Fo Shizzle Wrote:

Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:One big reason why pot is an entry drug is because of the way the distribution system is set up.

Your pot dealer can be your crack dealer, and he has a vested interest in moving you up the scale.

If pot were legal and crack weren't, then the same person presumably would not supply both, and the link would be broken.

Bingo...The way dealers introduce other drugs to users are...free samples...Take out the link in the chain and remove that gateway.

I have to say I'm on the radical side of the this argument. As long as a person is not harming another person by their drug use....It's not my business what they do to alter their state of reality.

The vast majority of crime is the direct result on the prohibition of drug use. Prohibition ALWAYS causes crime and violence in the black market.

I advocate the decrim of ALL drugs in favor of education and treatment. To lock up someone for altering their state of reality is immoral.

Why are Pharmacists allowed to sell dangerous drugs and a dealer on the street cant sell a harmless plant?...Well...We know answer...Pharmacists have a government granted monopoly on drug dealing.

One of the major reasons that drugs should be legalized and controlled as other drugs are is the fact that professionals in the free market have a greater concern for the quality,dosage and potency of the drugs they sell. Information to users as to dosages and the assurance of substance purity would greatly decrease OD cases...Most ODs occur because of the varying strength and toxic additives put into black market drugs to increase profit margin.

The War on Drugs has been a horrible failure and we can NOT afford the cost of this war. It is time that we stop putting people in cold cages and start using sensible free market solutions to work on this issue.

To say that marijuana is not harmless is just not correct.

Medical and Scientific research have proven it is harmful.

Twenty or Thirty yaers ago I would have agreed with you, but research has clearly proven otherwise.

"Ain't got no stems and seeds that you don't need. Acapulco Gold is bad @$$ weed".

West Is the Best Wrote:

Fo Shizzle Wrote:

Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:One big reason why pot is an entry drug is because of the way the distribution system is set up.

Your pot dealer can be your crack dealer, and he has a vested interest in moving you up the scale.

If pot were legal and crack weren't, then the same person presumably would not supply both, and the link would be broken.

Bingo...The way dealers introduce other drugs to users are...free samples...Take out the link in the chain and remove that gateway.

I have to say I'm on the radical side of the this argument. As long as a person is not harming another person by their drug use....It's not my business what they do to alter their state of reality.

The vast majority of crime is the direct result on the prohibition of drug use. Prohibition ALWAYS causes crime and violence in the black market.

I advocate the decrim of ALL drugs in favor of education and treatment. To lock up someone for altering their state of reality is immoral.

Why are Pharmacists allowed to sell dangerous drugs and a dealer on the street cant sell a harmless plant?...Well...We know answer...Pharmacists have a government granted monopoly on drug dealing.

One of the major reasons that drugs should be legalized and controlled as other drugs are is the fact that professionals in the free market have a greater concern for the quality,dosage and potency of the drugs they sell. Information to users as to dosages and the assurance of substance purity would greatly decrease OD cases...Most ODs occur because of the varying strength and toxic additives put into black market drugs to increase profit margin.

The War on Drugs has been a horrible failure and we can NOT afford the cost of this war. It is time that we stop putting people in cold cages and start using sensible free market solutions to work on this issue.

To say that marijuana is not harmless is just not correct.

Medical and Scientific research have proven it is harmful.

Twenty or Thirty yaers ago I would have agreed with you, but research has clearly proven otherwise.

"Ain't got no stems and seeds that you don't need. Acapulco Gold is bad @$$ weed".

When vaporized or ingested, cannabis is a pretty harmless substance. Prohibition has led to the methods that are being used today, including mixing it with tobacco. Without prohibition, the free market would provide methods of use that would greatly reduce the side effects of cannabis. As with any drug, not everyone should use cannabis. There are some individuals that can not tolerate the effects and suffer from cannabis psychosis. They should not use the drug at all.

Lets keep in mind that the government has a vested interest in keeping the public paranoia concerning cannabis going. Pot is a cash cow for the legal system in the US. Positive studies concerning cannabis and its health benefits are not pushed.

Cannabis is considered less of a health risk than both tobacco and alcohol despite its poor method of use.

Cannabis has also shown to show health benefits ranging from...increased appetite,nausea reduction,pain reduction and depression treatment. Studies are ongoing that show promise using cannabanoids as cancer treatments.

Prohibition is holding back research of this plant that may well prove one day to be extremely beneficial to man.

West Is the Best Wrote:

Fo Shizzle Wrote:

nomad2u2001 Wrote:Why it is illegal here is what boggles my mind.

Ok....It's pretty simple. In 2007..by FBI stats....775,000 Americans were arrested for "simple possession" of pot...The total number of drug arrests was 872,000 total.

So...88.8% of drug arrests in the US were for simple possession of weed....I hope my math is correct.

Anyway...The point is...that THIS IS A CASH COW FOR THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM!!!!! and the revenue that is generated by just simple possession of weed is enormous.

I have a friend that got popped for this $hit and it cost him about $5000 to get out of this. Here in SCNC that is probably cheap...but...let just use that figure anyway....SO...775K arrests x $5k = 3.875 BILLION $ in profits for the court system and attorneys.

Weed arrests are the "health" of the police state. 4 billion dollars buys lots of drug sniffing dogs, assault rifles,armored vehicles and other nonsense.....ALL THANKS TO THE VILIFICATION OF A HARMLESS PLANT!!!

The reason pot is not legal is simple...MONEY...for the Police State.

So what is the street price for an average quality ounce these days?

In my college days a "lid" (ounce) was $10.00. Cheaper if you didn't inhale like Bill Clinton.

I could not tell you. I have not used cannabis in 25 years. I chose not to use it after college. I came to the realization that I am a person with a mild additive personality and I liked pot...A LOT. I knew that I could not achieve the things that I wanted in life if I continued using cannabis. I know lots of people that carry on very productive lives and use cannabis. I cant do that. My motivation level for achievement does not exist while using pot. Eating and watching TV would become my major focus.

So...Vodka and tonic is my drug of choice these days. When I retire in a few years....I intend to return to using cannabis recreationally.

GrayBeard Wrote:Hmm, so legalizing pot would put the crack dealer out of business?

Of course not...but...Those seeking pot would not go to a crack dealer.
Why would someone by from an uncontrolled black market when they could buy a quality,consistent product from a professional vendor.
Keep in mind that most often the crack dealer is the one that propagates his business by "giving" samples to users in order to get them hooked. That is the real gateway of the black market.

I'd like to see all drugs decriminalized and controlled...but...I know that is unlikely. Starting with cannabis would be a step in the right direction.
Police could then spend their time approaching the hard street drug trade instead of busting peaceful people to extort money from them.