Yes, this is prohibition any way you slice it.
I meant in comparison with alcohol prohibition.
What "drugs"? We're talking about pot.
So am I.
Sure it will. Come on, this isnt fantasy. It being legalized is absolutely going to mean its going to be more widespread, even more available, and even more people will be doing it, more often. Why? Because its legal thats why. The same exact thing happened when prohibition of alcohol ended.
Yes, black people hate marijuana...
Not something I argued. This is what I was referring to:
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/10/local/la-me-0710-pot-poll-20100710
The poll found that while white voters support the measure, Latino, black and Asian American voters heavily oppose it. DiCamillo said he was surprised by the intensity of the opposition. "There just might be greater concerns within the ethnic community about the social effects," he said.
The actual poll is here:
http://www.field.com/fieldpollonline/subscribers/Rls2342.pdf
And it shows black voters being against it by a 52-40 split.
Maybe it's because they realize how terribly racist the war on drugs is, in that white people use drugs more per capita, but black people are locked up for drugs far more often.
Or maybe the NAACP is simply out of touch with blacks in California on the issue.
There are black markets for just about every good and service available. That doesn't mean that they should be criminalized.
This isnt about criminalization...its about legalization. And its not proof that they should be legalized either.
Pot being legalized means that it can be sold in stores without the presence of other drugs.
No, if you want other drugs added you will have to do so after purchase.
Besides, the "gateway" drug theory has been disproved over, and over, and over.
Uhm....nope.
Actually, people do smoke for the taste, at least people that enjoy good bud.
Oh brother.
Half of the country has tried pot and you think it isn't prevalent?
Only half? That least 150 million or so that havent done the drug that would have no reason not to upon legalization.
And you dont think it wont lead to more widespread use? Seriously? You have got to be kidding yourself.
For all we know, pot is far more prevalent than you or I know.
Or not. For all we know, that is.
It's quite hard to gauge how many people smoke pot through a survey, and even those consistently show half of people having tried pot nationwide.
Again...only half?
Not many people will admit to using illegal drugs, what with societal stigma and all.
Not even on an anonymous poll? But the flip side of this is some will also lie about it simply to make themselves look for cool, wont they?
No one has suggested drug use would go down if it were legalized. Where did any of us say that?
Read the thread.
However, I can show you many studies which show that lessening penalties on drug use here in this country have not increased their usage.
Here.
No thanks, I dont really care to go to stoner websites for such 'proof'.
And as we've shown, those people will by and large turn it down.
You have not shown that at all. Again, history does show us that in a similar situation using alcohol prohibition as an example, use went way up. Why you think this would be any different?
I won't deny that some people would try legalized marijuana simply because it's legal. But those same people probably wouldn't be regular consumers.
So here you admit what I am trying to say. Good job. But you dont know if they would become regular consumers or not. Some absolutely would. Ergo, a rise in use!!
/sheesh.
It reduced consumption initially, until the later years of prohibition when younger people ignored the law and drank anyway, then consumption returned more or less to pre-prohibition levels.
Only in heavily urban areas where the criminal element was more prevalent to break the law in regards to it.
In addition, Prohibition resulted in more hard liquor being consumed, since breweries for beer require more space than distilleries, and thus were harder to hide from the cops.
Yeah, but it also gave us the Ice Cream Sundae so all is forgiven.
Well, marijuana is pretty much a part of American culture nowadays (especially amongst the younger generations), so it only makes sense to legalize it.
Well, if its such a part of our culture, then it should pass muster in California without any problems then.
Pray tell, what have you seen pot do to people?
Mostly it makes them stupid and irresponsible. Its often used with other drugs as well, however, someone with say a single marijuana positive probably has a better chance at being retained than being positive for any other illegal drug.
I'm talking about the pot here, not drug tests or cops or military restrictions or whatever.
The basis is that marijuana is far, far less harmful than alcohol. This has been factually proven.
Still not a reason for it to be legalized....and what happens if, upon legalization, and far more widespread use, we see people being harmed in using it? Because thats part of the problem of alcohol..its widespread use and abuse. Make pot legal and it too could very well be abused in the same manner as alcohol. What then?
There are many substances legal today that are given away like candy by physicians and what not that are far more harmful than alcohol and for that matter marijuana as well.
Actually, they are still controlled substances, and if used outside of their proscribed range, just as illegal as pot. For example, the oxycontin/oxycodone abuse in Florida. Prescription pills used illegally.
With that in mind, why in the hell is marijuana illegal? Public safety/health obviously has nothing to do with it...
I am sure you have a great conspiracy theory about it.
Except it's been shown that marijuana isn't as "damaging" as alcohol or tobacco. In fact, it's been used as a medicine for thousands of years.
So have other medicines. It doesnt mean they should be sold over the counter or easily bought, however.
Also, think of the economic benefits that could be reaped not just from marijuana but also hemp. Many of our friends across the pond and to the North have already legalized industrial hemp, and are quite literally laughing at our stupidity while they sell us hemp products that we can't make ourselves in this country.
I am sure they thank Woody Harrellson for the contribution to their economy.
Let me ask you something. Did you only deal with those who had a drug problem while in the army, or did you deal with casual users as well?
Since there is no such thing as a 'casual user' in the eyes of the military, both. You are either an illegal drug abuser...or your're not.
Cause it seems to me like it'd be pretty damn hard to find casual drug users in the army. I mean, if you're ever caught doing drugs in the army, they probably kick you out or something, right? If not, the consequences must be severe.
No, actually, its quite easy to find them. We make them pee in a cup with no advance notice that its going to happen, and its done randomly. Pee is sent off to a lab, screened and the results are back within a month. Those that test positive over a certain limit (to week out false positives or secondary exposure) are processed for administrative separation.
And you were dealing with problem people in the army, right? I bet you came across casual drug users and didn't even know it. The only people that registered in your mind as "pot users" or "drug users" were the people who had addiction problems of some sort - and messed up lives.
Nope. I have seen them from one extreme to the other. Sometimes we actually do give people second chances, and young guys that took a hit at a party once while drunk are prime candidates to get another chance. They get a chance to turn it around. If they dont, and end up positive again, there is no take backsies....they get booted most promptly.
