Help guys... Im debating the legalization issue in my class

[JoeThePlanter]

I asked the members of my class what their views were on legalization. Here are their comments:

 

1) just trying to play devil's advocate here...supposing we were to make it legal... some questions we would need to ask: who is going to grow it? would it be more lucrative for american farmers than growing, say, staples like corn and wheat? would that affect global food prices? who is going to regulate the product for safety? how and where is it going to be sold? will making it legal make it easier for children to get a hold of because they could "steal" it from their parents? who is going to get rich off of selling it? where are people going to be allowed to smoke it? how would deal with the legal ramifications of smoking in public? and would their be an increased social danger of drivers smoking while driving, similar to driving while drunk? and once its legalized, what is to prevent people from making the argument that other drugs should be legal, too? drugs that have a higher rate of accidential overdose deaths?

 

this issue isn't really one I have a vested interest in...overall I think the government should interfere in our lives as little as possible...but the US doesn't really work like that much of the time. so you have to ask if giving Americans more freedom in this area would have the effect you intend or if it would just cause more problems. so those are the questions I would ask.

 

2) It is definitely more benign than many pharmaceuticals, but were also talking apples and oranges. The hardcore Pharmaceuticals may be fun, but they serve a totally different purpose than Medical Marijuana. Oxycontin, Methadone, Morphine,Lortab ad nauseum (literally!) are specifically for pain relief (And Methadone is also for treating Heroin addiction); Marijuana is used for appetite, sedation, Glaucoma, and anxiety. So Legalizing pot for medical use would really only benefit those suffering from those symptoms, and like I said above, some Synthetic drugs may actually work better.

 

Again, not exactly against it, but we should take not of what purpose it would serve. I doubt legalizing it for medical use or just in general would reduce the abuse of the harder rx drugs.

[linbaba]

1) just trying to play devil's advocate here...supposing we were to make it legal... some questions we would need to ask: who is going to grow it?

 

There are no regulations on who can brew their own beer, so why the need to regulate the growth of cannabis? However if some regulation was deemed necessary I suppose a simple licensing/grow permit system could be used, as long as it remained relatively inexpensive for personal growers.

 

would it be more lucrative for american farmers than growing, say, staples like corn and wheat? would that affect global food prices?

 

I doubt it would affect food prices, and while initially sales would be lucrative, I would guess the amount of farm space to keep the commercial market satisfied would be relatively small compared to food farming space overall. The black market manages to keep most people supplied with covert grows as it stands now so I think its a fair bet if growing in the open is made legal it wouldn't take many fields to meet the demand.

 

who is going to regulate the product for safety? how and where is it going to be sold?

 

well since it is a relatively safe product and impossible to dangerously overdose regulation for safety shouldn't be a big issue. I suppose it could be sold from licensed shops similar to the medical MJ dispenseries that are already legally operating in parts of the USA and Canada.

 

will making it legal make it easier for children to get a hold of because they could "steal" it from their parents?

 

Its legal status will not change its rates of use and if anything regulation will make it harder for kids to get their hands on. We have witnessed the war on drugs for long enough to know that.

 

who is going to get rich off of selling it?

 

I don't know, who gets rich off selling tomatoes? Some will make a living at it no doubt nothing wrong with that but with legalisation the prices will drop so it won't reap the same kinds of profits people can make under the present black market system. And the government will benefit from taxes and licensing which they currently miss out on by forcing the industry underground.

 

where are people going to be allowed to smoke it? how would deal with the legal ramifications of smoking in public?

 

No reason why the same rules that apply to tobacco smokers couldn't be applied to cannabis smokers.

 

and would their be an increased social danger of drivers smoking while driving, similar to driving while drunk?

 

There is no real evidence that driving while stoned presents a safety risk. In any case its easy to test for so this shouldn't be an obstacle to legalisation.

 

and once its legalized, what is to prevent people from making the argument that other drugs should be legal, too? drugs that have a higher rate of accidential overdose deaths?

