Should drugs be legalized?

[ylris611203]

You only say that because you've never had any decent drugs.

Should I change my supplier?

 

[Gilgamesh]

Smoking and drinking isn't exactly healthy either...I don't see the difference between those and weed.

It would all be depending on the consequences. For drinking you have drinking and driving and having MADD against them. For tobacco, you have the surgeon general warnings, which brought forth 2nd hand smoking advisory to all public, therefore banning smoking in restaurants and even in some apartments (I think that's in legislation right now). For weed, same as smoking with addition of losing brain cells - Bill Gates would have to really import his workforce. With crack and cocaine, you might have more homicidal crime rate, including DUI. Sure, government can gather taxes on the commodity, but the downside of hiring more police and building of more hospital like facilities (which would be almost impossible - look at the admission rate to medical schools, only about 10% or less) to treat the abused would be enormous. Not only that, lots of businesses would lose efficiency if there be more addicts who cannot work in productive manner. Forgot to include..., more single mothers with all the promiscuity, would be sucking up the federal welfare money...,

 

[sparkchaser]

Just because something is made legal doesn't mean an employer has to stand for it. I can drink but if I show up to work drunk then I get fired. Show up high, face the consequences. Tax the hell out of drugs and use that to pay for services.

 

[Gilgamesh]

But most of current drinking binges, sometime resulting in death, would occur in dorms of colleges. And imagine the drop out rates if all would be legalized. I remember hearing of pot party at a university, where a son of some big foreign company was throwing: weeds weeds everywhere. Where would we be able to find graduates such as 'sparkchaser's to do our engineering work. There will be fewer than now.

Even now, schools are removing coke machines because it is not healthy for our kids. How could the government handle the upcoming health crisis for the 50+ or even 40+ year old desiccated and emaciated users. Who will Wal-mart hire? There won't be much 65+ aged and will have less work force (although this may help social security) but medical and medicare would mushroom.

All the taxes will probably be misused by the government..., as is, it is already being poured into a game of Risk that George W is playing.

 

[sparkchaser]

You don't have much faith in your fellow man, do you? LOL

 

[Zolipara]

But most of current drinking binges, sometime resulting in death, would occur in dorms of colleges. And imagine the drop out rates if all would be legalized. I remember hearing of pot party at a university, where a son of some big foreign company was throwing: weeds weeds everywhere. Where would we be able to find graduates such as 'sparkchaser's to do our engineering work. There will be fewer than now.

Even now, schools are removing coke machines because it is not healthy for our kids. How could the government handle the upcoming health crisis for the 50+ or even 40+ year old desiccated and emaciated users. Who will Wal-mart hire? There won't be much 65+ aged and will have less work force (although this may help social security) but medical and medicare would mushroom.

All the taxes will probably be misused by the government..., as is, it is already being poured into a game of Risk that George W is playing.

Indeed. But why stop here? We should for instance have goverment controlled diets and forced excercise programs.

 

[Gilgamesh]

Indeed. But why stop here? We should for instance have goverment controlled diets and forced excercise programs.

Hehe, that's exactly what I had said when they had mandated compulsory seat belt law about 15 years ago. Then I got a ticket for it on one day that I was too busy to put on the belt while looking for a lighter for my cigarette. I took the ticket to the courts and I won. (The cop did not show ).

I admire the citizens of.., is it Massachusetts?, who repealed the law.

But, it is plainly true, the seatbelt law has saved many from minor injuries to death.

For some indulgences, I believe there must be a line drawn. I don't believe in black and white. At some grey shade I do believe a line should be drawn. From the first woman who crossed line by eating the fruit of knowledge to the story of Kane and Abel by Steinbeck, I believe humanity has no limit in all directions if given the chance. (Not only in evil but of good.)

 

[Litany]

For some indulgences, I believe there must be a line drawn.

The ones you don't like?

 

[Gilgamesh]

Please consider the whole picture, and not only of one sentence.

i.e. "there must be a separation of religion and goverment."

