This man makes more sense than just about anyone. Just elect this guy already.

This guy is fun. You can feel his energy...Not to perfect, not to crazy.

Okay, so turn doctors into legal cocaine dealers, overload the non-existant universal healthcare system (where's that going to come from, strong desire?) with voluntary rehab for junkies, and give people one more legal thing to be intoxicated with behind the wheel, and teenagers one more legal thing to throw their lives away on. Not quite so well thought out, but I guess the important thing is getting that single point vote, right?

I rather think the important thing is giving people their fucking rights back.

What you do to your body is none of the government's fucking business (as long as it doesnt hurt or disturb someone else's rights). How would you like it if the government told you can't eat fatty cheeseburgers because those are conducive to heart attacks and outright banned them? What if we decided to outright ban all those donuts because they are also conducive to diabetes? It's the same concept, get it through your thick skull

Its not like banning them suddenly makes the problem go away? Have you noticed that? If a person wants to get their shit, its easy as that. If you legalize and regulate it, at least you can minimize on the rampant availability and save some money on this wasteful use of my and your tax dollars spent on housing druggies in our prisons and my and your tax dollars spent on enforcement in the farce of the 'war on drugs'

Whew, 'thick skull'... I guess I've been put in my place! Perhaps drugs are a touchy subject here (go figure). Let's avoid actually thinking about consequences, and go with the emotional response, always. Thinking deeply hurts; rebellion is cool!

It is of course your right to do whatever you want with your existence. But not so much when it affects the society you live in and the people around you. Not when you become a burden on healthcare or family; not when you drag down the workplace by being a derelict stoner; not when you drive under the influence and destroy lives, or teach your habits to the young; not when you have nothing to contribute to society but a numb brain. So in that sense we don't disagree. I think one lacking real experience with the subject tends to change once they know anyone adversely affected, be it through addiction, being killed or maimed by an intoxicated driver, or any of the other wonderful things drug abuse can bring to individuals, families, and communities.

And yes, that cheeseburger and donut should be banned, if it's government sponsored healthcare you want.

The original point remains; anyone voting for someone based on some single claim to legalize pot, or reduce your income tax (i.e., the same old lie), or save you money at the pump, is a flipping dope (edit: more appropriate term, hah) who doesn't deserve a vote.

I dont think being stoned at work is whats dragging down society. I think the policy of putting those stoners in jail is.

In what way? I don't necessarily disagree, I'd just like to hear actual reasons in addition to opinions.

Also, it depends on the work. If someone is stoned while painting a house, he'll probably hurt nothing but himself. If he's stoned while mixing concrete, I suppose there's some chance he could get the composition wrong and compromise the structure. If he's stoned while driving your kids to school...

There are countless reasons why Joe Anybody shouldn't have free access to elicit drugs. No one is saying Grampa Glaucoma shouldn't have free access to weed. Of course he should - many drugs have valuable medicinal use. But making heroin or cocaine readily available, or hell, even just pot to youngsters, is not going to bring about anything good, no matter how 'harmless' it is to just puff and chill out.

There are laws against underage drinking and smoking. Laws against public intoxication. Laws against drug dealing, possession and use. They're there for a reason, and not because jails are too empty. Yes, jail is not the right answer in most cases. But neither is putting it in everyone's hands. We're members of a society, and one that tries to come up with a set of rules that work toward the advantage of that society and its members. Not all of them are perfect... hell, many are just fucked up. But trying to keep individuals and families and the society itself protected from the myriad devastating effects of drug abuse isn't one of them, I don't think. Hell, 60% of this country (US) can't stop overeating to obesity, and the government actually had to step in to stop cigarette companies (bad guys, ooh!) from marketing to children, but we want drugs to be legal?

Why don't we just do away with law altogether, and trust that everyone will just play nice?

Well I sure hope anybody who chooses to be a bus driver for children also doesn't choose to drop acid before he starts his route. What you seem to be doing is considering the worst case scenario.

I don't like it that you think that as soon as drugs become legal every jim bob and harry will be puffing away. Alcohol was prohibited at one point too. It's legal now, civilization still stands.

I know a lot of good people who do drugs responsibly. I would hate to see them in jail. Thats why. Hell I smoke Marijuana all the time, I could go to jail.

Think of the money that is spend housing people in jail. That money could be spent on education. Marijuana has been around since for centuries, it's part of society. The fact that our society puts drugs in the same category as rape and murder has to change.

This documentary may blow your mind.
http://www.videosift.com/video/Grass-History-of-Marijuana-Documentary

Actually, let's not think about the consequences. Act according to correct moral principle only.

Accept that people own their own bodies and that's the end of the debate. Unless someone wants to argue that individuals belong to the state there is nothing else to be said.

