Should Drugs Be Legalized?

[jaosals42]

So yes, I think marijuana should be legal, but keep very tight regulations on it, as Vagrant suggested.

 

Unfortunately, even these limits on marijuana would be constantly broken. (some) People will want to get ahold of more and more, and break their buying limits to get ahold of it through smuggling or any other way they can. I don't like the idea of any of this stuff myself, but it's people's choices if they wish to mess themselves up or not. I'll stay out.

[Monolithic0117]

So yes, I think marijuana should be legal, but keep very tight regulations on it, as Vagrant suggested.

 

I disagree. The liabilities far outweigh the advantages. Sure, illicit trade would be decreased, and the government could leech taxes out of it, but apart from that, what could it possibly offer? Stoned people amok? New rules and regulations? A chance to try it out? Ludicrous.

[Vagrant0]

So yes, I think marijuana should be legal, but keep very tight regulations on it, as Vagrant suggested.

 

Unfortunately, even these limits on marijuana would be constantly broken. (some) People will want to get ahold of more and more, and break their buying limits to get ahold of it through smuggling or any other way they can. I don't like the idea of any of this stuff myself, but it's people's choices if they wish to mess themselves up or not. I'll stay out.

Well, ideally, it would take a route similar to alcohol sales, where each county could decide if they want to issue licenses to sell marijuana, but anyone over a certain age would be able to buy it legally, in any quantity they wished. However, also like alcohol sales, proprietors could decide to withhold sales for any reason they wanted.

 

There would still be laws against how high you could be in public, if you could operate a vehicle, and such. Although the initial response would probably be quite high, eventually people would realize that being baked 24/7 is just as bad for them as being drunk 24/7, and usage will generally decrease.

[Zephyr2011]

Being the hippie that I am I just HAVE to get my two bits in about marijuana. Baked 24/7 is actually better than drunk 24/7. If alcohol is legal marijuana should be legal as well. I mean countless studies show that both mentally, physically, and psycologically (spelling?) alcohol is more taxing on a person than marijuana. either marijuana should be legal and alcohol illegal, both illegal or both legal. seing as how well prohibition you get the real options. I don't plan to ever smoke marijuana even if it is legalized but just sayin, its messed up when its the equivilant of letting people own dogs and not cats.

[cppcooper]

users are losers, nuff said!

 

That's Right! Steve Jobs is nothin' but a loser.

Let's not forget me, who currently has grades in my electronic game design course ranging between 80 and 100. Nothin but a huge loser who will never amount to anything more than creating mcdonalds games, you know like those ones you used to get in cereal boxes. They were so terrabad!

 

I think miss bite me meant, was abusers are losers. It just didn't roll off the tongue as nicely. I mean drug abuse is why drugs became illegal in the first place. I am unsure if that was the story behind prohibition, but I wouldn't doubt there to be lots of drunken brawls or what have you at the time.

 

If anybody is wondering what all Steve laid his hands on, just go watch silicon valley.

 

For anybody who hasn't got my simply point yet, stereo typing people who have used drugs is the same as calling an african-american a porch monkey, or a white person a honkey, a jewish man or woman a penny pincher, or paris hilton a angel. Judge not lest ye be judged.

Anyways, I'm get back to my life. I felt the need to register soley to address that issue of judging people one does not know.

Edit: err try to register, until realizing I had already registered a long time ago and just never use the forum.

[Vagrant0]

Wow, way to get offended from a simple comment. Just because people who have used drugs have gone on to other jobs does not mean that they were still getting baked while they were getting there. Most either give up drugs before they get anywhere, or simply don't get anywhere. An exception does not make the rule.

 

Electronic game engineering is also not exactly rocket science, or meaningful to the rest or the world either... I'm surprised they even HAVE grades. Being successful at making a game doesn't matter how good your grades are, but if your product just happens to be innovative enough to hold interest in a saturated market. For that you need creativity, execution, marketing, and a whole mess of luck. Grades don't mean a damn thing in this case, your teacher likely doesn't know the market any better than a EA exec. So... kinda fail on that whole "listen to me, I'm going to be super important one day" aspect. You might, you might not, but bragging about your supposed accomplishments on a forum won't exactly get you anywhere. And bragging in life certainly won't get you any respect.

 

And your racist comments were hardly needed.

[Chaosblade02]

So yes, I think marijuana should be legal, but keep very tight regulations on it, as Vagrant suggested.

 

Unfortunately, even these limits on marijuana would be constantly broken. (some) People will want to get ahold of more and more, and break their buying limits to get ahold of it through smuggling or any other way they can. I don't like the idea of any of this stuff myself, but it's people's choices if they wish to mess themselves up or not. I'll stay out.

Well, ideally, it would take a route similar to alcohol sales, where each county could decide if they want to issue licenses to sell marijuana, but anyone over a certain age would be able to buy it legally, in any quantity they wished. However, also like alcohol sales, proprietors could decide to withhold sales for any reason they wanted.

 

There would still be laws against how high you could be in public, if you could operate a vehicle, and such. Although the initial response would probably be quite high, eventually people would realize that being baked 24/7 is just as bad for them as being drunk 24/7, and usage will generally decrease.

