Cannabis.. yes or no

[Sculpto]

Are there any statistics that show the deaths after prohibition were less than the deaths due to violence of a few during prohibition? All I know is that drinking and driving alone kills more Americans than wars and if you look in the past 100 years, America goes to war a lot. There are other related deaths due to the effects of alcohol. Some related to failing livers, others due to domestic violence. Although most people need at least one drug in their life, alcohol being the main one, I think prohibition saved lifes even with a few criminals fighting for the right to sell the stuff.

I don't know if there are statistics on that or not.. but you are twisting issues.  Alcohol caused death by car is a national tragedy and I doubt there is anyone on the forum that hasn't been touched by it.

My opinion is our DUI laws are not nearly strict enough.  Maybe one of our European friends can fill us in a little on how it is dealt with over there as I understand the law is much more strict.  If I was to write the law it would be one strike and automatic five years and no suspended sentences or probations.  Ya think ANYONE would take the chance if that was the penalty?

I am going to confess something.. back in my high school days I was wild.  Surprised?  We did things that would shock the most jaded on this forum.  Driving under the influence was the tip of the iceberg.  How about driving quite drunk over one hundred miles an hour on the wrong side of the interstate at night with the lights off.    Don't think I am joking Billy.. we did a lot worse than that, a lot worse.

By the way.. did I mention I was a race car driver and had (still have) the ability to make cars do things that seem impossible?  WE were BEYOND stupid.  But.. the truth is.. at that time.. we really didn't care.  Life was about the thrill we could get at that moment we were living it and we were invincible.  I see these so called "side shows" and laugh.. bunch of amateurs.  

Then... one of the guys in the crew.. well.. he didn't beat the train.  Nuff said.  turning point for all of us.  Suddenly we were thinking about what we were doing.  Suddenly all the stunts in the cars didn't seem so cool.  And believe me.. the aforementioned trick was NOTHING.. we did things in cars that nowadays I can't even believe were possible.  

So, then I stopped drinking.. and started smoking more weed than I had before.  It calmed me down.  Instead of being on the verge of violent I became thoughtful.  Where I had idolized soldiers and dreamed of immigrating to Isreal and joining the IDF I became an artist and a pacifist and for the first time had some empathy for the suffering of the people in the refugee camps.  ETc etc etc..

Frankly.. and I say this with all honesty in my heart.. weed saved my life.  Smoking weed stimulated a thought process that was dormant or dead in me before.  I went from caring about nothing but my immediate thrill to caring about everything but my immediate thrill.  

So.. you can take your misconceptions and myths and bad information and smoke it.  

So,, I am also wondering.. do Russian youth have the same or similar insane rights of passage that are pretty common in suburban USA? (or at least common when and where i grew up)

footnote.. I revealed something private.. lets not psychoanalyze it ok..

[BillyB]

Then... one of the guys in the crew.. well.. he didn't beat the train.  Nuff said.  turning point for all of us.  Suddenly we were thinking about what we were doing.  Suddenly all the stunts in the cars didn't seem so cool.  And believe me.. the aforementioned trick was NOTHING.. we did things in cars that nowadays I can't even believe were possible.  

Frankly.. and I say this with all honesty in my heart.. weed saved my life.  Smoking weed stimulated a thought process that was dormant or dead in me before.  I went from caring about nothing but my immediate thrill to caring about everything but my immediate thrill.  

I'd say the death of your friend saved your life. With you and your friends getting drunk living recklessly, something was bound to happen. Lucky it wasn't you who died driving 100 mph while drunk.

You're older now and more mature. Although I would bet you would drive under the influence, you probably won't be the dangerous weed smoker that I would worry about. It is those who are still young and reckless and don't know when to stop or control their intake and not responsible enough to avoid driving which would jeopardize other people's lives or commit crimes to fund their habit being legal or not.

2012, you can still care about things in life, live responsibly, and have a big heart without the help of weed. Mind over matter.

[Sculpto]

Well how about we just ban cars.. i mean seriously.. its not the drivers but the cars that are the problem.. and while we are at it.. lets ban guns too.. and might as well eliminate everything that is fun and interesting and dangerous so we can have a perfect society full of stepford people.  

