Sorry to bombard you folks, but here's a topic on drugs.

[Sothis]

Personally, I think all forms of drugs should be legalised, of course, with strict regulation.

http://www.geocities.com/sothis5/Drugslegalise.html

[NecronLord]

I would not regard that as a good idea, think of everyone who smokes, now think of them on Heroin Morpine Crack Ketamine and meth-amphetamines. Not a good Idea in my opinion.

[Mr. B]

Well some drugs like pot should be legalized. But the other drugs should just be decriminalized not legal.

[Mr Bean]

I dream of a world where you can go through a drive through get Booze, Porongrphy and Guns and use all three on the way home

Whatever reduces the poluation level is good with me

[Pablo Sanchez]

I would not regard that as a good idea, think of everyone who smokes, now think of them on Heroin Morpine Crack Ketamine and meth-amphetamines. Not a good Idea in my opinion.

Whoops, strawman. What makes you think that everyone who has the opportunity to use drugs will do so? The Government will make sure to inform everyone of the nasty effects and addiction related to each drug, and trust the public to make an informed choice. That's what we called 'regulation.' Smokers are making a bad decision, but I don't think that most of them are stupid enough to do the truly hard drugs.

My opinion on the drugs is this:
Marijuana should be legal, because it really doesn't hurt anyone. They are only slightly more harmful to the user than cigarettes, and a pothead is generally too docile and unmotivated to do much of anything wrong. Of the marijuana smokers who I have met, I would consider much less dangerous than a non-user.

Ecstasy should be studied, and then an informed decision made about it. So far we have not found any serious side effects, and most of the danger resulting from X use now is a result of its illegal status--drug dealers sell what they purport to be X, but what is actually PCP or GHB or even Drano. If the government would regulate it, then we could cut down on this problem.

The harder drugs are harder to solve, but we should hit the problem at the source. Why do people grow opium and cocaine and sell it to the USA? Because they can make more money doing that, than growing foodstuffs. There are two ways to solve this: Destroy the Market, or make foodstuffs more lucrative. The current policy of arresting middlemen and consumers has proven a total failure, so we need to look at other options.

[irishmick79]

You'd be handing a lot of unsavory characters a huge opportunity to increase their profits if you legalized drugs. The FARC rebels in Columbia are drug funded, and the Taliban was funded on poppy and heroin sales. If you made drugs legal here, you could wind up opening a huge source of funding even further for people like them. Since so much of this stuff comes from areas that aren't exactly known for their centralized police control, how can you possibly hope to regulate it?

[Sothis]

You'd be handing a lot of unsavory characters a huge opportunity to increase their profits if you legalized drugs. The FARC rebels in Columbia are drug funded, and the Taliban was funded on poppy and heroin sales. If you made drugs legal here, you could wind up opening a huge source of funding even further for people like them. Since so much of this stuff comes from areas that aren't exactly known for their centralized police control, how can you possibly hope to regulate it?

What I'm proposing (and upon re-reading my article, can see I didn't make clear) is a two-fold stragegy. Those who push drugs on city streets will have their profits undercut by licensed premises. The licensed premises will get the drugs they sell from the government, which will oversee the production of what is required. The government will not be getting anything from cocaine plants in Colombia or from Afghanistan. If that were the case, we might as well give the licenses to the drug barons (The radical idea is that we could muscle in, blast the drug barons away and take over their crops, but I doubt even Colombia or Afghanistan would allow us to do that).

Illegal dealers on streets will still be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law (if I had my say, those that would push drugs on our city street corners would face an automatic 6 month prison sentence to begin with, with increasingly longer terms if caught again). Criminal investigations will continue into the drug gangs that cause so many problems.

However, with government-run locations to purchase 'clean' drugs, at lower prices, and with incentives to seek aid and advice, we can take the users away from the dealers. Without a source of revenue, the dealers will sink away anyway (at least, that is the hope). At the same time, users are committed less acts of theft, robbery, muggings and burglary. Drug-related gang wars will still be thoroughly investigated, but without their chief means of profit, I suspect most gangs would go out of business. Drug-related murders and assaults will therefore drop (in theory at least).

