This is in response to the letter "An exclusionary practice" by Patricia Soderholm, printed Dec. 26.
There have been problems in every one of the 15 states that have legalized medical cannabis (marijuana) for sick citizens, mostly because of government red tape. The best way to eliminate all that red tape is to completely legalize cannabis.
Legalizing the relatively safe, extremely popular, God-given plant cannabis for all responsible adults would mean citizens who wish to use the plant for medical purposes would not need to navigate government requirements to pay extortion money to government for protection from police.
It’s obviously time to legalize cannabis and regulate it, like alcohol, because it is here for the duration of time.
Stan White, Dillon, Colo.
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Prohibition doesn't work.
Never has, never will. People will do what they want to do. I think society is better served by making cannabis legal and safe. This would remove the rebel mysticism and teenage use would actually decline. Look at all the crime associated with the drug trade. It is a direct parallel with the crime associated with the prohibition of alcohol. Alcohol was legalized and all that crime went away. Obviously there are still societal problems associated with alcohol but we are working on them and gaining ground. We can apply all those lessons learned to the legalization of marijuana. Much of our prison space is occupied by people convicted of drug crimes associated with marijuana. Legalization of of marijuana would go a long way towards reducing prison overcrowding. It's a victim-less crime. If I choose to smoke pot in a responsible manner, I am not hurting anyone.
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to tax those pot smoking, foot draggin, dead beat hippies so they stop laughing at you.
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I would be more apt to say decriminalize but not legalize. To legalize would create new government posts, czars, tons of legislation, lawyers drooling in the background, and the intrusive fist of the government in what it views as the new cash cow. To decriminalize would save court costs and policing efforts without creating new government entities to suck money from the people.
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Personally I would rather my children not be raised in a society that condones the abuse of Marijuana or any other narcotic. Having smoked Marijuana throughout my teens, I know first-hand the negative effect it can have on your decisions making, motivation, work ethic and overall productivity.
The debate has absolutely NOTHING to do with Alcohol or Tobacco. “Two wrongs do not make a ‘right’”. You cannot justify the legalization of one dangerous act by likening it to another. If that were the case, EVERYTHING would either be legal or illegal.
Furthermore, though it may not have “addictive” agents, it certainly is habit forming. Just about every “toker” I know (including my past self) smokes all day, every day. Breakfast, lunch breaks, before dinner, while driving. Why is that?
Regarding the use of Marijuana as a “Gateway” drug, I happen to believe it is. Had I never experimented with Marijuana, I likely would have never considered trying anything else. However my choice to smoke lead me into a lifestyle of risk and rebellion, with little regard for my own health. I know others who have continued down this road, and have never recovered. They struggle this day with even the most basic task like “keeping a job”. They would rather smoke a bowl first thing in the morning than go out and find a job. As long as they are stoned, they are content.
That is really the most dangerous factor of all; Marijuana causes people to be “content”. It causes would-be hard workers to settle for less, rather than strive to succeed. I for one do not want my children to grow up thinking that is acceptable socially or legally.
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"EVERYTHING would either be legal or illegal. "
Ummm.... That is the case. Anything that isn't legal is illegal by definition.
The reason Marijuana is compared to alcohol and tobacco is that the effects are of the same level. I don't think I have ever heard of anyone dying from Marijuana abuse, whereas you can't say the same for Alcohol.
Now, as for it's status as a gateway drug, that is a symptom of it's legality. Because, on it's own, people do not flip out over Marijuana use. They have to link it to being a "gateway drug" to really object to it and make it illegal. But the reason it's a gateway drug is that it's fairly harmless, but illegal. So people get the impression that drugs are pretty harmless, and move onto harder stuff. Plus, since they would need to know a drug dealer to get Marijuana, it makes making that step up easier. If it was legal, it would be a far bigger step to go from weed to cocaine.
How it became illegal is also kinda messed up. Opponents used lies and racism to get congress to ban it. Watch the movie "Reefer Madness" and you'll see what sillyness I am talking about.
"Marijuana causes people to be “content”."
So? Alcohol abuse has the same effect.
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Again, two wrongs do not make a right. I never said anything about Alcohol NOT being bad, what I said was just because Alcohol is legal doesn’t mean everything that is equally as dangerous should be as well.
I should rephrase my “EVERYTHING would either be legal or illegal.” statement. What I mean, is that if we use the mindset that “alcohol is legal, so Marijuana should be”, where does it end? I mean people don’t overdose on Ketamine, should we legalize that as well? Just about any drug can be used “responsibly” with little danger, should everything be legalized?
The fact is, legalizing Marijuana simply because there are other equally dangerous legal drugs out there is taking a step in the wrong direction. If anything, Alcohol and Tobacco should be made illegal instead. Would that make you happy?
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Actually, I want the opposite.
Make drugs legal. The gargantuan amount of money we spend trying to limit the drug trade could be spent on better things. Hell, you could tax them, fund rehab with the taxes, and saving trillions on a failed drug war.
