http://kuow.org/programs/speakers_forum.asp

This is an article on decriminalizing Marijuana. Over 1% of the US population is in prison... the prison system is one of the fatest growing nisitutions in America.
Not b/c more people are doing illegal acts; rather the laws are evolving so that more acts are illegal.

Americans take shortestr vacations and are the most uptight abbout nudity, sex, alcohol, and drugs. In Europe the idea exists that there are hard and soft drugs. Here it is a drug or not a drug. If it is a drug u go to jail.

Drug addiction is viewed as a health issue overseas and a criminal issue in the US.

Listen to part or all of the talk Rick Steves gave at UW-Tacoma and lets see are we as a country legally enforcing morals? Are we allowed to do that?
What is ur issues w/ drugs? Etc...

It made me think some

Well I think mary jane should be legal LOLZ

Well I think mary jane should be legal LOLZ

U would :toocool :D

I am still in shock that marijuana is even considered CLOSE to the same category as things like meth or heroine. While I think that our government should act "morally", I don't think they should force other people to live under the strict "moral code" of a certain religion or lifestyle. There is a fine line and I think it is crossed WAY too often.

Lol... I read Rick Steves books... Traveling on a budget is fun!

I'm all for legalizing mary-j.. but I've never smoked it, just don't see the big deal.

I am still in shock that marijuana is even considered CLOSE to the same category as things like meth or heroine. While I think that our government should act "morally", I don't think that forcing other people to live under the strict "moral code" of a certain religion or lifestyle. There is a fine line and I think it is crossed WAY too often.

Yeah that :)

I am still in shock that marijuana is even considered CLOSE to the same category as things like meth or heroine. While I think that our government should act "morally", I don't think that forcing other people to live under the strict "moral code" of a certain religion or lifestyle. There is a fine line and I think it is crossed WAY too often.

i agree

I have a problem with many of the "morals" our country runs on. Mainly because they only cater to one certain religion. I think as Americans we are to way too uptight about many of the issues listed. I have always enjoyed being in Europe because they don't get so caught up in those issues.

ETA: Yes, I am all for legalizing marijuana.

IMO, alcohol is more impairing than weed.
JMO, i drink, i used to smoke weed.

In alaska it's legal to have 4 ounces of mary jane as long as you dont have the intent to distribute,are over the age of 18 and smoke it in your own home....they tried making all of it legal my 11th grade year and it only failed by 2%

I have a problem with many of the "morals" our country runs on. Mainly because they only cater to one certain religion. I think as Americans we are to way too uptight about many of the issues listed. I have always enjoyed being in Europe because they don't get so caught up in those issues.

ETA: Yes, I am all for legalizing marijuana.

:tu
i agree

IMO, alcohol is more impairing than weed.
JMO, i drink, i used to smoke weed.

I really agree with you on this. I also think that alcohol is more dangerous. Partly because it is more physically damaging and addicting, and partly because it is so much more socially acceptable and accessible.

Well I think mary jane should be legal LOLZ

Yep. You said it. I agree.:grin:

I'm all for legalizing it.

Even though personally it's not my thing.

I see no problem with Marijuana... It is nowhere near as bad as some of our legal PERSCRIPTION drugs. Legalize it dang it!!!

Also why is it every time I see a drug commercial, it's trying to point out how bad Marijuana is? What about the hardline drugs? Ecstacy, Meth, ect???

I have felt that pot should be legalized but have restrictions like alcohol. And I have seen studies where alcohol is more damaging to your brain than smoking pot but the great thing is that you don't have to smoke it to experience it. I believe chemically made drugs like meth and crack need to stay illegal but something naturally grown and not altered buy chemicals like pot should be legal with conditions.

I see no problem with Marijuana... It is nowhere near as bad as some of our legal PERSCRIPTION drugs. Legalize it dang it!!!

Also why is it every time I see a drug commercial, it's trying to point out how bad Marijuana is? What about the hardline drugs? Ecstacy, Meth, ect???

Because some people think it's a gateway drug that it will lead to harder drugs.

My personal insight is this.

