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Yes

67 (62.6%)

Yes, but only if the amount you could own at any one time was limited

14 (13.1%)

Yes, but for Medicinal uses only

10 (9.3%)

Yes, but only for chronic illnesses(Cancer, AIDS, Crohn's Disease, etc.)

3 (2.8%)

No

13 (12.1%)

Total Members Voted: 107

[Leafsnail]

I seem to recall reading about a government program, I believe in Switzerland (though I could be wrong), though I'm hazy on the specifics, that went out and gave free heroin to addicts, along with literature regarding treatments and whatnot, with the express purpose of shutting down the black market trade in it and reducing related crime, with further prevention as a secondary goal. As I recall, it was controversial, but successful.

It'd probably be methadone, since that's a slightly safer substitute for Heroin.

For heroin... well, it's hideously addictive, causes death a lot of the time and is pretty likely to turn addicts to crime if they don't have enough money to pay for a hit.  The problem is that it ruins lives pretty consistently, and it may be that it's hard for most people to give informed consent to start heroin use.

[Phmcw]

Anyway, since drug prohibition fail and create drug cartel, drug states, and drug wars, I don't really see the point of keeping it.
It doesn't even seems to limit drug consumption.
Another thing is that, in Belgium and in France, pot could as well be legal  : everyone have access to it, everyone tried it, and poeple don't even bother to hide it. Why the hell do they keep it illegal? The Mafia need money? The state have too much money?
Actually, I think the reason is that they fear the drug cartel reaction.
Just imagine :
Sorry multi billionaire drug baron. Now we stop your business and take the benefits to ourselves. Please don't send your assassins.
Love

Urist mcMayor.

[Sir Pseudonymous]

I seem to recall reading about a government program, I believe in Switzerland (though I could be wrong), though I'm hazy on the specifics, that went out and gave free heroin to addicts, along with literature regarding treatments and whatnot, with the express purpose of shutting down the black market trade in it and reducing related crime, with further prevention as a secondary goal. As I recall, it was controversial, but successful.

It'd probably be methadone, since that's a slightly safer substitute for Heroin.

For heroin... well, it's hideously addictive, causes death a lot of the time and is pretty likely to turn addicts to crime if they don't have enough money to pay for a hit.  The problem is that it ruins lives pretty consistently, and it may be that it's hard for most people to give informed consent to start heroin use.

My point was more that it was a sane approach to getting rid of the real social problems: the black market trade and crime associated with junkies who can't hold down a job or afford a hit, and that it apparently worked, despite the controversy over it.

The key to winning the drug war is to take the addicts from the black market distributors, and legalize the harmless shit like pot and LSD. Combined with education that's more than sticking your fingers in your ears and screaming "DRUGS AM BADS! CAN'T HEAR SCIENCES! EXCEPT DRUGS THAT AM MADE BY CORPORATIONS, AM GOOD, EAT MORE RITALIN AND ANTIDEPRESSANTS YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE SHITS!" over and over again.

[Azkanan]

Weed is jolly good fun.

Problem is, as said, it's a gateway drug.

For those who it isnt for, can easily lose their mind. I have a friend. He is the most talented guitarist I've ever heard and has a beautiful voice. The world is his oyster, and he smokes quite a bit of weed. Sometimes he just tunes out from the world whilst playing, and plays the most beautiful guitar you've ever heard. He made an album for charity, making no profit whats-so-ever. Nicest guy you could possibly meet.

Government found out he was smoking weed, threw him into a "get help" place, took the weed from him, and he lost his mind. Got thrown into a nut house, havn't heard from him since.
Legalization, please.

On the other hand, hand-in-hand with kids with shitty parents (Chavs), you wind up with theft for money, for weed. Also/If not, dealing out weed in backstreets for the coin. Shit, most if it isn't even marijuana nowadays.
Legalization, please.

[G-Flex]

Problem is, as said, it's a gateway drug.

I don't see any evidence for this anywhere, at all.

For those who it isnt for, can easily lose their mind. I have a friend. He is the most talented guitarist I've ever heard and has a beautiful voice. The world is his oyster, and he smokes quite a bit of weed. Sometimes he just tunes out from the world whilst playing, and plays the most beautiful guitar you've ever heard. He made an album for charity, making no profit whats-so-ever. Nicest guy you could possibly meet.

Government found out he was smoking weed, threw him into a "get help" place, took the weed from him, and he lost his mind. Got thrown into a nut house, havn't heard from him since.
Legalization, please.

I don't get it. At first you imply that weed makes some people lose their minds, but then you imply that it was the government's treatment of him that did so. I'm not sure what argument you're trying to make.

On the other hand, hand-in-hand with kids with shitty parents (Chavs), you wind up with theft for money, for weed. Also/If not, dealing out weed in backstreets for the coin. Shit, most if it isn't even marijuana nowadays.

Most weed isn't marijuana? Then what is it?

And if weed were at least somewhat legal, it wouldn't cost as much money and people wouldn't need to resort to back-alley deals and theft. The fact that people are doing something illegal to begin with by smoking/buying weed probably makes them, if anything, more likely to do other illegal things in order to get it.
Legalization, please.

[Megaman]

Why not, people are getting it illegally anyway. With it legal it could be easily taxed by the government and crime involving its sale and possession would decrease.

[Azkanan]

Problem is, as said, it's a gateway drug.

I don't see any evidence for this anywhere, at all.

For those who it isnt for, can easily lose their mind. I have a friend. He is the most talented guitarist I've ever heard and has a beautiful voice. The world is his oyster, and he smokes quite a bit of weed. Sometimes he just tunes out from the world whilst playing, and plays the most beautiful guitar you've ever heard. He made an album for charity, making no profit whats-so-ever. Nicest guy you could possibly meet.