Come on Billy.. you are the same guy that is freaked out by WMD and advocate for our guys to go to war.. now what is more dangerous than war?  What has a more negative impact on society than war?  You will send a guy into battle but you are afraid of some pot heads?  

And.. productivity is by far not the measure by which I judge the quality of my life.  If I could find a way to be absolutely unproductive the rest of my life I would be a very happy guy.  There is a lot more to life than work work work and I honestly pity people who think otherwise.  Really... I will make an offer right now..

This October I am leading a reality tour to the part of Mexico I used to live in.  I will be taking some rather wealthy people into some really poor (per capita of $300 a year +-) and exceptionally dangerous places (behind the lines in rebel territory) where they will stay for a short time and participate in the lives of the locals.  There is a catch though.. these people must make a written commitment prior to the trip and prior to visiting these communities that their visit is not merely a visit.  In other words.. they are committing to taking action to help improve the lives of the people we visit.  However.. they are not allowed to impose their values systems on these people.. they must listen to what the people tell them and adjust their personal "aid plan" to provide the support that the people ask for.. not what "we" think they need.  The second part of the trip will be a personal recovery period at a very special beach area where we will practice the art of doing nothing.  We will literally do nothing.  No anything, total nothing.

I have room for about 6 more people.  The cost is whatever it costs to get there and get around and sleep and eat.  In other words.. it wont be that much.  My fee for leading the trip is my expenses.  If there are more participants the cost of my expenses is divided up with everyone and goes down individually.  This is not a profit making venture.  It is a human rights and spiritual journey.  Also, if you are in doubt about climate change.. I will take you right to the front lines and you can see for yourself and then ask the question, are humans causing climate change?  The itinerary does include some stops at some of the most amazing nature in the world as well as major cultural and historical sites.  But, this is no luxury trip.. it is as I said.. a reality tour.  

This is really a chance to see things like you never saw them before.  Y'all think I am nuts half the time.. so.. here I am giving you the chance to see why I am the way I am.. what events and places and things informed me.. so.. my question is.. especially to you Bill.. and also to Ed.. and for that matter Faux.. you guys ready to put your money where your mouth is?  You want to see something that will make you adjust your views?  Its a challenge.. yup.. that's exactly what it is.. a challenge.  

BTW.. Unfortunately there are unlikely to be any FSUWs on this trip.. however.. there is a Russian man building schools out there so if anyone wanted to bring their wives we could go visit him too..

You think it's a personal decision but think about it, with weed a personal decision can affect other people's lives. That's why government needs to step in. Although I don't smoke cigarettes, I don't have a problem with other people smoking because they affect pretty much themselves now. I think it was a good decision to ban smoking from places where the public gathers such as restaurants and airplanes. The problem with weed is that although one smokes in within their own home, it affects their mental state of mind and reaction times and you know they are going to go out and drive eventually hurting others. Between alcohol and weed, I agree with you that alcohol causes more deaths and more problems but they are both a drain on society. When people are under the influence of drugs, their productivity in whatever they do suffers.

[Sculpto]

I'd say the death of your friend saved your life. With you and your friends getting drunk living recklessly, something was bound to happen. Lucky it wasn't you who died driving 100 mph while drunk.

You're older now and more mature. Although I would bet you would drive under the influence, you probably won't be the dangerous weed smoker that I would worry about. It is those who are still young and reckless and don't know when to stop or control their intake and not responsible enough to avoid driving which would jeopardize other people's lives or commit crimes to fund their habit being legal or not.

2012, you can still care about things in life, live responsibly, and have a big heart without the help of weed. Mind over matter.

LOL I knew you would see it that way.. but the reality is.. that train wreck just made us think.. some of the guys got even more reckless for a time.. I personally withdrew from that crew and changed my habits.

I do not drive under the influence Billy.  I hardly even drive.  Maybe you forgot but I was in a pretty serious accident just over a year ago where someone crashed into me.. I don't own a car and I have no desire to.  When I absolutely must have a car for work I rent one and when I am done I am back on the bus or my bike.  I show up at sales calls on my bike.  Clients love it.  I say I am a green builder and I arrive to inspect their project on a bike.  Its really a conviction and it has become an excellent sales tool.

And Billy.. weed is a small part of my life.. but one that I care a lot about.. as I said.. its a beautiful plant and I like the culture and people that have gathered around it.  They generally do not have their a.. all clenched up. 

