Quote Originally Posted by newactivist
Ok, I see your point and it's a good one. My position is that I don't really care whether corporations take it over or whether we get to grow it ourselves. What I care about, from the recreational side anyway, is that we stop decimating our youth by giving them criminal penalties for something their parents and grandparents did as well. All we're doing is funding FCoA (Future Convicts of America).

The only way I see to do that is to, minimum, decriminalize recreational use at the federal level.

Granted, people who use it medically or industrial hemp definitely deserve priority as far as legalization goes but just the social damage of the laws against recreational use is enough to make George Washington roll over in his grave.

I agree, most people can't handle the harder drugs if they use them long term. Also, I agree that the government has bitten off more than it can chew trying to get rid of so many drugs. That being said, if marijuana is legalized/decriminalized then they can focus on the worst problems such as meth. Marijuana accounts for roughly 90% or our drug arrests and if we could get all the police resources focused on the 10% we will crush these drugs. If the feds were truly intelligent they would allow safe legal recreational drugs to replace these hard drugs. Nobody would use something that dangerous if they had a better alternative.

Still believe in school drug testing though. I started at 13yo and wish I hadn't. For adults it should be legal but on the other hand we have to make sure our kids stay away from all drugs until they are old enough to make their own decisions. This stance may not be popular on this site but... well there it is.
Mandatory drug testing is still a scary, scary thought. Even right now, if the government really wanted to just slap everyone in the face, they could address the failing "war on drugs" problem, and take that money and invest it in the equipment and personnel needed to enforce mandatory drug testing for all individuals (or select age individuals), and it could completely eliminate the so called, "problem". But whats controversial, is why drug use is considered a "problem"? and why do we simply overlook the fact that drugs are drugs. They are just substances that interact with us somehow, either desireable effects or not. The only reason smoking marijuana is looked down upon by anyone, is because it is "illegal".

But besides.. the drug trade is just so large and continues to grow and reproduce before our very eyes. Criminals today, are simply just people looking to get high but can't afford it. Where else is the source of crime? The mast majority of it is a result of the high cost values of drugs, and the difficulty to balance drug use and income. Which is why things like heroin and cocaine are so bad. Marijuana though, is simply the good kid who hangs out with the bad crowd. (Heroin, Meth, Coke, Crack) Imagine marijuana was a drug considered to be a mircale drug, such as Caffeine or any anti-depressant that is considered to be fairly acceptable in society. When you take a second to think about the value of a simple plant that grows from an ordinary seed.. its almost ridiculous. But what do we have to thank for the very growth of this industry? The law. What is the current accepted belief system in the regulation of life? The law. Sucks, but we just have to learn to live with it for the time being.

I'm happy I live in an area where weed is considered decriminalized, but its only a result of a general acceptance for it, and finally the classification of marijuana as a miracle drug. No serious consequences or addiciton with desireable effects. Around here, its almost laughable to consider the thought of jail time for simply weed. So everyone knows they are safe sticking to it, yet still understand an importance of keeping it on the low. Once everyone else catches on like this, the problem will finally be solved.