Thanks, Provo!

[swampfrog]

yes this makes sense. wouldn’t give a 16 year old keys to the ferrari—way too immature and irresponsible.

You're not allowed to agree with me (even on a minor point), that would shatter my worldview, which would likely drive me to legally acquiring marijuana (I do live in Washington). The guilt cycle will likely render me more useless than usual today. Might as well go home.

[Jeff Lebowski]

That dude is a dipshit. I'm racist if I oppose the legalization of marijuana? Whatever, dipshit.

I read this book last year:

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

I was highly skeptical when I started but about halfway through I could no longer deny her thesis: our drug laws and the criminal justice system (three strikes, mandatory minimum sentencing, etc.) are racist, and have been an absolute disaster to the black community.

[MartyFunkhouser]

That dude is a dipshit. I'm racist if I oppose the legalization of marijuana? Whatever, dipshit.

I don't think someone is a racist if they don't support marijuana legalization. I think someone is stupid if they insist that marijuana remain a Schedule I drug. I also think people need to recognize that marijuana is Schedule I because of past racist attitudes and strongly consider the disparate impact of having marijuana be a Schedule I drug has on minorities.

I for one fully favor legalization and regulation of marijuana. It is absurd that it is illegal.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I don't think someone is a racist if they don't support marijuana legalization. I think someone is stupid if they insist that marijuana remain a Schedule I drug. I also think people need to recognize that marijuana is Schedule I because of past racist attitudes and strongly consider the disparate impact of having marijuana be a Schedule I drug has on minorities.

I for one fully favor legalization and regulation of marijuana. It is absurd that it is illegal.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I read this book last year:

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

I was highly skeptical when I started but about halfway through I could no longer deny her thesis: our drug laws and the criminal justice system (three strikes, mandatory minimum sentencing, etc.) are racist, and have been an absolute disaster to the black community.

Part of the strong evidence that Sessions is a racist piece of shit is his opinions on the criminal justice system.

Obama's pardons of non-violent drug offenders at the end of his presidency was one of the best things that he did as a President. It was a great decision for him to reverse the effects of racist laws through those pardons.

[Eddie]

I'm not in love with the concept of not legalizing marijuana means you're racist. I'm pretty agnostic on the issue, but is it possible that there are some valid reasons (outside of being racist) for not wanting to legalize pot?

Are anti-murder laws also racist? I mean, they have a much greater impact on minorities than on Whites. Probably just another excuse to lock up people for being brown, right?

On the other hand - I really liked this part:

I now believe that both sides are composed of mostly open-minded people that aren’t represented in the NYTimes nor on Fox News nor in the latest viral political Tweet. They’re at home and at school and at work trying to make ends meet. They don’t care about that level of exposure. They are working privately to solve those problems. Maybe you’re one of them! If so, hi!

He makes great points about wanting many of the same things, but speaking from different dictionaries.

[old_gregg]

oh my

[MartyFunkhouser]

I'm not in love with the concept of not legalizing marijuana means you're racist. I'm pretty agnostic on the issue, but is it possible that there are some valid reasons (outside of being racist) for not wanting to legalize pot?

Are anti-murder laws also racist? I mean, they have a much greater impact on minorities than on Whites. Probably just another excuse to lock up people for being brown, right?

On the other hand - I really liked this part:



He makes great points about wanting many of the same things, but speaking from different dictionaries.

Here is where the murder law analogy falls flat, the laws associated with murder did not get passed for racially motivated reasons. Marijuana is Schedule I because of racism and many of the laws surrounding marijuana are racially motivated.

I guess you can make a valid argument for keeping marijuana illegal. I don't think you can make a valid argument for it being a Schedule I drug. Meth isn't even Schedule I.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Part of the strong evidence that Sessions is a racist piece of shit is his opinions on the criminal justice system.

Obama's pardons of non-violent drug offenders at the end of his presidency was one of the best things that he did as a President. It was a great decision for him to reverse the effects of racist laws through those pardons.

Omg funk. You and I are like dopplegangers.

[MartyFunkhouser]

Omg funk. You and I are like dopplegangers.

Who would have thought our common ground would be changing marijuana laws.



Also, why isn't there a marijuana specific smiley? You could call it :carrington:

[Jeff Lebowski]

Who would have thought our common ground would be changing marijuana laws.



Also, why isn't there a marijuana specific smiley? You could call it :carrington:

No! We are saving :carrington: for a drunk driving smiley.

[Sullyute]

Also, why isn't there a marijuana specific smiley? You could call it :carrington:

That was funny.

[Eddie]

Here is where the murder law analogy falls flat, the laws associated with murder did not get passed for racially motivated reasons. Marijuana is Schedule I because of racism and many of the laws surrounding marijuana are racially motivated.

I guess you can make a valid argument for keeping marijuana illegal. I don't think you can make a valid argument for it being a Schedule I drug. Meth isn't even Schedule I.

First - I admit to a bit of hyperbole and facetiousness.

Second - I have no idea how or why marijuana laws were started, but agree that it is not among the most dangerous drugs. Want to consider it akin to alcohol? Sure. I think there is plenty of research that, like alcohol, pot is bad for brain development and has lasting effects when someone begins to use it as a teen. I also believe that, like alcohol and the prohibition, if you did away with marijuana laws you would also do away with a good chunk of criminal activity - some of which is rather violent.

[old_gregg]

I think there is plenty of research that, like alcohol, pot is bad for brain development and has lasting effects when someone begins to use it as a teen.

sacrament talks don’t count as research bro

[Eddie]

sacrament talks don’t count as research bro

So - when is the last time that the APA (that's American Psychological Association) spoke in your sacrament meeting?

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/11/marijuana-brain.aspx

Admittedly, they may have a bias, but the National Institute on Drug Abuse also indicates that there are potentially some issues.

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publicatio...-effects-brain

Part of the problem is that due to some of the issues in the US related to research with marijuana - where it takes years to get USDA approval and any marijuana used has to be acquired from the feds research plants, etc. makes it very difficult to do the research - and because it's been difficult to do the research, longitudinal info is even less available here.

But there's a longitudinal study out of NZ that found that kids who started in adolescence lost 6-8 IQ points when re-tested in their mid-adulthood. And those were IQ points that were NEVER gained back, even for those who stopped using.

(Meier MH, Caspi A, Ambler A, et al. Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012;109(40):E2657-E2664. doi:10.1073/pnas.1206820109.)

So - OK - I'll give you that perhaps there is less degree of what we KNOW when it comes to pot as compared to alcohol. But to say that there are NO negative effects related to using pot - and in particular beginning to use pot in adolescence when the brain is still developing and we know that all kinds of other chemicals have long term effects - is just dumb. At least 6-8 lost IQ points dumb.