[ECOCKS]

Ed.. more than anyone in this forum.. you could use a toke..  I suspect it would be a life changing experience for you.    (a positive one)

Eric, perhaps because of our obvious political and societal viewpoint differences it seems to always be your assumption that nobody else, particularly one of your opponents could possibly have enjoyed your level of experience in such a myriad of situations. This is why you get the [to you] puzzling reactions such as the jokes about needing attention and dismissal of what some politely call passion while others choose to label it as radical obsession from the lunatic fringe when you present so many of your views. You make it clear that your role of being a rebel WITH a cause is very important to you but if you get any little glow of ego boost from people complimenting you, try working on the passion without the anger.  

Just as Ken has his medical permit, Shadow has his perspective and most everyone has fessed up to enjoying a toke or two in their past, my own life included an ex-wife who brought with her 2 kilos (out of an original 8 kilo purchase which was brought up from the NO area) in the house (early 80's-era) when we began living together and introduced my younger son to it's liberating effects as a method of coping with various forms of stress while in his teens. Among my most vivid memories from my university-days is doing a couple of joints and then laying at the bottom of the deep end of the pool considering just WHY the bubbles from my mouth were getting bigger as they rose. At the time this seemed such an enormous breakthrough I felt that urge to explain to others the singularly monumental importance of this observation and told many people at the party my amazing news, "BUBBLES GET BIGGER!" Among my son's most vivid memories though is his paraphernalia charge from carrying his mom's stuff over to a friends house for a party. Because of that his hope of enlisting in the military was abruptly shut down. To you I'm sure that is no great thing, to him it was extremely disappointing and a rude awakening to the consequences of past decisions.

I long ago made the very rational decision that the effect was not that important a part of my life considering its effect on me, the cost factors, health implications and possible legal risks and consequences. Instead, I routinely enjoyed a natural high from good companionship, fine steaks, beautiful locales, good books and so forth. The list (for me) is long and varied as to how I get enjoyment and toking is way down there with a triple digit number that doesn't float high enough for consideration.

So, you can leave off hoping poor ol' Ed will loosen up and join in with the cause, forsaking his own, well-considered and researched decisions, positions and choices.

Been there, done that, gave away all the T-shirts.
 

[SMS60]

as I said.. its a beautiful plant and I like the culture and people that have gathered around it.  They generally do not have their a.. all clenched up. 

Oh my, I'm crying from laughter. Such flowery words for a plant   Please dont get clenched up over my comments

[Sculpto]

Ed that was a very thoughtful and reasonable response.  You will be surprised that I suspected as much.  There are few from our generation that didn't have a toke or two.  

I had a conversation today with someone that is relevant.  Maybe I am delusional on this point, but, as I remember it 25+ years ago there was a lot of idealism and a lot of energy for positive change in the world around us and in our hearts.  I grew up in a very conservative area and all of us were in full on rebellion.  

In the years that have passed I have come to learn that many of those whom were most radical have become most conservative and many who were quiet and seemed conservative back then have become quite radical.  In my own case you are right.. I became a rebel with a cause.

However..

As an overall picture I see a society and a culture that has negated ethics, negated the power of hope, negated the art of compromise, rejected a path of "all for one and one for all" in favor of.. "all for me and screw you" and so on.  

I don't want to accept the "all for me and screw you" ethic.  In fact, I refuse to accept it.  I even want to smash it down.  I do not want to live in a society that is based on such an ethic and at the same time I love my country and it is my home too so I am caught in a very difficult situation.

Weed to me represents a kind of freedom.  Its not even about the buzz.  If I didn't smoke it EVER I would still keep the avatar.  Its the same spirit in which I wrote the other day.. Viva Cuba Libre.. I will try to explain..

In the US.. we see Cuba as this repressive psuedo communist cold war relic with a meglomaniac ruler that we like to label as a brutal and murderous dictator.  Most of the Cuban emigres in Florida would love to see Castro dead.

Yet.. the overwhelming majority of Cubans themselves still love Castro.  He is a hero to working class people all over Latin America.  All the leaders of all the countries that we oppose have given Castro their highest awards and respect.  So.. what are we, as a nation, missing in this picture?

What is it that makes Cuba free?

