The economy is already in rough shape, but some think we should let it go to pot - literally. Pro-legalization advocacy groups are promoting the possibility that legalizing marijuana could provide some economic relief, and the media has eagerly explored the idea.
On April 20, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) aired TV ads calling for marijuana legalization. They ran on CNN, Fox News Channel and were covered by CBS News.
"In the spot, Americans say of the drug, ‘you can tax it, you can regulate it, apply age restrictions...create millions of new jobs ... save our economy,'" Brian Montopoli wrote for CBSNews.com on April 20.
With chatter that this could be a campaign issue in 2010, the new Obama Administration's relaxed policies toward the drug and some people's desperate, try-anything approach to solving the government spending deficits and economic woes, the idea of marijuana legalization is gaining traction with the media.
Talking Point: Legalization Would Help the Economy
One of the arguments pro-legalization advocates like to trot out is that if it were lawful to possess and consume marijuana, it would be a shot in the arm for the ailing American economy, as the NORML ad campaign suggested.
The direct benefit on the economy, as Leigh Gallagher of Fortune magazine claimed, would be the industries and jobs legalization would spur not just from the cultivation of the plant itself, but the "ancillary business" including accessories and paraphernalia.
But advocates usually tout the indirect benefits, which would be the decrease in law enforcement costs and the potential windfall in government revenue.
"The DEA spent $10 billion last year, $10 billion fighting marijuana," CNBC's Trish Regan said in an April 20 "Power Lunch" report. "Not every drug - just marijuana. Now keep in mind, California actually collected $11 million, small in comparison, but this is one state, in tax revenue, all from medicinal marijuana. So it shows you there is some money that can be made on the government's behalf in the way of taxes on this product."
Comparisons have also been drawn to ending Prohibition on alcohol during the 1930s - a time when the economy was undergoing the Great Depression. Rob Kampia of the Marijuana Policy Project explained to CNBC that legalizing marijuana would serve the same purpose of generating tax revenue as ending prohibition did.
"It's the same situation - 1929," Kampia said. "The stock market crashed and it was four years later that the country repealed alcohol prohibition. It was largely, but not entirely for economic reasons. There's a large industry that is not being taxed."
But according to a report by National Public Radio's John Burnett on the April 20 broadcast of "All Things Considered," the theory that legalizing this vice would bring in big bucks for the government is a myth.
"A lot of people think this taxation of marijuana will create a windfall for government coffers," Burnett said. "[J]effrey Miron is a Harvard economist who has studied and written about the economics of the marijuana market. Miron figures state and federal taxes on cannabis sales adds up to $6.7 billion annually. And he calculates the savings from not having to enforce state and federal marijuana laws, in arrests, prosecution and incarceration, at $12.9 billion a year. Excluding additional expenses, such as the public health cost of marijuana, or the cost of administering the new law, Miron figures that legal pot creates almost a $20 billion bonus."
With a federal government that is on track to be running $1-trillion deficits, that's just a drop in the bucket, and doesn't necessarily justify legalization, as advocates and some in the media suggested.
"But compared to the size of most federal government agencies, compared to the tax revenue from things like alcohol and tobacco, and certainly compared to the size of deficits that we have, this is just not a major issue, it is not a panacea, it is not curing any of our significant ills," Miron said. "There may be good reasons to do it, but the budgetary part is not a crucial reason to do it."
Black Market Economy vs. Government-Regulated Market Economy
One thing that is often overlooked in the recent string of media coverage about marijuana legalization is what would happen to the market if it were a legal drug. The revenue-generating potential would be greatly reduced if it were legal to be grown anywhere.
Segments on Fox News April 19 "Geraldo at Large" and CNN's April 16 "American Morning" both trotted out proponents of legalization suggesting a regulated market would be better than a black market.
"We're talking about America's number one cash crop," marijuana advocate Rob Van Dam said on the April 19 "Geraldo at Large." "It's completely unregulated and untaxed. Let's take that money out of the streets. We're putting it into the black market that prohibition created and let's put that in the right hands, where we can use it with our government, by taxing and regulating it."
As CNBC's Regan confirmed in her report, marijuana is indeed the country's largest cash crop. However, legalizing the crop would cause prices to plummet, she explained to viewers.
"The price is very important," Regan said. "Because, think about this guys - it really wouldn't be this expensive if it was legal."
"You'd get a glut," "Power Lunch" co-host Michele Caruso Cabrera added.
And legal farms, like one highlighted by NPR's April 20 "All Things Considered," reflect how once government gets involved, the business incentive diminishes. Carol Ann Sayle, the wife of a legal organic marijuana farmer, explained her disappointment in the business of marijuana cultivation.
"The retailer takes a big hit off the bong, so to speak, and then the government comes in with their taxes," Sayle said. "So what's left for the farmer? After all that work and ... trying to ease people's fears that we're going to be giving it to children. So, what's left for the farmer? Stems and seeds is about all that's left."
The 4/20 (April 20, 2009) Spike in Coverage and the New President
The number 420 has had a special significance for marijuana connoisseurs. It's used on the online bulletin board Craigslist.org and other places on the Web as code for marijuana-friendly. However, the reason why that has certain significance is not clear and has been subject to debate. Some say it is associated with the time of day the drug is consumed and some say it is the day of the year it is planted.
But 4/20, or April 20 as a date of importance hasn't gone unrecognized by the media. The New York Times and The Washington Post both published article recognizing the date and the pro-marijuana events surround it. Fox's controversial animated series the "Family Guy" made it the subject of its April 19 episode, in which the dog named Brian is arrested for possession of marijuana, and then goes on a mission to legalize the drug.
This increase in notoriety has made the subject marijuana and its legality a topic of news coverage, as has the new administration's position on going after certain vendors of medicinal marijuana, as CNBC Washington correspondent John Harwood explained on the March 20 "Power Lunch."
"Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters this week Team Obama will take a different approach that takes note of the policies of states," Harwood said. "Quote, ‘Consistent with what the president said when he was campaigning, our focus will be on people and organizations that are growing and cultivating substantial amounts of marijuana, and doing so in a away that's inconsistent with federal law and state law.'"
According Harwood, the marijuana debate isn't going away anytime soon and, "Don't be surprised if the marijuana issue surfaces as the 2010 elections get closer," he said.
A Darker Black Market, Unrecognized Social Costs
Societal costs are often disregarded when the issued is raised - the health tolls, addiction and treatment costs and the risky behavior the drug encourages. They are often not included in the cost-benefit analysis when the legalization debate is raise.
On the New York Times Freakonomics blog on Oct. 30, 2007, Dr. Robert L. DuPont, president of the Institute for Behavior and Health and former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, likened legalizing marijuana to legalizing speeding. . According to DuPont, you can't ignore the costs of having the drug readily available to consumers:
Legalization of marijuana would solve the marijuana problem the way legalizing speeding would solve the speeding problem: it would remove the legal inhibition of a dangerous behavior, and thereby encourage the behavior.
Criticism of current marijuana policy typically starts by limiting the calculation of marijuana's societal costs to the costs of arresting and imprisoning marijuana users. This way of calculating the costs minimizes those produced by use of the drug itself (i.e., the costs of treatment, drugged driving crashes, and lost productivity). When the costs related to the use of marijuana are minimized, the legalization of marijuana gives the appearance of reducing marijuana-related social costs in the same way that counting only the costs of enforcing the speeding laws and ignoring the high social costs of speeding would make legalizing speeding look like a smart idea.
Asa Hutchinson, a former director of the DEA and an outspoken critic of legalization, explained there would be unintended consequences if the marijuana were legal. In an April 16 CNN debate with Neil Franklin, a former member of the Baltimore Police Department and now a spokesman for the group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), Hutchinson explained the criminal element would focus on more dangerous drugs to sustain the black market.
"But if you legalize marijuana, as previously Mr. [Bob] Stutman [former DEA agent] pointed out, the cartels are going to engage in cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine. There's a whole host of illegal drugs and I don't know very many people, if any, want to legalize all of those very, very harmful drugs."
And as former Oklahoma Republican Congressman Ernest Istook, a Fellow at The Heritage Foundation explained on the April 19 "Geraldo at Large," the "social costs" are rarely accounted for when reporting on the issue. Instead - the focus is emphasized on what it could do for government.
"You've always had people who've said, ‘Oh legalize and tax marijuana,'" Istook said. "They have all these wonderful promises of the finances. It's the same thing we see with lotteries. It's the same thing we've seen with legalizing other things. And they don't count the social costs. They say, ‘Well, government can make money.' How about the families that are damaged by legalizing another way for people to get high?"
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Where the heck is sarcasmo
April 22, 2009 - 19:13 ET by mandrakeWhere the heck is sarcasmo when you need him?? < joke for old timers only >
Someone check all the Hooters in Florida! You'll find him!
April 22, 2009 - 19:21 ET by MightyMouth"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
→ Hooters
April 22, 2009 - 19:27 ET by Cool ArrowI hear Barack Obama is moonlighting at t Hooters in DC.
Saw him on a magazine cover showing them off.
Obama - A whole new dementian
NB is the poorer
April 22, 2009 - 19:37 ET by BlondeFor having lost sarcasmo.
I still hear from him, and he is doing fine, thank you very much.
I hope he fails, too.
Blonde
April 22, 2009 - 19:40 ET by botgsay hi to the batman for me
"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend,------------inside a dog it's too dark to read" ---Groucho
→ Ditto Blonde
April 22, 2009 - 19:42 ET by Cool ArrowSarc has a way of making you think from another angle.
I'm hoping he'll get his thoughts back in here some day soon.
Obama - A whole new dementian
Whatever happened to him?
April 22, 2009 - 19:57 ET by Jeff PoorWhatever happened to him?
Sarc moved on to
April 22, 2009 - 20:28 ET by botglibertarianer pastures
"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend,------------inside a dog it's too dark to read" ---Groucho
Give me a break kids!
April 22, 2009 - 19:58 ET by MightyMouthSarc is an arrogant pr*ck. And he loves being called such!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Still miss him MM... I
April 22, 2009 - 20:24 ET by bigtimerStill miss him MM...
I tried my best to get him to stay the day he left here...he was here from the beginning with some of us...and I agreed with some of his thoughts...and of course said so when I did. ;-)
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
BT
April 22, 2009 - 20:31 ET by MightyMouthI have to admit Sarc made me think sometimes, BUT his arrogance and grammar nazi style was a turn off. IMHO he liked to "be right" more than he wanted to debate. Just my opinion...
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Mighty... Oh yes...the
April 22, 2009 - 20:38 ET by bigtimerMighty...
Oh yes...the memories...but you guys had more patience than I did, I just glazed over and moved on to other things...especially he and Shrubber...those could go on for days...hehehe...I really am laughing here thinking back...as I like all of you.
I miss RJ, Fast Ed, bassndude, JAB, KatherineIrish etc...you know...and we can't forget good old Tumbler.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
MM-
April 22, 2009 - 20:46 ET by misterbillGosh man--every time he posted an opinion he was assailed. And folks got all over his ass about Ron Paul. I do not know what your attitude about Ron Paul vs Obama is. Right now I wish more of us listened to Sarc. No one could suck as bad as Obama.
Geez--I didn't even post this yet and the FBI is at my door calling me a right wing extremist......LOL
mbill ...and he and I
April 22, 2009 - 20:51 ET by bigtimermbill
...and he and I were like the lone-strangers when we would post about McC and his ties in the past with links....don't think I don't remember.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
BT
April 22, 2009 - 21:00 ET by misterbillWell you know what a big McLame fan I was.
I was for Duncan Hunter, then Fred, then I cried but it didnt help and the others I would have voted for did not make the cut.
But WTH--I am an extremist.
