Obama to end the war on drugs?

[Queequeg]

It seems entirely logical that there is some number of people who would use drugs, but do not for the simple reason it is against the law.

Trying to estimate how many people that is would be quite difficult, but it's a number greater than zero.

I don't think it's realistic that the productivity loss from people being able to enjoy Princess Mononoke a whole lot more is going to cancel out what would be gained by having a ton of non-violent offenders coming back in to gainful employment. 

[Iormlund]

I don't think that's a relevant situation though.  You lived all your life in a permissive society, but you haven't seen the transition from restrictive to permissive, in terms of drug use.

You miss the point.

People experiment in their teens, when it is illegal to take drugs, rather than as adults, when it would be tolerated. So not only the law fails to deter illegal use, but whether you allow adult drug use is largely irrelevant since the time of experimenting is long past.

[katmai]

Everyone is always shocked when I tell them I never smoked pot

Nobody is shocked when I them them I never smoked pot.

Nobody care ones way or the other when I tell them I never smoked pot.

I guess I sort of come across as a pothead sometimes.  Kind of dopey & whatnot.

It's all the ska and reggae music

[Razgovory]

I don't think that's a relevant situation though.  You lived all your life in a permissive society, but you haven't seen the transition from restrictive to permissive, in terms of drug use.

You miss the point.

People experiment in their teens, when it is illegal to take drugs, rather than as adults, when it would be tolerated. So not only the law fails to deter illegal use, but whether you allow adult drug use is largely irrelevant since the time of experimenting is long past.

I think you'd be very surprised.

[garbon]

I don't think that's a relevant situation though.  You lived all your life in a permissive society, but you haven't seen the transition from restrictive to permissive, in terms of drug use.

You miss the point.

People experiment in their teens, when it is illegal to take drugs, rather than as adults, when it would be tolerated. So not only the law fails to deter illegal use, but whether you allow adult drug use is largely irrelevant since the time of experimenting is long past.

I think you'd be very surprised.

Indeed. As Marti already demonstrated in this thread - different people experiment at different times.

[crazy canuck]

I don't think that's a relevant situation though.  You lived all your life in a permissive society, but you haven't seen the transition from restrictive to permissive, in terms of drug use.

You miss the point.

People experiment in their teens, when it is illegal to take drugs, rather than as adults, when it would be tolerated. So not only the law fails to deter illegal use, but whether you allow adult drug use is largely irrelevant since the time of experimenting is long past.

I think you'd be very surprised.

Indeed. As Marti already demonstrated in this thread - different people experiment at different times.

Marti is full of it.  If he really wanted to experiment he lived how may minutes away from Amsterdam at one point?

[derspiess]

It's all the ska and reggae music

Legalize It! 

[katmai]

Yep never tried pot till I was 23.

[crazy canuck]

Yep never tried pot till I was 23.

The homeschool exception

[katmai]

Yep never tried pot till I was 23.

The homeschool exception

Nah I had been around it all time when growing up, so never had that allure. Same with drinking which I never did really til I was 21.

[crazy canuck]

Yep never tried pot till I was 23.

The homeschool exception

Nah I had been around it all time when growing up, so never had that allure. Same with drinking which I never did really til I was 21.

See BB, people can actually decide not to use even when it is freely available.

[The Minsky Moment]

Effect on productivity doesn't seem to be a legit reason for a criminal prohibition.  Alchohol has massive negative effects on productivity; the economic costs of alchohol consumption would have to counted in many billions of dollars.  No one serious seems to think that a valid basis for re-imposing Prohibition.

[Neil]

Effect on productivity doesn't seem to be a legit reason for a criminal prohibition.  Alchohol has massive negative effects on productivity; the economic costs of alchohol consumption would have to counted in many billions of dollars.  No one serious seems to think that a valid basis for re-imposing Prohibition.

Not necessarily.  After all, status quo is always the easiest path to walk.

[mongers]

Yep never tried pot till I was 23.

The homeschool exception

Nah I had been around it all time when growing up, so never had that allure. Same with drinking which I never did really til I was 21.

This is pretty much my experience, stuff about a lot, no big deal, so no big interest in using it. Couldn't tell you when I first had some doped, possible 20 and never really been a part of my life.
Similarly, I probably had a few drinks in pubs whilst under-age, but the whole 'illegal' thing wasn't an important vibe for me or my peer group, so getting utterly hammered was never really an aim. I guess over the years my consumption of booze has gradually declined to very little indeed.

Seems to be that kids who are constricted, too tightly monitored or controlled, are often the ones who find the allure of 'forbidden fruits' too much and a far proportion of them eventually go off the rails for a while/permanently. 

[Josquius]

I never tried it until I was 19 or 20 or round about there.  Long after I started drinking. No way would I have done it as a teenager, back then I still believed the all drugs are the same, do weed and you'll look like a character in trainsporting in short order, etc.... stuff.

I don't think the amount of people avoiding it because it's illegal but would do it if it was legal is particularly high. When I lived in Amsterdam there were some people who had been users at home who took it up with relish there, some people who did a little at home who did a little there and some who had never done it who didn't suddenly start just because they could go to a shop rather than having to ask a friend.
It is very easily available if you want it and isn't regarded as an immoral crime.