Legalize Pot?

[Methadrine]

Originally Posted by Onetwothree

*rolls eyes* I can give you statistics proving you totally wrong. Do you want them?

Yes, please.

I'd even give in and say "Oh, ok. That's great then, if they do legalize everything someday. One less thing to wonder about when it comes to that." if they are good statistics.

[Onetwothree]

http://www.phrasebase.com/english/co...infantmortrate
http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/gen008.htm

Switzerland has less crime as well. Lower infant mortality rate, etc. All in all, I have not seen any negatives besides slippery slope fallacies. My children may do LSD, but I would educate them, and they would know how to take it safely, or at least, I would introduce them to some alternative that is safer, like certain strains of 'magic mushrooms,' or perhaps salvia.

But, I won't have kids that are stupid.

[Godslayer Jillian]

Originally Posted by KontanKarite

I understand that. But isn't that essentially going against your anarchy ideals? I thought you said you were an anarchist or would like to be, so you are more of the mind of letting government involvement be very minimal.

I'm ideally an anarchist, but for practicality purposes I'm a minarchist.
I see the government as a necessary tool. Something I don't like would first be illegal while the social perspective of the people changes to make the stated issue unethical.

[Methadrine]

The last link was interesting, but it does not take into account what would happen if no drug whatsoever was illegal and as easy to buy as, say, ordinary medicine or the number one killer: a pack of cigarettes.

..and a1b2c3.com isn't exactly what I call a reliable source. Try harder™.

I'm seeing your point though, and like the logic behind it.

[Onetwothree]

If I can find a source that shows that legalization of drugs is worse than illegalization, then I will change my mind.

http://www.drugwatch.org/Against%20L...of%20Drugs.htm

Actually, just read that. That pretty much sums up my argument as to why I want them legalized.

If you understand why I am using this source, then you too will probably believe what I believe in terms of drugs.

[badteccy]

Yes it should be legal, it's no worse than alcohol.

[Haunted House]

Originally Posted by Methadrine

Legalize pot? Never.

It slows down your reactions... cars + dopeheads = bad idea. It's enough with all the drunk drivers.

I'm with you on this on this one. And I didn't know that the tobacco and alcohol companies were behind keeping it illegal for competition reasons. Smart move.

[Onetwothree]

Originally Posted by Haunted House

I'm with you on this on this one. And I didn't know that the tobacco and alcohol companies were behind keeping it illegal for competition reasons. Smart move.

So because some people make stupid decisions we should ban it? What about people who eat and drive, or drink soda and drive, or talk on their cell-phone?

I think education is the key, not arbitrary bans. I am smart enough to know that if I am high (and I have to drive) that I take every back road imaginable, and only for 4-5 miles TOPS. I avoid all cars, and all major traffic ways, because I would not like to hurt anyone.

and I am not talking about STONED. I am talking about a little bit of marijuana. You would be amazed how aware of my surroundings I am when high. I may be a little fuzzy, but I know that I must stay many many car-lengths behind a person so I do not hurt anyone.

[Cicero]

Originally Posted by Methadrine

The last link was interesting, but it does not take into account what would happen if no drug whatsoever was illegal and as easy to buy as, say, ordinary medicine or the number one killer: a pack of cigarettes.

You're treating the situation as though making drugs illegal makes any difference to how easy they are to obtain. If they were legal there would be laws to control them - e.g. you'd have to be over 18/21 to buy them, and you'd only be able to purchase them at permitted outlets. As it is now, any 13 year old with cash can hunt down a drug dealer and get their hands on cocaine. And there would be no way of tracing where that cocaine came from, its quality or what sort of dangerous substances could be mixed in with it. Furthermore, the money used to buy it would support a black market run by criminals.

Legalising drugs allows them to be controlled, and takes their production and distribution out of the hands of the 'unlawful' types. In effect it would make them safer.

No matter what governments do to eradicate drugs, people are going to use them. It's like parents not allowing their sexually active teenagers to buy condoms - it's not going to suddenly lessen their sex drive if they don't have protection, it's only going to make it more dangerous.

Go to the Netherlands and see what they've done with marijuana. It's awesome. You can order exactly what type you want and know it's supporting an independent, legal business.

And one more thing - as it is now, when people overdose it's extremely unlikely for anyone to seek medical attention for fear of their 'illegal activities' being discovered. If drugs were legal this wouldn't be a problem. In my view that's a good enough reason in itself.

[delicti]

Originally Posted by Cicero

You're treating the situation as though making drugs illegal makes any difference to how easy they are to obtain. If they were legal there would be laws to control them - e.g. you'd have to be over 18/21 to buy them, and you'd only be able to purchase them at permitted outlets.
...

Well put, and right on.

[KontanKarite]

Originally Posted by Godslayer Jillian

I'm ideally an anarchist, but for practicality purposes I'm a minarchist.
I see the government as a necessary tool. Something I don't like would first be illegal while the social perspective of the people changes to make the stated issue unethical.