 

Yeah I agree with that, it definitely needs to be controlled, taxed and regulated as much as possible, but people should be able to grow a few plants of their own if they please. They could limit the number of plants to 3 or 4 semi to mature females without a growing license, which should be fairly reasonable to obtain for anyone, unlike an alcohol license that in some states costs over 100k or more. I think it is ridiculous for the taxpayer to pick up the tab for paying for the prison terms of petty marijuana users and dealers. Many drunks get violent and rowdy, and beat their wives, kids, dogs, people that are baked out of their minds are just sitting there staring at a wall, or maybe laughing at some non-sense. People that are high on weed aren't any more aggressive.

[rakkar]

hello everybody

 

since I'm from the Netherlands I thought I should also join in this debate.

 

because here in Holland, drugs are like half-legal.

 

I'll try to explain (I might not be totally right, but you'll get the point):

 

theoretically, all drugs are illegal.

 

however,

• the law on marijuana is officially not enforced
  
• with XTC, Cocaine and Heroine, it's unofficially not enforced, as long as you only have small amounts with you
  
• as such, there are stores (coffeeshops) where they can sell marijuana, however, they are not allowed to buy it (wtf?), nor are you allowed to grow more than like 3 plants at home
  

the largest problem of this system is that it is so vague and weird, that nobody seems to understand what actually is legal.

 

as far as I know, we haven't got any large problems with the easy availability of drugs, except for the fact that people from every country in a 1000 kilometre radius come here to buy drugs (but on the other hand, at the and of the year everybody goes en masse to belgium to buy fireworks, which we do have very strict rules on).

 

I think the best solution is to legalise softdrugs (marijuana), so you can guaranty the relative safety of it (no crime bosses puttin' poisons in your drugs (dunno if it happens, but it could be possible)), and have a lot of control on it, and make harddrugs (cocaine and such), except for alcohol (tradition XD), totally illegal.

 

that's about what I had to say, just remember:

 

drugs are not good for you

 

and:

 

if you happen to be in the Netherlands, and you're looking for a cup of coffee, you won't find it in a coffeeshop

[exanimis]

Coming from a different era, I have an unusual perspective on this subject. I have been reading the topic for days but have avoided posting, until now.

 

I remember the seventies, yes I actually do remember them! I was a teen at the time and everyone I knew either smoked pot or had ,at the least, tried it. I smoked on weekends with my high school history teacher. My best friends next door neighbor was a state trooper, He always had a bag that he had "confiscated". You could legally grow one plant for your personal use and the worst thing a police officer would do if he caught you with an ounce or less, was confiscate it. An ounce of pot was $20.00 and you got exactly that. In the late eighties, an ounce of pot topped the price of gold and it was laced with so many chemicals that it became deadly.

 

When Reagan was elected in the eighties, he started the "War on Drugs". All I have seen from his war is problems. It has made billionaires of drug dealers, it has made crime profitable. This war on drugs has driven up the price of drugs and cost the taxpayers billions annually.

 

two true stories from my life:

 

A drunk in a stripper bar thought that he was in love with the stripper on stage. When the strippers boyfriend showed up, the drunk decided that the girl was his and he would take her from this guy. He caught up with the strippers boyfriend outside the bar and pulled a 38 pistol on him. He had the gun aimed at the guys chest when my best friend, Bruce walked out of the bar. The man turned the gun on Bruce and shot him in the mouth. Four days later the doctors turned off the machines and allowed Bruce to die. Two years later, Bruce's killer was released from prison. Bruce's daughter was four years old and had not even started school yet.

 

Mike, a friend of my younger brother, was celebrating having graduated high school by going to a concert with his friends. He pulled into a cul de sack to pick up his friends. When he was leaving the cul de sack, he was stopped by the police. The car belonged to Mike and he was the only adult in the car, 18, his friends were 17. since several of them had brought a bag of pot to smoke at the concert,Mike was charged with distributing to minors, possession with intent to distribute, drug trafficking and several other drug related charges. Mike spent ten years in the state penitentiary.

 

The war on drugs drives up the price of drugs and makes the people producing them rich. The laws punish the poor and protect the rich. If you are a fan of the television show COP's, you already know this. You see cops setting up outside of known crack houses and arresting everyone who leaves with a rock. Why the hell don't they bust the dealers in the crack house?

 

There is a type of hemp that does not contain the drug THC and does not get you high, this hemp is used to make clothing in many countries and is a popular product. Tobacco growers here in the states could switch to growing this hemp and not end up loosing their farms but because it is hemp, it is illegal here.

 

Countries that have legalized drugs have seen drastic drops in crime. If drugs are legal, and you could buy pot from a store and know exactly what you are getting, why would you buy some chemical laced crap from some guy on the street? Legalizing drugs would reduce crime. reduce the price of those drugs, generate funds through taxes for the government and state. create a whole new government industry and create new jobs. Legalization would make drugs safer for those addicted and allow the government to somewhat, control the people who want to experiment with those drugs.

 

For the young people who read this and are considering starting smoking cigarettes to be cool around your friends, I say don't. Cigarettes are being regulated and taxed out of existence. Within 20 years, according to our government, smoking cigarettes will be a thing of the past. My advice to you is to smoke pot, it's cheaper than government dope!

[Pushkatu]

It's about your education, not the kind you get at school, about self education. You need to know your limits. If you are a person that has no control over your life, than you'd better not start smoking this stuff.