Mr bill and BT
April 22, 2009 - 21:05 ET by MightyMouthI know Bill you have at least a decade on me (maybe two?) and BT you are way behind us both :-) but I must disagree that we should have listened to Sarc more. We don't need to do that, we are grown ups. Sarc was a Paulbot. Now, would Ron Paul be a better President than the one we have? Yes but... IT WASN"T GOING TO HAPPEN! So we got stuck with McCain(the broken). But the truth is Paul (and Sarc) also have the wrong path for this country. Paul would have hit the ground sleeping as President with the current state of affairs. Our best bet is to reset for 2012!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
MM... I was never for
April 22, 2009 - 21:16 ET by bigtimerMM...
I was never for Paul and sarc and everyone else here knew that too...because of his isolationism/defense the war etc...still didn't make me want sarc gone.
Btw...I think you and I are about the same age friend...darn it all anyway!
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
haha BT
April 22, 2009 - 21:19 ET by MightyMouthDid you watch StarTrek prime time IN COLOR!?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Mighty... I didn't like
April 22, 2009 - 21:36 ET by bigtimerMighty...
I didn't like Star Trek, but my brothers did, and btw, that was when we had television, electricity...anyway, when it first came on seems to me it was in B&W.
Did you like Gun Smoke, Have Gun Will Travel, I Love Lucy, Perry Mason, HoneyMooners, Andy Griffith, Leave it to Beaver before they came out in color?
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Sounds like an interesting
April 22, 2009 - 20:38 ET by Radical1979Sounds like an interesting guy. Get him to post!
J, please tell sarc hello for me, too.
April 23, 2009 - 21:07 ET by R D HelmThis site just hasn't been the same since he left.
LOL-He excelled at [stirrin' the puddin'] around here right often, which I always thought was a good thing.
I truly miss his perspective on things, as it was always intellectually interesting, and was often downright entertaining.
-Dave
This coup has gone on long enough. The time to put it down is NOW.
MM,
April 23, 2009 - 21:10 ET by R D HelmNice to see you back.
LOL-Its been a while.
-Dave
This coup has gone on long enough. The time to put it down is NOW.
ECONOMY-MORALS-VICTIM WORSHIP
April 22, 2009 - 20:42 ET by reelman46MORALS AND VICTIM WORSHIP
By Rebekah Kebede Apr 22.2009
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The pregnancy was unexpected, and for one
32-year-old single mother in Syracuse, New York, the ailing economy
became a factor in her decision to have an abortion.
“More so now that we are in a recession … I felt I had to go through
with the procedure because I cannot afford another child,” said the
woman, a registered nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity.
With a recession on, she was worried about job security.
CRAWFISH NOTE: Another child? Fornication babies are the problem here, not fornication…not being used without commitment.
The lib media frames this nurse (who must know a half dozen birth
control methods)…as somehow a VICTIM of the evil recession, a VICTIM of
an unexpected pregnancy (a nurse!)…not a victim of her own decisions,
her own weak morality…depressing and disgusting liberal “victim
worship” on display again. Stop an innocent heartbeat? No problem for
her. We know the real victim here.
This is one of many examples that secularism is winning.
http://conservablogs...
Doug Schexnayder, Ph.D. (theconservativecrawfish)
What I find interesting is
April 22, 2009 - 19:29 ET by StewMcKinWhat I find interesting is the hypocrisy, not about the law itself, but in the opposers of legalization. With alcohol and tobacco being perfectly legal and socially acceptable to be addicted to, it's those users who make the most noise against legalizing pot (and any other illegal drug for that matter). I'm not comparing the dangers of alcohol to the effects of marijuana, just the social acceptance of some drugs over others.
Social Acceptance
April 22, 2009 - 19:38 ET by allanfSo legalize pot, ban cigarettes?
Marijuana's sole use is as an intoxicant.
As for alchohol, we tried banning it. The ban was a miserable failure.
How many times...
April 22, 2009 - 19:40 ET by MightyMouth...have the headlines read: "Family of Four killed by pot smoking driver". I'm just saying, there is a double standard here.
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Are you Saying its Harder to Pick Up
April 23, 2009 - 11:29 ET by allanfPeople are arrested for driving under the influence of drugs every day all over the country. Do you contend a person intoxicated with marijauna has no driving impairment?
I'm not comparing the
April 22, 2009 - 20:21 ET by CT PatriotI'm not comparing the dangers of alcohol to the effects of marijuana, just the social acceptance of some drugs over others.
I've wondered that too. It is said that alcoholism is a disease. So it's a disease we promote through advertising- because we all know only hot chicks show up to your parties if you have beer- and give out as gifts to events such as birthday presents to anniversary presents to even house-warming presents. Not to mentio that when going to a party, normally you might ask the host, "Do you need me to pick up some beer before I get there?"
And how common is it to ask someone out to "meet over a drink" or something along those lines? Peculiar, isn't it? Socially speaking, we hate alcoholism yet kinda have no problem with incorporating alcohol into our daily lives.
We have seen smoking cigarettes becoming less and less prevalent in advertising. Nothing against smokers, but it defies my survival instinct to purposely inhale smoke into my lungs. However, many magazines still promote smoking through taking the revenue dollars from tobacco companies. (And smokes near me are almost 10 bucks a pack. 10 bucks?! You gotta really be into smokes to fork over that kinda cash.)
Cigs and booze are socially okay in America, provided you follow the age restrictions of course. (I remember my dad sending me to the corner store to buy his smokes in the 70's. Nowadays you must be 18 to purchase, right?) Yet marijuana is illegal to own, and its indulgence is frowned upon by the norm of society. (Not without merit, though. Weed has tons more tar than tobacco, and it kills healthy sperm cells in men! Yeesh! What rational guy would want that? And then there is the stereotype for weed indulgers. Cheech and Chong, anyone? Or is that reference too old?)
I'm neither for nor against making marijuana legal. Since my only vice is Pepsi, my acumen regarding drugs and alcohol and tobacco is super limited! I can say honestly, however, that I have never met anyone who has improved their life by having a drink. But then again, the same could be said for Pepsi. (Except I can drink 12 Pepsis and drive home.)
I do find it assinine (sp?) to believe that legalizing a known drug -THC- simply for its profit capability is an actual conversation we are having in America.
Dead hippies are now rolling in their dead hippie graves.
Well, I have to say I agree
April 22, 2009 - 20:28 ET by StewMcKinWell, I have to say I agree with everything you said. Knowing marijuana to be one of the less harmful drugs, it's this is just one argument to add to the pro-legalization fight. However, how can you legalize one more drug without legalizing all of them (something I disagree with wholeheartedly)?
One thing is certain - the drug war is failing miserably. Only a non-partisan research study could truly tell us the pros and cons of legalization. Unfortunately that can never happen. Everyone's got an agenda.
Why add another
April 22, 2009 - 22:02 ET by robert108Why add another intoxicant? The ones we already have do plenty of damage. No hypocrisy at all. There's just no good reason to legalize another drug.
Also, the tax argument is bogus; do we really want to give the govt more money? Our present problem is that govt takes too much from the private sector, where all the economic growth comes from.
who says?
April 23, 2009 - 15:56 ET by UndercoverConservativewho says being addicted to alcohol is "socially acceptable"?
WWW.GS2AC.COM. 2nd Amendment Grass Roots Action in the Bay Area, CA. We're not all "Breakfast Cereal" folks here! :)
Economics Lesson
April 22, 2009 - 19:34 ET by allanfSo all these billions spent on illegal drugs actually leaves the US economy? If you are talking just economic impact, (not social) the positive economic effects are nebulus.
One of few bright spots of the Obama administration
April 22, 2009 - 19:51 ET by shawn228....is the relaxed attitude towards marijuana. His attorney general has said the raids will stop from a federal level.
Make marijuana legal and tax the hell out of it. The penaltys for driving under the influence should be the same for alcholol.
Not to mention that hemp can be used to make clothing and be used for fuel and can grown much easier than corn.
He had my vote
Uh sorry to impose but...
April 22, 2009 - 20:05 ET by MightyMouth..any links to this "stuff"?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Hi MM
April 22, 2009 - 20:11 ET by shawn228Here is one for Hemp as biofuel and one for Eric Holder stopping the raids
Pretty soon this thread will be swamped by the same links from Pop Tech, so its nice to have this discussion before this thread is hijacked.:-)
He had my vote
I get it Shawn
April 22, 2009 - 20:21 ET by MightyMouthhemp is a weed, and btw crap is a biofuel. The point is the more mind altering that goes on the more problems we have. Right now we have booze and the MSM. If you are going to regulate one you should regulate the other!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
"If you are going to
April 22, 2009 - 20:26 ET by shawn228"If you are going to regulate one you should regulate the other!"
Agreed, and if legalize one you should legalize the other ;-)
He had my vote
LOL
April 22, 2009 - 20:35 ET by MightyMouthwould be nice if that choice was on the ballot! It never seems to come up though (at least in Texas).
BTW I would vote NO for either if it did (for the record).
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
It's actually been on the
April 22, 2009 - 20:39 ET by StewMcKinIt's actually been on the ballot is several cities, but I don't think any states have passed it yet. San Francisco (of course), Portland, Denver, and several incorporated areas of LA county all have passed [sort of] legalization laws. In other words, they make it the police departments lowest priority to make marijuana related arrests.
I guess people love the ganja.
Most of this has been medical right?
April 22, 2009 - 20:44 ET by MightyMouthI don't think there has been anything close to recreational like booze. It's coming though... the spending the gooberment is doing is going to require taxes on "legal" use of ganga and whatever, you watch!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
In LA the city has already
April 23, 2009 - 11:15 ET by StewMcKinIn LA the city has already implemented sales tax on the marijuana dispensaries. People don't understand why they have to pay sales tax on an illegal product that they're obtaining legally through "pot doctors."
Well gee I'm sure that's
April 22, 2009 - 20:12 ET by Radical1979Well gee I'm sure that's the first thing the pro marijuana advocates are going to do, start making clothing and using it for fuel.
In the real world, it will be more accessible to teens since it's legal. Teens whose brains are not fully developed and are at a critical time in terms of making decisions for their future, i.e. college, trade school, etc.
"In the real world, it
April 22, 2009 - 20:19 ET by shawn228"In the real world, it will be more accessible to teens since it's
legal. Teens whose brains are not fully developed and are at a
critical time in terms of making decisions for their future, i.e.
college, trade school, etc."
What you say might be true, but like I said it should be treated the same as alcohol.
He had my vote
In Kansas there are many
April 22, 2009 - 20:28 ET by CT PatriotIn Kansas there are many acres of domestic marijuana growing wild. I have some old Kodak photos of me standing in the midst of 7 foot tall marijuana plants.
No one that lives near it actually smokes it-they say it tastes like "skunk weed"- but I wonder if it might be used as a fuel source?
Does it have to be a certian type of marijuana, or are they all kinda the same thing? Yes, my naivete is showing.
Teens can get it now. They
April 22, 2009 - 20:19 ET by balboaTeens can get it now. They can get alcohol now, too. And drugs.
Yeah Amigo...
April 22, 2009 - 20:25 ET by MightyMouth...but just imagine if they couldn't get any of it, how much better would the future be?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
And when is that going to
April 22, 2009 - 20:29 ET by balboaAnd when is that going to happen? Never, as far as I can tell.
Yeah Muchacho
April 22, 2009 - 20:30 ET by shawn228I would love to hear how many people would agree with you that it would be so much better if guys could not drink beer during fooball games.
That would sure go over well.
He had my vote
Well duh guys!
April 22, 2009 - 20:39 ET by MightyMouthI guess we will have to rely on personal responsability on this one!
(expect collateral damage then)
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Same as abstinence. :-)
April 22, 2009 - 21:11 ET by balboaSame as abstinence. :-)
Then
April 22, 2009 - 22:07 ET by Lajawthey will just huff on spray paint and what-not...............
Just to break your heart,
April 23, 2009 - 03:55 ET by FranksamJust to break your heart, pot could not be more available to teens than it is now.
