Do liberals want marijuana remain illegal?

[JAR]

Do liberals want marijuana to remain illegal?

I'm just wondering. One liberal I've known wanted marijuana to remain illegal. I'm wondering whether this is the common view held by liberals concerning marijuana.

She said she didn't want to inhale second-hand smoke from marijuana because it would damage her lungs and her brains. She's also anti-tobacco and hates the former U.S. President Polk of the 1800s who ordered the invasion of Mexico which started the Mexican War.

[Captain_Snort]

The Liberals, or Liberal Democrat party, here in the UK have the lagalisation, or at least decriminalisation on the manifesto.

I do not use it (maybe occasionally), but I have nothing against others using it. Hell tax it and get income.

[peptoabysmal]

Originally posted by JAR
Do liberals want marijuana remain illegal?

I'm just wondering. One liberal I've known wanted marijuana to remain illegal. I'm wondering whether this is the common view held by liberals concerning marijuana.

She said she didn't want to inhale second-hand smoke from marijuana because it would damage her lungs and her brains. She's also anti-tobacco and hates the former U.S. President Polk of the 1800s who ordered the invasion of Mexico which started the Mexican War.

I'm just wondering. One liberal I've known wanted marijuana to remain illegal. I'm wondering whether this is the common view held by liberals concerning marijuana.

They dicsovered that it's far more profitable to create beaurocracies like D.A.R.E. which do nothing about the problem except make liberal pockets bulge with money and their heads swell with power.

She said she didn't want to inhale second-hand smoke from marijuana because it would damage her lungs and her brains. She's also anti-tobacco and hates the former U.S. President Polk of the 1800s who ordered the invasion of Mexico which started the Mexican War.

It's too late for her brain. You may want to point her to this site which discusses the political motivations for the bad science regarding the effects of second hand smoking.

Smoking Aloud (http://www.jeremiahproject.com/smoke/index.html)

[Mr Manifesto]

The Liberals in Australia certainly do. That's because the Liberals are our conservative party.

We have a joke- the Labour party never want to do any work and the Liberals are anything but.

As a small 'l' liberal (which country but Australia would I have to say that?), I am against the criminalisation of marijuana. It is a ridiculous law that makes criminals out of otherwise law-abiding citizens. Marijuana hurts no one except the user, but provdies a steady income to any thug with an ounce of initiative.

True there are mental illnesses associated with marijuana. The same mental illnesses that are associated with alcohol. Go figure.

[Tricky]

This is yet another case where you simply cannot put everyone in the same box. Liberals that I know (at least the US brand of liberals) are overwhelmingly in favor of marijuana legalization. It is mostly in "liberal" states like California an Oregon that you see decriminalization laws. As with any gross catagorization, there are exceptions. The overwhelming number of anti-marijuana people I have known are conservatives (John Ashcroft being exhibit A) and fair percentage of those are deeply religious. As with any gross catagorization, there are exceptions.

I think you would be hard pressed to paint NORML as a conservative group, just as I think that it would be hard for Pepto to show that D.A.R.E. is a liberal concept.

I may be wrong, but this looks like a transparent attempt to make it look like liberals are the source of all evil.

[Whoracle]

I'm a liberal but a social libertarian (for the most part) so I would like it to be legalized. Then sin taxed up a certain orifice. Would not only make money from the taxes, but would save money from not having to jail people who like to smoke a bowl at night. I've never done drugs in my entire life BTW.

[JAR]

Originally posted by Tricky
I may be wrong, but this looks like a transparent attempt to make it look like liberals are the source of all evil.
No, I simply don't know what liberals think about this issue.

[c0rbin]

Do liberals want marijuana remain illegal?

Sheesh.

A liberal is one who is willing to embrace change.

Since, in the US, marijuana is illegal, one who is liberal on the issue is willing to see a change in the law. Ergo, the answer to your question is "no."

Now a Democrat might have a different take.

[Tricky]

Originally posted by JAR

No, I simply don't know what liberals think about this issue.
Apologies if I misconstrued your topic title. I think, though that it is pretty obvious that decriminalization of marijuana is very much a liberal issue. Was it not the "hippie generation" that brought marijuana to the forefront? But it is true that this issue crosses ideological lines. Libertarians are the biggest supporters of legalization, yet they are very conservative on other issues (again, using the US definition of liberal and conservative).

Personally, I count myself as mostly liberal, and I am very much in favor in legalization, although I no longer smoke it myself. I think the drug laws in general are hurting the country and that we could ease people's tax burden by legalization.

However, in deference to your liberal friend, I will allow that it should not be allowed in public places where the smoke can offend (or stone? :eek: )others.

[peptoabysmal]

Originally posted by Tricky
This is yet another case where you simply cannot put everyone in the same box. Liberals that I know (at least the US brand of liberals) are overwhelmingly in favor of marijuana legalization. It is mostly in "liberal" states like California an Oregon that you see decriminalization laws. As with any gross catagorization, there are exceptions. The overwhelming number of anti-marijuana people I have known are conservatives (John Ashcroft being exhibit A) and fair percentage of those are deeply religious. As with any gross catagorization, there are exceptions.

I think you would be hard pressed to paint NORML as a conservative group, just as I think that it would be hard for Pepto to show that D.A.R.E. is a liberal concept.

I may be wrong, but this looks like a transparent attempt to make it look like liberals are the source of all evil.

Democrat uses D.A.R.E. for campaign (http://www.bobcoughlin.org/Home/)

Proof enough?

And who else could dream up lessons like "Learning Assertiveness" ?
Dare Debate (http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol17/issue49/pols.dare.html)

I'm quite opaque, thank you.

