My friend reminded me today is good-feelings day.

Which sucks, because I will be at home studying, and cannot see any of my friends and colleagues on their best behaviors...

It's Hitler's birthday, too.

Do you mind not ruining this?

Refer to this purpose alone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_(cannabis_culture)

(And, honestly - I don't know anyone's birthday except my own, my immediate family, and that's it. Not even my friends'. Most certainly not the birthday of a politician).

This is implying that Hitler's birthday will somehow ruin the celebration of the use of marijuana.

Will it really now?

Might as well make it politics then, no?

This refuses to go up an as image, so just click here


(Yes, I am a part of the RevoLution, coordinating Ron Paul rallies at my college. It is an election year after all, and he may be our only chance to stop Mitt Romney from screwing up the elections).

The benefits of legalizing marijuana:

1.) Reduction in the drug war - less power for the feds, less arbitrary federal government protecting us from ourselves.
2.) Less people in the jail system - most first-time incarcerations are for drug use. While in jail, these "offenders" learn violent criminal acts. If you don't go to jail, you don't network with criminals, you don't build up hate for society.
3.) Hemp use will increase - instead of cotton for your clothing (depletes the soil of Boron), and cutting down trees for your paper (that destroys very old trees which take a long time to grow back), we can use the more durable hemp. Hemp grows quickly, requires fewer soil nutrients, and has more uses (see the practical uses of hemp by using Google - replacing plastics, replacing oil)
4.) Medical marijuana will be in full use - talk about cheaper medications, medical marijuana may cut down on a slew of drugs, used solely to counter the side-effects of other drugs.
5.) It can be taxed - this one you have most likely heard, that a tax on the product will work just as well as outright banning it, but instead of costing us (see points one and two), it will actually get us badly needed tax revenue.

(I'll see if I can come up with more later - I know it is out there)

Compare this to the alcohol prohibition of the 1900s. The mafia only flourished because alcohol was illegal, but they lost most of their profits once people could satisfy their wants legally and at a lower price. Why exactly should we not expect something similar regarding marijuana?


Actually, you probably should. I can't find anything that supports a drop in literacy rate among those who smoke marijuana. Small drop in IQ, maybe, but that happens with most drugs, legal or not.


Not the government's problem.


Also not the government's problem. Alcohol and tobacco "create" douchebags too, yet they're both legal.


At most, we don't actually know that. There are too many factors to consider when talking about people who use marijuana then progress to harder, more addictive drugs. I'm inclined to believe that it's more like drug dealers (who are generally the source for marijuana if you don't have access to a dispensery) trying to upsell their clients to something more addicting to give themselves more business. Marijuana, after all, isn't NEARLY as physically addictive as things like cocaine or heroin.


Why should it matter who supports something? As crazy as the things Ron Paul says usually are, occasionally he says things that make complete sense. This is one of those times.

I'm gonna share something in response to the first point...this was on a Facebook page of Ludwig von Mises (essentially the founder of Austrian Business Cycle Theory, and noted Libertarian contributor).



In response to point 3 - if the states were allowed more autonomy in how it would deal with drugs (rather than the federal government), a person discontent could move to a different state / municipality where things were better.
I'm gonna try to find an image easier on the eyes with more relevant information: http://californiapotblog.com/wp-content ... zation.gif
You could still have laws against driving while impaired or under the influence. You can have warnings out that say "Marijuana is bad for your health". And you can still tax it. But let it be done by local government, rather than a centralized power that is far-removed from how people operate.


In response to point 5 - it has actually been called into question as a "gateway drug".
http://scienceblog.com/12116/study-says ... eway-drug/
http://norml.org/news/2002/12/03/mariju ... rug-policy
That's just in America - Britain has a report out calling it "just a phase" - (I cannot find that link now either).


Point 2 has not been supported by any research - IMO, you are probably more likely to cause illiteracy if you cause trauma to the person (by removing their parents and shuffling the kid through foster home), or remove and ostracize the user (by putting them in the penal system).