[Mr Bean]

Acutal Irish if you check the Goverments Own Numbers Pot and Opium are dead easy Plants To Grow, Provide em the right temps and watering and you'll get a field full of heathy plants Easy

Besides have you acutal looked at Legilised Plants? The problem is Farm-Corp Limited has 5000000 Square Miles of Fertile Soil spread around and if they want to devote 1000 Square Miles to Pot its easy

Remeber the Current Price of 5-10$ per ounce is it? Is because of the server lack of Supply

Considering half a Field of Corn or Enough if in Pot to get roughlt 4000 People high can be bough for under fifty bucks....

Prices will fall and fall fast I predict Pound Bags of Pot Going for 19.99
If Leglised of Course

[Darth Wong]

Social arguments often revolve around a false dichotomy between "the people need to be protected from their own stupidity" and "the people have the right to choose." Most people tend to lean toward the latter, but we're all in the middle.

The fact is, people are stupid. The fact that millions of people smoke cigarettes, drive while drunk, or watch "Jerry Springer" is proof of that.

On the other hand, governments are stupid too, and corrupt to boot, so there's no reason to imagine that government laws and regulations will solve problems.

As a result, we end up with imperfect implementations of both philosophies: governments get their incompetent, thieving hands into the mess, and complete morons do things which are horribly destructive not only to themselves, but also to those around them (see example of cigarettes, which are a horrendously destructive drug but which generate profits for influential American companies so are immune to anti-drug laws).

That's why we need the Empire to step in and bring order to the galaxy

[Mr Bean]

On the other hand if Drugs where leglised you could take them like cigerets

More money for the goverment to waste wahoo!
But then agian these people have yet to take Econ 101 so the concept of more money = better might be above them

[Sothis]

What I'm hoping for from my idea is basically:

A: reduction in drugs-related crime, and the cost of that crime (both social and financial).

B: Well, if the people are paying for it, it lines the coffers of the government- so they can spend the money on other things that we need. Or at the very least so I can get more money in my coffers

[Anarchist Bunny]

Ok, one of the reasons pot isn't legal is cause hemp would destroy the cotton industry. I think the govt should legalize marijuana and illegalize pot, and put a hefty tax on pot. The only problems I see with that is Niccotine deprived trash finding weaponry and us lazy americans getting that much laz...












what?

[Wicked Pilot]

I won't say that simply using drugs is wrong, but I will say it's stupid.

[Durandal]

The criminalization of drugs is doing more bad than good. Think about it. Why are all of our jails overflowing? Because people who use drugs are thrown in there. As a result, killers and rapists get out of prison early to make room for more ... drug users!

I don't see what exactly is wrong with a few teenagers getting together, giving up their keys, and getting piss drunk for a while. So long as no one drives or harms anyone, what crime is being committed?

The same goes for smoking marijuana. If a bunch of kids smoke up in a basement somewhere and sit there giggling at nothing for a while, what's the problem?

The fact is that anti-drug laws do nothing to prevent the usage of drugs, and they do, in fact, encourage it by making it taboo. If you tell teenagers that they shouldn't do something for a long enough period of time, they're going to get curious. The massive amounts of college students that get drunk on weekends is proof of that. Ditto for those ridiculous "Truth" and "My anti-drug" commercials.

Side note: I've always wanted to film one of my own anti-drug commercials. "Premarital, unprotected sex. My anti-drug."

Just let people do what they want. If some idiot wants to shoot himself in the arm with some heroine, let him. It's his choice, and he'll have enough consequences to deal with without police officers wasting valuable time and money arresting him, booking him, trying him, throwing him in jail and then supporting him while trying to get him off drugs. There are better things they can do with tax money, like oh, I don't know, get the murderers and rapists off the streets. Or, even better, actually try and rehabilitate prison inmates instead of putting them in an environment where they'll only learn to be better criminals and be dehumanized. Wow, what an idea! Making the "correctional" system correctional!

[Enforcer Talen]

I dream of a world where you can go through a drive through get Booze, Porongrphy and Guns and use all three on the way home

Whatever reduces the poluation level is good with me

hail dogbert.

[starfury]

The fact is that anti-drug laws do nothing to prevent the usage of drugs, and they do, in fact, encourage it by making it taboo. If you tell teenagers that they shouldn't do something for a long enough period of time, they're going to get curious. The massive amounts of college students that get drunk on weekends is proof of that. Ditto for those ridiculous "Truth" and "My anti-drug" commercials.

Side note: I've always wanted to film one of my own anti-drug commercials. "Premarital, unprotected sex. My anti-drug."