All the consequential arguments on both sides, about the effect on families/society, drug driving, medicinal benefits, prison populations, etc. are utter, irrelevant, bullshit.

"The fact that our society puts drugs in the same category as rape and murder has to change."

I absolutely agree with the sentiment, but don't consider it accurate. They're not in the same category. The former gets people probation or fined or much more rarely short term incarceration. The latter gets people life and sometimes execution.

In the topic of DUI, why would we consider best case? The yearly death statistics don't tell us how many people didn't have fatal accidents, only those who did. Again, though, consider if it was your kid's busdriver.

Anyway, I guess we've gotten to the point. I agree that jail is not a good answer. But the opposing side wants to be able to smoke their weed. Many time-proven reasons are put forward every day about the ills of the act, but it should become legal for one reason alone: those protesting for it want to be able to get high, damnit!

"Accept that people own their own bodies and that's the end of the debate. Unless someone wants to argue that individuals belong to the state there is nothing else to be said."

This really doesn't show much thought ("Actually, let's not think about the consequences" - ah, yes), or paying attention to previous comments. You do own your body, but are not free to do whatever you want when you are part of a society. Please see above for examples of why. Society is a group of people agreeing to live together while trying to do the best for all. Not a group where a certain percentage tries to work hard and the rest loaf and live off others; not a group where some respect and obey established law while the rest steal and murder; not a group where a certain percentage tries to be responsible and productive while the rest walk around in a stoned haze.

Ah well, opposing sides on this will always exist. I'm sure eventually (soon?) stoners will get their way, and then we can but hope it works out alright.

We live in a drugs based society, anyone who doesn't realize it doesn't see the kids in school cracked out on Ritalin becuase everyone thinks ADHD is 'disease', while their soccer mums knock back Valiums to bear living with their husbands who are desperately trying to get a hard on from Cialis and Viagra. First what should happen is a total reform of the FDA to fully be able to administrate over what drugs are being produced. Pharmaceuticals have now taken to creating conditions that are not medical problems and providing medication for it, pushed through to citizens via rolling TV adverts and massive drugs guides in most popular magazines. Pick up a Reader Digest anytime. FDA needs power back to stop being run basically by Big Pharma lobby groups.

After that we must legalize drugs through the state because that will end the illegal supply from the underworld and end one of the longest running cash cows for illegal criminal activity. Once sanctioned through the state, we can start to slowly eliminate the problem with hardcore chemical dependences drugs such as crack cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. Simply the act of high supply at low prices will collapse the illegal trade in narcotics, at the same time the state can refer critical individuals to relevant support services, because when's the last time you seen your drug dealer take you to the first aid ward?

Marijuana and other naturalistic drug supplies are impossible to make illegal, nor does it warrant heavy attention from law enforcement because it's a small source of income and has to be sold in bulk if for profit. They are usually not affiliated with the heavy criminal underworld, and the large legal repercussions we have now mean that even first time offenders can feasible be locked up for possession of marijuana, the crime doesn't not fit with the consequences.

As per your statement about loss of people to drugs through legalization, that is really quite ridiculous, I mean we have alcohol as a major social killer in various ways, yet we understand that it's for consumption under controlled circumstances. Your argument makes it sound like when booze became legal back after the prohibition everyone was going to work pissed drunk. Holding a job down comes with responsibility, one of which is to be alert, you would lose that job instantly and won't be able to buy your legal supply so to say. This is besides the fact that any job these days that requires putting the lives of others at your disposal comes with mandatory drug tests.

This is the same thing we have seen happen with regards to the abolition of alcohol, we created an underworld under dubious moralistic judgments about what is good for society.

bizinichi's 2nd paragraph is dead-on.

and I would definitely let this guy drive my kids' bus:
http://www.videosift.com/video/I-forgotdoes-marijuana-really-impair-your-driving

However, I don't agree with this guy that a bigger sales tax isn't recessive. It definitely is, because the supplier receives the same price for a product; meanwhile, while the buyer pays more, thus reducing quantity demanded (=recession). It's ok when sales taxes are relatively small as they are now, but greatly increasing sales taxes across the board is extremely risky for the economy as a whole. Flat income tax is the way to go - simple and easy to enforce (= cheap to enforce), and of course taxes on specific goods such as liquor and legalized cannabis, perhaps even your beloved fatty double bacon cheeseburgers and donuts (to, yes, reduce quantity demanded, which would in turn also reduce healthcare costs in the long run). Additionally, the tax revenue from cannabis would be fucking phenomenal, and violent crime rates would likely take a dip, therefore not only reducing prison costs for all cannabis offenders, but some would-be violent criminals who opted to instead smoke a joint and chill the fuck out. Did I leave anything out?

*drugs

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*controversy

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