They are free from US!  

Its a shocking idea.  How can anyone not see that America is so great?  How can anyone not see that our system is the best?  ETc etc etc..

But.. what WE AS AMERICANS are failing to see.. is that things aren't as great as we think they are.  Its not that things outright suck.. its just that.. our way isn't the only way and there are lots of other ways that might be just as good or god forbid I say it.. even better.

Cuba Libre is Legal Weed is and end to the War is liberation of the political prisoners is equality for all people...

Its really all the things I thought our country stood for.. we cry the rally cry of freedom.. and then we blockade a little pissant country for 50 years because why?  can anyone even remember why?  What possible threat can Cuba be to us?  Yet, on the other hand.. what an immense threat to Cuba we are!  Sheesh.. we don't even have diplomatic relations with them yet we maintain Guantamo.. did you ever stop to think about that?  Really, right now.. stop and think about how ironic and strange and really messed up the mere existence of Guantanamo as a US holding on Cuba actually is.

Thats why I spout off the way I do.  Thats why I provoked YOU ED to admit you smoked.  Dude.. I don't care if you did or didn't but why do you care if I do or don't?  Same for you Billy?  You guys preach libertarianism.. just last night in chat Ed.. you told me its all "nature" remember?  Well.. if you are going to cry the rally cry of liberty.. you don't get to pick and choose which things get to be liberated and which don't.  It is all or nothing.  And really, I believe this to be so true and is not a question of political affiliations at all.. our country is either right on the verge or may have already crossed a line that is going to be very hard to retreat from.  This is a line where corporate interest and government converge.  Once that takes place and is fully integrated normal average people really do not have a chance.  We will take the scraps that are left and like it because our scraps are a lot better than the used scraps they are going to pass out everywhere else.  I am sorry, but, I will not wave a US Flag sponsored by BP.  

For the last month or so I have been building a kitchen in a house here in SF.  The father of the client just turned 90 and he was on Normandy Beach on D-Day and did his full tour.  According to my client her father NEVER speaks about the war.. in all her life she can't remember it ever happening.  But.. he has been pouring it out to me.  There is no senility in this man at all.  Just a feisty old guy who kicked fascist ass.  When I hear a guy like that lament what has happened in America.. to actually say that all he and his brothers fought and died for has been wasted, squandered and pilfered.. it makes me step back and think.  

So.. i hope you understand me a little more now.

And I actually offer a sincere apology if i have come off as demeaning.. I don't really intend to do that.. I don't know if it is the rhetoric or maybe the medium that causes it.. but.. I actually despise the fighting and insults even though I get caught up in it sometimes.  

[Sculpto]

Oh my, I'm crying from laughter. Such flowery words for a plant  Please dont get clenched up over my comments

SMS I am a diverse guy with many interests and passions.  I don't know if you know any artists but we tend to get obsessed about stuff.  I get "into" something and will relentlessly research and discover and study until I am saturated and satiated.  I see you like cars and racing.  I raced a 69 vette for a number of years.  I stopped because I couldn't do the art thing and race at the same time.. it was too intense to try and do both and do both well.  I chose art.. sometimes I think it was the wrong choice.. but.. per my previous post..

I can not stomach the "all for me and screw you" mentality and unfortunately auto racing came to represent that to me.  nevertheless.. I hope Danica kicks some arse and I will be real happy when Juan Pablo wins again.  BTW.. there will most likely be a cannabis sponsored car next year after legalization passes.  

[Turboguy]

Well, I just quickly read this thread and I can't see what "two questions" we are supposed to be talking about.   The closest thing I can see to two questions is "yes or no" and if that is two questions someone has been smoking too much weed.

My opinion on if it should be legalized is no.  Personally I would be for random drug testing at all places of employment and all schools and much harsher punishment.

I get the impression that Californias legalization for medical use is greatly abused.  Of course I would also be for shipping all the illegal aliens back as well.  

Lots of people do use it and in many ways it may not be worse than booze but in some ways it is.  I really don't have a problem with it being available for someone with a real medical condition that it will help.  

I have friends and employees that use it and I don't think any less of them for it but I just can't see making it easier.

[BrianW]

Fiction,


If that "weed" car ever makes an appearance, it will surely lose. It'll be stuck in the far right lane going 40 MPH with the turn signal on.


