Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

It's time to legalize pot
Sentinel Review ^ | 9/5/2002

Posted on 09/06/2002 8:59:47 AM PDT by MrLeRoy

It's enough for a big thumbs up ... or a big light up, if you prefer.

Canada should legalize marijuana use by adults, a Senate committee recommended Wednesday. The report comes on the heels of a two-year study of public policy relating to pot.

The present system of prohibition on marijuana just doesn't work, the committee found. Obviously, the committee learned something from early 20th-century history, when alcohol was prohibited in the United States. Then, prohibition simply gave gangsters a product to move and people to shoot.

Instead of the current system that penalizes people for having small quantities of pot on them, there should instead be a regulated system for marijuana, perhaps like our current system for alcohol, the committee determined.

"Scientific evidence overwhelmingly indicates that cannabis is substantially less harmful than alcohol and should be treated not as a criminal issue but as a social and health issue," said Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, the committee chair.

It's true that taking pot still involves the harmful intake of smoke, which the committee recognized. But, as the committee pointed out, it's more of a health issue than anything else.

In addition, making pot legal would clear the way for our police to tackle other, more harmful crimes relating to the public good. Really, would you rather see a pot smoker or a child molester behind bars?

Whether the federal government will ever adopt the Senate recommendations is up in the air. Hopefully the feds won't throw up a smokescreen on this to cloud the issue, and goes ahead with legalization.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: marijuana; pot; wod; wodlist
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 381-400401-420421-440 ... 521-528 next last
To: MEGoody
We can if you like, but I still say it's not time. It's never time to legalize something that is harmful that is already illegal.

Yeah, it's more fun to waste 20+billion every year intercepting 5-10% at most each year, while failing to stop its use in the first place--even in places like prisons--and it's safer than alcohol, etc.

401 posted on 09/06/2002 11:33:08 PM PDT by rb22982
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: Willie Green
With the druggies gone, the market for socialized medicine disappears as well.

You are nuts also. You know alcohol has 3x the costs of ALL illicit drugs combined. Sending all the druggies up north would only reduce costs by 25% --and thats assuming you paid for all of the drug costs now (we dont)

402 posted on 09/06/2002 11:37:39 PM PDT by rb22982
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 97 | View Replies]

To: f.Christian
How many teenage heroin addicts have you met...I have---lot's of em

What does this have to do with marijuana?

403 posted on 09/06/2002 11:40:37 PM PDT by rb22982
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 128 | View Replies]

To: MrLeRoy
Yeah. This is the most important issue America faces. Sure.
404 posted on 09/06/2002 11:42:34 PM PDT by Kevin Curry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: f.Christian
Alcohol and cigarettes kills more people than crack, coke and heroin - combined! Out and out lie. Or skewed counting. Of course there are many more people that use alcohol and cigarettes and a far smaller number that have been pulled into the drug culture

Annual Causes of Death in the United States

Tobacco 430,7001
Alcohol 110,6402
Adverse Reactions to Prescription Drugs 32,0003
Suicide 30,5754
Homicide 18,2725
All Licit & Illicit Drug-Induced Deaths 16,9266
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Such As Aspirin 7,6007
Marijuana 08

  1. (Average 1990-1994) According to the US Centers for Disease Control, from the beginning of 1990 through 1994 "2,153,700 deaths (1,393,200 men and 760-400 women; total annual average: 430,700 deaths) were attributed to smoking (19.5% of all deaths)." The CDC notes that "Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States."

    Source:(1996): "Smoking-Attributable Mortality and Years of Potential Life Lost," Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control, 1997), May 23, 1997, Vol. 46, No. 20, p. 449.

  2. According to the federal National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in 1996 an estimated 110,640 people in the US died due to alcohol.

    Source: "Number of deaths and age-adjusted death rates per 100,000 population for categories of alcohol-related (A-R) mortality, United States and States, 1979-96," National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, from the web at http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/databases/armort01.txt, last accessed Feb. 12, 2001, citing Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System, Saadatmand, F., Stinson, FS, Grant, BF, and Dufour, MC, "Surveillance Report #52: Liver Mortality in the United States, 1970-96" (Rockville, MD: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Division of Biometry and Epidemiology, December 1999).

  3. (Average 1982-1998): According to Canadian researchers, approximately 32,000 hospitalized patients (and possibly as many as 106,000) in the USA die each year because of adverse reactions to their prescribed medications.

