A serious blow to Canadian audiophiles, must read

1) Pot is a stimulant, alcohol is a depressant
2) While I wouldn't choose to get in a vehicle operated by, or be operated on by a surgeon who was under the influence of either, if I was forced to, I'd take my chances with the one under the influence of THC every time
3) I don't know how old you are Lugnut, but I'd agree with Swampwalker that current pot is much more potent than the stuff from 20-30 years ago-simply a matter of improving technology and agriculture
4) North American governments waste hideous amounts of money needlessly incarcerating people with small amounts of pot for personal use; they should legalize or at least decriminalize possession of small amounts for such purpose but enforce laws similar to those relating to alcohol with respect to operating machinery
5) Tax it and improve the economy
6) Governments should not be involved in growing; the Canadian government has already proven how hopeless this concept is-medicinal users have returned government pot because of its poor quality!

It is simply absurd that alcohol and tobacco are legal and that pot is not.

Hey Lugnut- So that's why I spend so much time overindulging in audio now ;~) My wife thinks its because I'm obsessive-compulsive, but now I can tell its just a side effect of my rehabilitation.

Once they have your head, everything else will fall into line.

Consider how it actually became illegal. Alcohol lobbiests prevailed upon legislators to ban the profit reducing competition. Consider how it became such a dangerous drug. Nixon was afraid of the blacks, and it was imagined that a war on drugs would help. But without marijuana included, the statistics could never be high enough to warrant the vast expense.

Whatever you believe to be the justification now, we were lied to and manipulated into surrendering the manifest right to the control of our own heads, by people with nothing more honorable than greed and racism as a motivation.

Congrats to Canada for even getting this into public discourse, and good luck with reason ultimately winning out.

Hdm, I beleive you are mistaken, Pot is a depressant (although TCH has been shown to have theraputic affects For those who suffer from cronic depression).

However, I do believe both you and Pragmatist are on the right track legalize drugs, tax the hell out of them and put the money spent frivilously fighting a war you cannot win to better use.

Another thing we haven't touched upon is the crimes related to drug trafficing, most of which could be eliminated with in a short period of time by opening up the market to legitimate buisness men/women.

After all we are essentially a drug culture. Pharmacutical companies spend billions pushing there products, while some insurance companies refuse to pay a provider for thier service if a perscription is not written. Really unfornunate isn't it.

Interesting debate folks, a lot of different views of what is considered an old "problem". Canada has decided to stop filling the courts and jails with pot smokers and fine them instead, I think that's a sensible thing to do. I agree with everyone who has pointed out that pot is more potent today than ever, and, that alcohol is a far greater problem than THC. THC is not a stimulant (trust me). Personally, I think the world needs to outlaw guns of any kind, and legalize tokes. Happy holidays all.