This is how they are fighting legalizing pot?

[Guest cynicalprofit]

http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101021104/story2.html

 

The drug czar's latest commercial, which was actually focus-grouped with teens and their parents, shows two teens getting stoned in their father's study, talking apathetically about a bunch of stuff. One pulls out a gun from his dad's drawer, the other asks lazily if it's loaded, and the gun-toting teen shrugs and shoots the other kid. "The suggestion is not to say too many children are being shot in their dens who are marijuana users," Walters said. "It's meant to show that marijuana alters your ability to use judgment."

 

Um.... I don’t care how high you are, why in the unholy hell would you non-scantly pull the trigger of a gun that you don’t know is loaded or not, better yet, why would you be playing with the gun in the first place? I've been high, I know lots of other people have too, but would anyone stoned seriously brake out a gun? That sounds more like a gun safety add to me, I mean they didn’t address how the gun wasn’t safely secured, I think that would be the bigger problem then kids getting high.

[Guest CED Ordonez]

Personally, I would've found potheads getting severely hurt doing Jackass-esque stunts more suitable to the point of "impaired judgement". The commercial doesn't seem focused enough on the marijuana issue than it does gun control issues, like cynicalprofit stated.

[Guest cynicalprofit]

WARNING, if you smoke pot your judgement maybe impaired to the point where you will do jackass like stunts or go see the movie jackass.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Legal or not, I'm going to keep smoking. It would be nice to know I wouldn't get locked up should I get caught, though. Not to mention pot could be a huge cash crop that could stimulate this economy in a serious way. There's no reason to continue prohibition.

 

That scene described above is absolutely absurd. Anyone THAT stupid deserves to get shot.

[Guest cynicalprofit]

Gonna keep smoking if they throw you in jail?

 

Just saying.

[Guest B-X]

Most kids who pull the Jackass type stunts are stupid in the first place, and I'm not trying to be funny. I seriously mean stone cold stupid.

[Guest Samurai_Goat]

You know, I've seen those commercials too. You know, high people driving and hitting a kid, a high girl gets felt up, the previously mentioned gun commercial, and I can't help thinking: Hey, this reminds me of what happens when adults drink beer! Only they're more likely to commit a violent crime while drunk than a stoned kid is.

[Guest cynicalprofit]

You know, I've seen those commercials too. You know, high people driving and hitting a kid, a high girl gets felt up, the previously mentioned gun commercial, and I can't help thinking: Hey, this reminds me of what happens when adults drink beer! Only they're more likely to commit a violent crime while drunk than a stoned kid is.

 

Speak now of the truth and testify.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Gonna keep smoking if they throw you in jail?

 

Just saying.

The cops aren't too concerned about people like me. I'm just some dude getting high in his apartment, and not bothering anyone when I do.

[Guest Samurai_Goat]

No, AoO, they are all very concerned about you. Haven't you ever been to D.A.R.E.?

"Uh oh, kiddos! Here comes marijuana, which we all know is a "gateway drug" which will, 100% of the time, ruin your entire life! Quick, give it the, BRRR!, cold shoulder!"

[Guest cynicalprofit]

The cops aren't too concerned about people like me. I'm just some dude getting high in his apartment, and not bothering anyone when I do.

 

Yeah but you are breaking the law, therefore they have a reason to arrest you. And lets remember neighbors maynot be as liberal as you. Just saying.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Thankfully, my neighbors here are my friends, and rugby yahoos that don't give a shit. I might be breaking the law, but it's not something I'm worried about. Is it illegal? Yes. Could I be arrested for it? Of course. Are the cops going to come kick down my door and bust me for the roach in my ashtray and the joint on the coffee table? Very, VERY unlikely.

 

I'm not a dealer, I'm not a supplier, I'm not a dangerous criminal. I'm a guy that gets blazed.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

We spend more money than any other country on drug control.

 

What happens? Nothing.

 

We need to either start process on legalization, or use this money to bust the dealers and stuff, not air stupid advertisements and will convince nobody.

[Guest cynicalprofit]

for every dealer you bust, another one takes his spot. All that will do is increase the price if only 1 guy is dealing, making the drug industry even more profitbale.

 

"I remember when a dimebag cost a dime." Damn do you just not wish that was true again.

 

Yeah AOO, but still telling you its illegal and it gives them cause to bust you, all it takes is once and you're fucked.

[Guest Downhome]

Just for the record, I personally knew people in my life that have been killed as a result of someone under the influence of pot. So I know that it can more than hinder your thought process, even to do something as stupid and as dangerous as this. Alchohol can do it, pot can do it, and various other drugs can do it also.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

I know plenty of people who have died from someone NOT under the influence of pot.

 

In fact, I know someone who has done the same thing shown in the commercial (firing a gun unaware if it's loaded) but thankfully was aiming at a bird instead of a person.

 

Stupidity kills people far more than any drug.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

It's no secret that pot slows down reaction time. I'll assume it was something car-accident related. The thing is, all kinds of things can have that effect. I'm sure the court system would like the burden of minor pot offenses out of the way as well, not to mention the economic implications involved. There's no good reason for prohibition.

