Brack O-Bonga? (decrimninalize marijuana)

[nathanm]

quote:Originally posted by MH2010


People in Amsterdam also have a heroin problem that no one likes to talk about.

Nobody talks about it because it's less of a problem there. The addicts get their doses and then go to work at their normal jobs. It's amazing how much opiates a person can take and remain functional if they've developed a tolerance. There are a good number of addicts who can take doses that would literally kill a non-opiate user and it does essentially nothing to them aside from ease their withdrawal symptoms.

That's not to say that it's healthy to be addicted to heroin, but in and of itself it isn't a big deal. The treatment of users as criminals on par with rapists and murderers is what makes it a big deal.

And yes, apparently some folks over there are getting the Puritan bug up their donkey and have a problem with people who prefer to work less and spend the rest of their day in a hash bar.

Personally, I try not to judge what others do until they make it my problem. A functional drug user simply isn't my problem. Putting them in jail and leaving them with a criminal record and a severely diminished future makes their habit my problem.

Hell, even a halfway non-functional drug user isn't my problem. If someone wants to work a menial job and live in squalor so they can spend their days off in lala land, why should I care? More work for the rest of us, as far as I'm concerned.

[MH2010]

quote:Originally posted by nathanm

quote:Originally posted by MH2010


People in Amsterdam also have a heroin problem that no one likes to talk about.

Nobody talks about it because it's less of a problem there. The addicts get their doses and then go to work at their normal jobs. It's amazing how much opiates a person can take and remain functional if they've developed a tolerance. There are a good number of addicts who can take doses that would literally kill a non-opiate user and it does essentially nothing to them aside from ease their withdrawal symptoms.

That's not to say that it's healthy to be addicted to heroin, but in and of itself it isn't a big deal. The treatment of users as criminals on par with rapists and murderers is what makes it a big deal.

And yes, apparently some folks over there are getting the Puritan bug up their donkey and have a problem with people who prefer to work less and spend the rest of their day in a hash bar.

Personally, I try not to judge what others do until they make it my problem. A functional drug user simply isn't my problem. Putting them in jail and leaving them with a criminal record and a severely diminished future makes their habit my problem.

Hell, even a halfway non-functional drug user isn't my problem. If someone wants to work a menial job and live in squalor so they can spend their days off in lala land, why should I care? More work for the rest of us, as far as I'm concerned.

Heroin addiction not a big deal??? bla-hahahahahahahhahahahah.  Good luck with that.

[cannon_fodder]

It looks like Obama is taking a step towards States' rights and towards decriminalizing marijuana by allowing States to regulate their own medical marijuana:

quote:- U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is sending strong signals that President Obama - who as a candidate said states should be allowed to make their own rules on medical marijuana - will end raids on pot dispensaries in California.

Asked at a Washington news conference Wednesday about Drug Enforcement Administration raids in California since Obama took office last month, Holder said the administration has changed its policy.

"What the president said during the campaign, you'll be surprised to know, will be consistent with what we'll be doing here in law enforcement," he said. "What he said during the campaign is now American policy."

San Francisco Chronicle

In my opinion this is political speak for taking a step towards decriminalization of marijuana.  If not intentionally, certainly it is a step in that direction.  But in my experience an agenda is pushed one step at a time. . .

[nathanm]

quote:Originally posted by MH2010


Heroin addiction not a big deal??? bla-hahahahahahahhahahahah.  Good luck with that.

While my reply is rather late, yes, that's what I'm saying. With regular maintenance doses in health clinics, heroin addicts can hold down normal jobs. Go figure.

Sort of like all the functional opium addicts we had around the turn of the 20th century, but they were functional because the drug was cheap, not because someone was giving them what they needed to remain functional in society.

[rwarn17588]

quote:Originally posted by nathanm

quote:Originally posted by MH2010


Heroin addiction not a big deal??? bla-hahahahahahahhahahahah.  Good luck with that.

While my reply is rather late, yes, that's what I'm saying. With regular maintenance doses in health clinics, heroin addicts can hold down normal jobs. Go figure.

Sort of like all the functional opium addicts we had around the turn of the 20th century, but they were functional because the drug was cheap, not because someone was giving them what they needed to remain functional in society.

Plus you have many heroin addicts in Europe who are carefully monitored by health authorities and have stable, productive lives. Hard to believe, but it's true. It also helps the addicts get pharmaceutical-grade heroin instead of the so-called junky stuff on the street.

I'm no apologist for drug addiction. But you have to realize that the current "war on drugs" is not working very well. Alternatives should be considered.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by rwarn17588

quote:Originally posted by nathanm

quote:Originally posted by MH2010


Heroin addiction not a big deal??? bla-hahahahahahahhahahahah.  Good luck with that.

While my reply is rather late, yes, that's what I'm saying. With regular maintenance doses in health clinics, heroin addicts can hold down normal jobs. Go figure.

Sort of like all the functional opium addicts we had around the turn of the 20th century, but they were functional because the drug was cheap, not because someone was giving them what they needed to remain functional in society.

Plus you have many heroin addicts in Europe who are carefully monitored by health authorities and have stable, productive lives. Hard to believe, but it's true. It also helps the addicts get pharmaceutical-grade heroin instead of the so-called junky stuff on the street.