You know if that is thrusted to the hilt there will be:

no more "Merry Christmas" in public places,
"in God we trust" will be effaced,
"one Nation under God" will be changed,
All city names in this country with "Saint" (St.Paul, San Diego, etc.,) must be changed to "Good person" or something else,

And as a member of this community, I believe that we all understand that's not what the forefathers of this country had meant.

 

[Zolipara]

But, it is plainly true, the seatbelt law has saved many from minor injuries to death.

While at a glance these can seem connected, its actually very far fetched to connect them.

The seatbelt law has obvious benefit at little or no cost to the driver. Simply speaking its impact on citizens is minimal to none while offering obvious benefits and is pretty easy to police while having no real sideeffects.

Keeping drugs illegal is a very different matter and has a large number of bad sideeffects towards normal citizens in addition to enhancing problems for the drug addicts and supplying criminals with what probably is one of the most profitable industries in the world.

 

[beer good]

So the fruit of knowledge was... pot?

 

[joderu95]

There won't be much 65+ aged and will have less work force (although this may help social security) but medical and medicare would mushroom.

How would social security benefit if the work force were to decrease? If there were fewer 65+ drawing from it while at the same time a smaller work force contributing to it then they are likely to simply cancel each other out. It depends on which side of the equation is affected the most.

 

[sparkchaser]

So the fruit of knowledge was... pot?

Suddenly so much is explained.

Adam: Dude, this stuff you got from the serpent is like. Like Wow.

Eve: Yeah. Like wow.

Adam: Whoah! So check this out.

Eve: Yeah?

Adam: Remember when I told you about all those animals God had me name?

Eve. Yeah man. Naming all those dinosaurs must have taken a really long time. Like a really long time. Like a really, really long time.

Adam: Nah, not really. I just called any animal bigger than me behemoth.

Eve: Whoah! That's like cool.

Adam: Yeah.

Eve: Yeah.

Adam: So like have you noticed that like the camel and ox and the goat all have fur on the outside?

Eve: Yeah. They're furry. I like furry things.

Adam: Well check this out: we're not like that. We're just skin. Well we have hair some places but not like the gorilla or the chimpanzee.

Eve: Huh?

Adam: Dude. We're naked.

Eve: Eeeeeek!

Adam: Yeah. The goats can see Adam Jr.

Eve: Shameful!

Adam: Yeah.

Eve: Man, I'm hungry.

Adam: Yeah, me too.

Eve: Hey Adam?

Adam: Yeah?

Eve: Do you think God could make a salad so big that even he couldn't eat it?

Adam: Wait. What?

Eve: Can God make a salad so big that even he couldn't eat it?

Adam: Whoah. That's like whoah. Trippy. If he can't eat it all then maybe he needs to see the serpent about getting some of this stuff. I could eat a whole behemoth myself.

Eve: No man. Think abotu it. Godn is supposed to be omnipotent. If he is omnipotent, then he can create a salad so big that he can't eat it. If he cannot make a salad like this, then he is not omnipotent. If he can make a salad so big he can't eat it, then he isn't omnipotent either. Either way this demonstrates that The Big Man cannot do something. Therefore he is not omnipotent.

God: OK, that's it! Out of Eden!

 

[Sleepy]

Personally I dislike drugs and consider alcohol as drug as well. Legalization to a certain point seems to work in some countries.
However, drug users, please stay away from me. I've seen too much people including my siblings behaving inapprobiate because of drug usage.

Also, I don't see any sense in taxing drugs. The illegal market blooms with or without taxes.

 

[Gilgamesh]

While at a glance these can seem connected, its actually very far fetched to connect them.

I can connect them right here:

Yes. Last December. December 7, 2007 to be exact. On the way to work I missed the weather on my normal radio station and switched to another one. They said roads around Lynchburg were icy and to be cautious. So I slowed down from 55 to 40 and about 2 minutes later, I hit a patch of ice. The car started to spin but I recovered (defensive driving classes FTW) then I started to spin again but was unable to recover and spun and headed towards the shoulder.

The last thing I thought was "this is going to hurt". The Jeep hit the shoulder and rolled over once and settled up on the embankment. I sat there dazed for a few moments then shut off the engine (yep she was still running), got out and called 911. Then I took some pics.

