or, fewer people are being arrested because of the downgrade in criminal classification

/loves it when subbies don't rtfa

Let's try zero-tolerance for dumb, failed laws and policies like the infamous War On Drugs. Watch the number of "criminals" drop dramatically.

Cannabis was downgraded from a Class B drug to a Class C drug in 2003, meaning those caught with it for personal use are unlikely to be arrested.

Read the farking article subby. Low number of arrests != low number of pot dealers.

Good headline, subby. Sure to bring out hoards of amusing stoner morans.

More importantly, it's (another) Daily Fail link: people really need to know that this paper is there to scare middle class people to keep voting for the right wing.

Fark is going downhill with all these.

Not only is cannabis a major gateway to harder drugs but there is increasing evidence emerging showing the dehabilitative and demotivating effects it has on young people - especially in terms of mental illness.



two lies in one sentence, impressive.

eqtworld: This is a very accurate representation. Every time I buy pot I go to an alley or parking garage in a bad part of town, usually at 2am.....I...just..need..a..fix

I know! So true.

Don't forget the pushers. The so very persuasive drug pushers. Corrupting a kid's mind with the endless propaganda and lies the use. They say it's candy. They say it cures your colds. Oh the endless lies and pressure to buy their products. Kids have to run and avoid them every day.

Because if there is one thing I believe, it's that our youth would never voluntarily seek out something that gives them a buzz or a high and they have to be tricked, forced if necessary, to use drugs.

I love the whole War on Drugs and its support by conservatives. "We're all about the free market, unless it's the free market for something you want."

The drug market is probably the most pure capitalist enterprise in the world. Total non-regulation. Drugs would be a lot less dangerous if they were legal and regulated, given that producers would be held accountable for various foreign chemicals in the product.

Or they would be ideally, given how things are going with Chinese factories and other goods I'm not so sure the system works so well anymore.

/Yes, this is a rambling crazy post
//No, I'm not high, just tired and finally finished with a long drive

What the fark is up with that picture? Weed is not crack. Who the hell has to go to some dark corridor to get weed? Back when I smoked years ago, it was all middle class people that sold.

Back alley for weed? Daily fail.

No, you can tell your typical cannabis fiend by his semen stained pants.

klymen: Cannabis was downgraded from a Class B drug to a Class C drug in 2003, meaning those caught with it for personal use are unlikely to be arrested.

Read the farking article subby. Low number of arrests != low number of pot dealers.

damnation, beat me to it!

i found this hilarious though.

Heh, another reason is that Bush has cut funding for local drug enforcement. The cops aren't getting the extra money or their programs. Why bother arresting Johnny for weed possession when they aren't getting extra $$ to do it? Priorities all around. Meanwhile,
STEP 1 - Reclassify weed
STEP 2 - ?
STEP 2 - cut funding
STEP 3 - PROFIT

Jailing someone for simple possession is stupid. But if they're carrying bricks pf weed on them, that's borderline conspiracy.

Of course this article overlooks the effects of globalization and the consolidation of the illicit drug industry. What was once a family industry has been replaced by big box drug cartels.

The best way to get rid of druggies is to just use Mao's method for dealing with opium addicts: kill them all, kill anyone that might have looked at opium in the past, kill their families, kill anyone that looks like them, and kill their pets. Then, you'll have a relatively drug-free society.

What a bunch of crap. No shortage of people getting busted up here. Of course, we're talking about OPERATIONS, not eighth ounce bags...

Ed Willy: Of course this article overlooks the effects of globalization and the consolidation of the illicit drug industry. What was once a family industry has been replaced by big box drug cartels.

I lol'd, then went to Walmart

remy

Free market? Tell that to Bear Sterns. :)

Not only is cannabis a major gateway to harder drugs but there is increasing evidence emerging showing the dehabilitative and demotivating effects it has on young people - especially in terms of mental illness.

The only reason pot is a "major gateway" drug is because the only way to score it is from drug dealers.

