Lets fill'er up folks...
Posted on 08/21/2016 10:34:48 AM PDT by DeweyCA
(Snip)
The middle and upper classes have been the ones out there pushing for decriminalization and legalization measures, and they have also tried to demolish the cultural taboo against smoking pot. But they themselves have chosen not to partake very much. Which is not surprising. Middle-class men and women who have jobs and families know that this is not a habit they want to take up with any regularity because it will interfere with their ability to do their jobs and take care of their families.
But the poor, who already have a hard time holding down jobs and taking care of their families, are more frequently using a drug that makes it harder for them to focus, to remember things and to behave responsibly.
(Snip)
In fact, the typical user is much more likely to be someone at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, whose daily life is driven, at least in part, by the question of how and where to get more marijuana. Just consider the cost. Almost a third of users are spending a tenth of their income on marijuana. And 15 percent of users spend nearly a quarter of their income to purchase the drug. The poor have not only become the heaviest users, but their use is making them poorer.
To all the middle-class professionals out there reading this: Do you know anyone who spends a quarter of their income on pot? Of course not. But these are the people our policies and attitudes are affecting.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I’m sure that lily-white Harvard graduate with absolutely no credentials or background in either cannabis or dealing with poverty knows all about the nation’s poor and what’s good for them.
Yeah, I agree with that.
When that thing we love to do becomes a problem that starts affecting our lives, job and families, it is at that time that each individual person must look inside themselves to find the answer.
Do we love that thing we do more than we love our wife and children? Because they say they are going to leave us if we don’t stop.
Do we love that thing we do more than our job and security? Because they say they are going to fire us if we don’t shape up.
Do we love that thing we do more than we love living? Because it’s damaging our organs to a point where it may well kill us.
In the end it becomes a question of do you love that thing you do more than you love all other things? And for some people, the answer to that question is yes.
And that is freedom. True freedom.
It is up to each one of us to determine our own path, and we will arrive at the destination of that path we freely chose.
Some of those destinations are grand, and other destinations are very sad.
One thing that a free society cannot do is legislate where and when we will arrive.
We do that ourselves with the Guidance of God.
If you’ve lived long enough and paid attention, heroin epidemics run in cycles. People start using, they get their friends to start using, use increases, everyone dies of an overdose.
Heroin use “dies” down for a few years. Eventually the cycle starts again.
Personally, in my very uneducated opinion, I believe that the essence of God is forgiveness, because He knows how flawed we are.
The only way to love man is to forgive man.
Indeed, the social impact of alcohol is far worse. (paraphrasing another poster in this thread)
Regards,
The classic Christian explanation is that humanity chose, as a group, to figure out for itself what was right, rather than letting the good Lord show them. And this was a failure.
However the good Lord did not cease to desire to bless humanity. The catch is that the Lord can only bless what is conducive to carrying out His good will. There is a certain way the Lord created humanity to work, and other ways lead to tragedy, not blessing.
Is it possible in principle that a person could use some things that are currently banned by man (but not by God) in a moderate, controlled way that would be blessed? Yes. Are actual addicts disposed to do that? No.
What needs to have an onus on it is misbehavior, not things that are misused.
Forgiveness involves the setting right of erring mankind. This must be voluntary of acceptance, or else it is not love. It makes the terrible fate of hell possible to choose, but the Lord would rather that souls be able to choose to embrace the devil forever in hatred and rage at Him, than that they be mere puppets whose love could not be true.
Yeah, so let's throw them into prison! That'll learn them!
Regards,
“1. You are more an exception.” Not really. I know many folks who are hard working successful people who use cannabis in different ways.
“2. You probably are not as conservative as you think.” LOL, fallacy much?
“Pot smoking is bad.” Smoking too much is certainly bad for a person. Thankfully, I never smoke more than once a day if I smoke at all. I prefer vaping & homemade edibles.
“It hurts your mind and soul.” It’s done neither. Jesus Christ is Lord & my mind is pretty solid, thanks be to God.
“Messes up your psyche.” Naw. Not so. Life is good & God is Great.
Vote Trump 2016
“How do you think 75% of black males between 18 and 35 get caught up in the legal system?”
