Don't blame me that Chuckie Schumer brought it up. Obviously he did for a specific purpose.I doubt he used PoT. Or even tried.So he should have no voice in this topic, But he is a Legislator { Senator } and from New York. Nevermind his odd change of conscience concerning PoT. I'm glad PoT is still Illegal.Legalizing it is only gonna provoke an interest in old Pot heads like me. I know the inherent evils of PoT. Considered the Devil's weed for good reason.Not because one is more intelligent when High or can study better but because it has a way of transfixing ones moral compass.Creating a cushy mindset that permeates and eats away at a strong backbone.Leading to a condition where many aspects of normal life are considered not as important. Like good hygiene.Showing up for work on time.Being Honest to a fault. Not as important as getting HiGh. Been there ... done that.
The consequence of the prohibition always outweighs the detriment of the prohibited item. When you find yourself arguing the same side as murderous drug cartels and violent gangs, then you should probably re-examine your position.
What side is that.? I am a former Pothead who does not cotton the notion of making it legal. Are you jumping to the conclusion that Legalizing Pot makes it safer and less likely to be used.
I do not care what they make legal. Just do not make me pay for it. If someone is willing to do something that ruins or destroys their life, we have to be willing to let them live with the consequences.
My point is that many more people have died due to the prohibition of pot, than have ever died from using it. You are arguing for the same thing violent criminals and drug cartels are arguing for: .Keep it illegal.
The same can be said of alcohol and smoking. Alcohol banned in the '30's and smoking banned in most places since the 90's. I am not debating death's due to Pot.Even though as a major league carcinogen { only recently acknowledged this century } Pot does harm to the Lungs. I am arguing AGAINST PoT legalization on the grounds of it's psychological impact.It is one of the most psychologically impacting drugs on earth.Daily use can lead to an extreme dependency. I know for certain.I was dependant on Pot for years.When I couldn't score any I was depressed and near constantly thinking of ways to score some.Not as physically dependant as Heroin, but nearly as psychological.
Same argument the cartels use. Same argument big pharmaceutical companies use. Are you on a board of one these companies or a cartel member?
Pot should be made legal for medicine sure. Recreational pot has advantages of tourism. I'm not going to lie, it's an epidemic in Croydon, I'd like to see reversal of the law, in Croydon at least, if not in the Greater London Area, for recreational pot to be legal in Croydon because of the pot epidemic in the borough.
Yes legalize it. When you take emotion out of the equation and simply step out of the box and look at this with unbiased eyes then the illegality of marijuana makes absolutely no sense We live in a society that legalizes hard liquor and even permits the advertising of it on television yet we have somehow convince ourselves that weed should remain illegal. You can't even argue that. Without interjecting with religion or personal feelings there is literally no argument that can be brought forth by society as to why Jack Daniels is legal but marijuana is not. At least no argument that makes any logical sense but that sure won't stop folks from trying to make one.
I agree with your assessment of the effects of its recreational use in general. Though I'd be remiss if I didn't concede that for every stoner I know wasting their life for weed, I also know a useful, pleasant social contributor who would not be without its benefit. The big question is: how does tossing someone in prison for getting high prevent them from wasting their life by getting high? Doesnt that just kinda waste their life anyway? And what do we have to show for it? Certainly not a substantial reduction in its availability or use. Legalize it, tax it, use the revenue to educate against its use, and let folks make their own informed decision.
Also, we as society are perfectly fine with allowing folks to ruin their lives via legal devices, mainly alcohol, and there is no push to criminalize alcohol consumption. It just makes no logical sense. How does it make any rational sense whatsoever to allow me to drink half a bottle of whiskey and pass out on my couch yet tell me that if I smoke a joint and pass out on my couch that's illegal... I can goto the local liquor store and purchase an entire keg full of beer and if the cashier asks me if I'm having a party I can say "nope, this whole thing is for me alone" and they will laugh and say damn and cash me out. However if one were to spend an equal amount of money and buy a large bag of weed then you face prison time for "intent to distribute". I don't even smoke weed due to my profession, but there is seriously no rational way to argue to me that what I said above makes any logical sense whatsoever. It's mainly elderly folks and religious folks who keep fighting against legalizing weed. I'm largely Conservative but I'm also a realist, it's Conservatives who are the problem in this discussion, mainly older ones. The same folks who will sit down and enjoy a nice glass of bourbon while simultaneously telling society that nobody should be allowed to smoke a joint. It all has to do with the classification of weed. It's a "drug" and drugs are bad so drugs should be illegal, it's what we teach our kids. Rarely does society stop and actually think about WHY we say that, we just always have so we roll with it. If society wants to protect folks from themselves or save families or whatever then we need to criminalize alcohol. Using the aforementioned as justification for the illegality of weed while simultaneously allowing unrestricted access to hard liquor nullifies any and every single argument brought forth on the subject.
I smoked weed when I was young and enjoyed the high. I never felt any urge that I must get high and I didn't go out of my way to get it. If it was available I would buy it and share it around just like my friends did. None of them turned out to be "stoners" with "ruined lives". We all ended up working for a living in one profession or another. One of us became a nuclear scientist and another a motoring journalist. A couple started their own businesses and another has a PhD as a marine biologist. So now that I am semi-retired I would have no problem sharing a joint with friends and family. It isn't as though it is going to make any difference now. In fact it might help in dealing with the constant pain that I will have for the rest of my life. The BS about weed is exactly that. It is not addictive except to those who have addictive personalities and they must avoid alcohol and cigarettes because of their condition. For everyone else it is no more harmful than a glass of wine or having a beer. Weed should be legal and there is no logical or rational reason why it should not be treated the same way we do with cigarettes and alcohol.
The "pot licker" politicians finally realized they can make money with hemp oil, ...greedy bastards !
