People pushing things on Americans in foreign countries is not new. They do it in Jamaica, the Bahamas & many other places.

 

How does the fact that they're pushing a fake drug prove that more people use hard drugs? Could it be that they know that Amsterdam has a certain stigma surrounding it with regards to drugs, and those fake dealers are putting their entrepreneurial skills to use?

 

They aren't pushing it on just tourists. It's pushed on anyone and everyone...

While not a popular stance in the "legalize it" camp, what I saw in Amsterdam makes your point. There were plenty of dealers on the street pushing what wasn't sold on the "up and up". And from what the locals told me, they were pushing false product for profit.

 

Very interesting debate when you get to the core of things...

When I was in London in '00 I was offered drugs by a guy on the street. I've been offered drugs by random people on the streets walking down Bardstown Road. I've been offered drugs by complete strangers at concerts. It happens everywhere, whether legal or not. They are a product just like anything else. And what you are saying about being a false product, that is a direct result of being on the black market. People sometimes don't know what they are getting and that is much more harmful than the actual drugs themselves.

Based on what exactly?

 

My opinion...

When I was in London in '00 I was offered drugs by a guy on the street. I've been offered drugs by random people on the streets walking down Bardstown Road. I've been offered drugs by complete strangers at concerts. It happens everywhere, whether legal or not. They are a product just like anything else. And what you are saying about being a false product, that is a direct result of being on the black market. People sometimes don't know what they are getting and that is much more harmful than the actual drugs themselves.

Right. My point was taking marijuana off the black market ups the ante on what the black market is pushing. Getting "fake" weed isn't anything like what is put in fake product of a much more chemical nature. Smoking oregano or snorting baking powder and then some..

My opinion...

 

The statistics would suggest otherwise.

The statistics would suggest otherwise.

 

And people I know would suggest the statistics are wrong....

 

Think about it, you make marijuana legal, the dealers are going to have to find something new to push, because they darn sure aren't going to all of a sudden become upstanding law abiding citizens. Those new things are going to be more dangerous illegal drugs.

And people I know would suggest the statistics are wrong....

 

Think about it, you make marijuana legal, the dealers are going to have to find something new to push, because they darn sure aren't going to all of a sudden become upstanding law abiding citizens. Those new things are going to be more dangerous illegal drugs.

 

I think the dealers are already dealing other drugs...

And people I know would suggest the statistics are wrong....

 

Think about it, you make marijuana legal, the dealers are going to have to find something new to push, because they darn sure aren't going to all of a sudden become upstanding law abiding citizens. Those new things are going to be more dangerous illegal drugs.

 

Legalizing marijuana would allow the government to tax it and make money off of it.

 

Legalizing marijuana would reduce a pretty significant amount of crime. It would limit the black market, thus making those drug dealers go find another job. Who's to say that they they'll just find a new, more dangerous drug to push? Most drug dealers don't want to make a career out of it, they're simply in it for the money. If you take the potential for big, untaxable money away then the interests in illegally pushing drugs is drastically minimized.

 

Legalizing marijuana would help with the problem of overcrowded prisons. Enforcing marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers an estimated $10 billion annually and results in the arrest of more than 829,000 individuals per year -- far more than the total number of arrestees for all violent crimes combined, including murder, rape, robberty & aggravated assault.

 

As President Jimmy Carter told Congress in 1977:

"Penalties against a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private, for personal use..."

I have an uncle who spent three years in jail for dealing pills. He was never a user. He started dealing marijuana then progressed to oxycotin (not sure of spelling) The reason he started dealing pills & quit MJ was profit. One pill of OC is more profitable than an ounce of pot. What I'm saying is dealers are gonna deal in what makes them the most money...I think. I personally don't have a problem with MJ.

My daughter is in college. I went to college 30 yrs ago so I have a pretty good idea of what goes on. I would much rather her smoke a joint than do shots of liquor. Especially if she is going to be stupid and try to drive. I don't want her to do either but this is 2008.

Legalize it and tax that. Then give Joe six pack some tax money back then the bailouts don't hurt as much. They still hurt !!!!!

It's pretty amazing that this relatively conservative website has almost 2/3 for not criminalizing marijuana use.

The A-No. 1 reason for legalizing weed is to clear out the prisons, and reduce the taxpayer expenditure of keeping non-violent offenders in prison. Too many people are locked up on ridiculous third-strike and other such anti-weed laws that it's clogging up our court and prison systems. It's simply a waste of taxpayer money when you weigh the inherent danger to society of pot dealers and pot users against the expense of pursuing and locking them up.

It's pretty amazing that this relatively conservative website has almost 2/3 for not criminalizing marijuana use.

 

I read somewhere that "marijuana is illegal because, well, it's just illegal."

And people I know would suggest the statistics are wrong....

 

Think about it, you make marijuana legal, the dealers are going to have to find something new to push, because they darn sure aren't going to all of a sudden become upstanding law abiding citizens. Those new things are going to be more dangerous illegal drugs.

 

Those "more dangerous illegal drugs" are out there right now. There's no sense in incriminating thousands so we can hide behind a smoke screen and tell people that we're winning the fight against drugs.

It's pretty amazing that this relatively conservative website has almost 2/3 for not criminalizing marijuana use.

I know...I was a little shocked myself.

I'm not entirely sure where I fall on this one. I chose the "decriminalization" option. I couldn't care less about users and street-level dealers and the government has better things to do with its time and our money than prosecute these people.

 

And, in the words of Daniel Tosh: "I think we should legalize all forms of marijuana use. That way, pot heads would have nothing to talk about ever again... you are SO ANNOYING!"