Comments on: Why not de-criminalize marijuana use?

By: Gordon

Gordon — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:19:09 +0000

There is so much self-righteousness on the negative side of this debate. Many of those against legalization/decriminalization keep pointing to irrelevant subjective observations like ‘potheads are lazy.’ But really the sensible way to look at this is: does pot smoking have a direct victim other than the person who chooses to use it? The answer is no. It is more dangerous (medically) than other already legal substances? Again, no.

If our having the freedom to choose to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes (addictive and therefore more dangerous substances) is OK, then why is smoking pot not OK? How can the restriction on our freedom as a society be justified?

I don’t smoke pot, although I have tried it. If you don’t want to smoke pot, then don’t. But don’t insist that others don’t. People should be able to choose, and not be put in jail for doing something harmless.

By: Avery

Avery — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:25:41 +0000

Most of the comments on this board simply show why the GOP has collapsed. Most “conservatives” are so completely hijacked by backward social issues that they fail to see the “free-market”, “limited regulation” views that won Reagan office.

Enjoy being preempted by the DNC, and eventually reformers in the GOP will send you on your way.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:32:04 +0000

I think it would be smart of us to get it over with leagalize it or not either way i can still get it and so can most people so it doesnt matter at all smoking pot isnt a bad thing but drinking is i dont drink at all and my lifes great people shouldn’t be ashamed to smoke pot most people have plus if it was legal it would probaly be more expensive

By: lemonto

lemonto — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:53:03 +0000

Wow, half of you are total idiots. Pot should be decriminalized because of many reasons, first, the only reason pot was made illegal is because the hemp from it had better use than the cotton and would destroy the cotton industry, same with smoking, it would most likely destroy the tobacco industry. Second reason, POT ISN’T BAD! who cares if a couple of stoners get high! It has been scientifically proven that marajuana makes you less aggressive than even being sober. Third, what does smoking tobacco do for you? It does many harmful things like cause cancer in several parts of your body, and puts tar into your lungs and messes you up, literally taking away your life. What des alchohol do? It destroys your liver and even can ruin your family, i would know, my parents divrced when i was a kid because my dad was an alchoholic. what does pot do o your body, just calm you down a bit and sometimes fight diseases. Which leads me to this, ask yourself this, how can the use of marajuana cause cancer, when people wjho have cancer use it to fight that very disease. It has been proved that marajuana actually targets and kills cancer cells! how is that bad to me, because that looks like a lot that proves alot of your comments WRONG. To top all this off, is shows alot of you are nieve because i know all this and im 14 and i dont just listen to people, if someone tells me somthing, i look it up, and not on wiki or somthing, trusted organizations lke ajc, fox news and other websites from companies and organizations like that

By: INOSH

INOSH — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:28:07 +0000

In a document produced by the King County Bar Association, a deliberative body made up of well-informed lawyers hypothesizing that if the State of Washington controlled the distribution of currently illegal drugs, it could reduce crime by drying up the illegal markets for illicit drugs; improve public health by focusing state efforts on treating, rather than imprisoning, addicts; and protect children better by cutting down on the black-market drugs available to them while also cutting down on the incentive of drug gangs to lure children into black-market drug work. This could end up, in practice, being far more restrictive than the current drug-control regime.
You can’t overcome something by resisting it; what you resist, will persist. We need a need to give politicians and civic leaders a new way of thinking about some laws because many silently doubt the current laws efficacy efficacy. “…Not until we choose to frame responsible drug use—not an oxymoron in my dictionary—as a civil liberty will we be able to recognize the abuse of drugs, including alcohol, for what it is: a medical, not a criminal, matter.” (-Former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper).

By: macbags

macbags — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:23:18 +0000

The drugwar war keeps the people from joining hands, we live in fear of
our neighbors and cops. Big boys are laughing predicting it all.

By: macbags

macbags — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:10:31 +0000

As was predicted back in the old days during the pot festivals, these
wealthy people are stupid. Only kidding, they keep it going to keep as
divided I think is what one guy was explaining. I’ll never forget that.
Thats how they keep power in a democracy besides paying of the races.

By: malcolm kyle

malcolm kyle — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:21:01 +0000

Like it or not, there has never been and nor will there be a drug-free society. The use of addictive or recreational drugs is a natural part of human society. Nobody here is claiming that any substance is beneficial for either the individual or society. It is true however that certain substances help the soul heal and relieve pain, while others provide short-term relief from a monotonous existence at the risk of possible long-term health problems.

An important aspect of Individual freedom is the right to do with yourself as you please, as long as your actions cause no unreasonable or unnecessary suffering or direct harm to others. Many among us may disagree with this, and they should be free to belief what they wish, but the moment they are willing to use force to impose their will on the rest of us, is the exact same moment that the petty criminals/dealers, the Mafia, drug barons, terrorists and corrupt government officials/agencies enter the equation. The problems created by self harm then rapidly pale into insignificance as society spirals downwards into a dark abyss, while the most shady characters and ‘black-market corporate entities’ exponentially enrich themselves in a feeding frenzy likened to that of piranhas on bath-tub meth.

By: Richard Steeb

Richard Steeb — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:51:28 +0000

Google “Tashkin”

By: Richard Steeb

Richard Steeb — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:50:29 +0000

Please allow me to boil it ALL down.

To keep cannabis illegal while tobacco and alcohol are dispensed freely is *MURDEROUSLY STUPID*.

No controversy.

[San Jose California]