Fortunately no other cars were involved. Aside from a bruised leg and a sore shoulder, I was fine. If I had not been wearing my seatbelt or had been going faster, things would have been much worse.





After I got it home:



All I ended up with was a bruised knee, sore shoulder, and a minor case of whiplash. The Thule rack now sits on the hitch of my new Heep.

ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEATBELT!

Keeping drugs illegal is a very different matter and has a large number of bad sideeffects towards normal citizens in addition to enhancing problems for the drug addicts and supplying criminals with what probably is one of the most profitable industries in the world.

No, even at present time, there are many company's insurance cover recovering from addiction of alcohol to illicit drugs. As you stated, it is addictive, far more addictive than alcohol or tobacco or gambling. And all of our insurances, home - robberies and accidents at premises, cars - DUI, personal health insurances - obvious. So who is going to paying for this legalization? you and I and all of us.

Profitable? Just because of money. So you would be willing to sell drugs if legalized? To see addicts come in to your shop with the money that their wives gave him to buy milk and food for their children. My friend, I believe we need to weigh money against our ethics.

 

[sparkchaser]

Whoah, whoah! I don't wear a seat belt because the law says I have to. I wear a seatbelt because it's stupid not to.

 

[SFG75]

However, drug users, please stay away from me. I've seen too much people including my siblings behaving inapprobiate because of drug usage.

Also, I don't see any sense in taxing drugs. The illegal market blooms with or without taxes.

They are quite the interesting folks, no doubt about it. I worked at a school that housed two populations-mental health & drug treatment. While I worked in the former, the latter needed me a time or two when another teacher was ill. Kids would get in trouble for leaving line while walking from building to building in order to eat a 'shroom. A few others got caught trying to ferment grapes and orange peels in their room. Very sneaky and cunning. You couldn't trust them as far as you could throw them.

 

[fluffy bunny]

Marijuana - ah that'll go out of fashion like opium did. They're currently researching medication using cannabinoid receptors (in the same way codeine and morphine work on opiod receptors). Meds should be out in 5-10yrs for possible alleviation of chronic pain syndromes.

As to the legalisation of harder drugs, I'm against it. It'd be like reversing prohibition in 20's America. Sure at the time there was all this publicity of crime lords, mob wars over control of supply etc (in the same way over drugs in this day and age). Alcohol was easily mixed with other dangerous items in the same way today's drugs can be.

However what people forget is that the incidence of alcohol and alcohol related problems was relativley low compared to after the eighteenth amendment was repealed. As a public health measure, prohibition worked. Alcohol is a major public health issue in today's society and working with children, I know how easily children as young as 12 or 13 can get hold of it. Tax on alcohol in no way covers the total medical (nevermind social) cost of it. Extapolating to other drugs - no thanks.

 

[Snippety]

I can't stand drug use, and I think it's the alcohol and weed that everyone reckons is harmless and ok that does the most damage. My brother (with whom I now have no contact because of his substance abuse) has spent his entire life drifting, drinking huge amounts of booze, smoking more and more weed, and then changing to really strong skunk, and taking coke, speed, e, acid and ketamine regularly. It's turned him into a paranoid, dirty, psychotic mess with no life.

All these are just seen as party drugs, there for people to enjoy and have a good time. You only have to watch a couple of episodes of Jeremy Kyle (if you can bear it :lol to see that weed and cheap lager have really become the opium of the masses in Britain. I believe it leads to complete apathy and the government are more than happy with the state of affairs as it is - a nation of doped up couch potatoes who can't get up of the sofa to go and vote them out.

Personally I don't use any drugs including nicotine, alcohol or caffeine. I think the laws should be enforced properly instead of it being more or less legal to own and smoke weed. These people leading useless drug ridden lives should be sent off to the developing world to do community work until they recognise the time and energy they're wasting.

Aaaand relax !

 

[fluffy bunny]

I don't use any drugs including nicotine, alcohol or caffeine.

I'm not sure you'd get away with banning caffeine People may start talking about a nanny state.

Spoiler

Plus all that extra paperwork it'd generate every time I needed to prescribe caffeine to a preterm baby. Grumble grumble