Legalizing weed, cont.

[The Death]

(Due to some technical problem i can't post a replay to the original thread, so i continue it here)

Someone wizer than me (not a tough tast, BTW) already said once that history is our best guide to the future. So, let us examine the history:

Alcohol was always a big part of the American sociaty. Look at American TV shows - there is always the alcohol motive. When she takes him to her apartment, she offers a drink. 'Cool dads' are the dads that son't give a sh!t about anything, and sit on the couch all day, watching TV and drinking beer.

The American sociaty, for fact, wants alcohol.

At January 1920, a new law took place - All trading, production and drinking of alcohol was frobidden. As that occured, the American sociaty was going down like a snow trailer at the slopes of France:
* Consumption of alcohol increased from 140 million gallons (at 1921) to 800 million gallons (at 1930)
* The law tripped good citizens to become "criminals"
* Moonshine was produced, and his consumption caused many people to be mimed or just die.
* Organized crime was at his peak.

The enforcement of the law was impossible and took alot of resources. Finally, the law was canceled (at December 1933).

The above clearly shows - You cannot force the sociaty against it's will and desire. Alcohol was not the desire of few, but the vast part of the American sociaty.

Same thing will happen with various drugs, as the sociaty will become aware of them. If the same will happen - people will decide that the benefit of smoking weed is greater than the bad side of it - legalization will come.

As for what Kabab said - lowering the punishment - i think this is just wrong. The whole idea of laws is that the punishment and enformenct outweigh the risk, so people decide not to commit the crime at all. If people will start see that the risk in smoking weed is not great - they will do it more oftenly. If you'd give the death penelty for each and every possible crime - the crime rate will drop in few years. Also, it will be much harder to shape sociaty and improve it. You must keep a certin relation between the penalty and the crime - so people will find the crime less attractive AND will suffer a fair punishment if they slip.

 

[Kabab_k]

U've didnt understood me perfectly, I think.
lets be more practical. this is not a secret that a high percent of our society smoking weed, and won't stop becuz of a law. the problem is that every kid today is educated by his parents/school/media etc that weed is a drug in the same level as chemical drugs and even heroin. I mean, they don't do this separation. now, an innocent kid that have been educated by this "theory" going out with his freinds and they convince him to smoke weed. after he'll see that there aren't any harm by this so called drug, and the fun in great. why wouldn't him now try other (addictive) drugs?
if there will be legalization many of those innocent kids will become in a while junkies. so the problem as we can see is in the education. before we should legalize anything we must educate a whole generation about this separation between weed and other drugs. and a thing like that dont achieved in a day or two, many some years. so by we starting this "education project" its recommended to stop this police provocation against weed smokers.
propaganda is the game, lets play !

 

[Itay]

just enter the link in my signature

 

[Mikael is God]

first i'd just like to say - i dont really care if they legalize marijuana or not becuase i can get it easily and smoke it easily right now with no problem... so why the fuck should i care

but i think they should legalize it... selling weed on the street would be pointless so drug dealers would stop, and they are usually scumbags anyway. Now, lets say someones having weed and they realize its not affecting them as good as it used to..... do you think that if they can waltz into a store and get it easily for a lower price any time they want, that they would rather spend more money on another drug that is illegal and harder to get? i think not

 

[The Death]

The problem with drugs is addiction. I see no good in looking at addiction with scales (more addictive, less addictive...) - we should look at it as one concept. Now, drugs are addictive. So is coffee, cigs, glue, TV, shopping network, etc. What is the point in allowing one addiction over another? i don't know. They will all bring the addict down at some point if he can't control them.

In a utopic state, education will be of much higher level - students will learn to make the right choices for themselves. At today's far-from-utopic state, students learn to make the choices that someone up there thinks are right (not doing drugs).

I think every person should have the freedom to mistake, to fall into addiction, to ruin his life. The thing that should be taken care of is, IMO, the concept of making the right decisions. Today's commoner make stupid choices because of irrelevant things - his friends' opinios, fashion, popularity, etc. If one could make choices upon a good basis - his current state in life, his financial records, his religious belief - then most choces will probably be good.