Tax marijuana and fix
April 22, 2009 - 20:08 ET by MidAmericaTax marijuana and fix the economy!? Wow! What have they been smoking? Anyone can grow their own marijuana. Ditch weed grows wild around here and if the farmers didn't get rid of it it would be a rampant grower. So just imagine what will happen when the high powered stuff is let go and nobody cares anymore. There won't be any tax money collected and the economy will still suck but we really won't care anymore. I'm going to buy shares in the snack food industries.
Mid America
April 22, 2009 - 20:14 ET by shawn228People that can grow their own tomatos and make their own wine, but I do not feel it affects the produce sales very much.
Besides a dudes gotta get his weed, when he is waiting for the next crop to grow :-)
He had my vote
That's fine but growing
April 22, 2009 - 20:26 ET by MidAmericaThat's fine but growing marijuana is easier than growing tomatoes. In fact nature will just do it for you. All you have to do is go cut it, dry it and whip up some brownie mix and your good to go. There will be too many black market entrepreneurs not paying taxes to the government to get any revenue. But if the government decides to go after untaxed marijuana, well then, the government is right back where they were before they made it legal, still having a war on marijuana posession.
Same-
April 22, 2009 - 20:39 ET by misterbillsame for white lightnin'--there will always be folks who do not believe that some things should not be taxed. White lightning has not put Seagram's or Uncle Sam out of business yet.
If anything, it has created more Revenue Agent positions.
misterb... It doesn't put
April 22, 2009 - 20:42 ET by bigtimermisterb...
It doesn't put the other brands or the govt. out of business, but it sure can the person that drinks it.
Now if we could just get 3/4 of congress to drink that Kool-Aid...what a wonderful world this would be! ;-)
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
BT--
April 22, 2009 - 20:49 ET by misterbillI wouldn't know it's potency, (hic), 'cause I am law abiding (hic) and would never try it. (hic) wow, I see two screens now!!!
misterb... ...White
April 22, 2009 - 21:02 ET by bigtimermisterb...
...White Lightning
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
If you are stoned
April 22, 2009 - 20:17 ET by 10ksnookerWho cares if you have a job.
It
April 22, 2009 - 20:28 ET by WesenThis only makes sense. After all, Borak was a pot smoking cocaine head with homosexual experiences, by Larry's account.
The argument is bad
April 22, 2009 - 20:33 ET by joesrantThis should not be an argument on the effects of drugs or the economic impact but whether or not we truly want limited government and freedom. In this case freedom to do something stupid but freedom nonetheless.
Sarc--
April 22, 2009 - 20:35 ET by misterbillif you are out there-- You know from our private messages that yours was the voice that had me do all my research on the War On Drugs. Buckley, (God rest him), had an old column that was a study by a group of respectable minds that pointed out the costs and damages of the WOD. It is as winnable as Prohibition. Yes, indeed. The streets are flowing with cash for criminals because of the WOD. Thousands of young people are in jail for marijuana violations. How much better off we would be if we regulated weed and focused on the hard rugs that are ruining the lives of our youth.
I was the most adamant opponent of legalizing weed until you got me to do all my readings.
Now, if they do that and then do away with the Fed Reserve, will you come back???
Wow! I think that this is a
April 22, 2009 - 21:26 ET by jdhawkWow! I think that this is a really cool idea, man! Like why don't conservatives come up with these new and innovative ideas to help our government out during these hard times?
And, just think how easy it will be for the pushers to introduce to our youth meth, crack, and snow since they will undoubtable have found and been using mom and dad's stash throughout their teenage years.
Boy, I just didn't really realize what HOPE and CHANGE really means to America. Groovy man . . .
SAVE OUR GOVERNMENT!!!
It doesnt change my life if
April 22, 2009 - 21:51 ET by RomneySupporter12It doesnt change my life if someone lights up, as a libertarian it doesn't bother me.
So make it weed and suddenly smoking is OK again?
April 22, 2009 - 22:54 ET by SlyrrThe Nazi Leftists and all who follow in their blind and rabid wake are a Frankenstein's monster cobbled together from some of the most ugly and baffling self-contradictions you could possibly imagine.
Here's one to think about: The Nazi Leftist, Socialist Liberals HATE 'big tobacco'. In their minds, cigarettes are evil. Tobacco is wrong - smoking is wrong! Smoking must be banned everywhere, and every pack of ciggies must be taxed for four times it's actual market value because smoking is just so, sooooooo evil!
Yes, they run ads, movies, articles, tv shows and whatnot, showing to the world how wrong smoking is, and how they - and THEY alone are the enlightened ones who will bring peace, unity and love to the entire world by banning tobacco and murdering everyone who smokes so they won't kill anyone else with their 'second hand smoke'. (Can you say - 'Smoking Man is the one who caaaaaaaan - T'?)
But hark at them now - screeching at the top of their sanctimonious lungs that 'marijuana should be legal because it doesn't harm anyone'. 'It's just a recreational drug'. 'There's no harm in it'. 'So many sick and ailing people NEED it for medicinal reasons'. 'Only a foolish religious nut job would want to forbid humans from the joys of smoking pot'.
Well what is it about SMOKING pot that makes it healthy vs. the dreaded tobacco boogey-man? Lung cancer is lung cancer, you looney lefties! It doesn't matter if you get lung cancer from dope, or tobacco - it's still lung cancer! Why are you perfectly fine with 'second hand smoke' and 'second hand cancer' as long as it's caused by marijuana?
Next time one of the Nazi Liberal Leftists tries pimping dope while you're in the room, try lighting up a stogie or a menthol, then blow the smoke right in their faces and ask them how healthy THAT is.
PS - I don't smoke and don't recommend anyone else smoke either. I'm just outraged by the hypocrisy that Leftists think cigarettes made with POT are some magic wonder cure-all, while cigarettes made with tobacco are 'death sticks'.....
I see your point
April 22, 2009 - 22:59 ET by shawn228The thing is, the people that want weed legalized are not all libs. Some are conservative, some are liberatarian and some are tobacco smokers.
He had my vote
Granted - but it seems like
April 22, 2009 - 23:08 ET by SlyrrGranted - but it seems like only the liberal news machines are pimping it - giving a firm impression that the leftists are the majority force pushing for legal pot vs. illegal tobacco.
**shawn228
April 22, 2009 - 23:39 ET by pelicanmarsh...edit...
"Tell your liberal mom that I told her it was over between us, and to stop sending me money and nude photos."
Actually pelicanmarsh
April 22, 2009 - 23:43 ET by shawn228I have seen quite a few conservatives on this site advocate legalizing it, because making it illegal goes against core conservative principles.
Self responsibility is exactly that, no one should tell you what you can put in your own body as long it does harm anyone else.
He had my vote
~When people become addicted to drugs
April 23, 2009 - 07:56 ET by choselife3xIt harms them, and it harms their families. How many cocaine/heroine/meth addicts are productive members of society with happy, well-adjusted children?
I know, you're talking about pot. And some people can smoke pot occasionally and still keep their lives together just fine. (Just not anyone I know personally.) But if you legalize pot under the premise of "It's my body and I can do what I want with it" then there is no reason to keep hardcore drugs illegal.
And on another note, that same "my body" premise is currently responsible for the murder of 50 MILLION children. When we choose to inflict harm upon ourselves we also harm our families, and by extension, society.
That high-pitched scream you hear is the troll under my heel.
Good point Chose
April 23, 2009 - 08:19 ET by general companyBut if you legalize pot under the premise of "It's my body and I can do
what I want with it" then there is no reason to keep hardcore drugs
illegal.
I believe this as well, even as I believe that legalizing it would probably reduce the use of harder drugs. This is distraction though, the Obama admin is throwing this around so they can pass the cap&trade and other damaging crap. They are making a smoke screen that they think will go over in a positive light? Witch is probably also wrong, they are distracting.
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
~"This is distraction though"
April 23, 2009 - 08:25 ET by choselife3xTotally. Pay no attention to the man behind the smoke haze.......
That high-pitched scream you hear is the troll under my heel.
Good Point, and Not So Good Point
April 23, 2009 - 09:25 ET by JustAlChose has a strong opinion about abortion which is fine. But in the very next sentence his/her point turns to societies greater good.
I'm sorry, but I can not see how bringing 50MM unwanted children and their offspring, predominately from the lower socio-economic class helps society. Look up what crime rates did starting about 16 years after Roe V Wade.
The other argument about drugs harming families, poorly adjusted children etc. and by extention society can easily be broadened to include alcohol, tobacco, and obiseity. Surely the poster does not think that a criminal record makes a parent a better parent? Further I will point out there are people with equally strongly held beliefs who would include red meat, non-recycling, gun owners who believe in state's rights, as parents who raise "poorly adjusted," children.
My point is that when you allow government to interfere with the life of the citizen,"for the greater good," you also invite government to go well above and beyond what you had in mind. Consider the latest DHS report and think about a world in which the government can exercise "eminent domain" on our children.
All men are created equal is a lovely sentiment that does not stand up to critical scrutiny, yes some children fail because of their parents, but this is the way nature intends it, the odds are much worse if the nanny state is given more power.
Chose
April 23, 2009 - 20:49 ET by shawn228There are many documented cases of death by overdose of crack cocaine, heroine or meth and even alcohol poisoning.
I do not know of many documented deaths by pot. I if you smoke or eat too much of it, you might get a really bad trip, but not death.
That is why I am comparing pot to alcohol, I do not find one worse than the other and both have little chance of death. If someone decides to drink and beat up his wife and kids, that is scumbag boyfriend/husband doing it, not the beer.
Pot should be legal, because people rarely are violent when they do it and the most damage when they smoke it at home is a mess of pot an pans from making all that Mac & Cheese
He had my vote
Why are you so obsessed with Pot?
April 23, 2009 - 21:01 ET by PopularTechThe real question is why you have this obsession? Is life to hard for you that you have to do drugs? Sorry but that is pathetic.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Did I miss
April 23, 2009 - 21:02 ET by Free StinkerDid I miss something?
Where did Shawn say he used Pot ?
The King Advocate of Pot doesn't use it?
April 23, 2009 - 21:06 ET by PopularTechROFLMAO!!!!!
EVERY advocate of Pot is or has used it.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Where did he say that he did
April 23, 2009 - 21:08 ET by Free StinkerWhere did he say that he did ?
He has before
April 23, 2009 - 21:14 ET by PopularTechObama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Then please link to it,
April 23, 2009 - 21:15 ET by Free StinkerThen please link to it, because otherwise it looks like you're slandering him.
Shawn is a Pot Head Drug User (former or present)
April 23, 2009 - 21:19 ET by PopularTechHe can defend himself but we already went over this and he admitted it. You don't obsessively advocate for pot, talk about side affects that only Pot users have experience with and go on and on about useless propaganda like hemp for rope and biofuel.
Try sticking to conversations you know something about, wait that would be nothing.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Link or slink.
April 23, 2009 - 21:22 ET by Free StinkerLink or slink.
If you're going to accuse him of something, back it up.
LOL - I'm asking *you* to back up one of your accusations. Waste of my time. Nvere mind. Have fun storming the castle !
PT cant find a link?
April 23, 2009 - 21:26 ET by general companyNo way?
My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
I am Crying Now
April 23, 2009 - 21:31 ET by PopularTechNotice the pot head does not defend his habit because he knows I am right.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Pop Tech
April 23, 2009 - 21:37 ET by shawn228Yes I smoked it, when I was in my early twenties. My drug of preference right now is back pills because I have chronic back pain.
My biggest voting issue is personal freedoms, that means free speech and it also means doing what you want to your own body if it does harm anyone else.
