lewrockwell.com — American taxpayers are now spending more than a billion dollars per year to incarcerate its citizens for pot. The new BJS report is noteworthy because it undermines the common claim from law enforcement officers and bureaucrats, specifically the White House drug czar, that few, if any, Americans are incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses.
Oct 19, 2006 View in Crawl 4
socokoolaidOct 19, 2006
As an intelligent consenting adult, I reserve my God given right to use upon myself any chemicals I see fit.
jonstafariOct 19, 2006
well... some are lazy, and some of us are compliant. some. not all ;-)the US Gov would rather stuff your head and body with experimental and more addictive pills.sigh
Closed AccountOct 20, 2006
Second hand smoke isn't a reason to make it illegal.Just like cigarettes, if people around you don't like the smoke, step outside and do it. Since you'd more than likely be at a designated bar or house doing this, that really isn't a problem.Might wanna make cars illegal too since their exhaustion is more destructive than second hand cigarette or marijuana smoke.I'm telling you, there's no good argument against it :)
evilpenguinOct 20, 2006
marc26uk is right, why are people digging him down?<a class="user" href="http://www.google.com/search?q=9+billion+/+300+million&sourceid=opera&num=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8">http://www.google.com/search?q=9+billion+/+300+million&sourceid=opera&num=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8</a>
prbinderOct 20, 2006
It is important to the maintenance of order to make people do illegal things. When people know that they can be punished for something they are doing, they are far less likely to vehemently protest other actions the government is taking. Weed is illegal not because it is harmful, but because its being illegal makes us more compliant in other ways. It is illegal for the same reason that we have a tax code that requires us to calculate for ourselves what we owe the government. If the government can get all of us to cheat just a little on our taxes, then they assume we won't want to be as visible in protesting the government because we will be subject to penalty if they review our returns. They have made most of us law breakers. They have made most of us compliant.
marc26ukOct 21, 2006
FYI Nobody told me I was addicted, It was something I had to admit to myself, after trying to stop about 50 f**kING TIMES over a period of about 5 years, and kept failing. You think its bad self control when you get up every morning and roll a spliff to have with your tea, even though you long ago got bored with being stoned all day ? It took me a long time to admit that I was addicted, mainly because I had read so many times that cannabis was not addictive, and even longer to kick the habit. You think you're so smart, but you actually dont know what you're talking about.In regards to the gambling addiction, I kind of agree that its a bad analogy, but what I mean is that something doesn't have to be (classically) physically addictive to make it habit-forming.And just to reiterate - I am NOT arguing for prohibition, I just started my comment with the fact that I am a recovering pot addict, if you dont think thats possible, thats your opinion.
marc26ukOct 21, 2006
ohhhh, watch out you're gonna get buried for saying you had to quit - ppl might think you were addicted to pot
koros8Oct 23, 2006
f**king stoners can all suck it. Disgusting, stinky s**t! f**k HEMP!
vivreetamourOct 24, 2006
I'm 15 years old, and I can get weed easier than I can cigarettes.In fact, I can get weed by tomorrow morning before school, right now being 10:30 at night on a monday night, the fact that it's illegal does nothing to stop teens from getting it.The fact that the government has no evidence it's actually 'bad for you', other than it's the 'doorstep to more dangerous drugs' should not be enough to make it illegal, and the fact there are many legal things much worse than weed, is ridiculous. The government spends millions of dollars trying to change peoples minds about weed, when really the government could make millions of dollars regulating and taxing weed.I understand taxing and regulating is a long step away, but to realize how much money the government could potentially make, not to mention the money they wouldn't have to spend on the 'above the influence' commericals.Floating points, I completely agree with everything you had to say, such as how it is not the governments decision on what you do to your body. In that sence, in should be legal. Let's face it, the only people who think alcohol is worse than pot, are the people who have never smoked weed before, and listen to the government's commercials and the schools speechs on 'how to say no'.And as for the 'doorstep to more dangerous drugs', that wouldn't be a problem if it was legalized. You don't see alcohol being a 'doorstep to more dangerous drugs' because it is legal, and it would be the same with weed. Instead of the drug dealers becoming rich and using it to promote street violence and crime, the government would have the money using it on better things. BUT the point of the matter is, the government should have NO control on what you do with yourself and to your body, as long as it's not harming others.The government one day will have to realize they're wrong, and stop spending money taxpayers put into the 'war on drugs', when the drug is less worse for you than alcohol and tobacco.&as for the 'addiction to pot', it's all a mind set, which goes back to bad self-control. To not have the power to set aside your craving, will lead you to some future problems in life. Better get started on that one.
vivreetamourOct 24, 2006
and the fact that the mj is classified as a 'schedule 1' drug is bulls**t,and another way the government is trying to control what we can/cannot do,by scaring us into thinking it's as harmful as heroin, which is also a schedule 1 drug.