[Wally_Kalbacken]

It's not the happiness that bothers me - it's the externalities. The HIV prevalent lifestyles offload lots of costs onto more responsible citizens (read taxpayers). If we could opt out of paying for their lifestyle I would have no problem with them smiling and rump riding into oblivion.

[voltaires_zit]

> The HIV prevalent lifestyles offload lots of costs onto
> more responsible citizens (read taxpayers).

While this study was done on HIV+ people, I was referring to those who are opposed to the use of marijuana as medicine generally.

> If we could opt out of paying for their lifestyle I would
> have no problem with them smiling and rump riding into
> oblivion.

I'd love to opt out of paying for all the destruction tobacco and obesity have caused to the public purse, too, as long as we're looking down on the sick for being weak willed, stupid and self destructive.

That OK with you?

[secretagent]

The HIV prevalent lifestyles offload lots of costs onto more responsible citizens (read taxpayers). If we could opt out of paying for their lifestyle I would have no problem with them smiling and rump riding into oblivion.

Of course better to eliminate tax-funded welfare of all kinds, but within the current system, legalized marijuana would cost very little, compared to other pain medications.

[alexander_busek]

>>The HIV prevalent lifestyles offload lots of costs onto more responsible citizens (read taxpayers). If we could opt out of paying for their lifestyle I would have no problem with them smiling and rump riding into oblivion.<<

A friend of mine, whose only "mistake" was to be a hemophiliac, died of AIDS. LOTS of people who have died of AIDS or been infected with HIV have lifestyles not significantly different from yours or mine.