Quote Originally Posted by newactivist
LOL, Dutch Masta you and I will have to agree to disagree. Do you honestly believe that marijuana being illegal is the only thing keeping a lid on young people smoking weed? My contention is that it is the fact that it is illegal that makes them try it! As well as the fact that it is popularized through the media, so that all the "cool" people do and all the "assholes" don't. It was for a rebellious teenage me, it was for my friends. Besides, where did you get any sort of impression that the law has prevented youth from using it? The law doesn't stop them, it punishes them for it after the fact, if they get caught, in a way that isn't even effective at keeping them from using it again.
Nowhere in any of my posts did I state that it being illegal is the only thing preventing young people from smoking Marijuana. I completely agree that it being illegal creates desire and I even remember addressing that in several of my posts here. I simply stated that tobacco and alcohol are legal with an age restriction, and kids still have no problems getting either. I said that the only thing even close to prevention is the fact that it is illegal. I didn't say that it being illegal prevents the use of it in reality, but unfortunately the people in charge can't think up anything else.

Maybe it's just that you have lived in Mayberry with Andy. You are aware of how widespread marijuana is in our schools, don't you? In every student survey done it was the most widely available drug of all, more accessible than alcohol or cigarettes even. How in God's name could it POSSIBLY get more widespread than it is now?

I understand, share and respect your desire to protect our youth from harm. However, there are wiser ways, and more effective ways, to keep them from it than the obviously failed attempt of using law enforcement as that answer. Law enforcement can only be part of the answer, not the end all.
Woah woah.. you are completely misunderstanding what I am saying. I didn't imply in any way that our current law enforcement has effective methods preventing our youth from smoking Marijuana.. I responded to another person who said it should be kept from kids just like alcohol and cigarettes, to state that weed would be just as, if not easier to get a hold of this way.

Now, I do certainly feel that it being legal will lead to even more widespread use. Why? Because whenever I ask non-smokers why they are opposed to it, the answer usually ends up something like this: "its illegal! they wouldnt just make it illegal for no reason" and they are usually under the impression that it is not only detrimental to your health, but that it is also highly addictive.

Once it is made legal, it would be more accepted, and misinformation like that would not be going around much longer.

As an example, if we did random school drug testing in a way that meant every student would receive at least two a school year it would give students a real reason to say no. If anyone gets popped then it should be brought to their parentâ??s attention so they may be given a chance to fix the problem without the child getting caught up in the system. If they get popped a second time then allow law enforcement to get involved strictly to find the source of the drugs that are ending up in the school and shut it down, not create more problems for the child than necessary. This will force drugs dealers to be VERY leery about selling to children! The only time it should affect the child is if they are in such a bad home that it is necessary to take them for their own good.

Ideas like this are the only truly effective ways to shut down school drug use. In this way we could ensure that our children are drug free until they are 18 or older, thereby creating a "clear" space in our society to work from. However, I still hold my position that it should be legal for adults. Marijuana is a relatively harmless recreational drug and should not have such a stigma attached to it. Also, I think you would be unpleasantly shocked to find that the most commonly used drugs by young adults is getting to be legal prescription drugs like Oxy, not marijuana. Compared to that marijuana is the least of our problems.
Random drug testing would indeed be extremely effective. But the entire method of eliminating marijuana from youth culture would be pretty harsh.

Now, based on the way you responded to LIP up there you seem to be under the impression that potheads are stupid and we are reinforcing a stereotype when we misspell words and don't organize our thoughts for debate very well. Yet here I am, an everyday smoker that started at 13yrs old, blowing your arguments out of the water. Yes, it is important to have good grammar, spelling and punctuation so that people will respect what you have to say. However, it is not indicative of marijuana but the current state of affairs in our school system.

Maybe you should be a little less arrogant towards people. Pride is a sin, you know.
The way I responded to LIP had nothing to do with any of that. It had everything to do with him stating that that we need no regulation for cannabis at all. Where are you getting the impression that I was addressing his grammar, spelling, or punctuation? .. at all?

There is no need to call me arrogant when you state you are blowing my arguments out of the water, when you haven't addressed a single thing I have posted without twisting my words.