Marijuana

[bahua]

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.

[warwickland]

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.

[LenexatoKCMO]

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. 

[staubio]

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?

...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.

[riebschlager]

Well, I've HEARD that there are plenty of local vendors who are also producers.  I mean, that's just what people have TOLD me.  I would really have no way of knowing!

[mean]

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? 

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.

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.

[staubio]

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.

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.

In terms of the supply chain: I don't have any problems with people growing it for themselves and using it.  I'm sure there is a ton of this.  There is also a ton of the alternative.  Until pot comes in "certified local hippy grown" people won't know or care where it came from and could be exacerbating problems.

If you are growing it or getting it from a friend and your usage is under control, infrequent and with wholesome intent, more power to you.  I suspect this isn't the majority of cases, however.

[kc-vino]

I think in many ways our American culture runs a muck with the general acceptance of the substance because it does slow people down and makes them less productive.  This same attitude is taken with having a beer at lunch during the work week.  Oh no a beer could possibly make you more sleepy and then the manager would get less from you at the bottom line.  We are a very up tight culture when it comes to people not producing.  Pot totally slows things down in a way that I think can be very healthy.  

For me I'm glad that I wasn't into it in high school because like any 17 year old I had my own issues and didn't' need another thing complicating that 5 (15-20)year span overall.  I focused on getting my car paid off, getting decent grades, etc.  But if you have things in life in order it can many times complements the daily work grind which many times centered around a specialized task and making tons of money.  

And good call Mean on that it changes your perspective on things.  We are too high strung and a little green takes you to a more mellow and reflective state of thinking.

[KC0KEK]

Is Thai Stick still available? Or did that disappear along with disco and bell bottoms?

[kc-vino]

Is that China White's asian brother?

[scooterj]

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.

[Tosspot]

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.

I've cut way back on the beer because it has a stimulative effect on me. Beer makes me restless and hyper.

[kcmetro]

I drink like a fish. I smoke weed about twice a year just because it makes me feel like shit the next day. Plus it makes me feel like a vegetable and out of control when I'm high. The only time I really enjoy it is when I'm not drinking and I have one or two hits, but when weed is available it's only when I've been drinking, so I normally don't partake. That weed/alcohol hangover the next day is KILLER! What's even worse is a mix of 10 beers, 4 bowls, and 6 shots of tequila. That'll get ya!

[KCMax]

Whatever happened to good ol' fashioned glue sniffing????

[kc-vino]

I've always thought that drinking is a better substance when you go out and meet new people because if you are high and people don't know it you can come across at "that weird guy"...many people cannot figure you out.  But with comfortable friends it can be very positive.  Price wise, the green is 5 times as reasonable than a night of drinking.  And what are we talking about....feeling like shit the next day after smoking.  I have never had anything more than a slight headache after smoking, and that is 9/10 times due to possibly junk food ate.  A hang over occurs everytime you go to bed drunk.

[staubio]

Price wise, the green is 5 times as reasonable than a night of drinking.

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.

[KCKev]

Smoking it up isn't going to help the neighborhood any.

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!
/

[LenexatoKCMO]

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.

Until you build up a nice urban neighborhood of hash bars and coffeeshops. 

[staubio]

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!
/

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.

Choosing to stay home and dump income into smoking has an opportunity cost.

Also, my pot free brain is fully aware of the apostrophe!

[staubio]

Until you build up a nice urban neighborhood of hash bars and coffeeshops. 

Right.  Again, it sucks all the way around because it is illegal.