Fox 2 News Poll; Should Marijuana Be Legal?

[Sstashmoo]

Quote: "You fail Basic Logic 101"

If you and yours are so certain in the accuracy of your assertions, why is it illegal? This whole issue has just been waiting for the enlightened ones to come along and straighten everyone out on it? Please. It's illegal, for good reasons, and I'd bet you anything, it will stay illegal.

[Bearinabox]

Quote: "You fail Basic Logic 101"

If you and yours are so certain in the accuracy of your assertions, why is it illegal? This whole issue has just been waiting for the enlightened ones to come along and straighten everyone out on it? Please. It's illegal, for good reasons, and I'd bet you anything, it will stay illegal.

It's illegal, therefore it should stay illegal? That is seriously your argument? I'm speechless.

[Blarf]

Quote: "You fail Basic Logic 101"
why is it illegal?

Good question.

I'm going with "political reasons".

I'm amazed there are people still against terminally ill people using it for relief when prescribed by a doctor. How dare they.

[Sstashmoo]

Not an argument, just a statement. It's illegal here, it;s illegal almost everywhere. There is a reason for that.

[kathy2trips]

Not sure, the laws still aren't clear. It's still illegal on the federal level, so I think the Feds can still bust people.

Only because Nixon signed an Executive Order; it can be reversed by a new President. Legalize it, tax it and leave my Camels and Pop ALONE!

[Bearinabox]

Not an argument, just a statement. It's illegal here, it;s illegal almost everywhere. There is a reason for that.

One reason for it is pressure from the UN.

[Blarf]

Not an argument, just a statement. It's illegal here, it;s illegal almost everywhere. There is a reason for that.

In your opinion, why do you think it's illegal?

[thnk2mch]

Here is why the government will not legalize pot.

http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/fac...marijuana.aspx

"Marijuana Facts
[[Pot, Weed)

What is It?
Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. Marijuana has a chemical in it called tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC. All forms of marijuana are mind-altering [[psychoactive). In other words, they change how the brain works. A lot of other chemicals are found in marijuana, too — about 400 of them, some of which are carcinogenic.46 Marijuana is addictive with more teens in treatment with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined.47

Using marijuana can also lead to disturbed perceptions and thoughts, and marijuana use can worsen psychotic symptoms in people who have schizophrenia.48
Additionally, there are higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thinking among people who use marijuana when compared to people who don't use.49 Teens who started using marijuana before age 15 are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression in early adulthood.50 A new study shows that smoking marijuana is associated with a 40% increase risk of psychosis, and the risk is greater among regular and frequent "users.51
""

Thinking legalization would be good for society is just wrong.

Yet, Tylenol [[along with hundreds of other things) is sold over the counter.


Serious acetaminophen side effects pose a much greater risk than many consumers realize. In some cases, an individual may experience an acetaminophen side effect and attribute it to some other cause. Sadly, some users even suffer liver failure due to acetaminophen use without their ever knowing.


Some of the more severe acetaminophen side effects include:

• Acute liver toxicity
• Allergic reactions including swelling, difficulty breathing, closing of throat, and more
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Unusual bleeding or bruising
• Death

[ccbatson]

Correct T2M..just one problem with your line of thinking, the premise is that 2 wrongs make a right. BTW, in low doses [[less than 4g in a 24 hr period) and periodically used, tylenol is fairly benign [[but not completely as lifetime acetaminophen burden has been correlated to marginal impairments of renal and liver functions in later life, although not clinically significant at normal usage levels).

[mjs]

Does the passing of medical marijuana mean if you get caught abusing it now, you are now viewed as abusing prescription drugs and not illegal narcotics?

Its not how drug crime is classified. There's drug categories and each category has a list of drugs in that category. The categories are sub classified by quantity and this determines sentencing guidelines so despite what is common belief, only dealers go to prison. So, ten onces of unapproved pot stays in the same subcategory. A guy with ten pounds of pot is in a harsher category than a guy with an once of coke. An issue amongst some experts is that gram for gram, crack carries much higher penalties than pure coke so it can be argued it treats black dealers worse than white dealers.

[mjs]

Only because Nixon signed an Executive Order; it can be reversed by a new President. Legalize it, tax it and leave my Camels and Pop ALONE!

Wrong. Interstate drug trafficking is illegal by statute, not executive order. Executive orders can be used to implement or clarify policy based on statutes, but they must be based on at least one statute. Only Congress can write statutes. Repealing drug statutes requires an act of Congress. Only a federal court that acknowledges the Tenth Amendment can ban the enforcement of federal drug laws. Ever wonder why a prohibition on alcohol required a Consitutional Amendment but drugs could be banned by Federal statute?

[Lorax]

Anyone who still believes those 1930's propaganda films such as "Reefer Madness" paid for by fascists like William Randolph Hearst must be under the influence of......?

There is no reason to waste resources by chasing, convicting and jailing people who use or trade in pot. I don't smoke it, and would if it had an effect on me, but those who do should be free to do so.