I'm no apologist for drug addiction. But you have to realize that the current "war on drugs" is not working very well. Alternatives should be considered.

A good comparison is that the current War on Drugs is working about like Prohibition did for drinking...

[PonderInc]

One of my best friends is an MD.  I was surprised to discover that a high proportion (pun intended) of her med school class smoked pot.  Throughout med school, residency, internship, and working at a hospital, she discivered that many of her co-workers smoked pot.  It seems that a lot of doctors do it.  (Probably as a stress reducer.)

Although she sees a lot of patients with problems resulting from smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, narcotics addiction, obesity, and yes, overdosing on Tylenol...she can only name one individual who died as a result of smoking pot.  (He was smoking it on a mountain peak in NM...and fell off a cliff to his death.)

For those who say that "people who smoke pot are less likely to be successful than those who don't."  I would say that it's not necessarily true.  There are a lot of very bright, hard-working, productive, otherwise law-abiding pot smokers out there.  Not all of them would admit it, though.  (It's one of those survey questions that isn't always answered truthfully...like asking women if they masterbate...)

Legalize pot.  The Oklahoma climate is supposed to be great for growing hemp.  Imagine the economic stimulous for our state!  (Take that, Mexican drug lords!)

[guido911]

Obama is opposed to legalization, at least today he is:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D975QL000&show_article=1

[FOTD]

Obama is opposed to legalization, at least today he is:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D975QL000&show_article=1

GOOD!

But what about decrim? Bet he's for that......

[FOTD]

Some reading material:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28034925

People used the stuff way back yonder in the desert for spiritual and medicinal purposes....poor dude, thought his stash would end up in eternity with him only to be picked off 2700 years later. Bet he's pissed now.....

More states move toward allowing medical marijuana use
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-25-pot_N.htm

States rights!

needs to be looked at again in our backwards state

[RipTout]

Hemp has not been re-legalized because chicken smile politicians believe doing so would hurt their careers. They all (most) likely get drunk on a regular basis and many probably smoke pot but being the hypocrites that they are, will never support something that will actually benefit the masses. It's all about them.

Hemp Is Not Pot: It's the Economic Stimulus and Green Jobs Solution We Need
We can make over 25,000 things with it. Farmers love it. Environmentalists love it. You can't get high from it. So why is it still illegal?
http://www.alternet.org/environment/133055/hemp_is_not_pot%3A_it%27s_the_economic_stimulus_and_green_jobs_solution_we_need

[RipTout]

Something tells me that the DEA has the same attitude towards Obama the CIA had against Kennedy in' 62.

http://www.kron4.com/News/ArticleView/tabid/298/smid/1126/ArticleID/872/reftab/36/t/DEA-Raids-SF-Pot-Club/Default.aspx

The FEDS take precedence over state law, in regards to drugs. Don't they have anything better to do?

Makes one wonder if their stash had run out.....

[patric]

Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show" writing staff took on his home state Wednesday night, focusing their sights on Gov. Chris Christie and claiming hypocrisy in his differing stances on legalizing sports betting and marijuana.

He turned to New Jersey, where the Assembly approved a bill Monday that would make possession of less than 15 grams of marijuana punishable by only a fine.
But Christie plans to veto the bill, saying marijuana is outlawed by the federal government and that he doesn't think "the state should be in the business of undercutting the federal government on that policy."

Fair enough, Stewart said, Christie is a man of conviction and doesn't think the state should supersede federal government. The show then quickly cut to a clip of Christie announcing that he would be moving to legalize sports gambling in the state.

Stewart asked what the difference was between the federal bans on gambling and marijuana, and the show played a clip of Christie saying, "I don't think any of us are of the illusion that betting on NFL games isn't happening every week in New Jersey."

"I have an idea," Stewart responded. "Let's replace the phrase 'betting on NFL games' with the phrase 'getting high.' Different how?"

In the next clip, Christie said, "That may be a different feeling from 30 or 40 years ago, but the fact is now, gaming is everywhere," to which Stewart suggested he replace "gaming" with that very same phrase.

Still saying he didn't see why challenging federal laws on gambling was permitted but not for pot, Stewart then played a clip of Christie saying, "Let's have the people who benefit from it be the people in the state of New Jersey, not criminal organizations in New Jersey who are benefiting from it now."

"OK, let's replace-" Stewart started, before saying, "Actually, you don't need to replace any words in that for it to be a justification to decriminalize marijuana."

Finally, Stewart phrased the issue in a way he hoped Christie would understand — "Why don't you just think of using marijuana as betting you're going to have a better day."

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-june-27-2012/of-vice-and-men---new-york-weed-bill-dies---chris-christie-s-veto-threat

[patric]

Nothing like a leader with a clear sense of direction:

"I think marijuana should not be legal in this country, I believe it's gateway drug to other drug violations," Romney said during a May interview with a CBS affiliate in Denver, Colorado.
"Those are state issues," Romney, who appeared uncomfortable discussing the topic, said after the interview.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/drug-reform-chris-christie-shows-gentler-side/story?id=16741759

[heironymouspasparagus]

M