50% support decriminalizing marijuana: poll

The Ottawa Citizen ^ | January 02, 2003 | Janice Tibbetts

[MrLeRoy]

This could be:
Strongly Support: 2%
Somewhat Support: 48%

In which case the bulk of the opposition would most likely be "somewhat".

[Sungirl]

They might as well.....I don't think it's worse than alcohol. A drunk or a pot head....no differences that I see.

[Axenolith]

I'm not using it as an arguement, my point is that regardless of all the pro\con legal and constitutional arguements, as it stands, legalization will be used to saddle us with more "crisis" and consequent costs (not just existing rehabs) and safety considerations. It will be a LOT easier to get it to fly if there is some form of insurance that the legalization is not going to significantly affect non users and taxpayers pocketbooks and safety and that it will be impossible for it to in the future.

[robertpaulsen]

The pro-legalization crowd will promise and guarantee you anything to get you to buy the concept. Just look at all the benefits of medical marijuana. Hell, the next best thing to penicillin!

Plus, you drive more carefully, can do your job even if you test positive, can never die from using marijuana, safer than alcohol or tobacco (even though you smoke pot - nevermind that), you only hurt yourself (not your loved ones, as with alcohol), doesn't lead to harder drugs (honest, ask them), and ..and ..they forgot the rest.

[galt-jw]

I guess you havent heard about the plans to lift the embargo....

(not a lot of tax revenue is to be gained from the minority of cigar smokers, anyway.)

[Axenolith]

They won't outlaw tobacco until the revenue potential of prohibited tobacco exceeds that generated by the currently legal means, and we still have a ways to go before that...

[MrLeRoy]

A drunk or a pot head....no differences that I see.

I know of two:

• The drunk might OD.
• The drunk might get violent.

[MrLeRoy]

legalization will be used to saddle us with more "crisis" and consequent costs (not just existing rehabs) and safety considerations.

Only if we let it.

It will be a LOT easier to get it to fly if there is some form of insurance that the legalization is not going to significantly affect non users and taxpayers pocketbooks

I'm all for that.

[robertpaulsen]

Got two from my list.

[Axenolith]

When I'm sampling underneath a freeway overpass or offramp in San Francisco I am wary of both the addicts and alkies, because the former are disease ridden and strew their needles around and both are frequently raving, sometimes violent lunatics.

The cost of either groups crutch doesn't have anything to do with their mental state.

[MrLeRoy]

you drive more carefully, can do your job even if you test positive, can never die from using marijuana, safer than alcohol or tobacco (even though you smoke pot - nevermind that), you only hurt yourself (not your loved ones, as with alcohol), doesn't lead to harder drugs (honest, ask them)

You will, of course, be posting the evidence that disproves these alleged claims.

[MrLeRoy]

When I'm sampling underneath a freeway overpass or offramp in San Francisco

What motivates you to frequent such places?

[MrLeRoy]

Got two from my list.

Is there any evidence that any pot user has ever ODed or been made violent?

[ThinkDifferent]

Further proof that Liberalism has polluted the minds of 50% of the population!

Indeed. 50% still accept the liberal notion that the government owns their lives and bodies. Fortunately, the tide is turning.

[Axenolith]

As long as they put those guarantees as I quoted them in legislative writing.

But one of my subtle points is that they'll never do that because not having people pay "for the down trodden" and having a well armed populace are anathema to them...

[tacticalogic]

One of the areas where liberals and Libertarians agree.

And the New Deal "substantial effects" Commerce Clause is one of the areas where liberals and pro-drug war "conservatives" agree.

[Hacksaw]

When William Buckley supports looser pot laws it can't be rubberstamped as a "liberal" (modern sense) issue.

Except Canada is not a classical liberal society.

[jmc813]

WOD Ping

[MrLeRoy]

Canada is not a classical liberal society.

In regard to pot, they're moving in that direction.

[ThinkDifferent]

I'll buy the concept if the legalization crowd can guarantee that the general populace will never have to foot any costs associated with idiots who let drugs ruin their lives

An understandable concern, but you also have to take into account the enormous amount we're spending today on enforcement of drug laws and imprisonment of drug offenders.