Marijuana: Another Senseless Overdose

[ThePlagueRat]

(oops... sorry.)

[ThePlagueRat]

Both Guevara and Caligastia are completly correct.
They seem to have the experience one needs to know about this.

[ThePlagueRat]

(damn triplepost !? How? - It must be the reefer kickin' in)

[Caligastia]

I used to drive a bus 40 hours a week while stoned. This went on for over a year. I never had any accidents.

[Gibsie]

Scary... but interesting. Did you ever find being stoned dulled your reaction times whilst on the road?

[ThePlagueRat]

That's because you drive sooo slooow....

(edit

Gibsie, coolest avatar I've seen so far this year...
Avatar+nick combination just made my day!

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by Gibsie
Scary... but interesting. Did you ever find being stoned dulled your reaction times whilst on the road?

No, I was totally focused. I would also listen to my walkman at the same time...

My passengers used to love me because I would get them home so fast.

[Gibsie]

If my bus driver drove me slowly to school every day I'd complain and have him fired.

[Gibsie]

(And I guess that answers my question)

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by ThePlagueRat
That's because you drive sooo slooow....

The speed camera I set off disagrees.

[Gatekeeper]

Originally posted by Willem
Maybe it's the way you express yourself. Your original post seemed loaded with moral condemnation to me, I distinctly thought I was being prejudged.

Perhaps I write too forcefully sometimes, but I'm generally not the type to immediately pass judgement on another person, let alone someone who I only know by a screen name on Apolyton. Maybe it's easy for some to just look at a screen name and see nothing behind it, but I try to avoid that one-dimensional approach.

What this all comes down to is that we disagree on this particular topic, nothing more. I sure don't hate you because of it and I'm sure that feeling is mutual.

Gatekeeper

[Ben Kenobi]

Felch X-

Similarly, there is no reason to sentence other adults to jail time simply because they want to smoke. You have to consider whether the methods used to maintain the status quo are better or worse than the consequences. Arresting over 700,000 people a year is not better than minding our own business.

What about massive fines?

Would that not accomplish the goal of regulating marijuana consumption while not arresting those for a joint?

I think that the state does have a compelling interest to restrict and regulate substances such as marijuana.

What about cocaine, LSD, amphetamines? Should these also be legalised?

[Gatekeeper]

DP — 'Poly is quite slow right now, it seems.

[Gatekeeper]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
So you're advocating alcohol prohibition too?

If people want to use and abuse drugs, fine, let them. It's their dang life, not mine. Frankly, I'm beginning to grow jaded about the whole thing — in a world of 6 billion people, there's going to be folks who simply don't care what their actions may precipitate, and drug use is one of them. I accept that. But at the same time, those who partake of drugs should also realize and accept that if they ever cause harm to another because they were "out of it" at the time of the incident, they will be held accountable and should not expect mercy. They can hope for it, and that's about it.

My whole argument has been predicated along the lines of risk. Why increase it by legalizing a drug that does affect one's perceptions? Alcohol does affect perception as well and, yes, it's legal. I just don't see why we should make yet another perception-altering substance legal and easily available on top of that. Same goes with amphetamines.

And, as I stated to Berz earlier in this thread, I happen to support drug treatment programs more than I do locking someone up and throwing the key away. But that doesn't mean I can support the full legalization of all this crap that's illegal right now. It's my so-called "line in the sand," I guess.

Gatekeeper

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Gatekeeper
But at the same time, those who partake of drugs should also realize and accept that if they ever cause harm to another because they were "out of it" at the time of the incident, they will be held accountable and should not expect mercy. They can hope for it, and that's about it.

Why is it that people who believe in drug prohibition think tht legalization suddenly means that people will legally beable to do hazardous things under the influence? I see no reason to believe that the number of DUIs will go up because drugs are legalized. I would expect that it would shift, with more people getting busted for driving while stoned and less people getting busted driving while drunk, and a few getting busted while both.

It's realitively simple for pot to be legal and smoking, flying, doing surgery, etc. while under the influence of pot is not.