• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

War on drugs.

Pick one!

  • Continue drug war

    Votes: 10 20.0%
  • Legalize marijuana

    Votes: 25 50.0%
  • Legalize it all!

    Votes: 20 40.0%

  • Total voters
    50

sbrettt

DP Veteran
Joined
Mar 5, 2013
Messages
2,724
Reaction score
783
Location
Prospect park, PA
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Other
I want to get a feel for many people here are pro-legalization of pot, how many are pro legalization of everything, and how many are drug warriors.
 
Portugal and Spain have proven that decriminalizing small amounts of all drugs and implementing a harm reduction model not only restores lives, it saves the government major money and increases over all freedom of the people.

Even with addictive drugs like heroin and cocaine, the crime rate is the result of withdrawls and lack of access. If many addicts had easier access to their drug of choice, they would be better able to seek rehab with a rational mind. And if they don't want rehab, then that's their choice, but they will still be held accountable for their actions by the law, their communities and their families.

The DEA has too many over-reaching powers. They are the trojan horse that permits government to trample on our rights. There is no evidence that Reagan's war on drugs has meaningfully impacted drug use. All it has done is increased our prison population to the worst in the western world, and given the government too many opportunities to abuse power.
 
In theory, I'm pro-legalization of everything.

In practice, living in the midst of an irresponsible society and being disgusted with the dishonesty and ignorance of the pro-legalization movement, I'm on the fence about supporting medical marijuana.
 
Not so much "legalize it all", but at least "decriminalize it all". Drug addiction is a public health issue, not a law enforcement issue. There should be legal and safe means of acquiring hard narcotic drugs, even if they're tied to treatment.

The "War on Drugs" is highly profitable, so that's not going to happen, but it's what ought to happen.
 
Legalize Marijuana.
It is absurd that it was ever illegal in the first place.

There are a few other drugs that I would vote NO on but would not be upset if they were legalized.
Such as Powder form Cocaine, LSD, or Ex.

But things such as Oxy and Heroin simply must stay illegal. It is far far too easy to kill yourself with.
I've seen some people completely ruin their lives and I have known some people who overdosed and died.

Yet the only life ruining I have seen from Coke or Pot has been by way of the police.
 
I want to get a feel for many people here are pro-legalization of pot, how many are pro legalization of everything, and how many are drug warriors.

I'm in favor of legalizing marijuana as well as some other relatively harmless and less addictive drugs like ecstasy, LSD, mescaline, and mushrooms. I also believe some drugs are dangerous enough that they should remain illegal, such as heroin, cocaine, and crystal meth.

I do think that the method of enforcement should change for the drugs that remain illegal though. It should focus on the people importing and selling the drugs, and focus more on treating the addiction of users rather than punishing them.
 
A 'war' that was lost before ever it began. What a joke.

Trillions wasted. For what? So global governments can write themselves nice big blank cheques?

Demand creates supply. The ****ing idiots.

Big Government! Hurrah!
 
I wonder, and I've brought this up before, in case I seem repetitive, how many other people here have toe tagged some idiot druggie teenager, and put his corpse in a cooler, knowing that you, a complete stranger, will be the last person ever who feels the warmth generated by his body. No handshake, kiss or embrace will ever pass it on to another.

People, I think, ought to try out that experience before deciding to legalize more recreational drugs.

Oh, and that whole "pot is harmless" crap? Have you ever seen neglected children whose pothead excuses for parents are too stoned to care for them. That happens too.
 
The "war on drugs" is just a war on people. The object is to get as many people into the "prison industrial complex" as possible.
Then fines and penalties have to be payed. They have to be "monitored"...all this requires more jails and prisons and more unionized cops and guards, swat teams, dogs, guns, cars, radios and clerks and judges and courthouses and probation officers and lawyers....etc..etc...Essentially bigger government to "control" more people and take their property.

