Posted on 08/15/2018 9:06:53 AM PDT by fwdude
Using cocaine, heroin, meth, crack, LSD, et al is entirely un-American. Their production is dangerous not only to those producing them, but to anyone around the production area. If something goes wrong, there is strong possibility of explosion or other contamination that can hurt others - that can deprive others of their rights to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Marijuana, on the other hand, is no more dangerous than alcohol, in that aspect. If I grow a plant in my backyard, not only is it none of your business, but no one is hurt by that - no one loses their right to life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness. I pick the flowers and dry them in my kitchen - again, no one is hurt by that action. I smoke in the privacy of my own home? Nope, no one hurt, and it's no one's business what I do in the privacy of my own home.
At no point in the production of recreational/medical marijuana is there anything that puts anyone at risk. I don't have to cook it. I don't have to add chemicals. I simply grow, pick, dry and use it.
I don't condone legalization of any of the man-made, chemical heavy drugs. In fact, I advocate allowing addicts to die of overdose rather than using narcan. Fewer addicts = less demand. Less demand = less supply on the streets. I also strongly support the death penalty for anyone involved in the manufacture or sale of those types of drugs. They are dangerous in that they do not only affect the user, but also those around them.
“The whole thing is nothing more than an emerging industry that is seen by governments as a huge source of untapped tax revenue.”
______
If that were true, then governments would be leading the charge to legalize. Instead, they are dragging their feet, even in blue states.
The first 8 states (plus DC) to legalize did so by referendum. Politicians are way out of step with the people on this issue.
Thank you, brother.
In my layman's opinion, love is what beats the demon, because from love springs true happiness, and true happiness is what eludes the addict, so he fills that void with the false happiness provided by the high of drug use.
That is what is missing from the spirit of the addict, and that is what is provided by the Spirit of The Lord.
These girls are what The Lord blessed me with. He sent them into my life, and then the demon left.
The War On Drugs has been going on since the Nixon administration. It hasn’t worked.
What are the unintended consequences of the WOD?
No Knock Raids that kill innocents every year.
Our WOD can have the formation of the Narcocracies of Mexico and several South American countries laid at its feet.
The outlawing of marijuana and other recreational drugs may have been the impetus of the creation of methamphetamine and other more dangerous designer drugs.
The unrestrained use of civil forfeiture laws that lets law enforcement take position of property or money without the filing of any charges or recourse to courts.
The expansion of the Federal law enforcement behemoth. DEA, FDA and on and on. Our civil liberties have taken a beating in the name of the WOD.
I am not a drug user but it doesn’t mean I am in favor of giving the Feds the power to stop others from using them. I don’t want the Feds to have one bit more power than is necessary to fulfill their constitutionally designated responsibilities.
The War on Drugs has not measurably improved the quality of life of US citizens and has done immeasurable harm.
When the CSA was drafted, marijuana was put in Schedule 1 provisionally, pending the findings of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse:
"Some question has been raised whether the use of the plant itself produces "severe psychological or physical dependence" as required by a schedule I or even schedule II criterion. Since there is still a considerable void in our knowledge of the plant and effects of the active drug contained in it, our recommendation is that marijuana be retained within schedule I at least until the completion of certain studies now underway to resolve the issue."- Roger Egeberg, Asst. Secretary of Health
When the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse (Shafer Commission) recommended decriminalization, the Nixon administration said "meh," and did nothing about it. A congressional committee headed by Sen. James Eastland, whom Nixon considered an ally, recommended keeping it in Schedule 1. Sen. Eastland sounds like a guy you might admire.
This article is so full of crap it’s actually funny. In kind of a “Reefer madness” kind of way.
The ending part of the story of the woman coming out of a store gasping that “my daughter is dead” because some boy got her started smoking pot is not really a compelling argument. My guess is her daughter drank alcohol long before he got her hooked on the evil weed. But no one bats an eye at that.
The only thing this article does is demonstrate that the median age of Freepers has got to be about 80.
Please learn how to resize a photo.
That is exactly right.
A person can be become addicted to many things, some of them not even chemicals, but rather activities or patterns of behavior.
The fault does not lay outside the person, it’s on the inside. Some of us must do battle with our dark side, and it’s an epic battle, and sometimes the dark side wins.
In the end there is only one person who can win this battle, and that is the addict himself, and only one who can help the addict, and that is Jesus, because He is also within the addict.
THAT is why my own state is moving very slowly on this. If legalizing marijuana doesn't produce a huge pile of tax revenues, then that defeats the whole purpose of legalization (as far as the political leadership is concerned).
I’ve known more people who’ve gone to jail for drinking than pot. Sending someone to jail for possession of pot for personal use is just the dumbest thing the government could do. Complete waste of money.
I'm not following your line of reasoning, so I can't answer your question.
CO sells more than $1B worth of pot a year. The numbers don’t support a claim of 80% black market sales, at least in CO. Got a link to the study?
As an aside, we would be doing a lot more favors droning the shit out of the cartels than we do hitting weddings in Yemen. How long would the “drug problem” be a problem If being the #2 guy in Sinaloa was a job measured in hours?
I’m on a phone here and have a hard time posting links, but I’ll track it down later. There was an interesting thread here on the subject when the study results were reported in the media.
“The root cause of this problem is in the spirit, and the solution is also there.”
This is a basic tenant of AA. I have seen the spiritual awakening in people involved with AA. The steps do work, but the rigorous honesty thing is tough for a lot of people.
The 12 steps could solve a ton of problems in this world, for the sober and the addict.
“Well, ban or not, consider some implications, it is illegal federally.”
Sounds like the problem is federal usurpation and ignoring the bill of rights.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3638889/posts
AA is a good thing for many people.
I am not sure it would have worked for me, because as a drug user, I would have gone to NA, and knowing myself at the time I probably would have just looked for new connections in the group from which to score more drugs.
My battle had to be fought alone, but that may not be the case for all.
But yes, the 12 Steps are legit, and the entire conflict begins and ends within one’s spirit.
I am not sure how one who does not believe in the spirit tackles the problem of addiction. I just don’t know.
Drug test ALL politicians who wish to run for office . If they fail they should not be allowed to run . Random drug tests for those whom hold elected office . If they test positive , they need to be fired/relieved , with loss of all government retirement benefits , etc
No worries. What I was alluding to is the government spends lots of tax payer dollars in enforcing marijuana laws. I sat on a jury once when a 70 something person was arrested for possession of a couple ounces of marijuana in his home. So we spent lot of time in court and the perp was convicted. What made an impression on me was the court costs when you include the judge, bailiff, recorder, cops in court, lawyer given to defendant by government, prosecutors, jury time with stipend, cost of court building, and the cost of jailing the defendant. He had not attacked anyone, but was a bit of a jerk.
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