Is it time to rethink national policy on marijuana?
According to a recent Rasmussen poll, 56 percent of Americans would support legalizing marijuana and regulating it much as alcohol and tobacco are regulated, while just 36 percent say they’re opposed.
Those are pretty strong numbers, suggesting that criminal law in this country is strongly out of line with public sentiment. We’re sending people to jail — most of them basically kids — and in some cases sticking them with felony criminal records for involvement with a substance that a majority of Americans don’t believe such be criminalized, at least if you believe Rasmussen.
Of course, some people DON’T believe Rasmussen. As the Christian Science Monitor reports, critics of the Rasmussen results argue that the wording of the question skewed the final results. However, I’m not sure that the substitute wording that they suggest would pass muster as unbiased or balanced:
“If they had asked, ‘If you knew that a majority of homicide convicts in New York had smoked marijuana within 24 hours of their convictions, would you be in favor of legalizing it?’ they would have gotten a far different answer,” says David Evans, special adviser to the Drug Free America Foundation. “These questions are so biased and leading, it’s embarrassing.”
If that’s the kind of question that you have to ask to get the poll results you want, you’ve already lost the debate. I imagine that a majority of those New York homicide convicts had also eaten meat within 24 hours of their crime, but I wouldn’t necessarily draw the conclusion that meat had driven them to commit that crime.
And then there’s this, from Gallup:
In addition, marijuana has become Mexico’s leading agricultural export, and all of those “exports” are conducted through smuggling, most of it to the United States. Marijuana “generates billions of dollars in revenues each year for the brutal narcotics cartels,” NPR reports. “By some estimates, it is the most profitable product for the Mexican drug gangs.”
Given those numbers, it’s pretty clear that U.S. drug policy plays some role in the brutal carnage being wreaked in Mexico, where mass slayings occur with tragic regularity.
– Jay Bookman
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660 comments Add your comment
Peadawg
May 24th, 2012
9:02 am
Yes! Legalize marijuana and give it basically the same rules, regulations, and laws as alcohol.
F. Sinkwich
May 24th, 2012
9:04 am
Dude, anyone seen my Cheetos?
stands for decibels
May 24th, 2012
9:04 am
Is it time to rethink national policy on marijuana?
Yes.
(This has been another edition of “Simple Answers to Simple Questions.”)
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
9:07 am
I hate to step on toes, but the trends in this and other social behaviors appear to show that younger generations are less prudish and/or hung up on things as the previous generations. At some point and time, this country will truly be about individual freedoms and not restricting them on the basis that others feel they are morally wrong. Before people get their panties in a bunch, I’m not saying that things like murder and such will be tolerated, but that opinion trend appears to follow the same trend on gay marriage. Just pointing something out.
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
May 24th, 2012
9:09 am
Keep the government out of our backyard gardens!
man behind the curtain
May 24th, 2012
9:10 am
Hay-ell yay-us!
the cat
May 24th, 2012
9:10 am
The only concern I have are users driving while stoned.
man behind the curtain
May 24th, 2012
9:12 am
toke here, toke now
stevie ray....Clowns to the Left of me Jokers to the Right...here I am...
May 24th, 2012
9:13 am
JAY,
A majority of us didn’t want that crappy healthcare bill either….too bad the special interests will rule the roost on both issues despite what we think. I don’t see anyone with serious bribe money ( unlike healthcare providers) to pay off our corrupted congress….also, the private contracted prison operators will fight this to the bitter end since they operate on a census basis and need to keep heads in beds…
kayaker 71
May 24th, 2012
9:13 am
It sure is better than growing tomato plants.
cranky old man
May 24th, 2012
9:14 am
There are a lot of arguments in favor of legalizing it. We waste quite a lot of money and valuable police time arresting and incarcerating people. Legalizing and regulating it would make it less profitable for those still wanting to sell it illegally (presumably to minors). There’s also the Libertarian argument, to which I’m somewhat sympathetic, that it’s not the government’s business what people consume, as long as they aren’t hurting someone else.
It would make things a bit murky in some areas, however. What about random drug testing for pilots, police, doctors, bus drivers, the military, etc.? Could you still fire someone for having traces in their system, even if they aren’t stoned when they report to work? Also, there are health risks, but I don’t know that they are higher than tobacco or alcohol. As for the drug cartels, I imagine they’d just increase the share of their business that involves other drugs, kidnapping, extortion, armed robbery, etc. These other revenue streams might not be as easy or profitable, however, which might mean they’d have less money to throw around corrupting the Mexican legal and political systems.
Peadawg
May 24th, 2012
9:14 am
“The only concern I have are users driving while stoned.”
That’s no different than the concern about people driving when drunk.
man behind the curtain
May 24th, 2012
9:15 am
you right stevie ray
philosopher
May 24th, 2012
9:16 am
Before one can rethink, one must think. Serious thinking requires information. Many people resist information because it makes them think and then they might have to rethink…a most uncomfortable situation for those who find comfort in what they used to think. So forget rethinking (for most folks) and expect it to take a generation or two to come up through the ranks before change occurs (disguised as a bright shiny new thought).
williebkind
May 24th, 2012
9:16 am
Just some more vile disgusting behavior from the liberals. You want to stop the increase of MJ use then give the user some real punishment.
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
May 24th, 2012
9:17 am
The only concern I have are users driving while stoned.”
That’s no different than the concern about people driving when drunk.
OR on any number of perfectly legal prescription drugs….
Keep Up the Good Fight!
May 24th, 2012
9:18 am
It’s time we reevaluate the criminalization and disparate treatment of those being convicted for this silliness. Jay, you are absolutely right that we are sticking serious criminal records on many youth for minor issues that will follow them for life. But that doesn’t make for great soundbites in them tough talking red states.
Cosby
May 24th, 2012
9:18 am
Slow news day…..who cares…and no I am not a user, never even tried the stuff
Jerome Horwitz
May 24th, 2012
9:18 am
Agree with P-Doggy. Legalize and regulate similiar to alcohol. Would put the cartels out of business and free up the judicial system for real crime. The quote from the Drug Free America group is hilaious – talk about a leading question.
The liqour people will have their panites in a wad tho’
Don't Forget
May 24th, 2012
9:19 am
the cat
that seems to be the concern of many. I think you could control that fairly well with something akin to the “open container” laws in place for alcohol in conjunction with probably cause measures and field sobriety tests. It wouldn’t be perfect but a combination of “smell”, driver access and driver behavior, etc could probably establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to obtain a conviction in most cases.
williebkind
May 24th, 2012
9:21 am
You liberals sure are funny! You trample tobacco smothers but you will demonstrate to smoke weed. It is good if you like but it is bad if you dont like it huh?
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
9:21 am
“The only concern I have are users driving while stoned”
Do you have equal concern about drinkers driving while drunk?
kayaker 71
May 24th, 2012
9:21 am
Weed is the second biggest generator of income in Hawaii second only to tourism. And the best?….. Maui Wowie.
litt
May 24th, 2012
9:21 am
I am not a drug user or alcohol user for that matter. I believe that the government has no basis for telling individual what they can/cannot consume. However, I do believe that the penalties for using drugs or alcohol and driving should be immediate and severe. I you are either convicted of driving while under the influence of either substance you should get an immediate 2 year sentence, no exception.
Malcolm Kyle
May 24th, 2012
9:22 am
“Just some more vile disgusting behavior from the liberals. You want to stop the increase of MJ use then give the user some real punishment.”
Pragmatic libertarians (minimal-statists) and “true” Conservatives agree that many, if not most, of society’s problems are caused by government usurping choices that could better be made by individuals themselves, and that government is just about the worst way of doing almost anything. Where libertarianism normally parts company with “fake” conservatism is over moral issues. But a true conservative would have no problem with agreeing that what people do with their own bodies, and especially in the privacy of their own home, should be supremely their business and that anything else would entail ignoring the basic tenet of limited government.
Fake-Conservatism on the other hand has much in common with socialism – Authoritarian-socialists and Fake-Conservatives appear to harbor the belief that nature does not exist and that any human can be “re-educated” into being anything society wishes. Leftists therefore tend to believe that little boys can be conditioned into preferring dolls over toy soldiers, and similarly, Fake-conservatives believe that adults can be coerced into choosing alcohol over marijuana. A true conservative, just like a pragmatic libertarian, would immediately reject both ideas as nonsense.
If you support prohibition then you are NOT a conservative.
Conservative principles QUITE CLEARLY ARE:
1) Limited, locally controlled government.
2) Individual liberty coupled with personal responsibility.
3) Free enterprise.
4) A strong national defense.
5) Fiscal responsibility.
Prohibition is actually an authoritarian War On The Economy, Constitution and All Civic Institutions of our once great nation.
the cat
May 24th, 2012
9:22 am
Is there going to be a legal limit such as alcohol use? Is there a test for driving while impaired?
Back in my youth, I tried it twice. There is no way I could have driven for several hours and that was just one “cigarette” or whatever it is called and of course the 5 punds of cheetos and oreos. It does make one have the munchies big time! Will just add to the national obese epidemic!
Generation$crewed
May 24th, 2012
9:22 am
Granny Godzilla – Union Thugette
May 24th, 2012
9:09 am
Write the Prez and Mr. Holder it is them calling for raids against medical marijuana distributors.
Or maybe there are just some folks acting all on their own and Obama and Holder did not call for these raids.
The hypocricy of our last few presidents is sickening, in regards to themselves and drug policy.
saywhat?
May 24th, 2012
9:25 am
I would be down for a 5 year trial of legalization, with a built in sunset provision. I think the positives of legalization would outweigh the negatives, at least financially, but there may perhaps be unintended consequences that have not yet been thought of.
stands for decibels
May 24th, 2012
9:25 am
toke here, toke now
pay less?
(not really interested in using, myself, if that matters.)
You want to stop the increase of MJ use then give the user some real punishment.
do tell. What kind of minimum sentencing for, say, simple possession of less than an ounce would a williebkind administration seek to legislate?
man behind the curtain
May 24th, 2012
9:26 am
williebkind
May 24th, 2012
9:21 am
You liberals sure are funny! You trample tobacco smothers but you will demonstrate to smoke weed. It is good if you like but it is bad if you dont like it huh?
That’s it simpleton. That and the tiny fact that smoking kills hundreds of thousands a year.
East Cobb RINO
May 24th, 2012
9:26 am
So what if they had smoked marijuana within 24 hours of their convictions. That has nothing to do with what they did within 24 hours of actually committing the crime. And who gave them the dope in the courtroom during the trial?
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
May 24th, 2012
9:26 am
Generation
Already did.
Having acted as the primary caretaker for a couple of very special
people…..more than once I made special tea bags that seemed to help.
williebkind
May 24th, 2012
9:27 am
Malcolm Kyle
May 24th, 2012
9:22 am
I read two oxymorons – pragmatic libertarian is a non existant creature found in liberal indoctrination books and articles. Fake-conservatives – Are liberals living in a red area who want to be involved in local politics. But again, Obama used all these drugs and he became president. Now dont tell me the lame stream media has not told you all these things.
Normal Free...Pro Human Rights Thug...And liking it!
May 24th, 2012
9:28 am
I smoked pot once…made me want to rape and kill…
——————-
Actually, don’t they have a law that says you can brew up to 200 gallons on corn liquor a year legal and tax free? If they just said it was legal to grow just 12 pounds of pot a year legally, I think I could make a pound last thirty days…and I’d buy stock in Nabisco
East Cobb RINO
May 24th, 2012
9:30 am
I would feel safer with a stoner behind the wheel than a drunk. The stoner would only be driving 10MPH.
Peadawg
May 24th, 2012
9:31 am
“I would feel safer with a stoner behind the wheel than a drunk. The stoner would only be driving 10MPH.
Paul
May 24th, 2012
9:34 am
Legalized or not, we won’t be able to tell much difference in the thought processes behind the posts…
See ya’ll Tuesday -
Ennis
May 24th, 2012
9:34 am
California”s #1 cash crop is MJ. So it is in several other states. Does that mean it should be legal??? Absolutely Not. I’m pushing 70. Did a few tokes in College. Not so much when flying for the Navy. It will probably become legal after my generation passes. I don’t think the Mexican guvment will ever crack down on the drug cartels because the Mexican guvment takes in too much bribe money. Why cut off the biggest money stream??? I do believe however, that we should legalize the use of MJ and stop this foolish BS of locking up people for recreational use of MJ.. Just saying
Normal Free...Pro Human Rights Thug...And liking it!
May 24th, 2012
9:34 am
Really, If you believe in God and believe that He gave mankind dominion over the plants and animals on the earth, then how can you not support the legalization of pot? Or not question why it was made illegal in the first place? (ask the alcohol industry that one)
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
May 24th, 2012
9:34 am
willie
well he certainly wasn’t the only modern president to experiment with drugs.
lame stream media told us so
godless heathen
May 24th, 2012
9:35 am
Stoned driving point. The reason they couldn’t just devise stupid human tricks (walk this line, say the alphabet backwards, etc) to determine impairment, is that the stoners would do better than average, up to a point.
Normal Free...Pro Human Rights Thug...And liking it!
May 24th, 2012
9:35 am
Paul,
Have a great weekend!
Mr. Snarky
May 24th, 2012
9:36 am
It’s a lesser of two evils thing in my opinion. It’s too bad people need alcohol and other drugs to have a good time because there is so much potential for abuse. But outlawing grass has so many downsides that regulation and taxing it seems the common sense alternative.
the cat
May 24th, 2012
9:36 am
Want your pilot flying stoned?
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
9:36 am
I would feel safer with a stoner behind the wheel than a drunk. The stoner would only be driving 10MPH.
That’s only if the stoner even gets the car started or doesn’t fall asleep after killing off a box of twinkies.
Finn McCool (The System Isn't Broken; It's Fixed ~ from an Occupy sign)
May 24th, 2012
9:37 am
Man, I’m hungry…
Paul
May 24th, 2012
9:37 am
Thanks, Normal
the cat
Isn’t that like saying “Want your doctor operating drunk?”
Legalized does not mean no restrictions on time, place or profession.
Finn McCool (The System Isn't Broken; It's Fixed ~ from an Occupy sign)
May 24th, 2012
9:38 am
Want your pilot flying stoned?
as opposed to drunk? oh heck yeah.
Peadawg
May 24th, 2012
9:38 am
“Want your pilot flying stoned?”
Want your pilot flying drunk?
cranky old man
May 24th, 2012
9:38 am
I’m an MP in the National Guard, so I know a lot of cops. The consensus among them is that they’d much rather deal with a stoner on pot than a drunk. As long as they have access to their bag of Doritos, they’re pretty docile.
Thomas Heyward jr
May 24th, 2012
9:40 am
Normal Free…Pro Human Rights Thug…And liking it!
May 24th, 2012
9:28 am
I smoked pot once…made me want to rape and kill…
——————-
Actually, don’t they have a law that says you can brew up to 200 gallons on corn liquor a year legal and tax free?
.
Absolutely NOT.
It is against Federal law to distill spirits ………………..here in the land of the free.
.
Jimmy Carter finally let us citizens brew beer though…………….here in the land of the free.
Tom(Independent-Viet Vet USAF)
May 24th, 2012
9:40 am
National policy on MJ is BS!! Every issue that comes up you libs want the federal govt to decide, what crap. If anything, the individual states should decide, As a retired lawman, I will tell you this,no weed smoker does prison time. Drug suppliers(such as cartels and gangs) yes, they get prison time because they do not care who they sell to(including children and juveniles)! If you have to have a smoke bad, move to California and get your MJ medical card. Your heroes, Princess Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer are there to serve you!
gadem
May 24th, 2012
9:41 am
The War on Drugs has been an abysmal failure. Legalize marijuana and tax it just like anything else. Make it illegal to grow and sale without a license. It takes the criminal element out of it. Crime will definitely go down in regards to marijuana related deaths due to drug deals gone bad. The government needs to be proactive instead of reactive. People are just as addicted to nicotine and alcohol. But I digress….
Generation$crewed
May 24th, 2012
9:41 am
I would feel safer with a stoner behind the wheel than a drunk. The stoner would only be driving 10MPH.
No more ran red light either, folks may stop about 10 feet too early.
Main concern would be an increase in Gas consumption.
You ever tried to get somewhere stoned? You gone take an extra turn or two, usually just to go look at something.
Now God help us all if a rabbit or a cat run across the road in front of ones car!!
kawasaki kid
May 24th, 2012
9:42 am
Why does alcohol remain the sacred cow? Because it’s been around since fermentation was discovered, and thus became accepted by mainstream society in spite of the horrific damage it causes. I don’t do alcohol, dope, or the lottery, but I now realize the utter futility in banning such evils and throwing victims (idiots) in expensive prisons. Like alcohol and gambling, dope has long gone mainstream and should be regulated & taxed like crazy (at least as much as tobacco!), and a good portion used to rehabilitate, educate and advertize against its use and abuse. The rest of the taxes can go to quickly paying down the national debt, thus saving civilization as we know it for our offspring!
the cat
May 24th, 2012
9:42 am
My question remains-what is the legal limit? I know pilots can not drive drunk or otherwise impaired but who will set the legal limit on pot use?
I am not totally against the legalization but think all angles need to be answered.
Rightwing Troll
May 24th, 2012
9:42 am
Has Mittens commented on this yet???
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
9:42 am
Are you kidding me?!
It took 92 years to be able to buy alcohol on Sundays in this neanderthal state! And then only in certain locales.
The Christian quasi-fascists and their damned for eternity heathen codependent enablers like willie will be LONG dead before smoking mother nature is allowed freely in this state…
bluecoat
May 24th, 2012
9:43 am
What’s the health damage from smoking mj?If we legalize only to pay out more in health care,why.
Rightwing Troll
May 24th, 2012
9:44 am
Looking at some of the angry, dishonest, unhinged, wingnut rants that go on here… I’d say we need a mandatory marijuana law…
williebkind
May 24th, 2012
9:44 am
man behind the curtain
May 24th, 2012
9:26 am
Drugs have killed as many or more people and some were non users. I guess you have not heard the price it costs to get you that joint.
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
9:45 am
the cat
As one who’s never smoked, I couldn’t tell you what or how the legal limit would be set. There would likely be studies done to track the effects, reflexes, actions, and such for people who have used before some limit would be set. At least that’s my opinion.
williebkind
May 24th, 2012
9:45 am
Rightwing Troll
May 24th, 2012
9:44 am
You rant with no examples…are you a drive by?
Ivan
May 24th, 2012
9:45 am
Pretty sure most have already heard about the Penn Jillette rant against the Obama hypocrisy. Just in case though…
“”Now, he has not left this to states’ rights,” Jillette posited. “As you know, medical marijuana… you can get in California, and the feds are coming in to try to stop this. States’ rights don’t mean jack sh*t to the Obama administration on anything except gay marriage.”
Another point of contention for Jillette was the fact that President Obama mentioned that he had smoked “weed” and done “maybe a little blow” in his 1995 book “Dreams from my Father.”
Jillette cited it as a prime example of the fact that not all drug users turn out to be menaces to society:
What troubles me about this… I think it’s beyond hypocrisy. I think it’s something to do with class. A lot of people have accused Obama of class warfare, but in the wrong direction. I believe this is Obama chortling with Jimmy Fallon about lower class people. Do we believe, even for a second, that if Obama had been busted for marijuana — under the laws that he condones — would his life have been better? If Obama had been caught with the marijuana that he says he uses, and ‘maybe a little blow’… if he had been busted under his laws, he would have done hard f*cking time. And if he had done time in prison, time in federal prison, time for his ‘weed’ and ‘a little blow,’ he would not be President of the United States of America. He would not have gone to his fancy-a** college, he would not have sold books that sold millions and millions of copies and made millions and millions of dollars, he would not have a beautiful, smart wife, he would not have a great job. He would have been in f*cking prison, and it’s not a god damn joke. People who smoke marijuana must be set free. It is insane to lock people up.
LINK
Rightwing Troll
May 24th, 2012
9:46 am
“Drugs have killed as many or more people and some were non users. I guess you have not heard the price it costs to get you that joint.”
Good argument for legalization, thanks for your support…
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
9:46 am
“Want your pilot flying stoned?”
What makes you think that some aren’t doing that now?
Mick
May 24th, 2012
9:46 am
People grwo weed indoors in florida, a week doesn’t go by without seeing a growhouse being busted? Who have they harmed? A victinless crime if there ever was one; all the pot laws reek of the dark ages. California has led the way – get a prescription if you want to use it to combat anxiety and stress! That way you can grow, make some potent brownies and not mess up your lungs. Personally, I believe it to be a healing herb, why are all the good things criminalized? Progress, move forward, if the gays can come this far this fast, weed should be next…
East Cobb RINO
May 24th, 2012
9:47 am
Think of the sin tax money that could be generated from pot. Conservatives should love it as most of that would come from working class and poor.
TBone
May 24th, 2012
9:48 am
Decriminalize the dang weed and permit cultivation for one’s own use or to barter for a little moonshine. Now let’s move on to more relevant stuff.
if Romney believes the government doesnt create wealth why does he want the top government job
May 24th, 2012
9:48 am
why cant a grown person smoke the happy weed in the privacy of their homes?
godless heathen
May 24th, 2012
9:49 am
Looking at some of the angry, dishonest, unhinged, wingnut rants that go on here… I’d say we need a mandatory marijuana law…
Ivan
May 24th, 2012
9:50 am
Trayvon Martin was high….discuss.
godless heathen
May 24th, 2012
9:51 am
woops, meant to strike “wingnut” but messed up.
Looking at some of the angry, dishonest, unhinged,
wingnut rants that go on here…I’d say we need a mandatory marijuana law…too little time
May 24th, 2012
9:51 am
But that doesn’t make for great soundbites in them tough talking red states.
This is not a “red vs. blue” or “Dem vs Rep” debate that the political hacks on this forum would like it to be. California, clearly a BLUE state, could not get legalization passed. Pat Robertson, clearly a conservative religious leader, recently came out in support of legalization. There are waves of change rippling throughout the country. It appears that just as conservatives are ready for a change of mind (Pat Robertson), liberals are pulling back from the legalization push (California). All the while, heads are rolling (literally) in Mexico.
I can assure you that there are vast numbers of red-staters who are in full support of legalization… from farmers to engineers to hippies to executives.
TaxPayer
May 24th, 2012
9:52 am
Sounds like a tax revenue stream in need of a legalized product to me.
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
9:52 am
“Trayvon Martin was high….discuss”
Nothing to discuss. It’s a lie.
BlahBlahBlah
May 24th, 2012
9:53 am
It’s been long overdue, and sadly President Obama has done nothing but hurt the effort. I expected a fight from the right. I didn’t expect a fight from the left. According to a 4/25 article in Huffington Post the Justice Department has gotten far more aggressive going after medical marijuana operations under Obama than they did under Bush. Yet in 2008 the President said “I’m not going to be using Justice Department resources to try to circumvent state laws [on medical marijuana],”
Pathetic.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
9:53 am
What’s the health damage from smoking mj?