Like any banned substance there are corporate reasons for not legalizing it. Marijuana and the attendant hemp products are superb resources, renewable, and have been banned since they interfered with existing industries.

Pot brings relief to thousands who suffer illnesses, and perfer to smoke rather than take legal drugs which have such horrible side effects.

The real drug pushers are the pharmaceutical companies. I would be more afraid of what they advertise, especially the various brand names of boner pills, cholestrol lowering drugs, and blood thinners like cumidin and warafrin which are low level derivatives of rat poison.

People willingly take these drugs which have not been properly tested over long periods of time, and are already proving themselves not reliable, and often fatal.

Look no further than the most recent round of drugs pulled, or soon to be pulled from the market:

Vioxx
Celebrex
Vytorin
Enbrel
Hydroxycut
Raptiva
Pelladone
Trayzol
Rezulin
Avandia
Zelnorm
Bextra
Acomplia
Permax
Propulsid
Iressa
Paxil
Plavix
Advair
Avandia
Lipitor
Crestor
Levaquin
Viagra
Xolair
Yasmin
Zicam
Floxin
Fosamax
Gardasil
Heparin
Accutane
Risperdal
Noroxin
Zocor
MRI dyes

[reddog289]

IMO sure as I use Tobacco and Alcohol, I don't care if one smokes pot.As long as they don't commit a crime doing it. DUI and B&E'S FALL INTO THE SAME DEAL AS BOOZE.

[mjs]

Tell Kiki Camerena's wife and kids that major marijuana dealers are harmless or tell it to any of the other law enforcement officers that died trying to bust these assholes. They used a doctor to ensure he'd stay alive long enought o torture for two days before smashing in his skull. Do you reallly believe that if you legalized it, these violent sociopaths would just apply to 7-11 to sell it with cigarettes? You think they wouldn't sell to kids or did you want to make it legal for twelve year olds to use? They'd go into some other drugs or gun running or kidnapping or extortion or murder for hire. Its not like drug dealers have a ton of legit offers or give a rats ass about society. Small time dealers get small time fines. Again, its by category and amount.

• Special Agent Enrique S. Camarena, of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Guadalajara, Mexico, Resident Office, was kidnapped and tortured by Mexican drug traffickers on February 7, 1985. It is believed that Special Agent Camerena's death actually occurred on February 9. His body was discovered on March 5, 1985. He was 37 years of age at the time of his death.
• Special Agent Camarena joined DEA in June 1974 as an Agent with the Calexico, California District Office. He was assigned to the Fresno District Office in September 1977, and transferred to the Guadalajara Resident Office in July 1981. During his 11 years with DEA, he received two Sustained Superior Performance Awards, a Special Achievement Award and, posthumously, the Administrator's Award of Honor, the highest award granted by DEA.
• On the afternoon of his disappearance, Special Agent Camarena was en route to meet his wife for lunch. He was abducted by five assailants as he left the U.S. Consulate, one of whom identified himself as a Mexican law enforcement official. Special Agent Camarena was never seen alive again, and is believed to have been extensively tortured for two days before he died from a crushed skull. Major organized crime figures from Mexico, including Rafael Caro Quintero, Rueben Zuno Arce, Miguel Felix Gallardo, Humberto Alvarez Machain, Mario Verdugo and Ernesto Fonseca Carrillo were arrested for Enrique Camarena's torture and murder. This event had triggered Operation Leyenda, the largest homicide investigation that DEA had ever undertaken.
• Prior to joining DEA, Special Agent Camarena served two years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He worked in Calexico as a fireman and then as a police investigator, and was a narcotics investigator for the Imperial County Sheriff Coroner. Special Agent Camarena was survived by his wife, Geneva and three children, Enrique, Daniel and Erik.

[rb336]

Tell Kiki Camerena's wife and kids that major marijuana dealers are harmless or tell it to any of the other law enforcement officers that died trying to bust these assholes. They used a doctor to ensure he'd stay alive long enought o torture for two days before smashing in his skull. Do you reallly believe that if you legalized it, these violent sociopaths would just apply to 7-11 to sell it with cigarettes?

if you legalize it, they will be out of business. you don't see Al Capone and The Purple Gang running whisky anymore. if you don't have the sense to realize the fundamental truth of that, well I've got some swampland in antarctica to sell you

[mjs]

if you legalize it, they will be out of business. you don't see Al Capone and The Purple Gang running whisky anymore. if you don't have the sense to realize the fundamental truth of that, well I've got some swampland in antarctica to sell you

I wouldn't see Al Capone or The Purple Gang today even if Prohibition had never been repealed. But, I still do see organized crime and people running illegal substances. Toccos and Jaccalones ran illegal operations in the thirties and still run them today. Repealing prohibition didn't put them out of business because their business is crime. Its not like their degree and years of training limits them to a specific crime or makes them prime candidates for a regular sales job.

