BS: Legalize Pot?

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 07:49 AM

Or maybe "no tern unstoned"?

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 08:53 AM

One thing I should probably clarify here. I would be in favour of legalizing pot...IF it were done responsibly...but it wouldn't be!

Here's what I mean.

The responsible way to legalize pot would be to pass laws as follows:

You can legally grow and privately use your own pot on your own property...BUT...you can't sell it to the general public or market it through any licensed business whatsoever. Nor can you put it in a fancy package, advertise it, or give it any brand name.

You can use it, but you can't deal it.

This would put the power, and the decision back in the hands where it belongs, the hands of ordinary people.

The power is presently mostly in the hands of organized crime.

I know perfectly well that if pot were made legal the business community would leap joyfully at the opportunity to mass market it to the ordinary public, and that would undoubtedly have bad effects on society in a wider sense.

Do I think that this money-driven society would actually be responsible enough to enact such laws as I have described?????

No! I am sad to say that I don't think the politicians are that responsible. I think they would reward the highest bidder, by allowing big business to market the stuff. They always reward the highest bidder. That is the central sickness of this whole society. Money in the hand RIGHT NOW is seen as more important than life, health, Nature, or a viable future for mankind on this planet.

Therefore, given the prevailing idiocy of our society and our governments...I would not recommend totally legalizing pot at this time (sigh)...even though it's not very harmful to most people and helpful to some.

What I WOULD recommend is totally de-criminalizing personal use of pot (in private) and possession of small amounts of pot for personal use!!!! And I would de-criminalize growing small amounts of it on private property for personal use.

Simple.

What I would do, however, my stupid government is highly unlikely to ever do, because they are after money and power, not sanity and responsibility. They do not serve, they dominate, lie, and exploit.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: GUEST,Leave No Tern Unstoned (Throw Rocks at Them)
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 09:53 AM

"leave on turn unstoned".

pdq must have been stoned on Pot. That is why people call it DOPE!

Just kidding pdq we all make typos!

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 10:06 AM

Yeah, I always figured the name "dope" was perfect to describe those who used the stuff regularly. :-) I never in my life saw so much needless importance given to anything else as to dope by two diametrically opposite sets of people...

Dope-smokers and cops! They could've both spent their time more usefully on almost anything else whatsoever, I figure.

I think the whole situation is just ridiculous.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: pdq
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 10:41 AM

arr terns rHub-isdh?

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: dianavan
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 11:20 AM

Well, LittleHawk, I think you're right. The Fraser Institute is recommending legalization so that it can be taxed. Its just another idea for generating revenue so the laws would not be as open as you would wish. I agree - it should not be marketed. That way, personal use or growing it would be legal but it would still be illegal to sell it. There wouldn't be much of a market if they did that so it probably won't happen.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Peace
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 11:20 AM

A tern is a bird. Why are people getting them stoned?

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Once Famous
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 11:26 AM

Good arguements overall. But with the sake of sounding repetitive, I used it for 20 years and have abandonded it for the last 10.

It's very over rated as an enhancement to life and is bad for your health.

And yes, it can lead to harder drugs. My pot smoking crowd (who thankfully like myself has grown up and out of it) did occassionally harbor the opportunity to try other things like coke and acid. Someone in pot smoking group will always be the one to do the introducing of other drugs.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Peace
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 12:18 PM

I agree with Martin. Not that I ever did stuff like that--smoke, etc. But if I did ever smoke, I haven't for over two decades now.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Peace
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 12:29 PM

One more thing before I melt away into life. The person who offers hard drugs to either of my children will have great difficulty walking on two broken legs.

I live in a town that has a major methamphetamine problem. Problem is that the cops can't do a helluva lot about it. I was given a dirty look when I suggested that a few of us with baseball bats could help some wayward dealers see the error of their ways. Oh, well. When it comes to my kids, I will call the ambulance after the little talk.

