[jbock13]

Wasn't making statements about you. Was talking about those who just happen to make the same arguments as you have.

[R i]

They shouldn't. But you're probably right. The people who go "imagine how much government could tax it!", should not be speaking on the issue at all.

I guess I am out on this one.

[jmdickens]

I'll disagree with the first half of that, it definitly harms a lot of people. And they're not "just like you and I", they're knowingly committing a felony.

Now, I may agree that it makes no sense to charge them with a felony. That may be the part of the "nefarious drug war" that does need to change. How about looking at a change in the charging & sentencing of the crime before you outright legalize it and take any law enforcement out of the picture? Why not take a reasonable approach instead of mischaracterizing stats about prison populations and going on about the munchies to try and get the whole thing thrown out the window?

Relaxed drug laws and legalization were tried in the 70's. Didn't work.

Well who is it harming? I can make the argument that people stuffing their faces at McDonald's are causing my premiums to go up so it should be illegal too....

Why not take law enforcement out of the picture? We have several criminals who are not punished for much more serious crimes than pot. How many illegals are in this country again???

http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Prisons_and_Drugs

Total Federal Prisoners 2004 = 170,535
Total State Prisoners 2004 = 1,244,311

Percent of federal prisoners held for drug law violations = 55%
Percent of state prisoners held for drug law violations = 21%

Marijuana/hashish, Percent of federal drug offenders, 2004 = 12.4%
Marijuana/hashish, Percent of state drug offenders, 2004 = 12.7%

Do the math: (Total prisoners x percent drug law) x percent marijuana = "marijuana prisoners"

The Results:

Federal marijuana prisoners, 2004 = 11,630
State marijuana prisoners, 2004 = 33,186
Total federal and state marijuana prisoners in 2004 = 44,816

In 2004, "Marijuana prisoners" equaled about 12.6% of those incarcerated for drug law violations and about 3.2% of total state and federal prisoners. Compared to 1997, the number of "marijuana prisoners" in 2004 had increased by about +15%.

These numbers exclude those among the 700,000+ inmates who may be in local jail because of a marijuana conviction.

[LUconn]

Actually, YOU said something stupid if you thought that I meant crime would go down because people wouldn't be charged with distributing or possessing marijuana. You stated the obvious, but missed the point (I know that is shocking).

I can only read the words that you type and the context that they're in. I got your point. You posted something vague and counter-intuitive to get someone to bite so you could have some kind of gotcha post.

[ALUmnus]

I keep hearing this whole "who is it harming? not me..." argument. First, I do think it's harmful, and second, does it matter?

I can drive home drunk every night and never harm a soul. I can live in this country illegally without affecting anyone's life but my own. If I want to marry my sister, what's that to you? Or enjoy the close comfort of my goat, who are you to say he doesn't like it? Laundering money for the local bookie can make me a good, honest profit without hurting a soul. You're right, this society and it's stupid rules are too oppressive. Who are we to think we have any right to set standards by which we should live? No world view should be held higher than another, I mean, who's to say one's right and one's wrong. Not me, right? Well, then I guess not you either.

[jbock13]

I keep hearing this whole "who is it harming? not me..." argument. First, I do think it's harmful, and second, does it matter?

Yes, yes it actually does.

I can drive home drunk every night and never harm a soul. I can live in this country illegally without affecting anyone's life but my own.

On your own private property, yes.

If I want to marry my sister, what's that to you?

How do you think Adam and Eve's sons and daughters had children? Not to defend it, but...

Laundering money for the local bookie can make me a good, honest profit without hurting a soul.

It's your money, plenty of people are lazy louts without me dictating what they can and cannot do.

You're right, this society and it's stupid rules are too oppressive

Yeah, cause folks who hunt on Sunday in Virginia are going straight to hell. It's in the Bible (somewhere ). So the government should ban it.

Who are we to think we have any right to set standards by which we should live? No world view should be held higher than another, I mean, who's to say one's right and one's wrong. Not me, right? Well, then I guess not you either.

Throwing out the relativist red herring.

[blwall1416]

Or enjoy the close comfort of my goat, who are you to say he doesn't like it?

This should be a sig line.

[Humble_Opinion]

Everyone who smokes dope becomes a smelly liberal. Friends don't let friends smoke dope and become smelly liberals. Case dismissed.

