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Old July 27, 2006, 11:51 AM   #51
tyme
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As long as drugs are illegal, whichever drugs are easiest to make with legally-available materials will become popular, no matter how bad they are or what they're usually cut with.

Make drugs legal, and drug users will return to the classic drugs (pot/coke/opiates/hallucinogens). They'll only use other drugs if they provide a better high or less risk, which to my understanding meth does not.
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Old July 29, 2006, 04:02 AM   #52
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.....fact of the matter is the goverment cant find a way to tax it if it were legal. this is just like the seat belts laws. its my personal safty why should i have to where one. the awnser because its more cash for the state.
.....i in no way support the legalization of drugs (never done them either) . dope is a gateway drug and will leed to harder ones. it also has somthing like three times the carsonigens (we all know i cant spell) than tobacco. the question you ask why dont we see dope smoking hippies with lung cancer? my awnser how many hippies smoke two packs of joints a day?
.....sure i like the cold beer but i hardly ever drink to the point of intoxication or imparment. like its been noted before with the illegal drugs thats all your doing.
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Old July 29, 2006, 06:54 AM   #53
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I in no way support the legalization of drugs (never done them either ). Dope is a gateway drug, and will lead to harder ones.
Not true. Look at Amsterdam.

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It also has something like three times the carcinogens of tobacco. The question you ask why don't we see dope-smoking hippies with lung cancer? My answer: how many hippies smoke two packs of joints a day?
So what exactly is your point? Cigarette smokers end up inhaling far more carcinogens. You can also get rid a lot of marijuana's carcinogens by using a bong.

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Sure, I like the cold beer, but I hardly ever drink to the point of intoxication or impairment. Like it's been noted before, with the illegal drugs, that's all you're doing.
That's right. Alcohol is good and doesn't have to be abused; other drugs are bad and are only abused.
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Old July 29, 2006, 11:03 AM   #54
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Hahahaha...

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That's right. Alcohol is good and doesn't have to be abused; other drugs are bad and are only abused.
And Alcoholics Anonymous is just a myth because we all know everyone drinks responsibly.


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Old July 29, 2006, 06:04 PM   #55
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Anyone who thinks alcohol is less harmful than marijuana hasn't, in my opinion and with all due respect, experienced or observed both enough to really know. The above poster Maas states he has never "done drugs" but admits he drinks alcohol. Alcohol is VERY much a drug. I can't and don't smoke marijuana due to my job. But, I have smoked marijuana and drank alcohol, and I have been around pot smokers and alcohol drinkers enough in my 55 years to observe first hand which is worse. My observations consistently show me alcohol is worse. To the ones who say "I don't drink to get drunk, but people smoke pot only to get stoned"...get real!!! If you don't drink alcohol for the high, even if its a slight one, then my advice to you is quit wasting your money.... water, lemonaid, or coca cola is a lot cheaper. I don't advocate the use of any drug, including alcohol, but I believe many of us are very capable of enjoying a 'high" on the weekend without destroying our lives or society. With that said, I haven't smoked marijuana or done any illegal drug in over 22 years. I'm primarily interested in this thread because the hypocrisy of alcohol users who advocate jail for marijuana users has amazed me for years. I smoked marijuana virtually every day during the entire decade of the 1970's and very rarely drank alcohol. I also managed to make high grades in college and graduate school during that time. During that entire decade, I never was tempted to do other drugs (in other words, marijuana wasn't a "gateway" drug for me). In the 1980's I had to quit smoking marijuana due to my job. I quit "cold turkey" (I hear from some its addictive....bull****!). Since that time, I have not smoked marijuana as I would be fired from my (high paying) job if I were caught. I did take up alcohol however. Totally legal but very dangerous in my opinion. I have done some stupid things while drinking alcohol. I never would have done those things back when I smoked marijuana. From my very personal experience, there is simply no comparison between someone who ABUSES alcohol versus someone who ABUSES marijuana. While I believe either is safe if not abused, marijuana is MUCH MUCH safer than alcohol if abused, at least in my personal experience. I would like to hear of contrary experiences if there are any. I understand there are those who disagree, and we all have our own experiences. These are just mine. Meanwhile, since this is a firearms thread, I think potheads prefer 1911's and alki's prefer Glocks. (Please, regardless of your position on any of the above, DON'T HANDLE FIREARMS IMPAIRED..it only takes ONE mistake!!!!!) Edited to say: As Greg Bell says in the post below, its a philosophical issue. This country is about INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM isnt it?? Aren't we supposed to make it or break it on our own? Who wants to live in a country that tells us everything we should do for our own good? Anyone who does think its legitimate for our country to make such laws had better be prepared to accept laws about what you can eat and how long you can watch tv each day. Isn't it the same logic?

