Legalize Marijuana

[boston bean]

But when you do, remember that you will only be able to smoke it twenty five feet from a building, never in a public place, a bar, near other non marijuana smoking persons or a park or anywhere else a person who is offended by the smell and toxins and stink on your clothes that are emitted.

You will only be able to smoke the blunt in the privacy of your own home which is as it is now and of course, never , ever around children.

But if and when marijuana becomes legal, I wonder how many of these non cigarette smoking persons will raise holy hell when they are banned and treated like second class citizens. And start the argument that its no different than getting a drink at a bar or going to the liquor store. And that it hurts no one. I want to know how they would feel when they are forced to go into the freezing cold twenty five feet from any building or shelter to get their fix.

Maybe I am just not a good democrat. :sarcasm:

The hypocrisy of this place kills me sometimes.

[mopaul]

1. pot smokers have been banished forever

and pot DOESN'T kill you. poor cig smokers.

[boston bean]

2. Wait for the studies my friend, wait for the studies. nt

[Ezlivin]

6. Uh, studies HAVE shown the relative safety of marijuana

Even the former Administrative Law Judge, Francis Young, of the DEA said so.

Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within a supervised routine of medical care.

[boston bean]

8. They use to say stuff like that about cigarettes.

BTW I totally support legalizing marijuana.

That is not the point of this post.

But that marijuana smokers, even if legal, would face the same type of issues that cigarette smokers are now.

If you don't think it could happen, I guess you have the right to keep your head in the sand.

I support the rights of all free people.

[Ezlivin]

14. I assume that marijuana smokers WOULD be treated like cigarette smokers

And that's not a problem.

Why?

Because now we can't smoke anywhere at anytime without risk of prison.

So it's a big jump up in freedoms for "us".

If I knew I could legally fire up in my car before going into a concert, I'd be a happy man.

If I knew I could fire up outside a movie theater, then go in, that would be great.

If I knew there would be a "smoking" section at my favorite bar, I'd be elated.

I assume that not everyone would be thrilled with secondhand smoke--even the benign scent of marijuana. I assume that most businesses wouldn't want you to fire up something flammable indoors. I assume that most parents would not want their kids downstream from the smoke (who needs wobbly toddlers?).

[Ezlivin]

3. Hell, we used to hunt down second-hand marijuana smoke

Contact highs are a cheapskate's friend.

[Marnieworld]

4. Since when is it a democratic issue to ban smoking?

I missed that I guess.

on edit:
when cigarette smokers go to jail complain to me. When non-violent cigarette smokers get sent to a jail with rapists and murderers because of their preferred fix complain to me. You write as if pot smokers can smoke without fear right now in their homes- not true. You also ignore all of the studies of second hand smoke effects and imagine that there hasn't been any study done about the lack of danger from pot smoke. You act as if cigarettes don't leave a nasty smell or that pot does too. It doesn't. They aren't the same.

So you can't smoke in a bar anymore? Big deal. I smoked cigs like a chimney for 6 years so I know what it's like. Yet be happy that your vice won't destroy your life if you are caught doing it. Be happy thatyou can go to any gas station to get your fix instead of dealing with who knows what people? Cry me a smokey river. All things should be legalized.

[boston bean]

5. It's not, I guess that's my point. nt

[boston bean]

10. You are thinking that I don't support legalizing marijuana

I think it should be legalized.

That was not the theme of my intended message in the post.

I just wanted to point out that the same thing will most likely happen if and when marijuana is legalized.

[Marnieworld]

12. I would be thrilled if the same thing happened

That would be progress. I'll gladly freeze my ass off with a joint instead of the shit I have to go through now.

[Bridget Burke]

11. Smoking bans are part of the Liberal Nanny State...

Didn't you know?

Like those nasty, intrusive laws requiring helmets on motorcycle riders. Hey, those brains can be hosed off the streets quickly enough. Besides, think of all the folks on organ transplant waiting lists.

Next thing you know, someone will mention sane gun control. Just wanting to keep the laws we have is tantamount to Coming To Get All Their Guns--a well-known plank in the Democratic Platform.

[Greyhound]

15. Minor correction. It is a Democratic Nanny State. Smoking bans are the

antithesis of liberal. :smoke:

[Bridget Burke]

18. Yes, Houston restaurants became smoke-free under our Democratic mayor.

He just got re-elected with 90% of the vote.

[Bridget Burke]

7. Sorry, I'd continue to smoke at home or with friends....

Hoping to avoid snide comments like "you're still smoking that cheap Mexican stuff?" Or to avoid strangers asking for a toke.

Alas, the poor tobacco consumers. They're almost as persecuted as those "Christians" offended by "Happy Holidays."

[darkmaestro019]

9. In my home is the only place I'd like to smoke it anyway

that's all I'm asking. In my house, and not getting fired for what I did two weeks ago due to whatever the piss-obsessed perverts claim to have found in my ten millionth free DNA sample.

[boston bean]

13. If its legal, why should you be relegated to only smoking it in your

home?

You are a free person, you should be able to smoke it in a bar. Hell bars might be nicer places if people mellowed out a little.

[lonestarnot]

16. What about the contact highs? Gee everyone might become mellow, we

couldn't have that!

[niallmac]

20. If it's your home why should it be ok for storm troopers to

bash in your door and confiscate your house e.g. because you are smoking a joint? The drug war is a corrupt flail and a definite threat to personal
rights. This is not a black and white issue I agree but it is yet another one of those topics that is not allowed to be given a rational national debate. Mere mention of the subject elicits Pavlovian giggles and nervous glances. (Excuse me. I guess this IS a black and white issue in the context of the number of minorities in prison for drugs.)

[Vogon_Glory]

17. A More Cynical Reason For Legalizing Marijuana

I have another, more cynical, reason for legalizing marijuana. I believe that legalizing marijuana would take a big bite out of one of the big profit centers of Mexico's dangerous Gulf Coast cartel, and would also help restore a measure of order to those state and national forests where criminal gangs have been running marijuana plantations.

Right-wing bombasts have harrumphed and blarted for years about the role of bad big gummint, cutting taxes, blah, blah, blah. The fact is that facing shrinking revenues and the need to put more attention on the war against al Qaeda (As opposed to Buckaroo Bush's failing attempt to grab Iraq's oil), I don't believe that the federal government can afford to keep marijuana illegal anymore.

[JNelson6563]

19. Legalize it, package it and tax it.

Think of all the jobs that would create! :smoke:

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RaleighNCDUer]

22. Because, ultimately, the Puritans still run the country.

You know the definition of Puritan, don't you? Someone who is terrified by the idea that someone, somewhere is having fun.

[Swamp Rat]

23. Yep, Puritans LOVE to persecute people!

Even fun lovin' babies. :D



Call the Puritans home now Baby Jesus! Praise the Lord! Amen! :)

[newyawker99]

24. Hi Soilent Green!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast: