it decriminalized, not bad, but not legalized. Obviously they would instate laws to make a designated area for consumption. It creates a safe environment where no one can be hurt. You're very pessimistic towards this subject.

[Honky Sam]

Originally Posted by blinkboy211

haha. Did I ever say once that every person will do it. I am saying that retarded people that have smoked while driving are going to get pulled over with the legal substance because now they are going to think since it is legal you can smoke whenever without consequences.

I known plenty of people who have been high and didn't feel like they could drove, but then drove reguardless because they didn't want to leave their car. Weed is closer to alcohol anyway.

Your 15 so you would most likely have to keep being afraid of being caught because if it was made legal they would put an age limit on it. The point is that they already have a legal type of weed which is used for medical purposes. So why should they allow the general public to smoke weed legally as well?
You would need a political person willing to take such a risk to propose the law, and then have enough peopel to pass it. Since I don't see a politician risking such political suicide the idea is just stupid. If you smoke you should know when and where you could smoke without being caught. Also a lot of cops really don't care if you smoke pot anyway. Hell I knew two people I work with smoke all the time in the parking lot in the back of the store and there are so many cops passing by. They usually won't try to bust you for pot unless you are caught with something else first ex: speeding or some other traffic stop which again shows that not everyone who has smoked isn't smart about the driving part.

There isn't a point to legalize it. Coffee shops isn't a good idea because some states have a law that says they cannot smoke inside public places. So this pretty much puts the end to the coffee pot shops.

How Mike Stands on the Issues | Senator Mike Gravel

i'm sorry what

[Aetheus]

Originally Posted by Mail Man

No, you're just jumping to conclusions.

Drugs are legalized = More drug dealers = More drug users = More crackheads in the streets

Seems reasonable enough. Taking drugs isn't a "victimless crime", one party (the users) will suffer, whistl the other (the dealers) will profit. Why do you think they banned drugs in the first place? It affects the minds of the people that take it. It doesn't just cause an addiction (which in itself is a bad thing), drugs can really screw you over.

Heroin

Heroin is a highly addictive opiate (like morphine). Brain cells can become dependent (highly addictive) on this drug to the extent that users need it in order to function in their daily routine. While heroin use starts out with a rush of pleasure, it leaves the use in a fog for many hours afterwards. Users soon find that their sole purpose in life is to have more of the drug that their body has become dependant on.
From Dakota State University, a great resource on the effects of various drugs on the body and brain.
See also, National Institute on Drug Abuse facts about heroin. Marijuana


The parts of the brain that control emotions, memory, and judgment are affected by marijuana. Smoking it can not only weaken short-term memory, but can block information from making it into long term memory. It has also been shown to weaken problem solving ability.
Cannabis and Cognitive Functioning, Nadia Solowi, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1998. Alcohol

Alcohol is no safer than drugs. Alcohol impairs judgment and leads to memory lapses. It can lead to blackouts. It distorts vision, shortens coordination, and in addition to the brain can damage every other organ in the body.
Cocaine

Cocaine, both in powder form and as crack, is an extremely addictive stimulant. An addict usually loses interest in many areas of life, including school, sports, family, and friends. Use of cocaine can lead to feelings of paranoia and anxiety. Although often used to enhance sex drive, physical effect of cocaine on the receptors in the brain reduce the ability to feel pleasure (which in turn causes the dependency on the drug).
Cocaine: Effects on the Developing Brain, (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences), John A. Harvey and Barry E. Kosofsky, Eds., New York Academy of Sciences, 1998.
The Neurobiology of Cocaine Addiction: From Bench to Bedside, Herman Joseph and Barry Stimmel, Eds., Haworth Press, 1997.
See National Institute on Drug Abuse facts about cocaine and crack.
Inhalants

Inhalants, such as glue, gasoline, hair spray, and paint thinner, are sniffed. The effect on the brain is almost immediate. And while some vapors leave the body quickly, others will remain for a long time. The fatty tissues protecting the nerve cells in the brain are destroyed by inhalant vapors. This slows down or even stops neural transmissions. Effects of inhalants include diminished ability to learn, remember, and solve problems.
See National Institute on Drug Abuse facts about inhalants.
Ecstasy

Extended use of this amphetamine causes difficulty differentiating reality and fantasy, and causes problems concentrating. Studies have found that ecstasy destroys certain cells in the brain. While the cells may re-connect after discontinued use of the drug, they don't re-connect normally. Like most drugs, this one impairs memory and can cause paranoia, anxiety, and confusion.
See National Institute on Drug Abuse facts about ecstasy.
LSD

While some people use LSD for the sense of enhanced and vivid sensory experience, it can cause paranoia, confusion, anxiety, and panic attacks. Like Ecstasy, the user often blurs reality and fantasy, and has a distorted view of time and distance.
See National Institute on Drug Abuse facts about LSD.
Steroids

Anabolic steroids are used to improve athletic performance and gain muscle bulk. Unfortunately, steroids cause moodiness and can permanently impair learning and memory abilities.
See National Institute on Drug Abuse facts about steroids.
Tobacco