"Oh, I'm out of pot, sorry. Here, try some Percoset [sic?]."

That's how my pill addiction started when I was younger. It was actually easier for me to score pot / pills / etc. than it was for me to score cigarettes and beer!

Man, I wish these puritan farkers who push the D.A.R.E. and modern prohibition movement would shut their lying speak-holes and go play in traffic already.

Ed Willy: Of course this article overlooks the effects of globalization and the consolidation of the illicit drug industry. What was once a family industry has been replaced by big box drug cartels.

This. After the Big Box drug cartel moved in, I ended up having to close up shop. I work for them now. No retirement, measley wage, I'll probably be a Door Greeter until I am 70 now.

When I moved to Blacksburg, VA for "Higher" learning. Being under 21 and not really knowing too many people there, it was about 100x easier to score pot than beer.

Wow
Even if this was because of zero tolerance....
You still accomplished nothing but stopping people from using a recreational fun time drug.

Smellvin: The best way to get rid of druggies is to just use Mao's method for dealing with opium addicts: kill them all, kill anyone that might have looked at opium in the past, kill their families, kill anyone that looks like them, and kill their pets. Then, you'll have a relatively drug-free society.

Worked for the Taliban in Afghanistan. Record low of opium addicts while they were in power. (opium ADDICTS...not growers.)

Rant_Casey's_Rabies_Buffet: Not only is cannabis a major gateway to harder drugs but there is increasing evidence emerging showing the dehabilitative and demotivating effects it has on young people - especially in terms of mental illness.

The only reason pot is a "major gateway" drug is because the only way to score it is from drug dealers.

"Oh, I'm out of pot, sorry. Here, try some Percoset [sic?]."

That's how my pill addiction started when I was younger. It was actually easier for me to score pot / pills / etc. than it was for me to score cigarettes and beer!

Man, I wish these puritan farkers who push the D.A.R.E. and modern prohibition movement would shut their lying speak-holes and go play in traffic already.

I always thought that the whole gateway thing was based on smack addicts and the like saying pot was their first drug. Equivalent to saying milk as a baby is a gateway to alcoholism.

/Well, I guess it was to me

TMBGfreak: I always thought that the whole gateway thing was based on smack addicts and the like saying pot was their first drug. Equivalent to saying milk as a baby is a gateway to alcoholism.

/Well, I guess it was to me

That sounds about right. Although, since I started drinking coffee in 6^th grade, I could say that caffeine is my "gateway drug." Man, what a load of horseshiat.

If marijuana is a gateway drug, then:

marijuana users = heroine users = cocaine users = meth users.

Since this is not the case, they lie, they lose.

//More ravers please.

DarnoKonrad: No, you can tell your typical cannabis fiend by his semen stained pants.

You win the spit-take award for the day.

Want to turn the economy around? Legalize and regulate pot. Tax it and use that money to fund a universal healthcare system.

It's not causation, it's dumbFark.com.

Honestly, whoever controls what goes green must be eating paint chips. So sick of these click seeking trollish headlines. I wonder how many people have left fark because it's so damn trailer park?

DarnoKonrad: No, you can tell your typical cannabis fiend by his semen stained pants.

From constantly masturbating because he can't find a rape victim, or just from very lax hygiene?

/I knew a bouncer, name was Louie, the front of his pants was always gooey. . .
//Oh, got 'dem shiathouse blues!

FTFA: A fifth of robbery victims believe the offender was under the influence of drugs, according to the British Crime Survey.

What does this even mean? "Yes officer, I believe he was high on the wacky tobaccy. He had cheeto dust on his pants leg and kept forgetting what he was doing."

PC LOAD LETTER: Don't forget the pushers. The so very persuasive drug pushers. Corrupting a kid's mind with the endless propaganda and lies the use. They say it's candy. They say it cures your colds. Oh the endless lies and pressure to buy their products. Kids have to run and avoid them every day.



They run to me, not from me. Mae, get me some reefers!

