Marijauna

[RevStan]

Some states seem to defy washington on the rules on marijauna. I am just asking where you stand as a patriotic american.

[kramarat]

I don't know why you put this in the war forum, but I think pot laws should be determined by the states.

The reason I find these recent ballot initiatives interesting, has nothing to do with pot. As a conservative, I am encouraged by the fact that states are enacting laws that defy federal law, and the feds seem hesitant to do anything about it.

I think it serves as a green light for conservative governors and conservative states to start taking control of their own destinies, and openly defying laws that come from the federal government that are unconstitutional. The time to get started is now............before Obama has a chance to appoint any more socialist supreme court justices.

[keyboarder]

Just call me an old stick in the mud.  No pot, no pills, no alcohol-tee-totaler on all of it.  We have enough problems and they are better dealt with if we do it clear-headedly.  I have zero tolerance for any of these because this is most often how all of the really bad things like murder, abortion, all kinds of crime originate. 

[kramarat]

Just call me an old stick in the mud.  No pot, no pills, no alcohol-tee-totaler on all of it.  We have enough problems and they are better dealt with if we do it clear-headedly.  I have zero tolerance for any of these because this is most often how all of the really bad things like murder, abortion, all kinds of crime originate.

It sounds good, but it's a bit utopian. As long as there are humans crawling around this earth, they will be finding ways to get high.
Responsible and educated people will be able to use drugs and alcohol as a moderated and temporary escape, others will get trapped in a life of destitution and self destruction. Neither laws nor legalization will work as intended.

http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/Controversies/1114796842.html

[Darth Fife]

Although I don't and have never used pot, and would probably never use it even if it were legal, I have always had a problem with pot being illegal and alcohol being legal.

But, then, of course, I have a problem with the demonization of smoking - the "sin" taxes, the government madated warnings on packages and the disgusting anti-smoking ads on T.V. Sorry, folks, its LEGAL. If you don't want to smoke - don't!

If smoking is so damned bad for you, take an effing stand and outlaw it!

By the way, I don't smoke, either.

[valjean]

I don't think we should be sending people to prison for possessing or using drugs. All this does is put non-violent offenders in prison, prisons that need more and more of our tax dollars to accomodate the inmates being sent in because of these drug laws. We would end the black market if we simply legalized it, and all the violence that goes along with the black market. I don't support drug abuse, but we don't outlaw alcohol today in spite of the fact that tons of people get killed every year from drunk drivers. The only thing we should outlaw is the sale of drugs to minors just like we have outlawed the sale of cigarettes to people under 18 and the sale of alcohol to people under 21.

[kramarat]

I don't think we should be sending people to prison for possessing or using drugs. All this does is put non-violent offenders in prison, prisons that need more and more of our tax dollars to accomodate the inmates being sent in because of these drug laws. We would end the black market if we simply legalized it, and all the violence that goes along with the black market. I don't support drug abuse, but we don't outlaw alcohol today in spite of the fact that tons of people get killed every year from drunk drivers. The only thing we should outlaw is the sale of drugs to minors just like we have outlawed the sale of cigarettes to people under 18 and the sale of alcohol to people under 21.

It's the way it always should have been.

Unfortunately, between republicans demonizing drugs and keeping the prices high, and democrats advocating dependency and irresponsible behavior, we have reached a point that the population has become so stupid, that a switch to legalization would be a nightmare.

We never should have deviated from the path that the individual is fully responsible for their own actions............along with the consequences.

We have allowed our government to herd us into a corral in which our personal decisions no longer matter.

[Darth Fife]

It's the way it always should have been.

Unfortunately, between republicans demonizing drugs and keeping the prices high, and democrats advocating dependency and irresponsible behavior, we have reached a point that the population has become so stupid, that a switch to legalization would be a nightmare.

We never should have deviated from the path that the individual is fully responsible for their own actions............along with the consequences.

We have allowed our government to herd us into a corral in which our personal decisions no longer matter.

There is a quote, often attributed to Lincoln, which says that, "The government which protects its populace from all adversity will eventually rule a nation of idiots!"

Or words to that effect...

[kramarat]

There is a quote, often attributed to Lincoln, which says that, "The government which protects its populace from all adversity will eventually rule a nation of idiots!"

