Our tax dollars making a difference (1 Viewer)

[mmmbeer]

The only argument for marijuana being a gateway drug is that it gets people past the whole, "I broke a law" part. They then rationalize that if smoking herb is a crime but nothing bad has happened, then maybe the same result will happen if another illegal drug is tried.

 

[TPS]

Southland,

Quit drinking the man's koolaid.

TPS

 

[saintfan-n-alex]

if it were legal, how many more people would use drugs

and being leagl doesnt mean you can use drug like you smoke cigarettes, while your work may have a smoking are outside, i doubt they would open a cocaine or pot section

pre-employment drug screens would still eliminate druggies at work, its like free speech, you can say what you want about your boss (almost anything) and not get arrested, but telling your boss he is a jerk will still get you fired.

the money used and jail cells occupied by pot possesion shouldnt allow for releasing a more violent offender because of overcrowding.

 

[JimEverett]

If it were legal the only big change from my end would see me working to repeal all the anti-smoking laws at restaurants and bars.

 

[BullDawg]

If it were legal the only big change from my end would see me working to repeal all the anti-smoking laws at restaurants and bars.

I'd refinance my house and buy stock in Frito-Lay and Little Debby Snacks.

 

[Tony The Fish]

click, click, click.

 

[SaintSimba]

if it were legal, how many more people would use drugs

and being leagl doesnt mean you can use drug like you smoke cigarettes, while your work may have a smoking are outside, i doubt they would open a cocaine or pot section

pre-employment drug screens would still eliminate druggies at work, its like free speech, you can say what you want about your boss (almost anything) and not get arrested, but telling your boss he is a jerk will still get you fired.

the money used and jail cells occupied by pot possesion shouldnt allow for releasing a more violent offender because of overcrowding.

A: A recent government survey tells us:

# Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the United States. Over 83 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once.
# Over 12 million had used the drug in the month before the survey.

The Monitoring the Future Survey, which is conducted yearly, includes students from 8th, 10th, and 12th grades. In 2001, the survey showed that 20 percent of 8th-graders have tried marijuana at least once, and by 10th grade, 20 percent are “current” users (that is, used within the past month). Among 12th-graders, nearly 50 percent have tried marijuana/hash at least once, and about 22 percent were current users

Can't see how it could be more.

 

[Det. Brees]

when you get arrested you usually go to a place called jail genious

your implications are rather insulting. my father once told me to best a fool is nothing so i will not attempt to explain the difference between jail and prison to you.

 

[Det. Brees]

this post is about the war on drugs and our tax dollars. its not about weather or not alcohol is better or worse than marijuana. at this point is time it doesnt matter because drinking is legal but firing up a blunt is not. until the law are changed it will remain that way.

above is what i stated before. Ive also stated before there is a major difference between marijuana and cocaine. which is a plant your putting in your body. as someone stated earlier. however the original post makes it appear that the prisons are full of marijuana users and sellers. that is my argument. our prisons are full of drug users and dealers. most being meth and cocaine. there is no one in prison for possessing marijuana on the level that a user would be in possession. a person in possession of marijuana at that level may go to jail for a few hours then have to pay a fine. people on the topic are acting as if you ll go to prison for having a blunt and that is so far from the truth. the war on drugs includes cocaine, meth , x, ice , heroin, opium .

 

[Det. Brees]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heavy Marijuana Use Linked to Brain Damage
News Article
March 6, 2002


Researchers report that chronic users of marijuana suffer memory loss and attention problems that can affect their work, their life, and their ability to learn. However, a medical expert not involved in the study questioned the findings and whether the alleged adverse impact of marijuana is really there, which is indicative of the controversy surrounding the drug.

The findings are published in the current Journal of the American Medical Association. The study was based on patients seeking help for marijuana dependence at clinics in Seattle, Farmington, Connecticut, and Miami, between 1997 and 2000.

Fifty-one people were examined who had been using marijuana regularly for an average of 24 years. Also, 51 short-term users and 33 nonusers were included as controls for comparison purposes in the research. "Long-term users ... performed significantly less well on tests of memory and attention than nonuser controls and shorter-term users with a mean of 10 years' use," the study said.

On a verbal learning test "long-term users recalled significantly fewer words than either shorter-term users or controls; there was no difference between shorter-term users and controls. Long-term users showed impaired learning, retention and retrieval compared with controls," the study said.

The study's authors, including Nadia Solowij at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, and colleagues with the Marijuana Treatment Project Research Group said the findings confirmed and expounded upon previous findings of cognitive impairments among chronic users. "For habitual users, the kinds of impairments observed in this study have the potential to impact academic achievements, occupational proficiency, interpersonal relationships and daily functioning," said the study.

http://www.marijuanaaddiction.info/brain-damage-marijuana.htm

NO BRAIN DAMAGE HUHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BullDawg]

this post is about the war on drugs and our tax dollars. its not about weather or not alcohol is better or worse than marijuana. at this point is time it doesnt matter because drinking is legal but firing up a blunt is not. until the law are changed it will remain that way.

above is what i stated before. Ive also stated before there is a major difference between marijuana and cocaine. which is a plant your putting in your body. as someone stated earlier. however the original post makes it appear that the prisons are full of marijuana users and sellers. that is my argument. our prisons are full of drug users and dealers. most being meth and cocaine. there is no one in prison for possessing marijuana on the level that a user would be in possession. a person in possession of marijuana at that level may go to jail for a few hours then have to pay a fine. people on the topic are acting as if you ll go to prison for having a blunt and that is so far from the truth. the war on drugs includes cocaine, meth , x, ice , heroin, opium .

