Reply #158: We do. I just don't agree. [View All]

Socially Libertarian Philosophical Positions aside, I think the clear negative social consequences of the drug war alone far outweigh any imagineable negative social consequences of legalizing pot. I'm not pollyannaish on the stuff, although it was never a big problem for me, I did stop using it along with alcohol-- but my experience with the potheads I used to run with was always that they tended to be MORE aware of collective planetary issues, MORE tuned in to environmental concerns, than your average Joes.

Compare the damage wrought by potheads with that of your average gaggle of drunks. Or your average gaggle of Fat Merkins loaded on High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Oil, Gas fumes, pesticides, and FOX NEWS.

I'm not sure it's the potheads that are the problem.

I don't think it's any kind of a panacea; far from it, there's good and bad about it just like most other things- but I just don't think there's ANYTHING about it -in any way, shape, or form- that warrants criminalization, and from several standpoints- hemp, medicine, general social welfare, tax revenues, the music industry- I think legalization would be a major net gain for society.

And that is even though some folks can't smoke it, some shouldn't smoke it, and some, like me, simply choose not to any more.

Peace.