California Puts Pot on the Ballot

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

Ron pot has never been a problem in my entire life. And I've never said anything to suggest a sudden surge or craziness abounding everywhere. Where are you getting these delusional thoughts?

But it won't be like it is now and no I'm not scared now or ever. Where are you getting this from? Are you making all this up? Show me anywhere in my posts in this thread that says anything like that at all!

Craig, you stated a worry of pot heads behind the wheel, which we've all been dealing with for decades already and isn't going to drastically change when it's legal. And since this thread is about what is coming with legalization I merely expounded on that to your concerns.
I apologize if it was worded in a way that sounded confrontational or however negative.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

Craig, you stated a worry of pot heads behind the wheel, which we've all been dealing with for decades already and isn't going to drastically change when it's legal. And since this thread is about what is coming with legalization I merely expounded on that to your concerns.
I apologize if it was worded in a way that sounded confrontational or however negative.

Not drastic changes but easier availability will make it's effects more apparent as the few curious law abiding citizens try it and abuse it. Do we need more people under any influence?

Anyway sorry about being anal when I last posted. Maybe I need a good long toke and get my head outta my butt sometimes.

[anapuni808]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

Craig - just because pot may become legal, I'm not planning to start smoking it. and I'm sure that any who are curious have already tried it - and inhaled a few times! Plus, I don't live in Calif.

[Random]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

Plus, I don't live in Calif.

Sucks for us.

Pots may be legal but will still be regulated. I'd rather they not be ... regulated, I mean.

[timkona]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

Anapuni, you are brilliant. Within the text of your post is the crux of the issue concerning the lunacy of the whole War on Drugs.

If they were legal, would you start?
Do you a user ever stopped cuz of laws?

NO and NO

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

There certainly are those who respect the laws governing use and thus have not indulged and wait for the laws to change, but deffinitely a low %.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

There certainly are those who respect the laws governing use and thus have not indulged and wait for the laws to change, but deffinitely a low %.

yes it's a low percentage but even a low percentage of 1% of the US population still equates to roughly 3-Million people. At 1/10th of 1% we're still looking at 30,000 people nationwide that could be potential abusers. That's a lot of people to be considered a low percentage. Remember all it takes is one DUI to create an incident that could involve the masses.

Any legislation that allows an increase in even the fractional amount of drug abuse only increases the amount of legislation and government funding to run drug treatment facilities.

So with that if taxes were imposed like they are on cigarettes and alcohol sales to fund those treatment centers, that arguement is moot.

But why? Why legislate taxes to combat legislation to legalize? Because legalization of Pot removes the criminal nature of possession and consumption within reasonable limts.

We create a system of "fairness" to those who partake in pot, then tax them for treatment funding. Okay then, make it legal but expect taxes to be attached to it like cigarettes and alcohol and the infrastracture to collect and disburse funding to treatment organizations, basically increasing the size and control of Government into our daily lives.

So one argues, "but it's already in place for cigarettes and alcohol". And we want to introduce more? Is this an adaptation of Society, or is it merely the destruction of it as we look for external ways of fulfillment in life? Do we have to get high to feel good?

And the litmus test...would you want your children to smoke pot let alone drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes? All would be legal and held in the same right to consume.

It may be just fine from a personal perspective, but what happens to yourself will have an impact on others with broad ranging legislation that affects everybody. How do we deal with that? With more Government intervention thru increases in taxes. With national health care as the law of the land, how will drug treatment be affected when the government is calling the shots now?

More government intrusion into our lives for the price of just wanting to feel good? I can think of other ways to feel good without Uncle Sam meddling into my personal affairs or my wallet.

But that's just my opinion. BTW that smiley face is just a reminder that I'm not trying to ram this down anyone's throat, it provides a perspective from myself as to what could happen based on what's already happening to legalized products. In no way is it balanced because it only argues one point of many fawcets of what legalization of pot will do. I'm sure there are benefits but at what cost?

[Kaonohi]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

And the litmus test...would you want your children to smoke pot let alone drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes? All would be legal and held in the same right to consume.

I've done all three and quit all three.
I quit tobacco and alcohol because I recognized how harmful they were to my health and my life.
I quit pot because I got bored with the standard-grade stuff, and the really strong stuff was uncomfortable.

I would be more concerned if my child started drinking or smoking than if they started toking, as long as it was legal.

As far as I'm concerned the only detrimental thing about pot is it could give you a criminal record.

[Random]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

Smoke pot: eat, sleep and be paranoid.

Now THAT is the Sig of the Year.

If they were legal, would you start?
Do you a user ever stopped cuz of laws?

Yes.

And the litmus test...would you want your children to smoke pot let alone drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes? All would be legal and held in the same right to consume.

Depends on society's norms, which I have often ignored (norms are created by the "popular" crowd and I'm always an outsider). You see, I'm the kind of guy who ignore the "etiquette" of not spitting in public, especially when one have lots of gala-galas in the chest that I HAVE to expectorate. But if the society say it's better to have build-up of fluids than to spit in public, then society should have the courage to put a gun to my head and blow it off.

But if we're talking health-wise, I'd prefer to have my kids bury me when I die than the other way around.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

Depends on society's norms, which I have often ignored (norms are created by the "popular" crowd and I'm always an outsider). You see, I'm the kind of guy who ignore the "etiquette" of not spitting in public, especially when one have lots of gala-galas in the chest that I HAVE to expectorate. But if the society say it's better to have build-up of fluids than to spit in public, then society should have the courage to put a gun to my head and blow it off.

But if we're talking health-wise, I'd prefer to have my kids bury me when I die than the other way around.

And that's what makes you different from me. I do care about what I do that affects others. If you have fluid build up take care of it in ways that don't offend others. It's called decency.

I don't ignore the norms of society, I abide by it. If none of us abided by a societal norm we'd have anarchy, plain and simple. We'd have no society. There must be order in a civilized world.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

I'd educate my kids fully on drug use truths so they know the very few pros and many cons. But not every parent has traversed those roads to know the facts. I'm just glad that I don't have any kids... that I know of.
Pot is so benign that only fresh users become too stoned or paranoid to handle traffic, it can indeed overwhelm a clean body if more than a couple of tokes are had. The minor risks are justifiable otherwise.

[Random]

Re: California Puts Pot on the Ballot

I don't ignore the norms of society, I abide by it. If none of us abided by a societal norm we'd have anarchy, plain and simple. We'd have no society. There must be order in a civilized world.

There are more than one ways to establish order in a civilized world.