Why does the government think it needs to tell me what I can or cannot do with my body. If I want to destroy myself, I will find a way. Make cocaine illegal, people moved to toher drugs. Make them illegal, people moved to cough syrup. Make that illegal, people huff paint.
There will always be a way to get a cheap high. Better to try and control it rather than ban it outright.
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The problem with your reasoning is the unintended impact it would have on others around the user. Having worked in EMS and healthcare for many years, I have seen first hand the impacts on nonusers. Users will use, then drive, cause an accident, harming or killing someone else. Loss of productivity at work, diverting income from the household. Alcohol keeps being added into the conversation. It is also very destructive. But society's tolerance of alcohol abuse has rapidly decreasing. Drinking and driving is not tolerated at all anymore because of the social impact. And you are advocating for it to be legal to use any drug? I'd rather see the war go on.
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Operating a vehicle while intoxicated, be it drugs or alcohol, shouldn't be tolerated.
However, that is a different crime than drug use. And the amount of people killed in the illicit drug trade far outweighs any live saved by making drug illegal. Plus, the gazillions we have spent on fighting the drug war could have been used on rehabilitation. Imagine how many lives that could have saved.
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You go ahead and give up; I’ll keep on fighting to keep this a world I can feel proud of. A world in which I feel comfortable raising a family.
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Give up? No. It's called being rational.
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
--Albert Einstein
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.No, it’s called giving up
No, it’s called giving up
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THANK YOU!
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It has nothing to do with “what you do with YOU body” it has to do with how legalizing drugs will have a negative influence on MY children.
Are you so selfish that you don’t even realize the terrible messages our children will be receiving if our government legalizes EVERYTHING? It is hard enough for a parent to steer their children away from cigarettes and Alcohol as it is…
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"OMG, what about the children!?!"
If you kids are so sheltered that the moment they have access to drugs they will do them, well, they're screwed. Hell, you yourself said you tried weed. Are you saying your life is crap? Drugs are a boogie man, just like teen drinking. I'm a parent, and I plan on teaching my kids about choices. They will learn they have to live their choices, and if the chose to do drugs, that choice may haunt them. Then it's in their court.
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I didn’t “try” weed, I smoked it faithfully, every day for about 10 years, so I know first hand just how bad it really is. My life isn’t “crap” now because I QUIT weed at a young enough age where I was able to regain control. Smokers don’t see it because their judgment is clouded, but the drug controls you. I am STILL paying for bad decisions I made as a youth, most of which were inspired by drug use. I can only imagine how much worse it would have been if at 18 I could have bought a pack of joints at a convenience store.
I have pitty for your children, I really do.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I didn’t “try” weed, I smoked
I didn’t “try” weed, I smoked it faithfully, every day for about 10 years, so I know first hand just how bad it really is. My life isn’t “crap” now because I QUIT weed at a young enough age where I was able to regain control. Smokers don’t see it because their judgment is clouded, but the drug controls you. I am STILL paying for bad decisions I made as a youth, most of which were inspired by drug use. I can only imagine how much worse it would have been if at 18 I could have bought a pack of joints at a convenience store.
I have pitty for your children, I really do.
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"Everything in Moderation"
K0NPHL1C7 writes: [i]"I didn’t “try” weed, I smoked it faithfully, every day for about 10 years, so I know first hand just how bad it really is"[/i]
"It" isn't bad - you're immoderate and uncontrolled use of it was.
Also applies to food, drink, alcohol, tobacco, religion, work, play, etc, etc......
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I smoked cigarettes, weed and drank in college. I don't know how you got addicted to weed, but I found cigarettes to be FAR more addictive. But I think it is too easy to say "The drug control you". But that's me. When I wanted to quit smoking, I did, cold turkey, after smoking for like 5-7 years.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.I don't see drug use as good.
Imagine how much better your life could have been is there was more money spent of keeping kids off drugs than killing Colombians. Hell, imagine if Phillip Morris(you know they would be all over it) had to pay into rehab programs.
Kids are going to get their hands on drugs. I just would rather have corporation operating inside the law handling it instead of drug kingpins operating outside the law.
And if you want to worry about my kids, go ahead. I plan on teaching them how drug use is bad, and how it can mess up your life. But I'm also a realist, and they may try drugs. Hopefully, if they do, I can help them stop. But I'm under no illusion that the choice is theirs and theirs alone.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.If you really loved your kids...
You would seek to ban junk food. More Americans die from heart failure than anything else. But how we live our lives defines us. If you want to be a drug user, you should have that freedom, just like if you want to be an epic fatass.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Absolutely right Stan
It's beyond silly why Marijuana is still considered a harmful drug, worse than tobacco or alcohol. Tobacco deaths per year - the CDC estimates almost half a million. Alcohol - over 100 thousand. Prescription drugs - CDC states over 26,000 overdoses per year. Marijuana - 0. It's not addictive, it's not a "gateway" drug, and the medicinal values alone are well documented. Besides, what else is there that will take the harsh out of a date with Rex and Ed Board?
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