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1
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BadMrFrosty (0)
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I guess this poll relates more to the land of the free as here (Czech Republic) it is legal for personal use. Hell, if you want a cheap high just walk into any student pub on a Friday night and the place will be engulfed in a cloud a ganga, a few deep breaths and you are set for the evening.
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11-08-12 12:08am
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2
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lk2fireone (0)
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Yes. Why give the cops an extra reason to hassle you?
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11-08-12 12:34am
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3
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Jay G (Disabled)
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I'm not a big fan of marijuana, but prohibition is just a costly way to corrupt our legal system. Illegal things just cost more and make huge numbers of citizens outlaws while funding vast corruption.
Law enforcement should only be to protect us, not to monitor and control our personal lives.
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11-08-12 05:19am
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4
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Toadsith (0)
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I'm a big fan of the amount of tax dollars we'd save by not policing it and the tax dollars we'd earn by placing heavy taxes on the sale of it. If treated like Alcohol in a legal sense and treated like Cigarettes in a taxation sense, I think legalization of Marijuana would be great for the country. It will be interesting to see the fallout from the two states that have chosen to legalize it this election, since it is still technically illegal on the Federal level.
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11-08-12 08:53am
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5
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Claypaws (Suspended)
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Toadsith's answer is closest to my view. I believe not only that marijuana should be legalised but also all the hard drugs - heroin, cocaine etc should be treated as Toadsith describes from the legal and taxation standpoints. The greatest damage to society is caused not by the physical and chemical effects of the pure drugs but by the crime and violence associated with their currently illegal market. Legalising worldwide would eliminate the need and potential for crime. Certainly some more people might die from the drugs, as they do from cigarette related illness, but fewer would be murdered or otherwise forced into addiction by pushers and I believe the balance would be hugely beneficial.
Unfortunately, as with porn, the public and the elected legislators always confuse morality with law and attempt to legislate against what they disapprove of morally. Turning morality into law merely creates criminals.
Now, in the western world, we find it strange that homosexuality was ever criminal. In 100 years, people will find it strange that hard drugs were ever illegal. It takes generations of time to separate morality from law.
I strongly morally disapprove of recreational drug use, whether soft or hard. But I strongly believe they should all be legal, worldwide.
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11-08-12 09:55am
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6
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t9chome (0)
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Legalization would save money (spent of enforcing the laws) and more importantly save lives. Until then, 10's of thousands of good Mexicans will die each year to drug gang violence.
I don't like the idea of taxation, though. Just another way to control what doesn't need to be. Leave the guvmint OUT of it.
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11-08-12 10:14am
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7
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Cybertoad (Disabled)
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Legalizing it has one often over looked issue, the cartels can sell a pound for $1000.00 or more if legalized this will be cut by about 75% people speculate a 6 pack of joints will sell for around 25-35 depending on the tax rate. It is not profitable for cartels to try and sneak drugs in for a 100 a pound, so legalizing it would end the war on drugs at least with weeds. It takes more money more guns to transport weed it is not like Heroin where you can hide 50,000 worth in your backpack. 50,000 in weed street value would be several duffle bags now and then would be a few dozen. Just not worth it to them and if people can get weed perhaps more dangerous drugs will drop in use.
Just my take on it, but it is what the dealers and seller have shared . I worked 5 years a counselor for drugs)
Anywho, my take
CT
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11-08-12 10:56am
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8
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Drooler (Disabled)
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REPLY TO #5 - Claypaws :
"Turning morality into law merely creates criminals."
That was well said. I'd be willing to sacrifice any future Untouchables type tv series or movies, or Ken Burns documentaries, for that matter, just to let ordinary people use their own discretion regarding dope, booze, and pussy-by-the-hour.
But I guess that's the big difference that lawmakers see between Main St and Wall St. The Main Streeters get regulated plenty, while the Wall Streeters now get away with fraud because, hey, those Main St folks will pony up for their bailout, right?
