Originally Posted by sherck (Post 3518)

IMO, the issue with pot laws are the same with alcohol laws. Both impair your ability to make good decisions in rapid situations (i.e. driving) and both need to be regulated in order to try and prevent harm from that situation. You often just don't harm yourself in those situations.

The biggest issue? It is fairly hard for anyone besides a hard core alcoholic to mask the signs of alcohol impairment. However, with MJ acting in much more subdued ways physically, it is easier to mask the impairment when under its influence.

And, unfortunately, people under the influence of either rarely have the ability to decide when they are impaired so as to use it responsibly so then tragedy can happen.

I think the glue is out of the bottle and that MJ will be legalized across the nation within a decade. But, with states now wanting to get into the tax revenue of it, there is no going backwards.

I have never wanted to smoke it (due to having a security clearance since I was 21 years old and in junior ROTC / college ROTC for the 8 years prior to that) but I don't really have an issue with anyone else doing so AS LONG AS IT IS RESPONSIBLE AND LEGAL.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by smitty46953 (Post 3546)

This thread looks like a Trump haters circle jerk ... :cool:

Originally Posted by smitty46953 (Post 3546)

This thread looks like a Trump haters circle jerk ... :cool:

Originally Posted by MDcolt (Post 3878)

Agreed. the people that voted for Trump for America just blew their wad on a fucking crook who fucks over the middle class, pays no taxes, and wants to lead our country like a strong leader.... Putin, yeah the dude that kills news reporters, invades other countries, just approved a law allowing others to slap the fuck out of others without it being a crime. I am Still shocked that I live in a country with so many ignorant people or crazy assholes. It is insane to me people thought his shit speech was so great last night. In comparison to his insane shit he preached during the campaign, yeah it was at least structured, but still horrible.

And let me just state this to any racist islamophobe that may read this. I am a white male physician. but many "brown" legal immigrants, visa holders etc were affected by this recent travel ban. Including 10 thousand mother fucking doctors. all those. There was not a single sorry, apology, acknowledgment of their colossal fuck up. Just wait until your rights become reduced, I'll be happy to hear what you have to say then

Originally Posted by Brylok (Post 3877)

And now our Attorney General has been linked to meetings with Russia during the campaign and lied about it during his confirmation hearing. Again, how is this normal? How again is our very democracy not going bye-bye? Fascism is here...for real.

Originally Posted by puck (Post 4081)

... As long as it wan't trump

Originally Posted by Puck (Post 4081)

...
It wouldnt have matter to most of you who was president as long as it wan't a republican

Originally Posted by Puck (Post 4081)

Why were all of you so silent with Hillary's criminal activity? What about Obama ?

It wouldnt have matter to most of you who was president as long as it wan't a republican

Originally Posted by Pez (Post 4095)

A lot of stereotypical social justice liberals feel this way. I'm just left of center on the whole, have never voted for a republican. I'm pro gun, pro choice, pro single payer, anti union... I'm disgusted by Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnel in equal amounts.

So yea, I see what you are saying, some people are just ANTI people. If a republican thought of it it's a horrible idea, and part of the obvious right wing conspiracy. Look to Mitch McConnel? Wasnt it the day after the inaguration that he said he wanted Obama to fail and wanted his single most important goal to be to make Obama a one term president? How about Donald Trump himself riding the birth certificate train? Are these the actions of people who want America to succeed?

Like I've posted on McConnel's twitter a hundred times:

Galations 6:7 "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows"

Originally Posted by Puck (Post 4081)

Why were all of you so silent with Hillary's criminal activity? What about Obama ?

It wouldnt have matter to most of you who was president as long as it wan't a republican

Originally Posted by Puck (Post 4081)

Why were all of you so silent with Hillary's criminal activity? What about Obama ?

It wouldnt have matter to most of you who was president as long as it wan't a republican

Originally Posted by Colts2006 (Post 4142)

Nowadays...its all about whether they have a D or an R after their name......

Originally Posted by Mr. Session (Post 3423)

This jumped out to me too. I just read something about 150,000 jobs being created in this niche.

I took my wife to Denver last November (I live in Atlanta). Honestly, My jaw hit the ground when I watched people walk in and out of those recreational dispensaries like it was a liquor store. I watched one guy walk down the street with a brown paper bag full of trees, or cookies, or whatever - and it's no problem. If the same guy is walking with the same bag here in Atlanta - his life might be fucked if APD stops him.

It was fascinating for me personally because I had never experienced something like this before. My family moved from Indianapolis when I was 14, and I've spent close to the last 13 years here in Atlanta. Outside of your basic deep south race relations stuff, Indiana and Georgia aren't that much different when it comes to every day people and every day life. But Colorado, and Denver specifically, gave me a feeling like I was in an entirely different country. People in Colorado are doing this shit for fun, and people where I'm from are doing it in fear (even the parents that have to illegally go out of state to obtain medicinal forms of cannabis for their children because Georgia will only allow absurdly weak (potency) forms.).

