Eilish

Interesting reading comments PARTICULARLY from Locke9-05 comments as sharp as an uncapped syringe... that's a compliment. U analyze thoroughly ppls comments. My views are as follows. Legalising marijuana benefits some/may be detrimental to some/may relieve us from the tedious hysteria surrounding it from some sectors of society etc. And on it goes... the circle of rationale/outcomes versus individual's rights to choice.

I say legalize the drug & apply harm minimization strategies. Educate rather than whip up dissent. Focus on the negative reasons people smoke it & highlight contraindications, health risks & particularly the higher detrimental impact/risk for those living with mental illness. It can be a potent trigger for psychotic episodes also in those undiagnosed or prior not having a known psychological disorder.


Much of the attraction of ganja IMO for the novice lst time user is in the societal hype surrounding it. It is also worth noting ganja has been smoked as an enhancement to spirituality & for specific purposes (ie) Rastifari WITHOUT all this rigmarole. It can also be used effectively for medical disorders. Google that one if in doubt of my statement.


I say legalize it & sell it in packets with lurid neon pictures of obese Westerners stuffing their faces on food, middle class ppl gloating over their material possessions, alcohol intoxed corrupt politicians and so forth. Make it so ordinary it loses alot of its appeal. Yes make it so ho hum they even sell it in Target, KMart Walmart & have red light specials on it.

Personally i do not smoke the stuff having done my love affair with it for a cple of years when i was 14 up to 16 ='s it bored me = all the hysteria surrounding it's legality bores me ALOT. It is always a topic ppl hone in on. As for opiates legalize em too in the same format as marijuana but toss in some lovely pictures of cyanotic faces, ods, neglected kids etc. With the opiates also before legal purchase one must produce photographs of family, friends, the last person you ripped off, last parole date, last time u were in the rathouse and so on. Oh and don't pls don't forget to have pictures of corrupt politicians on the packets rubbing their hands with glee. The only drug i say NEVER legalize is crystal meth.
Life is meant to be lived - i say it takes more guts to be clean, sober, unstoned than off your face. Preserve your brain cells = life is toxic enough in Realville you are gonna need every one of them. Some dont realize that til its too friggin late.

Locke9-05

Ah, so here we have an interesting scenario... you're so brash as to call my comments and position as sharp "as an uncapped syringe," which would seemingly be a result of the opposing position you take on this issue, yet you've offered no substance to defend or support your position? Hmmm... That's odd... What would we call that now? A few things, that's for sure. One, it might be referred to as hypocritical, two it would be just indecent, and three, it's just an outright destruction of the values of the literary arts and the standards of debate/educated discussion. One must support their ideas, which I've done constantly. My comments would by no means be considered "dull" in any general setting of standard literary arts debate as they're backed and supported. Your comments lack that support and hence their value would and is stacked at little more than "empty rhetoric."


The "freedom" of "individual choice" does not pertain to individuals doing whatever it is they want to do. I'm continually astounded by all the people who seem to believe that. That's what's known as an anarchy, and it's not here, sorry. Anarchy is the absence of government. When individuals have total "freedom of choice" like you it would seem you want them to, there is no need for government and government becomes meaningless. The government is the only thing that enforces your rights--rights like the right to property, the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc.--without government, you have no central authority, and therefore your rights become nothing more than words. So here we have John Locke's very principles as constructed by the framers of the US Constitution. The people must give up that anarchical freedom of nature--the individual choice to do whatever they want without forced consequence--and subject to the government (a central authority) so that their other more important rights may be enforced. Property, religion, freedom to speak, etc. are all freedoms that are far more important than what it seems you're advocating as the "right to do whatever..." That's anarchy, and you won't find it here. Sorry.

__________________
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
-John F. Kennedy

"Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him."
-John Locke

"What worries you, masters you."
-John Locke
___________________

Eilish

i have strongly supported my argument by proposing harm minimization strategies. I am aware the US does not support harm min strategies opting for incarceration, total abstinence model and so forth. This approach is in my view hypocritical given legal drug such as alcohol wreaks havoc.

Eilish

Re: 'three, it's just an outright destruction of the values of the literary arts and the standards of debate/educated discussion. One must support their ideas, which I've done constantly.'

