http://www.forbes.com/sites/artcarden/2012/08/16/isnt-it-high-time-we-legalize-mar1juana/ On a couple of different occasions, I have used this space to call for an end to the economic, moral, and cultural disaster that is the drug war. American governments at all levels have been fighting the war on drugs for over four decades now, and it’s overwhelmingly clear that it’s time to cut our losses, admit that the whole thing was a mistake, and work toward restoring the lives that have been destroyed by the drug war. I’m surprised–and saddened–that this isn’t more of an issue in the Presidential race. Both major party candidates are bona fide drug warriors. Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson have called for an end to the drug war, but unfortunately, candidates from outside the major parties have a difficult time getting noticed by major media outlets. I hope that changes, but in my experience news outlets tend to pretend that there are literally only two people on the ballot. Most major media outlets also tend to treat legalization as if it is a crazy idea that is absolutely outside of serious discussion. The people behind Seattle Hempfest, meanwhile, have been working to change that. For just over two decades, volunteers have been holding “the world’s largest cannabis law reform event.” I’m not a cannabis user myself, but I am a concerned citizen who is distressed about the erosion of basic liberties, the crime, and the mass incarceration that the drug war has brought us. As I’ve mentioned before, prohibition is a textbook example of a policy with severe unintended consequences. The prohibition of mar1juana and other drugs has produced unintended consequences not at all unlike those that resulted from the prohibition of alcohol in the twentieth century. As events like Hempfest demonstrate, prohibition has done very little to stop people from getting drugs of all kinds, and it has also done little to prevent the emergence of a thriving community of mar1juana enthusiasts. Some people know a lot about classic cars. Others know a lot about fine wine. Still others might be really into crazy straw design or connoisseurs of still pictures of Joe Biden eating a sandwich. In the same way, there are a lot of people out there who know a lot about pot. How much? A picture is worth a thousand words. Once again, Brian Wallace from Nowsourcing, Inc. has been kind enough to share this handy infographic. If nothing else, this suggests that while pot prohibition has led to a the incarceration of a lot of people, it hasn’t exactly kept the drug out of the hands of enthusiastic users. mar1juana prohibition has been a terrible mistake that has ruined far too many lives. It’s high time we own up to it.
You DO understand that Romney may be hiding something in his tax returns right which he didn't think would be brought up? /sarcasm Besides, it's not like the public ever decides which issues to bring to serious discussion. Think of all these issues as Lego blocks in a bucket, while the candidates pick and choose which Lego blocks appropriately builds their version of the white house which they intended on building before the race even began. The elections are essentially an exercise of the voters (those who are eligible by virtue of past elected leaders' choices) choosing between two individuals' presentations to the, for lack of better word, 1%. You seem to be trying to convince Americans you are right - I think at this point this is futile. All recent polls have shown at least 50% of Americans support decriminalization. This is a tremendous supporter base and they are already convinced, despite the efforts of the marketing arm of the war on drugs. To expect more than half of a diverse country like America to be on-board is really wishing for a lot. Garnering more support will really only result in incremental increase to the supporter base. In short: the problem is not support, the problem is not that there is not enough scientific evidence to support it and it's not that this requires a lot more public debate. The problem lies somewhere between what people want and what ends up happening. IMO the problem is simply that these factors CAN be ignored if certain people want to ignore it. The solution is an alteration to the way in which democratic deficits are received, considered and implemented by the people who are allegedly acting as agents of public opinion.
I'm all for government taxation on mar1juana just because we could tax the **** out of it, but only a pothead junkie takes the time to post this much drivel on it.
One of my roommates in college had a Volcano, it was freaking awesome. After a while though, practically every pothead on campus was coming over to use it and he ended up having a weird little meltdown and smashed the hell out of it with a hammer. Such a waste, I would have bought it off him.
the graphic maker would have been better off leaving tweets about weed off his informative chart. that's where I have stood on the matter. if mar1juana is going to be legalized (which I think it should and will), the movement needs to gather smart, mature backers behind it that aren't tweeting about their love for the illicit herb. there's a personal level of responsibility missing and unfortunately the stigma of "pothead junkie" will persist.
I imagine a large majority of the smart, mature, responsible pot smokers find it in their best interest to not openly advocate legalization.
unless they see a tangible benefit by coming into the public scope with their beliefs. There could literally be a revolution headed by the most productive and intelligent cannabis users- not just in the scale of a user, but relative to the entire population.
Most potheads aren't junkies. Junkies are what you see with heroin and the like. Look at all the professional athletes who smoke weed.
He is either legitimately new here and doesn't know better, or just another in a long line of douchebags who think this forum is for crapping on.
Don't get me wrong, this is near the top of my issues list, but I don't feel like I've been spamming it like Hightop does.
Just because you are scared and uneducated on the topic doesn't mean you have to hate it, although that's probably how you were taught to react to subjects that require critical thinking.