He had my vote
Like I said
April 23, 2009 - 21:40 ET by PopularTechObama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Nice try, but your question
April 23, 2009 - 21:48 ET by Free StinkerNice try, but your question "Is life to hard for you that you have to do drugs?" is referring to current use. He doesn't currently use it, so it would seem you are wrong. Again.
Now, go spend the next 5 hours trying to equate past drug use with current drug use.
He only admitted to past use
April 23, 2009 - 21:55 ET by PopularTechYet advocates like crazy for current use. Sorry if I don't believe him that he has not used it recently. I've been around too many drug users in my life, they are all in denial and lie.
You have made a career out of being wrong why stop now?
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Sorry if I don't believe
April 23, 2009 - 22:00 ET by Free StinkerSorry if I don't believe him that he has not used it recently.
Don't be sorry. Your disbelief only reflects on you, not Shawn or anyone else.
Oh it reflects on Shawn
April 23, 2009 - 22:06 ET by PopularTechBrain damage is for life.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
funny poppie
April 23, 2009 - 22:14 ET by botgand you're superior because you were born with your neurological disorder?
"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend,------------inside a dog it's too dark to read" ---Groucho
PT, you are an a$$hole of the first order.
April 23, 2009 - 21:41 ET by R D HelmShawn is one of my best friends here at NB. We don't always agree on things, but at least he posts his opinions honestly, and, unlike you, he is consistent.
I respect consistency.
As such, I have no use for those who twist themselves into pretzels in order to fit the "mold of the moment," which is and has been you since you first landed here.
As far as I am concerned. shawn has contributed a thousand times more to NB than a busload of your ilk ever will.
-Dave
This coup has gone on long enough. The time to put it down is NOW.
ROFLMAO!
April 23, 2009 - 21:43 ET by PopularTechI am not consistent? ROFLMAO!!!
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
No, you aren't.
April 23, 2009 - 21:52 ET by R D HelmYou post 500 links telling us that pot is bad, but then post, on the same thread, 500 links that alcohol has benefits.
I have lost far more family and friends to alcohol than I have to pot.
-Dave
This coup has gone on long enough. The time to put it down is NOW.
Alcohol in moderation does have health benefits
April 23, 2009 - 21:58 ET by PopularTechThis has nothing to do with alcohol abuse or drunk driving. Pot in moderation still causes brain damage.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
"EVERY advocate of Pot is
April 23, 2009 - 21:12 ET by QueenMum"EVERY advocate of Pot is or has used it."
I haven't.
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of the tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand
So you want people to smoke Pot?
April 23, 2009 - 21:19 ET by PopularTechObama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
PopTech: I have neither the
April 23, 2009 - 21:10 ET by QueenMumPopTech: I have neither the time nor the patience to research shawn's history on this site as regards drug use. But I like to have a nice glass of wine when I'm feeling anxious, tense, or stressed. And I often share with my friends which wines I particularly enjoy. I also like a nice cold beer with my pizza or ribs. Is that also pathetic?
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of the tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand
Wine has health Benefits
April 23, 2009 - 21:16 ET by PopularTechWine has health Benefits
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Wine has health benefits,
April 23, 2009 - 22:18 ET by QueenMumWine has health benefits, but can also make you drunk. Not to mention that because it's available in very inexpensive varieties, it's a drink of choice for many alcoholics. Once one drinks to excess, the negative health consequences of alcoholism cancel out any health benefits.
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of the tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand
Many drugs and foods have negative health affects
April 24, 2009 - 02:31 ET by PopularTechIf consumer improperly. Pot even among short term users causes brain damage contrary to the propaganda pushed by it's brain damaged users.
Memory, speed of thinking get worse over time with marijuana use (American Academy of Neurology)
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
According to what I've
April 24, 2009 - 10:38 ET by QueenMumAccording to what I've read, pot does cause brain damage. But it has not been proven that the damage is permanent. It may be reversible, just as is the case with alcohol. Alcohol also causes brain damage. This damage is reversible once a person quits drinking.
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of the tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand
shawn228: What are the
April 23, 2009 - 21:02 ET by QueenMumshawn228: What are the facts concerning marijuana use and driving? I'm aware that if someone is found to have been smoking weed, they can be charged with DUI. What is the determining factor? Is there a certain level like there is with alcohol? I would think that someone under the influence of weed would be impaired in their ability to drive - particularly as regards reflexes. Please provide documentation if possible. If not, I'll try to look it up tomorrow. It's getting late here and time for me to wrap it up for tonight. Thanks. - Q.M.
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of the tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand
No sure about the rest of the USA
April 23, 2009 - 21:42 ET by shawn228but here in Cali, if they suspect you are impaired, they can give you a blood test, does not matter if it is coke, or Nyquil, you will get a DUI
He had my vote
Thanks, shawn. I'm waiting
April 23, 2009 - 22:05 ET by QueenMumThanks, shawn. I'm waiting for my daughter to get in from Chicago, so I have a bit more time. I found this study interesting. Since it comes from Australia and an unbiased source, I deem it credible. The page I linked is just the summary. The full report is pretty lengthy.
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of the tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand
I support it because people
April 22, 2009 - 23:03 ET by RR GOPI support it because people are smoking it anyway, are getting police records just for having even a small amount, and it's clogging up our legal system that should be able to expedite the executions of murderers down to, say, under 15 years and to try and either clear or convict the major criminals in a speedy fashion.
I also support legalizing hard drugs...for the same reasons.
As far as the pot thing goes, notice how they immediately talk about government regulation and taxation. That signals to me that people will probably take it back underground (still waiting for a black market connection on cigarettes myself). If it were to be truly legalized then people should be allowed to grow their own.
Personally, I would be happy if none of these drugs existed, but they do, and adults have the right to make those decisions just like with alcohol and cigarettes.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).
the slippery slope proven...
April 23, 2009 - 16:21 ET by UndercoverConservativethere were concerns with the repeal of the prohibition about the "slippery slope" of opium and marijuana smoking after alcohol was re-allowed. Now it's stepping up a notch, as the illegal activity has grown, the growth is used as a justification (there's too many people doing it/getting arrested/in courts). The same arguments used against alcohol. Can the opium smokers be far behind? what about all the meth users? we "can't stop them all", so let's allow that too. Crack? All those dangers caused by making it illegal, we "could stop crime" by making crack legal. And make mad moneyz offa legalizing it all, yo!
Proof that pot is dangerous is available to anyone who opens their eyes: look to Washington, DC. See many of the same groups that want to legalize drugs are the same that supported the election of the current regime. :P
just like we don't "legalize" sawed off shotguns, belt fed machine guns, grenade launchers and SAMs for civilians, while allowing small arms to support the 2nd Amendment, we can have common sense and restrict the more dangerous substances too.
Or, you revamp the legal system, and ANY crime or accident that occurs under the influence, commands much harsher penalties. Rob a store while high, pulled over DUI, three strikes federal felony time. In an "accident" or commit assault/murder/rape while chemically unbalanced, death penalty. Just like we could repeal the Gun Control Acts of 34 and 68, with the automatic death penalty for any gun related murder/attempted murder/assault.
WWW.GS2AC.COM. 2nd Amendment Grass Roots Action in the Bay Area, CA. We're not all "Breakfast Cereal" folks here! :)
No, I get what you're
April 23, 2009 - 23:42 ET by RR GOPNo, I get what you're saying, UC...but I still maintain that it's a right for people to poison themselves if they choose to do so. Also, I'm tired of being a potential victim because some asshole has to steal and hold up people in order to get their drug money.
You know there's sympathy galore for these idiots when they get caught especially if they happen to be a minority, from a 'broken home', etc.
Just give them the stuff. If it weren't for the prohibition on drugs it'd be dirt cheap, they'd stay at home and one day their neighbors would notice a bad smell...allow natural selection to happen.
Just like with alcohol. Thousands drink themselves to death every year. Sad. Tragic. Wish they would've had wised up while they had the chance, but, there it is.
Legislated morality is just as bad in my view as Liberal Fascism and Sharia Law. It doesn't work. And, if our society is so broken that drugs are glorified to the extent that the masses crave their daily doses of Soma, then I think we're fighting a losing war and, in a strange way, does nothing but end being a major pain in the ass for the rest of us.
Sometimes, it's just better to give in and let people destroy themselves before they take even more (other than their family and friends) down with them.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).
The Dangers of Smoking Marijuana
April 23, 2009 - 01:19 ET by PopularTechBrain dead Pot users try to lie about Marijuana being harmless but science says otherwise...