[corplinx]

Liberal as in "progressive" or liberal as in "leftist" or liberal as in "american socialist"?

I would think the american socialist type liberal would oppose it because of higher teen dropout rates and their mantra of "the costs to our health care system".

[GrapeJ713]

Originally posted by Tricky
However, in deference to your liberal friend, I will allow that it should not be allowed in public places where the smoke can offend (or stone? :eek: )others.

There is always the dutch option of coffe/drug shops where people can go and smoke with other people. Of course in the USA we have tyrannical despots that don't allow bar owners to allow smoking on thier own property. So if drugs are ever re-legalized, we probably won't see any coffee/smoke shops. Democrats haven't embraced legalization becuase they see it as a losing issue at the polls. The polititcian I have heard the most about actually supporting legalization was the Republican Governor of New Mexico. And, the Clinton Gore administration put a lot more people in jail than the preceding administrations for simple possession, usually of pot. The war on drugs is basically a war on pot, since 80% of the drug users are pot smokers almost exclusively.

[Tricky]

Originally posted by peptoabysmal


Democrat uses D.A.R.E. for campaign (http://www.bobcoughlin.org/Home/)

Proof enough?

And who else could dream up lessons like "Learning Assertiveness" ?
Dare Debate (http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol17/issue49/pols.dare.html)

I'm quite opaque, thank you.
There is no doubt that both Democrats and Republicans (http://www.lauzen.com/position/positionview.asp?c=2379) are jumping on the D.A.R.E. bandwagon. I dare say you could easily Google more examples from each party that support the program. I don't think that party affiliation is a good indication of degree of "liberalness". Not even the Democrats are liberal in Texas.

Of course, D.A.R.E was originated in that famous bastion of liberalism, the L.A. Police Department. (http://www.hollis.nh.us/police/darehist.htm)

[Vorticity]

Originally posted by Tricky
Of course, D.A.R.E was originated in that famous bastion of liberalism, the L.A. Police Department. (http://www.hollis.nh.us/police/darehist.htm)
... and for those of you who didn't grow up in L.A., like I did, I have no doubt that the above is meant with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Refering to "that famous bastion of liberalism, the L.A. Police Department" is like saying "that famous bastion of liberalism, the N.R.A.". :)

[peptoabysmal]

Originally posted by Tricky

There is no doubt that both Democrats and Republicans (http://www.lauzen.com/position/positionview.asp?c=2379) are jumping on the D.A.R.E. bandwagon. I dare say you could easily Google more examples from each party that support the program. I don't think that party affiliation is a good indication of degree of "liberalness". Not even the Democrats are liberal in Texas.

Of course, D.A.R.E was originated in that famous bastion of liberalism, the L.A. Police Department. (http://www.hollis.nh.us/police/darehist.htm)

Now don't get M.A.D.D.!

And like the Democratic party, it started with the best intentions and turned evil.

Once D.A.R.E. is exposed for what it has become and how ineffective it is, the proposed Democratic solution will be to create a new tax to throw more money at it.

[Tony]

Originally posted by Tricky


....although I no longer smoke it myself.


Why not? If you ever get the inclination to smoke again, hit me up. I like smoking with "old" people. :)

[Tricky]

Originally posted by Tony
Why not? If you ever get the inclination to smoke again, hit me up. I like smoking with "old" people. :)
Two reasons. I don't want to have to deal with the sort of people who sell drugs in order to obtain it. Also, I simply don't enjoy it any more as it gives me heart palpitations, which I find very uncomfortable. However my mom (aged 72) would take you up on it in a minute (she's a liberal too!)

I think it is telling, though, that many people like myself never have to go to rehab or anything else to quit smoking pot. That says to me it is one of the least addictive and least dangerous drugs around.

However, if you passed me a J, I would take a "token toke" to be sociable.

[Q-Source]

Originally posted by JAR
Do liberals want marijuana to remain illegal?



I don't think that a real liberal would want marijuana to remain illegal. In economic terms, the legalisation of any drug would lead to a price of equilibrium.

A free market implies efficiency and a better resource allocation. In this scenario, the role of the government would be zero, which is a good thing because it means that we (tax payers) wouldn't have to pay for the negative externalities that an illegal drug causes to society (such as financial resources to control its consumption and trade).

In few words, at this moment the benefits that society could have for having an optimal free-market goes to the hands of producers and drug dealers.

Q-S

[BillyTK]

Originally posted by Captain_Snort
The Liberals, or Liberal Democrat party, here in the UK have the lagalisation, or at least decriminalisation on the manifesto.

I do not use it (maybe occasionally), but I have nothing against others using it. Hell tax it and get income.

It's a class C now man, so get spliffing! :D Btw, what's your nickname all about then? ;) :)

[jj]

Originally posted by JAR
Do liberals want marijuana to remain illegal?

I'm just wondering. One liberal I've known wanted marijuana to remain illegal. I'm wondering whether this is the common view held by liberals concerning marijuana.

She said she didn't want to inhale second-hand smoke from marijuana because it would damage her lungs and her brains. She's also anti-tobacco and hates the former U.S. President Polk of the 1800s who ordered the invasion of Mexico which started the Mexican War.

In your opinion, what constitutes a liberal?

[Frostbite]

Tell your liberal she-fiend everytime she sneezes she blows a thousand brain cells. That'll make her extra-paranoid.

[JAR]

Originally posted by Frostbite
Tell your liberal she-fiend everytime she sneezes she blows a thousand brain cells. That'll make her extra-paranoid.
She's my older brother's ex-girlfriend. I'm glad he isn't going out with her anymore. Their political views were irreconcilable.