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'A phony 'drug war' war defeats free speech'

Lately there have been reading rumbelings about how marijuana is not a political issue, and I'd like to understand why people feel that way.

If you don't think that marijuana prohibition is based in politics, please help me to understand why.

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Roy

Try posting your question at smirkingchimp.com too. You might get some interesting feedback there.

I've wondered about this issue myself.

blingleton

i don't feel it should be, but it is. the powers that be are making too much money off the war against drugs to even consider leagalization. money=politics

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JTP

I think that marijuana is not a political issue in this election because of fear. Both sides fear that any position they take will do more harm than good.

The Republicans are concerned that if Bush, personally, were to take some rediculous stance strongly against mj in particuliar it would completely alienate him from both the 18-35 age group as well as some of the moderates. So he holds the long established line at "against illegal drugs".

Democrats on the other hand can't afford to have Kerry take either a + or - stance on legalisation because Kerry is so corrupted on this issue. He has held both positions in the past for one, and for another the Democratic Party does not want people remembering the "hippy protestor" Kerry. The last thing they want is to rehash that phase of Kerry's career. Rember that Kerry complained that the "Republican attack machine was attacking his patriotism" when the Republicans began rumbling about his anti-war stance at that time.

So, if anything Kerry is sounding now like he will be even tougher on drugs than Bush. Bush, meanwhile, doesn't even have to address the issue because the Democrats are so busy painting Ashcroft as some sort of Puritan. So Bush gets a complete walk.

lunchbox174

i don't pretend to know much about politics because i don't but what i do know is that every topic, regardless of nature is political because poeple have opinions and beliefs on everything and it is their opinions and beiefs they want represented in congress and in the white house so everything becomes a political issue

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Beatlejuice

In Canada it is a very political issue. It's been one of the hot topics for several years now so every politician has to have a stance on it, and pretty much all of them have been asked if they ever smoked it.

However I think it is an even more political issue with respect to Canada - U.S. relations. The U.S. government is always complaining that Canada supplies the states with too much high quality pot and that we should crack down up here, but most people in Canada want to see it decriminalized. The only reason pot is still illegal in Canada is because our government is sucking up the the all powerful Bush. Plus our new prime minister is not as pro-decrim as old Chretien. To quote Homer Simpson "I guess you could say he's barking up the wrong Bush."

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FiftyOneFifty

I feel that marijuana should not be political. The problem with drugs in America is the drug policy. Being thrown in jail for WAY longer than what is reasonable for having a joint in your pocket causes more problems than you think.

1) The most obvious is prison crowding. 80% of prisoners are in for NON-VIOLENT drug related charges. This does no good for anyone.

2) Most drug violence isn't related to the use of the drugs. It is between dealers because that's the only way they can settle thier difference. The high pressure from our harsh laws causes a lot of inner dealer violence.

3) The final and most serious problem with our "war on drugs" is how strict we are. Large penalties for small offences is not a good idea. Lets look at the farmer and his chicken:
The penalty for theft in farmer Bob's village is death. And one day farmer Bob finds farmer Joe stealing a chicken. Farmer Joe quickly relizes that he will be hung if farmer Bob tells the athorities. So he kills farmer Bob, to eliminate the witness and reduce the chances of prosicution. His life was over when he got busted so why not do all he could to get away.

This sort of thing happens every day, although it may not be so serious. A simple ticket for possession would eliminate the need for a high speed pursuit which will probably end up with someone getting hurt.

storms

of course this is a political move ----- do yourself a favour and read 'the enperor wears no clothes'

storms

at first we are talking about marijuana then we are talking about drugs. marijuana is harmless, iknow this because i have smoked it on a daily basis for 39 years, i have been married 32 years and still am. i have raised four children all of whom are well educated and well balanced. we cannot say this about all drugs

WNB

I don't think it takes much painting to make Ashcroft look like a puritan.

Anyway, marijuana is sort of a political issue, but only in the sense that it's political suicide to touch it. You're either a hippy or a puritan if you talk about it, and both alienate voters. Instead, candidates are as evasive as possible on the issue and only show their true colors once elected, as Bush did by appointing Asscroft.

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