Much less than you would think.
Studies show the damage to the lungs is surprisingly low.
East Cobb RINO
May 24th, 2012
9:54 am
If Travon Martin was high, I doubt he would have “attacked” George Zimmerman. There goes the self-defense claim.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
May 24th, 2012
9:55 am
Well, I saw that movie one time—the one about the guy that goes crazy when he smokes pot. We already got enough crazy people on this blog. We don’t need more of them here or on the roads. So I say let them get hammered on booze. Just keep pot illegal. Besides, if we’re paying so much to have jails and prisons, we might as well use them.
Have a good Thursday everybody.
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
9:56 am
I don’t smoke, I don’t want to smoke, I think people who do smoke have problems that can only be helped by a good psychiatrist. However, I think marijuana should be legal and users punished the same as if they use alcohol. I think legalisation of marijuana would make a big dent in crime but not as the advocates of legalisation think. The crimes committed by users and dealers are major felonies. Robbery, assault, and murder are a few of the crimes caused by marijuana. The idea that “users” of small amounts of marijuana are imprisoned is incorrect. The people in prison as a result of criminal marijuana laws are dealers and felons.
Jimmy62
May 24th, 2012
9:57 am
Obama has admitted smoking pot and doing cocaine, yet ups the prosecution of others who do so. If he had served the time he should have for those crimes, he wouldn’t be President, yet when people ask him about the Drug War, he laughs like it’s a joke. That’s some sick, cynical BS from the con-artist-in-chief.
It’s not time to rethink national marijuana policy, it’s years past the time.
East Cobb RINO
May 24th, 2012
10:00 am
I was gonna clean my room until I got high
I gonna get up and find the broom but then I got high
my room is still messed up and I know why
- cause I got high
I was gonna go to class before I got high
I coulda cheated and I coulda passed but I got high
I am taking it next semester and I know why
- cause I got high
I was gonna go to work but then I got high
I just got a new promotion but I got high
now I’m selling dope and I know why
- cause I got high
I was gonna go to court before I got high
I was gonna pay my child support but then I got high
they took my whole paycheck and I know why
- cause I got high
I wasnt gonna run from the cops but I was high
I was gonna pull right over and stop but I was high
Now I am a paraplegic – because I got high
I was gonna pay my car note until I got high
I was gonna gamble on the boat but then I got high
now the tow truck is pulling away and I know why
- because I got high
I was gonna make love to you but then I got high
I was gonna eat yo #$%^& too but then I got high
now I’m*&^%!@# off and I know why
- cause I got high
I messed up my entire life because I got high
I lost my kids and wife because I got high
now I’m sleeping on the sidewalk and I know why
- cause I got high
I’m gonna stop singing this song because I’m high
I’m singing this whole thing wrong because I’m high
and if I dont sell one copy I know why
- cause I’m high
Don't Forget
May 24th, 2012
10:00 am
Jamvet, actually I was a little surprised at this study. I’m not sure of their methodology but it was published on one of the more reputable medical journals, JAMA.
http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/10/study-smoking-marijuana-not-linked-with-lung-damage/
Talking Head
May 24th, 2012
10:00 am
“Much less than you would think.
Studies show the damage to the lungs is surprisingly low.”
Actually its much worse than YOU think.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana
Leave it to the states
May 24th, 2012
10:02 am
Let some states change their laws and tax it. Then we can see if it makes sense overall based on empirical evidence.
There are two problems here. I seem to remember a Supreme Court ruling — not split the usual way — against a local law allowing growing. Michigan and US vs. Gomez for some reason pops into my head.
Second, politicians would sell their mothers for revenue increases. If a bordering state legalizes and gets a big hit of tax money, then no adverse consequences will deter joining the legalization bandwagon.
The reason that states took action on cigarettes is because the settlement brought in more money than the cigarette taxes. And then they raised taxes on top of it. Had nothing to do with promoting health. The states and feds got more of the cigarette spend than the tobacco companies ever did.
BlahBlahBlah
May 24th, 2012
10:02 am
Those drug facts don’t seem any worse than alcohol or cigs, two legal substances.
Ivan
May 24th, 2012
10:02 am
Autopsy: Trayvon Martin tested positive for marijuana; George Zimmerman shot him in heart at close range
Jimmy62
May 24th, 2012
10:02 am
Actually they did find marijuana in Trayvon Martin’s blood. However, pot stays in the blood for up to a month, so it doesn’t mean he was high right then. And it doesn’t really change any of the facts in that case.
What sucks is Zimmerman is going to get exonerated because the prosecutor majorly overstepped with the charges she went with, and then there will be riots (the fault for any riots should be placed squarely on the prosecutor, Al Sharpton, and NBC and anyone else that aired the edited tapes). Zimmerman should do time for manslaughter, not murder, but now I’m willing to bet he will walk.
Mick
May 24th, 2012
10:03 am
**Robbery, assault, and murder are a few of the crimes caused by marijuana**
Not intended to be a factual statement. Just pull something out thin air and present it as? Get real…
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:03 am
East Cobb – Gotta love some Afroman…
I say legalize it. It isn’t going to change my behavior any. The only question I think needs to be answered is what happens to all the people that are currently, or have previously been, in jail simply for crimes related to marijuana?
TaxPayer
May 24th, 2012
10:04 am
All we need in addition to taxed marijuana and alcoholic beverages, in Georgia, are casinos and race tracks and then we can all retire comfortably on the revenue streams.
RepublicansConservatives will come around once they see how monetarily beneficial sin taxes can be for them.Mick
May 24th, 2012
10:05 am
ivan
THC stays in your blood for thirty days or more depending on your body mass…so there is a lot of grey area…
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
10:05 am
“The only question I think needs to be answered is what happens to all the people that are currently, or have previously been, in jail simply for crimes related to marijuana?”
Nothing. Unless they make the change retroactive those people will still be under the law as it was when they were convicted.
Talking Head
May 24th, 2012
10:05 am
“Those drug facts don’t seem any worse than alcohol or cigs, two legal substances.”
I have no problem is someone wants to smoke marijuana, I too think its crazy that the laws against it are so harsh compared to other legal substances such as alcohol or tobacco. What irritates me however, are those who constantly state that marijuana isn’t harmful or as harmufl to your body as tobacco, which is simply not true and shouldn’t be used as a talking point for legalization.
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
10:06 am
“THC stays in your blood for thirty days or more depending on your body mass”
According to the news report when the results of the test were announce, trace amounts can stay in your body for up to 90 days. And that is what they found – trace amount.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:06 am
Ivan – OMG! No! A kid that was suspended from school in Miami for possession of marijuana, and sent to Orlando to stay with his father for a while to try and get cleaned up had marijuana in his system?!?!?! Say it ain’t so!
Jimmy62
May 24th, 2012
10:06 am
Talking Head: You are citing a two years old propaganda site from the government, whereas Don’t Forget is citing an actual study published far more recently.
I’ll go with his, not because I prefer the conclusions, but because it’s not being put out by the same government that has so much incentive to convince us smoking weed is bad.
Liberal Chicks are UGLY
May 24th, 2012
10:07 am
The drug ‘war’ has been a utter failure from the start. Legalize it.
Generation$crewed
May 24th, 2012
10:08 am
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
9:56 am
Who do you know that smokes weed and robs folks, or even better assaults them?
Maybe that happens with addiction issues with other drugs. Not with weed. It makes one less agressive and more passive. Kinda why people use it.
You are confusing propaganda with facts. If there is a link between violent crime and mj use, I would argue it is that those committing the crime may smoke out after the crime in order to mellow out from the crime.
Frito-Lay
May 24th, 2012
10:08 am
Keep Smoking Your Dope.
We’ll Keep Making More Doritos.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:10 am
Doggone – That is going to upset a lot of rich kid’s parents around the country. You know, Little Johnny or Little Suzy weren’t doing anything wrong. See, you changed the law. Now you expunge their records! (S)He is going to go on to do great things one day! Meanwhile the kid is sitting in their room rolling a blunt or eating a special brownie.
Jm
May 24th, 2012
10:10 am
I think it’s a tough call
Super heavily regulated I guess ok
Amsterdam is rewinding their legalization because it has caused such a mess there
It needs to be regulated more than alcohol
Government dispensary only. No public smoking; smoke up at your house all you want though. No driving high. Employers can still fire people who use it. Etc etc
It comes with a host of complications
But the incarcerations and Mexican drug trafficking is insane
BlahBlahBlah
May 24th, 2012
10:11 am
Agree with Generation$crewed. I’ve seen way more angry drunks than angry stoners in my lifetime.
BlahBlahBlah
May 24th, 2012
10:12 am
Jm, I would have no problem with private businesses choosing to test for weed and use that in their decisions to hire/fire people.
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
10:12 am
“That is going to upset a lot of rich kid’s parents around the country.”
Yeah, well…cry me a river!
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:13 am
Jm – Amsterdam is just shooting their tourism trade in the proverbial foot. They’re only taking away your right as a foreigner to smoke it there legally. Its all good for their citizens. Other than that, I can’t think of any reason to go to Amsterdam.
TaxPayer
May 24th, 2012
10:13 am
Just think of all the new businesses that would pop up along the roadsides. Signs reading “Last chance for munchies for 100 miles,” would be commonplace.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:14 am
Doggone – Only if I can then build a bridge to get over it.
East Cobb RINO
May 24th, 2012
10:14 am
Wonder what the co-pay is for the weed prescription? Is that elgible for FSA ?
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
10:15 am
BTW – someone mentioned something about the liquor industry not wanting marijuana legalize. Well, maybe the INDUSTRY won’t like it, but the local liquor stores will just add it to their stock for sale.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:15 am
TaxPayer – I would bet, that if legalized and taxed, we could probably pay off a large chunk of the deficit through pot. Especially if we started taxing the imports from Mexico.
Frito-Lay
May 24th, 2012
10:16 am
Cheetos with a Pepsi > Brownies with a Pepsi
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
May 24th, 2012
10:16 am
Ivan et al
Did you see the presricption meds Zimmerman was on?
Adderall and Temazepam
Look up the side effects.
mm
May 24th, 2012
10:16 am
“The idea that “users” of small amounts of marijuana are imprisoned is incorrect. The people in prison as a result of criminal marijuana laws are dealers and felons.”
Guess again. Anything over an ounce is a felony. Pot smokers don’t buy joints.
barking frog
May 24th, 2012
10:17 am
Not going to happen this
decade or maybe this
century.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
10:17 am
A couple of weeks ago, there was a discussion of marijuana (I don’t think it started out that way) over on Kyle’s blog. That Tiberius fellow, who styles himself as some sort of Authority on Everything, commented to the effect of ‘people who claim to need medical marijuana just need to find some OTHER weight-loss method.’
I almost peed my pants laughing.
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
10:18 am
“I would bet, that if legalized and taxed, we could probably pay off a large chunk of the deficit through pot”
According to a series they have on PBS recently about the amendment banning liquor – If I remember correctly, the US government was taking in something like 70% of it’s revenue from liquor taxes. BIG drop in those tax revenues when selling liquor was made unconstitutional.
Frito-Lay
May 24th, 2012
10:18 am
Doesn’t Michael Vick smoke marijuana for his Herpes?
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:19 am
JHM – I don’t know how you stand it over there. I’m more closely aligned ideologically there than here, but can’t stand it there.
TRUTH
May 24th, 2012
10:19 am
Legalize the ganja, mon… Seriously, you get stoned and you pretty much stay in place and enjoy the 20-30 mins of euphoria and then you go about your day. That’s just from ganja. When you start mixing it with other chemicals then you’re talking crazy. (Note: its no different than mixing your alcohol, never a good idea…). Lastly, has anyone ever thought how many public officials, corporate leaders, and everyday citizens, smoke ganja? Almost all of them (and some categories I did not list), smoked in high school, college, and during post graduate studies. And somehow, when presented with a survey to report their use, people really think they are going to admit it. Yeah, wait for that. There have been MANY times I’ve attended a function and the weed was passed. Heck, I can buy it on the corner in Dunwoody (and its a better grade than in South Dekalb..)
LEGALIZE IT!! (and stop wasting money and arresting folks who WANT to get stoned…)
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:19 am
Doggone – People seem to enjoy shooting themselves in the foot.
Jm
May 24th, 2012
10:20 am
Blahblahblah
Yeah. I think it’s complicated though because you’re firing people for using a legal product
But pot and the workplace have no business interacting
So you may have to tweak some workplace discrimination laws
Darwin
May 24th, 2012
10:20 am
Not sure about legalization. However, criminal prosecutions of minor possessions are a continued waste of government resources. Not to mention the destruction of lives by creating a criminal record that affects future employment. This should have been addressed decades ago.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
10:20 am
Cranky — “I’m an MP in the National Guard, so I know a lot of cops. The consensus among them is that they’d much rather deal with a stoner on pot than a drunk. As long as they have access to their bag of Doritos, they’re pretty docile.”
Agree. My wife went to a West Coast hippie university, and she says you only need to be afraid of a stoner high on weed if you’re a bag a Cheetos, a box of Pop-Tarts or a combination pizza.
skipper
May 24th, 2012
10:20 am
Jay,
You did it again….it does not happen too often, but many folks of different backgrounds, party affiliations, etc. did the toke-toke in college; so you have introduced an idea that many can agree on……some of the hardest working and most successful folks I know fired up the bong many times in college. Rich, poor, black, white etc…..were blazin’ away!
mm
May 24th, 2012
10:21 am
THC stays in your blood for thirty days or more depending on your body mass”
“According to the news report when the results of the test were announce, trace amounts can stay in your body for up to 90 days. And that is what they found – trace amount.”
Current drug tests look for THC. There is a new test that looks for a different chemical to prove how long ago the weed was smoked and how much. This test would put the alcohol vs weed testing on equal ground.
TRUTH
May 24th, 2012
10:21 am
Oh, (cough)…always remember..(cough),….puff, puff, (cough)….pass!!!
Jm
May 24th, 2012
10:22 am
“BIG drop in those tax revenues when selling liquor was made unconstitutional.”
So now we can blame prohibition for the birth of the income tax?
(joke)
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
10:22 am
With all the anti-smoking laws, even if it were legal, you might find it difficult to light up.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/nyregion/for-smokers-apartment-hunting-is-even-tougher.html
http://healthland.time.com/2011/04/21/half-of-u-s-states-have-enacted-indoor-smoking-bans-since-2000/
So while people might be all for marijuana laws being relaxed, they aren’t too keen on actually letting anyone smoke it near them.
Don't Forget
May 24th, 2012
10:22 am
Maybe we should force the terrorists at Gitmo to smoke it, then offer cheetoh’s for actionable intelligence.
barking frog
May 24th, 2012
10:24 am
Distribute it throgh the
methadone clinics.
Generation$crewed
May 24th, 2012
10:24 am
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
10:15 am
Yeah but most liquor stores don’t have enough money for lobbyist as many of the large scale alcohol distribution companies do. They have bought democrats and republicans alike all in the effort of the alcohol companies hoping for a little higher profit by eliminating competition.
Especially when that particular competition does not offer the negative side effects of alcohol, such as hangovers, not to mention death!
Who you ever heard of dying from an overdose of weed? How about alcohol poisoning?
martin the calvinist
May 24th, 2012
10:24 am
I kinda agree with Jm on this one, though I wouldn’t encourage my children to smoke the stuff, It could bring in revenue and free up the court system for real criminals, especially the violent ones….
Conservative Christian
May 24th, 2012
10:24 am
Jesus said to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. None of us would want our child thrown in jail with the sexual predators over a little marijuana. None of us would want our aging parents’ home confiscated and sold by the police for growing a couple of marijuana plants to ease the aches and pains of getting older. It’s time to let ordinary Americans grow a little marijuana in their own back yards.
JKL2
May 24th, 2012
10:24 am
Another fine lesson to teach our children. First we had Clinton telling them oral sex isn’t really sex. Now we have obama preaching smoking dope and doing cocaine in high school is cool. Can’t wait to see what the next Democrat president can do to “help” America.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
10:25 am
E. C. Rino — “Wonder what the co-pay is for the weed prescription? Is that elgible for FSA ?”
If you can get your doctor to write you a prescription of a Letter of Medical Necessity, then yes, it would be eligible. However, you’d need a receipt, so I suspect that your streetcorner pharmacologist wouldn’t wanna help with that. You’d probably have to get it from a Federal government dispensary in order to be able to claim it and get reimbursement.
doh!
May 24th, 2012
10:25 am
“If they had asked, ‘If you knew that a majority of homicide convicts in New York had smoked marijuana within 24 hours of their convictions, would you be in favor of legalizing it?’ they would have gotten a far different answer,” says David Evans, special adviser to the Drug Free America Foundation. “These questions are so biased and leading, it’s embarrassing.”
So if the majority of homicide victims in New York had alcohol within 24-hours of their conviction would you legalize it?
Please David Evans… talk about a biased and leading question. Get over yourself.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:26 am
Jm – I would say that there would actually be an argument there. But obviously, we’re both joking since income taxes came first. It would be very fitting if the income tax was the 19th or 20th Amendment instead of the 16th though.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
10:26 am
(ir)Rational — “JHM – I don’t know how you stand it over there. I’m more closely aligned ideologically there than here, but can’t stand it there.”
Dude, haven’t you ever been to the zoo?
Bernalillo
May 24th, 2012
10:27 am
The anti-weed crusaders (including the Christian Science Monitor) can get as hysterical as they want, but it won’t change the facts. Eventually reason and logic shall prevail:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893946,00.html
barking frog
May 24th, 2012
10:28 am
Amsterdam is restricting
use to citizens but
prostitution will be
available to tourists.
The dutch are not stupid.
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
10:29 am
Brosephus™
I beilieve you are an expert on this subject. My question to you is, how many crimes are committed by people needing money to support either their own habit or because there is high profit in buying and selling marijuana?
Son of the South
May 24th, 2012
10:29 am
Hey JKL2
Who said anything about legalizing cocaine? If you don’t know the difference between pot and cocaine, then you do not need to participate in the conversation.
East Cobb RINO
May 24th, 2012
10:30 am
doh!, see my comment on the 1st page. They are so stupid they do not even know how to phrase a question. “24 hours within conviction”! Who cares what someone did 24 hours before the trial conviction. If they wanted a biased question it should have been “24 hours within commiting the crime”.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:30 am
JHM – I’m not a big fan of that either honestly. But I get your point.
Producer
May 24th, 2012
10:31 am
Legalize and tax it all. Pot, cocaine, heroine…all of it. It’s all about freedom, folks! Prohibition didn’t work in the 20’s and this onerous and stupid War on Drugs doesn’t work either!
Tundra Dude
May 24th, 2012
10:31 am
My wife went to a West Coast hippie university, and she says you only need to be afraid of a stoner high on weed if you’re a bag a Cheetos, a box of Pop-Tarts or a combination pizza.
LOL!!! Good Wun!
As a (well-traveled) merchant mariner, I’ve been involved in bar brawls…but never a pot brawl.
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
10:31 am
Why is a plant illegal ?
mark
May 24th, 2012
10:32 am
For 72 years the “War On Drugs/People” has been a failure. We waste billions on fighting a war, we have yet to make any difference. I think the DEA should show Yearly Progress. If not, then their funding should be pulled, just like schools.
It is illegal for our govt to tell us the truth about drugs. Yes that is correct, illegal to tell us the truth. So, please do not cite any info about the harms of drugs from a govt site.
stevie ray....Clowns to the Left of me Jokers to the Right...here I am...
May 24th, 2012
10:32 am
I’m in weed recovery, having a significant resume of weed experience I can say that attention to detail is an issue while when driving…ie overlooking red lights, changing tunes, giggling, noshing and the like are distractions….good news is that weaving and hitting stationary objects not so much a problem…
As long as private prison contractors at getting 50K for each head in bed, nothing will change despite what we may want…no lobbyists with significant monetary influence will touch this thus, no extortion cash to fuel our corrupt system…..so I reckon this will have to be a grass-roots project…tee hee.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:33 am
barking frog – I realize it could have just been the street I walked down (which I suspect was intentional by the teacher that was leading the trip), but I would not touch one of the prostitutes they have there with a 10 foot pole. Talk about UGLY. You know that ugly tree people talk about, yeah, I’m pretty sure that they’re referring to those prostitutes. They had enough to spare.
Leeroy
May 24th, 2012
10:33 am
Peadawg
May 24th, 2012
9:31 am
“I would feel safer with a stoner behind the wheel than a drunk. The stoner would only be driving 10MPH”
If that’s 10 mph in a 25 mph zone or higher, they’re more dangerous for going too slow and getting run over by those of us who have more important things to do than get stoned and ride around derping it up.
This isn’t a feature exclusive to stoners, mind you.
Generation$crewed
May 24th, 2012
10:34 am
Don’t Forget
May 24th, 2012
10:22 am
That’s just mean!
Now if you did it with cereal??? That’s just torture, and we as a country don’t stand for that.!
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
10:34 am
Mighty Righty,
“how many crimes are committed by people needing money to support either their own habit or because there is high profit in buying and selling marijuana?”
How many crimes are committed by people needing money to support either their own habit or because there is high profit in buying and selling OxyContin, Percodan, Percocet, Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet, Valium, Xanax, Halcion, KLonopin, Ativan, Librium, Ambien, Sonata, Lunesta, Ritalin, Concerta, Dexedrine or any of the other myriad of legal prescription and otc drugs?
http://headaches.about.com/cs/druginfo/a/oxy_saga.htm
martin the calvinist
May 24th, 2012
10:34 am
sorry to be off topic but I read this in Jay’s blog yesterday and a few ( I assume left leaning in political thought) individuals got pretty upset with this statement from mr. I want my wealth redistribution check. The either mocked him, wished he lost his job, or slammed him and his pride….here is what he wrote.
I was asked in an earlier blog if I was joking or being satirical about a net worth tax on billionaires and those who made a 100 million or more and no I’m not. I used to be very conservative in thought until one day I was really pondering the political landscape and the political realities and I discovered that if I choose to be a liberal, I have more to gain. See, I am a person in a family with 6 people and I make less than 29,000 dollars a year, that places me well under the poverty rate, because of that I am able to get a rather large tax return check every year, has been 4000 dollars should be more now that I have 4 children, I get over 400 in food stamps and when Obama care is found constitutional, there is no fine for those under 150% of the poverty level, I can get enrolled in Medicaid and pay very little or nothing for my health care, now I pay over 100 every two weeks for excellent care but wheter my company drops insurance (due to the fact the fine is less than what it cost them to ensure my and my fam) or I choose not to continue I can just enroll in medicaid off of people who work really, really hard. I make good choices in spending, have no vices like smoking or excessive drinking so I don’t have to work hard and I can have a good middle class lifestyle with out the middle class income or paying middle class or higher taxes. So go ahead, raise taxes on the rich, I don’t give a flying flip. I make off better and I don’t have to work hard to provide for my family, instead, I take money from someone else…..
my question is, what make y’all so angry at him and his honesty, isn’t this what you want the gov’t to do, help those who make less, this is what a liberals fight for, income equality, the guy is only doing what you advocate? where am I wrong in interpreting this in that way?
