Comments on: Pot No Longer Focus of Anti-Drug Campaigns

CBS News Examination Finds Prescription Drugs Are Seen as Bigger Threat Than Marijuana by Government, Non-Profit Groups

[rrozsa]

And by the same token, people assume that those who are staunchly against it must be conservatives. They do not speak for me or other conservatives. I am wholeheartedly in favor of legalization, even though I'm just about as conservative as you can get in some other areas.

[rrozsa]

Gun violence will likely drop with the legalization of pot. There are plenty of mean, obnoxious, violent drunks. You won't see pot smokers picking fights or shooting a bunch of people.

[rrozsa]

That is utter bull. I'm a 50-year-old professional, and the mother of a college student on a full academic scholarship. I have known many other successful professionals throughout these years who smoke responsibly. Sounds like maybe you are the one who is biased.

[rrozsa]

To winchesteria: I agree that people should be able to grow it for free - just like I can grow my own tomatoes. But for those who sell it to others, then yes, tax it.

[rrozsa]

to ewo1977 -- One of my acquaintances is currently sitting in the slammer for selling. She had only a dime bag on her but they have set her bail at $1M. If she was sending money up the line, I don't think they would be hassling her.

[AttentionDeficit]

I meant it amuses me when OTHERS use pot to take a shot at "libs"

[rrozsa]

And by the same token, people assume that those who are staunchly against it must be conservatives. They do not speak for me or other conservatives. I am wholeheartedly in favor of legalization, even though I'm just about as conservative as you can get in some other areas.

[earthling76]

I don't think I fit into either category. Most people would say I am a liberal but I support second amendment rights which is stereotypical of conservatives. We need to accept that not everyone will agree with everything we believe and in most cases that will not change. If we can do that then maybe we would not be so hatefully divided as a nation. On the issue of ending cannabis prohibition, I will stand next to you no matter who you are as a person. I believe its that important.

[AttentionDeficit]

It amuses me to use pot to take a shot at "libs". I am a conservative, and most I know are of the same political orientation. Yet, we overwhemingly support legalization.

[AttentionDeficit]

connunism: i fully support legalization of marijuana. however, i do not know how you can make such a statement.

[dragon8me]

Damn, I got up this morning and came here hoping there would be another good article on cannabis and there's not. CNN devoted a week, of course they had a negitive stance. Oh well, quality over quanity I always say. Thank you again CBS for being honest.
Ps I noticed these stories are most popular. Peace and "legalize It"!

[Mustache_Outlaw]

Not to mention, Scooby and Shaggy ALWAYS had the munchies !!!

[wmc418]

Without getting into any aspect of Drugs whatsoever let me offer another view about this change.

It is simply self perpetuation or survival.

When the handwriting on the wall tell you (if you have been in the business of frightening people as an advocate of "Anti") that despite your efforts society hasn't been swayed by your efforts, you must worry about the future of your business.

Since your business has for decades sold the fear of street drugs and the dangers of them and how they come to market (black-market, that is) that generations have seen through the words to reveal that many of those problems result from the illegality rather than their actual danger, a new direction must be found.

What better than "legal prescription drugs" to fit the bill as a perpetual bogeyman simply because these drugs are not going away and neither will the business of scaring people about their misuse.

This new paradigm allows for perpetuating the income stream, all that it take now is political connections to find the funding. Afterall, these folks need jobs.

Do I see a problem with these institutions, yes, do I see a solution, yes.

The solution is simple, stop using taxpayer funds and make these people earn an "honest" living, as their past actions as the advocates of "anti" have left them ill equipped for candidness.

[texasguntoter]

Anslinger twisted it into a ploy to rid the country of migrant workers when the work dried up in the depression era, by making the public believe the migrants were responsible for supplying and promoting pot. It was portrayed as to make people kill their families, try to fly from rooftops, garbage such as that. Before that, pot was legal, untaxed, and America was just fine.
Americas pot laws are a standing joke to most of the rest of the world

[robinspp]

Better to legalize pot than Gun. Guns are more dangerous than pots.

[rrozsa]

Gun violence will likely drop with the legalization of pot. There are plenty of mean, obnoxious, violent drunks. You won't see pot smokers picking fights or shooting a bunch of people.

[brianbwb-2009]

Funny you mention Slow poke Rodriguez, the joke that most people missed was that he sang "La Cucaracha" so very slowly that most didn't hear the last line, "marijuana que fumar".