 

[Vaughn]

In the days of my youth, I thought smoking grass was the ultimate recreational activity. It was fun. Music seemed
to sound better, jokes sounded funnier, and my imagination would run quite wild. The downside, apart from the risk
of being busted (or, in some cases, graduating to stronger stuff, ie acid, psilocybin, meth etc) was the distinct
tendency of potheads to isolate themselves from others not deemed "Cool".

Somewhere way back, Sculpto, you posted an impressive list of famous folks who had at least lit up once or more. My
gut feeling was that they were either exceptional cases or limited to a single "experiment" or two - for the most part,
that their achievements could not directly be attributed to the use of cannabis, and that they achieved despite it.

For the majority as I see it, smoking pot is a pretty effective way for people to put their future on hold.

[Shostakovich]

Cannabis?

Looking around the US I see 60% overweight, 30% obese, a still significant rate of cigarette smoking despite almost 50 years of overwhelming evidence supporting the disastrous consequences for health, a high rate of debt despite living in the most prosperous country, I can't believe the US population to be especially moderate in its consumption of alcohol.  Illegal drug abuse?  It's one thing that leads to a legion of morons with their hands out and what fuels the gang wars in Mexico further leading to an illegal exodus, causing all kinds of troubles here.  Drugs fund Al-qaeda in Afghanistan, requiring a drain on an already struggling economy to fund the war.  The point is that we in the US are not a happy people and so must look to stimulants and depressants as a palliative to Wal-Mart jobs and music by Brittany Spears.   Should we throw more fuel on this fire by legalizing pot?  Burn, baby burn - be happy to watch the demise of some of the riff-raff. 

[Vaughn]

The point is that we in the US are not a happy people and so must look to stimulants and depressants as a palliative to Wal-Mart jobs and music by Brittany Spears.

 

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0i_qBOmZ9E[/youtube]

[Seeker]

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0i_qBOmZ9E[/youtube]

That was funny.

Yes the people I know (including myself) were this way at 16.  At 50, I have evolved, and see the world different now.  As do ALMOST all of the people I know.

I think we are confusing a youthful over-indulgence (as is true in many other things) with a prolonged use that is not what I see with ALMOST everyone I know.  Both sides of this issue have to realize there are extremes.  But they are not the norm with people who have matured.  It is a plant that has benefits if not used in stupid ways.  Just as a glass of wine is the fruit of the vine... and if not used in stupid ways, can be beneficial.

[Sculpto]

lol this is more like it.. lol


[youtube=425,350]<object width="660" height="525"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nGsEt-qtOqs&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1?rel=0&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01&amp;border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nGsEt-qtOqs&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1?rel=0&amp;color1=0xe1600f&amp;color2=0xfebd01&amp;border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="660" height="525"></embed></object>[/youtube]

by the way.. seeker said what I haven't been able to..

[Sculpto]

ok that is really strange.. I know I cut and pasted a video in there.. lol

[ECOCKS]

OMG! We're OT!

No, actually I cannot understand you at all.

It's not weird that we have a base there, it was a part of a treaty negotiation from a long-ago war and it has served a rather useful purpose in the defense of our country and security operations.

Why did we blockade Cuba? Because they were allowing the deployment of nuclear missiles 90 miles from our shores. Yes, we were in Germany, Italy and Turkey with air wings and armored divisions but had no problem with a Russian naval squadron and air wings in Havana or around the corner from Gitmo in Santiago. Yet, no missiles were deployed in other countries in that way. It was a response to an escalation that was unprovoked.

The people love him? Hmmm, I agree that we are told this by, well, THEIR propaganda machine, yet the refugees and their children, who I played with in Guantanamo had quite the different view. The ones I knew were almost all of the middle class, the professors, journalists, technical specialists and mid-managers. Yes, their "elite", business magnates, government secretaries and generals also fled to their minor mansions and gathering places in Florida, lamenting their material loss, but I wasn't influenced by those Eric. My Spanish teacher had completed her Masters in European Literature, her husband had finished his Accounting degree just as Castro toppled the Batista government. They made it to a friend of the family who owned a trawler and made it to Florida with their newborn daughter.