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Old July 29, 2006, 07:35 PM   #56
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I agree with Jimacp.
One of my friends who I bielieve will be the valdictoria smokes weed, and it hasnt done much if any damage to him. Althoug he had to quit because of sports.
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Old July 29, 2006, 07:46 PM   #57
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Swat magizine

I believe the way they did the comparison was good, let everyone make up their own mind.

No one wants to make up their own mind, they want to make up others minds and tell them what to do. Look at this thread

The laws are in the books, better believe it.

Laws we don't need no stinnnnkiiiinnnng laws. Laws are for someone else.

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Old July 29, 2006, 11:12 PM   #58
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My principal problem with drug laws is philosophical. I was brought up, wrongly it turns out, to believe that liberty was valued in the United States. Sometimes, I thought, we were free even to make poor decisions. Should a man smoke Marijuana? Obviously no. Should a man eat a diet of McDonalds and Burger king and sit in front of the TV for 8 hours at a time? No. But decisions like these were supposed to be left to the individual.

At some point, this reasoning fell out of fashion. Today, our decisions are simply utilitarian calculations. Concepts such as "rights" and the idea that sometimes society as a whole MAY NOT KNOW WHAT IS BEST have been thrown by the wayside. Now we live under they tyranny of the "how does it effect others" calculus. This "reason" is usually a thinly veiled fallacy. All of our decisions have effects on others. For example, the obesity epidemic in the United States will kill many times the number that drugs will. The absolute effect of our nation's poor health decisions will be far, far more costly than all the Cocaine in Columbia.

Call me crazy, but I believe healthy societies leave decisions like these to the individual. I don't care to weigh the "pros and cons" because I don't think it is the right question. The question is, do you really want to live in a society where your rights are no more than magic words?
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Old July 29, 2006, 11:34 PM   #59
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well said Greg!
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Old July 29, 2006, 11:34 PM   #60
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jimacp...

I got a question for you, when you stopped smoking marijuana cold turkey, did you have withdrawl symptoms and such? I hear people addicted to tobacco and alcohol can go through withdrawl symptoms, I haven't seen for myself though. I think you just stated something that most people wouldn't admit to... experience. Most of the people that label marijuana as an evil "gateway" drug, and dangerous have probably never actually met people who don't abuse it. Most of these people also haven't read their history and notice that it's only within these last few hundred years that it was villainized, yet has existed as something valuable to many cultures and religions. Would it be wrong of me to say that ANY substance can be abused because people themselves make those poor choices to abuse? I've met alcoholics, and I've met burnout stoners back when I worked in a gas station. Truth be told I'd rather encounter a stoner than a drunkard. However, regardless of what substance someone is on, public intoxication is something that I don't like seeing.


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Old July 30, 2006, 12:23 AM   #61
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when you stopped smoking marijuana cold turkey, did you have withdrawl symptoms and such?
I quit cold turkey more or less, there wasn't much of a "withdrawl" at all. THC stays in your body for a long time and is gradualy eliminated from the system. There is no sudden drop or crash as there is with other drugs. The withdrawl I got when I stopped drinking caffine for awhile was worse than when I stopped smoking pot. You can smoke pot for years and if you really want to, you can stop smoking pot just like you can stop drinking soda. IIRC THC dissolves into fat tissue and functions as a large time release pill. That is why you don't see any "Pack a day" pot smokers, you don't need alot and it stays with you. At most I smoked once every few days.

