[NobleFree]

libertarians who make out legalizing pot to be more of a freedom issue than ditching the welfare state (what used to be one of our main goals).

Is that their view, or are they just pragmatically investing more attention in the more winnable battle?

IMHO getting rid of the welfare state is critical to truly legalizing drugs or anything else.

Not sure what you mean by "critical;" we certainly ought not hold one liberty hostage to another, as no-legalization-until-welfare-ends does.

[ClearCase_guy]

My opinion has always been that the Welfare State needs to go first. Get rid of it. Push the idea of personal responsibility, Make people stand on their own two feet. Government is not a crutch.

Then, as a second step, feel free to legalize drugs. If people can consume drugs and still stand on their own two feet, that’s fine with me, But if they get into trouble, I don’t want it to be my problem. I’m not going to rescue them.

To me, that SHOULD be the Libertarian position. In that order. Because if you switch #1 and #2 around, you will achieve the new #1 (legal drugs) but you will abandon all hope of ever getting the new #2 (ending Welfare).

[gogeo]

Not sure what you mean by "critical;" we certainly ought not hold one liberty hostage to another, as no-legalization-until-welfare-ends does.

Wrong. They're directly tied. As a taxpayer and non-smoker, I recognize the destructive potential in weed. Privatizing the decision making and socializing the consequences is pure BS. Do what you want to do IF I'm not responsible for paying to have someone water and tend the vegetables.