I don't at any stage intend to meet anyones standards in debate by what they consider cutting edge debate. What i share is valid in ones persons perceptions albeit they may be deemed weak in academic standards by some... U miss i think the gist of what i am saying. Harm minimization is the key. Defusing the hype of marijuana.

Locke9-05

Hypotheses do not support themselves. Hypotheses ask questions and suggest things. You're suggesting something and without any evidentiary or concrete proof-based standard from an outside and unbiased source to back up your words, it is nothing more than your suggestion--which is fine--just don't knock other people's comments who have done what you haven't.

__________________
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
-John F. Kennedy

"Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him."
-John Locke

"What worries you, masters you."
-John Locke
___________________

Eilish

Harm minimization strategies effectively reduce incarceration rates, BBV infections, stigmatization of illicit drug users hence provide realistic alternatives by communicating non-punitive form as to other alternatives. You are personalising abit my views are u not?!!

Locke9-05

Do recall, it was you who began the actual generic debate commentary critiquing, so wait a moment, are you suggesting now that I'm setting some kind of standard? I'm not setting a standard, here, I'm suggesting that when you criticize other people's "comments," without providing specifics, or without actually addressing their arguments, you open yourself up for the same sort of criticism. It was you who seemed to set the standard here, not me. I just pointed out, that I've done what you have not in this debate, and it's ironic for you to criticize my comments in such a generic way.

So like I said, that's your suggestion. And it's a fine one. But it'll remain a suggestion, unless you're to provide support that backs it as a good one.

__________________
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
-John F. Kennedy

"Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him."
-John Locke

"What worries you, masters you."
-John Locke
___________________

Eilish

Re: 'So here we have John Locke's very principles as constructed by the framers of the US Constitution. The people must give up that anarchical freedom of nature--the individual choice to do whatever they want without forced consequence--and subject to the government (a central authority) so that their other more important rights may be enforced. Property, religion, freedom to speak, etc. are all freedoms that are far more important than what it seems you're advocating as the "right to do whatever..." That's anarchy, and you won't find it here. Sorry.'

i was at no stage promoting anarchy quite the opposite. I was proposing a method approach that benefits the greater mass of society whilst addressing the complexities underpinning legalizing or not legalizing marijuana. Anyway i thinks thats it for me. Had my say but will chew over some of ur responses.

Eilish

Re:
Property, religion, freedom to speak, etc. are all freedoms that are far more important than what it seems you're advocating as the "right to do whatever..." That's anarchy, and you won't find it here. Sorry.'

Got to laugh The irony of the quote does not escape me.... Freedom of speech ahaha yes i am all for freedom of speech. Anarchy no because anarchy is chaos... yet one could argue legal anarchy aka govt structures are put in place to control people/subjugate... I reread ur comments & stand by what i said. Consider this In ur country who is the most incarcerated... It says alot about govt control ALOT espicially regarding drug legalities.

Locke9-05

There is no such thing as "legal anarchy." Anarchy is, by definition, the absence of government and it is therefore the absence of any legal system. Anarchy is every individual's self-governing and it conflicts--creating a state of chaos. Without a government to enforce your "rights," the "rights" you hold dear, then your rights mean nothing and there is no central authority to prevent another man from stomping all over your "rights" and vice-versa by stealing from you, hurting you, or even killing you. That's anarchy. Anarchy is the absence of government, it is individuals "governing" themselves without any central consistent consequences.

A government is created so that the rights of the people may be enforced, but a government cannot hold its authority and therefore loses its ability to enforce the rights of the people when the people continue to demand what they claim to be "individual rights" when really those "individual rights" are simply anarchical and selfish in nature and those "rights"--in this case the idea of the "right to smoke marijuana"--actually create an unpleasant, unstable and sometimes even dangerous scenario for people around the user. Such an "activity" is not by any societal definition a "right." In anarchical terms, maybe so. But that's the difference here. The difference is context. We live in a society where the health, safety, and benefit of the collective are far more important than the selfish desires of a few--especially when those desires put others at unnecessary risk.

__________________
"Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
-John F. Kennedy

"Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him."
-John Locke

"What worries you, masters you."
-John Locke
___________________