OK, fair enough. And there was me thinking that all pot smokers were people with goatee beards, open toed sandals, clutching a copy of the Guardian.

Sigh.
As you know, I have long hair. AND a goatee.
I have sometimes worn sandals. Sometimes they were "open-toed".
I have owned/worn four tie-dye shirts since about age 26.
And I've NEVER touched marijuana.
I have known people from well off families that smoke it.
I have known Republicans that smoke it.
I have known people that served in the Air Force that smoke it.
Shall I scour my memory and come up with more examples?

yes we know you support the good old days when senior citizens ate cat food.

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Janice

The fact is that the average oiks in the street aren't exactly the brightest biscuits in the barrel. When they OD on drugs because they are to stupid not to, its the hospitals that pick up the tab to sort it out, with tax payers money.

That is why the DNR comes with the permit. Leave them where they lie. NO TREATMENT!

Sometimes a responsible government has a duty to protect its citizens from their own idiocy.

There you go with the nanny state. It makes all decisions for all citizens because the are too much of an idiot to make decisions for themselves. That road is the one paved with good intentions, we know where it leads.

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Well, I'm thinking that the Darwin awards should be handed out and not the nanny state. People are responsible for themselves. If they can't make basic smart decisions about themselves why should we attempt to force them into doing it? As long as we aren't spending precious tax payer resources and we are getting valuable taxpayer $$$ from the Darwin candidate ...

The fact is that the average oiks in the street aren't exactly the brightest biscuits in the barrel. When they OD on drugs because they are to stupid not to, its the hospitals that pick up the tab to sort it out, with tax payers money.

Sometimes a responsible government has a duty to protect its citizens from their own idiocy. If people have some sort of permit to get soft drugs, there will soon be a black market in stolen and counterfeit ones. The Drugs barons will find ways around anything and still carry on. At least the majority view here is consistent, in that pot is OK, the harder drugs are not. I'm fairly sure that in years to come, pot will be freely available in most countries, that seems to be the way things are heading, and most sci fi writers think that way.

I wonder what the effect will be on peoples car and life insurance/assurance premiums, as the companies re-assess the perceived risks?

Gary, Pot is ok, the rest should be off limits. From what I understand...........................................!!!!!!!

That is why you have the certified abuser card. If you got an RX, not an issue, same as today.

Prohibitions generally don't work. Don't waste money or resources on them. Heck there is a country where drug offenses are capital. They still have a problem. If it is going to exist anyway, might as well tax and regulate. Get real.

Well, I'm thinking that the Darwin awards should be handed out and not the nanny state. People are responsible for themselves. If they can't make basic smart decisions about themselves why should we attempt to force them into doing it? As long as we aren't spending precious tax payer resources and we are getting valuable taxpayer $$$ from the Darwin candidate ...

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Of course PM Cameron has got it 100% right. Those who advocate going soft on drugs are also going soft in the head. As we have a cluster of Left Wingers on these boards, no doubt I'll be strongly disagreed with. Nothing new there then!

Drugs use

I have already indicated those voting for it in CO are Republicans or Libertarians, unless in Boulder. I possess some deep knowledge on this fact.

Gary, Pot is ok, the rest should be off limits. From what I understand...........................................!!!!!!!

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Pluto will always be a planet to me.

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Not to late to order an Anni Shirt

Make it all legal

Don't you know it's impossible to "OD" on pot ? If you smoke to excess, you just pass out till it wears off. It's not like Heroin or Crack where an overdose can kill unless treated.

The word all encompass LSD, heroin, morphine, crack, oxy, roofies, GHB, bath salts, angel dust, bennies, Viagra, hemlock, digitalis, ... as well as pot.

Just give your local pharmacist your certified abuser identification card and some cash and take home what you want.

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Legalization is likely the most teapublican idea to come along. Make it all legal, just get your use license and pay the tax. That use license comes with the obvious mandatory testing if you are driving a motor vehicle, the obvious ban on a pilot's license, and the DNR order so your OD is your problem not the tax payers. To round out the tea, that use license means you don't get welfare or other entitlements. Just imagine how many people come off entitlements. Would this balance the budget?

Don't you know it's impossible to "OD" on pot ? If you smoke to excess, you just pass out till it wears off. It's not like Heroin or Crack where an overdose can kill unless treated.

Why all the other restrictions ? If it was legalised, users should be treated no differently to those who use alcohol.

BTW Alcohol is one of the most dangerous drugs around. Physiologically it's more harmful than Heroin. (It isn't the Smack that kills junkies, it's the junkie lifestyle.)

