Dakota Voice - Latest Comments in A Defective Drug Czar

Re: A Defective Drug Czar

cinemaphile85 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:15:34 -0000

Legalizing marijuana does not mean we'll be handing out bongs and joints to children, so take a deep breath and calm down. Alcohol is legal, yet you can't purchase or consume it unless you're above a certain age, and even then you have to follow certain restrictions or face legal consequences. Why couldn't the same be true for marijuana?

If you are saying that your friend's "addiction to pot" is physiological, then I certainly would have read about him in the papers, because he would be the first person in history to have a physical dependence on marijuana. Tell him to see a good therapist and he'll be fine. If that doesn't help, then he probably has an addictive personality to begin with and could become psychologically dependent on almost anything under the right circumstances - which means that your friend, not marijuana, is the problem.

If society should discourage recreational drug use, then please explain why alcohol, a far more dangerous and destructive substance than marijuana (and one that you can actually become physically addicted to and overdose on) is legal. What do you think the United States should do to change that? Try prohibition again and hope that it works the second time around?

Re: A Defective Drug Czar

Bob Ellis — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:25:26 -0000

How many children have we saved from this garbage by making it illegal and thus harder to access? We probably cannot calculate the number it is so large.

I have a friend who has for some time been trying to beat his addiction to pot. It's hard enough for him to stay clean, even with the hurdles of having to sneak around to get it. It would be exponentially more difficult if he could just go down the street and purchase it in open daylight.

We'll never stop everyone from self-destructive tendencies, but a healthy society should do everything it can to make things like recreational drug use as difficult as possible.

Re: A Defective Drug Czar

cinemaphile85 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:10:20 -0000

How would that make things worse? We already waste millions of dollars fighting an unwinnable "drug war" and enforce pointless laws that only empower criminals and put people in jail who (generally) have not hurt anyone. You'd think we would have learned our lesson decades ago: prohibition does not work.

Re: A Defective Drug Czar

Bob Ellis — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:43:52 -0000

A good start would be not making things any worse by loosening existing enforcement.

Re: A Defective Drug Czar

cinemaphile85 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:34:06 -0000

Well it's obvious that many people enjoy being intoxicated whether or not their substance of choice is legal. So what solution would you propose, Bob?

Re: A Defective Drug Czar

Bob Ellis — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:45:23 -0000

Yes, intoxicating the mind makes even the craziest stuff seem like a good solution, doesn't it?

Re: A Defective Drug Czar

Bob Ellis — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:12:03 -0000

Yes, we really should be an intoxicated society. All the malaise, self-destruction and harm to others that comes from intoxication would be welcome, too.

Re: A Defective Drug Czar

The man himself — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:14:54 -0000

This author is the problem, obamas czar is the solution

Re: A Defective Drug Czar

Jon — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:04:39 -0000

Please, its time we relaxed the stupid laws that have not worked, and have caused more problems than what they were created to do in the first place. people are going to use marijuana no matter what, its natural and most people feel it their own god given right. He is just the man to be the new drug czar, good job President Obama! finally, a president for the American people, not the government, that's exactly what this dieing country needs.

Re: A Defective Drug Czar

VM — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:55:26 -0000

For the record, the above article insinuates that Mr. Kerlikowske has spoken, or is planning to speak at, Seattle Hempfest. in fact Mr. Kelikowske has NEVER spoken at Seattle Hempfest. In fact, former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper has in the past been a featured speaker at Seattle Hempfest.

Re: A Defective Drug Czar

cinemaphile85 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:59:14 -0000

The real problem isn't the drug czar - it's that these anti-marijuana laws exist in the first place.