Smokers of NationStates?

[White Chrobatia]

Where I'm from you can't buy those beautiful death sticks, so when someone imports them from America it's a real treat to bum one or two off of them.

Would you mind me asking where you live? I've noticed in the UK when I lived there that people would kill for American Virginia or Kentucky tobacco rather than the Dutch or West African crap they mostly get lol

Canada. I usually smoke Belmonts or Camels.

[Stagnant Axon Terminal]

Guilty as charged. Cigarettes. My preferred is Marlboro Black Menthols. I started last summer, at 23. I'm planning to quit soon, but damn it's hard.

Holla, that's my cig of choice!

[White Chrobatia]

Would you mind me asking where you live? I've noticed in the UK when I lived there that people would kill for American Virginia or Kentucky tobacco rather than
the Dutch or West African crap they mostly get lol

Croatia, methinks.

I wish I lived in Croatia.

[Saiwania]

Meh. If people, myself included, know the risks of marijuana and smoke it anyways, then so be it. Why the fuck should you care if people wanna hurt their lungs by turning on some Pink Floyd and lighting up?

Sorry, but I'm not going to be in favor of marijuana legalization just because stoners want to get high. In a cost/benefit analysis to society, it is going to have to have compelling enough reasons to look on it favorably and I'm not seeing it, considering that marijuana is far stronger than it ever was in the mid 20th century when it was last a big problem.

[Liberty and Linguistics]

Croatia, methinks.

I wish I lived in Croatia.

What's wrong with Canada, eh?

Jokes aside, your sig implied that you live(d) in Croatia, apologies.

[Liberty and Linguistics]

Meh. If people, myself included, know the risks of marijuana and smoke it anyways, then so be it. Why the fuck should you care if people wanna hurt their lungs by turning on some Pink Floyd and lighting up?

Sorry, but I'm not going to be in favor of marijuana legalization just because stoners want to get high. In a cost/benefit analysis to society, it is going to have to have compelling enough reasons to look on it favorably and I'm not seeing it, considering that marijuana is far stronger than it ever was in the mid 20th century when it was last a big problem.

It's really not, though. From a cost perspective, the government is wasting money prohibiting marijuana. This 20 billion could go into parks, education, maybe even tax cuts/

Those who smoke pot do not harm you, it's a victimless crime, and I may sound like I'm spouting average liberal stuff, but the issue of marijuana shouldn't even be left-right issue. It's sensible to legalize it, there is no political philosophy behind it, it's just pragmatic. I've smoked marijuana, I do fine in school, I'm getting an internship, so I'm sure as hell not a "stoner" or "economic drain.'

I'll save this for another thread, though.

[Ardoki]

Sorry, but I'm not going to be in favor of marijuana legalization just because stoners want to get high. In a cost/benefit analysis to society, it is going to have to have compelling enough reasons to look on it favorably and I'm not seeing it, considering that marijuana is far stronger than it ever was in the mid 20th century when it was last a big problem.

It's really not, though. From a cost perspective, the government is wasting money prohibiting marijuana. This 20 billion could go into parks, education, maybe even tax cuts/

Those who smoke pot do not harm you, it's a victimless crime, and I may sound like I'm spouting average liberal stuff, but the issue of marijuana shouldn't even be left-right issue. It's sensible to legalize it, there is no political philosophy behind it, it's just pragmatic. I've smoked marijuana, I do fine in school, I'm getting an internship, so I'm sure as hell not a "stoner" or "economic drain.'

I'll save this for another thread, though.

It should be prohibited, along with all other harmful substances. We can't let people knowingly harm themselves and put the health system at risk.

[Liberty and Linguistics]

It's really not, though. From a cost perspective, the government is wasting money prohibiting marijuana. This 20 billion could go into parks, education, maybe even tax cuts/

Those who smoke pot do not harm you, it's a victimless crime, and I may sound like I'm spouting average liberal stuff, but the issue of marijuana shouldn't even be left-right issue. It's sensible to legalize it, there is no political philosophy behind it, it's just pragmatic. I've smoked marijuana, I do fine in school, I'm getting an internship, so I'm sure as hell not a "stoner" or "economic drain.'

I'll save this for another thread, though.

It should be prohibited, along with all other harmful substances. We can't let people knowingly harm themselves and put the health system at risk.

That inevitably leads to a slippery slope. Should we ban skateboarding because it may lead to concussions?