And those who are about to tell me about the law: yeah, I've heard that one before.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Peace
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 12:34 PM

Sorry. That sounds quite bad, and it's a little strong. I'll clarify. If the law can't protect my kids, I will. There. That's better.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Cruiser
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 12:40 PM

Martin Gibson:

Thanks for coming clean (in more ways than one!)

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 01:57 PM

Martin -

You said, "And yes, it can lead to harder drugs. My pot smoking crowd (who thankfully like myself has grown up and out of it) did occassionally harbor the opportunity to try other things like coke and acid. Someone in pot smoking group will always be the one to do the introducing of other drugs."

Right. So the main problem is obviously (in my opinion) not the substance itself...the problem is the people you choose to hang out with while acquiring and taking the substance...and your own attitude toward things in general, which was my point.

Pot is not the problem. People's addictive attitude toward things is the problem. Some people are inclined toward substance abuse and abuse of their health and doing reckless things. Those people will find something else harmful to injest or do in the absence of pot...and they do. It's often something much more harmful than pot.

The important thing is not to allow it to be mass marketed. You cannot stop people from casually acquiring, growing, and using marijuana with ANY law, unless you wish to assign a cop to watch every single citizen 24 hours a day, which is not possible. Anyway, someone else would have to watch the cop! :-) Cops sometimes deal illegal drugs too.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 03:58 PM

Hasn't the UK decriminalized Pot?

I have Fuch's Syndrome. I know it has a funny name but similar to Glaucoma in that swelling in the eye causes me temporary blindness from time to time, I would like to determine if pot would help me.

Problem is, in the repressive regieme I live under, my family could lose the house, savings and child custody if the police had the excuse of finding pot here.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Cruiser
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 04:41 PM

Donuel,

Many of us, including me for certain, that do not want pot legalized for general use welcome marijuana as a legal drug for prescribed medicinal use only. It should be no different than codeine, morphine, etc.

Good luck,
Cruiser

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Donuel
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 06:34 PM

Wash DC passed a referendum for medical pot.
Problem is the Congressman from Georgia was able to hide/deny the results of the DC election for 2 years.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 07:25 PM

Donuel, I have some slight interest in this point as well, having had glaucoma most of my life. As you will see from the thread, I'm in favour of pot being treated much the same as other recreational drugs, but as I understand it, any clinical benefits have yet to be proven, and the potential side effects are not fully researched. (Apart from the obvious ones!)

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Bobert
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 08:25 PM

You got the Washington, DC refer-endum all wrong, Donuel... Everyone knew the results but Wsahington D.C., like Iraq, is an occupied territory... Oh sure, they have a mayor and city council and can do some things but if the Congressional Review Board don't like what's going down they have the ultimate veto power... Yep, purdy screwed up system and if anyone is thinking democracy here, firget it... Won't find it in D.C.... Sho nuff won't...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 08:31 PM

The UK hasn't decriminalized pot - but it's being put into a lower classification, along with steroids, rather than with heroin. That means reduced penalties. And in practice the police in some parts of the country are turning a blind eye to its use in many circumstances.
Having small quantities for personal use won't mean you get arrested, they'll just confiscate it. (And smoke it off duty?)

The basis rationale for this is to stop wasting police time, and the pressure for the change has come largely from the police.

It's a typical British fudge - and since it'll still be illegal to sell it, with increased penalties, people are still going to have to rely on illegal sources, which will often mean dealers who will cheerfully supply hard drugs as well.

And growing your own is still seen as seriously criminal. Which is of course very helpful to dope dealers, because it keeps them in business.

..........

"...if anyone out there reading this thread has a child with a hard-drug habit, what drug would you say from experience was their initial entry-point into habitual drug abuse?"

On the basis of years as a social worker I'd say in almost all cases that would be glue, tobacco or alcohol.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: dianavan
Date: 13 Jun 04 - 10:59 PM

I certainly would not advocate the use of pot for students of any age. While working with the deaf community, I realized how devasting smoking pot was for them. Seems it messes with your visual memory which makes it difficult to communicate if you're deaf. So its definitely out as a study tool for young people. It also messes with you motivation which could be alright recreationally but again, no good for studying.