These people in Colorado had liberties (even over their own bodies) that I am not afforded in my home. And they voted for these liberties and decided as a state this is how they wanted to operate. Friction was probably inevitable because Sessions has always made it clear how he felt about Marijuana, but Trump said he felt it should be up to the states.

Does the white house actually intend to go out here and start hitting these legal spots? And for the conservatives out there that perceive Marijuana to be a non issue, what happened to your respect for state rights? I can understand someone saying they don't agree with Marijuana legalization; I can't understand the hypocrisy of suggesting a state doesn't have the right to choose how they operate here.

Originally Posted by sherck (Post 3518)

IMO, the issue with pot laws are the same with alcohol laws. Both impair your ability to make good decisions in rapid situations (i.e. driving) and both need to be regulated in order to try and prevent harm from that situation. You often just don't harm yourself in those situations.

The biggest issue? It is fairly hard for anyone besides a hard core alcoholic to mask the signs of alcohol impairment. However, with MJ acting in much more subdued ways physically, it is easier to mask the impairment when under its influence.

And, unfortunately, people under the influence of either rarely have the ability to decide when they are impaired so as to use it responsibly so then tragedy can happen.

I think the glue is out of the bottle and that MJ will be legalized across the nation within a decade. But, with states now wanting to get into the tax revenue of it, there is no going backwards.

I have never wanted to smoke it (due to having a security clearance since I was 21 years old and in junior ROTC / college ROTC for the 8 years prior to that) but I don't really have an issue with anyone else doing so AS LONG AS IT IS RESPONSIBLE AND LEGAL.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by nate505 (Post 4200)

The reason it's difficult to mask someone hammered vs someone stoned is the fact that someone hammered is typically more impaired than the stoned person. It's pretty hard to mask someone stoned to the point they can't function well either.

To put it another way, if someone has like 2-3 beers or whatever and they have a BAC of, say, 0.08 or so they are impaired but enough to mask it. If they drank the whole 12 pack and their BAC is at, say, 0.16 or whatever it becomes more difficult. Same with weed, though there isn't as precise a test to measure active THC levels as opposed to BAC.

While both drugs can have negative effects on a person, I struggle to see how an objective person can say that they are equal. Alcohol is a CNS depressant, and by its nature it makes it impairs motor function. It's why drunk driving is so dangerous compared to almost any other drug. It's hard to operate machinery when your own machinery doesn't operate well.

From a more anecdotal POV, alcohol tends to bring out the violence in people I almost never see with weed. I think most people agree with that. I mean, look at the Parry thread. "He stole a golf cart and punched a guy? What the fuck is his problem? Oh, he was drunk? That explains it."

On your general point (I think) I agree that both need to be regulated.

Originally Posted by omahacolt (Post 4129)

why are you anti union? this country needs some strong unions again. corporations have kept pay down for way too long. benefits are eroding.

Originally Posted by Pez (Post 4370)

Probably anecdotal more than anything. When I was a kid my dad lost two jobs because of closed shop union type stuff.

I guess I'm not really anti-union as much as I am against the labor union infrastructure that surrounds large unions like the AFL-CIO etc... union leaders make tons of cash while doing a questionable job representing their members. Members who are often those in most need of representation.

I agree with you that wage growth and benefit have become stagnant, but I am not that our current labor unions are doing much to fix that.

Originally Posted by omahacolt (Post 4409)

what labor unions?

there isn't much left. there are some really good strong unions out there. driving pay up and still bidding work at a very competitive wage so that the customer is still getting good pricing.

Originally Posted by Puck (Post 4417)

Are you the one that uses the shovel or are you one of the 3 that is just there to lean on the shovel?

Originally Posted by omahacolt (Post 4409)

what labor unions?

there isn't much left. there are some really good strong unions out there. driving pay up and still bidding work at a very competitive wage so that the customer is still getting good pricing.

Originally Posted by omahacolt (Post 4422)

i have never been in a union. but i have been around a lot of them and that is not how shit is done.

now government workers, absolutely are like that

Originally Posted by omahacolt (Post 9055)

so yeah.

this dude is still a piece of shit

Originally Posted by FatDT (Post 13174)

Maybe this can be something that draws partisan people together and we can stop being so polarized. Wouldn't that be something.

Originally Posted by Brylok (Post 13187)

...is currently in a closed door meeting with Lavrov and Kislyak, two of Russians who tampered with the election. American press was not allowed inside. Russian press was. Nothing fishy about any of this, of course.

Originally Posted by GoBigBlue88 (Post 13175)

No way, unfortunately. Too many people are still treating this like a football game. My team/your team. I mean, Trump literally accelerates that philosophy with (hilariously bad) football metaphors.

Originally Posted by Pez (Post 13355)

I was just going to comment on how rough Trump's week was, but to be honest, I'm completely fucking speechless....