The refugees brought in by the Navy always seemed grateful that their risk of being apprehended at sea by the Cuban Navy was over and surely they weighed the risks in their attempts to escape the "worker's paradise" Castro established. There were thousands of those people each year, why did they so stubbornly refuse to understand the peace and brotherly love of the new regime? My favorite beach was closed when the body of a 12 year old washed up on our side of the fence after nightime gunfire, shot, reportedly in the back while apparently swimming. Multiple times people were killed in the minefields along the border wire. Who would dare risk walking through a minefield at night? Why is it difficult to consider their stories might be true and appreciate their wish for their country to have remained the way it was before la revolucion?

Why maintain the base? Well, it serves as a somewhat central base for the monitoring and control of aircraft and shipping in the Caribbean. Yes, DEA operations use it in cooperation with the US Navy tracking and communications facilities as well. Why did the Russians maintain their largest overseas base at Lourdes, Cuba until 2001? They only closed the electronic surveillance station due to the financial strain on their military budget. Castro publicly announced he felt disappointed and betrayed by their abandonment. The Russians still rattle their sabers by threatening to reopen it and redeploy air and naval units to the region. We should be so lucky that they attempt to do so.

The Canadians I know who have vacationed there indicate that the country is a disaster except for the tourist areas which are aging and below standard after being somewhat rebuilt on the grounds of old resort and casino facilities along with a couple of pristine beaches that the country cannot afford to develop for their own people to use. They do add the women are beautiful and almost all are available for $20-50 depending on just what you want and how long. Actually, most say they are ALL available but one seemed to think that there were girls in the tourist zone who were not willing to sleep indiscriminately with the guests.

Does it ever cross your mind that not every rebel is in the right and every former citizen or loyalist MUST be lying when they talk of how they wish they had their country back?

As to your other question, "I don't care if you did or didn't but why do you care if I do or don't? (Same for you Billy?)"

Other than the danger you present to others in your habits, I don't really think any of us particularly care. A couple seem to regard your vehement assurances of self-control as very similar to the denials heard from alcoholics and other abusers but mostly we talk about it because you keep bringing it up in threads like these. After the first few, it begins to smack of desperation and a pleading to validate your belief through acquiescing to your POV.

I don't care if you smoke all day and night. Never said I did, only answered the question you asked. Why do you care that I believe Obozo is a disaster to our nation?

You ask what we think, we answer reasonably then you insist on saying we are wrong in our view and somehow seek to deny you your rights, launching into a tirade about how pure your heart and motivations are on the issue?

Did Billy, the others or I start a petition to increase criminal penalties for using pot? The only activist here seems to be you.

Don't ask the question if you only want to fight with those who disagree with you.

 

[BillyB]

Well how about we just ban cars.. i mean seriously.. its not the drivers but the cars that are the problem.. and while we are at it.. lets ban guns too.. and might as well eliminate everything that is fun and interesting and dangerous so we can have a perfect society full of stepford people.  

Cars benefit society. Citizens owning guns lets the government know that citizens will always be in charge. There are great benefits to cars and guns. Just like food and water which are beneficial, people can die from all those things but the benefits outweigh the cost. Weed has few benefits and lots of cost. For your pleasure, I'll admit between alcohol and weed, if only one could be legal, I'd favor weed since it's less destructive to society.

Come on Billy.. you are the same guy that is freaked out by WMD and advocate for our guys to go to war.. now what is more dangerous than war?  What has a more negative impact on society than war?  You will send a guy into battle but you are afraid of some pot heads?  

Do you really want to start making comments like that firing up people making false statements so I and/or others will debate it and take this thread off topic and trash it? You're driving this thread. Steer it off the road if you want or be smart about what you say.

Climate change and Cuba was also brought up by you. If you were one of the Americans who bought property in Cuba that Castro stole when he got into power, I don't think you'd like Castro so much.

Thats why I spout off the way I do.  Thats why I provoked YOU ED to admit you smoked.  Dude.. I don't care if you did or didn't but why do you care if I do or don't? Same for you Billy?  

I've never did any drugs, never got drunk and don't have any tattoos or piercings. I always liked ME. I like how I think and look. I don't need help from substances or marking up my body to feel good. You think you're a rebel but you did what other youths were doing and followed the crowd and the trends. I don't follow. Do you feel good about provoking me to tell my history? Most people who came out and admitted they smoked weed grew out of it and learned from their mistakes. More testimony coming out that hurts your cause yet you feel good that people admitted to smoking weed. :noidea:

[Sculpto]

I've never did any drugs

some things speak for themselves.

