Should Weed Be Legal?

[DomDom]

The point about importance of other things is a fair one to a point. However, we live in a world where drugs are hugely important to some people. To the point that people are willing to steal, maim or kill for them. Decriminalisation won't put a stop to all of that crime, but it would certainly be a step in the right direction.

As for socially acceptable, I'm going to disregard anything said about that thanks to not giving a f**k.

Finally, on a compromise... how on earth do you achieve anything close to what you're looking for?

Edited May 16, 2013 by DomDom

[madwullie]

Caffeine is highly addictive, I take it you would make that illegal too?

It's just my condescending tone trumped yours, you thought you would get a lot of leverage with your "personal experience" stuff but what you believe goes explicitly against the evidence. And of course I'll point that out.

You haven't provided a single reason why drugs should remain illegal, or why the war on drugs is a viable policy. You claim that "highly addictive substances" should remain illegal, even though you accept this causes significant harm to users and this harm could be greatly mitigated with legalisation.

It seems you don't care about drug addicts, and think imprisoning them is the way forward. I can't express how much I disagree with this view point, the war on drugs actively harms a lot of people, and that's first and foremost why it should be attack so vigorously.

You think legalisation would lead to more kids having access to drugs, this is a totally inappropriate viewpoint.

People like you are the problem, the evidence changes but your view doesn't. I hope I never end up being that person, it's the same poisonous attitude that allowed slavery to exist for so long.

lol.

I have provided a reason why (addictive and harmful) drugs should remain illegal. At no point did I say the war on drugs is a viable policy. If they were more widely available, more people would have access to them.

Where exactly did I say that drug addicts should be imprisoned? This is what I think:

I think possession should mean a fine at most, but that dealers and importers should be very severely punished, much more so than currently. I think drug addicts should have access to clean places where they could take drugs (and clean needles etc) but stop short of actually having the government supply the substances or even decriminalising it. I believe that cannabis and ecstacy, amphetemines etc should be legalised, I'd go beyond decriminalisation, these are not particularly harmful substances imo

You could have found all of this out, and would have realised that I have just a slightly more moderate viewpoint than you on this topic, but that we share many views had you not leapt to a thousand conclusions about what I do and don't believe.

EDIT: Re the war on drugs, obviously a total failure and money sink. Much more should be put into educating children about the dangers and benefits of taking certain drugs and allow them to make informed decisions based on this information. Drugs are bad is pointless, because if they were all that bad, why would people take them. ONce they take their first draw of a joint and realise it doesn't kill them, they realise that drugs are bad is a lie, and discount all negatives they have heard about all drugs, which is not a good thing imo

Edited May 16, 2013 by madwullie

[deky]

It should be free on the NHS, everything else would be better, win win.

[Reynard]

It should be free on the NHS, everything else would be better, win win.

It would just seem like it.

[parsforlife]

There is little doubt, in my mind that the worst effects of drugs on society are caused by dealers, legalisation would destroy them.

On crystal meth, I maybe wrong but was under the illusion that it's usage rocketing was caused by the war on drugs, in America , with the importation issues of cocaine and heroin, it became easier to start making drugs in the community's where they are to be sold.

[dan_ict]

Regarding the point of weed becoming socially acceptable, I can't speak for the whole of Scotland, but i'd say cannabis is probably more socially accepted round here than smoking tobacco in all honesty. No one cares at all, and why should they?

[Lambie's Pigeon Feed]

If crystal meth was legal I wouldn't buy it. I don't think that availability would lead to an increase in use. There are plenty of things I can buy just now but I don't.

Some people also talking about having no punishment for possessing small.amounts of cannabis but not legalizing it, someone suggested increasing punishments for dealers and suppliers. Wouldn't that just lead to the price rocketing and more organised crime in the supply chain? If you think possession deserves no punishment the sensible thing ti do would be legalise.

[Shtuggie]

I know all of this, I know about GPs taking heroin, I know heroin is an opiate, I know it's administered in hospitals, I know you "can" function as a perfectly normal member of society while using it regularly, I used to believe exactly what you believe. I no longer do, and whether or not you like that I don't particularly give a toss. Highly addictive substances should remain illegal imo.

We could have got involved in an interesting discussion about this but your condescending tone has put me right off.

It is the classic debating style of gaining the 'upper hand' and continuing to be a patronising and condescending pr*ck to anyone who doesn't share his opinion. What he fails to understand is that although he provides a good argument for the legalisation of drugs (although if i read 'safe administration' once more today I might tear my face off) not everyone has to agree with that.

It is like a devout Christian trying to convince you of their belief in God. I may be able to 'spectacularly beat' them in a debate concerning their beliefs, but I certainly wouldn't stoop to insulting their intelligence and try to bring them to my line of thinking - they are allowed to think that!

Supras seems to be the kind of guy who can't stand the idea of someone not agreeing with him, and likes to spend his day congratulating himself on beating everyone in debates. Not only do some people not agree with you Supras, but some people also find you a tedious intolerable bore.

[Adam]

Whilst I disagree with Supras on many threads in Misc Football, he's bang on the money here. It's not a case of disagreeing with the opposite side of the argument, it's about proving it completely wrong, which he has done so here.