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
10:35 am
I don’t think there’s anything special about weed that leads dealers to shoot people over it. I suspect anything that sells that readily and for that good a price — and which can be subdivided into small, easily transportable units of sale) could have people willing to shoot other people over it. Hell, gold coins are small, valuable, easy to carry around, and I bet there are people downtown who would shoot you for your gold coins if they knew you were carrying any — but it’s not the gold’s fault and we don’t prohibit gold coins because of it.
Let’s legalize weed and focus our drug control efforts on more harmful and dangerous substances.
stevie ray....Clowns to the Left of me Jokers to the Right...here I am...
May 24th, 2012
10:35 am
Also, the quality of today’s blends are astoundingly more powerful than in daze past…regardless, so most will be too paranoid to drive.
I think we should legalize all recreational drugs mainly to free up prisons thus reducing taxpayer spend, and to marginalize gangsta’s here and in Mexico…no profit, no shooting.
Normal Free...Pro Human Rights Thug...And liking it!
May 24th, 2012
10:36 am
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
10:31 am
Why is a plant illegal ?
Here’s why…compliments of the alcohol industry (they knew who the competition was)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FATzmzxJ-84
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
10:36 am
Brosephus
I may be wrong but I believe you are a police officer and therefore an expert on how our legal sustem handles the marijuana question. Question: what do you the police do when you encounter some one who possess a small amount of marijuana for personal use.
JKL2
May 24th, 2012
10:36 am
son of the south- Who said anything about legalizing cocaine? If you don’t know the difference between pot and cocaine, then you do not need to participate in the conversation
Reading is fundamental. I guess you’re now going to call me a racist because I said something about obama. You can make fun of Clinton all day long, but don’t dare mention the big eared clown acting as our president.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
10:36 am
M. Calvinist — “my question is, what make y’all so angry at him and his honesty?”
Because he wasn’t being honest. He’s what’s called a concern troll.
Ivan
May 24th, 2012
10:38 am
(ir) – Ivan – OMG! No! A kid that was suspended from school in Miami for possession of marijuana, and sent to Orlando to stay with his father for a while to try and get cleaned up had marijuana in his system?!?!?! Say it ain’t so! ”
You’re right (ir)! A black teenage kid with irresponsible parenting, school troubles, drug abuse, and violent tendancies shouldn’t surprise me at all! Thanks!
martin the calvinist
May 24th, 2012
10:38 am
Joe, truthfully, I’m new to the blogging world, what is a concern troll?
Normal Free...Pro Human Rights Thug...And liking it!
May 24th, 2012
10:39 am
Try this one…better sound…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2FZgErvNTE
Oscar
May 24th, 2012
10:40 am
You’re right (ir)! A black teenage kid with irresponsible parenting, school troubles, drug abuse, and violent tendancies shouldn’t surprise me at all! Thanks!
________
He also had stolen merchandise and burglary tools in his backpack, and was in an area off limits to students when caught.
martin the calvinist
May 24th, 2012
10:41 am
ha, just noticed I should have asked what made y’all so angry…… I also would like to hear from PJ, soothsayer, and Kamchak, if y’all don’t mind….Joe, not trying to be snarky, but what if he was being honest?
JKL2
May 24th, 2012
10:41 am
The way I see this playing out is marijuana will be legal, but not to grow. That way they can tax the crap out of it like cigarettes. If they just legalize it, people will grow their own and it won’t have the cha-ching they’re looking for.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
10:41 am
Joe Hussein Mama,
“I bet there are people downtown who would shoot you for your gold coins if they knew you were carrying any”
Someone better be careful: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_B1LlYh6iKqs/Sr1iO-8NWJI/AAAAAAAAAzo/zhwVFVCbjow/s400/lil-wayne-grill.jpg
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
10:41 am
M. Calvinist — See here. There is a key distinction between an ordinary, garden-variety troll and a concern troll.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concern_troll#Concern_troll
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:42 am
Ivan – Yeah, cause that was my point.
My point was, you seemed surprised, or think it should have some bearing on what happened that night, that a kid who had just gotten kicked out of school for having pot, had smoked pot at some point in the past 30-90 days.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
10:43 am
jewcowboy – I don’t think the people in Atlanta want to start a gang war with the Bloods, so he is probably fairly safe.
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
10:44 am
jewcowboy
I guess you missed my statement that I think marijuana should be legal. My question to Brosephus, because he is a police officer and as such knows, has to do with how many violent crimes are committed by marijuana users and dealers If there aren’t any viloent crimes committed by marijuana users and dealers then I fail to see to see a benefit to making the drug legal.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
10:44 am
M. Calvinist — “….Joe, not trying to be snarky, but what if he was being honest?”
IMO, there was more than enough sarcasm and snark in his posts to make it obvious. That’s why people were attacking him.
Concern trollery *can* be done succcessfully, but it has to be done subtly, so as not to attract suspicion. That guy was WAY too over-the-top to be taken seriously IMO.
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
10:45 am
You can grow and smoke your own tobacco.
St Simons - we're on Island time
May 24th, 2012
10:45 am
dude – those flying monkeys in the wizard of oz freaked me out
for like 2 months, man
Thomas
May 24th, 2012
10:46 am
It is second to none as a pain medication for cancer or chronic digestive issues. The far right will always say but percocets, oxy, morphine- all of which are far more addictive and impacting to the body in a negative way. One of the greatest issues in chronic disease is managing the pain meds.
Thomas
May 24th, 2012
10:46 am
It is second to none as a pain medication for cancer or chronic digestive issues. The far right will always say but percocets, oxy, morphine- all of which are far more addictive and impacting to the body in a negative way. One of the greatest issues in chronic disease is managing the pain meds.
Tundra Dude
May 24th, 2012
10:46 am
. As the Christian Science Monitor reports, critics of the Rasmussen results argue that the wording of the question skewed the final results.
It’s not just the wording of the questions, it’s how peeps are contacted.
In live interviews peeps are less likely to support legalization. Peeps called on landline phones in Calif (for Prop 19) were opposed by a 10% margin, peeps called on cellphones supported the measure, 54-29%
Oscar
May 24th, 2012
10:46 am
We should send violent offenders to prison. Find some other way to deal with non-violent behavior. People arrested for possession of weed without intent to distribute do not belong in prison.
martin the calvinist
May 24th, 2012
10:47 am
I get it Joe, according to the definition (enlightening btw) he really isn’t a believer in what he wrote. let me ask you this, what if that scenario was true, and would you have issues that what “Mr. I want my check” said?
Common Sense isn't very Common
May 24th, 2012
10:47 am
Jay should have put this subject up Friday night (after FNM) so that we might have a few stoners add their 2 tokes worth
martin the calvinist
May 24th, 2012
10:50 am
good one Common! :0)
number of people to die form a MJ overdose - ZERO
May 24th, 2012
10:50 am
millions of people already smoke weed all the time, why do some people think the masses are just waiting for some law to pass in DC beofre they try the devil weed? They already are smoking, driving, working, playing, ect. You want to know what else people are taking leagally? Booze, anxiety pills, pain pills, sleeping pills and they all drive on the same roads you do, so the whole argument about our roads becoming unsafe overnight is sooooo bogus. Where’s your concern with people driving while on pills? Huh?
Another Day
May 24th, 2012
10:51 am
Another boring bunch of blogs.
bookman parrot
May 24th, 2012
10:52 am
to Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
9:07 am
See you are choosing what is wrong and right based on your “morals/ethics” …
As for legalizing marijuana, then you people who support this legalization pay for all the lazy burnouts created that will be sitting around that will want to live off the government programs.
Although maybe that $$$ will be offset by the savings of not having to enforce.
But let’s not just include marijuana, let’s legalize all the drugs so you can have “freedom”.
But it will come at a price.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
10:53 am
martin the calvinist,
“what if he was being honest?”
I didn’t read the exchange yesterday, just what you’ve posted, but someone who is making $29,000 a year is not getting $4,000 back on their taxes unless they indicated on their w2 to withhold more than than the maximum amount, which if the case makes them incredibly stupid.
Furthermore, if you add in the net $300 (Food stamp benefit – health insurance) then this person is making gross $32,600 per year for a family of 6. The average 2-br apartment in Atl goes for $835 or $10000 a year. So now you have $22,600 per year. The average cost to raise a child in GA for someone making under $57,000 a year is $5500 per child. $5500 x 4 = $22,000.
The numbers simply do not add up and this statement, “I make off better and I don’t have to work hard to provide for my family, instead, I take money from someone else” is a complete fabrication. It is meant to incite an emotional response rather than an honest discussion.
GT
May 24th, 2012
10:53 am
Why would we want to do this, it makes too much sense?
The drug program is the right’s welfare program to the cops on the beat, the preacher, prison employees, and every other weekend warrior who loves to smash in doors and stand in a mirror admiring himself in full uniform and weapons.
This program puts Mexico out of the sway of drug cartels and employs the American drug dealer as a tax payer, takes them off the welfare line, out of prison, and raising now fatherless kids.
The people legalization hurts are the ones that vote and depend on the GOP welfare for jobs, the ones it helps are probably going to vote Democrats and it helps the nation as a whole. Who do you think will win this in our current political world?
How will they win it? By huge money going to super packs that fabricate uncontested lies. Fox will get rich carrying the lies and eventually CNN will have to cave to the propaganda because it is a big pay day for the liars. Honesty is a low paying job on a bus instead of a limousine.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
10:55 am
Thomas brings up a good point.
The hugely powerful, monied and corrupt BIG Pharma industry does not want any competition.
Especially if it is just a weed that can be grown anywhere (i.e. for free) and works infinitely better than their chemical concoctions at controlling pain.
Better to let the terminally ill suffer horrifically while taking their often completely ineffective and gargantuanly expensive drugs…
Peadawg
May 24th, 2012
10:55 am
“Another boring bunch of blogs.”
This is the happiest blog in a while though.
Twinkie!!!
number of people to die from a MJ overdose - ZERO
May 24th, 2012
10:56 am
How many violent criminals (rapist, murderers, armed robbers) need to get early release from jail to make room for someone selling a small part of the billions of dollars worth of the MJ crop that is consumed in this country, before it makes you uncomfortable?
Keep your bible, keep your morals, keep your worn out reefer madness hysteria, but give me your common sense.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
10:56 am
M. Calvinist — Folks can say what they want, but I’d remain suspicious of the guy even if he wasn’t being snarky. Saying ‘I voted Democratic so I can get more public benefits’ is kind of silly because most public benefits are administered and disbursed at the *state* level, not Federal. Besides, the notion of multigenerational welfare dependence isn’t something you see liberals championing; that’s why there are fixed time limits on most kinds of public assistance. The poster seemed to be under the impression that all the benefits he was talking about were *unlimited* in terms of time, so if he *wasn’t* concern trolling, he’d have to be really clueless and misinformed.
I’ve only been on public assistance once in my life (drew unemployment for about two months back in the 90s) and they are EMPHATIC about the limits on the program. So I can’t believe that other benefit administrators don’t clue you in when you go to apply.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
10:57 am
Mighty Righty,
“I guess you missed my statement that I think marijuana should be legal.”
My point was it doesn’t matter if something is legal or not…if there is a demand for it even the most stringent regulations won’t stop an illegal market for the product.
Matti
May 24th, 2012
10:57 am
Yes.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
10:57 am
Yep, Oscar, I agree.
Empty the jails and prisons of small time weed offenders and replace them with Republican bankers.
Now that is killing two injustice birds with one stone!
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
11:01 am
JamVet,
“Empty the jails and prisons of small time weed offenders and replace them with Republican bankers”
Corporate welfare queens.
number of people to die from a MJ overdose - ZERO
May 24th, 2012
11:01 am
and those of you who dont smoke, thats fine. But how do you feel about your democratically elected government trampling on your personal freedoms? Letting other industries that sell ‘drugs’ prosper, while criminalizing the consumers of their competitors?
With the gay marrige thing in the news lately, a lot has been said about being on the right side of history on this issue. Do you really think an enlightened nation will keep a weed illeagal forever.
And for all the stoner jokes implying tokers are all dumb idiots. I laugh at you. For you my friend are the real idiot b/c you have no grip on the reality of the situation.
Now go beat your wife, drink too much and cheat on your taxes on your way to church, as you tell us what’s right and wrong.
Finn McCool (The System Isn't Broken; It's Fixed ~ from an Occupy sign)
May 24th, 2012
11:02 am
Good article on alternative banking:
http://www.salon.com/2012/05/24/cooperative_banking_has_arrived/
the cat
May 24th, 2012
11:02 am
OT-did anyone see the parishioner from Worley’s “church” on Anderson Cooper last night??? OMG-there are some dense, hate filled people in NC. And clueless.
Peter
May 24th, 2012
11:02 am
kayaker 71
May 24th, 2012
9:13 am
It sure is better than growing tomato plants.
No I love my tomatoes !
Finn McCool (The System Isn't Broken; It's Fixed ~ from an Occupy sign)
May 24th, 2012
11:03 am
36 percent say they’re opposed
Which includes everyone involved in the alcohol industry. Big big big money.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
11:04 am
… I also would like to hear from PJ, soothsayer, and Kamchak, if y’all don’t mind….
I singled out phrases like, “instead, I take money from someone else…..” because it was obviously pulled out of talk-radio type language.
He is a tool and not to be taken seriously.
DawgDad
May 24th, 2012
11:05 am
“We’re sending people to jail — most of them basically kids”
But – but – but – would we legalize pot for KIDS??? I don’t think so.
The other sticky issue is how to set and assess legal level of impairment of drivers.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
11:06 am
He is a tool and not to be taken seriously.
And as a Chelsea fan, Kam knows tools.
TaxPayer
May 24th, 2012
11:07 am
Martin the Calvinist
December 7th, 2011
9:16 am
Jay, what is the solution then? How much of the overall tax burden should the rich pay? Before some liberal starts asking me how much of the burden the poor or middle class pay in percentage, I am asking on the rich who many believe aren’t paying their fair share.Define fair share?
Is this guy “martin the calvinist’s” big brother?
Aquagirl
May 24th, 2012
11:07 am
The other sticky issue is how to set and assess legal level of impairment of drivers.
Hand them a bag of Doritos. If the bag is unopened after 10 minutes, they’re under the limit.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
11:07 am
“there are some dense, hate filled people in NC. And clueless.”
Unfortunately they are not limited to NC.
JohnnyReb
May 24th, 2012
11:08 am
I agree with those who believe marijuana is a gateway drug. However, keeping it illegal will not solve that problem. Legalization might actually help that problem.
If law enforecement can come up with a test for marijuana intoxication that can be administered on the spot as is the breath test for alcohol, then legalize it.
bob
May 24th, 2012
11:10 am
Not that I would know from personal experience but the new stuff works wonders and tastes so much better than the stuff back in the 70’s, lets all inhale !
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
11:10 am
And as a Chelsea fan, Kam knows tools.
Won the FA Cup.
UCL Champions.
‘Nuff said.
MrLiberty
May 24th, 2012
11:10 am
And only ONE presidential candidate has ALWAYS had the courage to speak in favor of Liberty and Freedom and against the oppressive/racist war on drugs. Of course that is RON PAUL. Prohibition was a failure in the 20s/30s and drug prohibition has been a failure since it began in the 1930’s with the Harrison Tax act that essentially banned the wonderful Hemp plant from cultivation. It could have been a huge source of financial revenue, been an outstanding alternative energy source, a great food source, a source of “plastics” (Henry Ford actually built a car out of hemp plastic), a better source of paper, a better and more durable source of fiber for clothing and tons of other uses. What a tragedy.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the majority of the remaining minority who remain opposed are part of the parasitic class that makes their living off marijuana being illegal. Folks like the alcohol industry, the pharmaceutical industry (competition), the cotton industry (same), the courts, law enforcement, the DEA, the CIA (who makes billions dealing drugs throughout the world), the rehab industry (who benefits every time someone is forced against their will into rehab), the prison industrial complex (who makes billions and billions on the caging of innocent Americans that have harmed absolutely nobody.
This argument and discussion should only be about freedom. Everyone should be held personally responsible for their actions, whether they are under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or any of the seriously mind altering drugs like Xanax, Prozac or the hundreds of other drugs that bigPharma hands out like candy.
Legalization has nothing to do with endorcement or a choice or tolerance for harmful behavior. It is about freedom to own your own body and to decide what you put into it. Either you own your own body or the government does. Which is it going to be? Government owning you is slavery and I thought we abolished that a long time ago (at least we said we did).
TaxPayer
May 24th, 2012
11:12 am
If law enforecement can come up with a test for marijuana intoxication that can be administered on the spot as is the breath test for alcohol, then legalize it.
I think someone has already provided that test method. Dangle a bag of Doritos in front of suspect and time them. If they grab the bag and rip it open in less than ten minutes, arrest them. The few that are just seriously hungry and not high can demand the more precise test.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
11:13 am
I agree with those who believe marijuana is a gateway drug.
Caffeine is the original “gateway drug.”
Chuck
May 24th, 2012
11:13 am
Finally a topic that I agree with Jay on, but you do not go far enough. I believe that ALL drugs should be legal. If you want to kill yourself with Crystal Meth, Smack, or Crack, then so be it, that is Darwinism at its best. The Government should not be telling full grown adults what they can and can’t do with their own bodies, as long as those people do not infringe on anyone elses rights. Just so you people know, I have near tried any form of drugs, I am just a Libertarian that believes in actual FREEDOM.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
11:14 am
“If (Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders) wants to legalize drugs, send the people who want to do drugs to London and Zurich, and let’s be rid of them. — Rush Limbaugh show, Dec 9, 1993
The problem, of course is that most of the good people in London and Zurich would not want that hypocritical, pill popping, doctor shopping, lardass mooch in their cities!
CobbGOPer
May 24th, 2012
11:15 am
Short answer: YES
martin the calvinist
May 24th, 2012
11:15 am
Joe, I completely see your argument, I was let go from my job a little more than 3 years ago and the unemployment office let me know under no uncertain terms that this would end in 26 weeks…I can see where he might have been baiting a response. Jew cowboy, I can’t speak of that other guy, I can speak for myself, my wife and I earned about 33,000 maybe a bit more and at the time we had two, we have two more (unplanned blessings from God) this year. with credits due to kids in daycare, earned income credit, child tax credit, my refund was about 4700 and I deliberately claim myself, my wife and my two kids as dependents to take home as much as I can on a bi-weekly basis and worry about having to pay more April 15th, I haven’t had to pay anything….btw, I’m sure glad I don’t live in Atl anymore, here in Grovetown, outside Augusta, my mortgage is only 416 for a 3 bedroom home, it’s tight in here but I own it…..
GT
May 24th, 2012
11:15 am
Bankers I hear that!
You can learn more from the reality of drugs selling in America than you can from polls. I have always imagined the users don’t freely admit who they are when asked but the power of the market tells you something is going on we cannot stop. Now if you do a religious poll and some of these drug dealers get polled I imagine they give looser info than what they actually believe there too. Social pressure suppresses honest participation in polls which many times is the rightwing’s intention. Like a false business plan helping them raise more money for a business that is not as good in reality as it is on paper.
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
11:16 am
Why the tax ? If you want revenue, tax soft drinks and let everyone pay. If it is a sin, why not tax bibles too and again let everyone pay.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
11:17 am
If law enforecement can come up with a test for marijuana intoxication that can be administered on the spot as is the breath test for alcohol, then legalize it.
Given that standard,
If law enforcement can come up with a test for prescribed medication intoxication that can be administered on the spot as is the breath test for alcohol, then keep them legal.
NObama
May 24th, 2012
11:17 am
No – pinko : bite me
Jack
May 24th, 2012
11:18 am
Legalize the stuff. If there’s Rockwell in our future, I can see the paintings with a happy little family entering a happly little marijuana store with shopping list in hand. They’ll be buying a particular brand for grandpa, one for grandma and some different flavored tokes for the kids and probably get a surprise package for the kids’ teacher. And everyone will live happily ever after.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
11:18 am
Chuck,
“The Government should not be telling full grown adults what they can and can’t do with their own bodies, as long as those people do not infringe on anyone elses rights.”
I have a better idea.
http://youtu.be/8gdsc3GiOYs
martin the calvinist
May 24th, 2012
11:19 am
lol Taxpayer, it’s my, just too lazy to hit the capital key on the keyboard!
getalife
May 24th, 2012
11:19 am
Too bad they will not listen to the majority on this issue and the red states will not pass medical weed.
DawgDad
May 24th, 2012
11:19 am
“This argument and discussion should only be about freedom. ”
Just like health care. What we should ban is “nuances”.
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
11:20 am
The test should be a driving test, not a usage test.
martin the calvinist
May 24th, 2012
11:21 am
Jefferson, we do pay taxes on Bibles, anytime you buy one…sales tax….gotta go to work. thanks for answering my questions and giving me an education, it’s been fun…..
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
11:21 am
jewcowboy
When I was eighteen I was stationed briefly in Oklahoma which was a dry state. Because booze was “illegal” for every one I could buy it most any where. No ID required. In California where I grew up, booze was legal, but you had to be twenty one. It was very difficult to get booze in California if one was not twenty one. Carried to a logical conclusion, I believe legalizing MJ would make it difficult for the pants on the ground crowd to get weed.
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
11:21 am
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness….
Class of '98
May 24th, 2012
11:21 am
Jay, this is one topic on which we agree. It is nonsensical to outlaw a plant. If Christians are against marijuana, then they disobeying the Bible in my opinion. Genesis 1:29: “Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.’”
God made cannabis. It is good.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
11:22 am
Kam – I’m feeling properly rebuked.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
11:22 am
The real gateway drug is legal and it kills.
Katz P. Ajamas
May 24th, 2012
11:23 am
By his own admission, our president used marijuana and cocaine and is not remorseful. Why should others be in jail, just because they were caught? Because law enforcement and prisons are big business. Don’t believe me? Watch as they lobby to keep drug laws on the books.
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
11:23 am
Cal, if you have sin taxes, you should have non-sin taxes, or pew taxes. Sales tax comment is lame as all getout.
DawgDad
May 24th, 2012
11:25 am
“God made cannabis. It is good.” God made hemlock. . .
Chuck
May 24th, 2012
11:25 am
Jewcowboy
I like that, a tax on stupid people, but we already have that it is call the lottery. Lets legalize real gambling while we are at it.
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
11:27 am
The lotter is volenteer taxation, if you win big, you are not stupid.
Aquagirl
May 24th, 2012
11:27 am
Carried to a logical conclusion
When Mighty Righty is applying logic and reaching logical conclusions in this matter we’ve passed the tipping point where legalization is inevitable.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
11:27 am
(ir)Rational
It could be worse.