The more people they get in the system, the more they can point to a drug "problem"..and continue to grow the system at the expanse of citizens. It's a self fulfilling, never ending "problem" (racket) that can only be addressed by incarcerating more and more people.
It's all about control.

Have you ever heard a cop/police chief say that they have enough "assets"?..of course not. They always want more....it "justifies" their job.
Imagine if drugs were legalized today...the jails would be emptied and all these law "enforcement" people wouldn't be necessary.
It ain't gonna happen.
 
Last edited:
Oh, and that whole "pot is harmless" crap? Have you ever seen neglected children whose pothead excuses for parents are too stoned to care for them. That happens too.

No, pot is not harmless, most rational people realize this. However, it's no more harmful than alcohol or tobacco, and those are legal.

Plus IMO when you compare the harm that might be done by legalizing marijuana vs the cost of enforcing the laws against it, I don't think it's worth it to keep it illegal.
 
The "war on drugs" is just a war on people. The object is to get as many people into the "prison industrial complex" as possible.
Then fines and penalties have to be payed. They have to be "monitored"...all this requires more jails and prisons and more unionized cops and guards, swat teams, dogs, guns, cars, radios and clerks and judges and courthouses and probation officers and lawyers....etc..etc...Essentially bigger government to "control" more people and take their property.

The more people they get in the system, the more they can point to a drug "problem"..and continue to grow the system at the expanse of citizens. It's a self fulfilling, never ending "problem" (racket) that can only be addressed by incarcerating more and more people.
It's all about control.

Have you ever heard a cop/police chief say that they have enough "assets"?..of course not. They always want more....it "justifies" their job.
Imagine if drugs were legalized today...the jails would be emptied and all these law "enforcement" people wouldn't be necessary.
It ain't gonna happen.

I am 100% in agreement and the "War on Terror"is exactly the same thing. Let's get rid of both. No more police state.
 
No, pot is not harmless, most rational people realize this. However, it's no more harmful than alcohol or tobacco, and those are legal.

Plus IMO when you compare the harm that might be done by legalizing marijuana vs the cost of enforcing the laws against it, I don't think it's worth it to keep it illegal.

I disagree. We've all known plenty of alcoholics who held down good jobs for years. Heavy pot users though are generally useless. This isn't just my prejudice. Alcohol is water soluble and a healthy person generally metabolizes it fairly quickly. THC is fat soluble and takes much longer to be filtered out of a healthy body. Heavy pot users often tend to be constantly impaired, while most alcoholics can be quite functional, even successful for much of their day.

People rarely seem to consider the great desirability to the ruling class of an electorate that is largely mentally impaired, and what that means to the electorate itself.
 
I disagree. We've all known plenty of alcoholics who held down good jobs for years. Heavy pot users though are generally useless. This isn't just my prejudice. Alcohol is water soluble and a healthy person generally metabolizes it fairly quickly. THC is fat soluble and takes much longer to be filtered out of a healthy body. Heavy pot users often tend to be constantly impaired, while most alcoholics can be quite functional, even successful for much of their day.

People rarely seem to consider the great desirability to the ruling class of an electorate that is largely mentally impaired, and what that means to the electorate itself.

Alcohol is one of the very few drugs in which death is a symptom of withdraw. And alcoholism is exceptionally destructive to both the victim and to his family. It leads to violence, abuse, betrayal, heart-break, prison, insanity and death. I still wouldn't want to outlaw it, because that would only create even more gang crime, but claiming that alcoholism is less destructive than a pot habit is greatly underestimating the destructive effects of alcoholism.
 
I'm in favor of legalizing marijuana as well as some other relatively harmless and less addictive drugs like ecstasy, LSD, mescaline, and mushrooms. I also believe some drugs are dangerous enough that they should remain illegal, such as heroin, cocaine, and crystal meth.