Addiction:
Animals Exposed To Marijuana's Active Component Will Self-Administer The Drug (NIH-National Institute On Drug Abuse)
Marijuana Withdrawal As Bad As Withdrawal From Cigarettes (Drug and Alcohol Dependence Journal)
Marijuana Withdrawal Reported By Teens Seeking Treatment (Drug and Alcohol Dependence Journal)
Smoking, Drinking, Drugs: The Younger They Start, The Harder It Is To Quit (Health Education & Behavior Journal)
Gateway Drug:
Cannabis linked to use of amphetamines (Addiction Journal)
Brain Studies Tie Marijuana to Other Drugs (Science/AAAS)
Early cannabis abuse 'leads to heroin addiction' (Mount Sinai School of Medicine)
Early marijuana use increases risk of drug and alcohol problems later in life (Washington University School of Medicine)
Illicit Drug Use Starts With Cannabis (University of Otago, New Zealand)
Marijuana use linked to hallucinogen use (Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health)
National Study Shows "Gateway" Drugs Lead to Cocaine Use (Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse)
Brain Damage:
Cannabis Could Increase Risks Of Psychotic Illness By 40 Percent (The Lancet Medical Journal)
Cannabis Increases Risk Of Psychosis (British Medical Journal)
Cannabis increases risk of depression and schizophrenia (British Medical Journal)
Cannabis Triggers Transient Schizophrenia-like Symptoms (Neuropsychopharmacology Journal)
Cannabis use 'dulls the brain' (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Concerns over mental health risk of smoking cannabis (British Journal of Psychiatry)
Daily Consumption Of Cannabis Predisposes To Appearance Of Psychosis And Schizophrenia (University of Granada)
Early Cannabis Use Increases Risk of Schizophrenia (University of Otago, New Zealand)
Frequent Marijuana Use May Affect Brain Function (NeuroReport Journal)
Heavy Cannabis Use May Lead to Psychotic Symptoms (University of Otago, New Zealand)
Heavy Marijuana use has a detrimental impact on intelligence (Canadian Medical Association Journal)
Heavy Marijuana Use May Damage Developing Brain In Teens, Young Adults (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)
How Smoking Marijuana Damages The Fetal Brain (Science Journal)
Lab study shows THC exposure as adolescents linked to negative effects of THC as adults (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology)
Long-term Cannabis Users May Have Structural Brain Abnormalities (Archives of General Psychiatry Journal)
Marijuana And Alcohol Taken Together Induced Widespread Nerve Cell Death In Brains Of Young Rats (Annals of Neurology Journal)
Marijuana Damages Brain (King's College, UK)
Marijuana Is Linked to Brain Damage (The Lancet Medical Journal)
Marijuana Use Affects Blood Flow In Brain Even After Abstinence (Neurology Journal)
Marijuana use in pregnancy damages kids' learning (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Marijuana Use Takes Toll On Adolescent Brain Function (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Memory, speed of thinking get worse over time with marijuana use (American Academy of Neurology)
More Evidence Of Cannabis-induced Psychosis (BMC Psychiatry Journal)
Scans reveal brain damage from cannabis is like schizophrenia (Albert Einstein College of Medicine)
Schizophrenia Linked To Dysfunction In Molecular Brain Pathway Activated By Marijuana (Archives of General Psychiatry Journal)
Skunk smokers 18 times more likely to be psychotic (Royal College of Psychiatrists)
Smoking Marijuana Impairs Cognitive Function In MS Patients (Neurology Journal)
Starting marijuana use during teens may result in cognitive impairment later in life (NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Teen Drug Use Associated With Psychiatric Disorders Later In Life (NIH/National Institute On Drug Abuse)
Teen Marijuana Use Worsens Depression, Leads To More Serious Mental Illness (Office of National Drug Control Policy)
Cancer:
Marijuana ingredient promotes tumor growth, impairs anti-tumor defenses (NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse)
Marijuana Use Linked to Increased Risk of Testicular Cancer (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)
Marijuana Use Associated with HPV-Positive Head and Neck Cancer (Journal of the National Cancer Institute)
Smoking Marijuana May Increase Risk Of Head And Neck Cancers (Cancer Epidemiology Biomarker and Prevention Journal)
Gum Disease:
Heavy Marijuana Use Linked To Gum Disease (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Heart Disease:
Adolescent binging on marijuana linked to stroke (Saint Louis University)
Marijuana use can trigger heart attack (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center)
Marijuana Use May Pose Health Threat To Baby Boomers (American Heart Association Circulation Journal)
Possible Connection Between Marijuana Abuse And Stroke Or Heart Attacks (Molecular Psychiatry Journal)
Regular Cannabis May Increase Risk Of Stroke In Young Users (British Medical Journal)
Infertility:
Abusing Marijuana May Overload System, Inhibit Fertility (American Society for Cell Biology)
Marijuana-Like Compounds May Alter Human Fertility (American Society of Cell Biology)
Sperm From Marijuana Smokers Move Too Fast Too Early, Impairing Fertility (American Society of Reproductive Medicine)
Lung Disease:
Impact On Lungs Of One Cannabis Joint Equal To Up To Five Cigarettes (British Medical Journal)
Long-term Marijuana Smoking Leads To Respiratory Complaints (Archives of Internal Medicine Journal)
Marijuana associated with same respiratory symptoms as tobacco (Yale School of Medicine)
Marijuana Smoke Contains Higher Levels Of Certain Toxins Than Tobacco Smoke (ACS Chemical Research In Toxicology Journal)
Marijuana Smokers Face Rapid Lung Destruction -- As Much As 20 Years Ahead Of Tobacco Smokers (Respirology Journal)
Marijuana Worsens COPD Symptoms In Current Cigarette Smokers (American Thoracic Society)
Research Confirms Adverse Effects of Cannabis on Respiratory Health (University of Otago, New Zealand)
Obesity:
Machinery Of The 'Marijuana Munchies' (Neuron Journal)
Pregnancy Complication:
Marijuana Use Causes Early Pregnancy Failure (Journal of Clinical Investigation)
Marijuana use could cause tubal pregnancies (Vanderbilt University Medical Center)
Viral Infection:
Marijuana Component Opens The Door For Virus That Causes Kaposi's Sarcoma (Cancer Research Journal)
Regular Marijuana Use Increases Risk Of Hepatitis C-related Liver Damage (AGA Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Journal)
Vomiting:
Severe Vomiting Sickness With Chronic Cannabis Abuse (World Journal of Gastroenterology)
Myth - Pain Relief:
Oral Cannabis Ineffective In Treating Acute Pain (Journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists)
Sociological:
African-American Girls Who Use Marijuana Engage In Riskier Sex, Have Higher STD Rate (School of Public Health, Emory University)
Cannabis Almost Doubles Risk Of Fatal Crashes (British Medical Journal)
Children who smoke cannabis are twice as likely to offend (Queen's University Belfast)
Driving under influence of cannabis more common and riskier than drink driving (University of Otago, New Zealand)
Early Exposure To Drugs, Alcohol Creates Lifetime Of Health Risk (Psychological Science Journal)
Emotional Intelligence And The Use Of Tobacco And Cannabis (UAB Department of General, Development and Educational Psychology)
Frequent Family Meals Might Reduce Teen Substance Use (Journal of Adolescent Health)
Glamorization Of Drugs In Rap Music Jumped Dramatically Over 2 Decades (Addiction Research & Theory Journal)
Malt Liquor Linked To Marijuana Use Among Young Adults (Psychology of Addictive Behaviors Journal)
One Of Every Three Popular Songs Contains References To Substance Use (American Public Health Association)
Pop Stars More Than Twice As Likely To Die An Early Death (British Medical Journal)
References To Explicit Substance Use Common In Popular Music (Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine Journal)
Religiosity Curbs Teen Marijuana Use By Half (Journal of Drug Issues)
Researchers Find Factors That Encourage Cannabis Use Among University Students (Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research)
Rising Teen Marijuana Use Is Fueled By Change In Attitudes (American Journal of Public Health)
Teens who frequently go out with friends more likely to use marijuana (Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine)
United States Has Highest Level Of Illegal Cocaine And Cannabis Use (PLoS Medicine Journal)
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
yawn
April 23, 2009 - 01:37 ET by shawn228Pop Tech, I am not saying your wrong about the dangers of marijuana.
I have also asked you countless times, to please please please tell me in your own words, how making marijuana illegal is anyway libertarian?
Libertarians principles are for self responsibility and anything that does not affect anyone else should be legalized.
Please PT, I'm not flaming you and I am being reasonable. In your own words. Please explain to me so I can see the error of my ways.
He had my vote
Please explain to me why you use Pot
April 23, 2009 - 01:44 ET by PopularTechOther than you are weak minded.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
I never said I used pot did I?
April 23, 2009 - 09:04 ET by shawn228I am against telling other people they can't. PT your answering a question with a question. I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt and hoping you can think for yourself instead of just using your links.
He had my vote
shawn
April 23, 2009 - 09:30 ET by nofateThat's just PT being as reasonable as he knows how to be. If you disagree, you're unreasonable. It's simple.
"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
michaelyon-online.com
I am not arguing legalization
April 23, 2009 - 20:46 ET by PopularTechBut the propaganda that Pot is safe. This is more important.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
The thing is Pop Tech
April 23, 2009 - 20:57 ET by shawn228Whenever someone talks about smoking pot should be a personal freedom, you spam all the "pot is bad for you links"
Are you opposed to legalization? If so why? Because its bad for you?
He had my vote
I am opposed to Pot use and it's loser advocates
April 23, 2009 - 21:03 ET by PopularTechWhy are you so against people being informed of the negative health affects of your weak minded behavior? Don't be afraid the information is not going anywhere.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
again PT
April 23, 2009 - 21:19 ET by shawn228Your not answering any of my questions. I will try this again. Are you against legalization?
If so doesn't it contradict with libertarian principles?
Please do it in your own words or no spam
He had my vote
Pop is looking for a link to
April 23, 2009 - 21:22 ET by StewMcKinPop is looking for a link to answer your questions. That's how he rolls.
I could careless about legalization
April 23, 2009 - 21:23 ET by PopularTechIt is irrelevant to me, what is more important is weak minded people such as yourself spreading propaganda that influences impressionable youth to use brain damaging drugs. All so you can get high.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Pop Tech
April 23, 2009 - 21:33 ET by shawn228This is try number 3. Are you against legalization yes or no? And doesn't it conflict with libertarian principles.
Now I know you want to dance around words, so you can also answer yes or no to opposing legalization of pot.
I am trying to have a civilized conversation with you. Please answer my questions. thank you
He had my vote
I am neither
April 23, 2009 - 21:47 ET by PopularTechThere are many views inside libertarianism and I am a Conservative Libertarian. The drug views have been the most damaging to the Libertarian movement. I advocate personal freedom but refuse to get drawn into it on drug use so the users can twist it so they can get high.
You are not trying to have a civilized conversation you attempting to use anything you can to advocate for your drug use.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Well PT
April 23, 2009 - 22:07 ET by shawn228I guess I will give up. You still will not anwer my questions.
He had my vote
Are you weak minded for
April 23, 2009 - 14:59 ET by StewMcKinAre you weak minded for smoking cigarettes, drinking caffeine or alcohol? This list you've provided has so many holes in it you can't even print it out and use it to roll a joint.
Anyone who has smoked pot, regularly, sporadically, or just once can agree that most of these reports are bogus.
**StewMcKin
April 23, 2009 - 15:17 ET by pelicanmarsh"...most of these reports are bogus."
If most are bogus, but not all are bogus, that means the risk of damage to yourself from smoking weed is still there, right?
Why anyone would purposely inhale toxins into their lungs is beyond me. It seems like a kind of russian roulette with your health, and it defies the survival instinct we all possess. Please don't take that as I'm being condescending or making myself as some kind of health-Nazi. It's just my simple opinion.
Question: (and this isn't a loaded question. I am actually curious.)
To purposely smoke weed or cigarettes or whatever, does a person need to really be determined and focused on such self-destructive actions? Does it come easy, or does a person have to really work at it?
Thanks for reading.
Freedom of Speech is a privilege, not a protection.
Not a loaded question, but
April 23, 2009 - 15:34 ET by StewMcKinNot a loaded question, but certainly judgmental. Weed, cigarettes, alcohol, unhealthy food... What's the difference? People like doing things that aren't good for them. Do you get enough exercise? Do you take 100% care of yourself? This relates to my first post. Why are people so ready to condemn one drug over the other? Why do you just a pot user differently than an alcohol user? Ever wake up with a pot hangover? No one has. There's no such thing. Yes, smoking anything is bad for you. Are you aware you can ingest pot in other ways, such as baked goods?
How about the medical treatments of pot? If pot helps cancer patients get over their nausea and induces eating to keep their weight up, is that bad? How about HIV patients?
So yes, while smoking weed isn't good for you, it's not nearly as bad as other, more socially accepted drug use and addictions.
To answer your question, no. A person does not need to be determined to self destruct. It comes pretty easily. You take a hit (or a bite), and get high. If you don't like it, don't do it again. If you want more, do it.
If or when pot becomes legal, will you still judge users the same way you do now?
