When Bill Buckley came out for drug legalization and declared the “drug war” a failure, the issue of drug legalization ceased to be a left-right issue.
When Bill Buckley came out for drug legalization and declared the “drug war” a failure, the issue of drug legalization ceased to be a left-right issue. Mr. Buckley wrote, “So what has the drug war done? It has made a mockery of an anti-drug law that is simply ignored by millions; it has induced violent felonies in pursuit of drug profits; and it is self-evidently powerless to do anything about the recent increase in marijuana use by reckless adolescents.”…
Article comments
26 - andy marsh
I saw a movie a while back...narrated by Woody Harrelson, called "Grass" that discussed the war on marijuana in this country...it went all the way back to the days of that dumbass movie "Reefer Madness" and discussed one particular individual as the one responsible for the govt's idiotic position on pot...Unfortunately, I have a little short term memory loss and I can't remember the guys name!
27 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Harry J. Anslinger, who was very disappointed by the ratification of the 21st Amendment, but got a new lease on life when the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was passed.
28 - andy marsh
That's the guy! Thanks Margaret!
29 - Admatha Israel
Marijuana will never be "willingly" decriminalized, for the simple fact that our national security depends on it.
Sure the drug war is causing a wave of methamphetamine addicts, it doesn' matter. If we legitimize marijuana, then all the 130 other countries that follow America's lead will do the same.
Canada, Ireland and the UK have just relaxed their policies on marijuana and look at the result: they are sending us back our prescription drugs.
Tobacco, alcohol and pharma- the guys who sponsor our drug free america- would lose customers every day marijuana is legal. If the big 3 falls, our economy goes, and we can't have that.
One of the biggest differences between alcohol and marijuana prohibition (besides the fact that alcohol prohibition came and went constitutionally) is that alcohol prohibition was short lived compared to the decades old marijuana hinged drug war.
for almost 70 years, we've built a society (with ssi, medicare, etc) around drug prohibition. Legalizing marijuana now would be like trying to fix the foundation of a 70 story building.
Should I go on?
AI
30 - dee
Mj should be legalized. I have been saying that for years. I do not use it but I can fully understand the man or woman with glaucoma doing whatever it takes to get this drug. Alcohol is legal and mj isn't and that does not make sense to me.
31 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Bill Hicks mused along the lines of;
"Not only should marijuana be legal, it should be fucking mandatory"
32 - Bennett
Thanks The Duke! I hadn't heard that one, and it was good for a decent snorting type chuckle.
A profound sound.
33 - Dan
I prefer decriminalization over legalization regarding marijuana. If the societal position is that marijuana is mostly harmful, then it seems wrong to introduce it commercialy, and a little hypocritical to tax it.
A better solution would be to admit that the cost to society for continuing the insanity of marijuana prohibition out-weighs the harm caused by using it. I'd like to see the distribution remain illegal. Far better to encourage budding horticulturists to grow their own. It's easy to do, and develops a skill that is personally satisfying.
As MRT pointed out in comment#19, It's hard to kill yourself from smoking pot. That's why regulation is unnecessary. Alchohol is even easier to make, but the likelihood of being poisoned is greater. Same with other recreational drugs. That's why it is reasonable to regulate them. Not so with pot.
34 - Bennett
"Alchohol is even easier to make, but the likelihood of being poisoned is greater."
What are you talking about??? I ran a home brewing supply store for five years and no one EVER poisened themselves! It's really not possible to poisen yourself making beer or wine. Pathogens do not live in a malt or grape based fermentable mixture.
Very few people try to distill alcohol as the product is so cheap in the stores.
Poisening from bootleg alcohol came from using automobile radiators to cool the distilate, leaching the lead out of the cooling coils.
So what do you actually base your statement on?
Bennett
35 - Bennett
Just read up-thread for a bit, and realied that I may have created confusion...
The Duke - You are full of shit. On all accounts.
Aaron Duke De La Monde - You da man, I love you, love child etc...
Dan - See coment #34
36 - Dan
Bennett, I'm a home brewer myself. I'm not saying it's likely to be poisoned. Just more likely than being poisoned from pot smoking. Some of those jail-house concoctions sound dangerous.
