[excon]

Hello:

The ACLU of Washington has producted a 30 minute infomercial on pot legalization. Rick Steves, the travel guru who has a show on PBS is the host. It's only available here so far, but I'll bet it shows up on YouTube in short order.

Marijuana | It's time for a conversation » Home

Is this a good thing?

excon

[NeedKarma]

I don't smoke but I find it cool that Rick Steeves is the host/moderator. I've watched his travel shows quite a bit... who knew?

BTW it won't be long before this is on youtube/GoogleVideo/Bittorrent. The viral aspect of this will probably take off.

[excon]

I find it cool that Rick Steeves is the host/moderator. I've watched his travel shows quite a bit....who knew?

Hello NK:

I knew. He's appeared at the Seattle Hemp Fest and has been a long time supporter of legal marijahoochie. Here is a video of him being interviewed by an excop at a Norml conference.

YouTube - Rick Steves Smokes Pot

excon

[Fr_Chuck]

Yes, make it and maybe a few other things legal, tax it and fund perhaps health care or some other program. That would allow the drug agents to zoom in on the serious and dangerous drugs.

[kindj]

Despite the fact that I grew up listening to The Grateful Dead, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Rush, etc. once upon a time, I'd say, "Not just no, but HE!! no!"

Now though, I'm not so sure. These days I can look back with a bit more perspective. After the USSR fell and after we whipped Saddam back to Iraq, the good ol' US of A was looking for ways to justify the staffing levels that existed in units like mine. They ended up turning us loose on the dopers in Central America, and some in California. Yeah, I know you can't use troops for law enforcement, but they found a way around it. Anyway, I got to work with a lot of DEA guys, most of whom were OK. Some were real P's of S, but you find that almost everywhere. Anyway, to make a long story short, we busted far more marijuana haulers than anything else, and they were pretty easy folks to get along with. When we did bust a coke runner or kill a meth lab, that was nasty, nasty stuff.

I'm not going to sit around here and say that pot isn't harmful. I will say, however, that the risks it carries are comparable (different, but comparable) to alcohol use and tobacco use, both of which are completely legal--and taxed EXTREMELY heavily.

So I got to agree with the Padre--go ahead and legalize marijuana, tax it, and put the money somewhere good. Being a teacher, I say bolster public education, as that's where we're sorely lacking in this country. There's probably a lot of other things that could benefit from that money. Shoot, throw it back into law enforcement to help the cops bust the guys that are making the REALLY bad stuff.

I don't necessarily like marijuana, but truth be told the only reason I haven't tried it is because it is illegal. Legalize it, and I'll most likely have a go at it, just to see what the big deal is.

I feel that my personal preferences will not change, though: I still love a good Irish beer and Italian and French wines. At least they won't make me cough...

[shygrneyzs]

Make pot legal but then decide how much is legal and how much is not legal? Two plants? That ought to hold the average person for awhile. Ten plants? Twenty plants? Then ask if the home grower is just growing for their personal use, medicinal use, or to sell to underage people.

I am not against legalizing pot but I can see a kettle of trouble. AS with anything!

[speechlesstx]

Ex,

If they legalize it you'll just have to deal with the anti-smoking tyrants :D

It seems we've had this conversation before somewhere. Personally I don't see the weed as that big of an issue, I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to legally sit on your deck and have at it. Some of our DPS troopers around here will have to find a new specialty if they legalize it, they seem to have a knack for sniffing it out along I-40 - 486 pounds a few days ago if I recall.

Steve

[kindj]

"How is the latest Beaujolais season? I haven't gotten around to giving it a go."

They're off to a good start. Harvesting began early this year (in August in some fields), and September was kind enough to be rather warm.

Their official site gives more detail, but essentially promises this year's stock will be quite good, indeed.

Beaujolais wine: French wine, tourism in Beaujolais wines

[templelane]

Legalize them all even crack and heroin, tax them like tobacco and alcohol but make sure to undercut the black market. That way you decrease the funding to many terrorist and organised crime outfits. You would have to redirect police activity from drugs into the areas of arms and people trafficking as these organisations will still want to make money and I believe these will be the main replacements.

With government control over the quality of recreational drugs there will be less deaths and less strain on healthcare systems. There are a lot of drugs which are stupidly dangerous because they are often dog worming tablets or other rubbish instead.