You could be an avid Bayern fan — or an evil Red Devils fan.
I am actually quite fond of Bayern, as long as we aren’t playing them.
Here we go!
May 24th, 2012
11:28 am
Absolutely! Make it legal and tax it. Empty our jails and tax money from feeding those in jail because of MJ laws. This forces people to take responsibility. You want to smoke cigs, MJ, drink – do it but take responsibility for it. You turn into a drug addict, alcoholic, your fault, not mine and we won’t pay for it. I’ll even go one step farther, legalize and tax prostitution.
Joel Edge
May 24th, 2012
11:28 am
Good idea. Legalize it, tax it. It would entertaining to watch a bunch of stoners protesting taxes on their drug of choice. If they could work up enough concentration to manage it.
Chuck
May 24th, 2012
11:28 am
Yeah and you have the great several hundred million to one odds of winning big, you are right that is a very SMART bet.
barking frog
May 24th, 2012
11:28 am
I have sampled marijuana
a few times when I was
drunk. It put me to sleep.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
11:28 am
cons call peeing in a cup and giving it to government freedom.
ragnar danneskjold
May 24th, 2012
11:29 am
I would not tinker with minimal changes in the Pure Food and Drug Act – I would favor total repeal. I cannot imagine any intelligent reason to allow the government to stand between the citizen and his pharmacist. The only drugs that are so dangerous that prohibition of distribution should even be considered are cocaine, methamphetamine, and alcohol.
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
11:29 am
Tax high income at higher rates.
Duncan20903
May 24th, 2012
11:29 am
One of the prohibitionists’ favorite stories is the 1990 Alaskan vote of 54.3-45.7 to implement an unconstitutional re-criminalization of petty possession and petty cultivation of cannabis in a person’s private home, which was subsequently struck down by the Alaska Court of Appeals in 2002. So pot in Alaska went from legal to illegal from 1991 to 2002. It went back to legal in 2002, the very same 2002 in which SAMHSA started a study on the incidence of “drugged” driving in the US and in each individual State. Alaska joined California and Hawaii in posting statistically significant reductions in the incidence of drugged driving between 2002 and 2009. Alaska also happens to be the #1 State for the rate of people who choose to enjoy cannabis.
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k10/205/DruggedDriving.htm
Hawaii passed medical in 2000. Not a big contributor but the Know Nothings swore that “drugged” driving would skyrocket. You guys are never deterred for even a heartbeat despite being wrong, wrong, wrong.
California passed the Medical Marijuana Program Act (AKA SB-420) in 2003 legalizing dispensaries, offering patients actual protection from arrest, and a subsequent increase in the number of residents claiming the protection of the law skyrocketing from ~50,000 to somewhere between 750,000 and 1.125 million in 2011 according to numbers compiled by California NORML. This during the same time they were registering that statistically significant reduction in the incidence of “drugged” driving.
The States that claim the lion’s share of this Country’s protected medicinal cannabis patients all passed their laws between 1998 and 2004. There was not a single State that suffered a statistically significant increase in the incidence of “drugged” driving in the SAMHSA study linked above.
But there you go again, disregarding the total lack of supporting evidence for your absurd opinion that tough laws against cannabis cut down on impaired driving, while ignoring the carloads of evidence that supports the assertion that it doesn’t.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
11:30 am
frog,
It does help with sleep , hunger and takes your mind of the pain.
Tundra Dude
May 24th, 2012
11:31 am
I agree with those who believe marijuana is a gateway drug.
It may be, but I think white bread is worse. (prisons are full of white bread eaters)
DawgDad
May 24th, 2012
11:32 am
“cons call peeing in a cup and giving it to government freedom.”
This is not really a left-right issue.
Chuck
May 24th, 2012
11:33 am
Great idea, Jefferson. Heaven forbid the people that earn their money be allowed to keep it, when they can support all the brillant people that are paying your volunteer lottery tax but can’t afford food. No doubt which political party you belong to.
Son of the South
May 24th, 2012
11:33 am
JKL2 — You wrote this:
“Now we have obama preaching smoking dope and doing cocaine in high school is cool.”
Tell me how that is NOT equating pot and cocaine? Writing is just as fundamental as reading.
Old Goober
May 24th, 2012
11:34 am
Who are we kidding here? If you legalize and tax marijuana, the gangs will just have that much more of an advantage. They’ll be offering it for sale tax-free, and police will be faced with checking for receipts. You can’t exactly put a tax stamp on a marijuana cigarette.
I don’t give a hoot whether pot gets legalized, provided there are sufficient checks to keep stoned drivers off the road. But let’s not invent advantages of legalizing it. And legalizing it won’t do a thing to lessen the use of more dangerous drugs.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
11:34 am
It may be, but I think white bread is worse.
When white bread is outlawed, only outlaws will have white bread.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
11:34 am
Chuck,
“but we already have that it is call the lottery.”
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
11:35 am
“Like a false business plan helping them raise more money for a business that is not as good in reality as it is on paper”
Solyndra is a good example of why the government should never ever invest our money. They simply do not have the training and experience. Marijuana should be legal. For all intents it is legal. No one arrested anymore for possession of small amounts for personal use. Biggest problem is employers testing for drugs and users losing their jobs. The alcohol industry is already set up to handle distribution and retail sales. The tax revenue would go along way toward helping local and federal government. Most of the tax money would come from recycling tax revenue that is now being wasted on drug dealers. I think it is a win win with no new cost to the economy.
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
11:35 am
Chuck, there will be plenty left — what a baby, act like a republican and want everything for free.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
11:36 am
Kam – Bayern is in my top 5. Arsenal, Barcelona (okay, Lionel Messi), Red Bulls, Bayern, and (this is because of the Mrs.) the Red Devils (but really there it is Wayne Rooney).
SamE
May 24th, 2012
11:36 am
I am not a pot smoker but am highly in favor of legalizing it, I have good freinds that I would hate to see jailed over something as petty as an herb. Alcohol is just as “bad” and that appears to be widely acceptable in the U.S.
Lets fight real crimes America! Lord knows we’ve got plenty of sicko’s that need to be apprehended.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
11:37 am
Alright, I have things to do. Y’all have an awesome day.
Chuck
May 24th, 2012
11:41 am
Jefferson
I am not a republican, I am a Libertarian. I have crazy beliefs like people should be held accountable for themselves. I also believe that it is not the place of the government to decide that I have made enough money and it is now time to take MY money and give it to someone else that has not earned it. I am crazy that way, if I want to help a bum, then let ME decide to give the bum money and not have the government stick a gun to my head and do it.
Aquagirl
May 24th, 2012
11:42 am
You can’t exactly put a tax stamp on a marijuana cigarette.
Yet somehow we put tax stamps on tobacco cigarettes. Gosh, maybe there IS a way.
Mick
May 24th, 2012
11:42 am
Well….I think…people should…uh..what were we writing about?
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
11:43 am
While I favor legal marijuana, it is not a valid argument to compare the use of MJ to dringing alchhol beverages. Alcohol is a beverage with side effects of intoxication if drunk to excess. Marijuana is a drug the sole purpose of which is to intoxicate the user. Huge difference.
weetamoe
May 24th, 2012
11:43 am
Yes, yes, yes. Besides California could use the tax money. I think Car and Driver once determined as a result of controlled tests that marijuana users were safer drivers than boozers.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
11:44 am
Chuck,
“all the brillant people that are paying your volunteer lottery tax but can’t afford food.”
I live in a “pioneering” area of Atlanta and have lost count of the times I’ve stood behind (or to the side) of someone buying $50 worth of lottery tickets. Saving $50 a month (I’m hoping this is a monthly habit and not a weekly one) over the course of 17 years would yield about $20k. If it’s a weekly habit, then saving that amount would yield $80k over the same time period.
But, they keep on playing…waiting for payoff of that ever human want of something for nothing. A truly non-partisan trait.
Talking Head
May 24th, 2012
11:45 am
News Flash! Real Federal Deficit last year was $5 trillion
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-05-18/federal-deficit-accounting/55179748/1
Obamanomics
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
11:47 am
Sorry C – it don’t work that way.
Chuck
May 24th, 2012
11:48 am
Yeah Jewcowboy, the bad thing is that they print the odds for winning right on the tickets that these people are buying, and they just do not see their impossible chances of really striking it rich. Like it was once said “A fool and his money are easily parted”
Normal Free...Pro Human Rights Thug...And liking it!
May 24th, 2012
11:51 am
t may be, but I think white bread is worse.
Is that another anti-white joke?
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
11:51 am
JAY:
Knowing how bad you want to smoke this stuff without risking your job at the AJC, I guess I will support “watering it down” just a bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIGwhNAUXkg
……….. but then there’s this too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye3ecDYxOkg
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
11:51 am
“Like it was once said “A fool and his money are easily parted””
See: Creflo Dollar, Jan and Paul Crouch, Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, etc…
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
11:51 am
But then:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMqVrUSz62o
Dr. Beaulieu
May 24th, 2012
11:52 am
Legalize it. Tax it. Control it. And while we are at it, let’s do the same with most other controlled substances.
Chuck
May 24th, 2012
11:52 am
Jefferson
God bless you, I believe in your heart you love all the people and want to help them, you and I just have different views on what methods work in helping them. I have a meeting you folks take it eazy.
FrankLeeDarling
May 24th, 2012
11:52 am
I am more worried about people driving around on
Prescription narcotics
Mick
May 24th, 2012
11:53 am
OK…yes..legalize it? Even on this blog it seems to be a unifying issue for both sides….we can build on that…
They BOTH suck
May 24th, 2012
11:53 am
Bud Wiser
I noticed downstairs that the shoe fit real well…………… Even better than you thought
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
11:55 am
“Yeah Jewcowboy, the bad thing is that they print the odds for winning right on the tickets”
Yep. The odds are 50-50. You’ll either win or you won’t.
Adam
May 24th, 2012
11:56 am
If you knew that a majority of homicide convicts in New York had smoked marijuana within 24 hours of their convictions, would you be in favor of legalizing it?
If you knew that 100% of all convicted serial killers drank milk at some poitn in their lives, would you drink milk anymore?
If you knew the unabomber believed that global warming was real, you wouldn’t, WOULD YOU?
Duncan20903
May 24th, 2012
11:57 am
Smoking is not required to gain the benefits of cannabis, whether for medicinal need or just for enjoyment. Any potential health hazards due to smoking are not the hazards of cannabis, but of smoking.
Vaporization is proven safe, less expensive, and preferred over smoking by a margin of 7:1 in peer reviewed research published in 2007. http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=149:vaporization-as-a-qsmokelessq-cannabis-delivery-system&catid=41:research-studies&Itemid=135
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
11:58 am
Doggone/GA,
“You’ll either win or you won’t.”
A man goes into the synagogue and prays. “O Lord, you know the mess I’m in, please let me win the lottery.”
The next week, he’s back again, and this time he’s complaining. “O Lord, didn’t you hear my prayer last week? I’ll lose everything I hold dear unless I win the lottery.”
The third week, he comes back to the synagogue, and this time he’s desperate. “O Lord, this is the third time I’ve prayed to you to let me win the lottery! I ask and I plead and still you don’t help me!”
Suddenly a booming voice sounds from heaven. “Benny, Benny, be reasonable. Meet me half way. Buy a lottery ticket!”
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
11:58 am
“If you knew”…
Heck, everyone is missing the REAL culprit: water! I bet everyone of those convicted killers had drunk water within hours, if not minutes, of committing their crime.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
11:59 am
HEADLINE (USA Today): “REAL DEFICIT LAST YEAR: $5 TRILLION”
“The typical American household would have paid nearly all of its income in taxes last year to balance the budget if the government used standard accounting rules to compute the deficit, a USA TODAY analysis finds.
Under those accounting practices, the government ran red ink last year equal to $42,054 per household — nearly four times the official number reported under unique rules set by Congress.
A U.S. household’s median income is $49,445, the Census reports.
The big difference between the official deficit and standard accounting: Congress exempts itself from including the cost of promised retirement benefits. Yet companies, states and local governments must include retirement commitments in financial statements, as required by federal law and private boards that set accounting rules.”
Yep …………. Congress exempts itself from a lot of stuff.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-05-18/federal-deficit-accounting/55179748/1
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
11:59 am
jewcowboy – yep! One of my favorites! And if anyone want’s 100% odds on the lottery – don’t buy a ticket. Odds are 100% that you won’t win.
massachusetts refugee
May 24th, 2012
12:00 pm
ok, cool, finally something i know about. this is what i think – wait, what? oh yeah, see, it’s, um, far out man.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
12:00 pm
If you think some of these blog subjects are bad can you imagine if Jay was stoned ?
too little time
May 24th, 2012
12:00 pm
The other sticky issue is how to set and assess legal level of impairment of drivers.
IMHO, this is the ONLY real issue in the whole discussion of how to make marijuana legal.
ragnar danneskjold
May 24th, 2012
12:02 pm
Shakil Afridi – abandoned for the sake of Obama’s re-election.
Jefferson
May 24th, 2012
12:02 pm
Chuck, I’m no pacifist nor a far left liberal, but I do belive in progressive income taxes with the money used to provide services and promote (not always provide) the wellfare of the country. If we could get companies and individuals from ripping off the gov’t, there would be more done with less taxes. Why does a gov’t contract become a sugar daddy ?
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
12:04 pm
This is actually proably good as we will need more FBI informants down the road !
Headline: “Arabic mandatory at city public school”
“An upper Manhattan public elementary school will be the first in the city to require that students study Arabic, officials said yesterday.
Beginning next semester, all 200 second- through fifth-graders at PS 368 in Hamilton Heights will be taught the language twice a week for 45 minutes — putting it on equal footing with science and music courses.”
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/arabic_mandatory_at_city_public_UdLomjOOnZNfjDfs6YQrUN#ixzz1vntHkvvn
East Cobb RINO
May 24th, 2012
12:04 pm
“cons call peeing in a cup and giving it to government freedom.”
This is not really a left-right issue
**************************************
Depends on which hand you use to hold the cup and which hand you use to hold your member. I put the cup in my left hand.
Mick
May 24th, 2012
12:05 pm
Bob dylan says, “everybody must get stoned”…
massachusetts refugee
May 24th, 2012
12:06 pm
shakil afridi – collateral damage in completing the job w gave up on. sux, but it’s a war out there.
Mick
May 24th, 2012
12:06 pm
Shakil Afridi – any relation to shiek yer booty?
Pass the Cheesy Grits Please
May 24th, 2012
12:06 pm
“If they had asked, ‘If you knew that a majority of homicide convicts in New York had smoked marijuana within 24 hours of their convictions, would you be in favor of legalizing it?
This is the kind of leading stuff they use on Fox News all the time.
And the ignorant hicks fall for it every time.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
12:06 pm
Well, well ……. this is cute.
Headline: “Clinton & Porn Stars”
http://dailycaller.com/2012/05/24/bill-clinton-smiles-for-the-camera-flanked-by-porn-stars-photo/
Adam
May 24th, 2012
12:08 pm
Boy that thing about Obama not being the biggest spender ever STILL has some of you cons in a tizzy, eh? Good. The message is working…. And you’re falling for it by fighting that battle instead of trying to fight in a reality based world where you should be trying to legitimately promote your ideas as better than the ideas of the other side. So focused on lying and making up records for your opposition, you have marginalized your own party and message. And you wonder why people aren’t keen on voting for your “side” this time.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
12:11 pm
scout,
Let Hillary have some fun too.
Aquagirl
May 24th, 2012
12:12 pm
Heck, everyone is missing the REAL culprit: water!
Dihydrogen Monoxide: America’s scourge.
http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html#DANGERS
PMC
May 24th, 2012
12:13 pm
“If they had asked, ‘If you knew that a majority of homicide convicts in New York had smoked marijuana within 24 hours of their convictions, would you be in favor of legalizing it?
Ha ha, If they had asked, If you knew that a majority of homicide convicts in New York had used milk within 24 hours of thier convictions would you be in favor of illegalizing it?
Any advance in our nonsensical drug policy would be progress.
Prohibition has been proven only to exaccerbate the problems related to drugs.
ken
May 24th, 2012
12:15 pm
Yes
Normal Free...Pro Human Rights Thug...And liking it!
May 24th, 2012
12:17 pm
MICK,
Off topic question for you…what’s the tax situation down there for over 65’s, as in income and property tax?
Tundra Dude
May 24th, 2012
12:17 pm
Jay Bookman
Is it time to rethink national policy on marijuana?
Imo, it mattereth not what the Little peeps think or want.
There’s powerful interests opposed to legalization, such as the Pharma Cartels,
law enforcement (dependent on Fed $ for pot eradication), the for-profit prison industry,
also the anti-hemp lobby (plastics/chemicals)
Our contribution-dependent political class will abide by the wishes of the Paymasters, bet on it.
(my 2 farthings, Jon K)
jeff
May 24th, 2012
12:18 pm
I am personally against making pot legal, I do not care what any one on the left say, it is a gateway drug and will lead to more harsh drug use. Plus, when a purchase of pot is made the money is funding the drug cartels in Mexico that are killing everyone that gets in their way.. Do we really want to give them even more money? There is NO WAY to regulate a product that can be grown in someones basement.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
12:20 pm
Mick — “OK…yes..legalize it? Even on this blog it seems to be a unifying issue for both sides….we can build on that…”
Indeed. Me and Mighty Righty are gonna go get effed up in the parking lot after work. You in?
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
12:23 pm
Dihydrogen Monoxide: America’s scourge.
http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html#DANGERS
getalife
May 24th, 2012
12:24 pm
Thank you for your service cranky old man.
Jimmy62
May 24th, 2012
12:26 pm
Jeff: It’s not a gateway drug and that whole concept is ludicrous. Far more heroin users have drank water in their lives than have smoked weed, so probably we should ban water. At any rate, plenty of studies have shown that pot is not a gateway drug.
And really, that’s beside the real point, which is freedom. If I do want to do heroin (I don’t, but I’ve smoked a lot of weed), what business is it of yours?
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
12:26 pm
This marijuana thing and the recent interest in Obama being a cocaine addict in high school has got me wondering. The media did hide the high school stuff in ‘08 so we don’t know yet whether we have the whole ruth and nothing but the truth, so to speak. Because the media can’t be trusted when it comes to Obama I have been watching very closely to see if there is any sign of white power around the president’s nose which would explain some of the senseless statements he makes. Haven’t found any evidence yet, but I have noticed his hair seems to get whiter and then darker and then whiter. I wonder if anyone else has noticed this phenomenon.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
12:27 pm
jeff,
Prohibition gives the cartels tax free trilllions
The same thing happened with booze.
History repeating itself using thinking like your jeff.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
12:27 pm
I have crazy beliefs like people should be held accountable for themselves. I also believe that it is not the place of the government to decide that I have made enough money and it is now time to take MY money and give it to someone else that has not earned it. I am crazy that way, if I want to help a bum, then let ME decide to give the bum money and not have the government stick a gun to my head and do it.
Alas, if only you Libertarians would use that same outrage to speak out against even worse examples that apply to billion dollar corporations and individual millionaires and billionaires, we might just have managed to keep a healthy middle class left in this country …
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
12:28 pm
Plus, when a purchase of pot is made the money is funding the drug cartels in Mexico that are killing everyone that gets in their way.. Do we really want to give them even more money? There is NO WAY to regulate a product that can be grown in someones basement.
If it “can be grown in someones basement”, how exactly, is that, “funding the drug cartels in Mexico”?
Did you think this through before you posted that?
skipper
May 24th, 2012
12:28 pm
@Jay,
I betcha you are havin’ fun sittin’ back watching this one roll…………….(no pun intended!) Libs/conservatives/workers.doctors, etc………..all bongin’ it up in college (or where ever they were) and lovin’ it. Nothing brought folks together like that old weed……..
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
12:29 pm
Jeff @ 12:18
Alas, you are absolutely correct but your post will fall on “stoned” ears.
Out on patrol. Everyone be nice.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
12:29 pm
willard said he can get unemployment down.
corporate media refuses to ask how,
corporate media give the gop a free pass as usual.
BADA BING
May 24th, 2012
12:30 pm
Hostess is going out of business, and you people want more people smoking pot.? What is going to happen when all those stoners can’t get their Twinkies? Recipe for disaster.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
12:30 pm
“Did you think this through before you posted that?”
No.
Ivan
May 24th, 2012
12:31 pm
“Dihydrogen Monoxide: America’s scourge.”
And the genious left want to be the first in line to ban it.
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
12:31 pm
“There’s powerful interests opposed to legalization, such as the Pharma Cartels,”
Why would Big Pharma care? Really. why? They aren’t in the pseudo market. They have the have the good stuff.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
12:31 pm
There is NO WAY to regulate a product that can be grown (brewed) in someones basement.
Tell that Anhueser-Busch, MillerCoors and Pabst…
Divide and Conquer
May 24th, 2012
12:32 pm
Caffeine is the original “gateway drug.”
Nah, I think it was breast milk.
Refugee from the "Sahara of the Bozart" (Thank God and H.L. Mencken We Escaped)
May 24th, 2012
12:33 pm
Move to Ecotopia and smoke the good stuff, far from Gooberstan.
Plenty of good THC, dispensed legally.
Ivan
May 24th, 2012
12:34 pm
Link Fail
Banning water.
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
12:35 pm
getalife
May 24th, 2012
12:29 pm
willard said he can get unemployment down.
corporate media refuses to ask how,
corporate media give the gop a free pass as usual
I saw him this morning say exactly how he would do it. Just pay attention and quit quoting Democrat talking points..
godless heathen
May 24th, 2012
12:37 pm
Looking at some of the angry, dishonest, unhinged, wingnut rants that go on here… I’d say we need a mandatory marijuana law…
Repealing mj laws might save the company.
Duncan20903
May 24th, 2012
12:37 pm
The Know Nothing prohibitionist asserts that drug users are responsible for the crimes of organized criminal syndicates because the users send them money by buying their product. If the users would stop doing that the cartels would wither away and die from money deprivation.
The drug law reform advocate points out that establishing a well regulated retail supply chain and domestic production would take that money away from the foreign criminal interests.
The Know Nothing prohibitionist declares that it will not deprive the cartels of their income because the criminals would replace that cash flow by switching to other criminal profit centers.
So if everyone quit buying their product the crims wouldn’t be able to replace the same cash flow by just switching to other criminal profit centers?? Neither consistency nor continuity are the strong suit of the Know Nothing prohibitionist.
Aquagirl
May 24th, 2012
12:39 pm
Tell that Anhueser-Busch, MillerCoors and Pabst…
Or R.J. Reynolds and Phillip Morris.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
12:39 pm
Link Fail
Third time’s the charm?
