so any guess on how long til the feds raid the pot shops?

[billt]

My last comment on this subject..

I smoked dope for nearly twenty years or more.  I was a productive member of society then as I am now!  I'm not a dependent addict waiting for a handout.  I'll make 80K this year without working too hard for it and will for the foreseeable future now that I'm working again!

My contention in all of this hullabaloo is that people addicted to anything have addictive personalities and therefor will be addicted to anything they abuse.  Doesn't matter what the substance is...

We have a country of stupid, dependent and addictive personalities.  We've bred it into them...those who smoked dope in the sixties, dropped acid, took a bit of speed to stay awake or drank copious amounts of single malt are CORPORATE AMERICA TODAY, FOLKS!

The hippies from Woodstock became some of the most materialistic of the bunch over the last four or five decades so to suggest that everyone who's ever partaken in refer madness is a unproductive slug is just ludicrous and narrow minded ignorance...

Marijuana isn't nearly as harmful as alcohol.  Should you try and drive, work, or otherwise perform complex tasks while under the influence? 

Nope...that would be stupid!

While all of that may in fact be true as it pertains to you and a few others "back in the day", today's society in general reflects a different picture. Even with Marijuana going through this current, half assed, "pseudo legalization" process, a host of issues has surfaced the pro pot crowd screamed wouldn't.

1.) Crime rates are soaring around the areas of these dope shops.

2.) Cost, which was supposed to drop because of legalization, is as high or in many cases higher because it's production and sale is regulated to death as a direct result of government intervention.

3.) Children are easily getting it from people who buy it "legally" from these dope shops, then sell it to kids for profit.

4.) DUI arrests, along with traffic accidents are soaring from people driving under the influence of "legal" dope, in these states like Washington who have legalized it.

5.) Burglary and theft of pot from these dope shops is a regular occurrence. These dope shops have limited hours and security when compared to modern pharmacies.

And several other issues that are all negatives, adding to an already problem plagued society that can't compete any longer in the world market place. Another thing you forget when comparing todays problems to the 60's, is the dope being produced today is over 20 times stronger than the pot that was used in the 60's and before. This is all "hybrid dope" with a much higher intoxicating chemical yield, than could have been achieved back then.

Add all this up and it just creates more problems and expense that this country neither wants, needs, or can afford. And as far as the whole alcohol argument. Look at it. We spend a fortune on "alcohol recovery", which is legal. Pointing to one problem in order to justify yet another worse one, does not make for a very convincing argument.

[Solus]

While all of that may in fact be true as it pertains to you and a few others "back in the day", today's society in general reflects a different picture. Even with Marijuana going through this current, half assed, "pseudo legalization" process, a host of issues has surfaced the pro pot crowd screamed wouldn't.

1.) Crime rates are soaring around the areas of these dope shops.

2.) Cost, which was supposed to drop because of legalization, is as high or in many cases higher because it's production and sale is regulated to death as a direct result of government intervention.

3.) Children are easily getting it from people who buy it "legally" from these dope shops, then sell it to kids for profit.

4.) DUI arrests, along with traffic accidents are soaring from people driving under the influence of "legal" dope, in these states like Washington who have legalized it.

5.) Burglary and theft of pot from these dope shops is a regular occurrence. These dope shops have limited hours and security when compared to modern pharmacies.

And several other issues that are all negatives, adding to an already problem plagued society that can't compete any longer in the world market place. Another thing you forget when comparing todays problems to the 60's, is the dope being produced today is over 20 times stronger than the pot that was used in the 60's and before. This is all "hybrid dope" with a much higher intoxicating chemical yield, than could have been achieved back then.

Add all this up and it just creates more problems and expense that this country neither wants, needs, or can afford. And as far as the whole alcohol argument. Look at it. We spend a fortune on "alcohol recovery", which is legal. Pointing to one problem in order to justify yet another worse one, does not make for a very convincing argument.

Bill, could not all of these issues apply equally to the legalization of alcohol? 

[billt]

Bill, could not all of these issues apply equally to the legalization of alcohol?

They most certainly could. As I said pointing to bad behavior in order to justify more bad behavior doesn't make for a convincing argument. The fact is we've allowed booze to become big business in this country. I'm not saying we should go back to prohibition any more than I'm suggesting to legalize pot. Both are bad. We have examples of how "legalized" pot is causing problems that the pro pot people said would never materialize. That is reason enough for me to be against it's legalization. Intoxicants do nothing to benefit man. They decrease brain function, and destroy reaction time. Look at drivers who are under the influence of any or all of these. How is any of this a positive attribute to mankind?

