Answering the Libertarian argument for drug legalization

[Clampy]

Originally Posted by southern151

LOL! Thanks for the clarification!

I'm on the fence on legalization of weed and, the effect it would have on kids. See, when I was a kid, we were told NOT to smoke cigarettes and, it was illegal to buy them under 18 years of age. Those two factors (to me, anyway) made it that much more appealing to do it. Yeah, I was a bit of a rebellious kid. Today though, it seems like a good number less kids take to cigarettes and, I know it's still illegal under 18 but, due to education, it's not nearly as "cool" as when I was a youth. I'm not sure that the legalization of weed would make it less or more sensationalized. I think it would be less but, I have no hard data to back that up. Instead, I'm trying to remember the triggers I had as a kid and, seeing it through those eyes.

Plenty of things are bad that we don't want our kids to do. I got a little girl coming in December and I don't want her smoking pot until her 20s ( if she chooses to do so & and I hope she doesn't ) but she needs to be able to make an informed choice based on science not fear. Portugal dicrimed all drug use and use went down. Rates of pot use among teens in holiday is lower per capita than us and its widely available. They effectively made pot uncool and not some rebellion symbol. Not to mention the medical use of cannabis in regards to seizures and nausea is unmatched. The fact that Canbabis is in schedule 1 along with heroin is a complete joke.

[southern151]

Originally Posted by Clampy

Plenty of things are bad that we don't want our kids to do. I got a little girl coming in December and I don't want her smoking pot until her 20s ( if she chooses to do so & and I hope she doesn't ) but she needs to be able to make an informed choice based on science not fear. Portugal dicrimed all drug use and use went down. Rates of pot use among teens in holiday is lower per capita than us and its widely available. They effectively made pot uncool and not some rebellion symbol. Not to mention the medical use of cannabis in regards to seizures and nausea is unmatched. The fact that Canbabis is in schedule 1 along with heroin is a complete joke.

In short, the highlighted is my suspicion as well. With kids, at least those who acted like me, if it wasn't "bad," it wasn't fun to do. I would likely never have touched it if it weren't such a socially hated substance. Really, from the first time to the last time I ever did it, I didn't care for it. I just did what was "cool." Now, the Dorito company probably hated the day that I decided it wasn't cool any more!

[Clampy]

Originally Posted by southern151

In short, the highlighted is my suspicion as well. With kids, at least those who acted like me, if it wasn't "bad," it wasn't fun to do. I would likely never have touched it if it weren't such a socially hated substance. Really, from the first time to the last time I ever did it, I didn't care for it. I just did what was "cool." Now, the Dorito company probably hated the day that I decided it wasn't cool any more!

Ha ha. That's the only thing it's a gateway to. Doritos.

[southern151]

Originally Posted by Clampy

Ha ha. That's the only thing it's a gateway to. Doritos.

And, mass quantities of Dr. Pepper!

MASS QUANTITIES!...You hear me?!

[AceArcher]

Originally Posted by Clampy

Ha ha. That's the only thing it's a gateway to. Doritos.

Let me play devils advocate here and tell you why weed is possibly a gateway drug. Currently you have to purchase weed from a dealer / gang member / addict. Even though weed itself is documented to be a non addictive drug by Both the Institute of Medicine, and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, It's the very fact that you need to purchase it on the black market that makes it a gateway. The people who sell it there, have it in there best interest to "give" free samples out to weed users of other "hard" drugs. Once hooked on them.....

So legalization, control, and regulation would effectively remove any chance that any "soft" drug use could lead to "hard" drug use.

But i have no doubt that Dorito use would at a minimum double.