Do you support the legalization of marijuana?

[1032JBT]

And they were smoking ONLY pot? That's it? You know this for a fact?

Yes........the blood test confirmed it

 

[SavageEagle]

Yes........the blood test confirmed it

I find it very hard to believe it was just pot in their system. Now, maybe if they were provoked into violence, then maybe I could understand it. Or if they were drinking? Also, they could have been on LSD as well and you would have never known.

Seriously, I've known a lot of people who smoke and never once have they gotten violent for no reason like those who drink.

I guess you think Alcohol should be illegal too?

 

[Thumper]

Yes, I have dealt with countless people that were being violent while high on pot. Smoking pot IS NOT a victimless crime, but that's just my opinion and obviously I am in the wrong thread because this one disgusts me.

Yes it is true.I have proof.

 

[1032JBT]

I find it very hard to believe it was just pot in their system. Now, maybe if they were provoked into violence, then maybe I could understand it. Or if they were drinking? Also, they could have been on LSD as well and you would have never known.

Seriously, I've known a lot of people who smoke and never once have they gotten violent for no reason like those who drink.

I guess you think Alcohol should be illegal too?

It was pot and only pot......no LSD, no alcohol, no nothing else. And they were alone and being violent when I found them......no provocation. I don't expect you to belive me, nor does it matter to me if you do. I was merely correcting you in that people are violent with pot, no matter what your expierence has been. I deal with peope that are high all the time, sometimes daily, and while the vast majority are not being violent there are those that are so I was just merely pointing that out.


It does not matter what I think should and shouldn't be legal or illegal.

 

[SavageEagle]

It does not matter what I think should and shouldn't be legal or illegal.

It was a simple question. Yes or no would have been fine. Regardless, I'll take that as a yes. Considering more violent acts and deaths can be contributed to alcohol than coke, pot, and heroin combined, I'd have to say alcohol would be more dangerous. Yet it's legal. They tried to outlaw it and that went REAL well. So has the criminalization of marijuana. Also considering a good majority of inmates are in jail because of pot more than any other crime (in most states), I'd say that's a pretty good indicator on how well the "War on Drugs" is such a GREAT success.

Besides, what kind of call would you rather go on? Drunk and disorderly, or reports of someone smoking pot?

 

[1032JBT]

It was a simple question. Yes or no would have been fine. Regardless, I'll take that as a yes. Considering more violent acts and deaths can be contributed to alcohol than coke, pot, and heroin combined, I'd have to say alcohol would be more dangerous. Yet it's legal. They tried to outlaw it and that went REAL well. So has the criminalization of marijuana. Also considering a good majority of inmates are in jail because of pot more than any other crime (in most states), I'd say that's a pretty good indicator on how well the "War on Drugs" is such a GREAT success.

Besides, what kind of call would you rather go on? Drunk and disorderly, or reports of someone smoking pot?

Well once again you assume wrong........No I don't think alcohol should be illegal, just stiffer penalties for those convicted of the current alcohol based crimes.

Which type of call???? Doesn't matter to me.....I go to whatever type of call I get dispatched to or stummble upon on my own. They are both fun in their own ways.

 

[antsi]

Smoking pot IS a victimless crime. Child Neglect, however, is a crime and should be punished. That's like giving a kid alcohol. Second hand smoke and all. But smoking pot itself, is a victimless crime.

I'd love to know if anyone knows anyone that gets violent when smoking pot. If so I'd like to meet them. I've never met anyone who beat their wife or started a fight while smoking pot. Ever. And I've known MANY people who use it.

In order to be charged with child neglect, parents have to fail to meet basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter.

I'm not talking about criminal neglect on that level. I'm talking about parents who spend all their time stoned/high/drunk and don't take an active role in raising their kids.

I've seen enough of your posts to know you recognize a lot more complexity to the job of being a parent than providing a roof, a hot dog, and a t-shirt. That's all the law requires, but it's far short of what a kid requires.

Just one example - a mom who never reads to her kid because she'd rather get baked. But she's crippling her kid's ability to learn, just as if she was actually sharing her drugs or booze with him. That's not the kind of "neglect" that will get you up on criminal charges, but it's despicable. That kid is paying the cost of his mother's addiction. Don't tell me there are no victims here.

 

[1032JBT]

In order to be charged with child neglect, parents have to fail to meet basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter.

I'm not talking about criminal neglect on that level. I'm talking about parents who spend all their time stoned/high/drunk and don't take an active role in raising their kids.