Just let people do what they want. If some idiot wants to shoot himself in the arm with some heroine, let him. It's his choice, and he'll have enough consequences to deal with without police officers wasting valuable time and money arresting him, booking him, trying him, throwing him in jail and then supporting him while trying to get him off drugs. There are better things they can do with tax money, like oh, I don't know, get the murderers and rapists off the streets. Or, even better, actually try and rehabilitate prison inmates instead of putting them in an environment where they'll only learn to be better criminals and be dehumanized. Wow, what an idea! Making the "correctional" system correctional!

My view exactly, people will do it anyways, as long as they aren't harming anyone else they are perfectly free to do what they like.

Let's us actually spend more time and effort removing the real criminals.

[Bryan]

Personally, I think all forms of drugs should be legalised, of course, with strict regulation.

http://www.geocities.com/sothis5/Drugslegalise.html

Well, I'm a prohibitionist. I could care less if cigarettes and alcohol were banned. I hate drugs with a passion, only moronic idiots would use or ever try them.

Why people would want to be controlled by a PLANT is beyond me. Just stupidity? More then likely.

Drugs need to stay banned, less we destroy our own society. We need to get this War on Drugs goin a lot more, escalate it.

[Mr Bean]

Drugs need to stay banned, less we destroy our own society. We need to get this War on Drugs goin a lot more, escalate it

War on Drug is a Buzz-word nothing more, How do you plan to stop it? By Declaring War on Countrys where its legel?

Round the Clock F-16 Flights over ever Inch of our Border with Weapons Free at all times?

16 inch shelling of suspected plant sites in American Citys?

Your belives while comendable are short sided and not all of the illegale drugs out there ARE bad, some have commendable uses, or to be more exact, compoints with compenable uses

And if you get right down to it, Extasy stimuates your brain to produce Chemicals that give you a High and Happy feeling

Riding the latest Roller-coaster at your Nearest Six-Flags Produces the same effect

Think about it.

[Durandal]

Well, I'm a prohibitionist. I could care less if cigarettes and alcohol were banned. I hate drugs with a passion, only moronic idiots would use or ever try them.

So, you classify doctors who prescribe medical marijuana as "moronic idiots," even though marijuana has been shown to relieve symptoms of glaucoma?

Why people would want to be controlled by a PLANT is beyond me. Just stupidity? More then likely.

Marijuana is not addictive. It exerts no control over the user.

Drugs need to stay banned, less we destroy our own society. We need to get this War on Drugs goin a lot more, escalate it.

How are drugs destroying our society? They've been around for a long time, legal or not, and our society shows no signs of disappearing.

The "War on Drugs" is simply a political buzzword to make inept parents feel better about not raising their kids properly. They think that, since drugs are illegal, they don't have to talk to their kids about it or spend time with them. As a result, kids go off and seek security from some other source.

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

So many people use , it doesn't really make a difference weather it's legal or not. Anyway, I say make people caught possesing pay a fine, but don't put them in prison. Or, legalize it, but genetically alter the cannabis plant so it does not create a buzz, and tastes horrible. And don't call it , call it "brainkiller".

And those anti-drug ads aren't working, IMO. People smoke, drink, drop out of school, and get a job scrubbing toilets at McDonalds because they want to do what they're told not to do.

This is just my thought on this issue.

[irishmick79]

Even if you legalize drugs, you still have a problem dealing with addiction, and you'd still have drug-related crimes (people beating people up while high, robbing stuff, you name it). A lot of drug users generally have a host of other physical and psychological problems going on, and the drugs just make those other things worse. Dealing with these kind of problems still generates a pretty significant cost for things like psychological care, treatment, and the like.

Through legalization, you increase the population with potential for addiction drastically by making a lot of drugs more available to people who otherwise would not have access. The demand for treatment facilities would go up, and the bill would most likely have to be footed by the government or the health care industry.

[Bryan]

So, you classify doctors who prescribe medical marijuana as "moronic idiots," even though marijuana has been shown to relieve symptoms of glaucoma?

So you like putting words in people's mouths Durandel? :rolleyes: I didn't say ban the medical applications of the drug. We need to be careful to make sure that the people who get them need them, which is pretty tight so far.

Marijuana is not addictive. It exerts no control over the user.

Marijuana has the same effects as beer. If you don't believe this check out an 8th graders health book from your local middle school.