Alcohol has actual health Benefits
April 23, 2009 - 20:15 ET by PopularTechAlcohol:
A Drink To Healthy Aging (University of Newcastle, UK)
A Few Drinks A Day Do No Harm To The Alcoholic Heart (Jefferson Medical College)
After Dinner Drink Proves Beneficial To Postmenopausal Women (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism)
Alcohol Drinking Linked To Reduced Risk Of Renal Cell Cancer (Journal of the National Cancer Institute)
Alcohol Linked To Decreased Hypertension Risk In Young Women (Massachusetts General Hospital)
Drink A Day May Delay Dementia (American Academy of Neurology)
Drinking Alcohol Cuts Risk Of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis In Half (British Medical Journal)
Drinking Small Amounts Of Alcohol Regularly Reduces Risk Of Obesity (BioMed Central)
Frequency Of Light-to-moderate Drinking Reduces Heart Disease Risk In Men (National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholis)
Further Evidence That Alcohol, When Consumed In Moderation, Reduces Risk Of Death (Research Laboratories of the Catholic University of Campobasso)
Further Evidence That Moderate Drinking Reduces Men's Heart Attack Risk (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center)
Light Alcohol Use May Protect Against Sudden Cardiac Death (American Heart Association)
Light To Moderate Drinking Reduces Risk Of Cardiac Events, Death (Archives of Internal Medicine)
Little Evidence That Binge Drinking While Pregnant Seriously Harms Fetus, Review Of Research Suggests (British Medical Journal)
Men With Hypertension Who Drink Moderate Amounts Of Alcohol May Have A Lower Risk Of Heart Attack (Harvard School of Public Health)
Moderate Alcohol Consumption Can Act As A 'Blood Thinner' (Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research)
Moderate Alcohol Consumption Enhances The Formation Of New Nerve Cells (Karolinska Institutet)
Moderate Alcohol Consumption In Middle Age Can Lower Cardiac Risk (The American Journal of Medicine)
Moderate Alcohol Consumption Decreases Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease Death In Men (Brigham And Women's Hospital)
Moderate Alcohol Intake Associated With Better Mental Function In Older Women (Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center)
Moderate Alcohol Intake May Reduce Risk Of Dementia In Older Women (Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center)
Moderate Drinkers May Have Lower Risk Of Mortality After A Heart Attack (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center)
Moderate Drinking Associated With Better Cognition In Women (American Heart Association)
Moderate Drinking Lowers Women's Risk Of Heart Attack (University at Buffalo)
Moderate Drinking May Boost Memory (Ohio State University)
Moderate Drinking May Help Older Women Live Longer (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society)
Moderate Drinking May Protect Heart By Improving Insulin Resistance (University At Buffalo)
No Need For Reduced Alcohol Consumption In Later Life (Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry)
One Or Two Drinks A Day May Be Better For Women Than None (University Of Newcastle, UK)
Staying Active And Drinking Moderately Is The Key To A Long Life (European Heart Journal)
Beer:
Anti-cancer Compound In Beer Gaining Interest (Oregon State University)
Beer, In Moderation, Cuts Risk Of Cataracts And Heart Disease (American Chemical Society)
Beer Inhibits Action Of Carcinogenic Mutagens (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry)
New Study Ties Moderate Beer Drinking To Lower Heart Attack Risk (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry)
Spirits:
Health Benefits Of A Christmas Brandy (Monash University)
Strawberry Daiquiris: The Extra-healthy Cocktail? (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture)
Wine:
A Glass Of Red Wine A Day May Keep Prostate Cancer Away (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)
A Little Wine Boosts Omega-3 In The Body: Novel Mechanism For A Healthier Heart Found (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
Antioxidant Found In Many Foods And Red Wine Is Potent And Selective Killer Of Leukemia Cells (University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences)
Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine Reduces The Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease (Mount Sinai School of Medicine)
Chemical In Red Wine, Fruits And Vegetables Counters Unhealthy Effects Of High-fat Foods (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology)
Chemical In Red Wine, Fruits And Vegetables May Stop Cancer, Heart Disease (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology)
Compound In Wine Reduces Levels Of Alzheimer's Disease-causing Peptides (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
Daily Glass Of Wine Could Improve Liver Health (University of California, San Diego Health Sciences)
Drinking Wine May Lower Risk Of Dementia (American Academy Of Neurology)
Drinking Wine, Particularly White Wine, May Help Keep Lungs Healthy (UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences)
Grapes May Minimize Brain Damage In Stroke Victims (University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine)
Grapes Or Grain? Wine Drinking May Reduce Colon Cancer Risk; Beer, Hard Liquor Provide No Benefit (American College Of Gastroenterology)
Grape Skin Compound Fights The Complications Of Diabetes (The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry)
How Red Wine Compounds Fight Alzheimer's Disease (University of California - Los Angeles)
Light Wine Intake Is Associated With Longer Life Expectancy In Men (American Heart Association)
Mounting Evidence Shows Red Wine Antioxidant Kills Cancer (University of Rochester Medical Center)
New Cholesterol Fighter Found In Red Wine (American Chemical Society)
Red Wine And Grape Juice Help Defend Against Food-borne Diseases (University of Missouri-Columbia)
Red Wine And White Wine May Be Equally Good For The Heart (Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry)
Red Wine Can Help Maintain Immune System, UF Researcher Finds (Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, University Of Florida)
Red Wine Compound Shown To Prevent Prostate Cancer (Harvard Men's Health Watch)
Red Wine Ingredient -- Resveratrol -- Fights Diabetes In Mice (Cell Metabolism)
Red Wine Lovers, Take Heart: More Evidence Points To The Drink's Cardiac Health Benefits (Ohio State University)
Red Wine May Lower Lung Cancer Risk (American Association for Cancer Research)
Red Wine Molecule Extends Lifespan Of Fat Mice Lives By Reversing Obesity-Related Gene Pathways (Harvard Medical School)
Red Wine Protects The Heart (Yale School of Medicine)
Red Wine Protects The Prostate, Research Suggests (Harvard Men's Health Watch)
Red Wine's Resveratrol May Help Battle Obesity (The Endocrine Society)
Red Wine, Tea, May Help Regulate Blood Sugar In Type 2 Diabetics, Research Suggests (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
Researchers Develop White Wine With Cholesterol-Lowering Benefits, Discover Israeli Wines Healthier Than French Wines (Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry)
Researchers Develop White Wine With Health Benefits Similar To Red (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry)
Researchers Discover That A Protein In Grape Skins Can Kill Cancer Cells (University Of Virginia Health System)
Researchers Link Red Wine To "Good Cholesterol" (Center For The Advancement Of Health)
Resveratrol, Found In Red Wine, Wards Off Effects Of Age On Heart, Bones, Eyes And Muscle (National Institute on Aging)
Scientists Shed Light On Mechanism Behind Beneficial Effects Of Red Wine (National Science Foundation)
Study Identifies Genetics Of Fat Metabolism, Red Wine Link (Oregon State University)
Substance In Red Wine, Resveratrol, Found To Keep Hearts Young (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Tummy's Taste For Red Wine With Red Meat (American Chemical Society)
Wine Drinkers Have Healthier Lifestyles (American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition)
Wine Keeps Women's Hearts Beating Healthily (British Medical Journal)
Wine May Combat Tooth Decay And Upper Respiratory Tract Disease Bacteria (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry)
Wine May Protect Against Dementia (Swedish Research Council)
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Enough with these bloated
April 23, 2009 - 20:25 ET by StewMcKinEnough with these bloated responses of yours. I'm sure you worked really hard and spent a lot of time compiling these collections of information that pushes your agenda. I'll spare you with the 50 links that you won't read anyway. Instead I have one special one. Enjoy:
http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30#item1
→ Defending drunkenness
April 23, 2009 - 20:40 ET by Cool ArrowThat's sure a lot of rationalization just to promote one poison over another.
I'm not a fan of those who show a devotion to alcohol while condemning pot?
Both are wastes of time, though alcohol is many times more costly and deadly than pot.
I haven't lost any family members to pot. But almost every family has lost loved ones to alcohol.
Obama - A whole new dementian
Moderation Not Drunkenness
April 23, 2009 - 20:48 ET by PopularTechPot even in moderation causes brain damage. Alcohol in moderation has health benefits.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Yes of course enough with the facts and on to the propaganda
April 23, 2009 - 20:44 ET by PopularTechI love to compile facts especially for weak minded people such as yourself to read.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Oh, what's the matter Pop?
April 23, 2009 - 21:19 ET by StewMcKinOh, what's the matter Pop? You can call the facts I provided propaganda or anything else you'd like. It doesn't invalidate that the death by marijuana number still sits at zero.
Death would be better instead we get brain damage
April 23, 2009 - 21:25 ET by PopularTechHow do you think Obama got elected? Brain damaged pot users.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Hahahaha...Fine, I'll say it
April 23, 2009 - 21:34 ET by StewMcKinHahahaha...Fine, I'll say it since everyone else is thinking it here - you need to mellow out and get stoned.
Typical brain damaged response
April 23, 2009 - 21:49 ET by PopularTechOnly in a damaged brain does one think someone else needs to get stoned. Pathetic.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
**StewMcKin
April 23, 2009 - 20:35 ET by pelicanmarshWow!
I am amazed you read my post the way you did.
I shall remember this, and not make the mistake of addressing you again.
Freedom of Speech is a Constitutional privilege; it is not a license.
Did I miss something? You
April 23, 2009 - 20:41 ET by StewMcKinDid I miss something? You directly asked does a person need to really be determined and focused on such self-destructive actions? Does it come easy, or does a person have to really work at it?
Didn't I answer that? Drug use is not specifically self destructive. People use drugs and benefit from drugs for different reasons. I can't explain them all, I don't know them all. What I can say from my experience is after messing around with different drugs, pot is the least harmful while offering the best results. Unless you've tried it, you can't understand the benefits. Take art for example: certain drugs really do add to the creative. They open your mind, and make you think in different ways. Come on, everyone loves the Beatles! Or were you an Elvis fan?
Advice from the weak minded Drug Addict
April 23, 2009 - 20:50 ET by PopularTechI love your excuses, anything you can come up with for why you are pathetic and have a weak mind. It must suck to go through life being mentally inferior to the rest of us.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
You can call me anything
April 23, 2009 - 21:20 ET by StewMcKinYou can call me anything you'd like. Maybe you'll even convince yourself that you're right. I am pathetic and weak minded and mentally inferior. How does it feel to be an elitist?
You are mentally inferior
April 23, 2009 - 21:27 ET by PopularTechThat is why you used drugs and I never have. It sucks but what can I say.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
You're killing me Larry!
April 23, 2009 - 21:36 ET by StewMcKinYou're killing me Larry!
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
April 23, 2009 - 20:36 ET by QueenMumYou make some good points, Stew. I must admit that I'm inclined to stray from the conservative view when it comes to legalizing marijuana. I think that overall, legalization would solve more problems than it would cause. I do however find it puzzling that libs are so concerned about what people eat (food being a necessity of life); but are more likely to favor legalizing pot. If I had to make a choice I'd say, let me eat and drink what I want and you can legalize pot. But then what happens to all the laws and restrictions on the books regarding smoking?
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of the tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand
Yup, you're right about that
April 23, 2009 - 20:58 ET by StewMcKinYup, you're right about that (libs and fast food - I gave it up myself for health reasons). As far as smoking laws go IF it was legalized, I'd be in favor of the absolute strictest. Second hand cigarette smoke outdoors is stinky and annoying. Second hand smoke outdoors can get you high, and that's certainly not appropriate for the passerby, let alone children. I think smoking should be limited to smoking bars (non-alcoholic only) and home use.
Would you believe this: I don't necessarily think pot should be legalized. It'd be a hoot if it does, but I can't predict what will happen, considering the government involvement (the could tax similarly to tobacco) and the push to legalize more drugs.
QM, National Review, dedicated an entire issue to it..
April 23, 2009 - 21:18 ET by upcountrywaterThe War on Drugs is Lost..way back in the 90's
Last summer WFB was asked by the New York Bar Association to make a
statement to the panel of lawyers considering the drug question. He
made the following statement:
WE ARE speaking of a plague that consumes an
estimated $75 billion per year of public money, exacts an estimated $70
billion a year from consumers, is responsible for nearly 50 per cent of
the million Americans who are today in jail, occupies an estimated 50
per cent of the trial time of our judiciary, and takes the time of
400,000 policemen -- yet a plague for which no cure is at hand, nor in
prospect.....
Great articles a tons of material...
some more..
I have little to add to the catalogue of drug-war casualties in the
other essays assembled here. I do, however, see another angle of entry
for Mr. Buckley's efforts at ``quantification.'' I have argued
elsewhere that the drug war is responsible for at least half of our
serious crime. A panel of experts consulted by U.S. News & World Report
put the annual dollar cost of America's crime at $674 billion. Half of
that, $337 billion, was the total federal budget as recently as 1975.
The crime costs of drug prohibition alone may equal 150 per cent of the
entire federal welfare budget for 1995.
Reagan VS 0bama
Pot Head losers are ignorant of Science, I agree
April 23, 2009 - 20:12 ET by PopularTechThanks to their weak minds and genetic defects they cluelessly use a drug that causes brain damage.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
essentailly
April 23, 2009 - 16:23 ET by UndercoverConservativethe links show that pot use will not just affect you but will also cause damage to others, family, community and society. In that respect it is not "libertarian" to allow an individual free reign to harm others.
WWW.GS2AC.COM. 2nd Amendment Grass Roots Action in the Bay Area, CA. We're not all "Breakfast Cereal" folks here! :)
For as many articles that
April 23, 2009 - 16:40 ET by StewMcKinFor as many articles that make those arguments, there are just as many studies making the counter argument.
Does this mean that EVERYTHING that causes damage to others, family, community and society should be illegal?
http://news.cnet.com...
http://edition.cnn.c...
http://www.slais.ubc...