Point 4 is a matter of opinion - personally, I think it would be great if the people (who are douchebags anyway) go and smoke, and get out of my face.

Point 6 is a serious matter for another topic. Ron Paul, from his medical and libertarian background, wants to legalize all drugs. If there is an addiction to marijuana, why should a person not get treatment (they'll get the drug anyway) for fear of being arrested? Same for cocaine and heroine. You're never going to cure the problem if the person is not allowed to freely come forward.
If marijuana has medical benefits, there is no reason that you should not be able to use it and explore treatments for yourself.
If it has religious significance, there is ABSOLUTELY no reason the government should stop you - you are not hurting another person. You are not conducting human sacrifice.

I actually would love Marijuana to be legal, just for cheap medical usage. My Dad pays a ton for his medical marijuana.

I am an avid, devout Paulite - I can give numerous reasons to elect Paul rather than Romney or Obama, therefore your argument is invalid.



The states can regulate drug highs in the same way they regulate alcohol. It doesn't work, but nowadays, even with marijuana illegal, people still drive under their influence (we can talk about the actual solution for that in another thread - privatization of roads falls under Libertarian philosophy)



Where did he pick up the crack and heroine? He probably has some form of OCD (most if not all addicts do - broad thing). The problem with treatment places is that they replace one addiction for another rather than curing it. And you see how good the drug laws are at preventing heroine and crack from getting into people's hands.



What alternative? If it works, it works. If it works without side-effects, and then a close-alternative is found with some side-effects, the empire will come in and say "okay, marijuana is illegal again". The problem is that if you legalize it for the sick, people who are not sick will still find a way to get it. Any doctor would be able to prescribe it, and find some stupid reason.



That's up to the people as individuals to decide, not you - you forcing your views leads to intellectual sloth, the abuse of the nanny state, and totalitarianism. It is almost as bad as these people that want to ban trans-fats, or set limits as to how big a muffin can be if it is consumed.

To me, and where I live...

It's not necessary evil. You can have bad and good experiences with the drug. For me, not a lot of bad news comes from the illegal drug. Only that people have been caught with it. Nothing along the lines of the dealer taking away your TV, beating you up --- although in some cases I've heard the news from people saying they were offered a much "better and stronger" drug to satisfy their bad cravings, but it was more of an option rather than forced. Some also can feel pressured by it.

Taken in moderation, on a weekend, a holiday, after a stressful week at work, weed can be OK.

My best friend and I have. It wasn't a regular thing, trust me. And the "dealer" was hardly the evil stereotype people claim them to be. He was his brother's mate.

The only thing I have against it, is people who take it regularly I find extremely boring, especially men. And when they don't have a smoke, particularly women, they are generally not that nice. I've dated three and have/had a few mates. So in my opinion, it can definitely affect your personality.

Anyway, I've been through, seen, and heard goddamn awful stories of alcohol ten times worse than that of marijuana.

You're allowed to have an opinion, but not everyone's views are yours and you can't sway someone's beliefs, and it goes the same the other way round. You've had a bad experience with the drug, as does a percentage of the population. But there's a whole lot more terrible things than weed, that's for sure.

And that, my friends, is my opinion.

True fact: there is not a single documented case of a person dying of a marijuana overdose. Therefore, weed should be legal, and Prohibition should be restarted.

But, what do I know, I'm not even 21 yet.

I don't personally want anything to do with drugs, but prohibition just doesn't work. Research alcohol prohibition in detail (don't skip the changes made when it was repealed).

AS far as the Hitler v. Weed problem a bunch of posts back, last I remembered it was the best estimate of his birthday. Although, it's my birthday on 420 also, so I don't really care.

Back on topic, did anyone else read the study that showed cannabis, if taken not often (say, once or twice a month), it will increase your lung's power?