Another thing to keep in mind is that what is good for you might not be good for others: A 70 years old male with no familly, IMO, should try drugs such as heroin, LSD, PCP and others even if it will kill him. A 30 years old female who trully believes in reincarnation can do whatever she feels like - because she trully believe that her life now are just another phase in a neverending circle. An atheist 16 years old boy should not try heroin, because he knows that it will probably ruin his entire future, and because in his believe he has only one chance in life.

Bottom line: I suggest thinking about that sort of things for few days, and trying to clear irrelevant factors such as popularity and fashions. After this kind of thinking - every choice is welcome.

P.S
If you legalize something, it will probably be safer and cheaper - it will force marketing, competition between manufactorers, and govermental supervision. Think about it.

 

[Kabab_k]

Agree. but it too complex to explain it how u did... I mean, u've said that anyone should do what he wants, but in your other massege u said that everyone should respect the law.
anyway, impressing way of thinking.

 

[Despot]

Originally I wasn't going to post here because I had a feeling that my opinion wouldn't be very popular, but something The Death said changed my mind.

"...people will decide that the benefit of smoking weed is greater than the bad side of it..."

What exactly is the benefit of smoking weed? I know a few people that consume marijuana, and they are all losers. Most of them have no lives, except for writing bullshit non-sense stories, and bitching about how much government sucks because pot is illegal. I doubt all consumers are like this though.
I don't give a fuck if marijuana is legalized, it doesn't affect me in a slightest way. What does piss me off, however, is when the same substance is being glorified.

 

[Kabab_k]

Originally posted by Despot
Originally I wasn't going to post here because I had a feeling that my opinion wouldn't be very popular, but something The Death said changed my mind.

"...people will decide that the benefit of smoking weed is greater than the bad side of it..."

What exactly is the benefit of smoking weed? I know a few people that consume marijuana, and they are all losers. Most of them have no lives, except for writing bullshit non-sense stories, and bitching about how much government sucks because pot is illegal. I doubt all consumers are like this though.
I don't give a fuck if marijuana is legalized, it doesn't affect me in a slightest way. What does piss me off, however, is when the same substance is being glorified.

yeah! what the benefit listening to metal neither? enery1 that listening to metal is just a stupid drunk psycho freak with no freinds.

 

[Despot]

That's the single dumbest thing I ever heard. You're on a fucking Opeth message board and you're saying:

" enery1 that listening to metal is just a stupid drunk psycho freak with no freinds."

I don't know if you realized this, but you just insulted yourself. Oops.

 

[Kabab_k]

gravely sarcastic u r despot, ha?

 

[The Death]

Despot - quted me in a way that looks like i think that people will find the benefits outweigh the bad-sides. No. I am no prophet, i can't tell what the people will think and do. I know that they MIGHT decide that way.

Now, if you wish to discuss the benefits, it is a different story. I have never tried pot in my life, and that is because i hate smoking. I hate cigarretes, cigars, pipes and nargilas just the same. I have tried alcohol, though. I like it. It makes me feel good. I enjoy drinking it. I guess it is kinda the same way with drugs. But maybe someone with more actual experience would do better to tell... (a hint).

 

[hibernal_dream]

Weed's not addictive at all. Perhaps slightly more than alcohol....

 

[Kabab_k]

Weed is addictive in a different way, mental way. I mean, the thing with other addictions is that your body force you physically to use them. with weed, if u'll smoke it every day, in a period of like an year, u MIGHT get addictiove mentally to the "feeling". something like internet addiction maybe.
anyway, its nothing compare to nicotine, alcohol, etc...

 

[foxdvd]

I feel the laws on weed should be lightened. Maybe make it illegal to sell it, or consume it in public, but legal to smoke at home. The reason I do not want it made legal, is because once it is legal, government will try to control it. First you will see regulations on how strong it is. It will be next to impossible to get stoned unless you smoke 30 joints. Regulations will be put in place making it hard to grow it yourself, and when you grow it, only certain strands of weakened weed. Over time, you will see the same thing happen to weed as is happening to cigarettes. It would be better if it stayed underground, but enforcement of the law was less.

Original tobacco would get you high just like weed, but those forms have long since been worked out.