Legalize It

barc0debaby - 6-11-2010 at 10:38 AM

BDx13 - 6-11-2010 at 11:05 AM

First off, this dude pretty entertaining...
"number two is grapes, if you care"
"we can tax the silly stuff"

I've never really thought through the different issues on this topic, but it sure does seem like there is some money to be made by the government and legitimate business if marijuana was legalized.

tireironsaint - 6-11-2010 at 11:19 AM

Best arguments I've ever heard. Of course, most of the time the argument is just a bunch of patchouli smelling, dreaded, suburban white kids yelling out slogans while wearing tie dye and sandals and blasting Bob Marley, so it's not like he had to work hard to beat that shit. Still, as someone with over 21 years of sobriety, I can support this.

BDx13 - 6-11-2010 at 12:09 PM

^ that is exactly the problem i've had with the legalization position in the past. which, clearly, was never the actual position, but rather, the people delivering it. "it's great for the earth maaaan!" fuck off, stinky.

JawnDiablo - 6-11-2010 at 12:27 PM

BD: "it's great for the earth maaaan!" fuck off, stinky.
I like that.

BKT - 6-11-2010 at 12:42 PM

I have fro a long time and will continue to agree with everything that he said in that interview. Much of the world needs to pull their fucking head out their asses and legalize all of this shit. Same goes for prostitution. If it was done it would not only be safe, but would also more or less put and end to the organized crime as we know it. I am sure this will never happen, but believing that it will one day is one of the few things that keeps me from wanting to aid in the annihilation of the human race.

BKT.

barc0debaby - 6-11-2010 at 01:48 PM

There was a community meeting in a neighboring city of mine regarding medical marijuana dispensaries. A few of my friends went and there was just a gang of people standing outside the building who were all in support of the reefer. They were all asking each other when the meeting was going to start and no one had a clue. Then someone happened to walk out the front door and said that the meeting was already over.

And that is why weed won't be legal.

random - 6-11-2010 at 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by barc0debaby
There was a community meeting in a neighboring city of mine regarding medical marijuana dispensaries. A few of my friends went and there was just a gang of people standing outside the building who were all in support of the reefer. They were all asking each other when the meeting was going to start and no one had a clue. Then someone happened to walk out the front door and said that the meeting was already over.

And that is why weed won't be legal.

Reminds me of the episode of The Simpsons when Homer is put on medical marijuana, and they have the "Vote No" (or yes, I don't remember which) rally only to realize that the vote was the day before.

Jason the Magnificent - 6-11-2010 at 03:48 PM

Those "six groups" love that people see this as a hippy issue. Keep the public out of their pockets.

random - 6-11-2010 at 04:14 PM

Just watched the video. Thought I would hate it before, since I'm guessing reason.tv, like the magazine Reason, is a libertarian rag. Video was really good.

The only thing I really disagree with is the terrorist part. Legalizing marijuana (and, more importantly, other drugs) will initially just make the "terrorists" (probably even more) money and turn them into legitimate businesspeople. The only difference it will make in Afghanistan is to turn people from criminals into businessmen overnight. Over time, with a wider change in drug policy worldwide, that will likely change.

He also raises an interesting point about legalization and the "Holland effect." In Zurich, they tried a new approach with the "needle park" in the 90s, which didn't last. Now, addicts get legal dope. Not methadone. Nope, the government gives them heroin and lets them shoot up. The general impression is that heroin lost its glamor and is viewed more as a pathetic endeavor, which seems to have driven down demand. I think they went from about 1000 new addicts on government heroin each year down to about 100 a year now.

The main thing I think he's overlooking is parents who are addicts, and how things get messy when you want to take away (protect) kids from an addict parent when they're addicted to a legal substance. That's a difficult issue, just as it would be if prostitution was legal and a woman was seeing clients in her home while the kids were there. We might all have some knee-jerk responses, but it is a difficult thing to deal with in practice, especially when you can't exactly have the police go around documenting legal activity.

All that being said, this guy is a step in the right direction for dealing with the "war on drugs."

Murk - 6-11-2010 at 08:09 PM

good shit!

the only thing i think that guy could've added is that if you look at the history of how marijuana and cocaine became illlegal, it was all based on the platform that black people do it, black people are scary and dangerous, therefore, if it isn't made illegal, your life will be scary and dangerous.

nine out of ten times, if you find someone who truly feels that smoking weed is THE dumbest thing someone can do or it will ruin your life, chances are they look at black people as undesirable animals across the board.

that train is rarely late.