Today we tackle marijuana legalization, wherein I spend 2000 words explaining that I'm still a little wishy washy on the issue. Let me know what you think - I'm hoping to get some good hate mail on this one :P
Bong and a blintz?basswhooperNovember 2 2009, 16:12:43 UTC
Commenting as I'm reading the article in another window...
Having smoked quite a bit of weed in the past, it doesn't really make one "out of control". The worst it did to me was to make me stupid. But I can tell you for sure that there is a world of difference between being fried stoned and shitfaced drunk, with shitfaced drunk being MUCH worse.
Gateway drug: simple. To buy weed, I often had to be in places and around people to whom I'd never have been exposed otherwise. If I could have gotten weed at the liquor store (or some other vendor), then I never would have had to have been in a dude's living room in a shady part of town, where the guy had a mirror and razor on his coffee table. Legalize weed, and it's no longer going to be sold alongside heavier drugs.
I haven't smoked weed in four or five years, and would be unlikely to do so if it were legalized. I just didn't enjoy it the last time I was an active smoker. But the Libertarian in me SCREAMS that people should have the right to make that choice for themselves.
Re: Bong and a blintz?fervid_dryfireNovember 3 2009, 14:07:52 UTC
+1
...but I'd also like to propose that a "no-compromise" Libertarian would declare that ALL drugs should be fully legalized, making the "sold alongside heavier drugs" argument moot. Maybe if drugs were legalized in waves (weed this year, cocaine the next, etc), the issue might be somewhat mitigated and we'd be able to have some "breathing time" to see what the actual results of legalization will be.
Re: Bong and a blintz?spacebirdNovember 3 2009, 15:31:22 UTC
The problem that I see with this is that if we are going to do this, in order to maintain consistency we'd also need to make all prescription drugs fully available and uncontrolled, and toss the FDA, DEA, and the idea of controlled substances out the window. While ultimately a worthy goal, it would be suicidal to attempt this is in the current social climate - we need to change the culture from within and bring the people to place where there is some level of self control and responsibility that they can trade for greater privilege
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Comments 3
Having smoked quite a bit of weed in the past, it doesn't really make one "out of control". The worst it did to me was to make me stupid. But I can tell you for sure that there is a world of difference between being fried stoned and shitfaced drunk, with shitfaced drunk being MUCH worse.
Gateway drug: simple. To buy weed, I often had to be in places and around people to whom I'd never have been exposed otherwise. If I could have gotten weed at the liquor store (or some other vendor), then I never would have had to have been in a dude's living room in a shady part of town, where the guy had a mirror and razor on his coffee table. Legalize weed, and it's no longer going to be sold alongside heavier drugs.
I haven't smoked weed in four or five years, and would be unlikely to do so if it were legalized. I just didn't enjoy it the last time I was an active smoker. But the Libertarian in me SCREAMS that people should have the right to make that choice for themselves.
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...but I'd also like to propose that a "no-compromise" Libertarian would declare that ALL drugs should be fully legalized, making the "sold alongside heavier drugs" argument moot. Maybe if drugs were legalized in waves (weed this year, cocaine the next, etc), the issue might be somewhat mitigated and we'd be able to have some "breathing time" to see what the actual results of legalization will be.
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