As a child during the 60's, I laughed loudly every time I saw it, and thought that was a stroke of genius on Chuck Jones' and Mel Blanc's part, to tell a joke so slowly hat most would miss it. Even the TV stations missed it, it played for years, and probably still does in many parts of the US.

It's still hilarious today.

I never cared for Scooby Doo, btw, and would change the channel every time, preferring even the news.

[nimo1776]

This comes from L.E.A.P.....cops, judges and prosecutors, they prove you are wrong. get educated if yo want to stop the things you are arguing against...go to the L.E.A.P. web site. You are wrong it happens move on.
COPS SAY LEGALIZE DRUGS!
ASK US WHY
After nearly four decades of fueling the U.S. policy of a war on drugs with over a trillion tax dollars and 37 million arrests for nonviolent drug offenses, our confined population has quadrupled making building prisons the fastest growing industry in the United States. More than 2.2 million of our citizens are currently incarcerated and every year we arrest an additional 1.9 million more guaranteeing those prisons will be bursting at their seams. Every year we choose to continue this war will cost U.S. taxpayers another 69 billion dollars. Despite all the lives we have destroyed and all the money so ill spent, today illicit drugs are cheaper, more potent, and far easier to get than they were 35 years ago at the beginning of the war on drugs. Meanwhile, people continue dying in our streets while drug barons and terrorists continue to grow richer than ever before. We would suggest that this scenario must be the very definition of a failed public policy. This madness must cease!

The stated goals of current U.S.drug policy -- reducing crime, drug addiction, and juvenile drug use -- have not been achieved, even after nearly four decades of a policy of "war on drugs". This policy, fueled by over a trillion of our tax dollars has had little or no effect on the levels of drug addiction among our fellow citizens, but has instead resulted in a tremendous increase in crime and in the numbers of Americans in our prisons and jails. With 4.6% of the world's population, America today has 22.5% of the worlds prisoners. But, after all that time, after all the destroyed lives and after all the wasted resources, prohibited drugs today are cheaper, stronger, and easier to get than they were thirty-five years ago at the beginning of the so-called "war on drugs". With this in mind, we current and former members of law enforcement have created a drug-policy reform movement -- LEAP. We believe that to save lives and lower the rates of disease, crime and addiction. as well as to conserve tax dollars, we must end drug prohibition. LEAP believes that a system of regulation and control of production and distribution will be far more effective and ethical than one of prohibition. We do this in hopes that we in Law Enforcement can regain the public's respect and trust, which have been greatly diminished by our involvement in imposing drug prohibition. Please consider joining us. You don't have to be a cop to join LEAP! Find out more about us by reading some of the articles in our Publications section or by watching and listening to some of our multimedia clips,. You can also read about the men and women who speak for LEAP, and see what we have on the calendar for the near future.

[nimo1776]

Motivated people smoke pot and unmotivated people smoke pot. Good people smoke pot and bad people smoke pot. Marijuana use does not define a person. Contrary to the propaganda put out by you and other zealot and paid for by taxpayers.

Here is a short list of the lazy, mindless potheads.

Carl Sagan, World renowned Astronomer
Who said ?the illegality of cannabis is outrageous"

Barack Obama, Not only can you grow up to be ridiculously smart, you can grow up to be President.

Sir Richard Branson, the self made 236th richest person in the world.

Michael Bloomberg, The Mayor of New York. Did he smoke pot when he was younger? In his own words "You bet I did. And I enjoyed it!"

Ted Turner, a billionaire ? named Time's Man of the Year in 1991, the largest private land owner in America, Not what you'd expect from a guy who grew pot in his college dorm room. You can not shine this pot heads shoes

Arnold Schwarzenegger, In the classic documentary Pumping Iron, is smoking, and loving, a joint. According to Arnold, marijuana "is not a drug, it's a leaf." I ll take his word over yours on this.

Mark Stepnoski...two-time Super Bowl champion. Who confirmed "responsible use" of marijuana during his pro career."

Stephen King, one of the most vocal proponents for the legalization of marijuana, calling laws against the drug "ridiculous," like your argument

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, His 14 gold medals, makes you look lazy. All those millions spent on adds to tell us pot heads are not motivated have gone up in smoke.

Ricky Williams, another great NFL player, a former spokesperson for the antidepressant Paxil, the endorsement deal ended when Williams told ESPN that "marijuana is 10 times better for me than Paxil."

Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati, and 1998 Olympic gold medalist.

Montel Williams, one of medical marijuana's staunchest defenders.