[Ardoki]

It should be prohibited, along with all other harmful substances. We can't let people knowingly harm themselves and put the health system at risk.

That inevitably leads to a slippery slope. Should we ban skateboarding because it may lead to concussions?

Skateboarding does not damage your health, perhaps a skateboard accident might.

However smoking (tobacco and marijuana) have been proven to be harmful for your health in all cases.

[Saiwania]

From a cost perspective, the government is wasting money prohibiting marijuana. This 20 billion could go into parks, education, maybe even tax cuts/

And how do we know that legalizing another smoking product (marijuana) wouldn't simply add $20 billion or more in increased costs for health insurance premiums or externalities? What makes marijuana have more merit as an over the counter drug than opium or meth for example?

[Prussia-Steinbach]

Skateboarding does not damage your health, perhaps a skateboard accident might.

However smoking (tobacco and marijuana) have been proven to be harmful for your health in all cases.

So is fossil fuel pollution. And fast food, largely. And plenty of chemicals in soda.

[Ardoki]

Skateboarding does not damage your health, perhaps a skateboard accident might.

However smoking (tobacco and marijuana) have been proven to be harmful for your health in all cases.

So is fossil fuel pollution. And fast food, largely. And plenty of chemicals in soda.

According to your logic then, we should legalise ice (the drug), heroin, krokodil, cocaine, etcetera.
Be consistent.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

From a cost perspective, the government is wasting money prohibiting marijuana. This 20 billion could go into parks, education, maybe even tax cuts/

And how do we know that legalizing another smoking product (marijuana) wouldn't simply add $20 billion or more in increased costs for health insurance premiums or externalities? What makes marijuana have more merit as an over the counter drug than opium or meth for example?

...the parts about it not being addictive and not being lethal in any way might have some impact on that.

I mean, they should all be legal. But that comparison is ridiculous.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

So is fossil fuel pollution. And fast food, largely. And plenty of chemicals in soda.

According to your logic then, we should legalise ice (the drug), heroin, krokodil, cocaine, etcetera.
Be consistent.

Yes, we should.

Though I do not see where you got that from my post. Logical processes do not appear to be your strong suit.

[Ardoki]

According to your logic then, we should legalise ice (the drug), heroin, krokodil, cocaine, etcetera.
Be consistent.

Yes, we should.

Though I do not see where you got that from my post. Logical processes do not appear to be your strong suit.

If you want marijuana to be legalised. To be consistent you would have to support the legalisation all other illegal drugs, as they are all bad for you.

[Washington Resistance Army]

Yes, we should.

Though I do not see where you got that from my post. Logical processes do not appear to be your strong suit.

If you want marijuana to be legalised. To be consistent you would have to support the legalisation all other illegal drugs, as they are all bad for you.

He just said all drugs should be legalized.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

Yes, we should.

Though I do not see where you got that from my post. Logical processes do not appear to be your strong suit.

If you want marijuana to be legalised. To be consistent you would have to support the legalisation all other illegal drugs, as they are all bad for you.

They should be. Yes. Here is my thread about it, in fact. Care to gain some knowledge?

So, in the modern world (and even more on NSG), the decriminalization or legalization of cannabis is a pretty well-accepted idea, with two US states (And Uruguay) allowing it for recreational usage and many more for medical purposes. The trend seems to be toward it being legal in most of the Western world relatively soon. A more contentious issue is the decriminalization of all drugs - which would include substances considered by many to be frighteningly dangerous, such as cocaine, amphetamines, and heroin, along with ones that are essentially physically harmless, such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms.

Many are convinced that across-the-board drug decriminalization (See the difference between decriminalization and legalization here) would result in something akin to a societal breakdown. Everyone would be too high to go to work. Children would be dying in the streets, needle in arm. Gangs would run free, addicting everyone and everything to their Satanic product. This is, to put it mildly, really fucking incorrect.

Portugal decriminalized hard drugs, and that hasn't happened to them. In fact, quite the opposite: drug use in that country is actually down by half. Instead of jailing an addict for years and creating lifelong recidivism and ruining their lives more than the drugs ever would have, Portugal discards the drugs and recommends the possessor to a rehab center - which they have the choice to go to.

