Mary Jane
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KEVD18
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smoked a fair bit growing up, which is pretty much par for the course where/when i grew up. it never did much for me. i enjoyed drinking more.
as far as other illegal drugs are concerned, coke is probably one of the stupider things you could do but it was kinda fun. never had occasion to do H, X, meth or really anything else.
should people be allowed to use it? in my opinion, sure why the hell not. under similar restrictions regarding dui as ETOH. if firmly of the belief that what you do on your personal time isnt any of my business. but when a person brings that into the public, such as operating under, its a whole nother ball game
also, were it to become legal, the government would stand to drastically increase revenue by increasing taxable products.
well, theres some of my history which im not ashamed of, and my opinion which i am also not ashamed of.
as far as other illegal drugs are concerned, coke is probably one of the stupider things you could do but it was kinda fun. never had occasion to do H, X, meth or really anything else.
should people be allowed to use it? in my opinion, sure why the hell not. under similar restrictions regarding dui as ETOH. if firmly of the belief that what you do on your personal time isnt any of my business. but when a person brings that into the public, such as operating under, its a whole nother ball game
also, were it to become legal, the government would stand to drastically increase revenue by increasing taxable products.
well, theres some of my history which im not ashamed of, and my opinion which i am also not ashamed of.
JJR512
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In what way do you want to know how I feel about it?
I feel that people who need the help of harmful substances to feel good or have a good time need to find better friends and more interesting things to do.
I feel that as long as it's illegal, its usage and sale should be prosecuted.
I feel that if it has beneficial medicinal value that cannot be obtained more safely by other means, then it should be prescribable.
I feel that there is evidence to suggest its use may not have any particularly worse short-term or long-term effects than alcohol or tobacco. If that's true, then perhaps it could legalized and taxed. Otherwise, the government looks like a hypocrite for allowing alcohol and tobacco to be legal while marijuana is not. Alternatively, if marijuana isn't particularly worse than alcohol or tobacco, but the government wants to keep it illegal, then by the same token, alcohol and tobacco should also be illegalized (I may have just invented that word, I don't know). (Making alcohol and tobacco illegal would actually be how I would vote, if I could vote on that.*)
* I believe that the cessation of alcohol and tobacco use can only bring about good things, but I do not believe that making them illegal will do any good at all. Witness Prohibition. The illegalization of alcohol and tobacco should some how be done gradually, probably starting by gradually increasing taxes on both products until more and more people are forced, due to cost, into giving them up.
I feel that people who need the help of harmful substances to feel good or have a good time need to find better friends and more interesting things to do.
I feel that as long as it's illegal, its usage and sale should be prosecuted.
I feel that if it has beneficial medicinal value that cannot be obtained more safely by other means, then it should be prescribable.
I feel that there is evidence to suggest its use may not have any particularly worse short-term or long-term effects than alcohol or tobacco. If that's true, then perhaps it could legalized and taxed. Otherwise, the government looks like a hypocrite for allowing alcohol and tobacco to be legal while marijuana is not. Alternatively, if marijuana isn't particularly worse than alcohol or tobacco, but the government wants to keep it illegal, then by the same token, alcohol and tobacco should also be illegalized (I may have just invented that word, I don't know). (Making alcohol and tobacco illegal would actually be how I would vote, if I could vote on that.*)
* I believe that the cessation of alcohol and tobacco use can only bring about good things, but I do not believe that making them illegal will do any good at all. Witness Prohibition. The illegalization of alcohol and tobacco should some how be done gradually, probably starting by gradually increasing taxes on both products until more and more people are forced, due to cost, into giving them up.
Look at the Netherlands as a case study.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlands (I know it's just wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_the_Netherlands (I know it's just wikipedia)
Meursault
Organic Mechanic
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Even if keeping/making marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco illegal would have benefits, does the government have the right to do that?
My justification for making heroin/cocaine/etc. illegal has always been social costs. The government's role isn't to keep you from doing yourself harm, but when drug use is clearly linked to crime and other factors that harm non-users and even areas, it needs to be prohibited for the public good.
On a more practical note, if marijuana were to be legalized, we'd need a good method for quantifying impairment in the field. The "field sobriety test" is a joke, and blood drug levels, including EtOH, don't necessarily reflect impairment.
My justification for making heroin/cocaine/etc. illegal has always been social costs. The government's role isn't to keep you from doing yourself harm, but when drug use is clearly linked to crime and other factors that harm non-users and even areas, it needs to be prohibited for the public good.
On a more practical note, if marijuana were to be legalized, we'd need a good method for quantifying impairment in the field. The "field sobriety test" is a joke, and blood drug levels, including EtOH, don't necessarily reflect impairment.
firetender
Community Leader Emeritus
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In Hawaii there's a bumper sticker that reads: "Thanks to Operation Green Harvest, Hawaii's on Ice"
"Ice" is Crystal Meth. About 10 years ago they started really going after "paka-lolo" (crazy tobacco/smoke) growers which spun it into the underground, raised the price and introduced many people to it on the Islands who wouldn't ordinarily have moved that way.