I've seen enough of your posts to know you recognize a lot more complexity to the job of being a parent than providing a roof, a hot dog, and a t-shirt. That's all the law requires, but it's far short of what a kid requires.

Just one example - a mom who never reads to her kid because she'd rather get baked. But she's crippling her kid's ability to learn, just as if she was actually sharing her drugs or booze with him. That's not the kind of "neglect" that will get you up on criminal charges, but it's despicable. That kid is paying the cost of his mother's addiction. Don't tell me there are no victims here.

+Infinity

 

[XMil]

It was pot and only pot......no LSD, no alcohol, no nothing else. And they were alone and being violent when I found them......no provocation. I don't expect you to belive me, nor does it matter to me if you do. I was merely correcting you in that people are violent with pot, no matter what your expierence has been. I deal with peope that are high all the time, sometimes daily, and while the vast majority are not being violent there are those that are so I was just merely pointing that out.


It does not matter what I think should and shouldn't be legal or illegal.

Not that you were, but it's probably not safe to assume that it was the pot that was making them violent.

Your opinion of what should or shouldn't be illegal matters. You're a citizen of the US, I think that entitles you a say in how we do things.

 

[SavageEagle]

In order to be charged with child neglect, parents have to fail to meet basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter.

I'm not talking about criminal neglect on that level. I'm talking about parents who spend all their time stoned/high/drunk and don't take an active role in raising their kids.

I've seen enough of your posts to know you recognize a lot more complexity to the job of being a parent than providing a roof, a hot dog, and a t-shirt. That's all the law requires, but it's far short of what a kid requires.

Just one example - a mom who never reads to her kid because she'd rather get baked. But she's crippling her kid's ability to learn, just as if she was actually sharing her drugs or booze with him. That's not the kind of "neglect" that will get you up on criminal charges, but it's despicable. That kid is paying the cost of his mother's addiction. Don't tell me there are no victims here.

Like I said, that's all child neglect. They consider child neglect as also endangering their health and well-being. Exposing kids to pot can cripple their development process. That's why that couple got charged for such here in Indy not long ago for smoking constantly around their 2y/o.

And also, neglecting your kids because you're too stoned or drunk to do so is also just that... neglect. It may not be punishable by our law, but it is by God's law.

But you can't say that by me sitting outside on my front porch that I'm hurting anyone besides myself. And for the record, smoking pot does NOT make you neglect your kids. If it did, my friend's kids would be the dumbest, most neglected kids in the universe. Too bad one of them graduated with honors 4th in their class....

 

[RelicHound]

I honestly dont think there is anything wrong with pot in general. there are casual users and then we have the abusers...wake and bake douche bags who think they can not make it through the day unless they are blitz out of there minds.
do I think it should be legalized? hell no! pot screws with your mind and impairs your abilities just as alcohol does. say pot was legalized today,you would have more impaired drivers on the road then there already are...and say an impaired driver was pulled over,how would the officer be able to prove the person was high? make him/her **** in a cup on the side of the road? arrest the person because the officer thinks they "look high"...yeah thatll go over like a lead balloon{Jim brewer comes to mind,that mofro always looks high} or "Im placing you under arrest for having open baggies of marijuana in the vehicle"
I do think its a little harsh to send a person to jail for having a little pot on them..there are much bigger fish to fry out there and waisting that much needed jail space on someone caught with a little pot is a bit much...but the law is the law I reckon.

 

[1032JBT]

I honestly dont think there is anything wrong with pot in general. there are casual users and then we have the abusers...wake and bake douche bags who think they can not make it through the day unless they are blitz out of there minds.
do I think it should be legalized? hell no! pot screws with your mind and impairs your abilities just as alcohol does. say pot was legalized today,you would have more impaired drivers on the road then there already are...and say an impaired driver was pulled over,how would the officer be able to prove the person was high? make him/her **** in a cup on the side of the road? arrest the person because the officer thinks they "look high"...yeah thatll go over like a lead balloon{Jim brewer comes to mind,that mofro always looks high} or "Im placing you under arrest for having open baggies of marijuana in the vehicle"
I do think its a little harsh to send a person to jail for having a little pot on them..there are much bigger fish to fry out there and waisting that much needed jail space on someone caught with a little pot is a bit much...but the law is the law I reckon.

To answer the bolded part........we have DRE's (Drug Recognition Experts) that we use for that, it's not based on what we "feel". That feeling is left for the descion to call the DRE but not for the arrest. Aside from that, on cases where drugs are thought to be present, we do blood draws and get that tested.

 

[jsharmon7]

say pot was legalized today,you would have more impaired drivers on the road then there already are...