I do think that the method of enforcement should change for the drugs that remain illegal though. It should focus on the people importing and selling the drugs, and focus more on treating the addiction of users rather than punishing them.
I think with hard drugs like heroine and Methamphetamine, the government should continue going after dealers, distributes, and manufactures, but decriminalize the use of those drugs. Also I think the government should offer a clean alternative for people going through withdrawal.
 
I want to get a feel for many people here are pro-legalization of pot, how many are pro legalization of everything, and how many are drug warriors.

I might consider legalizing everything because if there is a wr on drugs, we're losing it. What causes me pause is that some drugs are much more harmful than others, and we all suffer from the results of that harm. It is never limited to just the user.
 
I might consider legalizing everything because if there is a wr on drugs, we're losing it. What causes me pause is that some drugs are much more harmful than others, and we all suffer from the results of that harm. It is never limited to just the user.

Yeah, particularly with the harder drug like you're saying. Cocaine is a hell of a drug. ;]
Crystal meth is purely a poison imo. Heroine attacks the body in a way that makes the body need it.
 
Even those who hate drugs should realize that their continued criminalization is doing far more harm than good. There are still drugs available everywhere, and instead we have sacrificed constitutional protections, civil liberties, and the justice in our justice system. We sacrificed those things for nothing in return.
 
I want to get a feel for many people here are pro-legalization of pot, how many are pro legalization of everything, and how many are drug warriors.

The war on drugs has filled our prisons with druggies, leaving no room for the real criminals. We have more prisoners per capita than anyone else, and yet let car thieves out because there is only room for "violent" offenders.

The war on drugs has resulted in a virtual guerrilla war on our southern border between the cartels, and between the cartels and Federales.

The war on pot has resulted in kids finding it easier to buy pot than alcohol.

Marijuana laws have their roots in overt, blatant racism.

Other than that, oh yes, the war on drugs is just a terrific idea.

(beautiful dog as your av. Is he a drug sniffing dog? )
 
I disagree. We've all known plenty of alcoholics who held down good jobs for years. Heavy pot users though are generally useless. This isn't just my prejudice. Alcohol is water soluble and a healthy person generally metabolizes it fairly quickly. THC is fat soluble and takes much longer to be filtered out of a healthy body. Heavy pot users often tend to be constantly impaired, while most alcoholics can be quite functional, even successful for much of their day.

People rarely seem to consider the great desirability to the ruling class of an electorate that is largely mentally impaired, and what that means to the electorate itself.

Actually, I've known several people who used marijuana on a regular basis and were normal, functioning members of society. And marijuana does not cause the kind of physical dependence that alcohol does, so the only people who get addicted are those with psychological addictions.
 
I disagree. We've all known plenty of alcoholics who held down good jobs for years. Heavy pot users though are generally useless. This isn't just my prejudice. Alcohol is water soluble and a healthy person generally metabolizes it fairly quickly. THC is fat soluble and takes much longer to be filtered out of a healthy body. Heavy pot users often tend to be constantly impaired, while most alcoholics can be quite functional, even successful for much of their day.

People rarely seem to consider the great desirability to the ruling class of an electorate that is largely mentally impaired, and what that means to the electorate itself.

I'm sorry but you just have no idea of what you are talking about. No idea what so ever.

You should watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta's special on CNN. He is a person that was just as ignorant on the subject as you are but then he decided to truly investigate.
Everyone that either knows a heavy pot smoker or has been one, all will tell you that the impairing effect for them is essentially zero.
The driving test on Dr. Gupta's investigative show also proved this.
Heavy smokers driving ability was hardly affected. Whereas the moderate or light smoker's driving ability was clearly affected.
He reached the conclusion that heavy medical marijuana users might should be exempted for laws concerning operating a vehicle while under the effects of marijuana.

I can tell you for an absolute fact, that I would hire a heavy smoker over a drinker any day. And I would not hesitate to send them up a 40 foot ladder.
If I even so much as suspect they have had 1 drink, I will send them home or keep them on the ground.
The pot smokers come to work and stay at work. They stay focused.
The alcoholics miss work, want to leave early, and wander off.
When I find a painter hiding in a closet taking a nap, it is almost always a drinker.