Most of the people I know think its best for people 20-40 as a recreational drug. Makes you slow down and take another look. Its probably preferrable to alcohol. After age 40 its not very desirable - as if you need something to slow you down at that point in your life!

As far as getting their hands on it, teen-agers would have the same access as they do for alcohol - not legally. Of course they might get it the same way they get alcohol in the beginning - from their parents ' liquor cabinet or from their friends.

Its good medicine for people with MS, glaucoma and AIDS. Also helps with migraines and asthma, I hear. Wouldn't it be great if people had access to affordable medicine? Its the pharmaceutal companies and the criminals that do not want it to be legalized. Everyone else is just afraid of losing control over others.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 05:10 AM

For Gods sake will you people listen and stop trying to defend your own self abuse with cannabis. People have DIED on the drugs trail, weather they started via alcohol or pot is irrelevant they have DIED. I will keep it short and understandable, not a long winded attempt to justify smoking pot, people (human beings) have DIED from drugs.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 05:24 AM

You're right, GUEST, people HAVE died from drugs...let's take a quick look at which ones...


"Accidental death from prescription drugs, even when they are correctly given, is now the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S."


"Bad reactions to prescription and over-the-counter medicines kill more than 100,000 Americans and seriously injure an additional 2.1 million every year -- far more than most people realize, researchers say."


----------------------------------------------------------
Drug    Users          Deaths per Year         Deaths per 100,000
----------------------------------------------------------
Tobacco 60 million      390,000 (a)             650
alcohol 100 million    150,000 (b)             150
Heroin 500,000         400 (c)                80 (400)
Cocaine 5 million       200 (c)                4 (20)

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 05:24 AM

Advocating that something should be lagalised does NOT mean that you necessarily consider it harmless. The question is whether you think that legalising it would in the end cause less harm than keeping it illegal. And for that, research from other countries that have begun the decriminalisation process, and from experiences with legalisin/banning other substances, should be the deciding factor.

I know canabis can be dangerous - it is linked with increases in mental ill health such as depression and psychosis, as well as with lung cancer. But I still think that it is illegal causes more problems - mainly that it is far more likely to lead onto harder more addictive drugs because that is what the dealer makes more money out of. If you didnt have to come into contact with these dealers, you would be less likely to end up on "the slippery slope". Given that so many people already use, or have used, canabis, I consider it unlikely that decriminalisation would lead to a large increase in people using it.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Sttaw Legend
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 06:08 AM

Again Ellenpoly trying to justify your self abuse

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: GUEST,Bagpuss
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 06:14 AM

That last guest was me (including all the typos and terrible grammar...)

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 07:15 AM

Sttaw Legend, I was just trying to put things into perspective in my last posting.

I do not self-abuse any drug, including pot. It is extremely rare when I partake these days. Also, I don't smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, nor take an abundance of caffein. If I did, I wouldn't have been posting here, as I would have known that my own situation would make me a poor advocate for being able to discuss this clearly and without undue emotions.

That I have been able to try different drugs in the past, and walk away from them was mentioned only to indicate that while some people are not so lucky, and get caught up into an escalating use and abuse of many substances, not all do, and not all follow a specific order of what they become dependent on.

The issues are many here. The approach to dealing with them will be on as many levels. I think there has been some good discussion here, and I imagine it will continue.

..xx..e

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 07:26 AM

The real question is, why are so many other things that can be damngerous are allowed to be be grown and bought and sold quite openly? Spinach, for example. Or rhubarb.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Sweetfia
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 08:52 AM

Peas!!!! Now those nasty things should be made illegal! I hate the person who thought it would be a good idea to eat them...i don't know how many thimes my mum tried to force them down my neck when i was younger.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 09:32 AM

Dianavan, you hit it on the nose when you wrote: "Its the pharmaceutal companies and the criminals that do not want it to be legalized. Everyone else is just afraid of losing control over others."

