Sard: No worries. UW has a program for this.

Moe: I might agree, but there does need to be an apparatus in place to direct youth (under 18) away from pot. It can have side effects that WILL harm a childs development emotionally and mentally. Kids (12 to 17-18) are out to "get stoned", not just catch a buzz. That heavy of use will affect their school performance and have an effect on their future abilities to perform technical jobs. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but in general youth does not moderate their use of such a drug.

I believe in legal use of marijuana as a medication, and if the laws were set up right would agree (vote for) it's legalization and taxation for recreational use just like liquor, so long as safeguards to keep young kids away from it were in place.

Mike

C'mon Aunty, we've been there already yet. You are seeming a bit testy. Another example of why a woman would make a lousy president. Mood swings.lol
I would vote for a pot law change that made it easier for needy medical recepients to get the meds they need. I would also vote for a serious rap in the pocketbook for the MDS that become peddlers in the prescription racket that's bound to follow.

Makes sense to me. Gonadal transplants are very expensive. Although there are so many in the political arena that seem to have rejection problems they may be more common than I thought. I agree on Condi. And although I like what little I know of the First Lady, I wouldn't vote for her either.
Now Zell Miller or Stormin' Norman would get a second look. And rejected Joe looks better now than he ever did as a VP candidate.
I still think we oughta draft our Presidents.

If I were King (not "the king") for a day, I'd eliminate half the crime in this country by legalizing all drugs. Period. And I would't try taxing every then legal drug. That would just drive more of the trade back underground, where it's most profitable. Then the big profit would disappear from the now illicit drug trade and pharmacutical grade everything would be cheap, for those who want it. Not to mention the more than $100 billion a year we spend on this unwinnable war.

Take a fraction of the money spent on the war on drugs and spend it on drug education and rehab for those who want it. Those who would blow their minds, let 'em; society is better off without them. But the rehab would be society's way of extending a helping hand to those who want to pull themselves out of it.

Perfect! I could not agree more. I don't think most teenagers have the disipline or mindset to manage their responcibilities in school, work, home or society in general, where consumption of alcohol and marijuana are concerned. It seems to stiffle most kids motivation to accel. For this reason I think it is the resoncibility of a parent or parents that are pro-weed to be hypocritical and hide that fact from their kids until thay are older. I don't know a single kid I grew up with whose parents let them sit around and smoke dope in high school who is not a total loser, today. And I knew a lot of them. In fact, most of them are over weight and still live at home today. LOSERS.

On the other hand, I believe people who have moved on through college or have succeeded in a carrier they enjoy and are passionate about their intrests in life without letting their use of alcohol or marijuana alter their personalities in a negative way, should be judged on the merits of their accomplishments and not be sterio-typed with the lackies.

Yes, I have put the stuff away since my kids became "aware". Sad but true. And you are right about the ones who partook regularly in HS (even JHS!). They fell off-track for the most part. I never inhaled until my USMC pals at Pendleton turned me on in my early 20's. Oorah!

It's harder for a teenager to get booze than weed. That's because booze is legal and regulated.

Kids can still get it, but it requires way more effort.

I'm with Salmo. Legalize everything and let people be. Remove the prohibition, and you remove much of the profit motive. The crime that surrounds the drug trade would diminish.

Of course, if a politician was to propose such a position they'd be crucified as being pro-drug. I guess that would normally be better than pro-idiocy, but not in politics.

We have been 'winning" the war on drugs vere since I was 12. Now that's a loooog time.

Legalize pot, tax the hell out of it and use the money to fight hard drugs.

Wow - just discovdered this part of the BB - great topic.

It amazes me that "society" finds alcohol to be legal and weed not. People who who are drunk are way more aggressive and their physical control is affected to a much higher degree.

Potential confrontation w/someone who just toked: "hey man, it's cool - how ya doin'"

Potential confrrontation w/someone who's drunk: "what the F you lookin' at a-hole - f you - etc. etc. till it leads to blows.

I work in the creative/advertising industry and most people in this industry are highly educated, and earn much higher than average salaries (hence contribute more than most to society in taxes). I'd say close to 50% of the people in my industry smoke weed either occasionally or regularly and do so responsibly. It sucks that these people are criminals for responsibly enjoying a naturally occuring herb. I agree that it should be kept from under-age users who are not at a point in their life to make a responsible choice about if/how/when to use it. Same as Alcohol, porno, voting, etc. Some people just need to chill and and take a sip off a bong. What a great way to relax and enjoy your evening - quick, effective, simple, without the loss of major motor skills or causing aggressive, confrontational behavior.

My .02

The war on drugs is a farce. Employment security for some Federal employees. However, I think it sad that you gotta smoke some dope to have a good time. The same applies for alcohol for that matter.
Legalize hemp farming. Give our agricultural denizens some market share.

We eat sweets because they taste good. We have sex because it feels good. We fish because it's an adrenaline rush. Everything we enjoy in life is the result of stimulating brain chemisty one way or another. We don't *gotta* do anything.

I really must agree with most of you on this thread. The "war on drugs" is hilarious. cocaine is south america's #1 cash crop (even more than coffee). How much has our government profited off of the prohibition of drugs. Do some research the numbers are staggering. As far as pot goes lets just not look at the medicinal value of it, look at everything else that is good about it, the seeds, the hemp that has many good uses for it. Didn't some of our former presidents actually farm it. Someone in this thread earlier mentioned pot users were losers, my friend you would be very shocked at some of the daily pot users that half of us look up to. 90% of the time i found myself into trouble (even with the wife) i was usually drinking the legal stuff!

PS* (sp?) Annheiser busch spends more money in stopping the cultivation of marijuana than any other organization in the US ( I guess that is one of those things that make you go hmmmmmmm)

Fishdon'tbite,

Have you got a source you can cite for the claim about Annheiser-Busch?

I will find some of the articles, they are from awhile ago, there are actually quite a few tabacco companies that contribute also. I believe it started with the "Partnership for a Drug free America" Its been a few years so i will do some searching when i get a chance.

NORML.....do something about it!

Actually Yes I do...I do not take any medication for it. About once a month it keeps me from getting to sleep for about 4-5 hours at night. It never bothers me during the day, only when I try and sleep and only about a dozen times a year. It is kind of a aching in my legs and my legs sort of feel like they are moving while I am lying in bed.

and you ain't fat!

Well that should help keep grass prices up as all us aging hippies begin losing our memories.

"Yeah, I know all about the 60s. I was there. I think."