It's an economic thing, somehow linked with the expansion of our prison system which privatized, now "services" most of the Hawaiians who get popped.
I can't emphasize enough how the destruction fostered by that approach was devastating to so many. The damage caused by use of paka-lolo itself is negligible in comparison.
Anyone interested would be well-served by starting here: http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/
It's an individual choice and I can't imagine it's used any less by caregivers and especially EMS personnel today than it was 25 years ago.
Having it have been a part of my generation's culture for the last forty years of my life and seen and experienced its effects from all angles I can state with no doubt that the aforementioned substance is FAR LESS damaging than alcohol -- to BOTH the individual AND society.
"Ice" is Crystal Meth. About 10 years ago they started really going after "paka-lolo" (crazy tobacco/smoke) growers which spun it into the underground, raised the price and introduced many people to it on the Islands who wouldn't ordinarily have moved that way.
It's an economic thing, somehow linked with the expansion of our prison system which privatized, now "services" most of the Hawaiians who get popped.
I can't emphasize enough how the destruction fostered by that approach was devastating to so many. The damage caused by use of paka-lolo itself is negligible in comparison.
Anyone interested would be well-served by starting here: http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/factsmyths/
It's an individual choice and I can't imagine it's used any less by caregivers and especially EMS personnel today than it was 25 years ago.
Having it have been a part of my generation's culture for the last forty years of my life and seen and experienced its effects from all angles I can state with no doubt that the aforementioned substance is FAR LESS damaging than alcohol -- to BOTH the individual AND society.
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akflightmedic
Forum Deputy Chief
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Alaska, one of my favorite places.
It is legal to possess either 2 or 4 oz (don't remember which) for personal consumption within your own house/property.
It is illegal to buy, sell, or transport it; so that means you must use it at your own home. Also means you might wish to home grow to remain within the confines of the law.
Since the consumption of it is legal, random or even employment drug screens are illegal, UNLESS you are a DOT type worker, public safety, etc. But your routine run of the mill jobs, no drug testing is allowed.
Personally, I have smoked weed and that is the extent of my drug use. I liked it but gave it up when I entered EMS, as I was career orientated and a new family man, so I took my responsibilities very seriously.
Would I smoke if it was legalized? Yes, I probably would consider it but I have so many other things to do before I actually have the time to sit down and be stupid, so in reality it would probably not happen.
Now I just have to look forward to my kids making decisions such as I already endured...oh boy!!
It is legal to possess either 2 or 4 oz (don't remember which) for personal consumption within your own house/property.
It is illegal to buy, sell, or transport it; so that means you must use it at your own home. Also means you might wish to home grow to remain within the confines of the law.
Since the consumption of it is legal, random or even employment drug screens are illegal, UNLESS you are a DOT type worker, public safety, etc. But your routine run of the mill jobs, no drug testing is allowed.
Personally, I have smoked weed and that is the extent of my drug use. I liked it but gave it up when I entered EMS, as I was career orientated and a new family man, so I took my responsibilities very seriously.
Would I smoke if it was legalized? Yes, I probably would consider it but I have so many other things to do before I actually have the time to sit down and be stupid, so in reality it would probably not happen.
Now I just have to look forward to my kids making decisions such as I already endured...oh boy!!
Oh man this is going to be fun.
KEVD18....Thanks for your honesty, well done.
JJR512.... WHOA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Uhhh Mormon? Wanna get a non-caffinated beverage some time? Scrabble (no booze or dope words)? Know a lot of knock knock jokes right? How do you fee about the legality of hairspray and Scope.
All dem tings make fun more fun.
Tell ya what, how 'bout this. In 15yrs I can count the weed related calls I have run on one hand. The booze related calls? Call NASA to work that one out. Booze (though I load up on it) is terrible. Weed (would like to) seems not to be as problematic.
Please don't preach the legality aspect. It should be just as illegal to preach the lord upon me as it is for me to buy hay.
All Egg
KEVD18....Thanks for your honesty, well done.
JJR512.... WHOA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Uhhh Mormon? Wanna get a non-caffinated beverage some time? Scrabble (no booze or dope words)? Know a lot of knock knock jokes right? How do you fee about the legality of hairspray and Scope.
All dem tings make fun more fun.
Tell ya what, how 'bout this. In 15yrs I can count the weed related calls I have run on one hand. The booze related calls? Call NASA to work that one out. Booze (though I load up on it) is terrible. Weed (would like to) seems not to be as problematic.
Please don't preach the legality aspect. It should be just as illegal to preach the lord upon me as it is for me to buy hay.
All Egg
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This thread is closed...unless you can show me an EMS related value of this topic.
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