I think the hardest moral part is deciding who gets to distribute the drugs. Is it against a doctor's Hippocratic oath to sell heroin to an individual when they know it will harm them? Is it for doctors at all? Would you need government drug dealers or would they be available without prescription? Would a person's health insurance premiums be higher depending on their drugs of choice?

Perhaps cannabis is a good starting drug to test these situations.

[Dark_crow]

I've been listening to the “Chatter” of the possibility of legalizing Pot for 40 years and more…I've felt hope after hope smashed to pieces…I'll believe it when I see it.

[tomder55]

The Dutch tried it and it backfired on them .Consumption tripled . There has since been a backlash and now 73% of Dutch towns have banned those famous cannabis cafes.

Professor Hamid Ghodse, president of the INCB, said: "There has been a crucial and significant change in the Dutch cannabis policy. They now say for the first time that cannabis is not harmless and that coffee shops are not blameless."

Among the measures being introduced is a pilot scheme in the province of Limburg which bans foreigners from buying drugs in coffee shops, to kill the trade in tourists coming over the nearby borders with Germany and Belgium. A study is being made of strong forms of cannabis, which is likely to lead to a ban of these varieties. In addition the police are targeting people who grow cannabis at home.

AMSTERDAM FALLS OUT OF LOVE WITH COFFEE SHOPS AS LIBERAL STANCE ON DRUGS BEGINS TO CRUMBLE

The Canadians have also been trying decriminalization. The drug's use had been steadily dropping there but now usage levels are back up to where they were in the 1970s... doubling since 1994 . Experts say that the kids got mixed messages about the dangers of the drug at the same time it was being decriminalized. Clearly the "education " factor will not work unless you have a consistent message behind it. This has coincided with an increase in the use of illegal injectable drugs in the country making one think that the gateway argument is a little more than a myth. The increase in taxes would not mitigate the great risks involved in going down the path of legalization .

[NeedKarma]

The Canadians have also been trying decriminalization. The drug's use had been steadily dropping there but now usage levels are back up to where they were in the 1970s .....doubling since 1994 . Experts say that the kids got mixed messages about the dangers of the drug at the same time it was being decriminalized.

I think it may be more to do with *smoking* as such. As an ex-smoker I've noticed the decline in numbers of smokers in general. Maybe the heavy taxation, the ban on indoor smoking in commercial areas and the general trend towards healthy living may be the bigger contributing factors.

[mirandycc]

Maybe it should be legalized, but what about the children of pot smokers? Have you ever seen a potsmoker try to take care of a child while high? Also, who's to help those kids? Have you ever heard of a contact high? If their parents are smoking pot, they are more than likely in the room also... where do you draw the line... I don't know if I am for or against legalization

[Dark_crow]

mirandycc

What about alcohol ….I think you are mixing issues. Irresponsible parentage is a different issue.

[mirandycc]

You are right... I just always think of children before everything else, and the consequences it would put on them

[tomder55]

No it is not irrelevant . She makes a very valid point about 2nd hand smoke.

[mirandycc]

I feel most things in life come hand in hand. U can not have one thing without it affecting another area. Maybe not affecting u but maybe someone else. I was just saying, if it were legalized... what about the children... just like a lot of people say if it were legal... more focus on heavier drugs... what is the difference? Please explain:) :confused:

[Dark_crow]

Careful with the assumptions Tom, it does not follow that with the legalization of Pot parents will smoke in the presence of their children.

[Dark_crow]

I feel most things in life come hand in hand. U can not have one thing without it affecting another area. maybe not affecting u but maybe someone else. I was just saying, if it were legalized... what about the children...just like a lot of people say if it were legal.... more focus on heavier drugs.... what is the difference? please explain:) :confused:

I think most people miss the point, some people enjoy the effects of pot and others don’t. Pot has been used by millions and millions of people and is still today. They will continue, where there is demand there will be supply. The issue is the criminalization of pot and why it is so. What is the reasons for criminalization, what purpose does it serve and what are the consequences? Those are the questions that people should be asking. The idea that it leads to the use of dangerous drugs is preposterous.

[mirandycc]

[ The idea that it leads to the use of dangerous drugs is preposterous.[/QUOTE]
The part where I said more focus on heavier drugs was meant to be, the law enforcement looking for the heavier drugs instead of marijuana