Why It’s Time To Legalize Marijuana (MacLeans Article)

[Ryan Coke]

Read this article on the weekend, and I have to admit it moved my opinion on this a ways towards legalization.

I think the 'pothead' advocates generally turn me off the concept, but this article had some good coherent points.

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

lol....

If that was the case, the entire planet would be made up of men that resemble Roman Gods and women with flawless bodies.

A quick look around indicates that's not the case.

Unfortunately chocolate and fried foods can produce a pretty big high as well. With a lot less effort.

[Shin Pad]

I think it should be legalized. I don't touch the stuff, but, it makes a lot of sense economically. First off, there is the revenue the government gets from taxing it if it is legal. Then there is the reduction in legal costs - ie - court costs, etc. Plus, then you put a lot of smugglers, gangs, etc., either out of business, or you make a big dent in their business. I'm sure a lot of these types would end up turning to some other drugs or illegal activities, but you would take one more of those activities away from them if pot was legal.

[JD]

Originally Posted by saskflames69

The fact is, legal or not, people are still going to smoke weed. I can't wait for this summer.

Legal or not, people are still going to rob, rape, and murder.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by JD

Legal or not, people are still going to rob, rape, and murder.

Those tend to be significant infringements on the rights of others, which smoking pot isn't.

[JD]

Originally Posted by SebC

Those tend to be significant infringements on the rights of others, which smoking pot isn't.

It's still a terrible reason to make it legal.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by JD

It's still a terrible reason to make it legal.

It's not a reason in itself, just part of the argument. And it is relevent that criminalisation is not producing the desired outcome.

[JD]

Originally Posted by SebC

It's not a reason in itself, just part of the argument. And it is relevent that criminalisation is not producing the desired outcome.

Right, and that's what this thread is about. I was just making a drive-by dismissal of a drive-by comment that of itself is irrelevant to the argument.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by JD

Right, and that's what this thread is about. I was just making a drive-by dismissal of a drive-by comment that of itself is irrelevant to the argument.

The comment isn't irrelevant to the argument. If smoking pot doesn't infringe on the rights of others then it is very relevant to the discussion.

Can you imagine if the government made masturbation illegal? It infringes on no one else's rights except for the participants yet the government decided that since certain groups don't approve of the activity that it should be illegal for the greater good of society.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by JD

Right, and that's what this thread is about. I was just making a drive-by dismissal of a drive-by comment that of itself is irrelevant to the argument.

It's not irrelevant. Pot does have societal drawbacks. Small ones, but they're there (or at least potentially there). If criminalization worked, then one could make an argument that it's worth it to keep it illegal to deal with those drawbacks. If it doesn't work, then becomes a bit of a no brainer.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Shin Pad

I think it should be legalized. I don't touch the stuff, but, it makes a lot of sense economically. First off, there is the revenue the government gets from taxing it if it is legal. Then there is the reduction in legal costs - ie - court costs, etc. Plus, then you put a lot of smugglers, gangs, etc., either out of business, or you make a big dent in their business. I'm sure a lot of these types would end up turning to some other drugs or illegal activities, but you would take one more of those activities away from them if pot was legal.

Don't forget the effect on the economy when you don't tear up families by throwing the father in jail for a minor drug offense.

It will take years before the legalization of pot will truly be felt.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by SebC

It's not a reason in itself, just part of the argument. And it is relevent that criminalisation is not producing the desired outcome.

That's the most important part. There is over thirty years of extensive research and information on the topic that shows the amount of money poured into drug and marijuana enforcement has been wasted, utterly wasted, along with the lives of tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of otherwise law abiding, upstanding and contributing members of society.

There isn't a single compelling reason to continue with what is an extensive waste of tax payer dollars other than misguided and offensive appeals to either the status quo, or a more insulting attempt at legislating personal morality.

Drug laws have more in common with sexual orientation, racial and otherwise bigoted and forgotten legal frameworks for adjudicating the morality and belief system of others than they have in common with laws regarding health safety and property. It's puritanical bull#### and it needs to stop.

Government doesn't belong in my bedroom, in my pill bottle in my bar glass or in Saskflame96's pop-can pipe. It belongs in the inspection and regulation and taxation of the industries. I don't want to be told by the government that I can't eat shellfish on Tuesdays, or I can't drink an IPA on Fridays or a joint on Sundays after church because it offends the delicate sensibilities of some old codgers who are either dead already or on their way.

It is a law and policy of oppression, simple as that, regulating the personal morality of Canadians while providing nothing tangible in return but misery and budgetary shortfalls.

If you are for the status quo, remember it while you're on a wait list for an underfunded healthcare system or while you're waiting years for a resolution in our court system or while our soldiers die enforcing drug policy in a foreign country. Think about it while you consider whether it is safe to go to Mexico on vacation because of their own heinous drug war. Think about your stance when you hear the extent to which simple drug trade fuels the most violent and abhorrent parts of our society.

"I can't bring myself to vote for a guy with the last name as Trudeau," is not a valid reason to cut your nose off to spite your face. I would vote for satan if he took a pragmatic approach to drug policy and put more funding into treating mental illness instead of putting it in a cage.

Imagine how many cops would be on the street patrolling our neibourhoods if they weren't filing possession paperwork or sitting in court. Imagine the swiftness of justice if court cases declined 30-50%.

[Azure]

If Trudeau said he will absolutely legalize pot, I would vote for him.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Azure

If Trudeau said he will absolutely legalize pot, I would vote for him.

So far he's only backed decriminalization, but that's still miles better than Harper.

[JD]

You guys are making great points about why it should be legal. I figured the winky face would be enough for you guys to realize my comment was made tongue-in-cheek. I honestly don't care if pot is legal or not, I wasn't arguing for or against it.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by JD

You guys are making great points about why it should be legal. I figured the winky face would be enough for you guys to realize my comment was made tongue-in-cheek. I honestly don't care if pot is legal or not, I wasn't arguing for or against it.

Unless you think wasting billions of dollars and thousands of lives is unimportant, you should be against it.

That's the thing, this isn't a stoner issue, this should be an important issue to all citizens that use public services. The government is throwing your money away locking up harmless citizens and after nearly 100 years of being an abject failure, the current government wants to toughen the laws, ruin more lives and waste even more money than they were before!

At what point do people understand this isn't about people who are 'hippies', it's about people who aren't?

Where is the Omnibus bill increasing funding for missing persons investigations or domestic violence or child services or financial services and corporate fraud? Where's the omnibus bill for political corruption?

That is stuff worth spending money on, not locking up 19 year olds, preventing them from a meaningful engagement in all sections of our society and economy.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by SebC

So far he's only backed decriminalization, but that's still miles better than Harper.

Saying you back decriminalization and saying you will do everything in your power to make it happen are two completely different things.

[YYC in LAX]

Can't we all just get high on life guys and inject ourselves with some of God's love?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Azure

Saying you back decriminalization and saying you will do everything in your power to make it happen are two completely different things.

I agree, and I'd like him to go further. But given that we're not likely to see an election for two more years, there's not a ton of urgency for him to put a campaign platform together. He may yet do it.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

Can't we all just get high on life guys and inject ourselves with some of God's love?

You a catholic priest?