You make the point though when you talk about distilled alchohol being cheaper as a regulated drug in the stores. The market forces make it easier to buy a regulated known product than to take the chance that someone will do something stupid like using automobile radiators to cool the distilate.
It just comes down to there being more variation in alchohol products, and certainly more in other recreational drugs than there is in marijuana.
You are right though. Responsile home brewing and consumption is safe and enjoyable.
37 - Marc
Well articulated post, Tom. Thanks for provoking some intelegent discussion. I say legalize/tax it.
38 - Natalie Davis
Great post. My "real conservative" friends say much the same thing, goddess bless 'em. I am with Buckley and Peter Tosh on this issue. As Roseanne cracked on Leno tonight (and this is a paraphrase), the war on drugs is a war waged against poor people who use street drugs by rich people who use prescription drugs.
39 - andy marsh
Dan - have you ever even smoked pot? And if you have, did you inhale? to say that there aren't many variations in pot is most definately wrong. Just like there are different proofs of alcohol, there are different potencies in pot.
Smoke something that's gronw in that pretty red dirt in Hawaii, then smoke something that's gronw in the deserts of mexico...you'll see the difference...literally!
40 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Dan wrote: "I prefer decriminalization over legalization regarding marijuana. If the societal position is that marijuana is mostly harmful, then it seems wrong to introduce it commercially, and a little hypocritical to tax it."
Is it hypocritical to tax tobacco and allow it to be sold commercially? After all, the societal position is regarding tobacco is that it is totally harmful (and the stats agree, showing that over a half a million people die from tobacco-related illnesses every year).
Decriminalization is the worst idea of all because it is a half-measure that will do nothing to reduce the black market that is the cause of most "drug-related" crimes.
And that is the futility of prohibition, not that people still use banned drugs in spite of it, but that it does nothing to inhibit the violent and corrupt system of distribution.
Social engineering via legislation never works as it is intended. Decriminalization might encourage a few people to grow their own, thus preventing some money from passing through the underground economy.
But the vast majority of people, especially city-dwellers, prefers the convenience of a retail purchase, even if it involves doing business with the black market, which it would be more willing to do if there were no penalties for possession.
And then, of course, such a policy would create an incentive for some of the new home growers to take advantage of the legality of their gardens to enter into business for themselves, seeing as how prohibitionist policies would still be in place to provide the artificial inflation that turns raw plant matter into gold.
The black market is a by-product of prohibition, the only way to get rid of that violent and corrupt entity is to get rid of prohibition. Completely.
41 - Dan
Andy, yes there are variations in pot. But no matter what the potency, it seems like your body will only absorb so much THC. When you hit the ceiling, thats it. Smoke more, and you won't die.
"Is it hypocritical to tax tobacco and allow it to be sold commercially?"
Yes, I think so. If the politicians actually used the money for the benefit of the addicted instead of their pet project powerbases I might not feel that way.
I obviously don't feel that marijuana is very harmful, particularly if you smoke the potent stuff and don't subject your lungs to excessive smoke. The societal position is that it is harmful. So why introduce it commercially? Tobbacco has a history where society didn't consider it as harmful as it is. An industry built up around it. Jobs, tax revenue, some good things. It would be, and is, hard to pull the rug out from under that now. But two wrongs don't make a right. I think it would be wrong to use the tobbaco model for marijuana.
" Decriminalization is the worst idea of all because it is a half-measure that will do nothing to reduce the black market that is the cause of most "drug-related" crimes."
I believe it would be a full-measure for the consumer. That's the only one I care about. Decriminalization would most certainly kill the black market. Why would anyone pay any appreciable amount of money for something they could so easily provide for themselves? For a couple hundred bucks, city dwellers could buy a hydroponic growing device that would easily keep them supplied in premium bud for the rest of their lives. Actually, I would imagine that upon decriminalization there would be so much available pot that an extremely lazy person could count on friends to give them pot. (still legal under my decriminalization model)
I guess it's hard for folks who maybe don't grow things, and consider government intervention a neccessary condition in all aspects of life, to visualize how simplistic decriminalization could actually be.
