Ruleboy said "Self governance by law abiding people that treat each other with respect is my bag."

I'm all for people that treat each other with respect. But 'self governance by law abiding people' seems a bit contradictory to me. How can one be truly self-governing unless the only laws one abides by are self-created and self-enforced? Or am I misinterpreting what you said?

Regarding 'decadence' - Webster's Dictionary defines 'decadence' as "marked by decay and decline" and "characterized by or appealing to self-indulgence".

When I'm bleary-eyed early in the morning, I'll often indulge myself with some coffee or Earl Grey tea, knowing that I feel more alert after a shot of caffiene. When I'm feeling sticky and yukky and tense I'll often light some candles, burn sweet incense and indulge myself in a long hot bubble bath, knowing that I'll feel more relaxed and content when I step out of the tub. And I often indulge my 'sweet tooth' by providing myself with various forms of chocolate (yum yum!) to enjoy after meals or at the end of a long day.

I know these things aren't physical necessities, and they're probably self-indulgent, but does that make them 'decadent'? Well, only if I drank a couple gallons of coffee, spent most of my time in the tub or ate chocolate by the pound every day! Then I'd probably be setting myself up for quite a serious decline!

IMO if people choose to indulge themselves by occasionally smoking a bit of cannabis, mild intoxicant that it is, this is no different than any of the self-indulgences I mentioned above. Furthermore, unless it presents an immediate threat to my well-being it's really none of my business. In my opinion, the only thing dangerous about cannabis (if it's used with common sense of course, like coffee and chocolate and alcohol) is the threat of being arrested and criminalized for using it.

As far as 'drug money' being used to support 'terrorism' goes, even if that's true (and that's a pretty big 'if') it's no different than the 'support' I give both sides of the 'war on terrorism' every time I buy gas. Most people I know who use cannabis would much rather grow their own than buy it from the 'crime-lords', but the present laws have made that impossible. Want to quit funding the 'drug lords'? Then, in the case of marijuana anyway, let people get back to growing it themselves if they want to use it. Simple.

Cocaine, however, is in a completely different ballpark because it is a chemical, not a plant. Coca in it's natural form is not harmful at all - it is in fact beneficial for the people who live high in the South American mountains where it grows. They chewed on the leaves for millenium because the mild effects helped to cope with the lack of oxygen at high altitudes. And it caused no health problems for anyone until Europeans discovered how to extract it's active ingredient to create a deadly drug many times more potent than it's natural form. And why did they do that? To make a profit! Same old story, very boring at this point.

daylia