BWinKennesaw
May 24th, 2012
12:41 pm
Just think about how good the pot would be if it was legalized. To the uninformed – all pot is not the same. You could go to the convenience store and buy sticky, smelly buds without wasting a bunch of money on an illegal bag of crap weed. Legalize today ! Save the country money. Tax it like alcohol. Quit spending money litigating and jailing people for a vice that in a LOT of peoples opinions is less harmful than alcohol.
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
12:42 pm
Here are three steps Romney would take to immediately create jobs.
1) Do away with Obamacare
2) Reduce Obama’s regulations on “start up business
3) Eliminate Obama’s regulaions on Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas, companies.
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
12:43 pm
Here are three steps Romney would take to immediately create jobs.
1) Do away with Obamacare
2) Reduce Obama’s regulations on “start up business
3) Eliminate Obama’s regulations on Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas, companies.
Mick
May 24th, 2012
12:43 pm
normal
Property tax rates depend on which county you choose to live in. Right now, both houses and county taxes are fairly cheap. Where you will probably get burned is homeowners insurance, it’s tricky to find a good rate and company. There is no state income tax in Florida…
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
12:48 pm
Mighty Righty,
“Here are three steps Romney would take to immediately create jobs.”
So specific.
Please explain:
1. Specifically, how will repealing PPACA create more jobs?
2. Specifically, which regulations are you talking about on “start up businesses”?
3. Specifically, eliminating which regulations on oil, coal and natural gas production will create jobs?
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
12:48 pm
Righty, BIG Pharma is working very hard to try to synthesize THC. And it has been available in some crude forms (pills) for years.
Fortunately their work sucks!
brookstone
May 24th, 2012
12:53 pm
Yes, let’s legalize pot. It’s a good idea. Especially since Obummer has admitted to using it himself and he’s super cool.
Tom Middleton
May 24th, 2012
12:53 pm
You mean it’s not legal, Jay? Wonder where I’ve been!
Mr_B
May 24th, 2012
12:57 pm
Jm – I would say that there would actually be an argument there. But obviously, we’re both joking since income taxes came first. It would be very fitting if the income tax was the 19th or 20th Amendment instead of the 16th though.
The two amendment were linked, and often supported by the same organizations. At the time Prohibition was passed, excise taxes on alcohol were by far the largest percentage of Federal revenues. Income tax had to be enacted to replace the lost revenues.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
12:57 pm
“Especially since Obummer”
Do people who write things like “Obummer” or “Obozo” et al. think they are being witty?
Joe the Prophet
May 24th, 2012
1:01 pm
I intend to spark my brains out if the polytheist gets elected..!!!!!
Here’s the choice….Turn the United States into one huge oil field and force American men to drill, baby, drill…..or to build bombs for our war with Iran….
Women..?!?! They will have to be nurses..because there will be a TON of casualties..!!!
The other choice….Smoke out your mind until they take you to prison…There you will have three meals a day and free health care….Just have to be careful handling the soap…
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
1:01 pm
Do people who write things like “Obummer” or “Obozo” et al. think they are being witty?
They’re half right.
Joe the Prophet
May 24th, 2012
1:02 pm
Sounds EXACTLY like the GW Bush administration…!!!!
Normal Free...Pro Human Rights Thug...And liking it!
May 24th, 2012
1:04 pm
Mick,
Thanks.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
1:05 pm
I can kinda see both sides of this issue but overall if I had to vote today I would probably vote in favor of legalization provided we could tax it and that the tax proceeds would be earmarked and appropriately divided between paying for rehab centers and paying down the debt.
I wonder if we really need another legal intoxicant to make us even sorrier. Plus it just seems like this is another step deeper into the moral sewer that we now find ourselves as a nation.
On the other hand it would be great to take the criminality out of it and I’m not really convinced over the pot is a gateway drug argument. Maybe, maybe not but I’m not convinced on that point. And as far as health goes pot isn’t anywhere near being close to killing the sheer numbers of people that alcohol and cigarettes kill. I don’t think anyone disputes that point.
My question though is if we legalize it and tax the hell out of it like cigs and alcohol would the tax proceeds be spent appropriately on say paying for rehab for people on harder core drugs or paying down the deficit? Or just wasted like all our other taxes?
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
1:06 pm
Eliminate
Obama’s regulaionsthe TENS OF BILLIONS of dollars every single year in subsides, giveaways and handouts from Uncle Sugar (you and me) to Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas, companies.Now, we’re talking…
USMC
May 24th, 2012
1:08 pm
The Democrat/Liberal Failure that is DETROIT…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-24/half-of-detroit-s-streetlights-may-go-out-as-city-shrinks.html
Tom Middleton
May 24th, 2012
1:09 pm
Just kidding, but I’m in favor of legalization and have been for decades.
brookstone
May 24th, 2012
1:09 pm
Better legalize blow too since Obummer has admitted to using that also.
Tom Middleton
May 24th, 2012
1:10 pm
La cucaracha. La cucaracha.
Ya no puede caminar.
Porque no tiene
Porque le falta
Marijuana que fumar!
DawgDad
May 24th, 2012
1:12 pm
“This is the kind of leading stuff they use on Fox News all the time.
And the ignorant hicks fall for it every time.”
Why single out Fox News? If you somehow think they don’t do this in the MSM and on the other cable news channels you are very, very deluded.
Mick
May 24th, 2012
1:12 pm
mighty
That’s it? Thats all you got for romney’s job creation? Yeah, that’s really a blueprint to bring down unemployment by what, .001 percent???
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
1:18 pm
“Better legalize blow too since Obummer has admitted to using that also.”
Unlike Bush who continues to lie about his usage of it.
Aquagirl
May 24th, 2012
1:20 pm
Just kidding, but I’m in favor of legalization and have been for decades.
No Tom, it only seems like decades. Because time is passing really, really slow.
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
1:20 pm
JamVet
Try to learn the difference between a tax write off for businesses that employ several million people and grants gifts and handouts the government gives to individuals who do nothing and make no contribution to our economy.. Government has no money. If businesses don’t earn profits which are the taxed the social programs you favor would not eixist. You shoudl thank those businesses for their contribution to the wealth of this nation rather than bi–ch about them getting to keep a little of the money they earned.
Just Saying
May 24th, 2012
1:22 pm
I don”””t know know know what the the proooooblem is, I smoooke the the weeeed everyniteee.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
1:22 pm
Mr_B – The two amendment were linked, and often supported by the same organizations. At the time Prohibition was passed, excise taxes on alcohol were by far the largest percentage of Federal revenues. Income tax had to be enacted to replace the lost revenues.
Except the 16th Amendment (Income Tax) was ratified almost 6 years before the 18th (Prohibition), and 4.5 years before it was even proposed.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
1:22 pm
USMC,
Speaking of Detroit you ever seen either of the 2 post apocalyptic movies “The Road” with Viggo Mortenson or “The book of Eli” with Denzel Washington? In both movies there is a bridge scene where the decayed bridge overlooks an urban landscape that looks like hell on Earth. Both movies were filmed in Detroit and that bridge and wasteland are all too real. Detroit is without a doubt the poster child of what liberalism will do to a city. Scary.
Gale
May 24th, 2012
1:22 pm
Just popped in after lunch to see if the left vs right bashing was still on and, What’s This? Way past time to rethink this policy. How long must we keep on with a clearly failed policy before we can decide it is time to change?
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
1:23 pm
“Is it time to rethink national policy on marijuana?”
MAMA SAYS NO !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLQYkbzSz5s
P.S.
“Keep Off Grass”
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
1:24 pm
“You shoudl thank those businesses for their contribution to the wealth of this nation rather than bi–ch about them getting to keep a little of the money they earned.”
From Jay’s previous post: “I’m not a U.S. company, and I don’t make decisions based on what’s good for the U.S.” ~ Former ExxonMobil CEO Lee Raymond
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
Mick
May 24th, 2012
1:12 pm
mighty
That’s it? Thats all you got for romney’s job creation? Yeah, that’s really a blueprint to bring down unemployment by what, .001 percent???
I don’t believe I said that those were the only ideas Romney has although experts agree those three things would increase emplomnet by two million within the first two years.
Your turn, please let us know Obama’s program for job growth. Just one will do.
Talking Head
May 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
“No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth!”
-Ronal Reagan
He’s spot on with this assessment, but I wonder if he thought about this when he started the “War on Drugs”
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
Thulsa:
Wise words. I remember Detroit from the late 50’s. A vibrant place where a lot of people wanted to live and work.
Not any more.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
Thulsa:
Wise words. I remember Detroit from the late 50’s. A vibrant place where a lot of people wanted to live and work.
Not any more.
Boris Badnoff
May 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
If the drug laws were strictly enforced, how many posters would one find on Bookman’s Blog? Let’s concentrate on the real problem, the lack of regulation on Bath Salts. I have never used or considered using illegal drugs. Suppose you have a bad experience. Who would your lawyer Algonquin J. Calhoun sue? Alcohol always does the trick for me.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
1:25 pm
“Detroit is without a doubt the poster child of what liberalism will do to a city. ”
What a retarded statement.
Mick
May 24th, 2012
1:27 pm
doom
**Detroit is without a doubt the poster child of what liberalism will do to a city. Scary**
What’s even scarier is if you actually believe that you can attribute that to liberalism???
C’man man wake up and go back to sleep!!!
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
1:28 pm
Mighty Righty,
“has although experts agree those three things would increase emplomnet by two million within the first two years.
Your turn, please let us know Obama’s program for job growth. Just one will do.”
Funny…you still haven’t answered with specifics…just general vague statements about repealing regulations.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
1:29 pm
jewcowboy/Mick:
I have a great idea. You two go and live there and report back.
Mick
May 24th, 2012
1:30 pm
mighty
How’s about the auto industry? Would there be one if obama had not interceded? What about tax incentives to bring back manufacturing, which is starting to pay off. What about gas prices falling more than 50 cents in a month? OK, forgot, we can only blame obama when the prices rise – got it…
Gale
May 24th, 2012
1:31 pm
Gosh Thulsa, and all along I thought it was unions that ruined Detroit.
Mick
May 24th, 2012
1:32 pm
1811
What does living in detroit have to do with liberalism? There is no connection whatsoever, just your imagination – go with it if it makes you feel good…
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
1:33 pm
jewcowboy
I know you think you have discovered something clever but there is no conflict between what your quote is and the facts,. ONE) Businesses employee people whether they want to or not. TWO) Every person who is not retired, on welefare, or some other domestic or foreign safety net either works for a private business or for the government. THREE) All government income comes from taxes levied on business or from taxes levied on the employees of those business. There is no other income.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
1:33 pm
“Detroit is without a doubt the poster child of what liberalism will do to a city. ”
What a retarded statement.- jewcowboy
jewcowboy,
How so? Take a look at most of the big cities run by Dems for decades. You see a lot of urban blight, decay, massive debt, broken school systems. Take a look at cities as small as Prichard, Al. or as big as Detroit or medium sized like Newark, NJ, East St. Louis.
Are you in denial of what is plainly obvious to the rest of us regarding the various social ills of big cities run by liberals for decades?
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
1:33 pm
Righty, too long.
Just say it – you neocons LOVE corporate welfare. BTW, I love how you call it a tax write off!
Asking them to stand on their own two (billion dollar) feet – like you want impoverished Americans to do is too much to ask.
You shoudl thank those businesses for their contribution to the wealth
Contribution???
Incredible.
Hope YOU like ponying up the difference for those parasites.
Over the past four years who paid more in federal taxes?
a) the teenaged high school senior who made $3000 per year babysitting.
b) General Electric, Boeing, Verizon, and Mattel combined (along with 22 other MAJOR corporations)
Talk about a perverted sense of economic justice! No wonder you grovelers nominate spoon fed socialists like Mitt…
http://jagatrayasemesta.blogspot.com/2010/07/guppy-poecilia-reticulata-also-known-as.html
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
1:34 pm
0311…,
“I have a great idea. You two go and live there and report back.”
I have a better idea. Since liberal ruined Detroit, why don’t you and Thulsa go live there and show how great conservative policies are.
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
1:34 pm
Mighty Righty
Sorry it took so long to get back with you. I had to step away for a while.
My question to you is, how many crimes are committed by people needing money to support either their own habit or because there is high profit in buying and selling marijuana?
Most violent crime related to marijuana is tied to smuggling and distribution. You have theft going on with users, but I don’t think its as bad as you have with much harder drugs like coke, heroin, and meth. The big thing with marijuana is that many consider it a gateway drug. If you have an addictive personality, once that high isn’t the same, many seek out harder drugs to get that same feeling.
what do you the police do when you encounter some one who possess a small amount of marijuana for personal use.
I do immigration, so when someone crosses the border with marijuana, it’s a fed offense from the jump. If it’s destroyed in testing, they may get off with a fine as long as they are a citizen. If they are a foreign visitor, they’re likely to be sent back home or where they came from. If it’s not destroyed in testing, then they’re gonna end up in court for possession charges.
As for street cops, I’ve seen many a charge and conviction for possession less than 2oz. Most times, the sentence is time served with a hefty fine. If there are multiple offenses, then there’s either alternative programs or hard time. That depends on the court system. I don’t know many officers who let things slide nowadays. Too many people recording things and such. Letting something slide is one of the easiest ways to lose your job.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
1:35 pm
What does living in detroit have to do with liberalism?
It’s filled with “those people.”
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
1:35 pm
Mick,
You don’t think its odd that in all these big cities run by liberals for decades that they are generally broke, that their school systems are in shambles, that crime is rampant, and that urban blight and decay is everywhere. You don’t find that correlation the least bit odd?
Old Goober
May 24th, 2012
1:36 pm
Elizabeth Warren is largely unscathed by the weeks-long controversy surrounding her ancestry, according to a new Suffolk University poll released Wednesday evening.
The survey shows the Massachusetts Democrat trailing GOP Sen. Scott Brown by a single percentage point, with Brown netting 48 percent to Warren’s 47 percent. The result marks a measurable shift toward Warren since the last Suffolk poll in February, which had Brown up 9 points, 49 percent to 40 percent. Politico.com
I suspect that if our conservative friends keep slamming Warren about Cookbookgate and her ancestry, she’ll be up by 20 in August.
Chuck
May 24th, 2012
1:36 pm
TalkingHead
Reagan did not start the “War On Drugs”, that would be Richard Nixon who started the D.E.A. in 1972.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
1:36 pm
jewcowboy:
Too late. There is a point from which one cannot return.
Mick
May 24th, 2012
1:36 pm
doom
**Take a look at most of the big cities run by Dems for decades. You see a lot of urban blight, decay, massive debt, broken school systems.**
Dude, you are way smarter than that. So all those poor folk living in west virginia are the result of conservatism? Please, bake me a cake…
Chuck
May 24th, 2012
1:37 pm
He did foolishly continue it.
A dad
May 24th, 2012
1:37 pm
Dudes, I thought this blog was about pot and, and, well, pot and uh, pot and, ummm, what were we talking about again? Yeah, pass the joint over my friend. I’ll take another hit
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
1:37 pm
Thulsa Doom,
“How so?”
Because you boil an incredibly complex event down to simply “liberalism”..whatever the hell that is supposed to mean.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
1:38 pm
OK, demographic non-experts, answer the following question.
ALL ten of the poorest states in this country are:
a) Republican
b) Democratic
Mick
May 24th, 2012
1:38 pm
doom
It’s not odd, you are attempting a simplification, like what in gods name would a conservative gov’t have done? I mean really, why did god make it so that there has to be even one poor person on earth? Your logic fails…
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
1:39 pm
Kam – Actually, Detroit is one of the most segregated cities in the country. OH! You meant “liberals” when you said “those people.”
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
1:39 pm
Mick
May 24th, 2012
1:30 pm
mighty
How’s about the auto industry? Would there be one if obama had not interceded? What about tax incentives to bring back manufacturing, which is starting to pay off. What about gas prices falling more than 50 cents in a month? OK, forgot, we can only blame obama when the prices rise – got it…
Sorry you are reaching. The consolodation of the auto industry cost tens of thousands of jobs. Not one job was created although some were saved. Tax incentives for manufacturing have been around for a hundred years. Obama has nothing to do with it. The increase in gas prices which have caused the worst inflation in ten years have still not returned to the pre-Obama levels.
Three strikes, your out!
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
1:41 pm
Thulsa Doom,
“You don’t think its odd that in all these big cities run by liberals for decades that they are generally broke”
You don’t think it’s odd that Mississippi has the highest rate of poverty of any state? And we know what a bastion of liberalism Mississippi is…
Mick
May 24th, 2012
1:42 pm
mighty
You are right – in your own mind, congrats…
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
1:44 pm
Brosephus™
Thank you, I knew you would know.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
1:44 pm
“I have a better idea. Since liberal ruined Detroit, why don’t you and Thulsa go live there and show how great conservative policies are.”
Jewcowboy,
Kwame Kilpatrick amongst others ran that city into the ground and the corruption under his administrations was the stuff of legend. And yet the dunderheads who elected him re-elected him. If the folks of Detroit re-elected a complete clown like him in the same way that folks in DC re-elected Marion Barry then what makes you think they’ll listen to a conservative or anyone with any common sense for that matter?
Logical Dude
May 24th, 2012
1:44 pm
Jay asks: Is it time to rethink national policy on marijuana?
No.
That’s because the thinking has been done. It is time to take the information and ACT. Not just “rethink”.
Although I guess for those who don’t really think, maybe they should rethink first.
A dad
May 24th, 2012
1:44 pm
JamVet – and those 10 poorest counties are primairly populated by (1) democrats or (2) republicans. Go ahead, we know the answer. C’mon, you can do it. Those 10 counties just wait for the gov’t to take care of them. Sounds like a dem to me.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
1:44 pm
“Not one job was created although some were saved.”
Hmm…someone is telling a fib:
http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-04/ford-reaches-tentative-accord-with-union-on-contract-briefings-scheduled
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120515/AUTO0103/205150425
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
1:45 pm
As for neocon efficacy, lets not forget the state that gave us the (W)orst President Ever.
One out of five people in Texas live in poverty.
You’re doing a a heckuva job connies…
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
1:46 pm
Jewcowboy,
And Mississippi also was mostly democrat for the first 150 years of its existence was it not? Hard to climb out of that deep hole.
barking frog
May 24th, 2012
1:47 pm
how do the police find so
many growhouses and not
so many imported pot
dealers? To paraphrase
Jesse Jackson, how can a
six year old find a drug
dealer when the police
can’t? All government is
trying to maintain illegal
drug status.
ODD OWL
May 24th, 2012
1:47 pm
Free the weed, tax the weed, pay down the debt… Oh yea, tax the rich too… Everyone must pay their FAIR SHARE… Do anyone disagree with me ???
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
1:48 pm
A dad, are you an ESL student?
I listed 10 states, not 10 counties.
???
Where pray tell did you pull that out of? (Don’t answer! LOL!)
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
1:48 pm
Kammie:
“What does living in detroit have to do with liberalism?
It’s filled with “those people.”
Not “people” but culture and political viewpoint destroyed Detroit.
Many “people” of all races and ethnic groups got out when they could as they saw it coming.
LOL IMMA BARB
May 24th, 2012
1:48 pm
Click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click click
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
1:48 pm
jewcowboy – While the article about GM hiring a second shift is valid, the first about Ford is invalid considering they didn’t get bailed out.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
1:49 pm
LOL IMMA BARB:
Now that post was brilliant. Anything else to contribute ?
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
1:49 pm
“The increase in gas prices which have caused the worst inflation in ten years have still not returned to the pre-Obama levels.”
Hmmm..yet another fib:
http://www.inflationdata.com/Inflation/images/charts/Annual_Inflation/annual_inflation_chart.htm
joe725
May 24th, 2012
1:49 pm
Just some more vile disgusting behavior from the liberals. You want to stop the increase of MJ use then give the user some real punishment.—–
I’m conservative–and like ron paul–think this whole criminalization thing is a waste of time and money–let’s put our resources–limited though they may be at this time–toward the real issues–economics, real pragmatic health care, getting out of the money pit/quagmire in Afhganistan, education……..
Mighty Righty
May 24th, 2012
1:50 pm
Here are the top ten cities with a populaiton of 250,000 or more worst poverty rates in percentage of poulation at or below the poverty line.
1.Detroit, Michigan 36.4
2.Cleveland, Ohio 35.0
3.Buffalo, New York 28.8
4.Milwaukee, Wisconsin 27.0
5.St. Louis, Missouri 26.7
6.Miami, Florida 26.5
7.Memphis, Tennessee 26.2
8.Cincinnati, Ohio 25.7
9.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 25.0
10.Newark, New Jersey 23.9
A dad
May 24th, 2012
1:51 pm
JamVet (you DADT flunk out you). I thought you might have been referring to article published today on MSH re the poorest counties of all 50 states.
But typically, you evade answering the question by insulting and attacking.
Have a wonderfuly day with your husband dude.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
1:51 pm
Mick,
Actually an oversimplification would be Mississippi which has been poor forever. As for Detroit, DC, Philly, LA, Chicago, and many other cities run by Dems for decades those cities were vibrant, thriving places at one time. That’s the difference between my example and Jewcowboy bringing up Miss. It was mostly under liberal leadership over several decades that they turned to became completely mismanaged. Its a theme we seem to see in most of them.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
1:51 pm
Everyone must pay their FAIR SHARE.
“Corporations are people, my friend.”
But because of the self-destructive right wingers in this country, those people, my friend, pay nowhere near their fare share.
In fact, they just suck you and me dry.
But not to worry, Righty has NO problems that we the real people pick up their share…
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
1:51 pm
And Mississippi also was mostly democrat for the first 150 years of its existence was it not?
False equivalence.
Democrat doesn’t necessarily = liberal, especially prior to the 1960s — as was illustrated yesterday.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
1:51 pm
(ir)Rational,
“While the article about GM hiring a second shift is valid, the first about Ford is invalid considering they didn’t get bailed out.”
Better?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2012/01/05/chrysler-to-add-1100-jobs-at-jeep-factory-in-detroit/
Just type in “US auto manufacturer adds jobs” into Google…there are plenty more examples out there.
Chuck
May 24th, 2012
1:51 pm
G.M and Chrysler should have been allowed to fail, so should have the banks, AIG, and any other company that was run poorly. In the short term it would have been a major blow to the economy, but in the long run it would have madde the economy much stronger. Poorly run companies need to fail, that is how a real free market corrects itself. The free market is suppose to be like the jungle, the strong survive and weak get eaten.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
1:52 pm
JamVet – I don’t really have a dog in this fight, but out of that 20% of the population living in poverty in Texas. How many of that group do you think are immigrants. And please don’t take that to mean I’m bashing immigrants I’m just stating something I see as true. A group comes in, it takes time for them to get jobs, get established and climb out of poverty. By the time they do that, another group (or more likely a few dozen other groups) has come in to replace them in the statistic showing that high of a poverty rate.
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
1:52 pm
MR
No problem. Zero tolerance laws kinda did away with the whole letting things slide.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
1:53 pm
Mighty Righty,
Gee. I wonder who runs most of those cities? And if we pulled up the 10 most broke cities in the U.S. I wonder who chiefly runs those cities?