Kind of a silly list, don't you think?
Undercover: As the adult
April 23, 2009 - 20:52 ET by QueenMumUndercover: As the adult child of an alcoholic, I can confidently state that alcohol causes damage to others - family, community, and society. It's truly a miracle that my father never killed anyone while he drove drunk for so many years. I'm not opposed to drinking alcohol. But I'm very careful in my own consumption because of the history in my family. So, do we then also make alcohol illegal because it can be abused? If you say yes, at least you're being consistent. But remember that the last time we tried that, a whole new criminal enterprise was established. Not to mention the beginnings of NASCAR. ;)
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of the tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand
I think it's a little too
April 23, 2009 - 21:11 ET by StewMcKinI think it's a little too late to criminalize alcohol. It's a major US industry (beer, liquor, wine), and the recipes aren't much of a secret. Alcohol, like marijuana, is safe when used in moderation. No one drinks alcohol because of the flavor - people drink to get a buzz, relax, self medicate, or get totally messed up. Some people take it too far, as do some pot smokers. Most use it safely.
Stew: I think this portion
April 23, 2009 - 21:33 ET by QueenMumStew: I think this portion of your comment is inaccurate:
"No one drinks alcohol because of the flavor -"
For instance, I like a cold beer with my pizza or ribs because I find it tastes especially good with those foods. I also enjoy the taste of the sweeter red wines.
Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of the tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand
I'll give you some wiggle
April 23, 2009 - 21:38 ET by StewMcKinI'll give you some wiggle room there, but how about a nice, cold non-alcoholic beer? A glass of wine is nice as well.
Do you also realize that
April 23, 2009 - 15:50 ET by Another Dead KennedyDo you also realize that several of your sources also support the global warming theory? How can we trust any of these cites?
http://www.slu.edu/x...
http://www.sciencema...
Are you seriously this clueless?
April 23, 2009 - 20:25 ET by PopularTechThese journals also published papers showing the exact opposite...
Was the Medieval Warm Period Global?
(Science, Vol. 291. no. 5508, pp. 1497 - 1499, 23 February 2001)
- Wallace S. Broecker
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Deleted
April 23, 2009 - 20:33 ET by StewMcKinDeleted
Your Pot Use invalidates all logic
April 23, 2009 - 20:41 ET by PopularTechThere is nothing conflicting about Pot Use Causing Brain Damage, that is a scientific fact.
Of course I am right and if it takes 10,000 sources to prove my point I will do so.
I have more then proven my point with over 85 sources.
Weak minded people like yourself are dangerous to society because you spread propaganda to impressionable youth.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
If your own resources are
April 23, 2009 - 20:32 ET by StewMcKinIf your own resources are conflicting each other, how much faith can you have in them?
Nothing is in conflict except your pot use
April 23, 2009 - 20:53 ET by PopularTechDo you even understand what a scientific journals is for? The debate was that certain journals were biased to certain views on global warming and they are that has nothing to do with the actual science. Papers disputing this are still published. The reality is the actual scientific papers claiming man made CO2 is causing global warming are next to non-existent. None of this has anything to do with Pot.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Sure it does. It means
April 23, 2009 - 21:14 ET by StewMcKinSure it does. It means you're right about both, without the slightest consideration that you might be wrong.
I feel the opposite, unequivocally.
I am right because I do not have brain damage like you do
April 23, 2009 - 21:29 ET by PopularTechBecause my brain unlike yours has never been damaged by drugs. How can we be sure anything that comes out of your damaged brain is true, we never can and thus you are left in absolute ignorance of your reduced mental state.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
~
April 23, 2009 - 21:32 ET by Free Stinker~
i vote this as the post of the year
April 23, 2009 - 21:37 ET by botgfun stuff
"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend,------------inside a dog it's too dark to read" ---Groucho
Do you drink alcohol?
April 23, 2009 - 21:39 ET by StewMcKinDo you drink alcohol?
you know Pop
April 23, 2009 - 21:49 ET by candanceNot everyone who supports legal pot does so because they have brain damage. In fact, I remember when you PMed me to tell me that you personally don't mind the legalization of it. Act like a libertarian for two seconds or just admit you really aren't one.
Nazis
April 23, 2009 - 22:02 ET by PopularTechI am a Conservative Libertarian for a reason. I do not support illegal immigration or drug use. I have determined the more important issue is educating people on the dangers of marijuana.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
huh???
April 23, 2009 - 22:15 ET by candanceWhat do Nazis have to do with any of this?
You say you don't support drug use - no one here seriously advocates using drugs! To paraphrase Ann Coulter, no one is running around saying pot is great!!!
You just can't publicly admit what you told me in private. You can't say that you are in support of loosening drug restrictions. You don't want to admit that because it would - gasp - concede that people have free choice and don't need you preaching like some condescending liberal.
So buck up and clear the air, buddy. Are you a libertarian who wants to stop the war on drugs, or not?
Actually I am not in support of it
April 23, 2009 - 22:34 ET by PopularTechI really just don't care about it.
No I am not libertarian who wants to stop the war on drugs. I am a Conservative Libertatian who want to redirect the war to education which has been completely lacking.
Of course you have free choice to give yourself brain damage! No one is stopping you. I want to make it easier for drug users to give themselves brain damage quicker and more severe actually.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
right....
April 23, 2009 - 22:45 ET by candanceBecause what we really need is the goverment to do more "educating" of people. That's not a very libertarian view. At all. And wanting to push for government intervention, either war on drugs or anti-drug indoctrination, is not very conservative either.
So basically you are like Democrats in your desire for the government to babysit people, as long as they do it for socially conservative ideals.
This is better than watching cable.
Get ready for Pop to post
April 23, 2009 - 22:58 ET by StewMcKinGet ready for Pop to post another 100 links backing up his argument again.
Pop, please will you answer me? Do you drink alcohol?
oh I know Stew
April 23, 2009 - 23:02 ET by candanceYou weren't here six months ago for the Sarah Palin Wars. If you think pop sounds angry now, you have *no* idea...
And no pop, me bringing up her name was not an invitation for your copyrighted Sarah Palin resume.
oh noes Candance
April 23, 2009 - 23:09 ET by botgthat's like saying Wapner to Rainman
OMO i think poppie is rainman! don't mention K-mart.
"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend,------------inside a dog it's too dark to read" ---Groucho
Sarah Palin was a Pot User
April 24, 2009 - 02:34 ET by PopularTechShe Smoked Pot! (The Atlantic)
Sarah inhaled (Salon)
Which explains a lot.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
§ PT...Define.."a lot"
April 24, 2009 - 02:41 ET by TheSterHmmm...
Compared to....
Obama...
Bubba...
McCain...
Kerry...
Bush...
Kennedy...
Paul...
Hmmmm...
Ster.
My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.
The Propagandist
April 23, 2009 - 23:12 ET by PopularTechYes more education is needed but not by the government. I am completely open to making it easier for drug addicts to kill themselves off.
Your propaganda is better than watching cable, interesting?
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
ahem
April 23, 2009 - 23:27 ET by candanceNo I am not libertarian who wants to stop the war on drugs. I am a Conservative Libertatian who want to redirect the war to education which has been completely lacking
Unless the "war on drugs" is being waged by the media and blogosphere, we can only surmise here that you want to redirect drug control agents into drug control educators.
If you are truly open to making it easier, then you wouldn't feel the need to scream at them with your education campaign. Can't save your cake and eat it too.
Why can't you just come out and say that you support government legalization but want the media to publish more health warnings? Why all this verbal acrobatics?
Anyway, it's late and I'm off to bed. Good luck with this campaign of yours.
Legalizing Pot would require Abolishing the FDA
April 24, 2009 - 01:14 ET by PopularTechYou cannot have other drugs that cause brain damage from being banned while allowing Pot to be sold.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Alcohol is legal.
April 24, 2009 - 01:20 ET by nofateShould we ban alcohol too? Again?
"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
michaelyon-online.com
Alcohol has health benefits
April 24, 2009 - 02:20 ET by PopularTechAgain, Alcohol has health benefits. Pot has none.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Alcohol can be deadly. Pot
April 24, 2009 - 11:23 ET by StewMcKinAlcohol can be deadly. Pot is not in any way deadly.
Why won't you answer the question. I've asked you at least twice, this being the 3rd time:
Do you drink alcohol???
If you don't answer this time I will presume your answer to be YES, in case you are a hypocrite. Now let me ask, why are you killing yourself with alcohol?
Are you saying Pop is not
April 23, 2009 - 22:52 ET by StewMcKinAre you saying Pop is not being honest with us? Interesting. Pop, I still ask - do you drink alcohol?
Here is the dirty little
April 23, 2009 - 06:34 ET by msh1973Here is the dirty little secret about drug abuse...it ruins families. I work with neglected and abused children, over 80% of all Dependency cases are because of drug and alcohol abuse. Parents who are drug addicted cannot take care of their children properly. They choose the drug over their children. If you need horror stories I have plenty of them to share. Thanks for listening.
Legalization?
April 23, 2009 - 07:16 ET by maggieqpublicMarijuana laws are already quite lenient in California. There are some qualifiers, but possession of less than an ounce is charged as a misdemeanor ($100 fine), and the State Courts are required to purge the record of these cases two years after conviction (HS 11361.5).
http://www.canorml.org/laws/calmjlaws.html
State law enforcement pretty much ignores the small-time user. I’m afraid California’s response to federal legalization would be to create a whole new department of bureaucrats to oversee the collection of taxes. (And law enforcement agencies would be under pressure to seek out untaxed marijuana.)
Guess I’m a cynic, but my guess is marijuana taxes would be used to support bigger government rather than providing relief to the average taxpayer. More Big Brother rather than less…
From a Libertarian
April 23, 2009 - 07:44 ET by JustAlMany here have pointed out the health and social issues of marijuana, I suspect these issues are statistically indistinguishable from those of alcohol and tobacco if studied in the same manner. And no one has sited the life destroying effects of a criminal record steaming from our Draconian war on a simple deciduous plant.
The impact on the economy isn't about decreaseing the debt in my opinion, it is about changing a major portion of the economy which depends on the prosecution of citizens, most of whom are otherwise law abiding tax payers.
There is no doubt that a percentage of any society (around 15-18% is the number I recall from articles on the subject) will use mind altering substances, and yes as an ex smoker I can assure you that tobacco is a mind altering substance. This percentage doesn't change much based on legality.
There is no doubt that prohibition created a lot of criminal violence when it was in effect. . . just as the current drug laws do.
This is about personal liberty and responsibility. It amazes me that people can rail against the "nanny state" (as I do), and against attacks on the 2nd amendment (as I do), and fail to see their arguments in favor of limiting what adults do with their own bodies in the same light, remember the 10th amendment?
If we must declare "war" on a plant then why can it not be ragweed? That would be something everyone could get behind and would actually do us more good (opps, forgot about the lost profits of the pharmacuetical companies, nevermind).
What a retarded discussion...
April 23, 2009 - 08:35 ET by bpjamLegalize pot? How about legalizing oil, natural gas, nuclear energy, coal, shale or tar sands?
All of those things are desparately needed to maintain America as we now know it and all are being artificially restricted from public consumption. They are natural resources that the American people own essentially but we are being prevented from getting them and spending them. And which whatever measly number the potheads think they can raise from taxes on weed, I can show you hundreds and thousands of times more money by simply allowing us to go get our own natural resources - AND do it in the most environmentally responsible way even practiced by mankind.
If California, for instance, has billions of gallons/cubic feet of fuel off its own shores and it wants to talk about weed instead, then you have to realize that you are talking to crazy people who are members of an apocalyptic cult and want to force you to join them in their suffering.
Apples and Volkswagens
April 23, 2009 - 09:28 ET by JustAlWell of course we should fully develop our countries natural resources and of course the income would dwarf any other proposal for getting out the recession.