When you have some time to kill, check out these from the Oz ABC documentary series "What's Your Poison" Alcohol and Marijuana

Edit: Here's another interesting one Caffeine

These links go to a précis of the shows, click on the "Scripts" button to get the full content.

T.A.

It means that those in favour of legalisation are not necessarily "lefties". There are those on both the left and right who support legalisation.

It comes down to the Authoritarian (I'm right and you will do as I say) vs the Libertarians (You have the right to do as you wish provided you don't hurt anyone else).

OK, fair enough. And there was me thinking that all pot smokers were people with goatee beards, open toed sandals, clutching a copy of the Guardian. Oh well you live and learn.

But where does that leave the "look this really isn't good for you and Nanny knows best" adherents?

Still needing a nanny when they're adults?

BTW, do you really believe that Ian Botham fits your stereotype? Or Robert Mitchum? Surely not Queen Victoria? How about multi billionaire Mayor of New York, Michael ("You bet I did. And I enjoyed it.") Bloomberg?

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I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that ...

Legalization is likely the most teapublican idea to come along. Make it all legal, just get your use license and pay the tax. That use license comes with the obvious mandatory testing if you are driving a motor vehicle, the obvious ban on a pilot's license, and the DNR order so your OD is your problem not the tax payers. To round out the tea, that use license means you don't get welfare or other entitlements. Just imagine how many people come off entitlements. Would this balance the budget?

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Well I could quote Mary Poppins ..... But yes I know what you mean ;-)

But where does that leave the "look this really isn't good for you and Nanny knows best" adherents?

Did you ever meet a Nanny that wasn't an authoritarian ? :-)

T.A.

It means that those in favour of legalisation are not necessarily "lefties". There are those on both the left and right who support legalisation.

It comes down to the Authoritarian (I'm right and you will do as I say) vs the Libertarians (You have the right to do as you wish provided you don't hurt anyone else).

OK, fair enough. And there was me thinking that all pot smokers were people with goatee beards, open toed sandals, clutching a copy of the Guardian. Oh well you live and learn.

But where does that leave the "look this really isn't good for you and Nanny knows best" adherents?

he can post freely. And I am free to add to the ignore if his drivel gets any worse. The worm and I.D can keep him company.

Use my name in vain? LOL!

They leave the border open...

They allow pot to cross with intent of catching the user...

They catch the user and fine them hugely so to hire more cops later...

Close the border and keep it as a crime, or...

Make it legal...

It's a vicious cycle that the citizen will always lose in till the citizen makes up their mind as to what they wish to do about it.

Advocates for and critics of the decriminalization of drug use come from a broad spectrum, your left vs right paradigm fails to address this. A better axis seems to me to be the orthogonal Authoritarian vs Libertarian.

Strewth, that was one quote worthy for the archives. Quite impressive!

er ... whats it mean? ;-)))))

It means that those in favour of legalisation are not necessarily "lefties". There are those on both the left and right who support legalisation.

It comes down to the Authoritarian (I'm right and you will do as I say) vs the Libertarians (You have the right to do as you wish provided you don't hurt anyone else).

T.A.

Advocates for and critics of the decriminalization of drug use come from a broad spectrum, your left vs right paradigm fails to address this. A better axis seems to me to be the orthogonal Authoritarian vs Libertarian.

Strewth, that was one quote worthy for the archives. Quite impressive!

er ... whats it mean? ;-)))))

I only advocate going soft on marijuana. And only because I always have, and continue to feel that it is less dangerous than alcohol. Ciggs are also legal, though horribly unhealthy for the user and the people around them.

It seems a hypocrisy to have alcohol and ciggs available to the public, but make marijuana a crime.

I'm not pro-legalizing it per se. However I do feel that if Alcohol and ciggs are accepted as legal, taxed and regulated sin products, pot should be too.

So either ban all of em (and we know how well that doesn't work), or allow all three.

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#resist

Of course PM Cameron has got it 100% right. Those who advocate going soft on drugs are also going soft in the head. As we have a cluster of Left Wingers on these boards, no doubt I'll be strongly disagreed with. Nothing new there then!

Drugs use

Advocates for and critics of the decriminalization of drug use come from a broad spectrum, your left vs right paradigm fails to address this. A better axis seems to me to be the orthogonal Authoritarian vs Libertarian.

---

I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that ...

Of course PM Cameron has got it 100% right. Those who advocate going soft on drugs are also going soft in the head. As we have a cluster of Left Wingers on these boards, no doubt I'll be strongly disagreed with. Nothing new there then!

Drugs use