Should marijuana be legalized?

Rocktopus wrote: Mr ProgFreak wrote: Yes. One big problem though is driving under the influence of it. I've never used it myself, but apparently when you do you'll have to wait a couple of days until you're allowed to drive a car. That will certainly be a problem, even if it is legalized. Its cars that should be illegal, not marijuana.But its obvious that it should be legalized. These kinds of arguments are irrelevant, as long as countries where its still illegal, like Germany and UK have a higher percentage of the population using "soft drugs" than in the Netherlands. So with legalizing, you get less drugrelated issues, not more. Punishing, or even send to jail people that smoke to get high (and forcing them to interact with the crimeworld) is a waste of time, money and resources.(Btw: I think stoners are generally the dullest people on the planet, and only poison myself with alchohol)

I think Frank Zappa once proclaimed that smoking dope was the most boring pursuit possible, other than watching TV. I have some sympathy for this view, but to be honest I'd rather be in the company of people who are stoned and just chilling out, than morons who have been on the beer all day, and are starting to get maudlin or agressive. That's a thousand times worse in my opinion, than someone who is just stoned. I've known too many people who turn into total w&nkers when drinking.

I dont smoke these days. I struggle to get anything done anyway, for other reasons, so getting stoned makes this worse, but as someone who generally gets sick before he gets drunk, I dont enjoy alcohol much, and generally speaking would favour being stoned any day of the week. Horses for courses.

I dont advocate use of any drugs, that includes drink.

Edited by Blacksword - August 25 2010 at 07:10

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CPicard wrote: I voted "no", and I would always vote "no" about any idea of legalizing any drugs. I already support the "fight" against tobacco and alcoholism. A few days ago, a friend of mine explained me why he was against this legalization: as long as marijuana is forbidden, its users would keep with this "grass" and would be less likely to try hard drugs. I'm not sure his theory is correct, but that would be an idea I could throw in the discussion.

Edited by The Sleepwalker - August 25 2010 at 07:16

The Sleepwalker wrote: CPicard wrote: I voted "no", and I would always vote "no" about any idea of legalizing any drugs. I already support the "fight" against tobacco and alcoholism. A few days ago, a friend of mine explained me why he was against this legalization: as long as marijuana is forbidden, its users would keep with this "grass" and would be less likely to try hard drugs. I'm not sure his theory is correct, but that would be an idea I could throw in the discussion. As far as I know the Netherlands have relatively less hard drug addicts than the US. I'm not 100% sure though.

As I said, it's the idea of this friend of mine. I'm not sure things work this way. After all, from what I heard and read, there's not a lot of people who take hard drugs after having been potheads. These two "drug cultures" are too much different to permit the existence of some "scales" between them. It can exist, but it doesn't seem to be a majority, rather a small minority.

The potheads seem rather to be ready to thicken their lungs with nicotine.

CPicard wrote: The Sleepwalker wrote: CPicard wrote: I voted "no", and I would always vote "no" about any idea of legalizing any drugs. I already support the "fight" against tobacco and alcoholism.A few days ago, a friend of mine explained me why he was against this legalization: as long as marijuana is forbidden, its users would keep with this "grass" and would be less likely to try hard drugs. I'm not sure his theory is correct, but that would be an idea I could throw in the discussion. As far as I know the Netherlands have relatively less hard drug addicts than the US. I'm not 100% sure though. As I said, it's the idea of this friend of mine. I'm not sure things work this way. After all, from what I heard and read, there's not a lot of people who take hard drugs after having been potheads. These two "drug cultures" are too much different to permit the existence of some "scales" between them. It can exist, but it doesn't seem to be a majority, rather a small minority.The potheads seem rather to be ready to thicken their lungs with nicotine.

There's many different types of drug users. Cannabis is often a 'stepping stone' drug. Although there is nothing in pot that chemically pre-disposes the use of any other drug, in many circles it goes hand in hand with other substances. I wont go into too much detail, in case it's misinterpreted as advocation of drug use.

Legalisation would arguably not expose the user to unscrupulous dealers supplying other substances, but while those substances exist, people will continue to go to the black market to acquire them. For this reason, ALL drugs need to be legalised and tightly controlled imo.

^ 

Where?

I don't support most government regulations and restrictions, and this is one of them. As much as I discourage the use of drugs, there's no reason why the government can tell you what to do with your own body.  I actually completely agree with Frank Zappa's stance on this. He was an anti-drug activist, but supported the legalization of weed. 

I wrote a paper many years ago when I was in college supporting the legalization of marijuana and I still feel pretty much the same way today.   Probably the above Frank Zappa descriptions probably fit my point of view the best. 

Mr ProgFreak wrote: Yes. One big problem though is driving under the influence of it. I've never used it myself, but apparently when you do you'll have to wait a couple of days until you're allowed to drive a car. That will certainly be a problem, even if it is legalized.