Joe Soucheray: So why don't the anti-smoking zealots care about marijuana?

St. Paul Pioneer Press ^ | 2/4/14 | Joe Soucheray

[Phillyred]

Because Pot turns people into liberals and useful idiots. That’s why.

[edcoil]

Cause they can’t tax smokes anyone since so few are smoking, going after left people smoke pot, tax it, them demonize it later.

[BitWielder1]

Just wait until Big Tobacco becomes Big Marijuana, then there will be someone with Big Pockets to sue.
There's no profit in suing anyone for secondary pot smoke just yet.

[Iron Munro]

If it wasn’t so pitiful it would be hilarious to watch the Tobacco Police twist themselves into pretzels trying to justify their support of dope smoking while opposing tobacco smoking.

[greene66]

Cultural reasons. Cigarettes are associated with the older, more conservative, pre-hippie generations... farmers, ranchers, housewives, blue-color workers. Marijuana is associated with hippie libs, the righteous self-absorbed “me” generations... and everything ‘they’ do is automatically a virtuous pursuit of enlightenment and freedom. The latter now control the culture, and their nasty vices require constant confirmation and celebration.

[qam1]

It’s their hatred of corporations.

Notice they are for De-criminalization of pot, not legalization

There is a significant difference.

De-criminalization, things a like now except nobody get arrested

Legalization, big corporations start selling their own mass produced brands

[Mr. K]

Because “Big Tobacco” were once HUGE Republican donors.

If they were huge Democrap donors we would all be hearing about the healthful benefits of “bathing your lungs in cleansing smoke”

[Road Warrior ‘04]

Second hand smoke from a doobie is intoxicating! Unlike liquor, the person next to you doesn’t get drunk on what you drink!

[expat2]

and their nasty vices require constant confirmation and celebration.

....including fudge-packing, infanticide, and carpet licking.

[I want the USA back]

Potheads are not fully mentally aware. That makes them excellent democrat voters.

[Sawdring]

Does Joe still think the Tea Party is a pack of rabbis dogs?

[Sawdring]

Did someone say carpet licking?

[Wallace T.]

There is something of reverse class warfare in the dope vs. tobacco argument. Cigarette smoking has moved down the socioeconomic ladder since the 1960s. Blacks, Hispanics, and blue collar and rural whites are more likely to smoke than the financially better off and more formally educated. Therefore, tobacco use is subject to social stigmatization, high taxes, and constant nagging from the government and "public service" advertisements. Marijuana users are generally not high achievers, but tend to be family members of high achievers. Certainly marijuana use occurs among poor people as well, but if it were confined to them, this drug would be as socially marginal as crack or meth.

Prohibition of marijuana and other illegal drugs has been an abject failure if the goal was to end its availability in the underground market. Alcohol prohibition was a failure as well. However, the end of alcohol prohibition and the subsequent availability in the open market led to more drinking. Similar results will occur with marijuana.

[Wolfie]

Probably something to do with public smoking of marijuana not being legal.

[cartoonistx]

Up until 1967, when the “Solid South” began to turn from democrat to republican, democrats had no problem with tobacco and oil. As soon as those industries began to give their sizable corporate campaign contributions to republicans, all of a sudden, cigarettes and gasoline became poisonous symbols of American industrial greed and the subject of intense government-financed scientific scrutiny. Always follow the money!

[Vaduz]

We have a stoner president and we know how that worked out another reason to keep it illegal.

[onedoug]

Doesn’t it set off the smoke alarms in trendy apartments?

[Rusty0604]

I’ve been asking this question for a long time. I used to volunteer usher at a music venue, and we had to direct tobacco smokers to their designated corner, but pot smokers could enjoy the music while toking. When I asked why, I was told pot smells better and is socially acceptable. (this was CA)

[GeronL]

pot does not smell better

Some of it literally smells like skunk and some like poop.

I think people have to be stupid to smoke anything, especially if it smells like crap, literally