Aarontology: Want to turn the economy around? Legalize and regulate pot. Tax it and use that money to fund a universal healthcare system.

How would that turn the economy around? On the one hand, it'd lower the price of pot; on the other, it'd increase the demand. It'd probably result in more of our money being spent on pot, as a percentage of GDP.

Not that that's really a problem, but I don't see why it'd "turn the economy around."

Philbb: FTFA: A fifth of robbery victims believe the offender was under the influence of drugs, according to the British Crime Survey.

What does this even mean? "Yes officer, I believe he was high on the wacky tobaccy. He had cheeto dust on his pants leg and kept forgetting what he was doing."

Like robbery VICTIMS are the best judge of what the offender was on, or even up to. "Ah, yes, officer, being that I'm a rational and well-balanced individual and an expert in psychology and the behavior of subjects on drugs..."

No, it's more like "F*CK THAT he was waving a ten-inch hunting knife and screaming how he was gonna cut off my balls if I didn't give him my wallet! How do I know what drugs he was on?!?!?"

One argument I've heard for marijuana being a gateway drug goes a little something like this:

Making drugs illegal drives up the price of those drugs for whatever reasons (restricted supply, increased transportation costs due to risk of arrest, etc.). This price increase is higher as a percentage for marijuana than it is for other drugs. This reduces the price differential between marijuana and other drugs, and thus makes a leap more likely.

Now, do I use or deal drugs? No. Have I done any serious academic research into the matter? No. But dammit, I read it a long time ago in an interview with somebody-or-other and I use unnecessarily fancy words like "differential" when "difference" would do just fine, so you should listen to me.

KrispyKringle: Aarontology: Want to turn the economy around? Legalize and regulate pot. Tax it and use that money to fund a universal healthcare system.

How would that turn the economy around? On the one hand, it'd lower the price of pot; on the other, it'd increase the demand. It'd probably result in more of our money being spent on pot, as a percentage of GDP.

Not that that's really a problem, but I don't see why it'd "turn the economy around."

Because black markets don't count towards the GDP.

If someone commits a crime while under the influence, it is their fault, not the drugs (unless they were drugged by someone, in which case it would be their fault).

If someone commits a crime in order to pay for drugs, it is their fault for not seeking help when they were living irresponsibly, not the drugs - no matter how addicting something is, it is as much a choice to take the 1000th hit as it was taking the first hit, one option just happens to be emotionally preferable.

All drugs should be legal - behind a counter, available upon request with proper ID. The Pharmacist and the Doctor should be your guides when needing medicine.

The Government needs only make sure that companies (hospitals and Pharmaceuticals) are playing by the rules on behalf of the citizens, not vice-versa.

Just say no!

...to dumb drug laws.

The founding fathers of our country would never make laws telling us what we can or can not ingest!

RemyDuron: I love the whole War on Drugs and its support by conservatives. "We're all about the free market, unless it's the free market for something you want."

Because it's common knowledge that every single Democrat who's run for office in the last decade has been pro-legalization.

The WoD is a unilateral mess that knows no party lines.

/ Not taking sides

GodsTumor: The founding fathers of our country would never make laws telling us what we can or can not ingest!

Riiiiight....Ever hear of a Blue law? (new window)

Shaggy_C: Riiiiight....Ever hear of a Blue law? (new window)

Considering that we all learn about Prohibition in school (over and over and over), I get the feeling he's not being serious.

KrispyKringle: How would that turn the economy around? On the one hand, it'd lower the price of pot; on the other, it'd increase the demand. It'd probably result in more of our money being spent on pot, as a percentage of GDP.

Not that that's really a problem, but I don't see why it'd "turn the economy around."

Aside from the point Poopspasm made, there are a few reasons.