Teens underage drink why? B/c it is rebellious. So, if the rules changed to be more like European rules then we would see less drinking and driving accidents happening for teenagers.

Same goes for drugs. Europe has treatment clinics for hardline drug junkies where they can get a fix, and surprisingly they have seen a decrease in the harline users. B/c they know they can get their drugs.

Pot is a rebellious act to. I have never used it and never want to. But I really do not care if other people do.

So, if a lot of people feel this way. What is Congress' problem? Stupid old people....

Because some people think it's a gateway drug that it will lead to harder drugs.

Yeah, I have heard that opinion before. I don't really agree though. It's one of those correlation does not imply causation things. The thing is... MOST people have their first drink before they have their first bong hit, first line, or shoot up for the first time. So, why isn't alcohol the "gateway drug"?

Besides, wouldn't making it legal (therefore making it so that people don't have to get it from same dealer who sells crack, heroine, and LSD) reduce the risk of opening that "gateway"?

Did that make sense? :lol

i'm not touching this. search for marijuana on here and you'll find my opinions.

I don't think we should be legally enforcing the morals of any one religion over others because it's just a backdoor way to bring religion into the government.

As for drugs...I respect that everyone has their own opinions on it and that I've had BAD experiences growing up with people using any manner of drugs around me so I'm slightly biased against the legalization of any drug that's currently illegal.

You know there is "biblical justification" for smoking pot. (Course there is also biblical justification for burning witches, having wars, and killing your children. So thats about as far as "bible morality" can take us, IMO.)

I actually am not into pot, but I think the fact that it is illegal actually hurts America. The prison overpopulation problem could be easily solved by letting out non-violent drug offenders. Also if you are young and black and get caught smoking pot, you are much more likely to go to jail than a rich white person snorting coke. Comparatively, the person doing coke is much more dangerous, so why the harsh sentence? Poor people get the short end of the stick.

Also I think the reason pot is a "gateway drug" is because you can go to jail for it. People who go to jail once are more likely to get caught up in that system and continue perpetuating it. The more you hang out in jail the more prevalent the drug culture becomes in your life and the more likely you are to try more stuff. I don't really think they have much of a choice if they don't have money. No one wants to hire a convict. You have to pay a ton of fines you cannot afford. Life isn't that great for poor people once they get out of jail. I think many of them choose to go back to jail because its better than working at McDonald's or just being homeless.

Going to jail for a little pot is simply EXCESSIVE. The justice system operates in a very racist way. Prisons cost a lot of taxpayer money and so do public defenders. It'sjust a ridiculous waste of time and resources, imo, just to punish people for smoking something.

Rick Steves is awesome! :wub

The entire prison system feeds off the lower end population. Hence why inter-city kids are more likely to end up in jail or have an out-of-wedlock-teenage pregnancy. Maybe the schools are lacking?

Yeah, I have heard that opinion before. I don't really agree though. It's one of those correlation does not imply causation things. The thing is... MOST people have their first drink before they have their first bong hit, first line, or shoot up for the first time. So, why isn't alcohol the "gateway drug"?

Besides, wouldn't making it legal (therefore making it so that people don't have to get it from same dealer who sells crack, heroine, and LSD) reduce the risk of opening that "gateway"?

Did that make sense? :lol

So have I but I have met alot of people that do HARD drugs without ever smoking pot. I also think that one would reduce the gateway by making it legal, than it wouldn't be about the dealer trying to get you hooked so he can make more money.

You know there is "biblical justification" for smoking pot. (Course there is also biblical justification for burning witches, having wars, and killing your children. So thats about as far as "bible morality" can take us, IMO.)

I actually am not into pot, but I think the fact that it is illegal actually hurts America. The prison overpopulation problem could be easily solved by letting out non-violent drug offenders. Also if you are young and black and get caught smoking pot, you are much more likely to go to jail than a rich white person snorting coke. Comparatively, the person doing coke is much more dangerous, so why the harsh sentence? Poor people get the short end of the stick.

