marijuana should be legal?

[Heller]

how do you feel about mary jane? i'm curious to AAT's opinion about this, as it can be a sensitive subject.

I'm biased so i won't say my opinion.

 

[bamacre]

Legalize it and treat it much like alcohol.

We spend billions of dollars every year trying to keep it out of our borders and can't even keep it out of our schools.

 

[Heller]

Originally posted by: bamacre
Legalize it and treat it much like alcohol.

We spend billions of dollars every year trying to keep it out of our borders and can't even keep it out of our schools.

wow, i like you.

 

[yllus]

What's the second A in AAT stand for?

 

[Noobtastic]

Legalize all drugs.

Every human being has the right to put what they want into their bodies. The government is meant to guide the people, not CONTROL THEM. We've spent almost a trillion dollars with this "war on drugs" and all it's caused is more crime and more prisoners.


A quarter of all inmates are being imprisoned for non-violate drug-related felonies. You have any idea how much it costs to house a a prisoner in MINIMUM SECURITY for a single year? $30,000. Add 100k for every security upgrade. Multiply that by 500,000 and you'll have roughly the amount of cash we waste in babysitting citizens for silly "crimes".

It's ABSURD.

edit: Oh, and then we can TAX the drugs. Cha-ching.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Originally posted by: bamacre
Legalize it and treat it much like alcohol.

We spend billions of dollars every year trying to keep it out of our borders and can't even keep it out of our schools.

:thumbsup:

Not only that, the money we'd make off it's taxation would be plentiful.

 

[bamacre]

Unfortunately none of the front-runners even talk about the problem. Hillary, McCain, Obama, none of them even talk about the problem, assuming that the status quo is working. IIRC, Paul was the only candidate that addressed the war on drugs, and we all know he has no chance. Like a lot of other issues, people talk about it, but don't want to do anything about it.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

"It's not a war on drugs, it's a war on personal freedom. Keep that in mind at all times. Thank you." ~Bill Hicks

 

[NoStateofMind]

But if its legalized the U.S. GDP will go down

 

[Heller]

Originally posted by: yllus
What's the second A in AAT stand for?

anandtech?


But i do not agree letting more harmful drugs (coke/meth/heroin) should be legal, those are more sophisticated drugs that do long term harm on the body.

 

[BoomerD]

Legalize Marijuana, tax it and sell it just like liquor. This will have several benefits:
1) The revenue from the taxes could help eliminate the federal debt
2) Removing criminal penalties would reduce the number of police, judges, jailers needed.
3) Snack food sales would skyrocket, improving both the economy and tax base

I don't support the concept of legalizing ALL drugs, because, in spite of the "personal freedoms" issues, many drugs are just too harmful to the body.

 

[Heller]

Hey boom, you trying to tell us something in your sig?

Certified Reefer Addict

 

[Comanche]

We have a hard enough time trying to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, let alone doubling the problem with legalizing drugs.

Do you really want to have that many more people driving cars down the road stoned? It is bad enough as it is.

 

[Noobtastic]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
Legalize Marijuana, tax it and sell it just like liquor. This will have several benefits:
1) The revenue from the taxes could help eliminate the federal debt
2) Removing criminal penalties would reduce the number of police, judges, jailers needed.
3) Snack food sales would skyrocket, improving both the economy and tax base

I don't support the concept of legalizing ALL drugs, because, in spite of the "personal freedoms" issues, many drugs are just too harmful to the body.

Who cares if they're harmful??


Cigarettes are the most dangerous drugs statistically. If cigs are the most dangerous and addicting drugs on the planet, why aren't heroin, crack, and meth also legal?

What's the purpose of persecuting drug users? Honestly?? Why waste billions of dollars in imprisoning crack heads for 20+ years. Why don't we throw in the millions of people who smoke cigarettes and pollute the environment (in addition to making everyone else vomit) in prison as well??

Nobody CARES about health. This war on drugs is about MONEY and POLITICS. Peoples' lives are being ruined because of this phony war, and hundreds of millions of tax payers are forced to continue the tab.

Amsterdam has a LOWER crime rate than the safest US city. There is NO correlation between legal drugs and violence.

 

[Noobtastic]

Originally posted by: Comanche
We have a hard enough time trying to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, let alone doubling the problem with legalizing drugs.

Do you really want to have that many more people driving cars down the road stoned? It is bad enough as it is.

That's punishing people for crimes they didn't commit.

This isn't 1984 yet.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: Comanche
We have a hard enough time trying to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, let alone doubling the problem with legalizing drugs.

Do you really want to have that many more people driving cars down the road stoned? It is bad enough as it is.

Hell, that's an easy one. Since you believe that laws affect people's behavior, that folk won't drive on drugs if they are illegal, you can solve all the other issues that are negative about drug laws by legalizing the use of drugs, but making it punishable by death for driving under their influence.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Heller

Originally posted by: yllus
What's the second A in AAT stand for?

anandtech?


But i do not agree letting more harmful drugs (coke/meth/heroin) should be legal, those are more sophisticated drugs that do long term harm on the body.

The guy's name is Anand - as it's one word, and Tech is another, AT is the proper acronym.


Legalize it.
We jail people for possession of marijuana, but not tobacco or alcohol.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Legalize it and tax it. States will save money in the area of criminal justice and they'll, gain tax revenue, and new legitimate businesses will spring up.

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: bamacre
Legalize it and treat it much like alcohol.

We spend billions of dollars every year trying to keep it out of our borders and can't even keep it out of our schools.

Exactly - we shouldn't be spending so much money keeping it out. We should be EARNING money by taxing it.

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: Heller

Originally posted by: yllus
What's the second A in AAT stand for?

anandtech?


But i do not agree letting more harmful drugs (coke/meth/heroin) should be legal, those are more sophisticated drugs that do long term harm on the body.

Anand is a name. It's just AT

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: Comanche
We have a hard enough time trying to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, let alone doubling the problem with legalizing drugs.

Do you really want to have that many more people driving cars down the road stoned? It is bad enough as it is.

If they're unable to smoke and drive then they'll just drink and drive. What's the difference? These people will be irresponsible with whatever substance unless they can't get any of them.

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: Rockinacoustic

Originally posted by: bamacre
Legalize it and treat it much like alcohol.

We spend billions of dollars every year trying to keep it out of our borders and can't even keep it out of our schools.

:thumbsup:

Not only that, the money we'd make off it's taxation would be plentiful.

:thumbsup:

Edit: This thread needs more pollage

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: Comanche
We have a hard enough time trying to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, let alone doubling the problem with legalizing drugs.

Do you really want to have that many more people driving cars down the road stoned? It is bad enough as it is.

As it is now, if you want some weed you go get it from a minor.

Let the gov sell/monitor it, take it out of the hands of kids and criminals.

Fern

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: bamacre
Legalize it and treat it much like alcohol.

We spend billions of dollars every year trying to keep it out of our borders and can't even keep it out of our schools.

Exactly:
+ Tax revenue
+ Savings from reduced enforcement costs
+ Savings from keeping people out of the courts and prison
+ Takes billions out of the hands of drug cartels, denying them money for weapons and soldiers, reducing the amount of drug-related violence

Decriminalizing stronger drugs is not as clear-cut, though I lean towards personal freedom and personal responsibility instead of the nanny state.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Comanche
We have a hard enough time trying to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors, let alone doubling the problem with legalizing drugs.

Do you really want to have that many more people driving cars down the road stoned? It is bad enough as it is.

Wow... faulty logic FTL.