[BillyB]

 
Your argument that legalizing weed will stop gang violence on the other side of the border is full of holes. In the link below we see gang violence for other reasons such as migrant trafficking too. Should we legalize migrant trafficking to reduce violence? As I mentioned earlier, if you can take away the product but you can't stop criminal business unless you stop the criminal. They will always find a way to make money illegally and violence is part of life for them.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/07/01/shootout-drug-migrant-trafficking-gangs-near-border-leaves-dead-598299465/

[Seeker]

Your argument that legalizing weed will stop gang violence on the other side of the border is full of holes. In the link below we see gang violence for other reasons such as migrant trafficking too. Should we legalize migrant trafficking to reduce violence? As I mentioned earlier, if you can take away the product but you can't stop criminal business unless you stop the criminal. They will always find a way to make money illegally and violence is part of life for them.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/07/01/shootout-drug-migrant-trafficking-gangs-near-border-leaves-dead-598299465/

This is true.  Just as after the end of prohibition, the mob/gangs didn't go away.  They diverse into other activities.  There will always be an element that goes for the illegal dollar.  Sad but true.

[wiz]

Dan

I feel I have waisted my time reading this thread and I wonder what has happened to you lately?

I think that Russian Women Discussions board is the place to ask or answer questions about Russia, Ukraine and other FSU Countries. Get advice about finding Russian brides, travelling to Russia, Ukraine and the FSU, applying for K-1, tourist, fiancé or spouse visas, living with a Russian or an FSU woman and more. Give advice, read and write trip reports, share experiences, make friends, find translators & interpreters, discuss Visa and other relationship problems and check the reputation of dating agencies.

I see no connection whatsoever between the current thread's subject and the purpose of RWD. 

I am really very sorry to see what is happening to this otherwise Great board of which
I have been a member for the past 5 + years. 

PS: This post is directed to the owner of the board and no need for the original poster to reply!
Thank you.

[Seeker]

Dan

I feel I have waisted my time reading this thread and I wonder what has happened to you lately?

I think that Russian Women Discussions board is the place to ask or answer questions about Russia, Ukraine and other FSU Countries. Get advice about finding Russian brides, travelling to Russia, Ukraine and the FSU, applying for K-1, tourist, fiancé or spouse visas, living with a Russian or an FSU woman and more. Give advice, read and write trip reports, share experiences, make friends, find translators & interpreters, discuss Visa and other relationship problems and check the reputation of dating agencies.

I see no connection whatsoever between the current thread's subject and the purpose of RWD. 

I am really very sorry to see what is happening to this otherwise Great board of which
I have been a member for the past 5 + years. 

PS: This post is directed to the owner of the board and no need for the original poster to reply!
Thank you.

For the OP it is relevant.  It has been a topic used against him for a long time.  And to the rest of us, we are discussing cultural differences.  It does apply.  Maybe not to you, but each of us is different and living in different circumstances.  This is actually a topic that USUALLY ends up in fights and anger.  I think it is going good so far.  If it is not your thing, that is understandable.

But life with all of its nuances is part of relationships.  Domestic or international.  And this is the "odds and ends" thread heading.  I think it fits here.

[brad5959]

I agree with Billy.  if you fully legalize pot, the drug cartels will come out with a version of pot laced with a more addictive drug.  furthermore, medical research shows that thc in pot destroys the proper functioning of the brain synapse.  additionally, pot is more corrosive to the lungs than tobacco.  who is going to pay for the increase in emphesema and lung cancer??  of course the average taxpayer.  is this fair to the average taxpayer?  I think the best solution is that pot is only legal in very small quantities.

[acctBill]

Anyone that says drugs are not a problem in Russia or the other countries of the former SU has never been there. Anyone who has spent more than a coule of weeks in Russia knows drug use is common.  Afghanistan is a whole lot closer to Russia than the UK or the US.  I don't know exactly how popular pot is there but it is certainly used widely.  I can understand people not wanting to talk about it but drug abuse or use is certainly an acceptable topic when discussing Russia.