Another reason to love Cali

[Dino]

D03,

You mention the cost to society? What do you mean when you say that? How is marajuana worse than alcohol (alcohol being more addictive)?

Additionally there area many many industrial uses for hemp that are not able to be exploited because it is illegal to grow marajuana.

I have seen no medical information stating the marajuana is addictive therefore the notion that individuals commit crime to support marajuana usage is unfounded.

As long as it is illegal the law should be obeyed but I really don't understand the reason we devote so many resources to something so minor.

It's not that minor in all cases. Someone wealthy that stays at home doesn't have a huge impact on society as long as they're not losing opportunities to do the things they should be doing for their families. But in other cases, people lose everything and people lose time with their spouses and children that could be spent doing other things that are much more positive than a simple escape from reality that ends eventually.

Agreed 100% For those with existing drug problems, the "laws" are irrelevant, they have addiction problems and the LAW will never change how they are addicted.

Additionally, if you legalized coke right now, or meth or heroin etc. does that mean that the right minded people of the .Org are going to run out and get loaded, just because its legal? I know I wouldn't. I think its a false argument to say the REASON more people don't do drugs is BECAUSE they're illegal. I don't smoke cigarettes because I CHOSE not to (they're LEGAL too) because my education has taught me the potential long term consequences of abusing my body. Same with alcohol, again LEGAL, but something I vary rarely imbibe.

I can tell you a drug addiction I DO suffer from is Caffeine. I can't think of a day in recent history that I haven't had it in some form or other (coffee, soda, energy drink). After (some other .Org members gave me some advice/ educational reading) I learned that caffeine can have a severe connection to mood and health disorders I have cut WAY back and can honestly say I feel like a different person.




I can see you stance and respect your thoughts.

I think you're arguing a point from "current reality" with the new "reality"

It simply wouldn't make sense for someone to break into another person's house because they "grow good weed" in the "new reality" because it is devalued.

You could grow it yourself, buy it at the store, get it at a friend's house etc.

It would be like someone currently breaking into your house because you've got the good tomatoes or herb garden growing in your yard. Just doesn't make sense, because those items are available for sale on the open market.

You make my point when you talk about "if everyone grows pot then the price would drop by 1/3" Yes exactly, it would become cheap AND that money that we're currently giving to other countries and our own criminal black market would no longer exist.

I couldn't follow your point of drug crimes bringing in money in court costs, and providing jobs? If drug crimes failed to be crimes I can assure you that both police officers AND court officials would still have other crimes and criminals to keep them busy. And these "fines" that people pay for their drug offenses are FAR FAR outweighed by the money the criminal enterprises gain through drugs to fund more illicit activities.

If we no longer wasted so many of our law enforcement resources on a failed drug war we could spend those resources on other, more productive ventures, like EDUCATION on the realities of drugs and education in general.

Drugs right now are glamorous to kids, they hear about celebrities and all the cool "highs" they can get from trying drugs.

If they were taught something besides "just say no" such as WHY say no. I mean, show them the "faces of meth" slides, the strung out heroin people that are walking skeletons. Give them REAL facts about drugs. The myth that weed and heroin (both SCHEDULE ONE drugs) are equally bad (remember just say no) does a horrible disservice to our youth.

Finally, anyone that argues that "drugs would be more accessible to kids if they were legal" needs to think about where the drugs are now? In the schools. The kids ALREADY have the drugs, what needs to change to stop addiction is the WANT of them.

I don't argue kids should have drugs, in the same way they shouldn't have cigarettes or alcohol. I am advocating that they get PARENTING and a REAL education.

If meth were legal today, would anyone jump out of bed and go FINALLY, I've always wanted a meth addiction. No. If you take away the shame of addiction, people are more likely to seek help.

Okay, so that's my novel

From another way of looking at it, i believe marajuana has been proven beneficial as a pain reliever (stop snickering) and anti-inflamitory. How much would drug companies lose if we could make our own non-addictive (as compared to opiates and other perscription pain killers) pain killers. What about cancer patients, why no allow them any relief available?

I have never heard a substancial agruement against legalization. It is all based on bias and not on any real facts.

Absolutely nothing against you personally DO3 I just don't agree and I think all the money being spent on the "drug war" is being wasted (no pun intended) and could be better spent.

Let me also say that I absolutely do not advocate the illegal us of marajuana and even if I disagree with the money spent fighing the drug war, I fully support the folks out there on the front lines.

 

[dadofthree]

Cool, thanks for your response.

I guess my question is more of, do people believe a result (consequence, effect, benefit etc.) of legalization is that it takes away the black market for it?

Lets say someone's drug habit costs 100 X and there income is only 10 X or even 1 X, well they obviously must feed their habit somehow, and in current society, they resort to stealing, burglary, and other crimes (that D03 and other officers are forced to deal with and 'clean up', while still being professional, which is one thing strung out/messed up people are NOT)

I'm trying to "predict" the future if these drugs were legal, now that they no longer cost 100 X, they cost 10 X or maybe even 1 X, that these users would no longer have the NEED to commit these crimes.

I don't know if legalization would lower the cost of the product. Right now there's no taxes involved and you have no regulations on growing, producing, packaging, and transportation, and handling. Government will drive the cost up, they always do.

 

[wharthog3]

Let me also say that I absolutely do not advocate the illegal us of marajuana and even if I disagree with the money spent fighing the drug war, I fully support the folks out there on the front lines.

Yes, I'm not against officers enforcing whatever laws we have passes in legislation. I do have some issues with the laws, but as long as they ARE law, then enforcement is not a problem to me. (I have a criminal justice degree, just couldn't go into police line of work for this very reason, I don't believe in the laws they sometimes HAVE to enforce)

I don't know if legalization would lower the cost of the product. Right now there's no taxes involved and you have no regulations on growing, producing, packaging, and transportation, and handling. Government will drive the cost up, they always do.

Yep, gov. is good at doing that. But bottom line, I'd rather have our people give the money they're spending on drugs to our government, than to crime families, and violent drug cartels.