Big debate? What do you guys think about nevada making weed legal?

[HST]

Legalize it and tax it. Package it and sell it at the liquor stores. Make the same DUI laws still apply, and leave drug testing in place for safety sensitive jobs.

I like it!

[b*saint]

I'm for it.

[JPL]

If you're gonna do drugs, do hard drugs - not this waffleswaffleswaffleswaffleswaffles shit. Do an 8ball, chop out a line or two, cook up some meth, dance with Mr Brownstone, do shit that's gonna kill you. If you're gonna be stupid, don't be halfass stupid, be all the way stupid.

-Charlie

holy hell. rofl

[wycoco]

Ahh whatever, legalized or not.. I smoking now. For the homies.

[LINUS]

I'm against it, soley because it'll make whiny potheads bitch more. That's kind of fun to watch.

If you're gonna do drugs, do hard drugs - not this waffleswaffleswaffleswaffleswaffles shit. Do an 8ball, chop out a line or two, cook up some meth, dance with Mr Brownstone, do shit that's gonna kill you. If you're gonna be stupid, don't be halfass stupid, be all the way stupid.

-Charlie

Generally I've always liked you - but this is just a stupid response. Are you playing Devil's advocate, or are you looking to insite a debate over hard drug legaliziation? Either way this is pointless post. Sorry man. My opinion.
-B

[uofom3]

we could save even more if we legalized crack,rape and murder.
look back 50 years and see the little steps weve taken to turn this world into a cesspool. am i the only one who thinks this way??

You're not the only one that thinks this way, but I think you are looking at the wrong things.

First, trying to compare smoking weed to crack, rape, or murder is so far from reasonable it's not worth saying anything else.

Secondly, I aggree that over the last fifty years things have changed in some ways that are negative. However, the last fifty or so years have not gone to shit because the laws have changed to allow for bad shit to happen. In fact, the laws are tighter now than they were fifty years ago. Think about a DUI - 50 years ago if you got pulled over they took you out of the car, kicked you in the butt, and told you to walk home. Now the justice system will SERIOUSLY fuck up your life. Look at the crack downs on underage drinking, and (on point) marijuana use. And what is the result? Not much has changed, it's just now the media and the courts take things more seriously. Now, am I saying driving intoxicated or habbitual drug use is a good idea? No. But I am saying that society is not decaying because of drugs, it is decaying because of the culture.

Look at what the media puts out for everyone to see. Girls look like sluts on every magazine cover, every rap video wants you to "get crunk" or some other shit, and everywhere you look alcohol and drugs are being looked at as bad ass and good. THAT is the problem. Now, can I handle watching some hot bitch act like a slut and see people smoke weed in rap videos and NOT want to act that way? Yeah - but most of the population is really not that smart. I mean for the love of god, we have to actually have a law to make people wear seatbelts when it is BEYOND obvious that wearing one can and will save your life in the event of an accident. People chain smoke cigarettes. Cognitive dissonance is everywhere. But that is for adults. Think about young teens who are watching this shit in the media and are still at an impressionable point in life. These are the people who are going to do some really fucked up shit because of what others are seeing.

So who is ultimately to blame? Parents. But that is another discussion.

Comming full circle - weed is not even a blip on the radar screen as far as what is really fucking up our country. Society needs to become introspective and turn this in on its self instead of laying blame on something that, taken by itself, is not any more harmfull if not less harmful to people and society than things that are already legal in this country.

[Charlie]

Generally I've always liked you - but this is just a stupid response. Are you playing Devil's advocate, or are you looking to insite a debate over hard drug legaliziation? Either way this is pointless post. Sorry man. My opinion.
-B

Other than an occasional beer (and we're talking like maybe one or two a month), you could almost pass me off as straight edge.

I've had too many former "friends" get into this shit and totally trash their lives. At least when you get into the real hard shit, you OD quickly enough that you aren't a burden to everyone else. I've seen too many people get into the worthless burnout mentality, and it's just such a waste.

Drug use to me just shows an absolute lack of self respect. It's deliberately counter-productive to advancing yourself and wastes the gifts that you are given.

-Charlie

[Jand3rson]

Other than an occasional beer (and we're talking like maybe one or two a month), you could almost pass me off as straight edge.

I've had too many former "friends" get into this shit and totally trash their lives. At least when you get into the real hard shit, you OD quickly enough that you aren't a burden to everyone else. I've seen too many people get into the worthless burnout mentality, and it's just such a waste.

Drug use to me just shows an absolute lack of self respect.

-Charlie

I couldn't agree with you more, and on everything you've said here.

[LINUS]

I've had too many former "friends" get into this shit and totally trash their lives. At least when you get into the real hard shit, you OD quickly enough that you aren't a burden to everyone else. I've seen too many people get into the worthless burnout mentality, and it's just such a waste.

Drug use to me just shows an absolute lack of self respect. It's deliberately counter-productive to advancing yourself and wastes the gifts that you are given.