/Oddly enough, I didn't grow the hippie hair until years after I stopped smoking.
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Old July 30, 2006, 01:32 AM   #62
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Obesity causes more death, hardship, and cost to our country than even hard drugs.

Outlaw high fructose corn syrup.
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Old July 31, 2006, 06:40 AM   #63
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And Alcoholics Anonymous is just a myth because we all know everyone drinks responsibly
.

I drink responsibly.


Drugs are nothing new to America they were here before 1900. They existed and people used them. They were sold over the counter or by prescrition. Not smuggled in by gangs or cartels.
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Old July 31, 2006, 08:41 AM   #64
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To Eghad...

My statement in post #54 was in sarcastic rebuttal to the person who thought marijuana and every other drug out there lead to abuse, and for some reason alcohol shouldn't have to lead to abuse. Which is absurd because just about any intoxicant can lead to abuse legal or not. It's all about personal responsibilty.


Epyon


P.S: I'm glad to know I'm not the only responsible drinker! One beer or a glass of wine is all I usually consume unless it's a birthday party, or any other special occasion.
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Old August 2, 2006, 07:09 AM   #65
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First newstand copy I'd seen in a while,so I bought one...

I think that the major thing that most law enforcement folks see as a Bad Thing about the legalization of drugs is a downsizing of force and cutback in funding... Less glamor... go from being doorkickers to tax collectors... That's how F-troop got started, when prohibition ended... They had the boys, and had to find a use for 'em when they couldn't raid stills anymore...

Personally, reading through the rest of the magazine, I noticed several things (mostly about rifle accuracy/construction) that I _really_ disagree with... And I was surprised to see a "different" graphic designer... Gee, Betty... Congrats!
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Old August 2, 2006, 01:07 PM   #66
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Do legal drugs reduce the number of dangerous or non-functional addicts, or the number of overdoses?

Do legal drugs help keep potential abusers/addicts integrated with society?

Do legal drugs reduce violence in society?

Do legal drugs offer anything for society to profit from, given the track record of abusers not showing up for work, going on welfare, and placing a strain on emergency services?
Denny, If we look at alcohol as a test case, then I think the honest answer is probably no to all your questions (with the exception of #2. I think taking the massive profits out of drug dealing would reduce violence) . The problem I see, is that keeping them illegal is not doing anything to help with these issues.

Wouldn't it be better to use the money we pour into trying to stop the flow of drugs into something more useful, such as researching how we can help people break their addictions?
The current "state of the art" in drug treatment is based on Alcoholics Anonymous, which was invented in 1935, and is based on the founder claiming to have had a direct visit from God, who removed his drinking problem. AA teaches that only God can save you.

AA itself estimates that only about 5% of those people entering AA actually stay sober as a result.
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Old August 5, 2006, 04:32 PM   #67
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I have an acquaintence that says he has been smoking weed daily since around 1970. He has not gotten "addicted" because he can and does at times go without it for a few weeks to pass a drug test with no cravings at all.
He has not had to go go the harder stuff.
He has not committed crimes to get more.
He has been productive in society and still is.
He has however, found that he can't remember much.
He has bad short term memory loss.
He has erectile dysfunction
His eyesight is failing quite fast
He is quite lethargic and usually stays home and don't participate in activities
His personal hygeine is poor
His place is a mess
He don't care what or when he eats,leading to poor health also.
From this and other folks I know that smoke weed, I say the "leads to harder stuff" is the person,not the weed.
I don't think I like the idea of legal "drugs" because I don't feel people in general would be responsible with it as some folks think they would.
Look at how many folks in all walks of life do use "drugs" now. Think of how many we don't know about.
People are going to try to do what they want to do no matter what the law is. Lots will get away with it,some don't.
It's a long row to hoe and I don't think much will become of it without millions being poured into the "studies" and wasted time and effort. In the end, people will do what they want to do.
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Old August 6, 2006, 03:30 PM   #68
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Doubletap, it could be that the fellow smokes dope because he's a slacker, instead of him being a slacker because he smokes dope...

