Over 50 bags of hashish litter the deck of the dhow intercepted in the Arabian Gulf.

DefenseLink ^ | 19 Dec 03 | DoD

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Over 50 bags of hashish litter the deck of the dhow intercepted in the Arabian Gulf. A U.S. Navy boarding team operating from the guided missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73) discovered an estimated two tons of narcotics with a street value of around eight to ten million dollars aboard a 40-foot dhow intercepted in the Arabian Gulf. The dhow's 12 crewmembers were taken into custody and transferred to USS Decatur, and Decatur sailors are in control of the dhow. DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Sandberg, U.S. Navy. (Released)

031216-N-4374S-030

[Fledermaus]

That's some pretty cheap hash, only $6 per gram.

[thesummerwind]

Sort of seemed like someone pi**ed in someone's punch bowl.

Personally I have said for over 30 years, legalize marijuana for adults. To me it can be a very benign and helpful drug. It is medically very much less dangerous and possibly destructive than alchohol.

I'm 57 years old, and for a few years had very many fine, illuminating experiences with it back in the late 60's and early 70's, and today feel like it is an old friend....who I haven't seen in a long, long while. Oh well!

[greenwolf]

Industrial hemp and marijuana vs Weyerhauser et. al.

There is a difference between industrial hemp and marijuana, nonetheless the path of least resistence appears to have been getting it ALL banned as a pernicious narcotic.

Now, I am not into any sort of drugs and I strongly recommend that others avoid them as well but clearly, on a scale of one to ten on which beer is a one and crack cocaine and LSD are 9.5s, marijuana and cheap wine both fall somewhere around a four. I don't really see how the one can be legal and the other banned.

[blackie]

The Navy is on the job ~ Go Navy!

[LibKill]

Let's see how many people know what the hashish resin (also referred to as oil) is added to in order to give it form and bulk.

"What's brown and sounds like a bell? DUNG!" (Credit to Monty Python.)

[B4Ranch]

rid of the "war on drugs", and a boat big enough to carry ten million dollars worth of the stuff would be the size of a medium-sized tanker. The navy's job would have to be easier.

But you'd be better off to simply legalize it all than to do what we're doing now. A hundred years ago there was no "war on drugs" and there were no drug problems worth worrying about. Doesn't the reason for that seem obvious?

A hundred years ago the world was different. Would you place your loved ones on a train, ship or airplane when you knew that there was no restrictions on the crew using drugs during the operation of that equipment? Or that members of the crew had frequent 'flashbacks' from the abuse of certain drugs they used?

Now lets change the scenario to smaller transportation vehicles, motorcycles, cars, light and heavy trucks. Would you allow your small children to play, walk alone or with someone who was infirmed on lawns or public sidewalks where common vehicles travel in close vicinity?

Alcohol, a common item in America is abused daily, resulting in the deaths and injuries of many innocent victims. You would add the free use of drugs amongst citizens to this hazard? Why, so I could be so stoned that crossing a street was exciting and extremely dangerous? Are you looking forward to being questioned and perhaps arrested by a LEO who doesn't know exactly what he's doing to you?

Just a small side question..have you ever seen the corpse of someone who was hit by a car going sixty, or a train going ten mph?

[SkyRat]

would you place your loved ones on a train, ship or airplane when you knew that there was no restrictions on the crew using drugs during the operation of that equipment?

Strawman. Legalization of drugs does not imply that operating vehicles while drugged is going to be legal.

Or that members of the crew had frequent 'flashbacks' from the abuse of certain drugs they used?

To my knowledge there are no flashbacks. It's a urban myth originating from the Reefer Madness propaganda. Got any sources for your claim?

Now lets change the scenario to smaller transportation vehicles, motorcycles, cars, light and heavy trucks. Would you allow your small children to play, walk alone or with someone who was infirmed on lawns or public sidewalks where common vehicles travel in close vicinity?

Do you argue here to ban all motorized vehicles. I know cars can be dangerous. But should we really ban them?

You would add the free use of drugs amongst citizens to this hazard?

The "how dare you" tactic. Nice.
You would jail free citizens because they choose to smoke/eat/drink something that is not "pc"? How dare you!?

Why, so I could be so stoned that crossing a street was exciting and extremely dangerous?

Yet another emotional argument without value.

Just a small side question..have you ever seen the corpse of someone who was hit by a car going sixty, or a train going ten mph?

Yes. Not a pretty thing. We should ban all cars and trains. It's for the children, you know.

[CWOJackson]

Roger that.

SAR is the best by far but there was always something satisfying in popping a drug runner...particularly if you were given the opportunity to leave a smoking hole in the water.

[CWOJackson]

Yes, they are still using Coast Guard boarding officers like in the first Gulf War. It stems back to international agreement with the USCG.

[B4Ranch]

It's a bitch when you have to consider that a very large percentage of drug users become addicts the same as alcohol users, isn't it.

Not everyone has the self control to keep a clear head when needed. If you are willing to pay all costs associated with anyone who abuses your plan, I will support you. If not, I will continue to be against you.