Precisely. They're afraid of losing control over others...or they are simply terrified of a drug that they probably have heard lurid tales about...tales which bear little resemblance to the truth.

Get serious, people. There are an enormous number of things which are legal...and still dangerous...and most of them are more dangerous than pot. What makes them dangerous is their misuse BY the user. Reckless, irresponsible, addictive people do dangerous things with substances. And they will do it with alchohol and tobacco and cocaine, ert....regardless of whether or not they have access to marijuana.

The vital thing to do in the case of marijuana is NOT to allow it to be mass marketed (legally or illegally) but it is completely asinine to go after and persecute the user for their own self-abuse!!!! AS I HAVE SAID again and again, but GUEST isn't listening, it seems.

Dear GUEST...who exactly is trying to "justify their own self-abuse", as you say? Not me. I detest the smell of marijuana, I pity the people who rely upon it daily to fill up their empty heads, and I do NOT use it!!!! Get off your self-righteous throne and smell the fresh air.

The reason I advocate not prosecuting users is because it simply causes more harm in society and does not address the problem in a workable or useful fashion. I advocate the law leaving the casual user alone, banning the public sale of the substance...and thereby preventing the following people from cashing in and addicting thousands of people...

a) criminals
b) the pharmaceutical industry
c) the government (who would love to tax the sale of legal marijuana and get more revenue...if it was legal to sell the stuff...therefore they flirt with the idea of legalizing it now and then)

Don't fucking accuse me of trying to justify my nonexistant self-abuse! I don't even drink coffee, for God's sake! Substance abuse is not my style.

Furthermore, someone who does use marijuana occasionally...and has never done any harm to anyone else because of it should not be harassed by you for doing so. Are you already perfect and totally free of all self-indulgent habits and addictive behaviours? I wonder.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 10:34 AM

Little Hawk, if you do not fall into the accused (your words) category why bother replying, my comment, from what you have said, was obviously not aimed at you. My main point is people DIE from drugs.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 12:21 PM

I give up. What's the point in trying to debate, when experience is rubbished in favour of politically-correct, pseudo-intellectual, latter-day-hippy dogma, not to mention a fair helping of bullshit and wishful thinking? I'll stick to the music threads, you meet a saner class of people there. Bye y'all.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Once Famous
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 12:35 PM

Strollin'Johnny

thanks for the very accurate description.

"politically-correct, pseudo-intellectual, latter-day-hippy dogma not mention a fair helping of bullshit and wishful thinking"

Absolutely perfect.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 12:56 PM

Okay, GUEST, I recognize that your comment was not aimed at me. I think, though, that you are assuming too much in aiming it at Ellenpoly as well. As far as I know she's a pretty smart person with her own life well under control and she is notably addicted to only this: reading books. :-)

If a law is in fact unenforcable in the broad sense and cannot stop people from privately exercising free choice IN their own privacy...what use is it? I am in favour of a law restricting the SALE of marijuana and hash...just not a law attacking the user, that's all. The (heavy) user is not the problem, he/she is the recipient of the problem...otherwise known as "the victim".

I do not favour laws which target victims. Remember...they used to put poor people in jail for debt at one time (read Dicken's novels). Once in jail they, of course, were basically unable to get OUT of debt and they rotted there in total despair and usually died there. This was another case of a law which was attacking a social problem in entirely the wrong way.

I think that the reason you, GUEST, want the law to go after the victim of marijuana is because you are personally afraid of marijuana. I am not. It's not something that scares me in the least (having been around hundreds of casual users who were totally harmless people for years and years), but draconian laws and drug dealers both worry me considerably. They are both dangerous to ordinary people.

Do you understand my position on that? I'd like to know if you do.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 01:20 PM

I'll stick to the music threads, you meet a saner class of people there.