But how does one bad policy (envirocrooks) justify another (narcocrooks)??
My argument about letting people do with their bodies as they please certainly extends to the land they own and the mineral resouces contained therein.
Why is this not getting
April 23, 2009 - 09:36 ET by srqvetWhy is this not getting more play in the media? Rod and Reel registration for saltwater fishing. Evidence this libtard group will stoop to the lowest level of control over our daily lives. Please close the door because FREEDOM has left the building.
If the states do not register and charge fisherman, the federal government will step in and charge even more for "registration" in their precious database. We cannot even feed ourselves without the government charging us for the privilege.
What in the heck is happening to our country?
Link to the National Marine Fisheries Service announcement follows with specific reference in the "What's New" section of the page: http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/mrip/aboutus/organization/anglerteam.html
Because This Is What The Media Wants
April 23, 2009 - 09:45 ET by JustAlThe media wants the government to control everything, to ration everything, and if need be confiscate everything.
This is happening via the divide and conquer route. A group of folks say, "make drugs illegal," which enlarges the government and enriches the trial lawyers who then use their weatlh to expand their control of the government. Another group says "make CO2 a pollutant," which enlarges the government and gives power to the internationalist who want to bring western democracies down to the same level as the banana republics.
Does anyone see a common thread here? Hint: "enlarges the government."
So let me make sure I've got this straight...
April 23, 2009 - 10:43 ET by Mike Sargent...Banks are threatening to fail, AIG's insurance scheme was fantastically over-leveraged, the world economy is in recession, and the media's idea is the Cheech and Chong "Let's smoke our way out of it"?
Marijuana: A liberal panacea - let them smoke enough, and they'll pass out, leaving us to do the adult work.
I can see it now. Under
April 23, 2009 - 11:21 ET by Fair Taxes for AllI can see it now. Under Obama's new health plan, marijuana dependents who don't like their insurance can gain full-access to health care by cost-shifting their medical bills over to the government. Aweosme. Just one more well-used portion of our tax dollars!
legalized pot+unviersal health care= stoner paradise
April 23, 2009 - 16:35 ET by UndercoverConservativeit's part of a two pronged assault to create a mind controlled lotus eating welfare class that can't get worked up enough to rebel or demonstrate.
First, get a Universal (state funded of course) Health Care system. make sure people on this system get "approved" (where that new office decides what treatments are financialy expedient) medications paid for in full.
Second, legalize marijuana, push it's "medical" benefits (out of over a dozen folks I know or have met who have "green" (legal pot) cards, ALL were "recreational" users for some time in their past before getting their "prescription") and soon find it on the "approved" list. and because it's subsidized, it's artificially cheaper than most other medications.
Government of course controls the farms and distribution. Maybe a few nice chemical pesticides that "accidentally" have other effects...
Now that pesky "lower class" has short term memory issues, has no need to pay for their opiate, (along with state funded HD conversion systems for TV) finds themselves believing they're all real creative but with little ambition, and unable (even unwilling) to complain or prevent further government abuse.
Especially when government "health care czars" decide that euthanasia is the most cost effective treatment for most serious conditions (based on the Gov-determined cash value of your life, Citizen) and even "behavioral issues" like independence and "paranoia" (distrust) toward the State.
Many folks will line right up for this.
WWW.GS2AC.COM. 2nd Amendment Grass Roots Action in the Bay Area, CA. We're not all "Breakfast Cereal" folks here! :)
These people don't even know what "economy" means.
April 23, 2009 - 11:56 ET by szampThe only thing that this will do is to make people waste so much time that they will not be able to tell a good from a bad economy.
People will just accept what they hear without questions and this is just what dictators love. The keep their people stupid and eating from their hands. This is exactly what is going on in this country at the moment.
Drug laws are Unconstitutional
April 23, 2009 - 16:00 ET by ScottyDogI am a member of LEAP, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, an international nonprofit educational organization that was created to give voice to all the current and former members of law enforcement who believe the war on drugs is a failed policy and who wish to support alternative policies that will lower the incidence of death, disease, crime and addiction.
One of the reasons I retired from Law Enforcement was because of this Unconstitutional War on Drugs, which is destroying the Liberties this country was founded.
People don't remember that a constitutional amendment was necessary to enact prohibition back in the 1920's. They don't realize that without a constitutional amendment, prohibition is still unconstitutional. Few people notice that the 18th amendment only allowed the feds to regulate "the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors" ... not to go after people for simple possession of an "intoxicating liquor". And even fewer realize the 21st amendment regulated the power to prohibit back to the states, thereby removing the federal government's power to prohibit intoxicating substances at all! But, in the minds of people that have lived under prohibition all of their lives, the federal government does have the power to prohibit, don't they?
If the government has the inalienable right to enact prohibitions on intoxicating substances, why did we need a constitutional amendment to prohibit alcohol? Why didn't they simply pass the Volstead Act without all of the trouble of amending the constitution?
I'll tell you why ... It is because they acknowledged the fact that prohibitions trampled on the bill of rights. Nowhere in the constitution does it say that the Federal government has the power control individual lives in this way.
Most of the weapons used in the war on drugs are aimed directly at restricting personal freedoms. Activities such as property forfeitures and no-knock raids strip individuals of their property rights and of their freedoms. They use narcotic agents to infiltrate society and weed out the "undesirables". They urge school children to report on the activities of their parents. They fly over cities and peer into homes with infrared cameras to look for indoor "greenhouses". They create a bunch of frivolous traffic laws that allow police to pull over virtually any citizen they please in order to search their car and various bodily cavities. However, all of these tactics STILL hasn't been enough to curb drug use. So, they must constantly explore new ways to rip people of their rights. More laws, more punishments, more surveillance, more arrests. When they finally are successful in finding one of these miscreants, they punish him in every way possible. They strip him of his rights, his personal freedom, his property, and did I mention - his PROPERTY... they'll even go as far to seize the property of the criminal's FAMILY if they can find a way to get away with it.
I urge people to go to the LEAP website and read what current and former law enforcement say about this ridiculous War on Drugs.
ScottyDog... Bulls-Eye.
April 23, 2009 - 22:37 ET by bigtimerScottyDog...
Bulls-Eye.
Dead on the money....
People would be wise to wake up and smell the coffee...of all parties/beliefs....they have the power....and they can take all, this isn't new at all....it is now just being done with looser restrictions, I know you understand what I mean.
Good to see you and your informative in-put here again...I miss it, still glad to see your experience in life put here, I wished more would listen in this country.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Its puddin' stirrin' time at NB!
April 23, 2009 - 21:36 ET by R D HelmWhether or not you believe that pot is, or is not damaging, and ditto for tobacco, alcohol, or whatever other things that exist out there, you have to ask yourself a question:
Do you own your body, or does it belong to the government?
It is not the responsibility of government (on any level) to "save" us from ourselves.
If what you do to yourself does not interfere with other American's right to life, liberty, or property, then the government should go pound sand and leave you alone.
If you think it is permissible for government to dictate what you can, or cannot, put into or do to your own body, no matter the consequences to you alone, then I have to seriously question your commitment to actual true freedom.
-Dave
This coup has gone on long enough. The time to put it down is NOW.
**R D Helm
April 23, 2009 - 21:40 ET by pelicanmarshOh crap....you opened up a whole new can o' worms here.
I like it.
Freedom of Speech is a Constitutional privilege; it is not a license.
Dave
April 23, 2009 - 21:46 ET by botgi find it totally acceptable for the goobermint to keep me safe by not allowing my neighbors to use crystal meth
"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend,------------inside a dog it's too dark to read" ---Groucho
FS and Dave
April 23, 2009 - 22:14 ET by shawn228Thank you both for sticking up for me. I have attempted to have a civilized discussion with PT, but it is not working.
I feel your pain during a Sarah Palin thread I truly do. I just do not see why the mods are putting up with him ruling all these threads. He is like like a grade school version of Tumbler and his parents or DebraJm and Tracheostromy. "to all you newcomers out there, those are conservatives that have been banned on NB"
He had my vote
Pop Tech's real position on Pot
April 23, 2009 - 22:21 ET by candanceFrom: PopularTech
To: candance
Subject: Explanation of My Position on Pot
Date: March 20, 2009 - 01:33I never was debating legality only use. Sorry for the confusion. I understand it since so many pot heads claim to be libertarian. You can support legalization but not support the usage of it. The war on drugs has not worked because the left wing propaganda that drugs like pot are safe is to predominant. I am trying to change that. I hope you can see I have good intentions.
My real position on Pot
April 23, 2009 - 22:29 ET by PopularTechIs that pot is a dangerous drug and that pot users are weak minded, brain damaged losers.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
and...............................
April 23, 2009 - 22:32 ET by candance.......................... you think it should be legalized.
Very interesting
April 23, 2009 - 22:36 ET by Free StinkerVery interesting information Candance.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. :-)
I am not advocating for it to be
April 23, 2009 - 22:49 ET by PopularTechSo no.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
Thank you candance
April 23, 2009 - 22:54 ET by shawn228PT danced around this question 5 times when I tried to ask him. If he spammed a thread if someone says pot is good for you I understand, but i don't understand he he spams his pot threads, when someone is debating legalizing pot from a personal freedom point of view.
What a hypocrite. In fact he is like one of those gay people that condems gay people. He probably sparks one up and fantasizes while looking at Fabio pictures.
He had my vote
I know Shawn
April 23, 2009 - 22:59 ET by candanceThis guy preaches more than Jimmy Swaggart on espresso. It makes you wonder why he cares so much.
I care about people getting Brain Damage
April 24, 2009 - 02:24 ET by PopularTechObama did get elected and it has a lot to do with Pot use. Brain Damage from Pot use also known as Liberalism will take some time to get rid as the 60's generation slowly starts to die off.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
lol dueling poppies
April 23, 2009 - 22:37 ET by botgyou having fun on your swing?
"Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend,------------inside a dog it's too dark to read" ---Groucho
PopularTech, "Is that pot
April 23, 2009 - 23:07 ET by hydrodynDMPopularTech,
"Is that pot is a dangerous drug and that pot users are weak minded, brain damaged losers."
Just out of curiosity, does making a ridiculous generalization like this mean that you're a strong minded winner?
No Generalizations just facts
April 24, 2009 - 01:17 ET by PopularTechPot Heads are brain damaged losers who lack the mental capacity to just say no. They are so weak, all it takes is some other idiot to convince them to use a brain damaging drug. Pathetic.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
PopTech, pounding oneself in the head with a sledgehammer...
April 23, 2009 - 23:09 ET by R D Helm...is dangerous to the person doing it to themselves, but they are no threat to the life, liberty, or propertyof another living American.
Should the feds send people with guns into their house and shoot everybody there just to keep said person from pounding his brains out?
That sort of thing happens in the "drug war" nearly every day in this country.
A lot of innocent Americans have been killed in the process.
-Dave
This coup has gone on long enough. The time to put it down is NOW.
That is nice Pot is still bad for you
April 23, 2009 - 23:30 ET by PopularTechAs is pounding your head in with a sledgehammer.
Obama: "Cap & Trade Will Cause Electricity Rates To Skyrocket"
The Government Should Save Us!
April 24, 2009 - 08:31 ET by JustAlThe government should save us from anything that is bad for us, no matter the cost, no matter that they kill some of us, imprison some of us, or impoverish our families by confiscating our property. Sure it isn't Constitutional, but the ends justify the means if it allows the self righteous the illusion of a "better society."
But the government does not do enough, they must spend our tax dollars to fill in swimming pools and prosecute those who build them.
http://www.lifesaving.com/issues/articles/13swimming_pool_drownings.html
Pot will be legalized
April 24, 2009 - 11:27 ET by SemperrightIt keeps the sheep nice and docile
Semper Fi
Freedom is not free, but the U.S. Marine Corps will pay most of your share.
Ned Dolan