The Drug War in America has been a catastrophically expensive, harmful, racist, and evil failure. Almost 700,000 non-violent drug offenders were arrested in 2013. Because they possessed a substance the government didn't want them to have - it might hurt them. Ignoring the fact that drugs like cannabis, psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, mescaline, DMT, etc, are frequently not only practically harmless but also are very possibly beneficial to mental health, this seems like an affront to justice in its own right.

Terence McKenna, psychonaut and very intelligent person, once said that "psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you may jump out of a third story window. Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behaviour and information processing. They open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong." I would agree with that statement. I think that all drugs, psychedelic, opiate, and stimulant alike, should be legalized, in the interest of freedom, justice, and rationality. What say you, NSG?

Many recreational drugs have very practical benefits.

1. Cannabis. Can possibly cure cancer. 23 Other Benefits.

2. LSD has a variety of benefits, including reducing anxiety and curing alcoholism.

3. Mushrooms can cure depression, and can cause lasting personality changes for the better.

4. Opiates are the best painkillers in the world, and are already over-prescribed. Need I say more.

5. We're giving weak meth to small children already.

[Ardoki]

If you want marijuana to be legalised. To be consistent you would have to support the legalisation all other illegal drugs, as they are all bad for you.

They should be. Yes. Here is my thread about it, in fact. Care to gain some knowledge?

So, in the modern world (and even more on NSG), the decriminalization or legalization of cannabis is a pretty well-accepted idea, with two US states (And Uruguay) allowing it for recreational usage and many more for medical purposes. The trend seems to be toward it being legal in most of the Western world relatively soon. A more contentious issue is the decriminalization of all drugs - which would include substances considered by many to be frighteningly dangerous, such as cocaine, amphetamines, and heroin, along with ones that are essentially physically harmless, such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms.

Many are convinced that across-the-board drug decriminalization (See the difference between decriminalization and legalization here) would result in something akin to a societal breakdown. Everyone would be too high to go to work. Children would be dying in the streets, needle in arm. Gangs would run free, addicting everyone and everything to their Satanic product. This is, to put it mildly, really fucking incorrect.

Portugal decriminalized hard drugs, and that hasn't happened to them. In fact, quite the opposite: drug use in that country is actually down by half. Instead of jailing an addict for years and creating lifelong recidivism and ruining their lives more than the drugs ever would have, Portugal discards the drugs and recommends the possessor to a rehab center - which they have the choice to go to.

The Drug War in America has been a catastrophically expensive, harmful, racist, and evil failure. Almost 700,000 non-violent drug offenders were arrested in 2013. Because they possessed a substance the government didn't want them to have - it might hurt them. Ignoring the fact that drugs like cannabis, psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, mescaline, DMT, etc, are frequently not only practically harmless but also are very possibly beneficial to mental health, this seems like an affront to justice in its own right.

Terence McKenna, psychonaut and very intelligent person, once said that "psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you may jump out of a third story window. Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behaviour and information processing. They open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong." I would agree with that statement. I think that all drugs, psychedelic, opiate, and stimulant alike, should be legalized, in the interest of freedom, justice, and rationality. What say you, NSG?

Many recreational drugs have very practical benefits.

1. Cannabis. Can possibly cure cancer. 23 Other Benefits.

2. LSD has a variety of benefits, including reducing anxiety and curing alcoholism.

3. Mushrooms can cure depression, and can cause lasting personality changes for the better.

4. Opiates are the best painkillers in the world, and are already over-prescribed. Need I say more.

5. We're giving weak meth to small children already.

You want people on Ice and Krokodil?

[Washington Resistance Army]

You want people on Ice and Krokodil?

If they want to use it, sure.

[Prussia-Steinbach]

You want people on Ice and Krokodil?

No. But I don't have the right to stop them, if they want to be.

Also, the only reason Krokodil exists is because of the Drug War.

[Imperium Sidhicum]

Smoking... the one bad habit that I wish I had never started.

[Ugraia]

I used to, but not anymore. I am happy I stopped though.

[Tayrona]

I smoke between 15-20/day. Used to be higher. High stress job.

[Lockdownn]

You want people on Ice and Krokodil?

If it's their choice then who gives a shit.

[Risottia]

[Anyway, cigarettes (some 10/day) and very seldom pipe. Should quit the fags and keep the pipe alone, I know.

Damn man. That's that's not the highest in the land or anything, but that's pretty high up there.

Well, last year I was at 20/day and sometimes more. My next target is 8/day, should be there before Christmas.