[ASLplease]

a pot grower that makes his money smuggling the pot to the states has no incentive to become legit in Canada.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

ridenrain wrote:

While I do fear that marijuana can also be a gateway drug,

This is one "argument" that makes me laugh. Not at you RR, jsut I've heard that bit of rationale ad nauseam from the anti-pot crowd and the logic behind it is so fallacious as to be laughable. There is no such thing as a gateway drug.

Now, for the sake of argument, let's pretend that there IS such a notion.
Most people smoke their first cigarette or have their first beer before they smoke their first joint. Now, since tobacco and alcohol are both considered to be drugs, then by using the "gateway drug" logic, BOTH of those substances would be guilty.
There is a 2nd instance where pot gets called a gateway drug but that has less to do with pot and more to do with whom you buy it from.
Too many dealers also sell other stuff. That other stuff is where the real profit in drug trafficking is. So it's not the weed per se, but the source you buy it from. The dealer would rather have you as a customer for his more high end drugs. Means more profit for him.
It's all about access. Give legitimate sources for buying weed and that problem will be reduced. I have serious doubts that the cashier at the Marijuana Control Boards of Ontario would try and up-sell you some coke or meth.

[ASLplease]

i think what they mean by gateway drug, is whenever you cross the line and violate your morals, its hard to say when you'll stop.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

ASLplease wrote:

i think what they mean by gateway drug, is whenever you cross the line and violate your morals, its hard to say when you'll stop.

No, they mean that smoking pot will cause you to want to use harder drugs.
Again, you are confusing pot with a narcotic. Pot smokers quit smoking quite regularily, for a variety of reasons, and without going to re-hab or suffering almost inhuman withdrawals. Ever seen an alcoholic try and dry out? Not a pretty sight.

Nope, the whole gateway drug argument was an exercise in bullshit propaganda.
When someone has to start telling lies or making shit up to prove their point, you know they are on very shaky ground.

I've been smoking pot for over 25 years now and I honestly can't remember a single time when I thought to myself, "Gee, weed isn't really doing it for me anymore, I think I'll try something harder."
And again, if you wanna use the "gateway" logic, that would mean that tobacco and alcohol are gateway drugs.

[ASLplease]

your assumption is that it is 100% a chemical gateway, but it isn't. psychological influences play a big role on this kind of stuff.

[ridenrain]

I think we agree. While folks may move onto harder drugs when under the influence of pot their also likely to do dumb things while under the influence of beer also.

Anything comming from organized crime is suspect because their purpose is addiction and revenue and not product quality. You can never be sure that illegal, unregulated drugs don't contain more addictive or harder drugs.

[BartSimpson]

I support the legalization of all drugs. Pot, heroin, etc. all of it.

At the same time, if someone elects to use such harmful drugs then they get cut off from taxpayer supported services (welfare, healthcare, etc.).

You want to use drugs? Go ahead. Just don't ask society to subsidize your new lifestyle choice.

[ASLplease]

BartSimpson wrote:

I support the legalization of all drugs. Pot, heroin, etc. all of it.

At the same time, if someone elects to use such harmful drugs then they get cut off from taxpayer supported services (welfare, healthcare, etc.).

You want to use drugs? Go ahead. Just don't ask society to subsidize your new lifestyle choice.

a brilliant way to wash your hands of thousands of people

[DerbyX]

ridenrain wrote:

I think we agree. While folks may move onto harder drugs when under the influence of pot their also likely to do dumb things while under the influence of beer also.

Anything comming from organized crime is suspect because their purpose is addiction and revenue and not product quality. You can never be sure that illegal, unregulated drugs don't contain more addictive or harder drugs.

All the more reason for the government to control and regulate its production and sale just like you can never tell what is in moonshine.

[ASLplease]

I should be allowed to smoke pot, because I already do stupid and illegal things when I'm drinking beer or when I'm stone cold.

[ridenrain]

Or we get left with a tar baby like the tobacco industry.A legal product, sold with the government's approval yet the government is taxing the industry because of the health problems from using the product. I'm simply not hypocritical enough to accept that, nor should anyone ever believe that pot won't be exactly the same.

I'd like to wash my hands with these idiots too but we know that governments, expecially socialit ones, love to tke care of everyone,even if it means making them victims in the first place.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

ASLplease wrote:

your assumption is that it is 100% a chemical gateway, but it isn't. psychological influences play a big role on this kind of stuff.

Psychological influences play a big role in all kinds of stuff. Are alcoholics that way because they are weak? No, because they have serious issues they don't wish to deal with, or are unable to deal with. The same can be said for ANY kinda of -holic. They overload themsleves with their substance of choice under the guise they are having fun, so they don't have to deal with their real issue(s)
Then you have people with naturally addictive personalities. They can be hooked on anything be it drugs, booze, gambling or even sex.

One MORE TIME. IF THERE IS SUCH A THING AS A GATEWAY DRUG, THEN TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL ARE THE REAL QUALIFIERS HERE.
To claim that pot is a gateway drug for harder more dangerous substances has about as much basis in reality as someone saying that gun ownership is a gateway to commiting murder.

[ridenrain]

DerbyX wrote:

ridenrain wrote:

I think we agree. While folks may move onto harder drugs when under the influence of pot their also likely to do dumb things while under the influence of beer also.

Anything comming from organized crime is suspect because their purpose is addiction and revenue and not product quality. You can never be sure that illegal, unregulated drugs don't contain more addictive or harder drugs.

All the more reason for the government to control and regulate its production and sale just like you can never tell what is in moonshine.

Moonshine can be legally made in Canada and the US but it either falls under the same rules of beer & wine or you become a regulated distillery. In theory, I could get a licence to distill at home, for my own entertainment but the ammounts would be regulated and I could not sell, barter or trade my products.

I have no problem with the average Canadian growing pot under similar conditions.

[DerbyX]

ASLplease wrote:

I should be allowed to smoke pot, because I already do stupid and illegal things when I'm drinking beer or when I'm stone cold.

No you should be allowed to smoke pot because you are an adult who is making that choice.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

ASLplease wrote:

I should be allowed to smoke pot, because I already do stupid and illegal things when I'm drinking beer or when I'm stone cold.

Yeah, it made me do real stupid shit like buy a business then sell it 10 years later for almost 20 times what I bought it for. God I'm an idiot