42 - electricmike
our electred leaders- the trained professionals- the ones in charge- the ones who are supposed (perceived)to be smarter than than the average citizen- are failures! does anybody else see this? the war on drugs(citizens)-failure! Trillions
spent on defense since WW2 and some guy who lives in a cave successfully arranged
to have a plane(missle?)fly right into thier house? Smells like failure to me! Luckily he has been swiftly brought to justice.... Oooh,I'm sorry, failure again. Since he cant be found, I'll skip the critique on the judicial system of
of modern america.I will say in their defense, the prison industrial complex is doing great!Imprisoning the highest percentage of it's total population, of any country in the world ain't small potatoes, and they get better at it every day. Kudos to them! Who else have I missed? Oh yeah,illegal immigrants flow thru the borders, the education system that can't be at fault for the excessive dropout rates! Health care or welfare? Taxpayer money spent on meddling in other soveriegn states affairs. Using money to buy the cooperation of tyrants questionable ethics at least.The IRS? Lets not go there! Transportation planners? No.Utility regulators? No Dept of energy? Hint: we are fighting a war for oil,lots of people dying,gas prices at all time highs and the top of the chain of command,when they are not being pres and vp, are in the oil business!FBI? CIA? NASA? Failures, every one of them!
Police are doing good. SWAT has state of art weapons and those really cool black masks that cover their faces while they protect and serve. Police brass naturally want to downplay the whole asset fortiture thing(strong arm robbery?)Our fearless leaders do have a healthy respect for the "will of the voters" I am saying failures and incompetent and out of touch with basic human nature because it sounds so much better than deceitful or egomaniacal or just plain self absorbed. Smart bombs or school breakfasts. Empty a clip into someone on tv, but don't show a titty. Jesus never led an army to victory. Abortion no, death penalty yes! Only some lives are precious. I'm sorry to be saying this, but We the people are SO screwed
are screwed
43 - debbie
one person commented that more prisons are bad for the economy... say, what?? i have read is that prisons and corrections are now the SECOND LARGEST INDUSTRY IN THE U.S.!!! boogers on DAT!!!
44 - samantha penninton
this is so kool it really has a meaning
45 - J Mac
Well the article was very good raised some very solid points BUT! the government will not legalize marijuana because there are to many damn drug dealers:) why do you think they legalized alchohol after they banned... becauase they got rid of all the rum runners. there are way to many drug dealersi n the world and plus who would want to buy weed from the government they will prolyl add some more damn chemicals in it liek they did to tobacco. so unless all the drug dealers get booked i doubht we will see weedf having a legel status, but if for sum reason it does get legalized then have fun payin up your ass for a gram, and also kiss all ur second income goodbye because there is no way the governemnt will let u make more money than them that is the whole reason why this shit is illegal because WE ARE MAKING MORE MONEY THAN THE GOVERNMENT.
46 - J Mac
Tha is pure crap " u can only get so high" that is pure crap the more u smoke the more u got high cuz how high is high u can keep on goin forever so keep on tokin
47 - I'm On Welfare
In highschool I found it much easier to buy weed than alchohol. I think it's funny that the same people that are pro gun are against legalization. We can be trusted with a fire arm but not a joint? I know a lot of people that smoke weed, I don't consider any of them criminals.
48 - I'm On Welfare
J Mac... Puff Puff Give
49 - Anthony Grande
It is a Libertarian case, not a Conservative one.
We have not lost the drug war. I don't understand how an educated person can say this. Can you imagine how wispread drug abuse would be if Reagan never declared war on drugs?
50 - I'm On Welfare
The exact same. I do think crystal meth should be illegal. This is about weed which should not ever be put in the same category as crack, smack, and crank. Grande I think we agree on everything.
51 - jini
The War on Drugs was first declared by President Nixon in 1971, Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding, US National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse is a report of the Shaeffer Commission which was appointed by Nixon in 1972.
52 - Jet in Columbus
On the lighter side, I was hoping someone would bring up the topic so I'd have an excuse to reprint this...
JESUS, MARIJUANA, AND THE DINOSAURS...
One day St. Peter discovered he could time travel, so he went far into the past, looked around and then zoomed far into the future.
Upon return, he sat down across the table from Jesus and frowned, "Something just occurred to me; why won't the dinosaurs be mentioned in the Bible after they eventually write it?"
Jesus frowned and admitted, "I don't know, I'll have to go ask my Father."
