johndylan1
DP Veteran
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Because there is NOT libertarian government rule in Colorado. The legalization of marijuana (a decidedly LibertariaN goal for decades) will not be accompanied by a libertarian approach to social services. Use has already been shown to have skyrocketed, with use increasing in kids as young as age 12. Use of other illegal drugs have also increased during that same time period. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2013
There is a dirty little secret. SOME people can use marijuana just like they use alcohol. Function perfectly well during the week, hang out, smoke a few joints and get mellow once or twice during the week and maybe get lit on the weekend...life is good. Others...others are addicts. Psychological addiction comes with a cost. Homelessness, joblessness, increase in crime, increase in health care costs, to say nothing of the increase in those populations from homeless people in other states moving to a state with friendlier drug rules. Its far too early to tell what kind of long term impact it will actually have on schooling, graduation rates, college attendance, job prep, etc.
Will there be identified gains? Sure. Incarceration costs may immediately decrease. And as far as 'addictions' go, its an easily treated disorder. Essentially...there is no treatment for marijuana addiction. But...all addicts tend to suffer greater health problems. Someone is going to have to foot the bill. To that end, Colorado would be wise to bank that money.
That may be true, but I'm not of the view that because we have one product that people can abuse, we might as well have 2, or 5, or 10 products they can abuse.
I'd say that in most sectors pot is an occasional treat. If it were legalized and easily accessible, use is likely to increase, and it remains to be seen how that will affect society long-term.
Yes, well, we can give it 10 years.
That may be true, but I'm not of the view that because we have one product that people can abuse, we might as well have 2, or 5, or 10 products they can abuse.
I'd say that in most sectors pot is an occasional treat. If it were legalized and easily accessible, use is likely to increase, and it remains to be seen how that will affect society long-term.
I think a distinction should be made.
The Marijuana thats available today is not the marijuana that was sold 20 or 30 or even 40 years ago.
Thanks to hydroponics Marijuana can be extremely potent and have highly debilitating effects on the user
Its a dishonest comparison to say its akin to a few drinks and its outright misinformation to claim its " healthy " and or not harmful.
Keep it illegal exept for cases where it may help with the side effects of certain Cancer treatments.
As a libertarian, do you believe that alcohol should be legal?
Absolutely correct, I spent some time at a rehab for teens and young adults, visiting a family member, over the past year or so. Whoever thinks marijuana is harmless should spend some time working with kids who have been affected by addiction. Horrible outcomes.
bingo
we have a winner
pot is not a victimless drug
and selling it is not a victimless crime
any trip to a good rehab facility will show you that in just a few hours
bingo
we have a winner
pot is not a victimless drug
and selling it is not a victimless crime
any trip to a good rehab facility will show you that in just a few hours
Legalization, regulation and taxation.
legal in all states and treated like alcohol.
Legalize it, end the war on drugs use 1/10th of the savings on drug education and treatment programs (reluctantly as it's not my problem if you use drugs).
Addiction to marijuana?
Or at the very least decriminalisation of small time possession without intent to sell.
Removal of it from the narcotics list as it isn't one, and allow the individual states the right to regulate or ban.
Moderator's Warning: |
I'd say a hybrid of Alcohol and Tobacco. You have to take into account that unlike alcohol, marijuana when smoked will give off a secondary effect that has the potential to impact those around the user. So it'd be a hybrid of laws and regulations regarding both.
As long as the action that is illegal doesn't violate or threaten the rights of anyone else it is a victimless crime. The act of selling pot to someone else is a consensual act and is therefore a victimless crime.
so selling to a 12 year old? is that a violation to you? 14 year old? where is that line?
getting kids already having a hard time involved with drugs is victimless?
so selling to a 12 year old? is that a violation to you? 14 year old? where is that line?
getting kids already having a hard time involved with drugs is victimless?
That is their personal problem. Doesnt mean that pot should be illegal and everyone else suffer the consequences and $$ costs of law enforcement, prisons, and violence (because keeping it a crime creates criminals that then must defend themselves, their illegal property, etc and they kill innocent people...them and the cops do so too).
It doesnt mean that other people cannot enjoy the recreational properties of pot and that others should be punished because of the few.
And I have no interest in smoking it.
As is said with many public health issues, it has an impact on all society. Not just the direct damage done to the individual, but also the economic impact of addiction, the medical expense of rehab and psychological care, and the general degradation of society at large. Think bigger.
I do...to freedom. And the fact that we have all those expenses now...perhaps more because of incidents due to it remaining a crime. Nobody is going to stop smoking pot. We are just going to have fewer social and economic costs with it legal. (Less court costs, less cops involved, less people in prisons, less crime, etc.)
Think how Prohibition failed...pretty much the same thing.
After a brief viewing of several search results, it appears that overdosing marijuana requires:Funny, no one has been able to name all the people who died of marijuana overdose...hmmm
Not at all the same thing as prohibition. For the record I am good with reform in the criminal aspect. I would focus more energy on an education campaign to deter and shun pot smoking much like has been done with smoking cigarettes. I would heighten the penalties for distribution and transport and simply administer citations low level possession. I think if the media would focus a bit more on the tens of thousands of Mexican deaths caused by the cartels in the transportation of pot and other illegal drugs people might count the cost of their toke with a little more trepidation.
How is it different than Prohibition?
And legalization and legal growing here would hugely reduce the crime from Mexican pot cartels. We could also tax the heck out of them if they want to import it legally.
yea, we don't wan't to legalize as pot is a harmful substance. The last thing we need is more legal intoxicants. We really don't want to tax it, giving governments an excuse to promote consumption. We want to deter use.
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