what about the war on drugs?

Please. The notion that prohibition does not curb use is really really fanciful (and I am putting that as nicely as I can).

Without prohibition the use would be greatly increased. Sure it does not eliminate the use but there is absolutely no doubt that it does curb the use.

Not true. I don't know where I can get cocaine here. I have used cocaine in the past and while I do not use cocaine now I would not know where to get it if I wanted it.

Sure it's pretty easy to get. But what would it be like if it were available in gas stations and marketed in billboards?

Some degree of prohibition will always be needed. Having no restriction on it would be disasterous.

Prohibition did not stop alcohol consumption but it DID reduce it.

You may be right Craven, but you may not. I don't think the laws prevent people from becoming drug users.

I'm torn on the subject of making cocaine legal simply because it is such a dangerous drug. The drug can kill a person who uses it just once and that's very scary, so I don't know where I stand on that one.

Craven
I've tried cocaine as well way back when and at one time I knew many places I could get it even though I wasn't a user.

Hmm - well, I surely do not claim to be an expert on cocaine! Actually, it has never been that big over here, to my knowledge - perhaps the prohibition? I dunno.

Everything else seems to flow like water...

Well, I dont like cocain. Ive had piles of it in front of me. I have never tried it. But thats besides the point. Is it better to snort rat poison, or pure cocain? Is it better to regulate and treat addiction, or to prohibit and criminalize it.

Dont think coke, think meth. Ive seen way worse people who were like that because of meth. I hate meth, but I dont think that street drugs are the answere. Really I am very unsure what should come of the laws on "hard drugs."

But Im sure that pot is nothing like that. Pot heads are peaceful, maybe a little lazy and hungry, but ultimatily harmless.

Now back to the hard ones. All of the meth users that I was aware of were felons, not including meth charges. Mostly male, females were more of bag whores. But they were slaves to the drug. Crack, cocains most addictive state, is not as much as a problem to society as meth is. Now heroin, that basically sedates you. To my knowledge, most established addicts are bums, and basically are looking for enough drugs to stay out of withdrawls. They will still get as fucked up as they can, and will still commit crimes to get there.

I dont care about these drugs, but I think that kids need proper education from real users. This of coarse should happen at a decent age, like 16. I hate to say this, people who have been enlsaved by these drugs need very long time to get over the addiction. Probally we should be tougher on these people who manufacture and import hard drugs.

Its to difficult to address the topic of such substances, however I could defend the usage of crude plant based drugs. Opium pods, coca leaves, mushrooms etc. I dont really care for the legalization of highly debilitative substances. Opium and coca probally shouldnt be around.

Wether you like it or not though drugs have roots in religious practice. It would be decietful do deny that.

What is wrong is the way pot is treated. We regulate more harmful substances everyday. Heck asprin is more toxic than tetrahydrocannabinol is. But you say thc gets you fucked up and asprin doesnt. Theres where regulation steps in. Bust the asses of those who drive under the influence. Set rules of public usage, like those of plublic drunkeness. Guidlines like that.

How about this, we put biographys of hard drug addicts in school books of 11th graders. Oh it started with pot you say, but far more start with pot and stay with pot. Sure Ive tried other things and I do use other things on occasion, but only responsibly and sparingly. By other things I mean various types of euthnogenic plants. Mushrooms included.......................

and if I mess up, I should be prosecuted.

I would love to be able to say that I am only a pot head, but then I would be lieing. I dont lie unless my ass depends on it. Pot mainly.

Pot wasnt a gate way for me. I actually made a list of things to try and things to stay away from before I ever partook of the herb. I have adhered to it to this day.......

So you think if there were NO restrictions and if companies were allowed to market cocaine (pretty people snorting coke and having a blast) and pass out free cocain samples there would be no increase in the use?

Remember that with no special taxation the cost of legal cocaine would be very low (read very available).

Decriminalizing possesion or something is one thing, unrestricted trade in cocaine is another.

Few people advocate no restrictions (e.g. should children have cocaine?) because some are obviously helpful.

Hmm - well, I see little value in criminalization at the user end - which is what I am talking about.

I agree Bongstar. Pot is harmless and for it to be criminal is a shame. I also know many, many pot users that never went on to harder drugs. The people who end up using harder drugs would have gotten there even if pot didn't exist. The people who claim that pot leads to harder drugs are the ones who don't have a clue.

No no, N mean that i dont know what to do with it. It is all nothing more then heresay.

It should stay the way it is, but war on pot? Come on? It seems to be the main focus of the war on drugs.

I dont like coke, its bad. why cant others see that it is too. is the majority of us just to dumb to listen? I guess so..

Well what ever, cokers go to prison.

You like to dawg cokers, I prefer to dawg methmonkeys. I hate em. Horrible creatures, they are, they are!


Theres something wrong with this war,because its not getting any where. Mostly I say we need more research.

I totally hear what you're saying Craven and I agree. I think restrictions would be needed in that area. Decriminalizing wouldn't be a bad idea, but I also can't stand the thought of it being sold in stores. In fact, that thought makes me cringe.

Pot does lead to hard drugs. there is plenty of non-anecdotal evidence to support this.

But the key is that the crimininalization of pot is one of the biggest reasons that pot can serve as a stepping stone.

The crimininalization of pot is why kids end up buying pot from the same type of person who sells harder drugs.

But the slippery slope argument and stepping stone arguments have a big hole:

Much of life is a "stepping stone" to hard drugs if you use the logic behind the claims.

People who smoke cigarettes are more likely to smoke pot.

No duh!

People who drive cars are more likely to use crack than those who don't (in America).

People who have had sex are more likely to use heroin than people wjo have not.

etc etc

Personally I think that the only drug that should be lagal is pot. The thought of all those hard drugs being sold in stores just makes my skin crawl.

bongstar,

I do not want to jail the end user. The system of crime and puishment in the United States is flawed in ways that drugs have little to do with.

But my point is that there needs to be SOME restriction (even firecrackers have restrictions) and any restriction must be supported by criminalization in this system.

So while jailing the coke addict is something I find of little help there will still need to be illegal coke-related activities and there will have to be criminalization toward those aims.

Craven said:
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Pot does lead to hard drugs. there is plenty of non-anecdotal evidence to support this.


I disagree with that Craven. I smoked pot for many years and it never led me to anything else along with countless of other people I knew.

Id have to say that I agree with the both of ya. Hard drugs do scare me, and life is a stepping stone. If pot were legal I wouldnt have to by it form people who are likely using the proceeds for worse things. Lots of times Ive found out this about my dealers, I stopped talking to them because I do not assioate myself with that scene. Full of evil spirit.

What do you mean? Trying or usage.

I wouldnt say that it lead me to other drugs either. I was intested before I smoked pot.

What I'm saying is that smoking pot never led me to harder drugs.

Lol! It led me to many places - but only cos I wanted to go there.

Ah - the innocent old days when you could buy the best stuff in town from the Drug Squad....