Leeroy
May 24th, 2012
1:54 pm
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
1:49 pm
LOL IMMA BARB:
Now that post was brilliant. Anything else to contribute ?
Doubt it since he probably has CTS at this point.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
1:54 pm
jewcowboy – I was just trying to point out an error and give you a chance to correct it before those that take issue with everything “the others” say jumped on you for bringing up an invalid argument.
Mick
May 24th, 2012
1:54 pm
doom
So, when they were vibrant and ran by the dems, that doesn’t count? Illocial all the way my man but then, you are who you are…
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
1:55 pm
Doom — “You don’t think its odd that in all these big cities run by liberals for decades that they are generally broke, that their school systems are in shambles, that crime is rampant, and that urban blight and decay is everywhere. You don’t find that correlation the least bit odd?”
Cum hoc, ergo propter hoc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correlation_does_not_imply_causation
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
1:56 pm
I thought you might have been referring to article published today on MSH
Don’t think homophobic meat. Just read and comprehend. What I wrote was in standard, written English, not in Aramaic or Republispeak.
MSH? (Melanocyte-stimulating hormone?)
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
1:56 pm
how do the police find so
many growhouses and not
so many imported pot
dealers?
Electricity usage, infrared imaging, the overpowering smell.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
1:56 pm
Kamchak
Then I guess Republican doesn’t necessarily equal conservative.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
1:57 pm
Thulsa Doom,
“Hard to climb out of that deep hole.”
It’s evidently not that hard to make excuses though. What about the Texas size deficit Texas has? Does that come from liberalism as well?
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-politics/2012-presidential-election/love-hate-thing-stimulus-money/
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
1:59 pm
Joe mama,
Correlation is not indeed the same as cause and effect. Suffice it to simply say that there is a very strong correlation between big cities run by liberals for decades and rampant crime, rampant corruption, broke finances, public school systems in shambles, and urban blight and decay. We’ll just leave it at a very strong correlation.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
1:59 pm
Then I guess Republican doesn’t necessarily equal conservative.
Correct, but unlike you, I didn’t make any such implication.
Erwin's cat
May 24th, 2012
1:59 pm
Jam – “…But not to worry, Righty has NO problems that we the real people pick up their share…”
Tax the corps and the peeps will still be the ones who pay the bill….no matter what you do, that will never change
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
2:02 pm
(ir)Rational,
“I was just trying to point out an error and give you a chance to correct it before those that take issue with everything “the others” say jumped on you for bringing up an invalid argument.”
Thanks. I understood..hence the Chrysler link. Unfortunately any more than 2 link in post gets caught in the spam filter. I apologize if my response seemed snarky.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
2:02 pm
jewcowboy,
Would you like to get into a comparison between the biggest liberal state California and the biggest conservative state Texas? We can compare the 2 in terms of economic growth, unemployment, deficit, population and jobs growth, etc. Do you really want to go there jewcowboy? Cause I don’t think you do.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
2:02 pm
mighty righty:
“1.Detroit, Michigan 36.4
2.Cleveland, Ohio 35.0
3.Buffalo, New York 28.8
4.Milwaukee, Wisconsin 27.0
5.St. Louis, Missouri 26.7
6.Miami, Florida 26.5
7.Memphis, Tennessee 26.2
8.Cincinnati, Ohio 25.7
9.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 25.0
10.Newark, New Jersey 23.9″
TRANSLATION: “The South will rise again !”
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
2:04 pm
jewcowboy – No worries.
barking frog
May 24th, 2012
2:07 pm
0311
“The South will rise again !”
If you mean the Confederacy
that ship has sailed.
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
2:08 pm
Then I guess Republican doesn’t necessarily equal conservative.
Historically, it did not. However, at the rate they’re getting rid of their moderates, the two will be interchangable before I die.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
2:08 pm
Thulsa Doom,
“Then I guess Republican doesn’t necessarily equal conservative.”
As Republicans have demonstrated for the past 30 years.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
2:10 pm
Thulsa Doom,
Would you like to get into a comparison between the biggest liberal state California and the biggest conservative state Texas?”
Not really…because any such comparison is pointless since neither is identical in population, industry, or economy. Which is what I was pointed out when I called your original statement about Detroit retarded.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
2:15 pm
K’Chak — “Electricity usage, infrared imaging, the overpowering smell.”
Somewhat apropos of the topic of electricity usage, I’ve been monkeying with LED lighting in the house for probably 5-6 years (it’s only in the last year or so that reliable, reasonably-priced LED fixtures and ‘bulbs’ have become available in the US market). Some months ago, I was having a look at one of the online LED producers/retailers that I’ve bought from in the past, and I noticed that they were selling squarish fixtures for the ceiling, but the photos showed the fixture emitting a reddish or pinkish light from an array of LEDs.
“Huh,” I said. “That’s weird-lookin’ Wonder why someone would want a pink lamp like this.”
My wife leaned over and took a look (again, she went to a West Coast hippie university).
“I know EXACTLY why someone would want lights like that,” she said.
My respect for the regulars here is such that I’m sure you don’t need me to explain any further.
That said, such LED grow-lights would eliminate that electricity-usage detection factor, would it not?
Jm
May 24th, 2012
2:16 pm
Regarding drugs, role models, and presidents
I’d have to say I would be able to tell my kids everything about Romney without shame
I couldn’t say the same about Obama
He makes an awful role model for kids, though I hope he inspires minority kids
Peadawg
May 24th, 2012
2:19 pm
“I’d have to say I would be able to tell my kids everything about Romney without shame
I couldn’t say the same about Obama”
I don’t think too highly of either one…but to each his own (blinders) I guess.
Mike-let's-legalize
May 24th, 2012
2:21 pm
I’m sick of being treated like a second class citizen for smoking marijuana. Prohibitionists: Mind your own damn business and stop forcing pot smokers to live in the closet like Jews under nazi rule. My choices harm nobody but this stupid morality crusade by prohibitionists want to take my job, house, money and freedom just because I enjoy pot. It’s not fair and I’m sick of it.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
2:21 pm
“Historically, it did not. However, at the rate they’re getting rid of their moderates, the two will be interchangable before I die.”
Brocephus,
You could say the same about the Democrats. I don’t see too many JFK or Sam Nunn or Zell Miller types anymore. Zell or Nunn would have been guys I would have voted for. In fact I did vote for Zell who was in my view a good man. Both parties are losing moderates. Matter of fact I’ve seen it posited a few times now that in the house that we are basically at about 65 house seats that are contestable each and every election. The rest are either solidly D or R. And that’s too bad for all of us.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
2:25 pm
That said, such LED grow-lights would eliminate that electricity-usage detection factor, would it not?
Probably so.
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
2:27 pm
Doom
To an extent you could say the same thing. There are still more moderate Dems in DC than Repubs though. We have nobody but ourselves to blame for that. That need for strict adherence to political ideology will ruin this country faster than gay marriage, legalized drugs, and illegal immigrants all combined.
That Black Guy
May 24th, 2012
2:30 pm
First, it’s past time to legalize weed.
Second, off topic.
Kyle has a article refuting the Obama has been frugal topic, incase anyone wishes to check it out.
http://blogs.ajc.com/kyle-wingfield/2012/05/24/about-the-idea-that-obamas-spending-has-been-tame/?cp=3#comment-115854
Sorry Jay
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
2:31 pm
That said, such LED grow-lights would eliminate that electricity-usage detection factor, would it not?
Depends. If you notice the size of the grow houses that get busted, they are not growing 10-20 plants. Their plant count usually starts in the triple digits. Unless they chop the roof off, any electrical light source is gonna leave a serious footprint on the grid.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
2:32 pm
Bro – I don’t know, that type of LED source wouldn’t be much more than a typical residential home or warehouse I wouldn’t think.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
2:34 pm
Scout,
The 10 brokest statest in America as follows.
1- Illinois. Hmm. Barack’s home state is the brokest in the nation. Probably the most corrupt too.
2-California- crazy broke
3-NJ
4-NY
5-Texas. No state income tax did it for Texas. However, Texas also has a rainy day fund that last I checked had 9.6 billion in it. So the debt may not be as big when factoring in this fund.
6-Michigan
7-Nevada
8- Arizona- That’s now 2 red states on the list.
9-Oregon
10- Connecticut
8 blue, 2 red
http://thisorthat.com/blog/the-10-brokest-states-in-america
Peadawg
May 24th, 2012
2:34 pm
That Black Guy
May 24th, 2012
2:30 pm
I said yesterday there’s many ways to spin the numbers. The one number you can’t spin is $15 trillion in debt (plus $5 trillion since Obama took office by staying in Iraq and now Afghanistan, stimulus, extending tax cuts, etc.).
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
2:34 pm
“That said, such LED grow-lights would eliminate that electricity-usage detection factor, would it not?”
Not neccessarily. The lights are not the only reason there is high electricity usage. The grow-house has to be kept pretty warm – over 85 or 90 degrees, something like that. Heat eats up a LOT of electricity – which is why incandescent bulbs use more electricity: heat output
Tundra Dude
May 24th, 2012
2:35 pm
TRANSLATION: “The South will rise again !”
Not in my lifetime.
Just saw a list of the bottom 10 (poorest) states.
8 are Red states. Plus, all the Southern Red states, except Jawja are net importers of Federal $$.
Not to worry, that shrewd bidnezzman from the Cayman Islands will fix that, probably by spinning off the nonprofitable states.
paulo977
May 24th, 2012
2:36 pm
You trample tobacco smothers but you will demonstrate to smoke weed
__________________________________________________________
Don’t think 2nd hand weed has the same ill effects as 2nd hand smoke!!!
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
2:36 pm
“That need for strict adherence to political ideology will ruin this country faster than gay marriage, legalized drugs, and illegal immigrants all combined.”
Brocephus,
Well we can agree on one thing then today. Of course I’ll also agree with the view that gay marriage, legalized drugs, and immigration aren’t going to ruin the country either.
JKL2
May 24th, 2012
2:37 pm
Doom — “You don’t think its odd that in all these big cities run by liberals for decades that they are generally broke, that their school systems are in shambles, that crime is rampant, and that urban blight and decay is everywhere. You don’t find that correlation the least bit odd?”
joe mama- Cum hoc, ergo propter hoc
Translation: I got nothin’
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
2:44 pm
joe mama- Cum hoc, ergo propter hoc
Translation: I got nothin’
Those that can’t read Latin shouldn’t be translatin’.
Just sayin’.
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
2:48 pm
(ir)Rational
Electricity use for grow houses go beyond lighting. There’s irrigation and ventilation. A small operation would be hard to detect. The ones getting busted tend to be larger operations that use more electricity. Cutting back by using LED’s still doesn’t negate the consumption from pumping water and running vents.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
2:49 pm
Good God. Nutting’s misleading and dishonest article from yesterday about Obama being the most frugal president just got vaporized, obliterated, eviscerated, and utterly annihilated. Kyle just launched one gigantic conservative missile of truth at yet another liberal wall of lies and blew it to smitherines
JKL2
May 24th, 2012
2:50 pm
Thulsa- 1- Illinois. Hmm. Barack’s home state is the brokest in the nation. Probably the most corrupt too.
Probably? Certified. obama is a crook run by crooks. If there was any justice, he would be sharing a cell with Blagojevich right now.
Not to worry Demwits, there are plenty of people waiting to fall on the sword for the teflon don.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
2:50 pm
JKL — “Translation: I got nothin’
Correct. Doom’s got nothin’.
A dad
May 24th, 2012
2:51 pm
So JamVet, when and where was your service. BTW, not homophobic. Don’t care to be honest. And I meant MSN.com. Sorry, I am typing challenged.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
2:52 pm
JKL2, Scout,
If you haven’t done so go check out Kyle’s blog today on that article yesterday about Obama being the most frugal president ever. It has left our liberal friends speechless.
skipper
May 24th, 2012
2:53 pm
Dang, Jay;
You’ll have 20 pages if this keeps up, and it’ll really be interesting later when some of the folks have had their tokes! some columns bring ‘em out………
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
2:53 pm
Joe mama,
We already agreed. No proof of cause and effect. Just a very, very, very, very, very, very strong correlation.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
2:54 pm
Bro – Electricity use for grow houses go beyond lighting.
So you’re an expert then?
I wouldn’t actually know. The extent of my knowledge about that comes from the shows Weeds and The Wire.
JKL2
May 24th, 2012
2:55 pm
joe mama- Correct. Doom’s got nothin’
I don’t understand why you’re wasting your time on this blog. You should be on obama’s cabinet since you’re the second smartest man n the world.
or does obama have a jealousy that is hold you back?
That Black Guy
May 24th, 2012
2:55 pm
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
May 24th, 2012
12:00 pm
If you think some of these blog subjects are bad can you imagine if Jay was stoned ?
__________________________________________________________________
Imagine if getalife WASN’T!
jms
May 24th, 2012
2:57 pm
Those polls are quite doobie-ous.
JKL2
May 24th, 2012
2:58 pm
Thulsa- If you haven’t done so go check out Kyle’s blog today on that article yesterday about Obama being the most frugal president ever. It has left our liberal friends speechless
Unforunately they are never speechless. They have to start with the name calling, lies and deflections.
josef
May 24th, 2012
2:58 pm
“Is it time to rethink national policy on marijuana?”
Well, duh.
Nice wiggly line graphics…
What were we talking about?
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
2:58 pm
That Black Guy – Imagine if getalife WASN’T!
He would actually write in complete, comprehensible sentences?
Fred ™
May 24th, 2012
2:58 pm
Granny Godzilla – Union Thugette
May 24th, 2012
9:09 am
Keep the government out of our backyard gardens!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LOL Granny, you give a whole new meaning to weeding the garden…….
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
2:59 pm
Imagine if getalife WASN’T!
Imagine if you knew what the hell you were posting about.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
2:59 pm
josef – Unrelated to anything, but is APS done for the summer?
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
3:02 pm
(ir)Rational
In my line of work, you gotta be able to spot them in order to bust’em. If you don’t know how they’re set up and work, you won’t find one if you’re sitting inside one.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
3:02 pm
JKL2 @ 2.58: “They have to start with the name calling, lies and deflections.”
Hmmm…
JKL2 @ 2:50 “Not to worry Demwits”
Fred ™
May 24th, 2012
3:03 pm
JKL2
May 24th, 2012
2:37 pm
Doom — “You don’t think its odd that in all these big cities run by liberals for decades that they are generally broke, that their school systems are in shambles, that crime is rampant, and that urban blight and decay is everywhere. You don’t find that correlation the least bit odd?”
joe mama- Cum hoc, ergo propter hoc
Translation: I got nothin’
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Translation of jlk2: He hasn’
t a clue what tyhe hell any of that means, it’s way over his head so he posts more of his useless drivel.
Here ya go sport. I feel sorry for you in your ignorance though so here is what Joe Mama was talking about, (if you read it you could actually learn something useful):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
3:03 pm
josef,
“What were we talking about?”
How naughty that graph looks…
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
3:04 pm
Bro – Sure. I “believe” you. Now, what will $250 get me?
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
3:06 pm
(ir)Rational
$250 wouldn’t even cover your fines for a possession charge.
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:06 pm
THULSA
“It has left our liberal friends speechless.”
Liberal me? Speechless? Shirley, you jest!
TUNDRA
2:35 pm
“TRANSLATION: “The South will rise again !”
Not in my lifetime.
Just saw a list of the bottom 10 (poorest) states.”
I take it you ain’t seen the illiteracy stats, eh? The South’s already losing to states Up Nawth in the bottom rankings…
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
3:07 pm
jewcowboy/josef – How naughty that graph looks…
Something is wrong with me, I didn’t even notice the graph’s shape. What 27 year old guy wouldn’t notice that?!?!
JoeDaWg
May 24th, 2012
3:08 pm
I’m getting a little tired of reading these absurd comments by nanny staters who keep pretending to be Republicans. I’ve been a Republican my entire life, the next “liberal” I vote for will be the FIRST liberal I have ever voted for. There is nothing even remotely “conservative” about marijuana prohibition. These nanny state ideals do not represent conservatism or me. I don’t have any interest in funding these asinine laws, or the 50 billion dollars in tax money that get wasted on this issue every year. That’s waste, nothing productive has ever come from prohibition, its as simple as reading a history book. If you believe its any of Obama’s business what kind of plants you own, what you eat or drink, what you smoke, what kind of medicine you take, you are not a conservative. That’s called federalism, that’s big government, that’s anti freedom, and most of all that’s a moronic way to look at life. The founding fathers didn’t fight and die so I could live under the thumb of some half brained politician. The people own this country, the people are changing these laws, I say bravo to the places like Colorado and California, liberal as they may be. If you don’t like that, you don’t like democracy. It doesn’t take a rocket scientists to see through the holes in our marijuana laws. They are anti American, anti intelligence, and most of all they are coasting us over a hundred billion dollars every two years. This madness will end, people have had enough.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
3:08 pm
(ir)Rational,
“Now, what will $250 get me?”
That reminds me of a column I read.
“Generation X is beyond all that bulls*** now. It quit smoking and doing coke a long time ago. It has blood pressure issues and is heavier than it would like to be. It might still take some ecstasy, if it knew where to get some. But probably not. Generation X has to be up really early tomorrow morning.
Generation X is tired.”
http://tinyurl.com/6xpdafa
HillWilliam (The Educated Hillbilly)
May 24th, 2012
3:09 pm
I know many have said that they don’t trust government data, but I’m curious what the pro legalization crowd’s reponse to the following is: (and for the record, I am currently neutral on the topic, so convince me)
http://www.justice.gov/dea/demand/speakout/index.html
Fact 4: Smoked marijuana is not scientifically approved medicine. Marinol, the legal version of medical marijuana, is approved by science.
According to the Institute of Medicine, there is no future in smoked marijuana as medicine. However, the prescription drug Marinol—a legal and safe version of medical marijuana which isolates the active ingredient of THC—has been studied and approved by the Food & Drug Administration as safe medicine. The difference is that you have to get a prescription for Marinol from a licensed physician. You can’t buy it on a street corner, and you don’t smoke it.
Fact 5: Drug control spending is a minor portion of the U.S. budget. Compared to the social costs of drug abuse and addiction, government spending on drug control is minimal.
The Legalization Lobby claims that the United States has wasted billions of dollars in its anti-drug efforts. But for those kids saved from drug addiction, this is hardly wasted dollars. Moreover, our fight against drug abuse and addiction is an ongoing struggle that should be treated like any other social problem. Would we give up on education or poverty simply because we haven’t eliminated all problems? Compared to the social costs of drug abuse and addiction—whether in taxpayer dollars or in pain and suffering—government spending on drug control is minimal.
Fact 6: Legalization of drugs will lead to increased use and increased levels of addiction. Legalization has been tried before, and failed miserably.
Legalization has been tried before—and failed miserably. Alaska’s experiment with Legalization in the 1970s led to the state’s teens using marijuana at more than twice the rate of other youths nationally. This led Alaska’s residents to vote to re-criminalize marijuana in 1990.
Fact 9: Europe’s more liberal drug policies are not the right model for America.
The Legalization Lobby claims that the “European Model” of the drug problem is successful. However, since legalization of marijuana in Holland, heroin addiction levels have tripled. And Needle Park seems like a poor model for America.
Fact 10: Most non-violent drug users get treatment, not jail time.
The Legalization Lobby claims that America’s prisons are filling up with users. Truth is, only about 5 percent of inmates in federal prison are there because of simple possession. Most drug criminals are in jail—even on possession charges—because they have plea-bargained down from major trafficking offences or more violent drug crimes.
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:09 pm
Coito, ergo sum.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
3:10 pm
Doom — “We already agreed. No proof of cause and effect. Just a very, very, very, very, very, very strong correlation.”
Objection, Your Honor. Opposing counsel is testifying to the jury.
exactly
May 24th, 2012
3:10 pm
I wish we would quit asking this damned question and just do it.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
3:11 pm
JKL — “I don’t understand why you’re wasting your time on this blog. You should be on obama’s cabinet since you’re the second smartest man n the world.”
It is good that you recognize and acknowledge your betters.
“or does obama have a jealousy that is hold you back?”
I think the issue is that he feels he needs to keep Michelle away from me.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
3:12 pm
Bro – I’ve never had to worry about that. I never had the desire to smoke it. I mean, I woke up a couple of times with contact highs, but I never intentionally went looking.
True story though: In high school (appropriately named per the scope of this blog topic), in front of one of the post offices in the county, there are some planters. Well, someone thought it would be funny to plant weed in each of the planters. No one recognized it (well, no one that cared), and one day some other local kids went and harvested it. Apparently, it went around the school as post office weed for a week or so, and was good stuff. We always laughed at the wonderful police work in the county where someone could plant weed on federal property and the police don’t even notice it being out in plain site.
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:12 pm
NOT HILLBILLY D…
As a wise man once said, “don’t bogart that joint, my friend…”
Excess verbalization is an indicator of controlled substance abuse..
–Thomas Jefferson
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
3:12 pm
JCB — “JKL2 @ 2.58: “They have to start with the name calling, lies and deflections.”
“Hmmm…”
“JKL2 @ 2:50 “Not to worry Demwits”
He’s not really even trying any more, is he, JCB?
barking frog
May 24th, 2012
3:13 pm
I read Kyle’s analysis of the
WSJ article and with no
malice toward Jay or Kyle
both posts show Nutting is an example of
“figures don’t lie but liars
do figure”.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
3:13 pm
I’m getting a little tired of reading these absurd comments by nanny staters who keep pretending to be Republicans.
Self-righteous evangelicals took over the Republican party decades ago, sport.
You’ve only now just noticed it?
Boy, nothing escapes that trap like brain of yours.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
3:15 pm
Fred — “Here ya go sport. I feel sorry for you in your ignorance though so here is what Joe Mama was talking about, (if you read it you could actually learn something useful):”
Actually, there’s a key distinction between post hoc ergo propter hoc and cum hoc ergo propter hoc, but both involve the incorrect assumption of causation due to unproven, yet proximate factors.
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:15 pm
jewcowboy
As my Mama told the flasher that night, “looks like a penis, only smaller.”
irRational
Today was the last day, free at last! Free at last! Praise G-d Alm-ghty, I’m free at last!
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
3:16 pm
jewcowboy – I’m 3 or 4 years too young to be considered in “Generation X,” but I understand. I think people are going to look and realize there is a miniature generation between X and around ‘89 though. Those kids ain’t nothin like us. Either that, or they’re going to have to expand X to include those born before ‘89.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
3:17 pm
Oh, actually, I just looked it up and discovered they call us Generation Y. I always thought I was somewhat crazy, but guess not.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
3:17 pm
Joe Hussein Mama,
“He’s not really even trying any more, is he, JCB?”
I’m just trying to figure out if he thinks we are like goldfish and can’t remember something from a few minutes ago…on the same freakin page.