    Source: Lazarou, J, Pomeranz, BH, Corey, PN, "Incidence of adverse drug reactions in hospitalized patients: a meta-analysis of prospective studies," Journal of the American Medical Association (Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, 1998), 1998;279:1200-1205, also letters column, "Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitalized Patients," JAMA (Chicago, IL: AMA, 1998), Nov. 25, 1998, Vol. 280, No. 20, from the web at http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v280n20/ffull/jlt1125-1.html, last accessed Feb. 12, 2001.

  4. (1998): The US Centers for Disease Control reports that in 1998, there were a total of 30,575 deaths from suicide in the US.

    Source: Murphy, Sheila L., "Deaths: Final Data for 1998," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 48, No. 11 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, July 24, 2000), Table 10, p. 53, from the web at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvs48_11.pdf .

  5. (1998): The US Centers for Disease Control reports that in 1998, there were a total of 18,272 deaths from homicide in the US.

    Source: Murphy, Sheila L., "Deaths: Final Data for 1998," National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 48, No. 11 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, July 24, 2000), Table 10, p. 53, from the web at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvs48_11.pdf .

  6. (1998): "In 1998 a total of 16,926 persons died of drug-induced causes in the United States (Table 20). The category 'drug-induced causes' includes not only deaths from dependent and nondependent use of drugs (legal and illegal use), but also poisoning from medically prescribed and other drugs. It excludes accidents, homicides, and other causes indirectly related to drug use. Also excluded are newborn deaths due to mother's drug use." The total number of deaths in the US in 1998 was 2,337,256.

    Source:  Murphy, Sheila L., Centers for Disease Control, "Deaths: Final Data for 1998,", National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 48, No. 11 (Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, July 24, 2000), pp. 1, 10, from the web at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvs48_11.pdf .

  7. (1996): "Each year, use of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) accounts for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the United States." (NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, and tiaprofenic acid.)

    Source: Robyn Tamblyn, PhD; Laeora Berkson, MD, MHPE, FRCPC; W. Dale Jauphinee, MD, FRCPC; David Gayton, MD, PhD, FRCPC; Roland Grad, MD, MSc; Allen Huang, MD, FRCPC; Lisa Isaac, PhD; Peter McLeod, MD, FRCPC; and Linda Snell, MD, MHPE, FRCPC, "Unnecessary Prescribing of NSAIDs and the Management of NSAID-Related Gastropathy in Medical Practice," Annals of Internal Medicine (Washington, DC: American College of Physicians, 1997), September 15, 1997, 127:429-438, from the web at http://www.acponline.org/journals/annals/15sep97/nsaid.htm, last accessed Feb. 14, 2001, citing Fries, JF, "Assessing and understanding patient risk," Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology Supplement, 1992;92:21-4.

  8. An exhaustive search of the literature finds no deaths induced by marijuana. The US Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) records instances of drug mentions in medical examiners' reports, and though marijuana is mentioned, it is usually in combination with alcohol or other drugs. Marijuana alone has not been shown to cause an overdose death.

    Source: Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), available on the web at http://www.samhsa.gov/; also see Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A. Benson, Jr., "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research, Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999), available on the web at http://www.nap.edu/html/marimed/; and US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, "In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition" (Docket #86-22), September 6, 1988, p. 57.

Yet - when you add up all the drug killings, the death and abuse to others by those stoned out of their minds or working with a damaged mind, when you add in all the effects of the drug on the quality of work in every aspect of American life and the results - you would understand that idiots seeking entertainment will bring this wonderful country down year after year.

You can add up all the homocides (assuming EVERY ONE was because of drugs) and drug deaths combined and it doesn't even equal alcohol. BTW you obviously know nothing about being 'stoned.' It makes you passive and generally just want to sit down and do nothing. Alcohol on the other hand can get people very angry.

405 posted on 09/06/2002 11:50:55 PM PDT by rb22982
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 257 | View Replies]

To: Conagher
No one ever said Marijuana was benign. Just that it is safer than alcohol, tobacco, and many many prescription/OTC drugs. I'm not a 'dopehead,' I will give you a piss sample anytime you want (of course you have to hold the cup).
406 posted on 09/06/2002 11:52:15 PM PDT by rb22982
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 258 | View Replies]

To: Conagher
Legalizing marijuana does not serve any worthwhile interest. It merely legitimatizes the addiction a few people have and expands the already destructive drug culture

Nonsense. For one it'll save money. Quite a bit. In fact probably 20+ billion a year, not counting the loss of revenue from the non violent offenders behind bars that would be paying taxes and of course taxing the substance itself. Second, you aren't stopping marijuana use now at all. All you are is sending money down the toilet. Third, marijuana isn't physically addictive. It can be psycologically addictive just like the internet, church, burgers, etc can be. 4th, legalizing marijuana would get rid of the dealers in schools and would eliminating people being pushed on to try harder drugs (which give the dealer more money). 5th, we can start returning to a more Constitutional government again. The 4th, 5th and 10th have been shredded in the Federal WosD. 6th, marijuana is hardly that destructive. Fine a single study that shows marijuana more destructive than alcohol, tobacco or even most fatty foods.

