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The Reason Pot Is Still Illegal

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Re: The Reason Pot Is Still Illegal

#41

Post by gizmo686 »

snitko wrote: post #38
rayiner wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The marijuana situation is a great example of precisely why that assertion is wrong. Public opinion shifts, and within a couple of years, places all over the country are decriminalizing. You think the corporations have let up in the last couple of years? What's the more rational explanation of the data?

And how long did it take? And how many staes is it legal in? Surely, at some point politicians have to bend in and go with the voters, but it takes such a long time and so many people suffer in the process, that you start asking yourself, is this democracy thing worth all the people to rot in jail for victimless crimes?

The US has a population of 318 million. We would expect change to be slow.

Re: The Reason Pot Is Still Illegal

#42

Post by snitko »

gizmo686 wrote: post #41
snitko wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how long did it take? And how many staes is it legal in? Surely, at some point politicians have to bend in and go with the voters, but it takes such a long time and so many people suffer in the process, that you start asking yourself, is this democracy thing worth all the people to rot in jail for victimless crimes?

The US has a population of 318 million. We would expect change to be slow.

Tell this to people in jail. Anyone can change rather fast. You don't need government or political authority to change. The only thing a society has to change together is to realize that (quote from Leo Tolstoy): "without Authority there could not be worse violence than that of Authority under existing conditions... it [anarchy] will be instituted only by there being more and more people who do not require the protection of governmental power and by there being more and more people who will be ashamed of applying this power."

Re: The Reason Pot Is Still Illegal

#43

Post by ASneakyFox »

cmdrfred wrote: post #32
MichaelGG wrote: post #17

What a terrible, lying, article. "Prescription opioids ... are the most dangerous drugs abused in America" That's patently untrue. Alcohol is far more harmful, as is smoking. Their opiate death counts probably also include deaths from combinations of drugs. And, the antidote for opiate overdose (Naloxone) is difficult to obtain. The article goes onto say that painkillers are "overprescribed". What does that even mean…

Many Americans do not consider alcohol or tobacco a "drug", while this is patently illogical, this may be more of a poor use of language than an outright fabrication. As for opioids and their over prescription I ask you to look into the case of Florida and the "Pill Mills". You don't see drug companies lobbing to shut these down, nor do you see them refusing to sell their products to these obviously corrupt organizat…

Anything you consume in any way could be a drug depending on how you classify it. Typicaly the term drug implies some thing negative while terms like nutrition and medicine implies some thing positive. Its all politics though.

Re: The Reason Pot Is Still Illegal

#44

Post by LeeHunter »

buckbova wrote: post #10

This isn't the only country where pot is illegal and I doubt it's "big pharma" behind every country where the drug is prohibited.

But when other countries have tried to loosen their drug enforcement policies it is the US that has historically leaned against them very hard with the big sticks of trade sanctions and development aid.

Re: The Reason Pot Is Still Illegal

#45

Post by WorldWideWayne »

cmdrfred wrote: post #40
vacri wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not patently illogical, it's just a matter of where you draw the line. People rarely call sucrose or fructose drugs, yet they're chemical compounds that you put into your body to alter your mood.

Not many people take sucrose to get impaired, the intent of an alcohol drinker (despite the protestations that they "like the taste", "are a wine connoisseur" or "drink socially") is to get drunk. Tobacco users are simply addicted, and use the drug to return to a state of normality.

> Tobacco users are simply addicted, and use the drug to return to a state of normality.

So do coffee users, ice cream users and chocolate "users".

Re: The Reason Pot Is Still Illegal

#46

Post by rayiner »

snitko wrote: post #38
rayiner wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The marijuana situation is a great example of precisely why that assertion is wrong. Public opinion shifts, and within a couple of years, places all over the country are decriminalizing. You think the corporations have let up in the last couple of years? What's the more rational explanation of the data?

And how long did it take? And how many staes is it legal in? Surely, at some point politicians have to bend in and go with the voters, but it takes such a long time and so many people suffer in the process, that you start asking yourself, is this democracy thing worth all the people to rot in jail for victimless crimes?

Read the Pew poll I linked. The attitude among the population as a whole only crossed over last year, and already its being legalized in several places. Moreover, remember, voters aren't the same demographic as the whole population. They skew older and more conservative. So its quite likely that even though 51% or something of people support legalization, the majority of voters in most places don't. My mom, my wife, and I all are registered in VA. My wife and I support legalization. My mom thinks pot will destroy your life. We don't vote. She always votes.

Re: The Reason Pot Is Still Illegal

#47

Post by tptacek »

If corporations are the primary influencer in cannabis public policy, why aren't they taking to the airwaves to influence public opinion? That's what corporations do when they want to influence other public policy issues; they ran commercials all through the health care debate.

Re: The Reason Pot Is Still Illegal

#48

Post by refurb »

blacksmith_tb wrote: post #19
refurb wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find the "bottom line" argument to be pretty weak. Marijuana is not going to replace pain killers like Oxycontin or Vicodin.

Not as prescribed, no, but as an alternative recreational drug is less far-fetched. What surprises me more frankly is that no large corporations appear to be gearing up to enter the legal pot market (think BT developing solar power; can't hurt to diversify...).

If that were true, that legal marijuana leads to less abuse of "harder" drugs like opioids, then the drug companies should be happy about that.

They might have been able to make more money off their drugs when people abused them, but not really anymore. It's a pretty big social issue now and companies are trending pretty lightly in this area.

Re: The Reason Pot Is Still Illegal

#49

Post by MichaelGG »

cmdrfred wrote: post #32
MichaelGG wrote: post #17

What a terrible, lying, article. "Prescription opioids ... are the most dangerous drugs abused in America" That's patently untrue. Alcohol is far more harmful, as is smoking. Their opiate death counts probably also include deaths from combinations of drugs. And, the antidote for opiate overdose (Naloxone) is difficult to obtain. The article goes onto say that painkillers are "overprescribed". What does that even mean…

Many Americans do not consider alcohol or tobacco a "drug", while this is patently illogical, this may be more of a poor use of language than an outright fabrication. As for opioids and their over prescription I ask you to look into the case of Florida and the "Pill Mills". You don't see drug companies lobbing to shut these down, nor do you see them refusing to sell their products to these obviously corrupt organizat…

You say "obviously corrupt" like it's a bad thing. I say they're helping circumvent terrible laws that are actively harming people.

Re: The Reason Pot Is Still Illegal

#50

Post by MichaelGG »

refurb wrote: post #11

I'll bet the reason why the drug companies are funding anti-drug organizations are simpler than what the author is suggesting. They aren't doing it because they think marijuana will steal all their market share. Companies like Purdue produce prescription drugs that can be easily abused. Purdue pulled some really stupid moves that made it a whole lot easier for abuse of their product. They are funding the anti-drug co…

Making pain relievers "a whole lot easier for abuse" is a good thing. Many people would like to obtain IV solutions, but due to monetary/legal restrictions, have trouble doing so. Instead, they must use other products and convert them into a IV solution. By removing the "anti abuse" parts, Purdue can ensure less people are harmed performing an improper injection.
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