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11-08-12 12:37pm
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9
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messmer (Disabled)
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I tried it once but didn't inhale! :-) But I could never see why alcohol should be legal and something like Marijuana illegal. I especially cannot see someone actually being prosecuted or even put in jail in connection with this weed. And, as someone else stated, legalization surely would decrease the growing number of those who profit by it. With those profits come power and violence and corruption.
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11-08-12 12:46pm
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10
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jberryl69 (Disabled)
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REPLY TO #6 - t9chome :
Someone is going to make money off the drug, and better the government than the crook. If it has to be regulated, which any buzz kill will tell you, the government will get a piece. Resign yourself to that, pay the tax and lets stop making it a crime, free up some money for education and treatment.
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11-08-12 01:18pm
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11
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Cybertoad (Disabled)
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REPLY TO #10 - jberryl69 :
jberryl69 said: Someone is going to make money off the drug, and better the government than the crook.
Umm how will we be able to tell the difference LOLOLOL
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11-08-12 06:00pm
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12
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pat362 (0)
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I have no problem with medical use of marijuna or decriminalising marijuna but legalising it is just asking for trouble. We already have huge problems with people drinking and driving. Do we really need to add pot to the damn equation?
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11-08-12 06:40pm
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13
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jberryl69 (Disabled)
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REPLY TO #11 - Cybertoad :
Silly boy - one will have he US Seal of Approval on it!
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11-08-12 09:19pm
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14
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Toadsith (0)
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REPLY TO #5 - Claypaws :
Well said!
Though I personally have no moral qualms about recreational drug use. I have little interest in it myself - partially due to the potential physical dangers they present and partially due to the cultural / legal dangers the present - but I don't have any objections to people using them in a moderate fashion (moderate all things to moderation). Excessive use of just about anything will get one into trouble.
I think perhaps only excessive use of rationalism won't get someone into trouble. It might get you labeled as a Sociopath, but you probably wouldn't be locked up, as you wouldn't get caught doing anything illegal if your excessive rationalistic approach is done accurately (this is not to say you wouldn't do anything illegal).
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11-08-12 09:46pm
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15
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RustyJ (Suspended)
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Definitely. I wouldn't be using it myself but I see legalization reducing crime more than causing further trouble.
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11-09-12 06:52am
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16
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hodayathink (0)
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REPLY TO #12 - pat362 :
Because people don't drive while high already?
And there's a reason the official crime is "driving under the influence" or "driving while intoxicated" instead of "drunk driving". Whether weed is legal or not, it's just as much of a crime to drive high as it is to drive drunk.
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11-09-12 02:54pm
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17
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pat362 (0)
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REPLY TO #16 - hodayathink :
I think you and I can agree that alcohol is a huge problem when it's mixed with driving. We can't put that genie back in the bottle so why would we want to open another bottle called pot? Police officers can test for alcohol levels in the filed but I'm unaware of a test that does the same thing for pot so can police officers who suspect someone of being under the influence of pot arrest someone and take them to a station to administer a blood test?
You legalise pot and all your doing is making more trouble for everyone. You decriminalise it and all your doing is make police officers job easier, save huge amounts of money with usuless trials,
save even more money with usuless imprisonement, allow your average person who likes to dabble in the stuff the right to carry a small amount without fear or prosecution and you set boundaries that are simple to understand. You legalise it and then you have the problem of people strealing the stuff from the places that will carry it because pot will never be cheap. People already steal gas from gas stations and the stuff is legal and moderately inespensive so why wouldn't they steal it from authorized dealers? Cigarettes are legal and there's plenty of smuggling. Legalising stuff is not always the best thing.
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11-09-12 03:16pm
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18
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graymane (Suspended)
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Absolutely.
Should'a been legalized long, long ago.
The obvious reasons are pretty well covered in the replies already given, but one particularly stands out as being the most insidiously destructive of the lot.
Not long ago I saw some pictures displaying wraps of high-denotational US currency stuffed in room after room and filled to the four corners of rows of dwelling owned by the cartel, all of which was stacked to the ceiling.