Also I think the reason pot is a "gateway drug" is because you can go to jail for it. People who go to jail once are more likely to get caught up in that system and continue perpetuating it. The more you hang out in jail the more prevalent the drug culture becomes in your life and the more likely you are to try more stuff. I don't really think they have much of a choice if they don't have money. No one wants to hire a convict. You have to pay a ton of fines you cannot afford. Life isn't that great for poor people once they get out of jail. I think many of them choose to go back to jail because its better than working at McDonald's or just being homeless.

Going to jail for a little pot is simply EXCESSIVE. The justice system operates in a very racist way. Prisons cost a lot of taxpayer money and so do public defenders. It'sjust a ridiculous waste of time and resources, imo, just to punish people for smoking something.

I can see that too, that is more for me to think about.

Rick Steves is awesome! :wub

:agree

My personal insight is this.

Teens underage drink why? B/c it is rebellious. So, if the rules changed to be more like European rules then we would see less drinking and driving accidents happening for teenagers.

Same goes for drugs. Europe has treatment clinics for hardline drug junkies where they can get a fix, and surprisingly they have seen a decrease in the harline users. B/c they know they can get their drugs.

Pot is a rebellious act to. I have never used it and never want to. But I really do not care if other people do.

So, if a lot of people feel this way. What is Congress' problem? Stupid old people....


I agree with everything you said.

I am still in shock that marijuana is even considered CLOSE to the same category as things like meth or heroine. While I think that our government should act "morally", I don't think they should force other people to live under the strict "moral code" of a certain religion or lifestyle. There is a fine line and I think it is crossed WAY too often.

As usual, I agree!!

So have I but I have met alot of people that do HARD drugs without ever smoking pot. I also think that one would reduce the gateway by making it legal, than it wouldn't be about the dealer trying to get you hooked so he can make more money.

Totally agree. My mom was a meth addict for 25 years of her life and she never smoked pot once. I have also known people that were giant pot smokers and never did anything else. Of course I have known people that have smoked pot and also done harder drugs too. Based on the kind of people they were and the crap they dealt with in their lives I do not in ANY way think that the pot is what led them to move on to harsher drugs though. Escaping their pain was, pot just happened to be the drug that was easiest to get when they were at that point in their life that they had to face their pain.

Of course, I don't like the implication that druggies are just low lives with no morals. I have known a lot of addicts in my life because of my mother and all of them were dealing with serious pain in their lives... Things like abuse, molestation, and mental illness. On that show Intervention, when they show the addicts that they are staging the interventions for, there is almost always some kind of tragedy in their lives that leads up to the drug use. I don't think I can remember a single episode that didn't have something tragic in the past of the user. Something that they weren't equipped to deal with and so they would do anything to escape the pain they felt. Drug addiction is a problem that is much bigger than just a pusher taking advantage of stupidity or low morals, and until our society accepts that and deals with it, it will never change. Demonizing these people only perpetuates the cycle.

Totally agree. My mom was a meth addict for 25 years of her life and she never smoked pot once. I have also known people that were giant pot smokers and never did anything else. Of course I have known people that have smoked pot and also done harder drugs too. Based on the kind of people they were and the crap they dealt with in their lives I do not in ANY way think that the pot is what led them to move on to harsher drugs though. Escaping their pain was, pot just happened to be the drug that was easiest to get when they were at that point in their life that they had to face their pain.

Of course, I don't like the implication that druggies are just low lives with no morals. I have known a lot of addicts in my life because of my mother and all of them were dealing with serious pain in their lives... Things like abuse, molestation, and mental illness. On that show Intervention, when they show the addicts that they are staging the interventions for, there is almost always some kind of tragedy in their lives that leads up to the drug use. I don't think I can remember a single episode that didn't have something tragic in the past of the user. Something that they weren't equipped to deal with and so they would do anything to escape the pain they felt. Drug addiction is a problem that is much bigger than just a pusher taking advantage of stupidity or low morals, and until our society accepts that and deals with it, it will never change. Demonizing these people only perpetuates the cycle.

I agree, I am not saying everyone that goes to harder drugs is stupid or has low morals, but pushers will take any advantage that they can get. If the guess, figure, or find out that you are going through a tough time they may try and say "Well I got something that works better than weed for your pain."

