HazyBritBoi

I am thinking that any meaningful progress to legalize marijuana will be within 30 years. Would i be out of line if i thought that today's politicians, in places of power, are at least 45yrs old? If so, by the time our generation comes into power around 30 years will have passed. Are there enough smokers at this current time, our generation, coupled with the generations of tomorow to make serious change in laws that we will see legalization? How many stoners will there be in politics? At this time it seems like we are loosing the 'War On Drugs'. Sure we have large numbers of smokers and people who back reforms but i just don't see any breakthrough coming any time, unless we get people who use marijuana into places of power.

Side note: Does anyone have realiable numbers of people who smoke in Canada and the US, coupled with the numbers of people who would back reforms despite not doing it themself? Also, anyone looking to go into politics?

Buzzby

No. It is estimated that there are 24,000,000 Americans who use mj at least once a year. Research has shown that the great majority stop using mj by the time they're 30. People tend towards being more conservative as they get older. Being a stoner when you're 20 is a lot of fun. Being a stoner with a career, a family and a mortgage, you have a lot more to lose if you get busted.

Back in the 60s, we thought legalization was around the corner because it seemed like everyone of my generation smoked. As it turned out, the potheads didn't have the will-to-power that it takes to be a successful politician. In most venues you couldn't get elected (then or now) if you were honest about your mj use.

We don't need to change the minds of the politicians. They follow the will of their constituents. We need to educate the general public such that a majority favor legalization. Currently, it's less than one-third.

Most people think the government has lost the War on Drugs. It's just too stubborn and stupid to lay down and die. It's kind of like the War in Iraq...

I don't see that at all. People who openly break the law don't tend to get elected to public office. Politicians will do what they're constituents want them to do, eventually.

Damn! I've got a 36-year-old possession conviction on my record!

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tekkenlaw

I think the taxpayers are losing the war on drugs.

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"Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself." -- Jimmy Carter

HazyBritBoi

How is the government is loosing the War On Drugs? Sure they may not be able to reduce the supply but i see all the time new laws being passed, medicinal shops raided, patients put on trial, new health research 'proving' theories about its harmfulness etc. As you have said Buzzby in a previous post, the American way is to throw more money at the problem. If anything i think the war has reached a stalemate....Supply is plentiful while laws prevent further progress.
Incidentally, after this year i am taking a degree in Political Science hopefully. Lets see if i have the willpower to move in and make a name for myself...lets hope i am dry for a long time like i am now.

Buzzby

The same way it's losing the War in Iraq. When you go to war, you have certain objectives. The objective of the War on Drugs was to create a drug-free society. In the last 37 years of the War on Drugs, drugs have become more plentiful, more easily available, more acceptable in society, cheaper, and of higher potency. If you can't achieve your objectives, if, in fact, the situation you were trying to repair becomes worse, then you are losing the war.

No one is saying that the government has given up, only that they're fighting a losing battle.

If it comes out that you are a pot smoker, you'll be dead in the water. If anyone else knows, you can be sure it will come out. You couldn't get elected dog catcher. (Unless you run for the office of Mayor of Washington, DC. You could be a crackhead and get elected there. )

HazyBritBoi

While i can see your point about the US losing the War On Drugs and Terror, the US hierarchy will never see an end to the war as defeat on their part. Just as they will claim in Iraq that they have established a new friendly regime and that they freed the Iraqi people from Saddam's reign. I'm starting to realise that it doesn't matter if marijuana is illegal, i'd do it if it was legal to start with. When i ask friends who don't smoke i ask them is it because it's illegal and the answer is no, they'd do it anyway, just as they drink underaged. What could be considered the 'End Of The War' ? Decrimminalization? Or full blown legalization? Just because marijuana would be legalized it wouldn't be the end. The war will look to stop the remaining drugs that people are handing around.

Buzzby

I don't care how they spin it, as long as I can do anything with marijuana that I can now do with beer: buy it, us it, and share it with my friends.

Full blown legalization with the same kind of regulation and taxation as now applies to alcohol and tobacco.

While I'm philosophically opposed to any kind of prohibition, politics is the art of the possible. Right now, we have an opportunity to get weed taken out of the company of other illicit drugs and put into the same framework as other legal recreational drugs. The removal of all recreational drugs from the Controlled Substances Act is another battle for another day.

zerosktr1314

The way I see it this generation of smokers have a couple of differences from the hippie generation, the most important being that in the high school level, smoking weed is becoming less of a slacker/dropout thing to do and gaining support from some of the smarter and more "geeky" teens. I personally know many smokers that do very well in school and show promise in being able to go far in life if they can keep their smoking on the DL which their being smart goes a long way towards doing. And about the War on Drugs, I definitely agree that the government is losing this attempt at cracking down on drugs because I know many adults, and when I say adults I mean adults that do not smoke weed and many of which don't even condone the use of weed, that feel that besides the fact that the WoD is not doing our nation any good drug control wise and wasting their tax dollars; the fact that our nation's jails have become SERIOUSLY overcrowed, to the point that new jails are constantly in demand, and the fact that the amount of drug use, esp marijuana, in America is becoming a major draw on police time and labor and keeping them from other cases which I, and probably many others, consider to be much more important to public safety such as robberies, murder, etc.

chadwick

the drug war is being lost they no that they cant afford to keep it going to much longer it cost them billions of dollars a year and thats about all it does and one they get people in jail it costs us if people start standing up for marijuana wether it's for medicinal use or recreational then others will be influenced to do research of their own and more and more people will realize that the war on drugs is just a waste of money and legalizing will create a legit market place just like cigs and alc wich will give the government money not cause them to lose it....it's just like prohibition it is failing and even the government can see that by now it wil just take time and people throwing it in their faces to finaly get them to do something


sorry if that explanation was all over the place i have ADD and it's been narly lately without any herb

Capton CutClass

Didn't Michael Bloomberg say he smoked pot and liked it. I think that the tide is starting to change in a little bit of a different way. There is a new age of politicians out there that will straight up say this is bullshit it doesn't make sense on a number of issues so I think that helps. I don't think it has anything at all to do with pot smokers not being able to run for offices. Like buzzby said once people start backing marijuana legalization and the people who want it to be legalized go out and vote the politicians will listen to their constituents and hopefully at least decriminalize weed in the next 5-10 years.

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