Pot is legal.

[Dieseler]

Originally Posted by Expatriate

Point is, the laws didn't prevent you from getting into "hard" drugs like coke when you were 14. But because of those very same laws, you could have gotten your life ruined over those mistakes if you had been caught (especially if you still did drugs after turning 18).

Way I see it, throwing people into dungeons and destroying their careers over a bad personal choice that only physically affects them is the very definition of getting "carried away". Besides, where exactly in the Constitution is the federal War on Drugs authorized? (and don't give me the "general welfare" excuse) Do you really think we'd be getting carried away if we made our government follow their own damn laws?

Why did Prohibition require a Constitutional amendment if the War on Drugs doesn't?

I agree.
I would like to see Pot out of the hands of drug dealers.

[ghengis86]

just for some perspective, try to find the number of people in the history of the world that have overdosed on THC/pot. then divide the number of people that overdosed on heroin/cocaine in the last week in the U.S. by the first number.

Everyone should be free to ingest whatever they want as long as they don't infringe on someone else's rights.

[gb13]

A far as I'm concerned, it's not legal until you can grow it on your own property.

[DamianTV]

How about finding the number of people that overdose on legal or prescription drugs as opposed to any illegal drugs. Take a wild guess as to which one is more.

By the way, did you know that you CAN overdose on Ibuprofen? It takes about 3000mg to shut down a persons liver. Then they die. Its an overdose. 3000 mg in a 24 hour period is really really pushing it and 4000 mg is pretty much suicide. It doesnt happen very much, only to 50,000 people per year in the US alone.

This is also a small victory, but ultimately I dont think this will end as well as it should. Reason being we were ALLOWED to win so this can be used as a case study. Dont get me wrong I am all for legalizing marijuana, but it has to be on a MUCH LARGER SCALE to have the intended effects that we want. IE get rid of crime, get rid of drug dealers, get rid of cops using drugs as an excuse, get rid of all the negative things that keeping marijuana causes. The problem is that its on too small of a scale, and people will flock to areas that pot is legal, at still very high prices (due to associated risk factors) and take what they just bought and sell it where it is still illegal (which adds cost due to risk) and make profit. Crime I suspect will increase because we give people the means to obtain a substance legally, make it illegal again, and provide and fund them with the tools they need to be criminals. Intent, and Money.

For the legalization of pot to work the way we all want it to work, it has to be done on the grandest scale. That means #1 getting the Federal Government to stop sticking its nose where it doesnt belong, and let the STATES legalize it, each and every state, all 50, one at a time. And do it at the same time. ALL, and I mean ALL criminal associations of marijuana need to be completely removed. You are driving around with a pack of marijuana cigarettes (legal, hypothetical) in your car, cop pulls you over, gives you a warning about speeding, notices the marijuana, and doesnt give a shit because its not a crime, be on your way. Its the only way it will work.

During the prohibition of alcohol, the border states of both Canada and Mexico ended up with Rum Runners. Why? The illegality of alcohol at the time created risk and higher profit margins, ending up wtih Mafias and real criminal gangs. I dont mean oh I got drunk Im now a criminal, I mean the ones that run around and fucking kill you because they saw you while they were doing somethign with alcohol. The soltion and the only solution is to fully legalize it. Press is going to have a field day with this and not let anyone who wants to legalize it ever live it down.

[TexanRudeBoy]

Originally Posted by CivilRadiant

question....

someone responded to me saying "decriminalized doesn't mean legal"...

I was under the impression that that is exactly what it means...

???

Decriminalized merely means its not an arrestable offense. In most places where under a certain amount is decriminalized you are issued a citation instead of having cuffs slapped on.

This is progress, but it still leaves all the power and money in the hands of criminals, and still maintains a massively corrupt "War on Drugs" (I include those who benefit from the drug war as criminals who the money and power is still left to). True legalization would see the product produced by legal growers, distributed, and sold in public. Profits in the hands of productive people, jobs, increased tax revenue, and decreased government spending on stopping it would all follow.

Most importantly the absurd loss of life, liberty, and property, and all the social damage done by waging a war against non-violent citizens would end.

[Jordan]

Decriminalized isn't even close to legalization. You don't go to jail, you just get a fat ticket of anywhere from $100-500.

Decriminalization is just another way for the state to make obscene amounts of money on something they know should be fully legal.