A huge aspect of it would be the reduction in government spending on the War on Drugs, which could be used to either cut taxes or go towards improving infrastructure or paying down the debt. You'd also see a reduction in the overall cost of the Justice system as the courts wouldn't be tied up with idiotic pot related charges, like small possession, or growing. I can't remember the exact percentage of pot related incarcerations as part of total incarcerations, but I remember it being someone large. Police officers wouldn't have to deal with small shiat like that and could focus on major problems.

All those people in jail who are in there for these charges would be able to return to the workforce and contribute to the economy instead of being a drain. I'm talking about your average person who gets sent to jail for having pot, but otherwise stays out of trouble.

Bars contribute a lot to the economy, and I guarantee you would see the creation of pot bars like they have in Amsterdam. More businesses to generate jobs and tax revenue. There would probably be many more head shops started as well. You'd also see small farms and the like spring up, creating even more jobs and tax revenue. There's an enormous industry just waiting to be created.

Those are just a few I thought of off the top of my drunk and stoned head.

Aarontology: Those are just a few I thought of off the top of my drunk and stoned head.

Oh, I agree about the justice system one, but the thing about bars is predicated on the notion that consumption drives the economy, which I'm not sure I agree with.

Plus, there are a lot more compelling reasons to legalize marijuana than economic ones, I'd say. You know, like making the justice system a little more just.

Who has ever been robbed by a stoned person, and pinching dealers don't count.
Weed is less of a problem then say alcohol or the hard drugs.

Another interpretation is that pot is your grandma's drug of choice and the kids have moved on, only those grandma's have a heck of a lot of disposable income and have never been so numerous. So I'm just guessing it's the demographics plus more lenient policing because 1 in 100 Americans are already in prison and shoving more in would make problems for the corporations who run the prisons and the politicians who fill them (taxpayer revolt, for instance).

Shaggy_C: GodsTumor: The founding fathers of our country would never make laws telling us what we can or can not ingest!

Riiiiight....Ever hear of a Blue law? (new window)

Do you know who we consider our 'founding fathers' to be?

I certainly cannot tie any one of them to the Blue laws of some puritan states, or to the prohibition movement which started, at its earliest, in the 1840s.

Confusing the Founders with the Progressives is a little sad.

KrispyKringle: Oh, I agree about the justice system one, but the thing about bars is predicated on the notion that consumption drives the economy, which I'm not sure I agree with.

Plus, there are a lot more compelling reasons to legalize marijuana than economic ones, I'd say. You know, like making the justice system a little more just.

The Justice system reason is my main reason for legalizing it. I do not believe the government has any right to tell me what I can or cannot do with my body.

I don't think the economy is mainly consumption driven, but it does contribute. But I was thinking more in terms of social costs that would be lessened. Since there would be fewer people who would be screwed by having a drug conviction on their records, there would be more people able to contribute more to society.

You might (and this is a huge might) see a reduction in gang violence, as instead of having to fight over drug turf, they could actually open stores. I don't think it's likely, just possible.

There's also the reason that it would probably get a hell of a lot cheaper. I know I wouldn't mind paying $40 for a pack of Marlboro MaryJanes, if they kept twenty joints like a pack of smokes. It could also end up with microbrewery type places that specialize. I'd love to be able to have this dilemma at the corner store: "Well, do we want a more body high and just be mellow all night? Or go to the goddamn moon?"

iawai: Shaggy_C: GodsTumor: The founding fathers of our country would never make laws telling us what we can or can not ingest!

Riiiiight....Ever hear of a Blue law? (new window)

Do you know who we consider our 'founding fathers' to be?

I certainly cannot tie any one of them to the Blue laws of some puritan states, or to the prohibition movement which started, at its earliest, in the 1840s.

Confusing the Founders with the Progressives is a little sad.

That confused me a little too. The blue laws doesn't have anything to do with the Founder's. That was kinda weird.

Shaggy_C: Jailing someone for simple possession is stupid. But if they're carrying bricks pf weed on them, that's borderline conspiracy.


Capitalism is dangerous. Right, Comrade?

I don't smoke it but it should be legal and taxed
/GlueRx is more of a gateway drug than weed