Marijuana, despite what you say does lead to harder drugs, its a gateway. You get peer pressured into marijuana then into crack then heroin, etc. I know a person who ruined his life over drugs.

How are drugs destroying our society?

They destroy our society by causing crime, increase our prision population, and make people moronic idiots in the process.

They've been around for a long time, legal or not, and our society shows no signs of disappearing.

Which pains me.

The "War on Drugs" is simply a political buzzword to make inept parents feel better about not raising their kids properly. They think that, since drugs are illegal, they don't have to talk to their kids about it or spend time with them. As a result, kids go off and seek security from some other source.

Yes, I agree with you on irresponsible parents, but that is only half the issue. To destroy drugs we have to destroy the suppliers. I'm talking about large military aide to the Columbians, direct or indirect. Its the Columbian rebels and drug lords supplying a lot of this countries drugs. We also need to make sure countries like Afganistan don't start producing opium again.

We need to make the War on Drugs an actual war. Attack the drug dealers.

[Sothis]

Even if you legalize drugs, you still have a problem dealing with addiction, and you'd still have drug-related crimes (people beating people up while high, robbing stuff, you name it). A lot of drug users generally have a host of other physical and psychological problems going on, and the drugs just make those other things worse. Dealing with these kind of problems still generates a pretty significant cost for things like psychological care, treatment, and the like.

Through legalization, you increase the population with potential for addiction drastically by making a lot of drugs more available to people who otherwise would not have access. The demand for treatment facilities would go up, and the bill would most likely have to be footed by the government or the health care industry.

I don't consider this to be the case. Illegal users of drugs already have access through neferious means, and dealers already have access to the drugs they sell, and to users. Getting access to aid and help is made difficult because the user is being persecuted, through the means of fines and community orders. The cost of the petty crime (and occasionally the more serious crime), arresting them, and bringing back to court again and again, is an expensive endeavour. At least by selling through licenced, government-controlled locations, you can both undercut the dealers, reduce the burden on the legal system, reduce the drugs-related crime, and get help more easily to the users.

[Mr Bean]

Ahh this one is dead easy its not even worth the effort

Marijuana has the same effects as beer. If you don't believe this check out an 8th graders health book from your local middle school.

Marijuana, despite what you say does lead to harder drugs, its a gateway. You get peer pressured into marijuana then into crack then heroin, etc. I know a person who ruined his life over drugs.

No Evidance Provided if you make a Broad Sweeping statment be prepared to back it up with proof

They destroy our society by causing crime, increase our prision population, and make people moronic idiots in the process

Logic Flaw-Hasty Generlazation, no proof provided

Yes, I agree with you on irresponsible parents, but that is only half the issue. To destroy drugs we have to destroy the suppliers. I'm talking about large military aide to the Columbians, direct or indirect. Its the Columbian rebels and drug lords supplying a lot of this countries drugs. We also need to make sure countries like Afganistan don't start producing opium again.

We need to make the War on Drugs an actual war. Attack the drug dealers.

Clue in Not all Drugs come from Columbia, Nearly 40% is Home-grown(Statistics on the War on Drugs 99 study by Deparment of the Interitor) less than fifteen precent comes from Columbia now-adays

Second as long as thier is profit in somthing people will do it, Witness the fail of Proabition, As long as thiers money to be made no many how many suppliers you kill/arrest there are going to be more

And as for the second Statment
*Deluison time
Sure lets make it a real war!
Deploy the 101 Airborn to NYC On the double! Conduct a House to House sweep, standing orders are weapons free, if they resist, shoot them, if they complain, shoot them if they get in your way Shoot them

After that launch six ten mega-tons at the Countrys of Columbia, China and the United Kingdom biggest importers of Illeagle Drugs to America!

Heir Bush!

[starfury]

Well, I'm a prohibitionist. I could care less if cigarettes and alcohol were banned. I hate drugs with a passion, only moronic idiots would use or ever try them.

Why people would want to be controlled by a PLANT is beyond me. Just stupidity? More then likely.

Drugs need to stay banned, less we destroy our own society. We need to get this War on Drugs goin a lot more, escalate it.

people are people, get that through your thick skull, the main reason drugs are being sent here is because of the massive demand for the drugs.

The drug abuse in our society is merely the sympoton of a larger problem, there aren't the biggest problem itself, the bootlegging of Achohol was popular in the 1920's provided easy means for gangsters to acheive easy money, repealing prohibition cutoff that source of income.