Rick Steves, Author of 27 top selling European travel guides, host of his own TV show and radio show, and a very outspoken pothead.

Aaron Sorkin, His work on The West Wing, both as writer and producer, earned him multiple Emmy Awards, and countless nominations for other awards.

Willie Nelson enough said.

There are millions of productive Americans who use marijuana.
The following comes from an article that ran in Forbes Magazine
"I personally know boxers, body builders, cyclists, runners and athletes from all walks of life that train and compete with the assistance of marijuana," said WWE wrestler Rob Van Dam.
Some of the best cricket players of all time, like Phil Tufnell and Sir Ian Botham, have admitted to regularly using marijuana. In 2001, half of South Africa's cricket team was punished after being caught toking up with the team physiotherapist.
Regular marijuana use didn't impede the ability of basketball legends like Rasheed Wallace, Charles Oakley or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Indeed, Oakley has claimed that over half of NBA players smoke pot before each game. Since these players are top athletes whose career depends on them being at peak performance for every game, it stands to reason that perhaps they are using marijuana because it provides some benefit to their abilities on the court.
Cannabis can actually enhance and improve human abilities. Discovering how toking up possibly helps the world's greatest athletes to better their performance could also teach us how this plant can better serve us all.

To get back to your argument
Kids can get pot easier than beer what have you done but made it easier to get, take responsibility for your actions. Your position is ridiculous, and your own facts prove it.

[John34Chase]

Of course pot is no longer the focus. The drug warriors know they've lost that fight, so they're looking for a way to keep their jobs.... the same way the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act let Prohibition Bureau enforcers regain jobs lost after the 1933 repeal of alcohol prohibition.

[legalizetheherb]

legalize it..

and I will advertise it.

Its just a plant that grows in the ground..its not drug..just because it exists doesnt mean you HAVE to smoke it. its great for clothes, rope and other non drug uses... and if you just so happen to set it on fire..and take a deep breath or two.. you might feel pretty dang good

[Stormy500]

Alot of the kids in my classes in middle school who smoked pot always looked to cheat off my paper to get the test answers. They were dumber, slower, and lazier. If you want to start smoking dope when you are 30 or when you have been recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, go for it. But keep this garbage away from kids; their brains haven't fully developed yet. And the comments here show what is missing in pot-heads...brain cells.

[nimo1776]

Motivated people smoke pot and unmotivated people smoke pot. Good people smoke pot and bad people smoke pot. Marijuana use does not define a person. Contrary to the propaganda put out by you and other zealot and paid for by taxpayers.

Here is a short list of the lazy, mindless potheads.

Carl Sagan, World renowned Astronomer
Who said ?the illegality of cannabis is outrageous"

Barack Obama, Not only can you grow up to be ridiculously smart, you can grow up to be President.

Sir Richard Branson, the self made 236th richest person in the world.

Michael Bloomberg, The Mayor of New York. Did he smoke pot when he was younger? In his own words "You bet I did. And I enjoyed it!"

Ted Turner, a billionaire ? named Time's Man of the Year in 1991, the largest private land owner in America, Not what you'd expect from a guy who grew pot in his college dorm room. You can not shine this pot heads shoes

Arnold Schwarzenegger, In the classic documentary Pumping Iron, is smoking, and loving, a joint. According to Arnold, marijuana "is not a drug, it's a leaf." I ll take his word over yours on this.

Mark Stepnoski...two-time Super Bowl champion. Who confirmed "responsible use" of marijuana during his pro career."

Stephen King, one of the most vocal proponents for the legalization of marijuana, calling laws against the drug "ridiculous," like your argument

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, His 14 gold medals, makes you look lazy. All those millions spent on adds to tell us pot heads are not motivated have gone up in smoke.

Ricky Williams, another great NFL player, a former spokesperson for the antidepressant Paxil, the endorsement deal ended when Williams told ESPN that "marijuana is 10 times better for me than Paxil."

Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati, and 1998 Olympic gold medalist.

Montel Williams, one of medical marijuana's staunchest defenders.

Rick Steves, Author of 27 top selling European travel guides, host of his own TV show and radio show, and a very outspoken pothead.

Aaron Sorkin, His work on The West Wing, both as writer and producer, earned him multiple Emmy Awards, and countless nominations for other awards.

Willie Nelson enough said.

