Re: Marijuana
Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:42 pm
Legalizing, regulating, and taxing narcotics will end the senseless "War on Drugs," and break the back of the Colombian cartels. It will absolutely destroy them.
unless they have been 'diversifying,' you know, into toy making or something.bahua wrote: Legalizing, regulating, and taxing narcotics will end the senseless "War on Drugs," and break the back of the Colombian cartels. It will absolutely destroy them.
It would also break the back of countless, nasty rebel groups around the world: FARC, Taliban, you name it.bahua wrote: Legalizing, regulating, and taxing narcotics will end the senseless "War on Drugs," and break the back of the Colombian cartels. It will absolutely destroy them.
...and how do you think it gets to your house? Do the birds produce and carry it? Drugs are controlled by cartels and organized crime because they are illegal. I don't think you can really dispute that. Again, please note that I support its legalization. I won't think it is responsible to use it but I don't think I should be making that choice for you. The consequences of its illegality make it pretty darn irresponsble now, though.WSPanic wrote: Just because something is illegal does not mean that you have to get it from organized crime/gangs. Do believe everything you see on TV?
While in general I agree that overuse of any kind of drug is bad--psychoactive or otherwise--I also feel strongly that there are positive effects to be had with limited usage. Psychoactive drugs alter your perceptions in ways that cannot be achieved "on your own," and they can allow you to experience reality in ways that are simply not possible by other means, sometimes even giving you a more enlightened viewpoint. Writing off the potential of drugs to assist in one's self-improvement and enlightenment is prudish and naive, and effectively the same as writing off religion or meditation or exercise or anything else as a valid tool, just because it also makes you feel good.staubio wrote:Sounds like some amazing placebo effects as a result of dramatically altering your body chemistry. Personally, I think one should strive to make these changes themselves and not pretend like some magic drug is going to make them for them. It is a sign of weak character when one consistently turns to a substance to do what they don't try to do for themselves, whether that be achieve happiness, be "cool" or actively observe the world around them....
...and how do you think it gets to your house? Do the birds produce and carry it?
If I'm coming across as self-rightous, I apologize. It isn't my intent. I support people's right to use the drug if they so choose. I just don't like the idea of relying upon the introduction of a chemical into your body to accomplish something. I've "lost" a lot of friends with great minds because they felt the need to turn to pot to be enlightened or entertained and it consumed them. I realize this can happen with anything and admittedly I am probably biased against this specifically. I don't think I'm naive or prudish, though. I don't drive because I think it is irresponsible. It is just idealism more than anything.mean wrote: I'm saying if you want to hate on drugs that's fine, but there's no need to get all self-righteous about it.
In any case, while there are indeed huge swaths of narcotics trade controlled by armed organized crime cartels, it's not like you have to support an Evil Empire to get high--and many people I've talked to over the years refuse to for ethical reasons. As riebschlager iplies, there are tons of dirty hippies who grow dope in every city and every state, for personal use and to distribute to friends. I suspect this is a much larger percentage of the "smoker community" than most people realize, although I have no numbers to back that up.
I've cut way back on the beer because it has a stimulative effect on me. Beer makes me restless and hyper.scooterj wrote: You know, I've tried marijuana a few times and I don't get it. I don't feel anything and it doesn't seem to affect me much at all. I get far more relaxed from a beer or two.
From a pure urban development perspective, a night out drinking supports a neighborhood establishment and creates vitality. Smoking it up isn't going to help the neighborhood any.kc-vino wrote: Price wise, the green is 5 times as reasonable than a night of drinking.
It sure isn't going to hurt the neighborhood staying home, smokin a spleef, contemplating the worlds problems and deciding not to conform to societies expectations!staubio wrote: Smoking it up isn't going to help the neighborhood any.
Until you build up a nice urban neighborhood of hash bars and coffeeshops.staubio wrote: From a pure urban development perspective, a night out drinking supports a neighborhood establishment and creates vitality. Smoking it up isn't going to help the neighborhood any.
Oh jeesh. "Society's expectations" has nothing to do with it. I love the logic that, even with a rationale argument, people that don't smoke are slaves to "society's expectations" and simply aren't as enlightened. Rubbish. People who smoke are conformists to that agenda just as much as people that don't don't. I'd say there a few people with rationale reasons for either option and I'd agree that more people that oppose it do so for irrational or taboo reasons. That isn't me, though. That viewpoint is even more self-rightous than anything I've said on the topic.KCKev wrote: It sure isn't going to hurt the neighborhood staying home, smokin a spleef, contemplating the worlds problems and deciding not to conform to societies expectations!
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Right. Again, it sucks all the way around because it is illegal.LenexatoKCMO wrote: Until you build up a nice urban neighborhood of hash bars and coffeeshops.