Adam
May 24th, 2012
3:17 pm
JamVet – and those 10 poorest counties are primairly populated by (1) democrats or (2) republicans. Go ahead, we know the answer. C’mon, you can do it. Those 10 counties just wait for the gov’t to take care of them. Sounds like a dem to me.
And you would be wrong. The FACTS show that the localities with the poorest people are mostly Republican in voting record.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
3:19 pm
There is nothing even remotely “conservative” about marijuana prohibition.
Agreed.
And furthermore, there is nothing even remotely “conservative” about many, many, many of the GOP’s policies and positions.
And why they are reduced to nominating a Mitt Romney as their standard bearer…
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
3:19 pm
josef,
We’re trailing the yankee states in literacy testing? Say it aint so. They must be cheating is all I can guess.
They lie. They lowdown dirty dawgs. Dey snitches too!
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
3:19 pm
josef,
“As my Mama told the flasher that night, “looks like a penis, only smaller.””
A dad
May 24th, 2012
3:20 pm
Hey Adam. Please identify you’re source of data. The states may be red, but I’ll bet you a bong (that was the original topic of this blog after all) the local populace of those regions are democrats.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
3:21 pm
Dam, I need to finish reading things before I speak. Back to my original comment. They’re saying Generation Y could include those born in the 90s and even as late as the early 2000s. I say it ain’t so. There was a big difference between the people I graduated with from high school, and those that were in middle school or starting high school then. Namely, we were having some of the “first time” type experiences at the same time. You old folks will just have to trust me on that one.
Common Sense isn't very Common
May 24th, 2012
3:21 pm
Maybe for the next election?????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih117p-3u9A
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
3:21 pm
I’m just trying to figure out if he thinks we are like goldfish and can’t remember something from a few minutes ago…on the same freakin page.
Maybe he can’t remember what he posted because he was between tokes.
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:21 pm
ADAM
Does that include the Riverine counties and parishes of Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana? How about the Black Belt counties of Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama? Pretty heavily Democrat…
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
3:22 pm
Mr. H. William, Esq. — “Fact 4: Smoked marijuana is not scientifically approved medicine.”
Actually, it is. There are a small number of people still living who got onto the brief Federally-approved medical marijuana program back in the late 70s through 1991, when it was closed to new applicants.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compassionate_Investigational_New_Drug_program
Those people who were on it when it closed — and were getting prescription weed — are permitted to continue getting it. Penn and Teller featured Irvin Rosenfeld on their program a couple of years ago, and from what I could see onscreen, his dope appears to be dispensed as pre-rolled joints, stored in coffee-can-sized containers. There was some sort of prescription label on one of the cans, but I couldn’t clearly read it.
JKL2
May 24th, 2012
3:22 pm
fred- Here ya go sport. I feel sorry for you in your ignorance though so here is what Joe Mama was talking about, (if you read it you could actually learn something useful):
Are you one of my in-laws? Why try to disprove a point when we can argue about punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. I guess you win because you think you’re too smart for me.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
3:23 pm
josef – As my Mama told the flasher that night, “looks like a penis, only smaller.”
Screen cleaner should be passed around after that.
Sweet, now I can shave 3-4 minutes off my commute by going the back way. During the school year, passing by E-Rivers at 8:00 AM is just plain dumb, now with them out of school, I can go that way and get here in under 5.
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:24 pm
Thulsa
Highest illiteracy rates
California 23%
New York 22%
Florida 20%
D. C. 19%
Texas 19%
http://nces.ed.gov/naal/estimates/StateEstimates.aspx
New Jersey 17%
Georgia 17%
Mississippi 16%
BTW
This site also gives county by county breakdowns…
barking frog
May 24th, 2012
3:25 pm
The obsession with debt,
deficit, budget, taxes, and
entitlements by both parties
and the media sounds like
this is the poorest nation
on earth. Jobs are the only
thing thats important.
Grass grows jobs.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
3:30 pm
(ir)Rational,
your comment just reminded me of that line. A few of my friends and I were sitting around a couple weeks ago talking about going to raves, taking ecstasy when we were in our early 20’s and how we couldn’t do anything other than martini’s and Manhattan’s these days because we have no idea where to get anything. I would have to ask my 17 year old niece where to go if we wanted something. Just embarrassing for someone who used to be “cool”.
Walter
May 24th, 2012
3:31 pm
How bizarre is it that our culture has deemed a natural growing plant illegal? There are obvious pros & cons of legalizing pot, of which, the pros by far outweigh the cons. First of all, it would provide a massive boost to our economy. It would also reduce the amount of people in prison and therefor saving us billions of tax dollars. Not to mention cut back on violent crimes that are a result of this massive underground economy.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
3:31 pm
There’s a picture of Mr. Rosenfeld holding his coffee-can prescription stash on his site.
http://irvinrosenfeld.com/
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:31 pm
Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres…
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
3:31 pm
(ir)
Post Office weed???
Common Sense isn't very Common
May 24th, 2012
3:32 pm
(ir)Rational@3:12 pm
Well, someone thought it would be funny to plant weed in each of the planters. No one recognized it (well, no one that cared), and one day some other local kids went and harvested it.
————————————————————–
Way back when (statute of limitations is out) someone I know was headed to court in Cobb when they found some seeds in their pocket. Needless to say they dumped them in the planters outside the courthouse. It took a while for Cobb County’s finest to identify the resulting plants.
HillWilliam (The Educated Hillbilly)
May 24th, 2012
3:33 pm
Thanks, Joe. Again, these are the arguements that I’ve heard against legalization…I really do want to hear the counter agruement to these bascked up by data, because typically all you get is…the social costs are more if you legalize it…no they aren’t…yes they are…with little data backing up “social Costs”. Maybe it was stated earlier in the blog and I skipped over it…
As a continuation of this point, though, what was the rationlization for discontinuing the program…that I guess is where I am trying to get to…was it truely due to dangers inherent in the drug, or was it political?
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:33 pm
Legalization of marijuana…? Didn’t we learn a d*mned thing from Prohibition? Jeeeze…
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
3:34 pm
jewcowboy – I NEVER knew where to get any. I mean, I guess if I really wanted it, I could have asked some of my friends or my sister or cousin, but I was never that interested.
Bro – Hey, growing up in a small town did have some perks. I count that as a (humorous) perk.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
3:36 pm
Common Sense – Yeah, going into the courthouse with seeds probably wouldn’t have been a good idea. I have a feeling the cops might have figured out what these were, but they tend to stay out of that part of the county. If you call them for an emergency (say someone is spotlighting deer on your property and shooting towards your house at 2:00 AM), it could take them somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 minutes to get there.
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:36 pm
common sense
Back in the day, some people I know (
) planted some seeds in the giant planters gracing the entrance to the Mississippi Capitol…and, there they flourished until, sadly, the new fall flowers were planted…always wondered if the caretakers didn’t care take… 
Adam
May 24th, 2012
3:38 pm
Sorry, what I meant to say was that most of the poorest counties are in red states, as seen here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lowest-income_counties_in_the_United_States#100_Poorest_Counties_by_Median_Household_Income_2010
Seeing as most of those would like to get OUT of poverty, it would not surprise me to learn that those particular counties vote Democrat, but that the House elections for their districts (which are different) end up being majority Republican. I have tried, but cannot find district by district data, only counties.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
3:40 pm
So, from what I’m gathering, the kid that did it where I lived was just carrying on a fine American tradition. Only difference being they then got to harvest the fruits of their planting.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
3:42 pm
josef,
Why did you post the literacy rates? Is there really anyone who didn’t know that the south lags the rest of the nation in literacy rates? Matter of fact I think a few years ago jawja supplanted MS. for one year for the prestigious 50th ranking.
And quit calling me Shirley.
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:42 pm
ADAM
Again, check the representation from the Congressional Districts encompassing those areas I referred to…
You want Data…look at the counties comprising those districts, correlate the per capita income maps with the party affiliation of their representation…the same can be brought down to the state level and its districting for state office….
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:44 pm
THULSA
Those are ILLITERACY rates, which I suspect you knew, in which case
The point is that much of the South has made great strides in the last two decades toward reducing the illiteracy rate while many Northern states have slid backward…
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
3:45 pm
“And you would be wrong. The FACTS show that the localities with the poorest people are mostly Republican in voting record.”
Adam do you have a link to confirm that? Its quite possible but as josef noted the dirt poorest counties in the nation are most likely a handful of counties in the blackbelt of Alabama, some counties in MS, LA. and AR. Desperately poor, mostly black, probably not Republican bastions albeit in some of those counties the minority Republicans may outvote the majority Ds because of larger voter turnout.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
3:46 pm
H. William, Esq. — “Thanks, Joe. Again, these are the arguements that I’ve heard against legalization…I really do want to hear the counter agruement to these bascked up by data, because typically all you get is…the social costs are more if you legalize it…no they aren’t…yes they are…with little data backing up “social Costs”. Maybe it was stated earlier in the blog and I skipped over it…”
FWIW, it seems to me that dope is just shoved off to the side without any serious examination of its effects and value. I’m not a user and I have no intention of becoming one even if it’s legalized, but I’ve heard piles of anecdotal data from people who have used it to alleviate reactions to chemotherapy, as a painkiller, etc. If it’s got valid therapeutic effects, then IMO we should find ways to use it and make those meds available. And if we don’t want to do that, then I think physicians ought to be allowed to prescribe it in certain well-defined cases. I’ve heard *many* people claim that it alleviates nausea due to cancer chemotherapy and also improves appetite. That alone should be reason for making it available to certain cancer sufferers IMO.
FWIW, my wife’s got a friend who suffers from a chronic, debilitating and eventually fatal disease, and her friend self-medicates with weed. Considering it’s not addictive and she’s not knocking over convenience stores to pay for it, I say let her have it if it’s doing her some good.
“As a continuation of this point, though, what was the rationlization for discontinuing the program…that I guess is where I am trying to get to…was it truely due to dangers inherent in the drug, or was it political?
I don’t know myself, but the Wikipedia page says that President Bush (the elder) closed the program to new applicants because there was a big influx of AIDS patients trying to get into it. Then again, the page also says that there were only 30 people in the program at its peak, so I don’t see how that could be considered a huge number.
Common Sense isn't very Common
May 24th, 2012
3:49 pm
(ir)Rational – It is if not an American tradition at least a southern one
Think of bootlegging which still has a market.
O,k off to deal with weeds LOL
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:50 pm
Well, when Mama was dying of cancer, my nephew and his buddies kept her supplied and she left a little change in her will for them to go out and celebrate in her memory…
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
3:50 pm
josef
Did you know that Romney released his education plan yesterday?
BADA BING
May 24th, 2012
3:51 pm
Druggies….MJ is not a Civil Right, no matter how you roll it. The country is already going to pot, and now you want it to go to Pot.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
3:51 pm
There is some powerful weed out there.
“A new bill in New York would require anonymous posters to verify their IP and personal addresses”
Freedom.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
3:53 pm
Common Sense – I don’t know nothin about no boot leggin. But I know this guy, his stuff
will make you do a back flip“doesn’t” exist.josef – I’ve heard the stuff you can get medically isn’t as good as what you can get on the corner. I know people that have supplied their parents/grandparents when they were going through cancer treatments.
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:53 pm
BROSEPHUS
I haven’t looked at it yet…don’t need to get depressed here at the celebration end of the school term…I’m putting it on my “light summer reading” list!
getalife
May 24th, 2012
3:53 pm
Bro,
Vouchers?
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
3:53 pm
josef,
I was gone when you posted you had a question for me yesterday, but I saw it late last night.
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
3:54 pm
getalife — ““A new bill in New York would require anonymous posters to verify their IP and personal addresses”
Yep. I’ve verified my IP and snail mail addresses. There they are. Right there.
Oh, you wanted me to TELL you what they were? No thank you.
barking frog
May 24th, 2012
3:57 pm
get a life
the government soon will
make you pee in your
computer.
St Simons - we're on Island time
May 24th, 2012
3:57 pm
If you watch the “Wizard of Oz” with the sound muted, & put on
the vinyl “Dark Side of the Moon” at the same time,
you will understand, dude
but the flying monkeys freak me out every time mon
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
3:58 pm
There is some powerful weed out there.
Yep, and one of the reasons I gave it up.
It used to be fun, then it became almost debilitating.
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:58 pm
Wait a minute…there’s bootlegging and there’s moonshining…
Daddy was a bootlegger…deputy sheriff in a dry county. He’d stop you, confiscate it, and then sell it back to you at a tidy profit only the bonded stuff…bidness! Moonshining? Culture, I learned how to as a wee lad and called it the Science Experiment…Uncle Ralph’s boys got many a blue ribbon!
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
3:58 pm
josef
I just stumbled across a link to it. I didn’t hear a peep about it in the news. You’d think something as important as education would be newsworthy. Shows how bad our political atmosphere is when we can talk ad nauseum about eating dogs and dogs riding on the roof of the car but a plan for the future of education doesn’t even get the respect of someone f@rting in an elevator.
—————————-
getalife
I haven’t read it yet. Gonna go through it sometime this evening to see what’s inside. I’m not setting my expectations too high. I don’t think he’s given any specific details regarding any of his plans, so I don’t expect anything different with this one.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
3:59 pm
Joe,
It is not a good idea to give cons personal information.
josef
May 24th, 2012
3:59 pm
jewcowboy
Your opinion in the Ravi sentence…
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
3:59 pm
“the government soon will
make you pee in your
computer.”
FYI – AppleCare does not cover this.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:03 pm
Bro,
I heard him say we need to go bold.
It is probably the same as jindal’s voucher plan.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:03 pm
josef,
“Your opinion in the Ravi sentence…”
Ahh… Well for someone convicted on 15 felony counts, 30 days in jail, 3 years probation, 300 hours of community service, a $10,000 fine seems a bit light. I didn’t think a 10 year sentence was appropriate, but at the same time for someone who has yet to apologize perhaps longer jail time would have been appropriate.
Your thoughts?
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
4:03 pm
Adam,
You may have to amend your statement that most of the 10 poorest counties in America are Republican or red voting counties. 5 of them- Humphrey, Hancock, Claiborne, Holmes, and Wilcox counties are all between 72% and 84% black so if blacks tend to vote D then its pretty much a sure bet that those are blue counties. A sixth- Buffalo county, SD is 82% native American because of 2 large Indian reservations.If you assume that they are Ds more than Rs then its a blue county and a 6th county that votes blue amongst the 10 poorest.
That leaves 4 counties left- one a Texas county along the Mexican border and 2 counties in KY and 1 in West Virginia. Those 3 counties are predominantly white but that by no means means they voted Red. KY and especially West Virginia do have Democratic histories. Robert Byrd of West Virginia was a big D.
Bottom line is that 6 of the 10 are most likely D counties and its likely but not a given that at least 3 of the remaining 4 are red counties. Your statement would seem to be incorrect.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
4:04 pm
josef – You’re right, I don’t know nothing bout either of them though, so don’t ask.
jewcowboy – Yeah, that’s just wrong.
reefer madness
May 24th, 2012
4:04 pm
Legalization will happen – it’s just a matter of time. History will prove the war on drugs to be the biggest scam every perpetrated against humanity. The only people that don’t want to see cannabis legalized are the benefactors of prohibition (Pharmaceutical Companies, Privatized Prisons, Drug Treatment Centers, law enforcement, DEA, federal government, alcohol companies) and the sheep they have brainwashed into believing all the misinformation about the plant. God put it here for our use – read your bibles Christians. Listen to Pat Robertson (see: http://cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2012/03/09/nr-pat-robertson-marijuana.cnn.html) The founder fathers of our country grew hemp for food, clothing, fuel and medicine but now our farmers can not??? Marijuana is not a gateway drug, it does not make people do harder drugs, act crazy or rob, steal and rape. The kind of people that behave in this manner don’t care whether it is legal or not and they’ll get into whatever drug is around. Oh the fear and lies that people will believe. Thank God common sense is starting to prevail.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:04 pm
“the government soon will
make you pee in your
computer.”
Yeah, no app for that yet.
Just pee in a cup and give it to government.
Freedom.
That Black Guy
May 24th, 2012
4:04 pm
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
2:58 pm
That Black Guy – Imagine if getalife WASN’T!
He would actually write in complete, comprehensible sentences?
_________________________________________________________
I always had this vision of getalife in his recliner in front of the bigscreen, rushing to type something before he nods again.
Duncan20903
May 24th, 2012
4:05 pm
The Know Nothing prohibitionist asserts that drug users are responsible for the crimes of organized criminal syndicates because the users send them money by buying their product. If the users would stop doing that the cartels would wither away and die from money deprivation.
The drug law reform advocate points out that establishing a well regulated retail supply chain and domestic production would take that money away from the foreign criminal interests.
The Know Nothing prohibitionist declares that it will not deprive the cartels of their income because the criminals would replace that cash flow by switching to other criminal profit centers.
So if everyone quit buying their product the crims wouldn’t be able to replace the same cash flow by just switching to other criminal profit centers?? Neither consistency nor continuity are the strong suit of the Know Nothing prohibitionist.
———- ———- ———- ———- ———-
Q) How many prohibitionists does it take to change a light bulb?
A) None. Changing the bulb would be surrender. With enough effort we can make the old one work the way it’s supposed to.
That Black Guy
May 24th, 2012
4:06 pm
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
2:59 pm
Imagine if getalife WASN’T!
Imagine if you knew what the hell you were posting about.
________________________________________________
It’s a JOKE!
getalife even jokes about it.
Calm down
poison pen
May 24th, 2012
4:07 pm
Given those numbers, it’s pretty clear that U.S. drug policy plays some role in the brutal carnage being wreaked in Mexico, where mass slayings occur with tragic regularity.
– Jay Bookman
Yep, and Fast & Furious didn’t do anything to hurt them either. DUH!
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:08 pm
TGB,
Outside by the pool.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
4:08 pm
I always had this vision of getalife in his recliner in front of the bigscreen, rushing to type something before he nods again.
I always had this vision that you at least had a clue about what you were posting.
Looks like we were both wrong.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
4:08 pm
Adam
May 24th, 2012
3:38 pm
“Sorry, what I meant to say was that most of the poorest counties are in red states, as seen here:”
Aaaah. I see. A moving of the goal posts after a realization of a highly erroneous statement. Nevertheless those counties as I pointed out are majority blue counties.
Adam
May 24th, 2012
4:08 pm
josef: You want Data…look at the counties comprising those districts, correlate the per capita income maps with the party affiliation of their representation…the same can be brought down to the state level and its districting for state office….
I guess the problem is I don’t have time to CREATE the data, and I thought someone somewhere would have already compiled this stuff.
Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
4:09 pm
getalife
I wouldn’t be surprised if vouchers were in there somewhere.
barking frog
May 24th, 2012
4:09 pm
jewcowboy
you might get HPee care.
Adam
May 24th, 2012
4:11 pm
Thulsa: But I am not finding district data, which is the important data. That’s where the voting takes place. That’s what determines the effects of the counties/cities/state. This data does not seem to exist, but it should. We should know, district by district, which districts out of the 35 are poorest and who their congressmen have been at any historical point.
Adam
May 24th, 2012
4:11 pm
Thulsa: out of 435, I mean. Which is obviously just a moving of the goalposts right?
josef
May 24th, 2012
4:12 pm
jewcowboy
This is what I posted…
josef
May 22nd, 2012
7:06 am
While I’m laying bets that the Rutgers’ case will be a thread, I’ve got to go to work and probably won’t be here for it, so I’ll put my two shekels worth in now.
The judge, imauo, acted appropriately. Certainly I’ve got my own emotional reaction to what happened to begin with and the tragic outplay, but whether or not we want to go there, this is but one more case of teenage immaturity acting out on societally determined and, to a great degree sanctioned, prejudices. Ravi was 18 years old, not much more than a boy. This is something he is going to have to live with the rest of his life. I do not believe for one minute he expected his, and let’s call it what it was, “prank” to result in Clementi’s death.
This was no more a hate crime than what some of our posters plant here day in and day out.
Of course my heart bleeds for the Clementi family. Anybody’s would. If he were my son, I would probably be screaming for revenge. That is understandable.
This is a teaching-learning moment for us all. We should use it as such.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:12 pm
I dish it out and can take it.
You only smoke one hit for good weed.
I take prescribed drugs that would knock you out cold for a couple of days.
Duncan20903
May 24th, 2012
4:14 pm
I’ve heard that there are people who abuse their own naughty parts! What kind of society would we have if that were legal?!? There would be people doing that when they’re driving! Their cars would be like those hydraulic hot rods that are driven by our Country’s unregistered guests! I don’t want to see people playing with their particulars in public places either! Then we’d have to let people marry their hands for crying out loud! Ooooh, I’m so excited! I asked for my hand in marriage today and it said yes! It makes people go blind! ’nuff said!
Martin Williams
May 24th, 2012
4:14 pm
A very SIMPLE answer and which is YES. Thousands and thousands of people are dead today because in America we think we can WIN the drug war. The billions of dollars America has spend fighting the drug war is very serious disgrace. The idiots we have in Washington keep telling use it is winnable war and I know why they say stupid stuff like that. Fighting the drug war is a true money making machine for companies that manufacture weapons/dealers. Some pilots fly drunk anyway Peadawg you just have to check them out everytime you fly. We keep fighting UN-WINNABLE wars and I thought as Americans we are smarter than that. Guess I am dead wrong.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:15 pm
Thulsa Doom,
Nevertheless those counties as I pointed out are majority blue counties.”
Actually…if you want to be entirely accurate, that they are majority blue counties is your supposition based on the demographics of the county (no source given). So they are not actually proven to be “majority blue counties”, rather merely conjectured by you to be.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:16 pm
barking frog,
“you might get HPee care.”
Don Abernethy
May 24th, 2012
4:16 pm
Is it time to rethink drugs?? Why not open the Mexican border and let it all come in? Lets have pot heads everywhere. It would make a better America?? Sell it at Walmart. Why not?? If it was good enough for Obama it must be okay for everyone else right?? The US loves drunks and booze and drugs.It doesn’t increase crime right?Let’s have pot party day for grandparents. May be we can get all the Pastors and churches to sponsor pot parties. Jay, you never cease to amaze me.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
4:17 pm
You only smoke one hit for good weed.
But even that was too much for me.
I take prescribed drugs that would knock you out cold for a couple of days.
Yeah, I know. I also feel that it isn’t a JOKEing matter.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
May 24th, 2012
4:17 pm
This was no more a hate crime than what some of our posters plant here day in and day out.
Of course my heart bleeds for the Clementi family. Anybody’s would. If he were my son, I would probably be screaming for revenge. That is understandable.
This is a teaching-learning moment for us all. We should use it as such.