 

Certain drugs have already been legal for hundreds of years, and others illegal for hundreds of years. There is no reason to think a change in policy in cannabis will result in a change in policy towards other drugs, especially when you consider cannabis really is in a class of its own and compared to most other illegal drugs its relatively non addictive and harmless, and impossible to overdose on.

 

this issue isn't really one I have a vested interest in...overall I think the government should interfere in our lives as little as possible...but the US doesn't really work like that much of the time. so you have to ask if giving Americans more freedom in this area would have the effect you intend or if it would just cause more problems. so those are the questions I would ask.

 

I can't see what problems legalisation would create. It would obviously solve a whole lot of existing problems such as lack of quality control due to the nature of the black market, stopping the waste of tax payers resources persecuting cannabis users and growers not to mention the social injustice of this persecution, and would generate increased government revenue that could be put into health care and education. Also legalisation would reduce the incidences of the abuse of other more dangerous drugs because people looking to score some smoke would no longer need to associate with drug dealers who offer them other substances.

[JoeThePlanter]

I have thought up a similar argument to yours but I agree with everything you said. Hopefully I'll get some responses from the class to see where they are going with this... Thanks for the response I know it was a lengthy question.

[Frazz]

ok permit system applies for legalisation purposes, mess up and you lose your permit to grow / posess

 

look for the positives in law reform ...

conservative estimates put the savings to govt. resulting in cannabis permits at $270 million .. via huge reduction in prisons, policing and law courts ...

 

why legalise .. because it is so unfair to imprison man just for using one of Natures' gifts

 

[JoeThePlanter]

ok permit system applies for legalisation purposes, mess up and you lose your permit to grow / posess

 

look for the positives in law reform ...

conservative estimates put the savings to govt. resulting in cannabis permits at $270 million .. via huge reduction in prisons, policing and law courts ...

 

why legalise .. because it is so unfair to imprison man just for using one of Natures' gifts

 

 

very true also you would get rid of the ridiculous profiteering of law agencies. the drug war starts to look at a easy way to get some tax payer money after put under some criticism

[konflikt]

If the bible said smoke this bud in memory of me instead of drink this wine in honour of me in church....we'd all be puffin on it...

 

Seperate church from state

[bufo marinus]

Perhaps you could debate why your federal government see's fit to impose it's drug policy on the rest of mankind?

It really pisses the rest of the world off

[JoeThePlanter]

If the bible said smoke this bud in memory of me instead of drink this wine in honour of me in church....we'd all be puffin on it...

 

Seperate church from state

 

Ashton Kutcher said something extremely similar on Bill Maher. I got a kick out of that. But I mean it's true but at the same time I mean look at the Bible. God says every herb and plant on this earth is for mankind. I think a member has that on their signature.

 

But it's true church and state are just too interlocked whether people believe it or not.

[JoeThePlanter]

Perhaps you could debate why your federal government see's fit to impose it's drug policy on the rest of mankind?

It really pisses the rest of the world off

 

You'd be surprised my friend. I'm at a liberal college and the kids and teachers here are certainly not happy with some of the ideals of our government. I'm more of a social liberal and fiscal conservative but shit we really need to stop trying to police the whole fucking world in matters that aren't our business. We would be better off and so would the rest of the world.

 

No real debate there.

[bufo marinus]

hmmm I guess so.

So what do you guys think of 9/11? Do you think/agree there is a fairly clear, monumental amount of evidence to suggest the same Federal government, with that grinning monkey in charge, was responsible for murdering over 3000 American citizens in pursuit of these same ideals?

I do. 3 multi storey buildings DO NOT fall to the ground at free fall speed in perfect implosions by themselves.

Also, if your class agrees, do they think that this obnoxious group of greedy uppercrust 'untouchables' in pursuit of their own greedy ideals, is the main reason behind the continuing refusal to acknowledge many of your states and local governments constituents propositions to decriminalise/legalise Cannabis?

Such a great country, led by shit leaders ever since JFK. Lincoln was the best president America ever had.