You meet much the same people. It's just that you don't get in such a towering rage when they don't agree with you, Strollin' Johnny.

And noone ever seems to advocate banning all music in the key of C#, for example, or sending people to jail because they use a non-standard tuning.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Once Famous
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 03:07 PM

I think the key of C# should be banned.

And do not attempt to call it Db to get away with it!

You would, also if you played upright bass.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Peace
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 03:29 PM

Whew! That means we can keep B double sharp.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 04:15 PM

No need to be shy, GUEST...

How 'bout you, Martin? Do you understand what I'm saying? Let's hear your thoughts.

And Strollin' Johnny...we are ALL speaking from direct experience of the matter we're discussing, not just you. For various reasons we have drawn different conclusions from that experience. I have no vested interest in defending marijuana use (and I don't defend it) but I do have a vested interest in defending people's jurisdiction over their own private lives when they are not hurting other people in the process.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Once Famous
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 04:25 PM

Little Hawk

the victimless crime arguement is old and tired. If one ir irresponsible enough to do drugs, they are just as irresponsible enough to get behind the wheel of a car and do so. And of course they will. Same with booze. And they throw the book at you for driving under the influence, last I heard.

It's like prostitution. who really gets harmed? How about the people in the neighborhood who have to put up with hookers and streetwalkers and the used condoms in the alley?

Sorry, pal. There's always going to be victims.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 04:42 PM

Yeah, sure...but they already do that. :-) Despite the law. Besides, I would still be in favour of charging a person for the infraction of driving under the influence (of either dope or liquor)...because then he is a threat to other people...and the potential crime is no longer victimless.

So where do we disagree?

What I am saying is that the law should not have the right to invade people's homes and arrest them...for drinking a drink, growing a marijuana plant, smoking a cigarette, reading pornography, possessing an ounce for private use, or smoking a joint. The law has no business coming into someone's home like that, because that someone has not committed a crime against anyone and is not about to. If they're driving on a public road that's a whole different matter. They are then in a position to directly affect other people.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Once Famous
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 05:05 PM

When a guy burns 2 doobs and leaves his house 15 minutes later thinking he's just fine and not smoking and driving, I still say there are victims.

Also, any of the the things that you mentioned really doesn't do much to enhance the society that we live in does it? Not to be preachy, but really, are any of the things you mentioned something that you would say is a good role model action for a kid to see?

Aren't we all victims if our society, our culture, is pulled down?

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 05:36 PM

"Aren't we all victims if our society, our culture, is pulled down?"

True enough, and that is what the drug rackets tend to do - and prohibition is an absolutely central factor in keeping the drug rackets going.

Both drug rackets - the dealers and the drug enforcement people. It's called symbiosis, they need each other to survive.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Blackcatter
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 06:11 PM

Come on Martin - that's the stupidest argument. Don't blame the pot for that idiot driving, etc. when he's stoned. Many drugs do the same think.

When you bring up that kind of point, you remove ANY creditability you might have.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 06:12 PM

Agreed, Martin...all these practices you mentioned drag down society. However, I don't think that gives police the right to come into people's houses and arrest them...basically because they don't fit someone else's definition of "normality" or "acceptability". If they are actually threatening bodily harm to a partner or child, against their consent, and with violence or implied violence, THEN the police have the right to come in. Otherwise, I don't think they do.

Put it this way: In a society practicing strict legal temperance a policeman can come into your own home and arrest you for drinking one glass of wine or beer or just for having it in the house. Do you think that's right? I don't. The reason we don't think it's right is partly because we think it's "normal" to have alcoholic drinks around sometimes, but someone else might think it's not normal at all. That someone else could demand a law to allow the police to arrest people for the above situation.

Someone else could think it's not normal to pray in one's own house, or NOT to pray in one's own house, or to read certain banned books in one's own house, or any damned thing under the sun...because they thought it was unacceptable or abnormal to do so.