Well, I don’t know. The whole thing has kinda ruint my idea of the police putting a camera in every bedroom to make sure people were doing You Know What right. I mean, if people are going to go and jump off of a bridge every time they get caught, pretty soon we’ll be short on taxpayers and everybody’s taxes will have to go up.
barking frog
May 24th, 2012
4:17 pm
Duncan20903
are you a donut or
just a nut?
josef
May 24th, 2012
4:19 pm
ADAM
Not being snarky here, please understand, but if you are going to make the contention that you made, you need to check out the sweeping statement since it betrays a certain prejudice I’ve made a point of with you before relative to the realities “out there.”
I agree that it is somewhat absurd to cast votes for the party platform which is most against your best interests, and here I refer to the lower middle and middle classes “water toting” for the ones profiting from the tax inequities favoring the upper middle and wealthy classes.
That Black Guy
May 24th, 2012
4:19 pm
getalife, were you offended by my 2:55?
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:20 pm
Kam,
I have to take meds for the rest of my life but you get used to it after a while.
I would prefer not to take them but life goes on.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
4:20 pm
that black guy,
I think we all get that your comment about getalife was a joke. Most of us anyway…
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
4:20 pm
Why not open the Mexican border and let it all come in?
Why would we have to import it?
That Black Guy
May 24th, 2012
4:21 pm
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:08 pm
TGB,
Outside by the pool.
______________________________________________________
That’s me this weekend. Hilton Head baby.
I’m gonna lay on the beach and see if anyone tries to roll me back in the water.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:24 pm
josef,
“This was no more a hate crime than what some of our posters plant here day in and day out.”
We will disagree on this point. While you are entirely correct that this was a result of “immaturity acting out on societally determined and, to a great degree sanctioned, prejudices”, when he took the additional step of physical action to intimidate based on Clementi’s sexuality it did take on a whole new dimension…bringing it (in my opinion) to the level of a hate crime. While Ravi’s intention was certainly not to drive Celmenti to suicide, he had to be fully aware of the humiliation his actions would bring to Clementi.
That Black Guy
May 24th, 2012
4:24 pm
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
4:08 pm
I always had this vision of getalife in his recliner in front of the bigscreen, rushing to type something before he nods again.
I always had this vision that you at least had a clue about what you were posting.
Looks like we were both wrong.
__________________________________________________________________
Kam, if I am crossing a line that I don’t know about why not just tell me. get jokes about weed all the time.
getalife, if I offended you or crossed the line, I sorry.
Adam
May 24th, 2012
4:25 pm
josef: I really could swear I had a map of this exact data I was looking for not too long ago, and for some reason I cannot find that same map anymore. I remember it being majority Republican districts that got more federal dollars than they paid in, and that’s DISTRICTS, not states, even though that is also true. Now I can only find state by state maps. I have no idea what happened and frankly Google is not helping.
Another non-Googlable seems to be Cee Lo Green doing a parody of his own song replacing F You with Fox News. At least, as far as audio or video goes….
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
4:26 pm
jewcowboy – What physical action to intimidate? I admittedly don’t know all the facts surrounding the case, but I hadn’t heard anything about physical acts.
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:26 pm
TBG,
My writing style is short and to the point.
Reading and blogging is good to stimulate your brain.
I have been called every name in the book on other blogs so I give it right back.
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
4:26 pm
“Actually…if you want to be entirely accurate, that they are majority blue counties is your supposition based on the demographics of the county (no source given). So they are not actually proven to be “majority blue counties”, rather merely conjectured by you to be.”
jewcowboy,
Perhaps you missed the part where I said that blacks tend to vote Democratic. If you disagree with that generalized statement then perhaps you could provide ample evidence backed up by a link showing that blacks generally tend to vote Republican instead.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:27 pm
(ir)Rational,
“What physical action to intimidate?”
The physical act of recording Clementi in a sexual act.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
4:28 pm
Kam, if I am crossing a line that I don’t know about why not just tell me.
getalife has shared his story on here many times, but it’s not my story to recount.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:28 pm
Thulsa Doom,
“Perhaps you missed the part where I said that blacks tend to vote Democratic.”
Nope…I saw that. But you are holding Adam to a level of proof that you are not providing yourself. Supposition is not fact.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
4:31 pm
While Ravi’s intention was certainly not to drive Celmenti to suicide, he had to be fully aware of the humiliation his actions would bring to Clementi.
Yeah, he got off light.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
4:31 pm
I think Don played the role of Ralph Wiley in Reefer Madness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1jB7RBGVGk
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
4:31 pm
jewcowboy – Okay, but does that qualify as battery? Or assault (which technically isn’t physical)? I assumed that was simply illegal wiretapping. Or something of that nature.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
4:32 pm
Kam – What should he have gotten? What was his crime other than illegally taping someone?
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
4:33 pm
Forget the R vs. D paradigm.
The good news is that the poorest people in this country are red and brown!
YEAH!
Keep up the good work you discriminated against white conservative males!
josef
May 24th, 2012
4:35 pm
OOPS I forgot that the moderator gets snippy with more than two links so….
Mississippi is a good case in point here…
Look at the 2nd and 3rd districts…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi’s_congressional_districts
CON’T
These are the Delta and Black Belt Counties…among the poorest in the nation…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_locations_by_per_capita_income
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
4:35 pm
Supposition is indeed not fact. But in the absence of definitive data I’m simply making a reasonable suppositiion based on voting patterns. If you don’t think that its a “reasonable” supposition that in a county where 72-84% of a population that historically has been voting up to 90% for Democrats is most likely a Democrat county then so be it. We’ll just have to agree to disagree on what constitutes a reasonable supposition.
josef
May 24th, 2012
4:36 pm
@ 4:35
Con’t…
next correlate the income there to this
http://www.msjrc.state.ms.us/ms_by_county_senate.html
now correlate with…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_State_Senate
This should answer your questions…
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:39 pm
This blog is rare because there are manners on this blog.
Kam just got a con to apologize.
You will not see that on other blogs.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:39 pm
(ir)Rational,
“Okay, but does that qualify as battery?”
I wasn’t saying it was battery. josef made a statement that what Ravi did was the same as what some posters do on this blog. My point is that Ravi’s physical actions of invading Clementi’s privacy in an attempt to humiliate and intimidate him due to his sexuality is the differentiating factor between the two, hence the elevation to a hate crime versus merely just hate speech.
godless heathen
May 24th, 2012
4:39 pm
Kam, Yeah, he got off light.
Question I posed the other day. A friend of mine’s wife ran off with another man, humiliating my friend in the community. He committed suicide. How much time should the ex-wife get?
Thulsa Doom
May 24th, 2012
4:40 pm
Jewcowboy,
Keep in mind also that I did not make the blanket statement as FACT about the 10 poorest counties either. Adam did. Bold statements require bold proof. I merely stated that it was a good bet that those counties are Dem. And even then its not a sure thing. Just likely. Reason being that in some southern cities or counties blacks are the majority but whites win at the polls because of higher voter turnout. Montgomery, Al would be a good example.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
4:40 pm
Kam – What should he have gotten?
Something more than 30 days in jail, 3 years probation, 300 hours of community service, and a $10,000 fine. How much more? I dunno, a year or so in prison at least.
What was his crime other than illegally taping someone?
Bullying and being a douchebag
That Black Guy
May 24th, 2012
4:42 pm
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
4:28 pm
Kam, if I am crossing a line that I don’t know about why not just tell me.
getalife has shared his story on here many times, but it’s not my story to recount.
_____________________________________________________________
Kam, seriously, I didn’t know. I don’t remember reading get’s story. I meant no harm.
get, once again, I’m sorry.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
4:42 pm
jewcowboy – But did he do it to humiliate him because he was gay? Or do you think he would have done it no matter who his roommate was? There is, nor can there really be, any true evidence that says one way or the other. I’m not even attempting to make the point that what he did wasn’t wrong. I’m just asking exactly what expectation of privacy do we have in a dorm room (which I never got a great answer to the other day), and what evidence do we have that this was actually done for the SOLE REASON that Clementi was gay?
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:43 pm
Thulsa Doom,
“But in the absence of definitive data I’m simply making a reasonable suppositiion based on voting patterns.”
You presented your supposition as fact, with the declarative statement of “Nevertheless those counties as I pointed out are majority blue counties.” You did not, indeed, point them out as blue counties, you made a supposition that they were blue counties based on information which source you did not reveal.
That Black Guy
May 24th, 2012
4:43 pm
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:39 pm
This blog is rare because there are manners on this blog.
Kam just got a con to apologize.
You will not see that on other blogs.
_______________________________________________________________
get, I’m a modcon now.
Hey, it’s better than being a repub.
Baby steps
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:44 pm
Again, it is a bad idea to give out personal information so that is my fault.
You will all get sick and it is good to discuss medical situations with others to get treatment ideas.
I can tell you one thing, you are stronger than you think and you can fight it.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:45 pm
Thulsa Doom,
“We’ll just have to agree to disagree on what constitutes a reasonable supposition.”
And, yes, it is a reasonable supposition, but you did not frame it as a supposition, rather you framed it as fact in your statement.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
4:45 pm
Kam – If you could be locked up for being a douche, everyone on this blog at one point in time or another would be in jail. And, from what I can find, at the time it was done, “bullying” wasn’t illegal in New Jersey. The judge ruled correctly in my opinion.
josef
May 24th, 2012
4:46 pm
RE: Ravi
Don’t think I’m not very interested in the exchanges here, but I’m staying out of it because I want to know what y’all think…
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:47 pm
TBG,
A moderate con?
That is rare too
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
4:47 pm
getalife – There are several of us here who self-label as conservative that will apologize if we’ve done/said wrong. You’re probably right though, this is most definitely one of the more polite blogs I’ve ever been on. I have caught as much/more crap on some of the cooking blogs I visit as I do here.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:49 pm
(ir)Rational,
“But did he do it to humiliate him because he was gay?”
Yes. From the email, text and IM trails…it was proven to a unanimous jury, Clementi’s sexuality was the cause of Ravi’s actions.
“I’m just asking exactly what expectation of privacy do we have in a dorm room ”
To not have a sexual act broadcasted would be a good starting place.
“what evidence do we have that this was actually done for the SOLE REASON that Clementi was gay?”
An electronic trail of emails, texts, web site vists, blog postings, and IM’s.
They BOTH suck
May 24th, 2012
4:49 pm
“I have caught as much/more crap on some of the cooking blogs I visit as I do here.”
Guess it gets down and dirty when everyone wants to be the TOP CHEF…….
getalife
May 24th, 2012
4:50 pm
ir,
I have never blogged on a cooking blog but that is funny.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
4:51 pm
Modcon?
Were you “Linc” Hayes in another life, TBG?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0-XrZoHj2k
Joe Hussein Mama
May 24th, 2012
4:52 pm
(ir)Rational — “I have caught as much/more crap on some of the cooking blogs I visit as I do here.”
You and your g*dd@mned ROSEMARY.
I’m out; all be well and drive safely.
josef
May 24th, 2012
4:53 pm
“I have caught as much/more crap on some of the cooking blogs I visit as I do here.”
Well, let’s face it, when suspected plagiarizing of a recipe is a major political scandal, them cooking folks are a bad ass demographic not to be messed with lightly…
TaxPayer
May 24th, 2012
4:53 pm
If it is indeed true that mostly red states contain the poorest counties then I wonder if it is due to their lack of bootstraps in those states. The charitable thing to do would be to share. Pass them on when you’re done with them or pray for more or something similar.
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
4:54 pm
Listen!
You can take that supposed gumbo of yours – the cr@p without any filé – and shove it up your Yankee ___!
LOL!
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:54 pm
Here is Ravi’s indictment. It should be noted that he was found guilty on all counts by all 12 jurors.
http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2011/04/20/news/media/042011_ravi_indict.pdf
TaxPayer
May 24th, 2012
4:57 pm
Everyone knows that you cannot have conjecture without a con.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
4:57 pm
josef,
“when suspected plagiarizing of a recipe is a major political scandal, them cooking folks are a bad ass demographic not to be messed with lightly”
Especially when you are desperate and trying anything to hold onto power.
http://bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view/20220519lizs_recipes_sound_familiar
Duncan20903
May 24th, 2012
4:57 pm
The first time I heard the lame excuse that we can’t re-legalize because we don’t have a “pot breathalyzer” was in 1976 when Jimmy Carter had included decriminalization of petty possession in his campaign platform. Here we are, more than 35 years later and people are still trotting out that tired old nag. Exactly how many decades are needed to invent such a device, if it’s so important? Why is it that people think it’s OK to arrest people who have not and likely will never go out driving impaired in the name of highway safety? It would be sheer absurdity to claim that enjoying cannabis causes everyone who uses it to go out driving impaired. I never do so, and quite simply because I place a high value on being alive and being able to walk from here to there on my own two legs.
The first State to criminalize drunken driving was New York State in 1910. The breathalyzer was not invented until 1953, and did not become the ubiquitous tool of law enforcement that we know until almost 1970. I assure you, there were plenty of people convicted of impaired driving in the intervening six decades. Today’s Courts and juries have a much easier time returning a conviction because of the now ubiquitous dash cam which allows them to view the field sobriety test.
If you want 6 months to develop your precious device that might be acceptable. If you want another decade or three then forget about it. You’ve had your chance and decided that the propaganda value of not having such a device was more important. I’m sick and tired of hearing people say that I should be arrested because they’re scared that someone else might go out driving while impaired. You people just have no motivation to develop such a device as long as you can use it’s not existing in propaganda to maintain the idiocy of absolute prohibition. Enough is enough.
josef
May 24th, 2012
4:58 pm
K’chak, et al…
Today was our barbecue wing ding for the end of the year…our Naw-thu-nuh who brought cornbread didn’t quite understand why it was put on the dessert table. Took a l’il explainin’ that she bes’ be glad she wasn’t being deported…
Ronin
May 24th, 2012
4:58 pm
Leave it to the government to declare war on a weed, then classify it as a schedule 1 drug.
Legalize it, tax it and watch the level of border violence diminish. Alcohol is a much harsher and dangerous drug than pot.
But the real question is, if legal, WOULD GEORGIA SELL IT ON SUNDAY?
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
5:02 pm
TBS, getalife, JHM, josef, & JamVet – I caught crap one time because I was on a blog that was discussing what was worth making from scratch and what wasn’t. I said I preferred everything made from scratch, but sometimes the Mrs. wasn’t willing to wait that long. I had no less than 10 women jumping all over my case because they assumed that I was meaning I didn’t make anything and got upset when the Mrs. didn’t make everything from scratch. Well, it didn’t go over too well with me, and it took A LONG (like 4 days honestly) to set them straight. I haven’t visited that one since just because I decided that going up against that many women just wasn’t worth it.
josef
May 24th, 2012
5:03 pm
jewcowboy
As you might imagine, the Warren scandal(s) have been a source of face-palming and just how dumb are they jokes in this household…
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
5:03 pm
josef,
“our Naw-thu-nuh who brought cornbread didn’t quite understand why it was put on the dessert table.:”
I was born and raised in the south and I don’t understand why you would put cornbread on the dessert table.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
5:04 pm
(ir)Rational,
“decided that going up against that many women just wasn’t worth it.”
It rarely ever is.
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
5:05 pm
“I was born and raised in the south and I don’t understand why you would put cornbread on the dessert table.”
Best guess: she put sugar in it
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
5:06 pm
Damn, (ir).
I had NO idea that cooking blogs could be so brutal!
If I were to ever try my hand at one (which would be the fifth of never) I’d try a different approach, brother!
Something along the lines of “I’ll show you my buns if you show me yours.”
Which on second thought would probably get me in that same hot water!
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
5:07 pm
jewcowboy – Of those, 4 were “bias intimidation”, and 3 were “hindering apprehension and prosecution.” I had NO IDEA you could be charged with not willingly coming forward to the police. That seems a bit crazy. I’ll admit that I didn’t pay much attention to the trial, so I didn’t know they had that much evidence showing where it was done simply because Clementi was gay. Having said that, I still think the judge acted appropriately. Had it not of gotten so much national attention, I would be willing to bet that it wouldn’t have ever been prosecuted. Just my opinion.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
5:07 pm
josef,
“the Warren scandal(s) have been a source of face-palming and just how dumb are they jokes in this household…”
It’s funny, my great grandfathers wife was Cherokee, yet I’ve never had the urge to claim I am Cherokee. I figured the other 5 kinda out-weighed any claim otherwise…and they were/are mighty pale.
josef
May 24th, 2012
5:09 pm
irRational
And the Missus didn’t come on to your defense? Tell her that jus ain’t right…
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
5:09 pm
A friend of mine’s wife ran off with another man, humiliating my friend in the community. He committed suicide.
You are equating a woman running off with another man with a roommate surreptitiously videoing a sexual encounter and encouraging others to view it. Not equal actions in my mind.
It also should be noted that Ravi is not charged in connection with Clementi’s death.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
5:11 pm
jewcowboy – Yeah, the old school polygamist Mormons make no sense to me.
JamVet – Yeah, that would probably get you in some hot water.
Alright y’all, I’m out. jewcowboy, Kam, if y’all are interested, I could easily be convinced to continue this conversation tomorrow. Y’all have a good one.
josef
May 24th, 2012
5:11 pm
jewcowboy
Doggone’s got your answer…
And I had a student once whose dad was Cherokee and whose mom was MOT…
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
5:12 pm
(ir)Rational,
“I had NO IDEA you could be charged with not willingly coming forward to the police.”
I’m not a legal expert by an stretch of the imagination, but many of the charges against Ravi come from the fact that he tried to cover up what he did by erasing data, lying to the police and coercing others to lie to the police.
“I still think the judge acted appropriately.”
Even though the jury unanimously convicted Ravi, I think the judge went out on a limb for him. I think the judge as this as more of a callous prank gone wrong than a true hate crime.
“Had it not of gotten so much national attention, I would be willing to bet that it wouldn’t have ever been prosecuted.”
Unfortunately, that is all too true in many cases.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
5:12 pm
josef – She says I can fight my own battles. Plus she was laughing at me.
(ir)Rational
May 24th, 2012
5:13 pm
jewcowboy – I would tend to agree with the judge on that determination.
And now I’m truly out.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
5:14 pm
Doggone/GA – josef,
“Best guess: she put sugar in it”
Funny…my family hails from middle TN and we despise sweet cornbread. Just a pinch of sugar to remove any bitterness. But bacon grease is a must.
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
5:15 pm
(ir)Rational,
“Yeah, the old school polygamist Mormons make no sense to me.”
:lol” Gluttons for punishment.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
May 24th, 2012
5:15 pm
Damn, dead-threaded again.
SHEETS!
jewcowboy
May 24th, 2012
5:16 pm
(ir)Rational,
“And now I’m truly out.”
Good evening…may your wife be sweet and your cornbread not.
Doggone/GA
May 24th, 2012
5:17 pm
“Funny…my family hails from middle TN and we despise sweet cornbread.”
I get around the whole argument easily: I don’t eat it. To me it’s like coffee or tea, you can’t do ANYTHING to it that will make me like it.
josef
May 24th, 2012
5:17 pm
Ronin
Let’s hope they don’t take it to Mississippi! Local option there is already complex enough…
My home county is “dry.” The county to the north is “wet” for liquor and wine, but “dry” for beer.
The county to the east, with two county seats, is half wet for beer, and half wet for the hard stuff, The county to the west is also a two-county seat county, half dry and half wet for beer. The county to the south is wet for beer.
Now, whenever we get together and somebody has to make an alcohol run, the fun begins…so, what is the solution…just go a couple of miles to the bootlegger…
I can’t imagine what they’d do with pot on the list of local option! Probably still go to the bootlegger…
That Black Guy
May 24th, 2012
5:19 pm
JamVet
May 24th, 2012
4:51 pm
Modcon?
Were you “Linc” Hayes in another life, TBG?
_________________________________________
Now thass funny
Oscar
May 24th, 2012
5:22 pm
“I had NO IDEA you could be charged with not willingly coming forward to the police.”
——–
I don’t think that not willingly coming forward constitutes a crime,. However, distroying or covering up evidence, lying,to or misleading policy are all crimes.
Duncan20903
May 24th, 2012
5:28 pm
That said, such LED grow-lights would eliminate that electricity-usage detection factor, would it not?
Who do you think was responsible for bringing us affordable LEDs? Yes, as a matter of fact, that’s the entire point.
Depends. If you notice the size of the grow houses that get busted, they are not growing 10-20 plants. Their plant count usually starts in the triple digits. Unless they chop the roof off, any electrical light source is gonna leave a serious footprint on the grid.
Wrong. What you’re missing is the soon to be discarded HID lamps are highly inefficient. The plants only use about 5% of the light spectrum produced. With LEDs one can build lamps which target the specific wavelengths that actually make plants grow and 50 watts of light replaces 1000. Since the LEDs also generate significantly less heat the air conditioners can be discarded which also reduces the electric bill.
Duncan20903
May 24th, 2012
5:31 pm
The grow-house has to be kept pretty warm – over 85 or 90 degrees, something like that.
Hogwash. Photosynthesis ceases at 90 degrees F. Getting rid of the heat is a primary concern of cannabis cultivators. Guess what? High humidity is also a bane of growers, not something they seek. Don’t believe everything you read in the MSM please.
State of Alabama Birth #2857-234927 otherwise known as Brosephus™
May 24th, 2012
5:33 pm
Duncan
Go out and build your 150-200 plant grow house using LED’s and see how quickly you get busted.
Jose
May 24th, 2012
10:04 pm
Proposed change to the Georgia Constitution is here:
http://churchofsmoke.org
German officers under Hitler executed by the millions saying they were just following orders. Today police officers are doing something that they know is morally wrong but using the same excuse as the German officers. It is time to declare war on drug war.
Jose
May 24th, 2012
10:06 pm
Try graphing a hops plant on top of a marijuana root and see if you get busted.
Duncan20903
May 24th, 2012
10:32 pm
I always find it amusing when an authoritarian acts as if getting busted is a foregone conclusion. If you had a clue about what reality looks like from my point of view you’d be just plain embarrassed about just how ignorant of reality you really are. It’s really too bad. It’s that very ignorance that keeps the epic failure of public policy that we call the war on (some) drugs from disintegrating. If you knew what I knew you’d understand the utter futility of your efforts. I really do wish you and your friends would at least attempt to grasp reality. Your failed prohibition is doing significant damage to our society.
But if it makes you feel any better I’ll confess that your threats of arrest have me shaking like a leaf with fear. No, really, I’m so scared I’m freaking out! No fooling! Honest Abe!
Toodles!
shawn Tippie
May 25th, 2012
3:14 pm
Judging by the comments I would say it is already legal
Brandt Hardin
May 25th, 2012
5:17 pm
Marijuana is the safest drug with actual benefits for the user as opposed to alcohol which is dangerous, causes addiction, birth defects, and affects literally every organ in the body. Groups are organizing all over the country to speak their minds on reforming pot laws. I drew up a very cool poster featuring Uncle Willie Nelson and The Teapot Party for the cause which you can check out on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/01/vote-teapot-2011.html Drop in and let me know what you think!