In a little while he returned and sat back down across from St. Peter and groaned, "Well I hope that story never gets out!"
St. Peter's eyebrows rose "Huh?"
"Well the way it was told to me, God created the heavens and Earth in 6 days and on the 7th he rested."
Peter nodded, "Yeah, so?"
"Well apparently on the 8th day he smoked all the marijuana he'd just created, you know just to test the first batch. Then on the 9th day he smoked all the Opium he'd created too, you know just to test out the first batch."
"And?"
"On the 309th day when he woke back up, he created all the monsters he'd seen on the 8th and 9th day!"
Peter's eyes widened, "I hope that story never gets out!"
Jesus shrugged, "Oh don't worry, I don't think anyone will mention it, or even consider it until some guy posts it on a blog over two thousand years from now.......
53 - Jet in Columbus
I believe it was Chris Rock that said the reason it's illegal here is because it's not grown here, so it can't be taxed here.
Put frankly, they make it better over there, but we're catching up
...but that's only my opinion
54 - ace
dude . . yes this is the fucken shit dude . im fucked up jacken off and your page was sent to me and dude holy shit i havent read that much since seventh grade
55 - Sonic
marijuana is good for you and it helps people through their problems
56 - Wolf
What always smacks me inthe face about this is if we want it leagal we make it leagal. Currently they are fighting a war against us unopposed. I say we bring the war to them. Now dont freak out I'm not talking guns and bombs just good old fashioned peaceful uprising.they work for us not the other way around. they serve in positions of wealth and power at our pleasure.we can stand against their wave of "power" and not flinch as it breaks upon our backs.let them call in the national guard to stand against us, thatl look great on youtube,cnn,msnbc....oh, Wait, thats right we live in the 2000's not the 1970's. We are all to concerned with our quality of life to risk jail on high ideals. But just imagin if people remembered what that whole "land of the free, home of the brave" part of the song was about.insteasd this country will sit complacently whie its sons and daughters get persecuted for demanding the right to make their own choice about what to do with their own bodies. Not me I will not go silently into that sweet good night i will rage , rage against the dying of the light.
57 - John Adams
At 55 years of age, this is the one and only issue that absolutely makes my blood boil. Responsible use of cannabis by adults should not be a punishable offence. What really irks me is that, I have no doubt that government knows full well the safe, non-toxic nature of marijuana, yet, they continue to pamper the large pharmaceutical companies while condemning cannabis. Their motives are clear. An honest government we have not.
58 - Alan
Are we to believe we live in a democracy where majority rules? Or are we in a state which dictates to us? When the numbers of Canadian people who have used marijuana at some time in their life are considered (well in excess of 50%) it would be impossible for any government to consider that the use of it remain illegal, either that or the people who run or control the government are hypocrites. How can any government consider making illegal or keeping illegal an activity or product that so many people use? That would mean more than 50% of Canadians would be criminals. Who thinks their use of something so relatively innocuous is really a crime? Not 90+% of those who have used it. Would the public accept that their government (that they in theory get to say does what they want) has done something they don't agree with? So what should be done?
It is only a matter of time before the righteous fascists have to account to the public for their 'protective' stance that tramples on the rights of the majority. Democracy has an enemy. It is fascism. Italy and Germany were democratic states before fascism vaulted in and took over. The USA has creeping fascism, and most American's don't even know it. Canada isn't far behind the US because our politicians and the bureaucrats behind them do things they think we want, without checking with the voters. Every protection takes away from our freedom... and enslaves us by degrees to people (and bureaucratic systems) who are not the cream of the crop in terms of their sensitivities or ability to think.
We only need to see the power we have accorded to policing and courts to know that each of them have gone beyond what they were permitted by law, to creating penalties and laws that the public have not had any say in, or in the case of the USA have violated its constitution, by implementing the Patriot Act and other violations of the constitution.
59 - REMF
I agree with Rush Lardbaugh that black-market Oxycontin and "doctor shopping" should be legalized.
60 - Clavos
"I agree with Rush Lardbaugh that black-market Oxycontin and "doctor shopping" should be legalized."
Me too. The prescription system does not protect the public, it protects the revenue streams of doctors and pharmas.
Pharmaceuticals should be available over the counter to everyone old enough to drink legally.