I suspect that MOST of the folks here could go out and get absotively toasted, and then the next day return to being the nice law-abiding citizens they always have been... However, the folks who are predisposed to substance abuse can't do that... Thing is, I suspect that they already know who they are, and either have quit, or are still continuing to abuse...
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Old August 6, 2006, 05:25 PM   #69
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Well if he has been around since 1970 some of that stuff can be attributed to growing old or something a doctor has not diagnosed and may not have anything to do with marijuana. Not to mention the poor diet.

Could have diabetes, hypertension or blocked arteries??
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Old August 6, 2006, 05:47 PM   #70
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Doubletap, it could be that the fellow smokes dope because he's a slacker, instead of him being a slacker because he smokes dope...
I'm not so sure about that. I know one gentleman whose life was essentially ruined by a lifetime of smoking grass. He was my best friend since age 8, and was an energetic, enthusiastic fellow in everything he did, and was one of the best artists I've ever seen.

In 1969, we both joined the service, and he started smoking dope. Since then it's become an obsession with him, and that's all his life centers around any more. He no longer has any ambitions, energy, or, it seems, any hope . His artistic talents no longer exist. Where he used to be meticulous about his appearance and belongings, he's now a slob and his home is always in disarray.

I knew this fellow well both before and after, and while my observations might not be scientific cause and effect, I think it's a pretty solid bet that it's the primary factor in ruining a good man.
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Old August 6, 2006, 08:16 PM   #71
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He no longer has any ambitions, energy, or, it seems, any hope
Charlie-
With all due respect, has he directly hurt himself or others as the result of his marijuana use? If not, then our only reasoning for the argument against his CHOICES is that .Gov should be able to step in to criminalize CHOICES that it finds a 'danger'. Once we accept that reasoning, .Gov of your senior years has every right to CRIMINALIZE your ownership of firearms....just look to Hinckley for the reasoning.

I know of at two successful physicians that destroyed practice and family over their addiction to sporting clays....it IS "addicting" to the right person, regardless of whether it is to you or me. Shall this now be the type of standard against which society evaluates our behaviors and escapes? I certainly hope not. Shall we look to sex, marriage, alcohol, auto speed, compulsive shopping and compulsive eating to find tomorrow's "scourges of productivity"....these are each bigger problems than Marijuana. Let .gov criminalize the "immoral" and you give that same agency purview over every detail of your own life.....worse yet, you relinquish any right whatsoever to complain.
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Old August 6, 2006, 09:56 PM   #72
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With all due respect, has he directly hurt himself or others as the result of his marijuana use?
He wouldn't hurt someone else Rich, even to save himself, I think. As to hurting himself, define hurt. There doesn't appear to be any direct effect on his physical health, but psychologically, who can tell? Has THC altered his chemistry to that effect, or is his apathy toward life the result of something else? I don't know. To my knowledge, the long term physiological effects of THC on the brain are still poorly understood.

Quote:
I know of at two successful physicians that destroyed practice and family over their addiction to sporting clays....it IS "addicting" to the right person, regardless of whether it is to you or me.
The problem with that argument Rich, is that there's a distinct difference between a psychological addiction and a physical addiction. Gambling, eating, and I guess even sporting clays can become an addiction, but while it might be distressing to go without, it won't kill you. A person physically addicted to a substance must have it. Without it, death can be a heartbeat away, and unbearable agony is assured. A true addict had a choice the first, second, or maybe the third time, but after that, he has no choice. It's either use or die.

