Should drugs be legalised?

[Highwayman]

I think Binky is on too many drugs as it is.

[ksgrainman]

One problem that would present is that it would stay in your blood stream for 3 weeks or so...now what if a pilot, truck driver or pilot has an accident? He smoked a couple of weeks ago but still has THC in his system?[/quote]

3 WEEKS, Holy Chit!! No wonder the Army Boys were hanging around my blood sample at the draft center, I had NO idea!!!!!!! :wasted: Anyway, long time ago. My biggest concern here is IF we make 'smoke' legal, can we still have popcorn at the CINEMA too?

[The Drifter]

Coke, Heroin, Meth...Hell NO! However, what's morally wrong with pot? Alcohol is WAYYYY worse than marijuana. No one OD's on pot and no one gets high and goes home and beats their wife. Look at America during prohibition. Mob bosses were gunning people down to get the booze to the people who wanted it. Gang bosses mow people down trying to get the pot to the people. Ya the whole "black market" thing won't be settled imediately but if you can buy your stash without fear of being caught it will illeviate the problem with marijuana. I mean who has to go to a bootlegger all the time to get their booze these days?

Remember friends when it comes drugs: If it don't grow, just say no.

[pootsy]

Drug laws deter people from using drugs. Surveys indicate that the fear of getting in trouble with the law constitutes a major reason not to use drugs. Fear of the American legal system is a major concern of foreign drug lords. Drug laws have turned drug users to a drug-free lifestyle through mandatory treatment. 40% - 50% are in treatment as a result of the criminal justice system.
A study of international drug policy and its effects on countries has shown that countries with lax drug law enforcement have had an increase in drug addiction and crime. Conversely, those with strong drug policies have reduced drug use and enjoy low crime rates.

The United States and many countries would be in violation of international treaty if they created a legal market in cocaine, marijuana, and other drugs. The U.S. is a signatory to the Single Convention on Narcotics & the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and has agreed with other members of the United Nations to control and penalize drug manufacturing, trafficking, and use. 112 nations recently reaffirmed their commitment to strong drug laws.

Drug laws do not deter people from doing drugs. Most Drug and alcoholics have the core belief system "It is ok as long as I don't get caught." If drug laws detered people from using, then we would not have any worry. Kind of like drug laws and mother's children will deter them from using....not likely! it is an addiction and addiciton is a disease! It can also be a mental health issue as well, or both. There are five factors of addiction; Early Use, Childhood Trauma, Genetics, Social Environment, and Mental Illness. 7 out of 10 million addicts also havea mental health issue, or both, or just mental health, or just addiction. If a person's mental health disorder is left untreated and only treat their addiction, then they will most likely relapse. Another thing that is quite tricky is the fact that there are several cooccuring disorders. Some of the Co-occuring disorders are ADHD, Bipolar, Schizophrenia, depression, conflict disorder, and PTSD. Think about it, say you are a meth addict, you go to a mental health professional and tell him you are seeing things and hearing voices, ect...however you fail to let them know you are doing meth. This mental health doctor is going to diagnose you with schizophrenia, give you some pills, and send you on your marry way, and do counseling as well. See my point??? It's all messed up and alot of individuals do not know the info I just gave you, and they are not being honest with their doctors that treat them. Therefore they are not getting the right treatment or the right diagnosis.
Needless to say Army, it is more than just drug laws, these people are really sick and it usually stems before they were born, or back in their childhood. The family system is what you need to look at.

Another thing is we need to work more on the demand and not the supply. Several factors with working on the supply and locking up the drug lords will not work. With the one locked up there will always be another to take his place, and it is sad to say but there is always a dirty cop in every circle of drugs. It is all about the money, and as long as there is money to make, then there will be supply. BUT if there is no demand then the supply will dwindle. So needless to say drugs will be aorund til the day we die because demand and supply will not die either way. We need to spend more money on treatment centers and Cognitive Therapy. The SB 123 plan Thinking for a change is VERY effective. Just teaching it taught me soooooooo much. I believe 12 steps is effective as well; however I believe a person needs to go through Cog therapy before 12 steps. Addicts and alcoholics need to recognise their risk thoughts and feelings that lead to negative consequences. A person changes his thoughts, that will change his behaviors, and his character will change itself.

Now as for legalizing marijuana.....that's a big YES from me. I believe marijuana is the gateway drug ONLY because you have to go to the dealer to buy it, which leads to other hard core drugs. if it was legalized, then individuals would only have to go to the stores, like liquor stores, ect, to buy it and would have less of a chance in running into things like cocaine, heroin, and meth. That is my opinions and I am sticking to them!!!!;)

[wordsmythe]

This is just another example of right wing hypocricy. They yell smaller government, fewer laws! Individual rights!

If you don't like the smoke so somewhere else!

But make drugs, abortion and prostitution illegal because WE dont' like them. They harm others...

blah blah blah

[Army_of_One]

I don't know why I am wasting my time with your post...but because I have nothing better to do....

Drug laws do not deter people from doing drugs.

On the contrary my former crackhead DB member. Drug laws deter MANY people. They DO NOT deter people that are weak or have addictions but they DO deter the avg. law abiding citizen. I don't smoke weed because it is illegal. Laws are a deterence for a lot of people...there are always those that lack respect for our laws and choose to steal, rape, murder etc... You are speaking of addicts that will let nothing deter them or stop them...they walk right over the laws...that is NOT most people though.

[pootsy]

If a law can deter someone from using drugs THEY ARE NOT AN ADDICT or an Alcoholic. Army, please refrain from calling me names, I am stating the truth here. You have no right to call peopple names because if you look at history you will see our own American Government sent care packages to Vietnam to our soldiers containing amphetamines. There are numerous meth addicts out there from that time in history, due to our own government. It has nothing to do with being weak or will power, ect.....it is a disease. Army why don't you stick to fighting for our country and I will stick to fighting to keep people sober so someday they might be able to fight for our country and their rights.

[Army_of_One]

If a law can deter someone from using drugs THEY ARE NOT AN ADDICT or an Alcoholic. Army, please refrain from calling me names, I am stating the truth here. You have no right to call peopple names because if you look at history you will see our own American Government sent care packages to Vietnam to our soldiers containing amphetamines. There are numerous meth addicts out there from that time in history, due to our own government. It has nothing to do with being weak or will power, ect.....it is a disease. Army why don't you stick to fighting for our country and I will stick to fighting to keep people sober so someday they might be able to fight for our country and their rights.

See...I don't know why I go down that road with you...grrrrrr

I'm saying that people that ARE addicts are not deterred by the law. Our Gov't has done a lot of things over our short history...what's that have to do with legalizing drugs? So we sent amphetamines to wounded soldiers in Vietnam....that means we should legalize drugs? Maybe we should legalize drugs then put all the people on PPL to help them out of situations....

[Justoo]

Army, you could get sued for that comment.

[Army_of_One]

Army, you could get sued for that comment.

LOL...PPL on my ass....All I have to say is bring it...hehehe