This shocking revaluation sends a message that it's only the tip of the iceberg. The real cost in lives and sheer volume of money having left this country is incomprehensible.
Earnings for cartel bosses stay in the $billions.
Isn't there something wrong with this picture?
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11-09-12 03:34pm
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19
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Cybertoad (Disabled)
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Did anyone other then me check out up in smoke with Cheech and Chongs for investigative material prior to responding to this poll ? Oh was it just me.
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11-09-12 04:13pm
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20
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gaypornolover (0)
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No, I don't think it should. It's not as harmless as some like to pretend. It may not be any worse than alcohol but why have two legal substances which cause social problems instead of just one?
It's all very well to talk about freedom but you have to consider real-world consequences.
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11-09-12 04:18pm
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21
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hodayathink (0)
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REPLY TO #17 - pat362 :
People steal cough syrup and many other drugs even though they're perfectly legal and everywhere. Whether of not a drug is illegal, legal, or decriminalized has nothing to do with whether or not someone will or won't steal it (and you bringing up cigarettes is a perfect example of that). People will steal anything if they think it's something they want/need and they can't afford it. If anything, this will probably increase the reporting of thefts, since now that it's legal people will actually tell the cops when it gets stolen, but not the amount of actual thefts that occur.
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11-09-12 05:46pm
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22
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messmer (Disabled)
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REPLY TO #20 - gaypornolover :
Gaypornolover, I think the real world consequences are found in gangs at war with each other over territory, drive-by shootings to get rid of a rival pusher, immense amounts of money in the hands of those who will use it to corrupt others, overcrowded jails, an overwhelmed justice system because of all the frivolous charges like possession of the weed.
Of course there are often harder drugs involved as well but it is all lumped together under "The War On Drugs" and that war was lost a long time ago because VICE cannot be suppressed or eliminated by law, you can only drive it underground. People will always seek licit or illicit pleasure, no matter what restrictions society attempts to impose upon them.
Just look at the world's oldest profession. After a few millennia they are still very much around despite all the laws passed, as well as the scornful disapproval of the majority.
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11-09-12 06:33pm
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23
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t9chome (0)
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REPLY TO #10 - jberryl69 :
Well, the govmint IS the crook! We've let them take our money to spend as they wish, not as we wish, for far too long. Unless you're a lobbyist, of course. What or who makes one a crook anyway? The government. Finally, making it taxable damn sure won't stop it from being criminal, eg. moonshine, home grown tobacco, etc.
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11-10-12 10:52am
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24
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jberryl69 (Disabled)
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REPLY TO #23 - t9chome :
Sorry t-chrome; my comment was posted as a humorous come back. I did not wish to create animosity within the community.
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11-10-12 12:21pm
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25
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skippy (0)
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I am all for legalization and taxation at both the state and federal level. It would help the economy and allow the DEA to go after the heavy hitters dealing with the really bad stuff. Bot...
The only concern I have is the impact this would have on kids. For drinking, laws are strict and the impact of small amounts of alcohal on the development of kids brains is generally minimal (as proven by studies and by European countries that allow kids to drink). Don't bash me, but I am not convinced that pot does not have an impact on the development of young brains. As a kid in the 1970's I was 11 when I started smokong pot and was pretty much done with it by college. I do think it had an adverse affect on me. As a kid, I did not delineate much between pot and marginally more dangerous drugs like coke (the snorting kind back then, thank god), speed and quaaludes. (Adults, with a more developed sense of reason, can probably understand the difference and not leap to other drugs.) I also think legalization might make it easier for kids to get weed, especially if it were a common thing around the house (purses, top drawers, etc). Alcohol laws prevent an adult from giving alcahol to a minor, but do not prohibit kids from raiding the liquor cabinet and do not encourage parents to lock up the booze. And as somebody above mentioned, unlike alcohol, second hand pot smoke is still effective at giving somebody, kids included, a buzz.
So, although I'm in favor of it, there would need to be several safeguards in place that I'm not sure are there yet. Some combination of both alcahol and tobacco policies would need to be implemented.
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12-08-12 07:07am
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