-Charlie

O.K. - I can see your side of the coin here, and I agree completely that drug use isn't showing respect for ones' self. However, peoples' own personalities & genetics are what gets called into question since some people are prone to addictive / abusive use of drugs & alcohol.

For the record, I used to smoke weed all the time. Started at ~16, last time I smoked was roughly 10 years ago. I was around all sorts of other drugs, and even picked mushroom that we sold at the local university to buy weed. Never had the slightest desire to try any other drug in all that time. Tried acid once on my 18th birthday, but I guess it was lame acid since all that happened was it gave me kind of a 'buzz'. Never tried it again.

Now all I have is either beer or the occasional burbon & water.

My point being that if weed was such a gateway drug, I should have gone through that gate. Never happened for me or plenty of other people that, at some point in their lives used pot, moved on, and found a decent walk of life.

I don't believe in blaming a drug - certain people will find a way to screw their life up given any way possible - but it would be socially irresponsible to make known drugs that can kill you immediately legal.

I think the saying is "genetics can load the gun, and poor decisions pull the trigger" - so the dumb kid that stumbles into his parents now legal coke stash can eat it and die, but with weed to date there are no known cases of death from overdoing it. So to me there is a distinction. Also, I don't think I've ever read that people can become physically addicted to weed. I don't remember any reported cases of people "blacking out" either.

From all these distinctions to all other drugs, it appears to me to be a mis-catagorized drug.

The problem I see is that weed can generate so much wealth for either the government or private dealers - I'd rather have it taxed and controlled than see more folks go to prison over the stuff.

To your original point though - I wouldn't bother smoking again if it became legal. And I bet most of my buddies who now moved on in life would say the same thing. It's a self repect thing to some degree, but also just the stages of life. People grow up & move on. But I don't want weed to make drug dealers money, I'd rather our government figure out a way to mis-spend it.

Your post makes more sense to me now, but I still think it's a bit of a hardline approach - at least in my mind I can't make the jump from weed to all other drugs being a free for all.

[c0rnfl4k3]

I'm gonna stand with Milton Friedman on this one.....

[dmoffitt]

it would take the criminal aspect out of it and make things safer.

That's my take on it. As much as I can't say I encourage "illegal" drug use, you don't hear of guys on weed beating their wives...

[Old'n'Slow]

The problems i see with weed being legalized is that it will be easier for young minors to get a hold of and start abusing it, which is very bad for their brains which aren't finished developing. I also bet the number of older, mature college students abusing weed will rise. I don't want to say that I outright oppose it because it's not any different than alcohol, yet it's just another substance that people our age and younger will be exposed to earlier, and not everybody is going to have the same degree of self-control, which could be disasterous for some individuals who find themselves with an addiction.

I don't know of anyone in the small Midwestern town I live in of high school age that has any trouble obtaining pot as it stands. I have young guys that work for me and we speak of things openly. Basically, there are two things adults complain about "not" getting that they have no problem getting. One is oral sex. Two is pot.

I say it's nothing new. Drugs have been around forever. Legalize it, regulate it, provide support for victims of abuse, and get on with it. We've been fighting a "War on Drugs" for decades. There have been few victories, no heros, and many casualties, both literally and figuratively.

The typical conservative rhetoric of "gotta prevent moral decline" has been impotent for decades. You can't legislate morals. It starts at the family level. The right declared war on any family that wasn't wealthy and white a long time ago. Living wage? You don't need no stinkin' living wage! Both kids in daycare all day because you and your spouse if you still have one works too? Sure! Latchkey kids from elementary school on? They'll be fine... We as a society don't provide support for this very large and unfortunately growing demographic group, and then are surprised when the kids go astray?

There are some pretty hot political races in my area and while I noramlly vote for several republicans around here, at least, all I've heard lately was what they're against. Sort of like Iraq-they're gonna tell you what they're against, but they've no idea how to accomplish the goal short of pointing fingers and tut-tutting
"bad" behavior...

Legalize it. Tax it. I really don't think there will be a huge rise in the numbers of users. As it stands, you either use it or not. Legal or not. With it legal, at least there will be some consistency and safety in the product.

This is all from someone who has actually never used any illicit drug. I was a road musician for 10 years. Saw a lot of pot smoked and a lot of coke inhaled. Never wanted to do it. Having it legal doesn't make me want to try it...

Just my $.02...

[StereoInstaller1]

I saw a sign yesterday that said "PORN puts our children in harm's way" (sic)

Yeah. Like some poor fucker jerking off to lez porn is gonna make him uncontrollably go rape 8 year olds.

Just like the bullshit rhetoric that a few hits off of a bong is all of a sudden make us into a nation of "needle slaves". Wow. I smoked virtually daily from the age of 8 (yes, EIGHT) until I was 34, 9 years ago...and yes, I have admitted that I have a problem. I have made a BUNCH of truly stupid mistakes. Is pot at fault? NO! My fucking loser parents that let me run the streets until midnight when I was 10...who didn't make me apply any effort at school...who should have been aware that their kids were smoking pot EVERY DAY...but were too busy living their lives to take the time to shape mine. Or lacked the courage to confront me about it...whatever. That was then, this is now.