They have no right to force their version of normality on another person by the power of the law in the privacy of that other person's own home.

To millions of people it is "normal" to light up a joint in their own home. To me it isn't. I do not presume to bring the law down on them because they are a little different from me. You apparently do presume so. That appears to be the difference in our positions.

I agree that using drugs...pretty well all drugs...drags down society. You can't attack this sort of thing with punitive laws in my opinion...and you don't have the right to.

What will you do if other people start telling you what YOU can drink, smoke, eat, read, or do in the privacy of your own home, and it interferes with what to you is perfectly normal? What then?

Is your normality superior to other people's normality? Is it the "best" way or the "only" way to be normal? (rhetorical question :-))

I think not. I think there are a million ways to be normal, and at least half of them are quite arbitrary.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 06:51 PM

Sttaw Legend, it wouldn't be much of a debate if everyone on your side of the argument was stuck at your level of debate (as exemplified by your gratuitous comment about Ellenpolly).

Some effective points have been made here about the harm that can be done by pot, which have given me pause for thought. But no-one in my view has come close to explaining how the outlawing of its use and/or supply can help. Certainly not Strolling Johnny, who was wise to take himself out of this thread, since he is either unwilling or incapable of addressing the issues. I fear he was over-milking his family experience a little if he thought it entitled him to dismiss those of us who have dissenting views as politically correct latter-day hippies etc.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Peace
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 09:05 PM

I am a politically-incorrect latter-day hippy. I think some people should NOT be allowed to smoke. Imagine Bush after a few tokes. Jaysus, he can't think too well at the best of times. "So, what DO I tell the people about weapons of tax deduction?"

Airline pilots--hey man, you ever see this thing before? Wonder what it does?

Surgeons--hey man, you ever see this thing before? Wonder what it does?

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Blackcatter
Date: 14 Jun 04 - 10:30 PM

Hey Brucie,

You should see the list of legal drugs that commercial pilots cannot use within a certain amount of time prior to flying. A close friend just retired from being a captain for Delta. part of the requirements are no Benydril-like drugs for 36 hours prior to flying. Aspirin and the like are about the only meds they can fly with.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 12:01 AM

Oh, if we could only pass another 150,000 criminal laws that would make everything totally safe and wonderful for the "good, respectable people" in society...................................................................................NOT!

Life will never be easy for those who like to decide and control the lifestyles and private moral practices of others. Nor will they ever find enough laws or cops to manage it.

Bloody good thing too! Stalin and Hitler and Mao all gave it a really good shot in their time. I don't need another Stalin, Hitler or Mao to make me feel "safe" when I go to bed at night.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 04:08 AM

Little Hawk,
Point accepted should not have aimed my comment at Ellenpoly (but I do think she is big enough to stick up for herself). As far as being afraid, I am concerned about any drug in the whole drug cycle that may eventually leads to death. I do understand and agree with your position on drug dealers.

Strollin Johnny,
I don't believe you will ever give up.

Peter K (Fionn),
I do hope you are never in a position to be "over-milking family experience" you self appointed prick.

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 04:29 AM

GUEST, I am of course big enough to stand up for myself as I believe I've been doing here, but I'm also grateful for others who have underlined that if one resorts to attacking the poster just because they don't agree with what has been said, the discussion at hand gets lost in the crossfire.

Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. That is assuredly the pleasure of Mudcat, whether above or below the line. We share what we know, what we feel, and what we wish to learn, and for that and the people I'm growing to know via this site, I'm grateful.

As in so many discussions here, we are not likely to change too many opinions, but if we can stay open to the possiblility that each person has something to share that may be of worth, if in only sometimes to increase our acknowledgment of our differences then we are often ahead of the game.

..xx..e

Subject: RE: BS: Legalize Pot?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 05:35 AM

Presumably, those people here who are choosing to "slag off" others who have an opinion, are pot smokers or drug takers themselves....Is there anyone on this thread who does not smoke pot that feels it should be legalised??????.