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Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 1520 Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 1:28 am Post subject: |
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geaaronson wrote: |
And so Phil K, other than that it is against the law, what is so particularly bad about marijuana usage? And don`t give me the crap about it leading onto harder drugs as so does alcohol, and besides a vast majority don`t go on to cocaine or heroin. And don`t give me the crap that it in itself is a dangerous drug because it is actually considerably less dangerous than alcohol. |
While I am in general agreement with the above post, I must say I've known a few potheads in my time whose lives would have been more productive if marijuana hadn't been so available to them. |
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Phil_K
Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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geaaronson wrote: |
And so Phil K, other than that it is against the law, what is so particularly bad about marijuana usage? And don`t give me the crap about it leading onto harder drugs as so does alcohol, and besides a vast majority don`t go on to cocaine or heroin. And don`t give me the crap that it in itself is a dangerous drug because it is actually considerably less dangerous than alcohol. |
I agree with you! In fact, tobacco is probably more dangerous, and I'm a heavy smoker.
But in fact if you read my previous post, I said nothing against marijuana per se. My point is that if marijuana is illegal, it's for a reason just as not driving the wrong way down a one way street is for a reason. Diluting a law that was once deemed appropriate, to deal with another problem, is a poor way to legislate. |
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MotherF
Joined: 07 Jun 2010 Posts: 1450 Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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There are tons of laws that were once deemed appropriate and society comes to feel that they no longer are. Some laws cause unanticipated problems down the line.
(Guapa, I've known some people like that--but I've know way more people who's lives would be more productive is alcohol was not so available to them.) |
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Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 1520 Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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MotherF wrote: |
(Guapa, I've known some people like that--but I've know way more people who's lives would be more productive is alcohol was not so available to them.) |
Good point, MotherF. My drug of choice is caffeine, as found in a really good cappuccino. I wonder if one can become addicted to coffee to the point where it turns you into an unproductive "caffeine-head" |
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geaaronson
Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 948 Location: Mexico City
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
But in fact if you read my previous post, I said nothing against marijuana per se. My point is that if marijuana is illegal, it's for a reason just as not driving the wrong way down a one way street is for a reason. Diluting a law that was once deemed appropriate, to deal with another problem, is a poor way to legislate. |
And so what would that reason be? Remember, the US once prohibited the consumpotion of alcohol. |
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MotherF
Joined: 07 Jun 2010 Posts: 1450 Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, and that prohibition caused an such an explosion in organized crime that it was repeeled. |
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Phil_K
Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
And so what would that reason be? Remember, the US once prohibited the consumpotion of alcohol. |
There are many reasons, and not all stand up to scrutiny, but the fact remains that it has been made illegal by a democratic process (well, in most countries!). I'm not arguing for the legalization (or not) of marijuana, I'm just stating a principle. And that principle is the basis of my original point, which subsequent comments do nothing to address, that repealing laws to deal with other problems sets a dangerous precedent.
Do you really imagine that if marijuana WERE legalized, all the cartel members would put their hands up and say, "It's a fair cop, guv, we're going straight from now on!" |
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Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 1520 Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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What happened to Al Capone and Company after Prohibition was repealed? |
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MotherF
Joined: 07 Jun 2010 Posts: 1450 Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W
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Phil_K
Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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Isla Guapa wrote: |
What happened to Al Capone and Company after Prohibition was repealed? |
The repeal was in 1933, but Capone was jailed for tax evasion in 1932. It's true his gang was not notably active after his imprisonment, but that is probably more due to his inability to lead them than from the removal of one of their major streams of income. After his release in 1939, he suffered from poor physical and mental health.
I think that in different circumstances, it's very probable that he would have found other ways to continue the same life style; arms? extorsion? Who knows? but any criminal used to the high life is not going go quietly. |
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Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 1520 Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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I've read that Mexican narco gangs are starting to look for additional ways to make money: extorting shopkeepers and larger businesses for so-called "protection money" and human trafficking being just two of them. |
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Phil_K
Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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Isla Guapa wrote: |
I've read that Mexican narco gangs are starting to look for additional ways to make money: extorting shopkeepers and larger businesses for so-called "protection money" and human trafficking being just two of them. |
...and therefore the solution is to deal with the criminals, not with their source of income (as I said). Of course, an additional problem in Mexico is the fact that many police and soldiers are on the payroll of the cartels. That's why I despair when people put forward their wishy-washy liberal ideas to tackle major problems. I don't have a magic formula to change a corrupt cultural, but I do recognize that these problems have to be dealt with from the bottom up. Mighty oaks from acorns grow. |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010 Posts: 1186 Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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Isla Guapa wrote: |
Good point, MotherF. My drug of choice is caffeine, as found in a really good cappuccino. I wonder if one can become addicted to coffee to the point where it turns you into an unproductive "caffeine-head" |
Having stopped drinking coffee "cold turkey" a couple if times, I can tell you that caffeine is a lot more addictive than people realize. I felt so awful the first day I was about to go to the doctor, I thought I was coming down with the flu, or had mono or something. It took three or four days till I felt close to normal. I regularly drink 2 or 3 big cups of coffee, but strong, more towards Expresso than coffee coffee. I feel that I can't function without coffee. But I think it is the opposite of unproductive, I can't be productive without it. |
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Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 1520 Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
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Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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I usually just have one good strong cup of coffee in the morning, with lots of milk, and it helps to wake me up and give me a jolt of positive energy. Any more than that, especially later in the day, and I have trouble falling asleep at night. But I do love my morning serving of caffeine! |
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Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
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Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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Isla Guapa wrote: |
I've read that Mexican narco gangs are starting to look for additional ways to make money: extorting shopkeepers and larger businesses for so-called "protection money" and human trafficking being just two of them. |
Yep. Once these groups get started, they don�t just stop on a dime. |
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