I've intentionally avoided the drug debate. There are good points made, both pro and con, and I'm finding it more and more difficult to take a side, but I will wholeheartedly agree that the War on Drugs simply isn't working. I also think that the specific drug, and its effects, should determine whether or not dot gov should stick its nose in. Some drugs, like grass, render a person passive, but others can and do cause violence and aggression. Crystal meth comes immediately to mind. Couple that with a physical addiction and you have a dangerous person, directly because of the drug. Multiply that person by tens of thousands, and you have a true threat to society.

Are more restrictions by dot gov the answer? Well, the results of the War on Drugs thus far screams a solid no. But the problem persists, and it is a problem. So what is the answer? Damned if I know, but I think we need to put a whole lot more effort into finding it.
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Old August 6, 2006, 11:08 PM   #73
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Well...

As I've stated before, I do know of college graduates and college students who do study hard and blaze up when finals are over, or when there's a hard day at work they just sit and smoke just like anyone who would come back home to have a beer. These aren't your burnout stoner high school kids that dropped out, they are educated people who live successful lives and push themselves to do better in life. They don't live like slobs, and they are productive, they go to work, and go to school, pay their bills on time and take care of their families. I think addiction and being a slob are choices made by people, and not every substance causes the physical addiction aspect to have horrible withdrawls. Marijuana withdrawl isn't anything like alcoholic/herion/cocaine withdrawls.


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Old August 7, 2006, 12:58 AM   #74
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All this talk makes me want a beer...
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Old August 8, 2006, 12:24 PM   #75
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A few myth-conceptions

Cannabis can be addicting - just like alcohol or other drugs, most people who try or use alcohol/cannabis/other drugs do not become addicted - but just because ones personal experience with usage did not lead to them becoming addicted does not mean that therefore a drug isn't addicting. People who are addicted to cannabis have at times due to their addiction given up their freedom for it, lost careers and family over it, and placed their lives and the lives of others in jeopardy due to their continued usage.

Alcoholics Anonymous does not require any belief in God in any traditional sense of the word - in Narcotics Anonymous and in Cocaine Anonymous they even took out the word God and use instead the term "higher power."

If one is really interested in what the 12-step programs are really about - then read the basic texts of the programs - they are readily available as are open meetings that anyone off the street may attend to satisfy their curiosity.

Studies that purport to show recovery rates are generally as reliable as the studies put out by gun control groups and one should read them with an understanding of what they say and don't say. I.E. The chances of an individual staying clean and sober after attending their first 12-step meeting is not very high. However, individuals often do not achieve long-term recovery on their first attempt. An old 12 Step saying is that if an individual is willing to put half the effort into recovery that they did into their addiction then they will get sober.

12 Step programs do not require anyone to do anything - though they do suggest a 12-step program of recovery - they are independent and self-supporting.

Fewer and fewer treatment programs are the old 12 step programs based on AA/NA/CA - while the majority still utilize and encourage 12 step programs and meetings as a part of a long term recovery plan - they do not typically focus treatment primarily on the 12 steps - most focus on helping individuals to address issues related to processing feelings (individual and group therapy - RET rational emotive theory), developing living skills, (anger management, assertiveness, coping styles, stress management, relapse prevention, recreation and leisure, job and education skills, etc...).

A couple of final points -

If one is not addicted it is almost impossible to truly understand it.

If one is in active addiction - they will almost assuredly define addiction so that it does not apply to them. I.E. If one is an alcoholic and one doesn't drink everyday then isn't it obvious that in order to be an alcoholic that one must drink everyday? Of course, most alcoholics don't drink every day. That is called denial and it is a part of the illness that is addiction.

Addiction is a chronic, progressive, incurable illness, characterized by loss of control over ones usage of substances and by denial of ones addiction. It adversely impacts individuals on physiological, psychological, and spiritual levels and that impact/damage happens gradually over a period of time - recovery from addiction is also a process that occurs over time.

There is no simple political solution to the problem of addiction. The legalization or illegalization or Alcohol/Drug use will have little impact on the problem of addiction.
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