[thepostman]

Everyone who smokes dope becomes a smelly liberal. Friends don't let friends smoke dope and become smelly liberals. Case dismissed.

I could care less either way, but this is so horribly inaccurate.

[jmdickens]

I keep hearing this whole "who is it harming? not me..." argument. First, I do think it's harmful, and second, does it matter?

I can drive home drunk every night and never harm a soul. I can live in this country illegally without affecting anyone's life but my own. If I want to marry my sister, what's that to you? Or enjoy the close comfort of my goat, who are you to say he doesn't like it? Laundering money for the local bookie can make me a good, honest profit without hurting a soul. You're right, this society and it's stupid rules are too oppressive. Who are we to think we have any right to set standards by which we should live? No world view should be held higher than another, I mean, who's to say one's right and one's wrong. Not me, right? Well, then I guess not you either.

I am glad you're going over the deep end of things instead of actually saying something substantial and logical.

You say pot is harmful. Okay, now why do you believe that?

BTW, your argument about driving home drunk is actually a logical argument however I disagree with your sarcastic way or presenting it. If im drunk and dont hurt anyone I should be off the hook, but if I harm someone I should pay for all of it! That is what TORT law is to begin with, but then insurance companies started their nonsense about how they dont want to cover those people, hence the DUI laws. Anyway...back to pot.

You're making all extreme arguments that really are not probable or likely to ever substantiate to anything more than your exact post.

I don't think anyone has said we can't set a standard, but the standard must be a LOCAL and constitutional. That way, your hometown of Bubbleville can do whatever it wants while the people in the rest of the world do as their values tell them. I just do not get the so called conservatives who believe in the idea of controlling everyones social behaviors.

[jmdickens]

Everyone who smokes dope becomes a smelly liberal. Friends don't let friends smoke dope and become smelly liberals. Case dismissed.

Satire post?

[ALUmnus]

I am glad you're going over the deep end of things instead of actually saying something substantial and logical.

You say pot is harmful. Okay, now why do you believe that?

You're making all extreme arguments that really are not probable or likely to ever substantiate to anything more than your exact post.

I don't think anyone has said we can't set a standard, but the standard must be a LOCAL and constitutional. That way, your hometown of Bubbleville can do whatever it wants while the people in the rest of the world do as their values tell them. I just do not get the so called conservatives who believe in the idea of controlling everyones social behaviors.

Extreme arguments? Some people would call your pot argument just as extreme. My point is you want to cry "freedom, liberty!", but then you want to pick and choose which social behaviors are off the hook. Jbock called the relativism argument a red herring, but I think it's central to everything libertarians believe.

[jbock13]

Jbock called the relativism argument a red herring, but I think it's central to everything libertarians believe.

And with all due respect, you know nothing about libertarianism.

[jmdickens]

Extreme arguments? Some people would call your pot argument just as extreme. My point is you want to cry "freedom, liberty!", but then you want to pick and choose which social behaviors are off the hook. Jbock called the relativism argument a red herring, but I think it's central to everything libertarians believe.

It is only extreme to you because you have grown up in an era where you accept everything that you are told. So I can see why you would label it extreme only because it different, not really strong, but at least an argument. What am I picking and choosing??? What issues? You haven't expressed one fact in this discussion, you just spout off your opinion without any support and wonder why I question how you get to your conclusion. What issue am I leaving off? I mean, if you cant bring anything about this issue, find one you can. Freedom, the greatest gift of God. We should embrace freedom, not deny it.

[ALUmnus]

Jbock called the relativism argument a red herring, but I think it's central to everything libertarians believe.

And with all due respect, you know nothing about libertarianism.

Says the guy who's been a libertarian for maybe a year. Hey, you can define yourself all you want, but the ideology speaks for itself.

Look, this is going to go nowhere, as usually is the case. The only reason I spoke up is because no one else was, and sometimes I get tired of certain elements going unchallenged. I don't just disagree with Mr. Pat Robertson, but I think he's wrong, as are most of the arguments for decriminalizing/legalizing drugs. And no, neither the government nor my fine public education told me to say that. God told me to. Hah! Trump card: pulled. There's really nothing more you can say to that, unless you want to call God a liar. Which can lead us into another discussion (separate thread) on cessationism v. continuationism. Actually, no, that would probably be a bad idea.

[ALUmnus]

Extreme arguments? Some people would call your pot argument just as extreme. My point is you want to cry "freedom, liberty!", but then you want to pick and choose which social behaviors are off the hook. Jbock called the relativism argument a red herring, but I think it's central to everything libertarians believe.