[Solus]

They most certainly could. As I said pointing to bad behavior in order to justify more bad behavior doesn't make for a convincing argument. The fact is we've allowed booze to become big business in this country. I'm not saying we should go back to prohibition any more than I'm suggesting to legalize pot. Both are bad. We have examples of how "legalized" pot is causing problems that the pro pot people said would never materialize. That is reason enough for me to be against it's legalization. Intoxicants do nothing to benefit man. They decrease brain function, and destroy reaction time. Look at drivers who are under the influence of any or all of these. How is any of this a positive attribute to mankind?

Are you saying we should start making our laws based on what has a positive attribute to mankind?

[billt]

Are you saying we should start making our laws based on what has a positive attribute to mankind?

We've been doing that since the dawn of time. I'm more concerned about getting rid of laws that do the same. Understand, I don't really care who destroys themselves with this crap. I just don't think others should have to pay to clean up their mess. We always do. As far as I'm concerned, they can be tossed down a hole and left to rot. I can't see always having to subsidize someone else's self destruction. And it's always the less affluent who manage to do this.

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

From Timothy.

"My contention in all of this hullabaloo is that people addicted to anything have addictive personalities and therefor will be addicted to anything they abuse.  Doesn't matter what the substance is...

We have a country of stupid, dependent and addictive personalities.  We've bred it into them...those who smoked dope in the sixties, dropped acid, took a bit of speed to stay awake or drank copious amounts of single malt are CORPORATE AMERICA TODAY, FOLKS!

The hippies from Woodstock became some of the most materialistic of the bunch over the last four or five decades so to suggest that everyone who's ever partaken in refer madness is a unproductive slug is just ludicrous and narrow minded ignorance..."

that's pretty much all there is to say on the subject.

[brushmore]

What I find ironic is the war on smoking tobacco but some how weed is ok?  I have no intention of smoking either one but this really struck me:

http://newsfeed.time.com/2014/01/08/high-class-dining-colorado-restaurant-introduces-weed-and-food-pairing-menu/

Good luck trying to finding a restaurant now days where you can smoke tobacco during your meal.

[billt]

What I find ironic is the war on smoking tobacco but some how weed is ok?  I have no intention of smoking either one but this really struck me:

http://newsfeed.time.com/2014/01/08/high-class-dining-colorado-restaurant-introduces-weed-and-food-pairing-menu/

Good luck trying to finding a restaurant now days where you can smoke tobacco during your meal.

Good point. And tobacco is not illegal. Light a joint and everyone cheers. Do the same with a cigarette and they're ready to kill you.

[Timothy]

From Timothy.

"My contention in all of this hullabaloo is that people addicted to anything have addictive personalities and therefor will be addicted to anything they abuse.  Doesn't matter what the substance is...

We have a country of stupid, dependent and addictive personalities.  We've bred it into them...those who smoked dope in the sixties, dropped acid, took a bit of speed to stay awake or drank copious amounts of single malt are CORPORATE AMERICA TODAY, FOLKS!

The hippies from Woodstock became some of the most materialistic of the bunch over the last four or five decades so to suggest that everyone who's ever partaken in refer madness is a unproductive slug is just ludicrous and narrow minded ignorance..."

that's pretty much all there is to say on the subject.

And I used all them polysyllabic words from higher learning to make my point, too! 



Heh, heh...

[kmitch200]

From Timothy.
"My contention in all of this hullabaloo is that people addicted to anything have addictive personalities and therefor will be addicted to anything they abuse.  Doesn't matter what the substance is...
We have a country of stupid, dependent and addictive personalities.  We've bred it into them...those who smoked dope in the sixties, dropped acid, took a bit of speed to stay awake or drank copious amounts of single malt are CORPORATE AMERICA TODAY, FOLKS!

The hippies from Woodstock became some of the most materialistic of the bunch over the last four or five decades so to suggest that everyone who's ever partaken in refer madness is a unproductive slug is just ludicrous and narrow minded ignorance..."

that's pretty much all there is to say on the subject.

Indeed, Tim nailed it pretty well.
We've thrown Hundreds of Billions of tax dollars at the problem, (whle drug cartels take in hundreds of billions),  militarized our police forces that have murdered innocent people, had our Constitution raped, imprison more people than any country on the planet and when that strategy is clearly not functional, trying to do something else is just too frightening or not cost effective. 

Strange how those that say "Look at this! How much is this going to cost me?" and show an example of some drug addict that is destroying themselves, stealing, etc. as if these are examples of SUCCESS in the "War on Drugs"....or...something.