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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (118063)	6/4/2005 6:43:12 AM
From: John Carragher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793738

Our failure to successfully enforce these laws is responsible for the deaths of thousands of people in Colombia. again we get a one sided statement. What will the colombia drug trade do if Marijuana legal. I suspect they will go to mfg of harder drugs. Friedman doesn't put a cost to legalize it. No cost to lost time in work, driving accidents, addiction and possible step up to other drugs, some crime. If we are to support legalize marijuana then anyone recommending it should also include cost benefit so the public can vote on the over all issue.

To: LindyBill who wrote (118063)	6/4/2005 10:38:28 AM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793738

"most people in prison for marijuana are violent criminals, repeat offenders, traffickers or all of the above." Begs the question. By definition, if you're in prison then you're a felon. You don't get sent to prison for civil offenses or misdemeanors. Possession of a small amount, usually less than an ounce, usually gets a civil penalty or treated as a misdemeanor, but possession of more than an ounce is treated as possession with intent to distribute, PWIT, aka trafficking, and treated as a felony. So a gram or two, a few stems or seeds, can make all the difference in the world. In other words, they say "if you possess more than an ounce of marijuana you're a drug trafficker," e.g., if your dealer gives you a heavy bag because he likes you, that makes you a felon. Notice that this is an entirely different crime than what we normally think of as trafficking, and certainly different from being a violent criminal or a repeat offender. It's really crazy to see good kids go to prison under mandatory sentencing for possession of smallish amounts of marijuana. Sure, most of them probably were dealing. But it's marijuana we're talking about. The last two Presidents smoked it, and one recent Vice President, and so did their wives. All this recent talk about dope has made me crave a joint. My rheumatoid arthritis has flared up again, and I am back on opiates. Heck, if they can regulate opiates, why not marijuana?

To: LindyBill who wrote (118063)	6/4/2005 3:55:39 PM
From: KLP	Read Replies (5) \| Respond to of 793738

If the Government legalizes marijuana, then the Government should also pick up the tab for the 1 in 10 that becomes addicted to it, and uses marijuana for a "gateway" drug to other much more serious drugs, like cocaine/crack, heroin, and homemade horrors like meth. And by pick up the tab for the 1 in 10 who uses, I also mean pick up the tab for all the robberies, rapes, and murders that some of these people commit because of their addiction. The general public has simply NO idea of how expensive these drugs are to society. To my knowledge, there hasn't been a comprehensive study done that outlines all of the crimes committed by people under the influence of these much more serious drugs, and the cost, both emotional and economic, to the entire community. . I am however, much in favor of using marijuana when necessary for medical pain relief if both the Doc and the patient think it is necessary. We seriously need to explore that 10% of the population who become addicted to marijuana, and then go on to much more powerful and terrible drugs. Edit: Just thought of something....IF the Government decides to legalize marijuana, then it could be taxed HEAVILY (unless for medical use), and the taxes from the 90% of users who aren't addicted to it, could be used to care for the 10% who become addicted, and use it as a gateway to other much more serious drugs