[Guest TJH]

http://www.greenmanspage.com

 

http://www.amsterdammarijuanaseeds.com/

[Guest Downhome]

No, I knew someone who was shot a single time, while him and another friend were together having a "pot hangout". I've also had a few family members, and friends to be killed as a result of a drunk driver.

 

It's very immature to make light of the risks of this, it seriously is. Perhaps you have more control over your mind and body, but that in no way means that there are not others out there who simply get carried away, and a lot more people who do so than you think.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

And died? Wow, either medical attention was seriously delayed or that was some shot, as it's difficult to kill in one shot unless you're using a weapon for such a thing (such as the sniper was) and one probably would not have the precision required while stoned. Even SWAT teams are trained for a "two shot kill" since a one-shot is incredibly rare.

 

...I'm sorry, I know that sounds morbid, but it's true. I'm just going to assume this person didn't get to the hospital in time, and that's sad.

 

I personally don't like pot, or smoking anything really, to the point where I make quite a bit of noise about it (see my arguing in the smoking law threads), but it's like abortions in that if people can't acquire it through legal means, they'll go illegal.

[Guest Downhome]

You have a very tainted view on firearms it seems. a single shot can very much kill someone, and isn't as rare or as hard as you make it seem. As far aw SWAT goes...

 

...anyone who is trained to actually kill someone, IS trained to do it in a single shot, as that one shot could be your only chance.

 

A gun going off accidently isn't hard to do under the right circumstances, and being under the influence takes it to that next level.

[Guest NoCalMike]

If anything, Drugs should be treated as Health issues like cigarettes and alcohol, not criminal issues. No one should be in jail for getting high.

[Guest BaldFish]

I love how the ads claim that drug use supports terrorism. Don't they realize that the only reason terrorists can make a profit selling drugs is BECAUSE THEY ARE ILLEGAL? If their goal was really to reduce the amount of money made by terrorists from the drug trade, they would legalize drugs, across the board.

 

I just don't accept the idea that the government has any right or responsibility for the chemicals you choose to put into your body--be it caffeine, prozac, or heroin.

[Guest cynicalprofit]

If anything, Drugs should be treated as Health issues like cigarettes and alcohol, not criminal issues. No one should be in jail for getting high

 

Yeah, and pots still illegal, yet the other two are proven killers and pot is not. Aint life swell.

[Guest The Metal Maniac]

You know, the comparison to booze is a good one.

 

After all, I can easily see drunk people being retarted and grabbing a gun and shooting someone.

 

From personal experience, I can say that booze is probably much worse, as far as how fucked-up it'll get you. I've had blackout periods where I have NO idea what I've done after doing some heavy drinking. I could've done anything, really, considering that in one of those periods, I almost started a barfight.

 

Conversely, I've smoked pot until I was extremely sick, but I still knew what I was doing. It all just seemed more...fun, that's all.

[Guest hardyz1]

I saw another one of these commercials on today. A car full of potheads pulled into a drive through a few times acting all stoned. The last time, the driver said something like, "Man, I ain't got no money." and started to speed off. At the same time there was a little kid riding a bike in front of them. When they sped up, and one of them yelled, "Look out" or something similar. You hear a crash and then "Marijuana affects your reaction time" or something equally dumb.

 

I always laugh when fake people die, though.

[Guest EricMM]

I will say this:

 

Being a stoner isn't ok. My old roomate was a stoner-flake and he spent hundreds of dollars on pot, and didn't even pay the last rent, couldn't pay the security deposit on his supposedly next house, and is now bumming around his friends house. He's 26 going nowhere.

 

But I can see the same or worse happening because of alcohol. Pot just costs more, burdening him with a higher cost to get fucked up every night. If pot was as cheap as booze, he'd have been ok...

 

The biggest joke in America, well one of the biggest jokes, is that Alcohol is legal and pot isn't. Pot is definitely less dangerous. Cigs are less dangerous than either, because they don't screw up your perception. I don't care how many cigs you smoke, it's not hurting me.

[Guest Downhome]

I don't care how many cigs you smoke, it's not hurting me.

Famous last words...

[Guest Eagan469]

My friends are pot smokers, and I've done it in on and off over the last four or so years. Three things:

 

1) Pot does not kill. Are you better off without it - YES. It affects your reaction time, and if you're driving a vehicle stoned you are definately more likely to be in an accident than if you were sober.

 

2) I'd be scared shitless of a gun if I was under the influence.

 

3) "Pot supports terrorism" - Legalize it then, geez...

 

 

I haven't smoked since August, and it's not exactly something I need to do again. But it's fun as hell, and I'm responsible. When you have assholes driving around high, THAT'S where the trouble starts...

[Guest Kingpk]

The biggest joke in America, well one of the biggest jokes, is that Alcohol is legal and pot isn't. Pot is definitely less dangerous. Cigs are less dangerous than either, because they don't screw up your perception. I don't care how many cigs you smoke, it's not hurting me.

Cigarettes do a lot worse than "screw up your perception." Plus, ever heard of "second hand smoke"?

 

Somehow blowing whatever money I have on some worthless "quick fix" that will probably make me worse off in the long run isn't my idea of "fun."

 

Believe me, I've seen my share of alcoholics and chain smokers and if THAT'S what's in my future if I start using that crap, I'll pass.

 

Eh, I'm rambling, carry on.