[CWOJackson]

They already have their support:

WASHINGTON -- Left-wing billionaire investor George Soros, who appeared to support Howard Dean for president, now is privately expressing doubts about the Democratic Party's front-runner.

In conversations with political friends, Soros confided he has become alarmed by Dean's recent performance and wonders whether the former Vermont governor is capable of defeating George W. Bush. In one such chat, Soros suggested he is interested in retired Gen. Wesley Clark.

Soros has made clear his visceral opposition to President Bush and his passionate desire to find somebody who can defeat him for a second term. The financier has pledged $10 million to America Coming Together (ACT) and $2.5 million to MoveOn.org -- both anti-Bush organizations.

[greenwolf]

A hundred years ago the world was different. Would you place your loved ones on a train, ship or airplane when you knew that there was no restrictions on the crew using drugs during the operation of that equipment? Or that members of the crew had frequent 'flashbacks' from the abuse of certain drugs they used?

I never said drugs were a good thing; what I would claim is that the "war on drugs" is a worse thing than drugs in all but the most extreme cases. Any sort of an ideal solution would keep LSD, PCP, and anything else like that which is totally destructive outlawed forever.

But the "war on drugs" is turning people who would have simply gone about their business spending as much on drugs as others did on beer a day in 1880 into one-man crime waves having to steal hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of stuff every day and empowering both crime syndicates and terrorist networks.

Assuming the next thing like 9/11 is financed by drug money, i.e. by money which would not be available to terrorists other than for the "war on drugs", and destroys Chicago or Pittsburgh, are you going to want to explain the need for a "war on drugs" to people who had relatives in that city?

Now lets change the scenario to smaller transportation vehicles, motorcycles, cars, light and heavy trucks. Would you allow your small children to play, walk alone or with someone who was infirmed on lawns or public sidewalks where common vehicles travel in close vicinity?

Driving under the influence of alcohol is illegal now, and so would be driving under the influence of anything else.

Even assuming 1000 kids a year get run over by people smoking reefer, is that worse than a city going down due to the "war on drugs"? Do you want to be responsible for that?

What about the kids in countries like Columbia which are being destroyed by our "war on drugs"?

Alcohol, a common item in America is abused daily, resulting in the deaths and injuries of many innocent victims. You would add the free use of drugs amongst citizens to this hazard?

Our laws should at least be logical. Surely you aren't recommending that prohibition be reinstated? Or are you claiming that you LIKE living under illogical and irrational laws?

Just a small side question..have you ever seen the corpse of someone who was hit by a car going sixty, or a train going ten mph?

More than once. I don't see an argument for the "war on drugs" in that.

It's almost a shame Ambrose Bierce is no longer with us. The definition of "war on" in his dictionary isn't difficult to picture:

"WAR ON": n. A government policy or program designed to promote, promulgate, or otherwise cause the increase and widespread dissemination of, e.g. "war on poverty", "war on drugs", etc.

[dinodino]

Then why aren't you advocating banning alcohol? Or do you?

[SkyRat]

It's a bitch when you have to consider that a very large percentage of drug users become addicts the same as alcohol users, isn't it.

How many people drinking alcohol become addicts? All? A majority? A minority? You won't belive it but there are people drinking beer without becoming addicts. Suprisingly, alcohol is a rather strong drug. You see, people can handle drugs. And yes, there will be drug addicts and alcohol addicts. Your solution is to lock everyone up. Smart move, Einstein. By the way, what is a "large percentage" of drug users. Show me your source.

Not everyone has the self control to keep a clear head when needed.

But since we cannot know beforehand who is going to have the self control we have to outright ban it. Don't you see this argument can be made for practical anything? Not everyone has the self control to keep a clear head when handling guns/drugs/cars/anything-you-want. Is banning really the soulution?

[B4Ranch]

Give me the choice and I wouldn't ban anything........but the penalties for abuse would be so high that only the mentally disabled would consider it. Jails with TV's and soft mattresses, gone! Sit on your butt all day, gone, replaced with physical work. If I couldn't find anything productive for you to do, I have you moving rocks by wheelbarrow from one hilltop to the next. It's cold or raining, keep working if you expect to eat today.

[B4Ranch]

Good morning. Is #70 intended for me?

[CWOJackson]

Good morning.

#70 is yours. My #71 was just an FYI I thought you might find interesting. Soros is the dope-squad's sugar daddy.

[SkyRat]

Give me the choice and I wouldn't ban anything........but the penalties for abuse would be so high that only the mentally disabled would consider it.

What is "abuse". two beers a day is regular use, 3 is an abuse and needs to punished?

Maybe I don't understand what you are trying to say here. If I had my way I would regulate the sell of every drug like we do with alcohol. On the other hand penalties for crimes commited under the influence of a substance would go up, just like you suggest.

If you become a manic while under influence, don't take it.

[aruanan]

"What's brown and sounds like a bell? DUNG!" (Credit to Monty Python.)

Ha ha. Horse dung. Was it Eric Idle who said that? Such was the rumor in high school, though I see nothing in that linked article to that effect. It appears that the substance has as varied a tradition in its preparation as the many forms of alcohol.

[CWOJackson]

Harry Browne is deeply saddened.