Why not legalize murder for hire? It will cost less to off your wife or loud neighbor and the government could tax it. You could licence and regulate them so fewer witnesses and bystanders get killed because professional killers will become law abiding citizens like the rest of us. No more kids killing kids on play grounds or sloppy do it yourselfers. All the people they are hired to kill have it coming to them anyway and will die one way or another. Cops would never get killed in a murder investigation and the savings to the local governments would make the marijuana enforcement savings look like peanuts.

[Gannon]

green, brown, or gray mixture

In ALL of my years...the only gray I've seen is after applying flame to the mixture.


Lately I've seen purple, though. This needs to be updated.

[Gannon]

not clinically significant at normal usage levels

Thanks Cc. You've given me everything I need to say whenever anyone EVER brings up my low volume but constant dosage marijuana use.


I know the difference when I alter my dose for any significant time.


It is usually in direct proportion with my overall stress levels in life.

[rb336]

I wouldn't see Al Capone or The Purple Gang today even if Prohibition had never been repealed. But, I still do see organized crime and people running illegal substances.

Exactly. the illegality of pot and other drugs gives rise to the criminal element. legalize, license and tax the stuff. we make money and quit throwing away lives of good men and women over something that should be a medical rather than legal issue.

[quote]Why not legalize murder for hire? [quote]

that is a straw man

[Blarf]

Tell Kiki Camerena's wife and kids that major marijuana dealers are harmless or tell it to any of the other law enforcement officers that died trying to bust these assholes. They used a doctor to ensure he'd stay alive long enought o torture for two days before smashing in his skull. Do you reallly believe that if you legalized it, these violent sociopaths would just apply to 7-11 to sell it with cigarettes?

If you support keeping these drugs illegal, than you support violent drug dealers. That fact that it's illegal is why they are in business.

[mjs]

The logical extension of your argument is that since I support following all laws, I must be responsible for every law enforcement officer ever killed in the line of duty. It baffles me how liberals can boycott Walmart or tuna, but never think of boycotting killers. Drug dealers kill people and threaten people.

I'll state a more direct question for the thing I'm trying to understand in your argument. If pot were legalized, what do you honestly think a pot dealer will do for a living?

[rb336]

The logical extension of your argument is that since I support following all laws, I must be responsible for every law enforcement officer ever killed in the line of duty. It baffles me how liberals can boycott Walmart or tuna, but never think of boycotting killers. Drug dealers kill people and threaten people.

I'll state a more direct question for the thing I'm trying to understand in your argument. If pot were legalized, what do you honestly think a pot dealer will do for a living?

first, that is an illogical extension of the argument.

all i know is that if you take the source of money away, that is legalize pot, the crime related to the illegal substance will vanish. the violence will vanish. the dealer may go do other illegal things, may get a legit job, may open a legal and licensed head shop, who knows? all we know is, he won't be involved in the illegal distribution of pot.

[mjs]

Oh, we do know. He can have a legit job today or open a legit shop today, but he doesn't. I assume he doesn't do it for the same reason I don't do things. I either lack the skills or training or don't want to do it. How does changing a law provide him with better skills, training, or motivation to work a real job? I see no advatage to trading one type of crime for another, but I'm a law abiding citizen so I'm crazy anyways. Of course, even if I can get away with a crime or unethical act, I still don't so I'll never understand those that base their acts on whether or not they'll get caught.

[rb336]

but we do know he won't be selling illegal drugs. the "war on drugs" is a massive failure and a massive waste of resources. continuing to do the same thing thinking there will be a different outcome is a definition of...[[come on gang! you know the answer)

[WolverinesA2]

Quote: "You fail Basic Logic 101"

If you and yours are so certain in the accuracy of your assertions, why is it illegal? This whole issue has just been waiting for the enlightened ones to come along and straighten everyone out on it? Please. It's illegal, for good reasons, and I'd bet you anything, it will stay illegal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_h...st.2C_and_hemp

William Randolph Hearst wanted it banned because he was a major investor in the timber industry. Hemp can be used to cheaply make paper, thus making hemp cultivation a threat to the timber industry. The DuPont corporation also wanted it banned for similar reasons. Back then, there were no pretenses about politicians being in the pockets of big corporations, Hearst and DuPont had politicians in their pockets and could do as they pleased.

There was also the propaganda effect, films like "Reefer Madness" which falsely claimed that smoking marijuana would lead to rape, murder and insanity.

And then there's the racism aspect. Since marijuana was often associated with Hispanics and blacks, many whites used racist stereotypes and propaganda to scare people about the effects of marijuana, such as claiming that pot would make black men rape white women, or that white women who smoke pot will have sex with black men, etc. And of course, tough criminal penalties against pot could then be used to put black and Hispanics in prison.

And finally, there's the Christian temperance movement, the same people who helped to get alcohol banned.

There is not a single good reason for marijuana to be illegal. It was criminalized decades ago, based on LIES and blatantly false claims about its health effects, like that it is physically addictive [[it is not) or that it makes people go crazy and commit rape/murder.