The impairment effect on someone that is a casual smoker is noticeable though. And could be a really big problem on dangerous job sites.
This is also why people such as you, that have tried it once or twice, end up thinking it is an impairing drug. Logic would indicate that the more you smoke, the more impaired the person would be. And so your mind becomes set and hardened and you think you are right.
But you are not right. You are very wrong.
Finally a respectable Dr. such as Gupta has proven this as a fact.
 
I'm sorry but you just have no idea of what you are talking about. No idea what so ever.

You should watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta's special on CNN. He is a person that was just as ignorant on the subject as you are but then he decided to truly investigate.
Everyone that either knows a heavy pot smoker or has been one, all will tell you that the impairing effect for them is essentially zero.
The driving test on Dr. Gupta's investigative show also proved this.
Heavy smokers driving ability was hardly affected. Whereas the moderate or light smoker's driving ability was clearly affected.
He reached the conclusion that heavy medical marijuana users might should be exempted for laws concerning operating a vehicle while under the effects of marijuana.

I can tell you for an absolute fact, that I would hire a heavy smoker over a drinker any day. And I would not hesitate to send them up a 40 foot ladder.
If I even so much as suspect they have had 1 drink, I will send them home or keep them on the ground.
The pot smokers come to work and stay at work. They stay focused.
The alcoholics miss work, want to leave early, and wander off.
When I find a painter hiding in a closet taking a nap, it is almost always a drinker.

The impairment effect on someone that is a casual smoker is noticeable though. And could be a really big problem on dangerous job sites.
This is also why people such as you, that have tried it once or twice, end up thinking it is an impairing drug. Logic would indicate that the more you smoke, the more impaired the person would be. And so your mind becomes set and hardened and you think you are right.
But you are not right. You are very wrong.
Finally a respectable Dr. such as Gupta has proven this as a fact.

When I want to know about the latest advances in the war on toenail fungus, I'll see if Dr. Gupta has something to say, that is, after I've exhausted legitimate sources.

I've been an EMT for decades now, and I'm quite confident that I know whereof I speak.
 
Alcohol is one of the very few drugs in which death is a symptom of withdraw. And alcoholism is exceptionally destructive to both the victim and to his family. It leads to violence, abuse, betrayal, heart-break, prison, insanity and death. I still wouldn't want to outlaw it, because that would only create even more gang crime, but claiming that alcoholism is less destructive than a pot habit is greatly underestimating the destructive effects of alcoholism.


I didn't claim that alcoholism is less destructive than pot use. But I do believe that were heavy pot use as common as heavy alcohol use, the cost would be greater to society as a whole than alcohol use.

There are many reasons for this. One of the most important as I've said, is that constant heavy users tend to be constantly impaired. They also vote.

I've seen way too many people who I knew spent most evenings and weekends drunk but held down high skill jobs for years and provided for their families, and too many pot head mothers that forget to feed, wash or dress the kids and who lived on Public Assistance to think otherwise.

I ask you to reconsider, but this time, consider the effect not so much on the user, but the larger community he operates in.
 
I didn't claim that alcoholism is less destructive than pot use. But I do believe that were heavy pot use as common as heavy alcohol use, the cost would be greater to society as a whole than alcohol use.

There are many reasons for this. One of the most important as I've said, is that constant heavy users tend to be constantly impaired. They also vote.

I've seen way too many people who I knew spent most evenings and weekends drunk but held down high skill jobs for years and provided for their families, and too many pot head mothers that forget to feed, wash or dress the kids and who lived on Public Assistance to think otherwise.

I ask you to reconsider, but this time, consider the effect not so much on the user, but the larger community he operates in.

Do you have facts backing your claims up or are you basing your claims on personal experience?
 
Back
Top Bottom