I'm confused by the logic here. You're assuming there are many people out there who want to get stoned but don't do so because it's illegal. That, by definition, would make them law-abiding. Why then would they choose to break the law (OVWI) by driving impaired? It's contradictory.

 

[level.eleven]

+Infinity

Do we, as a nation, need to devote more tax dollars to fight the war on drugs?

 

[1032JBT]

I'm confused by the logic here. You're assuming there are many people out there who want to get stoned but don't do so because it's illegal. That, by definition, would make them law-abiding. Why then would they choose to break the law (OVWI) by driving impaired? It's contradictory.

And 90% of the people I have arrested for OWI had no prior arrests up till the point they decided to drink and drive. They were law abiding people yet still broke the law. You may feel it's contradictory, but it's still true.

 

[SavageEagle]

You can't really test someone on the side of the road, and you can't take them in to be tested. Chances are they won't tell you how much they use and how often and with out knowing that for sure, if they're a heavy smoker, it would show up that they just smoked when in fact it was 1 day prior.

Also, like jsharmon said, just because it becomes legal doesn't mean more people will smoke and drive. Technically smoking and driving is NOTHING like drinking and driving, but I'm NOT going to try to argue this because those that have never done it will try to say their OPINION is FACT. REGARDLESS, that's like saying because we legalize full-auto for everyone and their brother to buy with no background checks that full-auto shootings will sky-rocket. Or that allowing CC/OC will make sure shootings in general sky-rocket.

Where's the logic in all this? There is none.

 

[jsharmon7]

It's a plant. Not manufactured by man. A natural plant. Used for medicine and also recreation.

So are hallucinogenic mushrooms. Should we make those legal as well? What's the difference? Anybody else have an opinion on that?

 

[1032JBT]

You can't really test someone on the side of the road, and you can't take them in to be tested. Chances are they won't tell you how much they use and how often and with out knowing that for sure, if they're a heavy smoker, it would show up that they just smoked when in fact it was 1 day prior.

Also, like jsharmon said, just because it becomes legal doesn't mean more people will smoke and drive. Technically smoking and driving is NOTHING like drinking and driving, but I'm NOT going to try to argue this because those that have never done it will try to say their OPINION is FACT. REGARDLESS, that's like saying because we legalize full-auto for everyone and their brother to buy with no background checks that full-auto shootings will sky-rocket. Or that allowing CC/OC will make sure shootings in general sky-rocket.

Where's the logic in all this? There is none.

There are roadside tests we can do and if you fail them, we can take you somewhere else for further testing. I thought you would have already known that though being an expert in the law and all. Smoking and driving is ok in your book then?? Wow......that is all I can say, well other than I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

The only thing in this entire thread that we agree on is there is no logic here.........nope none at all.

 

[SavageEagle]

There are roadside tests we can do and if you fail them, we can take you somewhere else for further testing. I thought you would have already known that though being an expert in the law and all. Smoking and driving is ok in your book then?? Wow......that is all I can say, well other than I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

The only thing in this entire thread that we agree on is there is no logic here.........nope none at all.

Those road side tests are CRAP and you should know better. They can no more tell if you've smoked an hour ago or a week ago. If pot was legal that would become harassment. Besides, half the time they are wrong anyway. But I figured you would know that already since you are an expert on the law, being an officer and all.

And yes, I think it's perfectly ok to smoke and drive. Have you done it? No? Then how would you know? How would you know what it's like and whether it's safe or not. You wouldn't. Don't even go there. I will not argue with someone so close minded on a subject.

And if you think there's no logic in legalizing pot, then yea, I guess you should leave this thread. As a matter of fact, the INDY STAR has a great liberal forum you should sign up for.

 

[jsharmon7]

Yes, I have dealt with countless people that were being violent while high on pot. Smoking pot IS NOT a victimless crime, but that's just my opinion and obviously I am in the wrong thread because this one disgusts me.

I don't mean this question to be argumentative, I'm just curious. How many of the people you dealt with who were high on pot were the kind of people you would have been dealing with anyway, regardless of them being high as well? Did they have prior records for other offenses? Would they have been behaving the same way had they been drinking alcohol? What I'm asking is, were they otherwise peaceful, law-abiding people who smoked pot and went crazy?

This issue is sort of a catch-22 for me because I don't think pot is any worse than alcohol. I already think alcohol is bad enough. So while I don't understand why alcohol is legal and pot isn't, I certainly don't see any good coming from legalizing another mind-altering substance. Ultimately it isn't alcohol or pot we should be blaming but rather the people who abuse them and lose control of themselves.