The "Moral Decline" of this nation is CAUSED by the PARENTS of this nation.

I have dealt with my issues regarding drug use. I have dealt with my "Moral Decline"...except mine never "declined" I just didn't have any in the first place! I had to make my own, in my mid 30's.

My misspent youth is MY responsibility. I threw away my entire "start" in life. Nothing or no one could ever replace that...or ever take the responsibility away from me.

Was this caused by Pot? FUCK NO! I had no guidance...so now that I can "sort of" function in society, I teach my children. I demand better from them. They are far better people than I was at their ages. I never had rules. My children have rules. I never really talked with my parents...my kids talk with me. Often. Sometimes with damn near complete truth!

Pot has NO known fatalities. It is damn near impossible to overdose on. You are more likely to hallucinate from too much Advil...not to mention NyQuil.

Pot was legal a hundred years ago. Tobacco was not. Opium and Cocaine were legal too. Alcohol was legal, but soon became illegal. When was what that caused our "Moral Decline"?

Was that when Heroin was being prescribed by thousands of doctors around the world to cure damn near everything?

Somehow this discussion of legalization of pot in Nevada became a discussion of "morals"...yeah right. Like smoking pot in general is gonna make someone not pay their bills, lie, cheat on their S/O, become a theif...I don't think so! I think there are plenty of fine people who smoke daily and still maintain excellent live, complete with morals.

Those people who raise their children with love, faith, courage, honesty with or without marijuana are what makes or breaks the moral fiber of this or any other country.

Making pot out to be some great devil is simply focusing the great magnifying glass of a society on a substance instead of focusing on the substance of behaviour of that society.

You want a better society? Look within.

Luke

[uofom3]

I saw a sign yesterday that said "PORN puts our children in harm's way" (sic)

Yeah. Like some poor fucker jerking off to lez porn is gonna make him uncontrollably go rape 8 year olds.

Just like the bullshit rhetoric that a few hits off of a bong is all of a sudden make us into a nation of "needle slaves". Wow. I smoked virtually daily from the age of 8 (yes, EIGHT) until I was 34, 9 years ago...and yes, I have admitted that I have a problem. I have made a BUNCH of truly stupid mistakes. Is pot at fault? NO! My fucking loser parents that let me run the streets until midnight when I was 10...who didn't make me apply any effort at school...who should have been aware that their kids were smoking pot EVERY DAY...but were too busy living their lives to take the time to shape mine. Or lacked the courage to confront me about it...whatever. That was then, this is now.

The "Moral Decline" of this nation is CAUSED by the PARENTS of this nation.

I have dealt with my issues regarding drug use. I have dealt with my "Moral Decline"...except mine never "declined" I just didn't have any in the first place! I had to make my own, in my mid 30's.

My misspent youth is MY responsibility. I threw away my entire "start" in life. Nothing or no one could ever replace that...or ever take the responsibility away from me.

Was this caused by Pot? FUCK NO! I had no guidance...so now that I can "sort of" function in society, I teach my children. I demand better from them. They are far better people than I was at their ages. I never had rules. My children have rules. I never really talked with my parents...my kids talk with me. Often. Sometimes with damn near complete truth!

Pot has NO known fatalities. It is damn near impossible to overdose on. You are more likely to hallucinate from too much Advil...not to mention NyQuil.

Pot was legal a hundred years ago. Tobacco was not. Opium and Cocaine were legal too. Alcohol was legal, but soon became illegal. When was what that caused our "Moral Decline"?

Was that when Heroin was being prescribed by thousands of doctors around the world to cure damn near everything?

Somehow this discussion of legalization of pot in Nevada became a discussion of "morals"...yeah right. Like smoking pot in general is gonna make someone not pay their bills, lie, cheat on their S/O, become a theif...I don't think so! I think there are plenty of fine people who smoke daily and still maintain excellent live, complete with morals.

Those people who raise their children with love, faith, courage, honesty with or without marijuana are what makes or breaks the moral fiber of this or any other country.

Making pot out to be some great devil is simply focusing the great magnifying glass of a society on a substance instead of focusing on the substance of behaviour of that society.

You want a better society? Look within.

Luke

+1

[uofom3]

I think that suggesting that drinking/smoking weed/ect. is lack of self respect is a bit of a stretch.

How is it any more disrespectful to your body than getting a tat? Eating fast food? Drinking soda? All of those things alter your body away from an "ideal" state. And in reality, eating any sort of fast food regularly is more likely to cause you more accute and broad ranging health problems than smoking pot.

I'm pretty financially conservative and see social reform from a pretty conservative standpoint as well. I'm not hardcore right wing, but I usually am on the right side of center. I don't like government spending programs, yadyadayada, because most of them are irresponsible and not necessary and just bandaid the problem (just like our say no to drugs campaign! go figure..) ... but I think that from a logical and progressive standpoint that it is hard to ignore the obvious lack of danger that pot posses to society, and the ultimate health and financial benefits (for both society, the economy, and the individuals using it) that legalization would bring.