Not to mention in my area I have heard of people that get "tricked" into harder drugs. Some of the dealers around here ADD hard drugs to their Marijuana, so that you slowly become addicted to the harder drugs!:mumble

I agree, I am not saying everyone that goes to harder drugs is stupid or has low morals, but pushers will take any advantage that they can get. If the guess, figure, or find out that you are going through a tough time they may try and say "Well I got something that works better than weed for your pain."

Not to mention in my area I have heard of people that get "tricked" into harder drugs. Some of the dealers around here ADD hard drugs to their Marijuana, so that you slowly become addicted to the harder drugs!:mumble

YES, YES, YES! I grew up here in AZ and joints laced with things like coke, heroine, and angel dust have always been a huge deal here. It's SCARY!

Totally agree. My mom was a meth addict for 25 years of her life and she never smoked pot once. I have also known people that were giant pot smokers and never did anything else. Of course I have known people that have smoked pot and also done harder drugs too. Based on the kind of people they were and the crap they dealt with in their lives I do not in ANY way think that the pot is what led them to move on to harsher drugs though. Escaping their pain was, pot just happened to be the drug that was easiest to get when they were at that point in their life that they had to face their pain.

Of course, I don't like the implication that druggies are just low lives with no morals. I have known a lot of addicts in my life because of my mother and all of them were dealing with serious pain in their lives... Things like abuse, molestation, and mental illness. On that show Intervention, when they show the addicts that they are staging the interventions for, there is almost always some kind of tragedy in their lives that leads up to the drug use. I don't think I can remember a single episode that didn't have something tragic in the past of the user. Something that they weren't equipped to deal with and so they would do anything to escape the pain they felt. Drug addiction is a problem that is much bigger than just a pusher taking advantage of stupidity or low morals, and until our society accepts that and deals with it, it will never change. Demonizing these people only perpetuates the cycle.

I completely agree. Also wanted to say that I used drugs for many years, and I started with more hardcore drugs (Cocaine, Ecstacy, Acid) before I ever starting smoking pot, and I was never a fan of pot, it really didn't do much for me. And, I didn't have anything utterly tragic in my life that made me turn to drugs, other than my parents divorcing and me suffering from an eating disorder. Luckily my DH came into my life and was able to get me clean & sober.

I completely agree. Also wanted to say that I used drugs for many years, and I started with more hardcore drugs (Cocaine, Ecstacy, Acid) before I ever starting smoking pot, and I was never a fan of pot, it really didn't do much for me. And, I didn't have anything utterly tragic in my life that made me turn to drugs, other than my parents divorcing and me suffering from an eating disorder. Luckily my DH came into my life and was able to get me clean & sober.

Luckily for sure!!!!! :glomp

Just a question..... doesnt Europe have a lot bigger problems with hard drugs?


I think marijuana should be legal. i think it should be treated by the same rules as alcohol (granted i think alcohol should be accessible at 18)

i think just taking the drug away that SEEMS to cause the problem doesnt fix it. because... drugs arent actually the problem even the hard ones. As Wicked said, there are almost ALWAYS underlying problems. JUST taking the drug away without acknowledging and trying to cure the underlying problem just makes things WORSE... case in point, prohibition. thank you prohibition for ORGANIZED CRIME.

No I do not think that they do. Since the junkies can get a fix at a rehab clinic they- European Countries- have seen a decline in the use of hardline drugs...

No I do not think that they do. Since the junkies can get a fix at a rehab clinic they- European Countries- have seen a decline in the use of hardline drugs...


Yep, :yes If you listen to the middle-end of that piece, he actually talks about the statistics of heroin deaths in Europe Vs. The US. (A lot less) in spite of acknowledging that both countries have a serious issue... it just really makes a difference how we handle it. And the stigma that comes with drug addiction/treatment in this country.

I can bet that in most places, if those "radical" programs were used... the implementer would be shot and or run out of town... which is sad.

Most people simply DO not realize that, for example Meth is one of the, if not THE MOST addictive drug their is. (and I say that as someone with a former meth addict in my family.)