There are millions of productive Americans who use marijuana.
The following comes from an article that ran in Forbes Magazine
"I personally know boxers, body builders, cyclists, runners and athletes from all walks of life that train and compete with the assistance of marijuana," said WWE wrestler Rob Van Dam.
Some of the best cricket players of all time, like Phil Tufnell and Sir Ian Botham, have admitted to regularly using marijuana. In 2001, half of South Africa's cricket team was punished after being caught toking up with the team physiotherapist.
Regular marijuana use didn't impede the ability of basketball legends like Rasheed Wallace, Charles Oakley or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Indeed, Oakley has claimed that over half of NBA players smoke pot before each game. Since these players are top athletes whose career depends on them being at peak performance for every game, it stands to reason that perhaps they are using marijuana because it provides some benefit to their abilities on the court.
Cannabis can actually enhance and improve human abilities. Discovering how toking up possibly helps the world's greatest athletes to better their performance could also teach us how this plant can better serve us all.

To get back to your argument
Kids can get pot easier than beer what have you done but made it easier to get, take responsibility for your actions. Your position is ridiculous, and your own facts prove it.

[earthling76]

Sometimes people are already dumb, slow, and lazy before smoking pot. Surprised this had never occurred to you.

[zombywooff]

@nimo1776
Did ya notice that the NBA didnt start testing players for pot until AFTER Michael Jordon retired. Check it out.

[norcal441]

Pro pot people believe that all of the problems that are associated with pot would go away if we simply legalized marijuana. The pot industry and problems are like the chicken and the egg, they are inseparable. If the pot industry had no problems I would join in the campaign to legalize it. But the pot industry does have many serious problems

Notice I use the phrase "Pot Industry". I do this because before all these heartless, greedy, lawless pot growers got hold of marijuana it was just a simple plant that had a small amount of THC and it was allowed to have a normal sex life.

But thanks to greedy heartless drug dealers the THC level has shot sky high and the poor pot plant has had to learn how to sexually "just say no". Too bad the pot growers can't learn to "just obey no".

[nimo1776]

This comes from L.E.A.P.....cops, judges and prosecutors, they prove you are wrong. get educated if yo want to stop the things you are arguing against...go to the L.E.A.P. web site. You are wrong it happens move on.
COPS SAY LEGALIZE DRUGS!
ASK US WHY
After nearly four decades of fueling the U.S. policy of a war on drugs with over a trillion tax dollars and 37 million arrests for nonviolent drug offenses, our confined population has quadrupled making building prisons the fastest growing industry in the United States. More than 2.2 million of our citizens are currently incarcerated and every year we arrest an additional 1.9 million more guaranteeing those prisons will be bursting at their seams. Every year we choose to continue this war will cost U.S. taxpayers another 69 billion dollars. Despite all the lives we have destroyed and all the money so ill spent, today illicit drugs are cheaper, more potent, and far easier to get than they were 35 years ago at the beginning of the war on drugs. Meanwhile, people continue dying in our streets while drug barons and terrorists continue to grow richer than ever before. We would suggest that this scenario must be the very definition of a failed public policy. This madness must cease!

The stated goals of current U.S.drug policy -- reducing crime, drug addiction, and juvenile drug use -- have not been achieved, even after nearly four decades of a policy of "war on drugs". This policy, fueled by over a trillion of our tax dollars has had little or no effect on the levels of drug addiction among our fellow citizens, but has instead resulted in a tremendous increase in crime and in the numbers of Americans in our prisons and jails. With 4.6% of the world's population, America today has 22.5% of the worlds prisoners. But, after all that time, after all the destroyed lives and after all the wasted resources, prohibited drugs today are cheaper, stronger, and easier to get than they were thirty-five years ago at the beginning of the so-called "war on drugs". With this in mind, we current and former members of law enforcement have created a drug-policy reform movement -- LEAP. We believe that to save lives and lower the rates of disease, crime and addiction. as well as to conserve tax dollars, we must end drug prohibition. LEAP believes that a system of regulation and control of production and distribution will be far more effective and ethical than one of prohibition. We do this in hopes that we in Law Enforcement can regain the public's respect and trust, which have been greatly diminished by our involvement in imposing drug prohibition. Please consider joining us. You don't have to be a cop to join LEAP! Find out more about us by reading some of the articles in our Publications section or by watching and listening to some of our multimedia clips,. You can also read about the men and women who speak for LEAP, and see what we have on the calendar for the near future.

[earthling76]

The "Pot Industry" has been fighting for the rights of plants to have "enhanced sex lives". Lucky little plants.