By committing crimes, of course. How do you think they get arrested, charged, and convicted?
“Potheads place pot above everything else. Pure idolatry.”
I’ve known many many potheads over the years. I’ve known many alcoholics. I’ve never seen someone wake up in the morning with the shakes walk over broken glass to get some cannabis. I have seen alcoholics do this. As a thankful Catholic who uses cannabis for medical reasons (I use it ever day so that makes me a “pothead” correct?) I can assured you Jesus Christ is Lord & I pray He forgives me come the Judgement.
Vote Trump 2016
“Did it ever dawn on anybody that we could save billions by taking the profit out of illegal drugs and end 80% of the associated violent crime.”
Back in the 1960s it dawned on me that “legal” marijuana would be regulated by the government. This would inevitably mean that the product would be inferior and the price, after taxes, very high. Legalization would, therefore, have very little effect on the black market, which would thrive on providing a better product at a lower price.
Perhaps a complete, hands-off legalization would be different, but figure the odds of the government passing up an opportunity to tax and regulate.
That is a very profound post, HTRN, I have to say.
I believe that we must try and help addicts, because truly they need help.
I also believe that we must try and help them in the proper way.
That way does not involve imprisonment, because the truth of the matter is that the addict is already imprisoned.
They wrapped themselves in the heaviest chains from head to toe, and then they secured them with a massive padlock to which they hold the key in their hand the whole time, but they won’t use it.
The addict must be able to see that the world beyond their chains is so much better than their self imposed prison sentence. it is only at such time that they can truly see that that they will have a chance at unlocking the chains and walking away.
But another sad truth is that there is always the chance that even after doing that, the addict will simply return to his chains and rewrap himself in them and lock them once again.
That is the nature of addiction, and it is very frustrating, especially to those who love an addict.
Spend money on useless stuff: soda, junk food, alcohol, iTunes, pot.....it will make you poorer. And what will you have gained? Brain rot, hangover, obesity.
American politics still needs wisdom about how to accommodate situations like yours (true “medpot”) while leaving the minimum possible opening for crazy partying.
As a crazy evangelical, I’ve believed that if it can be handled through the gateway of duly licensed and insured physicians and pharmacists, that no drug short of one intended for murder or suicide, or that is not standardized in potency, should be verboten. Some people and some doctors will make foolish choices. However, being in the sunshine should disinfect most of the problems — abuse will bring ill repute.
Enough with the holier than though....
I
Why does it bother you if people use cannabis responsibly for recreation in the privacy of their homes? If people are legally permitted (as they are & should always be) to drink themselves stupid, why shouldn’t others be legally allowed to use cannabis similarly? Prohibition has proven to be ineffective & a unnecessary impediment to LIBERTY. It creates far more crime & cost than it ever prevented. There is NOTHING moral about prohibition.
Vote Trump 2016
“I was just talking to someone that lives in Colorado and she was telling me the “unforeseen” problems associated with legal pot. 1. The bike paths in Denver have become the new homeless habitat. People came for the legal drugs not realizing how expensive it was to live in Denver and wound up homeless.”
That just reflects a failure of will. It used to be the police would run them out of town.
“2. The illegal pot sellers are renting houses in middle class neighborhoods, diverting the electricity and plumbing to establish an indoor pot farm totally destroying the house.”
That was never made legal. A person can grow a bit for personal use, but an unlicensed pot farm is still a major felony. Further, this has been going on since the sixties, was illegal then and is illegal now, so I don’t see how legalization was to blame.
“3. Other drug dealers will try to rob these pot houses because they usually have large amounts of cash at the house. Unfortunately they have sometimes broken into the wrong house guns blazing.”
And that wasn’t going on before legalization, and doesn’t happen as frequently where pot is prohibited? I have a sense that it was and does.
“4. A significant number of children being rushed to emergency room because they have found their parents stash of pot laced cookies or brownies.”
Haven’t been watching all that closely, but I only remember one case. Of course, that’s not something one ever wants to see, but no one has ever been physically harmed by an overdose of marijuana. This “rushed to the hospital” meme is very deceptive.
Numbers 2 and 3 seem to be caused not by legalization, but by the remaining government regulation, which keeps the black market profitable.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.