Or words to that effect...

Brilliant!

AKA- How a promising country became entangled in their own expanding safety net...........and perished from stupidity.

[valjean]

It's the way it always should have been.

Unfortunately, between republicans demonizing drugs and keeping the prices high, and democrats advocating dependency and irresponsible behavior, we have reached a point that the population has become so stupid, that a switch to legalization would be a nightmare.

We never should have deviated from the path that the individual is fully responsible for their own actions............along with the consequences.

We have allowed our government to herd us into a corral in which our personal decisions no longer matter.

Couldn't agree more. My ONLY trepidation here is that while I am afraid of a nation of idiots, I am more afraid of a nation of idiot stoners. But in principle I stand by my position, it does more institutional harm than good to keep drugs illegal, but the societal problems will come up at least initially if there is full legalization. But as is, I have more faith in society to fix itself than for government to fix itself from the inside. For example society can recognize alcohol abuse and start alcoholics anonymous, and anti drunk driving campaigns, government "fixes" the problem by banning alcohol and this gives birth to an age of gangsters and bootleggers.

[kramarat]

Couldn't agree more. My ONLY trepidation here is that while I am afraid of a nation of idiots, I am more afraid of a nation of idiot stoners. But in principle I stand by my position, it does more institutional harm than good to keep drugs illegal, but the societal problems will come up at least initially if there is full legalization. But as is, I have more faith in society to fix itself than for government to fix itself from the inside. For example society can recognize alcohol abuse and start alcoholics anonymous, and anti drunk driving campaigns, government "fixes" the problem by banning alcohol and this gives birth to an age of gangsters and bootleggers.

Everybody that wants to use drugs is already doing them. While full legalization would be a nightmare, it would be short lived. Crack is no longer popular because it truly screws people up and eventually kills them. It is not due to any government intervention. People just don't feel like dying.

[Solar]

I've always felt all of this should have been a states rights issue.
Utah has no drinking laws, Nevada legalized gambling and prostitution, Colorado just legalized weed.
Let those that want to do these things move to states that allow it, while allowing others to move to states that prohibit it, but the Fed should be out of it altogether.

Point is, if a few states pass laws legalizing poor behavior, they will suffer the consequences.
Apparently we didn't learn the first time around, that these behaviors destroy society, which is why people wanted prohibitions on them in the first place.

But let the people of the states decide how to deal with it, what one state wants, another may not, same for abortion, but to force everyone into one room subjecting them to behaviors they can't move away from is just wrong.

[kramarat]

I've always felt all of this should have been a states rights issue.
Utah has no drinking laws, Nevada legalized gambling and prostitution, Colorado just legalized weed.
Let those that want to do these things move to states that allow it, while allowing others to move to states that prohibit it, but the Fed should be out of it altogether.

Point is, if a few states pass laws legalizing poor behavior, they will suffer the consequences.
Apparently we didn't learn the first time around, that these behaviors destroy society, which is why people wanted prohibitions on them in the first place.

But let the people of the states decide how to deal with it, what one state wants, another may not, same for abortion, but to force everyone into one room subjecting them to behaviors they can't move away from is just wrong.

I agree.

The legalization of prostitution in Nevada didn't lead to every husband all of a sudden thinking that it was okay to cheat on their wives. I tend to think it would go the same way with drugs. People that have brains, are individuals. They don't depend on government to set their moral compasses for them.

Whether they are screwing whores or shooting heroin, I think that people inherently know the difference between right and wrong. It's not something that the government can determine for us.

They could legalize all drugs and prostitution tomorrow, and it would have zero impact on my personal behavior. But that's just me.

[BILLY Defiant]

As a PATRIOTIC American I say drugs ae a foreign plot to destroy the country as most of them come in from other countries and fuel rebel/communist/terrorist and criminal empires...Marijuana included.

Billy

[kramarat]

As a PATRIOTIC American I say drugs ae a foreign plot to destroy the country as most of them come in from other countries and fuel rebel/communist/terrorist and criminal empires...Marijuana included.

Billy

Cute idea, but I think we have just proven to the world that we don't require foreign plots. We are more than happy to vote for self destruction.