Government found out he was smoking weed, threw him into a "get help" place, took the weed from him, and he lost his mind. Got thrown into a nut house, havn't heard from him since.
Legalization, please.

I don't get it. At first you imply that weed makes some people lose their minds, but then you imply that it was the government's treatment of him that did so. I'm not sure what argument you're trying to make.

On the other hand, hand-in-hand with kids with shitty parents (Chavs), you wind up with theft for money, for weed. Also/If not, dealing out weed in backstreets for the coin. Shit, most if it isn't even marijuana nowadays.

Most weed isn't marijuana? Then what is it?

And if weed were at least somewhat legal, it wouldn't cost as much money and people wouldn't need to resort to back-alley deals and theft. The fact that people are doing something illegal to begin with by smoking/buying weed probably makes them, if anything, more likely to do other illegal things in order to get it.
Legalization, please.

Gotta keep this short, I'm late for Real Life.

1. Gateway drug. Come visit my town, you'll see. Kids start with spliffs, their parents smoke/inject worse.

2. Lost Mind. Exactly, if we legalized it, people would be fine - and alot more culturally creative, too!

3. Weed != 100% Marijuana. Because, alot of dealers stuff it with tobacco and other such replacements (some drugs, even worse), so that they can have more Marijuana to handle out. Quantity over Quality situation.

[fqllve]

1. Gateway drug. Come visit my town, you'll see. Kids start with spliffs, their parents smoke/inject worse.

Correlation isn't causation.

3. Weed != 100% Marijuana. Because, alot of dealers stuff it with tobacco and other such replacements (some drugs, even worse), so that they can have more Marijuana to handle out. Quantity over Quality situation.

Real marijuana comes in nuggets, not loose like tobacco or oregano. You wouldn't confuse anyone who had bought it before. And for what possible reason would a drug dealer lace what is probably his cheapest product with something much more expensive?

[Vector]

I believe one laces with more expensive substances to induce addiction.

In my introduction to the subject, what I heard was that there was often a lot of particulate impurities in poorly-processed street marijuana that could really screw with your lungs, even more than something one smokes often does.

[Retro]

1. Gateway drug. Come visit my town, you'll see. Kids start with spliffs, their parents smoke/inject worse.

2. Lost Mind. Exactly, if we legalized it, people would be fine - and alot more culturally creative, too!

3. Weed != 100% Marijuana. Because, alot of dealers stuff it with tobacco and other such replacements (some drugs, even worse), so that they can have more Marijuana to handle out. Quantity over Quality situation.

What I'm getting from your response to G-Flex:

1. Your proof that it's a gateway drug is citing your town because the parents do worse stuff. That doesn't disprove the opposing theory that it's not a gateway drug and that people who want to use harder stuff do so. It's not really evidence either, as I don't think anyone will be stopping by for a visit to see for themselves. fqllve summed it up nicely for me, anyhow.

2. Your story started by saying that pot could make you lose your mind, but your story then indicated it was the government's treatment of your friend that made him lose his mind, but now you're saying... I'm not sure. G-Flex asked you to be clearer about what the cause was and you responded with "Lost mind, exactly."

On a less specific note I'm not really sure what you're trying to say. You imply that it's a gateway drug to worse things, but also that it's awesome and everyone should do it to become more 'culturally creative,' and then it can cause you to lose your mind and the government will mess you up too. That seems like a lot of conflicting points within your overall argument, so I'm not really sure what your stance is.

[fqllve]

I believe one laces with more expensive substances to induce addiction.

Why would a drug dealer want you addicted to marijuana, which is laced with a more expensive drug, that he will continue to lace and sell to you for less than the price of the addictive drug? Especially when he can just persuade you to buy that drug in the first place.

I wouldn't doubt that street level marijuana has impurities though. Not from processing (because marijuana need only be dried) or from maliciousness, but just because of how poorly handled it is. Criminals with no health or safety standards trying to keep it hidden? Seems likely.

[Neonivek]

Why would a drug dealer want you addicted to marijuana, which is laced with a more expensive drug, that he will continue to lace and sell to you for less than the price of the addictive drug? Especially when he can just persuade you to buy that drug in the first place.

It is a common sales tactic used in legitimate market sales (Giving people great products so that later they buy your cruddy continuations of a product)... I mean... who says he has to keep lacing it or keep lacing it with the same amount?

We had a rash of laced drugs a long while back at my Highschool.

Though apperantly laced drugs is more of an arguement for legalisation (as it forces standards) HOWEVER I seriously doubt illegal drug use would go down in the long term. Afterall what is so unique about Marijuana that makes it so attractive over any other drug that its legalisation would forever decrease illegal drug sales?

[Croquantes]

Legalise it!

I live in Vancouver, and marijuana is pretty much legal anyways. Depending where you are, cops won't even bat an eye. If they do mind, they won't arrest you; just confiscate your pot. Who knows what they do with it.

[Vector]

Why would a drug dealer want you addicted to marijuana, which is laced with a more expensive drug, that he will continue to lace and sell to you for less than the price of the addictive drug? Especially when he can just persuade you to buy that drug in the first place.

Possibly because this is difficult, especially because most people know marijuana is okay-ish but harder drugs will screw with you.

If you've got someone "addicted" to "marijuana," and they're experiencing the brutal withdrawal symptoms of some other drug, it's going to be a lot easier to say "here, try this, it will make you feel better."  After that, you've got a buyer for your new thing.

Another sort of gateway drug, I guess.  Again, this is all half-remembered stuff from middle school and high school drug segments of normal biology courses.

[DJ]

All rapists have masturbated first, therefore masturbation is a gateway to rape