Legalize marijuana already!

Great Debates
41

Well, last week Canada moved a wee bit closer to legalizing marijuana.

Now it’s not just a renegade MP kicking a fuss-- Our federal Justice Minister, Martin Cauchon, has indicated that he would like to legalize possession of the controversial flower. And he didn’t hedge about whether or not he’d smoked pot himself, either. He said: “Yes, of course. I’m 39 years old.”

Myself, I vastly prefer cannabis to alcohol, (although I do like a glass o’ wine with dinner,) and so far the only negative effects I’ve experienced have been legislative. As for habit-forming, I can take it or leave it. Coffee, on the other hand, I can’t seem to quit, although the health consequences are very plain, and I keep trying. Do I think coffee should be contraband? Hell no! More people use it sensibly than don’t.

I’m no fan of the Liberal government,* but if they go through with this, and don’t cave in to pressure from a certain Nation State that has a history of vociferously attempting to dictate our drug policy, then at least some tiny bit of good will have come from the sewage-storm they’ve subjected us to.

[sup]*Note to U.S. Dopers-- “Liberal” in Canada doesn’t have the same connotations as it does for Americans. The Liberal Party is about as liberal as the Catholic Church is catholic. They’ve been going great-guns, dismantling the Great Socialist North.)[/sup]
More info here:

From the CBC

I particularly like the quote from Randy White (tee hee), of the Redneck Par-- err, I mean the (guffaw) Canadian Alliance: “These are details that have to be worked out in the Commons, not for some obscure little minister trying to get political hits from the Canadian public…” WTF? Does he have no conception of how our government is organized? The JUSTICE MINISTER isn’t an “obscure little minister…” (Yankees-- imagine a congressman from Mad Dog, Texas calling John Ashcroft an “obscure” political entity. Funny, huh?) Obscure little ministers are found in the, uh, House of Commons, generally. That’s why they call it that. :wink: Whatta yahoo.

42

And so, Larry Mudd, how’s the job market up there? ;0
Oh, and does “Nation State” refer to (ahem) US, or those rascally Francophiles.
Peace,
mangeorge

43

I agree with all that’s been said here about the positive aspects of legalizing the drug. I just know there are too many people in this country who’re like I used to be: fundamentalist, by-the-Bible, Christians.

Now, to them (and remember, I was one of them till less than a year ago) anything that alters your mind or state of being is wrong. Period and end of statement. They also believe that it’s their duty as Christians to help everyone else… and by “helping” everyone, they mean they should “make them like us.” It’s not that they’re bad. They’re really goodhearted people… but you’ll never win them over with that argument.

Again, I’m not saying all Christians are like that. But there are enough of them, along with scared parents, who’ll keep marijuana and other drugs from becomming legal.

It’s really sad too. How much better would the politicians work together if they could just chill and smoke a bowl instead of arguing!!!

44

mangeorge– thinking about joining the Exodus?

The Globe & Mail, (often perceived to be a very conservative publication,) has had a pro-legalization editorial position for many years, bless their pointed little heads.

Y’all might like to subscribe, (or just read it online) if you want to see reporting from an alternate universe where it’s okay to acknowledge that the “War on Drugs” is, and I quote, “barking mad.”

45

Marijuana has not been associated with a single death. Period. If it really does cause lung cancer, how come people in Amsterdam aren’t dropping like flies? (where marijuana is legal)
Alcohol and cigarettes, on the other hand, kill more people than all other drugs. Legal and illegal.
Marijuana has been used throughout human history, it’s just in this past century we decide to make it illegal based upon bogus stories stated above. Marijuana is a natural plant. Now, is it just me or is there something very wrong in making ‘nature against the law?’ (Bill Hicks quote) “It’s like saying God made a mistake”

Who am I hurting by sitting in the privacy of my own home and smoking up?
And in response to that news story, you can’t blame marijuana for that. You need to blame the people who killed that person.

As far as medicinal use goes…if it helps someone with pain or whatever…LET THEM USE IT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

The government refuses to accept all of the positive aspects of marijuana. If marijuana was legal, the economy would sky-rocket, the government would be able to spend the billions of tax dollars used for anti-marijuana ads for something more useful, there would be more prison space for real criminals such as rapists and murderers, farmers would not have to worry so much about their making money from their crops…the world would be a much better place.

But no, we can’t have happen.

46

By that logic, anything that impairs driving ability should be illegal. After all, how can you say that this should be illegal because it impairs driving ability but this thing that has an equal if not worse effect should be legal. The concept you have presented could, in theory, be extended to include almost anything in the list of “illegal because it has the potential to impair driving.”

47

Here’s promising news from the marijuana legalization front. Some politicians are actually daring to stand up to the DEA and defy federal antidrug laws.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020724/od_nm/marijuana_dc_1

Gives me faith in America again. <wiping a tear>

48

There are a few practical points.
First, yes, if, for example, Nevada legalizes marijuana, it will still be illegal in that state under Federal laws. But, do you think the DEA is going to start patrols to arrest a kid toking on the street? There aren’t enough DEA agents. The effect will be that personal use of pot won’t lead to arrest and conviction.
Second, a cut-off of funds is a possibility, but not a major concern. IIRC, the feds can only cut off funds for programs directly related to the rules they want the state to enact. Ergo, the 55 MPH and .10% drunk driving laws were forced on the states by a threatened cut-off of highway construction funds. In this case, the feds would only be able to cut off funds concerning pot enforcement programs. Since Nevada won’t be enforcing pot laws, they won’t need the money anyway.