Tobacco is a dangerous drug, putting nicotine into your body. Nicotine affects the brain quickly, like other inhalants, producing feelings of pleasure, like cocaine, and is highly addictive, like heroin.
See National Institute on Drug Abuse facts about nicotine.
Methamphetamine

Known on the street as meth, speed, chalk, ice, crystal, and glass, methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant that strongly activates certain systems in the brain.
See National Institute on Drug Abuse facts about methamphetamine.
Ritalin

This drug is often prescribed to treat attention deficit disorder. It is becoming an illicit street drug as well. Drug users looking for a high will crush Ritalin into a powder and snort it like cocaine, or inject it like heroin. It then has a much more powerful effect on the body. It causes severe headaches, anxiety, paranoia, and delusions

[blinkboy211]

Also, you're terribly mistaken about medical marijuana man.

Uh no because I had a principal that had to use medical marijuana which he said he had to smoke it once a day. It isn't illegal if it is for a treatment. Now a doctor cannot just give someone some medical marijuana because they got a cough. They must show that the weed will help the person medically.

You're very pessimistic towards this subject.

No I am just looking at it in the sense that it really wouldn't work as a law. Like I said most cops these days that I know could careless if you smoke. Now if they catch you will large amount then yes they will do something otherwise they won't go after someone solely cause they think they have some weed. They will usually stop someone then they find the weed and in most cases they will confiscate the weed and allow the person to go if it isn't over 2 grams I believe.

How Mike Stands on the Issues | Senator Mike Gravel

i'm sorry what

Mainly he is saying he wants to try to help by edging people off drugs. He uses the drugs to get people in rehab. That plan won't work so don't have hopes for it. Also the guy failed at becoming president his views mean what? He isn't in Senate or House either.

I could careless about if they legalize weed, but I don't think they need to legalize all drugs. Weed is fine i guess, but I feel that there are plenty of other things that our government could be focusing on instead of weed.

[Johnny Stooge]

Originally Posted by Aetheus

Drugs are legalized = More drug dealers = More drug users = More crackheads in the streets

Seems reasonable enough. Taking drugs isn't a "victimless crime", one party (the users) will suffer, whistl the other (the dealers) will profit. Why do you think they banned drugs in the first place? It affects the minds of the people that take it. It doesn't just cause an addiction (which in itself is a bad thing), drugs can really screw you over.

Ahh, youthful ignorance.

If drugs are legalized, then they would be sold just like cigarettes and alcohol. Thus eliminating the need for drug dealers. You realize that, right?

And, uh, if you're the one taking the drugs, whatever happens to you is your own fault. You chose to do the drugs, you deal with whatever consequences. It's called being responsible.
Besides, you can't argue against health issues. Tobacco and alcohol are both legal and they both can do some serious harm. And I don't see anyone crying out for them to be illegal.

[Aetheus]

Originally Posted by Johnny Stooge

And, uh, if you're the one taking the drugs, whatever happens to you is your own fault. You chose to do the drugs, you deal with whatever consequences. It's called being responsible.

Well, I can't really argue with you on the tobacco or alcohol issue. I agree, neither of them are really all that healthy. And if I recall, alcohol was banned in America once. And a few countries in the Middle East still ban it (though probably for religious reasons).

But whose fault is it if someone else gets hurt? Someone who din't take the drugs? I hardly need to say that drugs can impair your thinking skills when you're high. It can also cause paranoia. Who would responsibility if you were to rob, murder or rape someone under its influence? Even if the user decides to "deal with the consequences", he or she can't take back the crime they've commited, can they?

Drug-Related Crime - Factsheet - Drug Facts

[blinkboy211]

If they legalize a drug it should only be weed. Weed maybe causes the least amount of harm of all the drugs. For some reason I don't think it is the greatest thing to go to the local store to buy some cocaine or something. I meana they are already so close to selling weed after all cause what everyone uses to roll weed with you can buy for less than a dollar at the store. So it is just a matter they need to sell the weed too. Drug dealers won't become extint mainly because they will be the ones offering in a few dollars less than market price.

I just think if they are going to make it legal they need to figure out an age limit and maybe certain areas you can smoke. Like your home is a safe zone, inside a car maybe no..., and well coffee shops might not work well here in the states because places like Starbucks won't want to add a section just for weed smokers unless government is going to give them a big enough reason too (cash wise). And independent shops could spark up, but the problem is that they would have to figure out building cause I bet a lot of companies might not want to share the same plaza with a weed coffee shop, due to smell which may push off some customers.

[violent_anger]

do the other illegal drugs have any use other than recreation? I know weed has medicinal use, according to the Simpsons...

[Trag]

Ecstasy, I believe is a class D drug just as Marijuana. I don't see it being legalized, though. Blinkboy, I didn't mean actual coffee shops, a coffee shop is just a place to sell weed and space cakes and other shit like that. That's what they call it in amsterdam. It's a shame, I just found out this morning that they are planning to ban smoking inside coffee shops, because employee's get high or something like that. I hope I'm mistaken.