101–110 of 126 posts
Does the findings in this article surprise anyone? No? Good. I'm not a hippy, but let's get over this b.s. "War on Drugs" and begin to use our common sense when dealing with social issues and impeding on natural rights.
Agreed. The US spends something like $10 billion a year on marijuana prohibition, and what do we have to show for it?
I'm from Portugal. There's something important missing from the article which might be useful to explain why there were so many people using drugs in Portugal. Before 1975, the country was under a dictatorship and drug use was obviously low. Then there was a revolution and people were free to the outside world's culture. On the years following the revolution, young adults were pretty much amazed by all the things you…
I am also from Portugal. After reading your post, I was wondering whether we lived in the same country. I suspect I am from a generation younger than yours, which may explain a lot. According to your rationale, oppressive regimes lead to increased drug abuse. Well, Spain also had a dictatorship for decades. The entire "Eastern Europe" lived under Soviet oppression for decades, too. The USSR didn't have a sexual revol…
Well it's not empirical evidence but Eastern Europe is colloquially known for it's vice in general - not specifically a drug problem, perhaps, but other similar issues.
However I would tend to agree with you it's possibly not a major cause. I suspect there was a sex/drugs revolution in a particular area of society - and this is where the gp's experience comes from.
I'm from Portugal. There's something important missing from the article which might be useful to explain why there were so many people using drugs in Portugal. Before 1975, the country was under a dictatorship and drug use was obviously low. Then there was a revolution and people were free to the outside world's culture. On the years following the revolution, young adults were pretty much amazed by all the things you…
Reading between the lines of your post, I think you're suggesting that the Portugal experience is unique due to recent cultural changes, and we shouldn't try to apply these lessons elsewhere. However, I know bad stories about drugs were all the time on the news. For instance, in my house my father always said: "If you ever try drugs don't ever come back." He never knew about my brother but there was a cousin in the f…
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Just because it was relevant and interesting a year ago - or ten years ago - doesn't mean you should be posting and reposting and reposting it on a "news" site. Maybe there should be a golden oldies site where people can post all the "but gee it's new to me" stuff.
old.ycombinator.com? ;)
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What do you mean, "non-toxic"? Hemp is toxic. But then, so is alcohol, tobacco and other legal drugs.
Citation on marijuana's toxicity? I guess everything is toxic to a certain degree, even water is toxic if you swallow enough of it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijuana#Long-term_effects
Anyway, my point is that the argument that "marijuana isn't toxic so it should be legal" isn't valid. First, because it is toxic. Also, because it isn't that relevant: there is similarly toxic stuff that is legal.
> I guess everything is toxic to a certain degree, even water is toxic if you swallow enough of it.
Well, I'm talking about normal effects of normal doses.
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The police...then go after the cartel and shut them down. Hah, if it were that easy we wouldn't still be in this 'War on Drugs'.
No, the critical difference is that as things currently stand none of the people involved in the drug trade have any reason to cooperate with the authorities. And really, once alcohol was legalized look at how quickly the mob violence around it disappeared.
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Here is my understanding on why decriminalization of drugs is beneficial. First, legitimate competition from suppliers would drive down costs, forcing high risk/high reward illegal operations from other countries out of the market. How can a Mexican drug cartel compete against grand-ma and her backyard? Secondly, what is the violent side of drug activitey? Again my understanding is that it's mostly revolved around pr…
It won't be beneficial for Mexico. If the US decriminalizes, the cartels will lose revenue streams and will commit more kidnappings to maintain their livelihood. The state will descend further into chaos.
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Surely locking someone in a cage for possessing a non-toxic plant goes against "common sense".
The proper argument is the American ideal of personal liberty. Our rights are only supposed to be curtailed in situations where the expression of one's rights negative impacts another. The plant being non-toxic, this does not happen. An appeal to an undefined "common sense" is unnecessary.
Community control has been an ideal just as long. Go re-read your Tocqueville.
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Citation on marijuana's toxicity? I guess everything is toxic to a certain degree, even water is toxic if you swallow enough of it.
I'd have guessed this was "common sense", but here you are: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijuana#Long-term_effects Anyway, my point is that the argument that "marijuana isn't toxic so it should be legal" isn't valid. First, because it is toxic. Also, because it isn't that relevant: there is similarly toxic stuff that is legal. > I guess everything is toxic to a certain degree, even water is toxic if you swallow eno…