[Shtuggie]

Whilst I disagree with Supras on many threads in Misc Football, he's bang on the money here. It's not a case of disagreeing with the opposite side of the argument, it's about proving it completely wrong, which he has done so here.

As I said - he gained the upper hand very quickly and provides a good argument. The was he goes about doing so is what I am getting at. Personal experiences with drugs are just that - personal. He has no idea what the chap has been through whether he is playing the sob story card or not. Traumatic experiences can dramatically change views, and if someone has had death, serious illness or suchlike in their family through drugs, then they are perfectly entitled to argue against legalisation. That is whether they are right or wrong.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Shtuggie

[SuperCaleyGoBallistic]

I don't understand the viewpoint that some drugs are too harmful or addictive to be legal. Tobacco and alcohol are two of the most harmful and addictive drugs going yet nobody would seriously advocate banning them. People aren't generally that stupid that they would go out and take tons of crystal meth just because it was legalised. Plus the numerous economic benefits associated with legalisation make it an obvious choice.

I think the media play a large part in sensationalist coverage of drugs which therefore leads to public fears about drugs.

[Cardinal Richelieu]

To those advocating blanket legalisation / decriminalisation of all drugs, what about the drug Krokodil - popular in Russia?

I'd post images of the aftermath, but not one of them is remotely SFW. It makes crystal meth look like Parma Violets.

[madwullie]

As I said - he gained the upper hand very quickly and provides a good argument. They was he goes about doing so is what I am getting at. Personal experiences with drugs are just that - personal. He has no idea what the chap has been through whether he is playing the sob story card or not. Traumatic experiences can dramatically change views, and if someone has had death, serious ilness or suchlike in their family through drugs, then they are perfectly entitled to argue against legalisation. That is whether they are right or wrong.

There are two points:

Firstly I'm a teacher so I'm wary of posting too much about controversial topics on the internet. Secondly, I know someone who died of a heroin overdose. It wasn't the fact that it was illegal that killed him, it was simply that he took too much of it. I'm not at all affected by it and we weren't particularly close (although a lot of people I also know were) but it did make me rethink my opinions on "harder" drugs. He wasn't some silly wee laddie led astray or anything he knew exactly what he was getting into.

I would preder if more people weren't able to be in a position where they try it enough times they become addicted. I totally agree that people will do it, and if that's their choice fair dos to them and that if they are goong to make this choice it should be an educated one.

Most of all though, I actually agree with almost everything he says (I just think it would be better if certain of the more harmful drugs remained illegal). It was impossible to get this piint across though as he was so desperate to be proven right and to win that he resorted to making things up about my opinions (I support the war on drugs, I want addicts to be locked up etc) which is pretty poor form imo.

Edited May 16, 2013 by madwullie

[parsforlife]

To those advocating blanket legalisation / decriminalisation of all drugs, what about the drug Krokodil - popular in Russia?

I'd post images of the aftermath, but not one of them is remotely SFW. It makes crystal meth look like Parma Violets.

Similarly with crystal meth, it's a drug forced on consumers, by the war on drugs. It is used as a cheap substitute for heroin.

[young buck]

drugs should be legal end of argument.

Adult choices- cleaned up and taxed to f**k.

As opposed to

Adult choices- going to tenement door at 12 am to score rat poison/diesel concoction off a psychopath

you can't stop folk taking drugs but you can stop them dying for it wake up britain kids are dying

[Shtuggie]

There are two points:

Firstly I'm a teacher so I'm wary of posting too much about controversial topics on the internet. Secondly, I know someone who died of a heroin overdose. It wasn't the fact that it was illegal that killed him, it was simply that he took too much of it. I'm not at all affected by it and we weren't particularly close (although a lot of people I also know were) but it did make me rethink my opinions on "harder" drugs. He wasn't some silly wee laddie led astray or anything he knew exactly what he was getting into.

I would preder if more people weren't able to be in a position where they try it enough times they become addicted. I totally agree that people will do it, and if that's their choice fair dos to them and that if they are goong to make this choice it should be an educated one.

Most of all though, I actually agree with almost everything he says (I just think it would be better if certain of the more harmful drugs remained illegal). It was impossible to get this piint across though as he was so desperate to be proven right and to win that he resorted to making things up about my opinions (I support the war on drugs, I want addicts to be locked up etc) which is pretty poor form imo.

I also agree with most (if not all) that he says, but you are correct, he bullies his way to victory rather than articulately putting his point across with a touch of humility. Self-promoted voice of the people - Supras.

[NotThePars]

Might as well. Thousands if not hundreds of thousands take recreational drugs every weekend anyway whether it's legal or not and the criminalisation arguments don't really stand up anymore. Personally I find the company of pillheads to be better than regular binge drinkers anyway.

[mrcat1990]

I couldn't buy booze till I was eighteen legally. I could sometimes manage before this age but wasn't always easy. I used be able to buy a block of hash from 13 no bother. So imho the think of the children argument is fucked.

Edited May 16, 2013 by mrcat1990

[DomDom]

Lets face it, Supras is an absolute arsehole in every section of this forum. Doesn't mean he hasn't been 100% right on pretty much every level of this discussion of course.

[Shtuggie]

Lets face it, Supras is an absolute arsehole in every section of this forum. Doesn't mean he hasn't been 100% right on pretty much every level of this discussion of course.

Thats the point I was making! Much more concise!