LottaBass

Let me put a concept to all you playing at home.

In 2000 the immigration to the united states smacked a massive 31.1 Million. Of these people approximatley 17,731,685 were a non-white race, these people make up the minorities in america.

At the moment pot smokers are, regrettably, a minority, with only 37.1% of the population reported ever having used marijuana for extended periods of time.

Minoritys in america are given the FREEDOM to practice their beliefs, customs, and traditions legally and without reprehension, and I am completley cool with that.

My problem is that: Why, if all minorities are given such freedoms, are us potheads discriminated against and our beliefs and customs demonised and destroyed by so much propaghanda?

To me it seems like we're entitled to the same freedoms as everyone else, to not do so is first of all just plain stupid and second of all discrimination.



ANYWAY thats my rant for the evening.


http://www.census.gov/population/cen...oreignborn.pdf
GDCADA | Marijuana - Facts and Statistics

__________________
They lie about marijuana. Tell you pot smoking makes you unmotivated. Lie! When you're high you can do everything you normally do, just as well. Just when you're high you realise its not worth the effort. Theres a difference. - Bill Hicks.

yoman3

They're racist to pot smokers.

IGemini

A few misconceptions in your process.

First, the 37.1% is people who have reported using cannabis once, not regularly. I actually think that number is a little high, since the figure is that 80 million people tried marijuana at one point. With the current population, that's about 25%. The actual number of regular users is maybe 10% or lower. I can't even find that number in the source you posted...and as much as they would like to believe, the 12-17 demographic is not the entire population.

Second, use of marijuana alone does not entitle one to a set of customs or beliefs. You're confusing race and ethnicity with a lifestyle choice. Discrimination is based on concepts that people have little control over, like race, age, gender, etc.

Also, it doesn't help much when you're posting an anti-marijuana statistics site like the page from the GCDADA.

nornerator

Actually, 51% of people in the US have tried cannabis at least once.

22% have used it in the past year

US Cannabis Use Rates Nearly Twice European Average - USA - Worldwide news - Welcome to www.hemp-info.ch! The specialist for hemp (Cannabis) in Switzerland
EMCDDA | European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction

Either way the logic is somewhat muddy as to this being classified as "discrimination" in the classical sense.

Discrimination typically refers to treating one individual better or worse than other individuals based on a personal characteristic that is uncontrollable by said individual. Your race, sex, age, and general appearance are characteristics that are uncontrollable by an individual, and that is why it is considered "discrimination" to treat people differently based on these characteristics.

Cannabis use, is a choice. Granted it is a benign choice that hurts nobody, but it is still a choice and therefore using the term discrimination is not necessarily appropriate.

You are absolutely correct, there is no reason for people like us to be thrown in prison and treated like criminals, but its not the same kind of discrimination as the word itself implies.

TheMeatball

By your logic, murderers and rapists are also cultural minorities whose beliefs and practices should be respected.

There are plenty of good reasons for legalization, but this isn't one of them. Poor arguments like this do nothing to help the cause.