Sua

49

I’m pro-legalization, but this is just bullshit. Marijuana is more ‘natural’ than LSD, perhaps, but more so than opium? Should we then legalize hallucinogenic mushrooms because they are natural, but not LSD? This isn’t a sensible drug policy. An awful lot of potent, even dangerous, drugs come from plants.

50

I dunno, legalizing unrefined psychoactive plants could work. You’d get marijuana, magic mushrooms, opium, and coca leaves… none of which are especially bad without further refinement (AFAIK).

51

Gov. Ventura of Minnesota has gone on the record endorsing marijuana use, as well as the legalization of prostitution. And this was before he was elected to office. Granted, it may have hurt his chances for re-election were he to run again (he isn’t), but it certainly didn’t hurt his campaign the first time around.

As a former heavy pot-smoker, I see no harm in legalization. As has been pointed out numerous times in this thread, the government would actually end up on the winning end of things were it to legalize, regualte, and tax marijuana.

Use the money made on marijuana tax to build more prisons (for the real criminals like murderers, rapists, and child molesters) or even schools, where young people could be educated on the effects of marijuana, alcohol, and cigarettes. After all, isn’t education what school is for?

*bolding mine

-Dirty

52

the war on drugs has been 90% war on marijuana. there are many who feel that mj might be ok to legalize but are affraid it will open the door to legal crack or heroin.
it seemes to me a sensible solution would be to legalize and tax marijuana, take that tax money and the present war on drugs $20+ billion and totaly wipe out the coke and heroin trade.

the “you can’t tax it because everyone would grow it themselves”
argument is a bunch of crap. joe sixpack would pay.

53

Hey my first post! Of course it’s about pot. Has anyone seen those new anti drug ads where they show a bunch of people saying how they smoke up and don’t hurt anyone then the ad ends with a statement to the effect of " drug money is used to support terrorists". Does anyone have any concrete info on this? I know that the bill I throw down on a quarter isn’t going to anyone that I would ever want my sister to date but I can’t imagine that there are international pot moguls. None the less I’m sure that would be another good argument for legalization, removing the criminal element (that’s been touched on previously)
Here’s one thought I’ve had (again this has been touched on) if you legalize spleef where do you draw the line (are alcohol and tobacco the benchmark?) I would think that certain narcotics would have to be kept illegal (crack for one). Would you only allow non manufactured or processed narcotics? After all nutmeg amongst other is legal. But what if you have a narcotic that is processed, messes you up royally but gives you all your vitamins at the same time? (Come on Bristol Meyer crank out the soma!) I would say that the only way for recreational use narcotics to be legalized would be through some sort of referendum (reeferendum?) system the states should have their say in what is and isn’t illegal. Plus the narcotic in question would have to be taxed based on it’s social cost (not an easy thing to figure out I guess)

54

For the pro-legalization people - If marijuana were legalized, would your smoking habits change (i.e. more frequent)?

55

Under the current ‘prohoibition’ I can, and do, smoke weed whenever I like. It’s still a little risky to smoke outside but since I only really like to get high in the comfort of my (or somebody elses) home that restriction has never bothered me. In short I think that my smoking habits will probably rise a little and they certainly won’t decrease.

56

If nuggets were legal I’d definitely smoke more because:
a) it would most likely be affordable.
b) I drink too much
c) Pot counteracts my motormouth

57

I wasn’t talking about the commercial uses of hemp, I was talking about marijuana as a commercial product. I have made beer, and actually made a decent batch after some trial and error. A friend of mine bought some equipment from the an ad in the back of * High Times * and has been producing pot for four years now. He doesn’t worry about fertilizer or varieties; he keeps a full spectrum light going about 16 hours a day in his basement, and takes what grows. Since he started doing this long after I quit smoking, I can’t tell you how his product turned out. He did point out to me, as I was struggling with my homemade beer, that he does almost no work and his product is as good as what’s available on the “market.” If you couldn’t get busted for doing this, and you wanted to smoke pot, why wouldn’t you?

58

I have nothing to add to your reply, but welcome anyway. :slight_smile:
First off, mske, a lot of pro-legalization people don’t smoke pot at all. I don’t. Not because of legal issues, but because it could cost me my job.
But yes, if that restriction were removed I would most certainly smoke an occasional joint. Legal or not. And I would quit drinking booze entirely. I like being high. Alchohol is merely a poor substitute for me.
Peace,
mangeorge

59

I don’t have any strong feelings on the subject one way or the other. I have smoked pot twice in my life, and that was almost 10 years ago. It did nothing for me so if it were legal - I don’t plan on starting.

The reason I asked the question was to get a better idea of health risks. Currently, I lot of people are saying that it doesn’t cause cancer, etc. on the same scale as cigarettes, and I am wondering if that would still be true if usage were to go up significantly.

60

I doubt it would cause cancer in the same percentage of users as tobacco. You can use a water pipe or vaporizer to filter out carcinogens from marijuana smoke, or you can make brownies. Try that with tobacco!