Interesting. But isn't it common that the more something is restricted, the more covetted it becomes?

[Beneath the Shadows]

Originally Posted by KontanKarite

Interesting. But isn't it common that the more something is restricted, the more covetted it becomes?

I'd say that it depends on what the something is. If it's something that people want, then yes. If it's something that people really don't care about one way or the other, then not really.

[KontanKarite]

Originally Posted by Beneath the Shadows

I'd say that it depends on what the something is. If it's something that people want, then yes. If it's something that people really don't care about one way or the other, then not really.

I think we may be surprised as to what people would want if someone else told them they couldn't have it.

Then again, just because pot could be legalized doesn't mean I would smoke it. Hell, it's illegal and I still don't want to smoke it.

[Beneath the Shadows]

Originally Posted by KontanKarite

I think we may be surprised as to what people would want if someone else told them they couldn't have it.

Then again, just because pot could be legalized doesn't mean I would smoke it. Hell, it's illegal and I still don't want to smoke it.

That's the point. In some cases, such as with pot, whether it is legal or illegal will make no difference. People will use it (or not use it) regardless. Then there's some laws that say that something is illegal, so just to be dicks people will go against said law.

In the case of pot, making it legal won't really change anything.

[KontanKarite]

Originally Posted by Beneath the Shadows

That's the point. In some cases, such as with pot, whether it is legal or illegal will make no difference. People will use it (or not use it) regardless. Then there's some laws that say that something is illegal, so just to be dicks people will go against said law.

In the case of pot, making it legal won't really change anything.

Except keep petty "criminals" out of jail.

[Onetwothree]

Originally Posted by KontanKarite

Except keep petty "criminals" out of jail.

The prison population is so thick, that they are pushing out child-molesters, rapists, and other criminals in place of a kid who smoked pot and got caught. I want the drug legalized for that reason. These people cannot be rehabilitated, or deterred if they are left in for only 1-3 years.

[Paigeybobert]

I think alcohol should be illegal and weed should be legalized.
Because you get dependent on weed mentally and alcohol... physically.
That's my thoughts on it.

[raggedyanne]

I second that approval. If the government made pot legal, but made the same rules for it's use as with drinking or smoking, I think there would be less crime. If, instead of sneaking across the border and starting gang wars, dealers were selling their substances to controlled outlets, it would save so many lives in the border states.

So many rangers and innocent civilians are killed by drug warfare each year . . . Do YOU think that legalizing the drugs they sell would prevent some of it?

[Onetwothree]

Most gangs are dealing in the drug trade, which is equivalent to the ancient pre(and post)-Columbus spice trade.

[Tha Duckman]

Drugs are fun !

[Apathy's_Child]

Legalise it all. More people die from taking aspirin than ecstasy every year. Most of what people think they know about drugs is alarmist bullshit.

[Smile]

The reason why the American government makes pot illegal is because if they legalized it, more people would earn more money and there would be more legitamite jobs and the multinational companies wouldn't have a tide of illegal immigrants coming in from Mexico or Latin America to supply medical-insurance free labor.

[CptSternn]

The 'War On Drugs' was started by the first bush. It much like the 'War On Terror' is a neverending battle against an enemy you cannot define.

It allows for the government to increase military and police spending without having a real war to prop up the economy. It also allows the politician to have a boogey man to flaunt to get people to rally behind a cause.

A 'drug' has never been arrested. Americans have been arrested. Current stats show 1 in 8 Americans will spend time in prison in their lives, most for drug related offenses.

Aside from helping out the beer/drug/cigarette industries, companies like Halliburton who provide all those resources to the soldiers on the battlefield also provide the same services in prisons across America.

Feeding and housing soldiers is the same industry that runs the prisons.

Did you know that politicians love prisons? They count in the census. By having a prison there, its like having thousands of people who don't vote in your corner. They count towards highway funding, school funding, and more.

There is a whole list of benefits for congressmen who have prisons in their district.

By keeping drugs illegal, the increases the number of arrests each year. By finding new laws to put in place to get people 'in the system', they are guaranteed more prisons. In fact, America has more people in prison than any other country - per capita and over all.

Currently, 14% of America is locked up. That number grows larger every year.

As long as companies have found a way to profit by declaring 'war' of sorts of the American people, and sold the people on the very idea, then expect the 'wars' to continue.

[Beneath the Shadows]

Originally Posted by CptSternn

The 'War On Drugs' was started by the first bush.

I don't have the time to respond to everything, but I'm just going to point out that it was already called "The War on Drugs" back when Nixon was in office.

[CptSternn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Drugs

Ok, nixon may have coined the term, but it wasn't widely used until the 80's when bush senior started selling it as a catch phrase AND more importantly, the first bush was the man who allocated military spending to fund 'the war' plus sent troops into various South American nations to 'combat' drugs.