407 posted on 09/07/2002 12:02:04 AM PDT by rb22982
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 300 | View Replies]

To: Dane
That's a redundant question, you probably do have a link and it probably comes from some pro-druggie site such as NORML or drugwars.com(i.e bias central

As opposed to such unbiased info from the DEA--whose jobs of course depend on the drug war.

408 posted on 09/07/2002 12:02:46 AM PDT by rb22982
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 302 | View Replies]

To: Dakmar
Yuo [sic] guys will say anything to try and make a point.

The pot calls the kettle black (no pun intended).

409 posted on 09/07/2002 9:38:49 AM PDT by Conagher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 330 | View Replies]

To: Willie Green
If that classifies me as a "New Dealer", fine by me.

My hat's off to you, Willie. You're the first Wodder I've ever encountered on FR with the stones to admit it. You and I are going to have to agree to disagree, though. I'm a conservative, so we're never going to see eye-to-eye. Best of luck to you.

410 posted on 09/07/2002 9:58:06 AM PDT by Hemingway's Ghost
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 212 | View Replies]

To: Hemingway's Ghost
I'm a conservative,

Horsedung.

411 posted on 09/07/2002 10:02:29 AM PDT by Willie Green
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 410 | View Replies]

To: Hemingway's Ghost
I'm a conservative. . .

Based on your stance on drugs, I believe you'd fit within the realm of libertarianism, which is essentially immoral conservatism.

412 posted on 09/07/2002 10:09:58 AM PDT by Conagher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 410 | View Replies]

To: Conagher
Gee, and I always thought I could be a conservative and be against the WOD.
So by your reasoning, I must be a libertarian.
And all this time spent volunteering for the GOP has been a waste of my time.
kinda makes you go HMMMMM...
413 posted on 09/07/2002 11:14:10 AM PDT by vin-one
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 412 | View Replies]

To: vin-one
Yes, hmmmm . . . I guess the GOP contains only conservatives.

I'm sure the Log Cabin Republicans and Christine Todd Whitman among others would be surprised to hear that.

414 posted on 09/07/2002 11:23:58 AM PDT by Conagher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 413 | View Replies]

To: Conagher
Just woke up...I was on my motorcycle---taking a side trip to drop on in an old friend!

Then I realized I live on an island 5k miles away!

Rants of a liberal---liberatarians are REM'S(rapid eye movements)---sleep(drug) paralysis!

415 posted on 09/07/2002 12:58:56 PM PDT by f.Christian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 414 | View Replies]

To: f.Christian; Conagher
You two were made for eachother, anyone with a different point of view, can never be right.
I know that must be difficult for you two to understand.
416 posted on 09/07/2002 1:39:20 PM PDT by vin-one
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 415 | View Replies]

To: vin-one
You could get to Maui on a motorcycle(drugs)!
417 posted on 09/07/2002 1:45:28 PM PDT by f.Christian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 416 | View Replies]

To: f.Christian
You could get to Maui on a motorcycle(drugs)

Huh, not getting this one, what are you smoking and will you share?
Besides motorcycles and Drugs (alcohol, MJ, and others) don't mix well.
418 posted on 09/07/2002 1:51:37 PM PDT by vin-one
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 417 | View Replies]

To: vin-one
Rants of a liberal---liberatarians are REM'S(rapid eye movements)---sleep(drug) paralysis!

Reality arrested---immune!

419 posted on 09/07/2002 1:53:22 PM PDT by f.Christian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 418 | View Replies]

To: Conagher
Based on your stance on drugs, I believe you'd fit within the realm of libertarianism, which is essentially immoral conservatism

The drug war was started by FDR. He was not a conservative. His administration made marijuna illegal. There is nothing 'conservative' about keeping marijuana illegal, despite your claims

420 posted on 09/07/2002 1:53:38 PM PDT by rb22982
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 412 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 381-400401-420421-440 ... 521-528 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson