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Change isn't always bad...and neither is pot.

What ??? Leonard wrote about something other that what a difficult time blacks have living in America ???

Thanks for bringing up change, rahrah. How's that change going, eveyone? Things working out OK for you?

"Let’s go ahead and do it since we are apparently in the midst of tearing down each and every tradition that has made America great for more than 200 years."

If my math is correct, this would put us back to 1809. And if my history is correct, there will be some blots on this country's history that will not be too favorable between 1809 and now. It's interesting that Mr. Hiatt speaks of drugs and illegal, since the tone of his letter sounds like he's probably a fan of Rush Limbaugh. And, we know how Mr. Limbaugh respects the law as it relates to drugs.

Mr. Hiatt, I don't know if legalizing pot is such a crazy idea. From what I've been reading, the Mexican drug cartels have set up shop in this country. They've got operations in the Pacific Northwest, the South, the Midwest and basically they've covered most regions. And there is an escalation of drug violence in this country that is associated with their presence. And in Mexico, it seems that a lot of the drug violence is made greater by the weapons that flow from the good old US of A.

"...the Mexican drug cartels have set up shop in this country."

That's very true conundrum but they are not just smuggling marijuana, also coke and heroin. So if pot is legalized they will still be in business with other drugs and they will likely sell pot on the black market as the govt. will tax the hell out of "legal" pot.

It is apparent the FDA will soon regulate tobacco and with "legal" pot they would do the same. After the FDA is through with the product we would have expensive pot with likely lower levels of THC. Legalizing pot will not hurt the cartels as they could provide higher quality pot for less money.

Personally I don't have a problem with legalizing pot. There is one problem I see, does anyone want to go into surgery when the surgeon has just smoked a doobie?

Come on white people! Did you ever consider the chocolate brethren are taking the heat off us so the cops can confiscate their cars, money and homes? My many thanks to drug dealing negroes and their chicano competition.

Why would cops care who's speeding when there's a wad of crack dough to steal?

My insurance is high enough. Go crackheads!

" I would even take it a step further. Let’s go ahead and legalize murder, rape, larceny, speeding and anything else currently illegal."

This would have the plus side of , making and have no criminals in this country.

There are several issues with this LTE that need correcting.

1. Cannabis was actually legal in the US 200 years ago. It was not until early 20th century that states began enacting laws against its cultivation and use.

2. Going back to the British crown, all judges were appointed not elected 200 years ago. Election of judges is a fairly recent phenomenon.

3. Lovely how N&R choses to publish witless rants with alarming frequency.

"Lovely how N&R choses to publish witless rants with alarming frequency."

Like the guy yesterday claiming his "rights" were violated because a network chose to run the new Ozzy Osbourne show in a different time slot?

wheeeeeeeee-ah-e-e-rrk-kk (cough) . . . uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . what was the question again . . .

Yes, let’s keeping pouring more resources into our failed drug policy. Then when the courts order NC prisons to begin releasing prisoners like they are in California we will have great stuff to chat about. Like how your house got broken into by a “released offender” or how your daughter got raped last night. Yuk it up guys! It’s not like this is a serous public issue.

Dan,

First of all, all hospitals are smoke-free facilities. And secondly, alcohol is legal but is against all hospitals' rules. A person, doctors included, can lose their job and their license if drinking or smoking on the job or showing up for work impaired.

It is ridiculous to compare pot to murder, robbery or rape. Those crimes involve doing something illegal to others while smoking weed involves self.

Hi Yvonne, I realize hospitals are smoke free, inside that is. Read my post in the smoking thread where I went to a non-smoking campus hospital where there were several smokers outside the main entrance right in front of a no smoking sign. This has nothing to do with my post in this thread however.

I think you missed my point in this thread. While I have no problem with people smoking pot in the privacy of their own homes, there are certain job functions where you would not want to have people smoking pot and currently impaired, such as a surgeon or someone working at a nuclear power plant.

The problem with a drug test is that if a worker smokes some pot on his/her own time on a Sat. night it could still show up Monday am while at work, even if the worker was not high at the time. An alcohol test is different as it indicates current impairment. So if pot is ever legalized it will create tremendous consequences, and lawsuits, for employers who choose to drug test their employees and fire them for using a legal product.

As for your last two lines I agree.

The main point in my thread was to conundrum, in that I said drug cartels will not disappear if pot is legalized.

Dan's got a point. A friend of mine who is a heavy smoker is convinced that marijuana will be legalized when a reliable, real-time test is developed.

At the same time, I don't think you've got to worry about the surgeon so much, unless he keeps reaching in his pockets for Funyuns or asking for mozzarella sticks instead of the scalpel.

and drug cartels may not disappear, but they'd probably be greatly reduced.

Thanks for your point rahrah, I haven't heard of any development of a real time drug test, much less a reliable one.

I doubt many surgeons use pot at all, much less when at work, just an example. I do like your Funyuns example however.

I doubt drug cartels will be reduced. Would you prefer govt. reduced THC, highly taxed pot or good 'ol full THC black market pot?

I also wonder how legalizing pot would affect the folks who want to grow their own? Just wondering, I seriously doubt pot will be legalized, save for medicinal purposes, but even that will be abused.