It is only extreme to you because you have grown up in an era where you accept everything that you are told. So I can see why you would label it extreme only because it different, not really strong, but at least an argument. What am I picking and choosing??? What issues? You haven't expressed one fact in this discussion, you just spout off your opinion without any support and wonder why I question how you get to your conclusion. What issue am I leaving off? I mean, if you cant bring anything about this issue, find one you can. Freedom, the greatest gift of God. We should embrace freedom, not deny it.

Oh goodness. Freedom is God's greatest gift? I don't think Mr. Jefferson would agree with you right about now. I think we're running into a reading comprehension problem here, so it's getting really difficult, and tiring, when I have to keep repeating myself. So, to spare my sanity, and so I don't risk you and jbock convincing me that everything I've been spoonfed all my life is just a big lie, and that everything you've been spoonfed is the hard truth, you just continue your quest to get high, and I won't bother you. You keep thinking independently and expect us to conform, and we'll wait for the next tv show to tell us how to think.

Conform to my non-conformity!

[jbock13]

Says the guy who's been a libertarian for maybe a year.

You'd be wrong again.

[jmdickens]

Oh goodness. Freedom is God's greatest gift? I don't think Mr. Jefferson would agree with you right about now. I think we're running into a reading comprehension problem here, so it's getting really difficult, and tiring, when I have to keep repeating myself. So, to spare my sanity, and so I don't risk you and jbock convincing me that everything I've been spoonfed all my life is just a big lie, and that everything you've been spoonfed is the hard truth, you just continue your quest to get high, and I won't bother you. You keep thinking independently and expect us to conform, and we'll wait for the next tv show to tell us how to think.

Conform to my non-conformity!

Yawn.....once again, you have no argument. Oh and i only watch sports, no other television for me. I have also never smoked pot, and never will. So, continue to your liberal streak and take more rights away.

[jmdickens]

Now, back to education. I think what you were told about pot was either a lie or just misinformation being passed as fact.

That has happened throughout history...You know, world flat, earth center of the universe. Sun revolves around the earth, etc. Human thought has evolved and we have discovered the truth of some of our previous misconceptions. This is in line with that same thought. We are seeking truth, and truth is that pot is just a plant. Revealed truth of God my friend. Revealed through nature and through love.

[jbock13]

you just continue your quest to get high,

Aha! You ran out of arguments so now you're just going to reduce yourself to the "you're a pothead" argument. Oh... oh okay.

[Humble_Opinion]

Everyone who smokes dope becomes a smelly liberal. Friends don't let friends smoke dope and become smelly liberals. Case dismissed.

I could care less either way, but this is so horribly inaccurate.

Obviously my comment was satirical in nature...

[Humble_Opinion]

Everyone who smokes dope becomes a smelly liberal. Friends don't let friends smoke dope and become smelly liberals. Case dismissed.

I could care less either way, but this is so horribly inaccurate.

Humble_Opinion wrote:
Everyone who smokes dope becomes a smelly liberal. Friends don't let friends smoke dope and become smelly liberals. Case dismissed.

Satire post?

Yes - my post was satire. I do not believe all people who smoke pot become liberals... Though it might be fun to try and defend that statement.

[jmdickens]

http://www.kushmagazine.com/news/2916-r ... -marijuana

Wow....

Making medical marijuana illegal is insane! I just want you to know, that as a Republican, I know you are going to have a lot of problems with the Republicans. Well, you just tell them Dana Rohrabacher, who was Ronald Reagan's special assistant and speech-writer, is the one who is leading the charge to make sure we aren't wasting law enforcement dollars that should go to protecting people against murders, rapists ...

Sounds like another level-headed republican coming out for fiscal and social responsibility. Nice

[thepostman]

Everyone who smokes dope becomes a smelly liberal. Friends don't let friends smoke dope and become smelly liberals. Case dismissed.

I could care less either way, but this is so horribly inaccurate.

Obviously my comment was satirical in nature...

I was probably high that day....

I KID! Queue the "random" air force drug test, haha

[drumnColby757]

Cant believe I just found this thread, I dont stroll through the courtyard very often .
I fully agree that Cannabis should be legalized and have the same regulations as alcohol. All of the drug dealers will dread that day though. btw im not a liberal