(07-17-2009 09:32 AM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  You are not exposing it to a new group. This idea that it's not readily available already is a joke.

There are people who won't do it now simply because it is illegal. If it is legal, more people would try it.

I've got an uncle damaged by years of pot use. He's the poster child for why it is not an innocent or harmless drug.

It's about time they did this. I don't really condone the use of pot, nor do I ever intend on doing it myself. But, I feel that people have the right to be stupid so long as they are only harming themselves.

(07-17-2009 10:30 AM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  

(07-17-2009 09:32 AM)HuskieFan84 Wrote:  You are not exposing it to a new group. This idea that it's not readily available already is a joke.

There are people who won't do it now simply because it is illegal. If it is legal, more people would try it.

I've got an uncle damaged by years of pot use. He's the poster child for why it is not an innocent or harmless drug.

I am sorry about your uncle, but he was apparently able to easily get the pot even though it was illegal.

If guns were legal, I would not buy one. If prostitution were legal, I would not use one. If pot were legal, I would not use it. There are millions like me. Just because it's legal does not mean that people will be lining up to get it who have not used it before.

Remember when Coors was not distributed in Illinois? Because it was unavailable, it made it a wanted commodity. When Coors distributed the beer in Illinois, the clamor for it dropped. Once Cuban cigars become legal here, do you think people will rush off to buy cases of them? Yes, initially there may be a surge, but it will quickly die off.

One of life's rules is: If you want something to be craved by the populace, make it illegal.

Pot is no different than alcohol. Some people use it recreationally, some get addicted and some use it too much.
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Agreed & that is the issue. You would be exposing new people to something they will get addicated to. If legal, more people will try & this would not be good for them.
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Yep and that is their choice to use or not. It is not the governments job to tell people what is right for them. If someone wants to get baked out of their skull, fine, their business, not the governments. It is hypocritical for the government to allow alcohol and cigarettes, both very dangerous drugs, but not marijuana, and even other drugs.

It is just a matter of time. Just like a 1A football playoff.

As long as I get my full cut of two state pensions I earned and contributed to for 33 years, I don't give a flying F how much Illinois borrows. After all, it's all about ME.

(07-16-2009 10:52 PM)cyberdawg Wrote:  So explain to me from where is Illinois borrowing money?

What exactly does it mean to the man in the street? Will the borrowing change any of our lives?

Few of us retirees to be will be getting filthy rich on pensions nor enjoying the level of perks belonging to state and federal lawmakers, cronies with connections or thieves from Wall Street meltdown who should be prosecuted for screwing over the financial system and the American worker, homeowner and taxpayer.

Explain in detail : Who wins and who loses when Illinois borrows and increases state debt?

If we have all become only about what's in it for me and not about us, why should I care at age 65 what happens twenty years down the road ?

It is a shell game. You take reduce the underfunded pension by $3 billion and move it to general obligation bonds. Then when the crooked politicians come up for re-election, they tell you that the pension deficit was reduced over the last couple of years but fail to mention that the general debt increase by the same amount.