<p>neverborn: I didn't make any ad hominem attacks. The majority of those who set public policy are probably a hell of a lot smarter than I am, too. We're talking people with PhD's from schools like Harvard, Chicago, Berkeley, etc. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, neverborn, governments exist to promote and protect the public interest. It's not unreasonable to ban something like crack cocaine in order to further those interests.</p>
<p>It looked like "well, you're stupid, so..." If that was not your intent, I apologize.</p>
<p>The government exists to protect the individual rights of the people - not some fabricated "collective good."</p>
<p>But if a population of drug addicts is causing a drain on society, are my rights as an individual not being violated?</p>
<p>"Drugs are bad, mkay?"</p>
<p>On a serious note, do drugs if you want to. Otherwise stop worrying about other peoples' choices that they have made. If it starts to affect your life in a negative way, then consider moving to a substance-free place.</p>
<p>Where in the constitution or otherwise does it say that you have a right to live in a prosperous and productive society. What if the country just got lazy on their own, should we regulate the number of hours people sleep and force everyone to have a job (ie no retirment, no homeless, no stay at home mom's or dad's, no chosing to live off of pre-existing funds)????? What an individual choses to put (or not put) in their own body is only their choice. </p>
<p>The only situation in which i think they should be limited is when your actions directly affect others such as when driving or if you have children. To parallel it with having kids, being on drugs should be treated the way sever alcoholics are. If a person is drunk all the time and not taking care of their kids--it's child abuse and/or neglect. It should be the same for drugs.</p>
<p>Neverborn just quit while your ahead.</p>
<p>If you want to smoke the rock, by all means go ahead. </p>
<p>But anyone who can think rationally knows that crack is detrimental to the user and to society with prolonged use due to physical and mental addiction and all its negative side affects. This addiction causes irrational behavior in the users, which then can affect others. Crack addiction can lead to theft and prostitution among other if taken too far.</p>
<p>Weed is not like crack at all. Research the subject and you will see the benefits of marijuana far outweigh the negative aspects (the munchies and sleepiness.) It is important to understand why weed was made illegal in the first place back (the government saying that weed will make people mentally crazy and blacks and hispanics will rape people and steal,etc.) A lot of it is racially motivated, and thats just the way the government was at the time. Also, the implication that weed is illegal is a baseless argument when judging whether or not it is moral. Alcohol and cigarettes are legal, so therefore they are better for u than weed? Please. The government makes money, a lot of it, off of those.</p>
<p>I think people are finally beginning to think for themselves and realize that marijuana is not what the government and anti-drug campaigns make it out to be. Just look at those above the influence commercials. Its nonsense.</p>
<p>Soul, crack addiction will lead to that whether it is illegal or not. THe question is do you want the gang warfare that comes with it being illegal.</p>
<p>Weed was made illegal because hemp was a competitor to many textile companies. It had nothing to do with blacks, though I'm sure you'd like to think so.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Research the subject and you will see the benefits of marijuana far outweigh the negative aspects
[/quote]
Benefits?!?!</p>
<p>As far as benefits of a drug can be - just like the benefits on alcohol.</p>
<p>warblersrule, it would appear the there are certain qualities of marijuana that make it useful for medical purposes. I don't believe there are any for alcohol.</p>
<p>"It had nothing to do with blacks, though I'm sure you'd like to think so."</p>
<p>That statement right there only made it clear to me that you base your reasoning on assumptions, therefore your opinions are void.</p>
<p>Neverborn has mentioned that he lives in the ghetto, whatever assumptions one might make about him upon that statement.</p>
<p>Just saying.</p>
<p>Soul: If you can't respond to points, that's your problem, not mine.</p>
<p>PEALS: I do. My campus is a **** hole, and that's part of why I'm transfering.</p>
<p>Neverborn: do u smoke weed?</p>
<p>no peer pressure but honestly more people should at least try it. It won't hurt to take at least a puff, you wont throw your life away cause of that. Just wish more people would realize that, cause the herb is on a spiritual level, unlike alcohol and tobacco.</p>
<p>just my 2 cents</p>
<p>I don't smoke weed, but I have smoked weed. I think it (like all drugs) should be legal. I think that marijuana is less harmful to a person than alcohol. I personally have more fun drinking than smoking, in addition, with the pervasiveness of drug testing, getting high is not worth it in a risk vs. reward type thing.</p>
<p>Hey PEALS. I don't know what everyone is telling you.. these responses are too long for me to take the time to read ..but yeah, I understand. </p>
<p>You're not naive and stupid. </p>
<p>Their nonchalant attitude bothers me, but if they want to do that to themselves.. I don't know. I care, but I guess not enough to do anything about it.</p>
<p>"Drugs and alcohol have ruined my life. </p>
<p>I started doing drugs when I was little. Me and my friends would smoke marijuana after school. Sometimes dipped in emblaming fluid. Me and my friends would laugh and giggle and eat all the cookies. It was terrible!</p>
<p>Then I upgraded to a little drug called acid. Very inexpensive and affordable. Even young children could afford it. It was so bad! </p>
<p>I did two hits of that, and Bugs Bunny and Scooby Doo and all my favorite cartoon heroes came to my room and ate cookies with me and sang songs for 16 hours, god damn!</p>
<p>We all know we can sneak into our mama's room when she's sleeping and take 5, 10, maybe 20 dollars out her purse, run on down to 3rd street and catch take the D bus downtown and meet a Latin American fellow named Martinez, we know that! And we know Martinez's stuff is the bomb!</p>
<p>Kids, drugs is all around you. How would I know when drugs are around, you might be asking. Well, I'll tell you. Use those Magic Markers, what you think they are? Crayons? Take the caps off and sniff them and get high!</p>
<p>You know what dog food tastes like? It tastes just like it smells. Delicious!</p>
<p>I'd tell you about the first time I sucked d!ck for crack, and that it wouldn't be the last. I've tasted a lot of pen is in my line of work." </p>
<p>-- Transcript from Tyrone Biggums (i.e., Dave Chappelle from Chappelle's Show)</p>
<p>it's nice that people want to make light of something that actually has ruined a lot of lives. eh, to each his own.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
it's nice that people want to make light of something that actually has ruined a lot of lives. eh, to each his own.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>Well, that's what I find terrific about Tyrone Biggums. He's a drug addict that's supposed to be funny to laugh at, and then you realize its actually repulsive and tragic what he's done for crack, and that he's known the desperation that causes one to resort to eating dog food. There's satire there, didn't mean to make light of a serious problem, really. Tyrone is afterall a character based upon what real drug addicts have done.</p>
<p>Anyway, I thought in a sense that Tyrone's speech actually highlighted the fact that weed has the potential to be a gateway drug, if you want to be all serious about it.</p>
<p>Chappelle said something good on Inside The Actor's Studio, he basically said that white people have the ability to go to psychiatrists and go to therapy. Black people don't have that, they have weed. He said that he had a tough time one point in his life and weed was the only thing that got him through it.</p>