Drug Legalization

[RoyJackson]

Just curious how my sisters and brothers on TBN feel about legalizing drugs.

I'm anti-prohibition, by the way. I think the U.S. is spending waaaay too much trying to eradicate drugs> The cost is in excess of 25 Billion at the federal level.

So, what are your opinions?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Imagine not only the money saved, but the revenue generated by taxing another cash crop. Also, from what I've read, weed seems to be the least harmful physically to the body when compared to cigs and booze. From a neutral point of veiw on the topic, it seems like a morals vs logic debate to me. I could care less about legalization of weed, but it is hard to deny that the war against weed is very expensive for U.S. citizens.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Ahhhhh, Libertarians! I'm a conservative but heading towards the Libertarians at an accelerated rate.

This is one of the issues that the libertarians have to deal with and most Americans just can't take the "hands off" position of the Libertarian party.

I am slowly coming around to the position that I personally think that taking illegal drugs is wrong morally but I don't want Al Gore, John McCain, Little Tommy Dashhole, Phil Gramm, Trent Lott, Dicky Gephart, et al telling me I can't take illegal drugs. I think I'll let my Christian faith help me with those decisions and how I should live my life.

Then there are all of those cost issues that you mentioned that pretty much seal the deal.

Kent

 

[Ozarker]

Near as I can tell, the greatest danger one faces from using marihuana is arrest and jail time.

Our drug laws should never have been enacted in the first place. I have yet to find any article in the Constitution that grants the government to power to enact drug laws.

Government use to know that and when they wanted to prohibit alcohol, they knew they would have to ask the people to grant them the power to do so. Thus, the 18th amendment.

But, 14 years later, the 21st amendment was enacted taking that power back away from the government. I see no amendments enacted since then granting government the power to regulate what people consume.

Hemp is a cash crop that could absolutely save the America family farm. It can be grown nearly anywhere and we can make just about anything from it up to and including fuel.

Count me for a Yes vote to eliminate the Drug War, the DEA, the Drug Czar....whatever. We've wasted billions on this loosing battle and hundreds of thousands have died in the war on drugs. And for what? So free men can't sit in their livingroom and smoke a joint?

 

[BWa]

Well the way I see it is this , back in the 1800's and up until the early 1900's you could go out if you had the money and get what ever you wanted and unlimited as to amounts , much more powerful drugs than what can be had today , same with any type of drink , you could get guns . explosives , and as long as you behaved yourself one said boo , BUT , if YOU messed up , it would cost you something , ...your life .....
I don't see in our history that we had a lot of mass murders out running around for to long, at some point somebody or even themselfs got the problem taken care off ...DEAD!
But to make everyone responsible for their actions at this late date would not work .......... you would have to much chlorine in the gene pool all at once from to many people not able to take care of themselfs ...besides that , the amount of lawyers , judges , police officers, and jail keepers out of work would finish bankrupting the counrty...
JMHO

 

[Anonymous Poster]

When you read the real history of the drug enforcment industry in the US, you learn things such as Harry Anslinger the head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics supplied morphine to Sen. Joe McCarthy to insure the Senate went Anslinger's way.
Read farther, and you learn the Congerssional hearings on marijuana were stacked against any germ of truth being aired. There were many recognized marijuana derivative medical treatments at the time of the hearings. Anslinger stacked the deck again, and medical use of marijuana became illegal.
Is there any sanity in the Federal regulations? Well, next time you're in a doctors or dentists office, look at the licenses on the wall. Doctors are required to be licensed to prescribe marijuana, heroin, and several other prohibited drugs. There are about a handfull of doctors in the US who still have the balls to employ cocane medicly, and the only reason the drug enforcment industry doesn't screw with them is because they treat a lot of politicians and rich people. Add to that that one he!! of a lot of people suffer pain needlessly because doctors are afraid of loosing their license for prescribing sufficient pain medication. Will your doctor prescribe sufficient medication to control your pain, or will he limit your pain killers to protect the dollar value of his license and future income?
Prohibition proved Malum Prohibitum laws do not work in this country, and additional proof is demonstrated daily by the sale and use of radar detectors. Ask yourself how many pot smokers you know who started because it was the cool thing to do. More kids start smoking pot because it is a prohibited activity than do so because they want to get F-ed up. Kids aren't afraid of punishment for smoking pot, because they are invincible.
The evidence is clear that prohibition encourages disobedience, and yet the government continues to prohibit, because no politician dares change the law, or even propose change. Too many dollars are dependant on pot being illegal.
Bill Clinton had Cocane kingpins in the White House and took photos with them because they contributed $$. Entire federal and state agencys, along with local agencys are dependant on pot being illegal, and those agencys employ thousands of people. Add in the "drug treatment" facilitys who take in multiple millions by running patients thru on an endless conveyor system, often merely substituting prescription addiction for illegal drug addiction, and you have to wonder where sanity went.
There are entirely too many dollars to be made off the illegality of drugs, and dollars rule.
Will there ever be decriminalization of pot or any other BAD drug? Not as long as there is money to be made off the current system. Sanity will not prevail.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I have to agree with the gist of what Franz has said. It's all about the dollars. I'm not sure which side is making the most money, those who provide the illegal drugs or those who combat them.

Anti drug laws are based upon distrust in the individual's ability to make a decision. One of the hazards of freedom is some are going to make the wrong decision.

 

[Thomas]

Drug Legalization /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif..for we have enough rules to make it work..the problem is the rules aren't enforce to the max,and if they were{example Tukery etc..}drug problem would be at a new low time low. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Egon]

Franz:
An excellent post Franz.
Money is what its all about. If only we would ever find out the names of all the people making the " real " money from the drug trade we would all probably be in shock.

Last week I was able to whatch The RCMP raid a plot just a short way from our land. The consficated substance was brought back through trails on our place. From what I saw two small plastic garbage bags of producut required a helicopter,three vehicles,two quads and at least 10 or more people. Not only that they disturbed a quiet fireside evening I was having.

Our senate has recommended that pot be legalized and amnesty granted to all previous offenders. I'll be very shocked if that happens anytime soon.

I do not use it or even know what it looks like.

Egon

 

[Steven]

I do not think drugs should be legalized for recreational use. medical use is a whole different story. and I agree that a lot of money is being made off illegal drug sales. but with the long term side effects of drug use, what would happen to health insurance costs when they have to start treating people for these effects. plus the burden these people would put on our society. look at some of the effects of just marijuana use. and this is considered by some to be harmless.

MARIJUANA, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EFFECTS...

Hard to keep track of time and/or reduced short-term memory.

Unable to perform tasks requiring concentration, like driving, swimming, playing sports, reading, and writing.

Difficulty understanding simple ideas.

Paranoia and hallucinations (visions of things not really there).

Interference with normal daily activities.

Undependable and irresponsible behavior.

Difficulty learning and making wise decisions.

Loss of physical and mental motivation.

How would you like to have most people in your towns with these symptoms working for you, or for your town government making critical decisions about you life?

Just my opinion, I am not a drug user and hope my kids will be the same.