Here are some interesting numbers. According to the verifiable research this guy did, felony marijuana incarcerations outnumber cocaine by roughly 2 to 1.

I agree with you that until the laws are changed, marijuana is illegal whereas alcohol is legal. However, as history has shown (the ill-conceived alcohol prohibition of the early 1900's), making something illegal doesn't necessarily fix the problem.

Drinking and driving has been illegal for many, many years now. How many DUIs do you hand out in a given month? I suspect a good many. And rightfully so (the arrests that is). Drinking and driving kills. There is no argument to the contrary. I know you aren't in the city police, but I'm sure you hear of the domestic violence/disputes where alcohol is the primary instigator (although I fully believe methheads are quickly overtaking drunks in that department).

Here is where I (and many other law abiding citizens) have an issue with the current "war" on drugs. A large number of potheads are targeted. For what? Yeah, they broke the law. Fine. Now, there have been numerous studies that show where a person convicted of possession of marijuana spends more time in prison (I know the difference) than a rapist, child molestor, or murderer (when averaged out). How is this conducive to law and order...to the protection of the citizenry?

I've known a good many potheads (either directly or by proxy). Doctors, lawyers, school board members, teachers, engineers, computer programmers...even a judge. Heck, numerous individuals who carry much, much respect in our nations history were potheads. We venerate these people, yet they would be nothing more than criminals by today's laws.

The real question is why marijuana was prohibited in the first place. If you look at history you'll find a few common denominators: racism, political posturing, and influence by major corporations. Just because a law is on the books doesn't make it morally or ethically right. Using bad science to pull the wool over the public's eyes doesn't make it beneficial to society. And by the same token, just because something is legal doesn't mean it's good for society.

 

[BullDawg]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heavy Marijuana Use Linked to Brain Damage
News Article
March 6, 2002


Researchers report that chronic users of marijuana suffer memory loss and attention problems that can affect their work, their life, and their ability to learn. However, a medical expert not involved in the study questioned the findings and whether the alleged adverse impact of marijuana is really there, which is indicative of the controversy surrounding the drug.

The findings are published in the current Journal of the American Medical Association. The study was based on patients seeking help for marijuana dependence at clinics in Seattle, Farmington, Connecticut, and Miami, between 1997 and 2000.

Fifty-one people were examined who had been using marijuana regularly for an average of 24 years. Also, 51 short-term users and 33 nonusers were included as controls for comparison purposes in the research. "Long-term users ... performed significantly less well on tests of memory and attention than nonuser controls and shorter-term users with a mean of 10 years' use," the study said.

On a verbal learning test "long-term users recalled significantly fewer words than either shorter-term users or controls; there was no difference between shorter-term users and controls. Long-term users showed impaired learning, retention and retrieval compared with controls," the study said.

The study's authors, including Nadia Solowij at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, and colleagues with the Marijuana Treatment Project Research Group said the findings confirmed and expounded upon previous findings of cognitive impairments among chronic users. "For habitual users, the kinds of impairments observed in this study have the potential to impact academic achievements, occupational proficiency, interpersonal relationships and daily functioning," said the study.

http://www.marijuanaaddiction.info/brain-damage-marijuana.htm

NO BRAIN DAMAGE HUHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you read the rest of the article?

 

[Det. Brees]

The real question is why marijuana was prohibited in the first place. If you look at history you'll find a few common denominators: racism, political posturing, and influence by major corporations. Just because a law is on the books doesn't make it morally or ethically right. Using bad science to pull the wool over the public's eyes doesn't make it beneficial to society. And by the same token, just because something is legal doesn't mean it's good for society.
BULL DAWG

I AGREE WITH YOU ON THIS STATEMENT.. however i do not see how a person that is in possession of marijuana can get more time than a rapist. marijuana at the most is 1 years rape is a min. of 1 year actually its much higher but i'm not looking at the law book.
marijuana is a misdemeanor is what I'm say rape is a felony.
the war on drugs is not a war on marijuana it includes all the others illegal drugs and that is what for the most part is targeted.
also if a person actually looks at the funding for drug interdiction you find its not really coming from the federal gov. its really self supporting . last year we made a case here that captured 63 million dollars. well that not only will fund the city's force for many years but the states teams also. that was only one bust.
Ive never seen the federal gov hook up a guy for a dime bag. we've got to get real people that's not who or what they are after.

 

[Severum]

Stats:





Even if all those possession arrests get off the hook it still puts an unnecessary burden on our legal system. Marijuana legalization is an easy argument to make since the drug is basically harmless. I believe that all drug prohibition has a negative effect on society, so I'd eliminate all those arrests. Invest some of the saved money in treatment programs and let police focus on crimes that actually harm other people.

 

[purvis_guy]

Put me down as a vote to decriminalize and tax it, then the Treasury Dept can go after the big time sellers under the same laws that put Capone in jail. Then we can spend more money on the drugs that really destroy lives: Crack and Meth.