William F. Buckley, the Godfather of conservatism, was for legalizing pot a half century ago. If you understand anything about the history of the drug laws; you want to have nothing to do with the big government mentality behind them. It's the same mentality that brought us the wonderful world of Prohibition. AND I am tired of drug warriors who are incapable of realizing that most of what they think of as the effects of drug use, are in reality more a product of the prohibition of drug use. Don't like murderous Mexican cartels? Stop giving them a highly lucrative substance to sell.

AS for the federal state argument, states HAVE decriminalized Marijuana, only to have the feds come in and attempt to enforce outmoded drug laws. It's said that in every dry county, the bootleggers always throw their support, and money, behind the candidate who wants to keep the county dry.

Yep. 

A couple of years back, California put the full legalization of marijuana on the ballot, and some of the most ardent opponents of the bill were the illegal marijuana farmers in Humboldt County, CA.  They know the moment it goes legal they are swamped with competition and the price plummets. 

Yes, the Democrats aren't stupid contrary to popular belief. The Pandora's Box of sociopolitical fallout is immeasurable. Just start by factoring in the problems we already have with alchahol abuse, then double it, because you've added a population of fearless tokers bumbling about. Like I said, if there weren't apolitical repercussions, they would have lifted the ban and strong armed every state into legalization by now.
And your talking about an industry that will rival and most likely eclipse the tobacco industry, and you don't think administration, regulating, and litigating that beast won't expand government at all levels? Pfft.
Not to mention that drug enforcement costs won't drop dramatically with the loss of prosecuting pot heads. There are plenty of other substance abusers, the focus will just shift, not the funding. Not to mention that the stoners won't go to jail for smoking, but for the stupid stuff they'll do after that gets them and other people hurt. And don't tell me stoners can't be as dangerous as drunks, because I've known plenty of both. The former tend to to keep a lower profile only because of the illegality of the activity. Remove the stigma and the picture will change.

Groovy.

Quote from: grace_note on December 18, 2013, 02:13:55 PM
Certainly. And those are all wonderful things :) But we conservatives don't believe in enforcing them by law. Moral people don't need laws to tell them how they should life. They govern themselves. That very idea is what separates the West from the Middle East.

Wait, I'm confused. Where did religion come into the picture?  I never mentioned banning religion, nor do I believe that such a thing should happen. I'm a firm supporter of religious freedom. Where did you get the idea that I was saying religion should be banned?

Anyway, making it a states issue was my whole point. Decriminalizing it at the federal level will leave it to the states. And likewise, leaving it to the states will bring more support for the Republican party, which they really need if they're going to lead the fight against the liberal big government agenda.

Sorry, I was responding to pornotaker's equating of pot and abortion.  The former has very little in the way of moral or ethical issues..........the latter completely.  I just mentioned religion because it's what the left wishes didn't even exist, in the context of morals and ethics.

Quote from: AndyJackson on December 18, 2013, 12:23:56 PM
Sometimes there are such things as morals, ethics, character, and values.

Though I  know that none are required for any of your beliefs.

And I'm all for making all of these into states' issues.  Let people like you move to and wallow in the sewage of states with no religion, free abortion on demand, no drug laws.......just streets and ditches full of people screwing and relieving themselves and getting high every possible way.

And the rest of us could live in states that have their own values.

Here in the state of WA they sponsor toke-in's and the Seattle City Police pass out bags of Doritos -- part of the team building initiative.  Everyone should brush up on the fall of Rome... it's a race to the bottom, pure and simple.  There's a perverse side of me that wishes we'd get there sooner than later... guillotine vs. death by a thousand slashes.