Romney to fight the legalization of marijuana "tooth and nail"

[DavosSeaworth]

For all the neocons who supposedly LOVE Merica' due to it's "freedoms" why do they seem to insist on stripping American citizens of a freedom so many enjoy throughout the world, and one that has proven medical benefits while being less addictive than the real "gateway drug" alcohol.

[Squiggle]

Well, it warms my heart to know authoritarian republicans are slowly being culled from the party. In ~20 years time hopefully they will all be extinct.

[magpie]

The last refuge of a scoundrel seeing as his campaign is in trouble.

[Fernandez_1492]

Wonder how much big tabacco has lobbied him.

[chilon]

Wonder how much big tabacco has lobbied him.

Big tobacco doesn't oppose marijuana legalization. Tobacco and marijuana are not in competition. In fact, Big Tobacco probably supports it as they could move into industrial pot farming much faster than most other big corporations. Pretty sure Philip Morris was supporting attempts to legalize in California on the last ballot and were ready to move in with industrial size pot farms.

This is a morality play to Romney's social conservative base not a play for tobacco lobbying dollars.

[brandbll]

Wonder how much big tabacco has lobbied him.

Why would the tobacco companies care? It's the rich as hell pharm companies, the prison lobbyists, and the retarded organizations like the DEA that are gonna be lining Mitt's pockets over this stance. Big tobacco doesn't have on all of them combined.

But really, who cares? This is just like last election, it's Obama's to lose. And thank God that's the case. Obama might not be doing very well, but the last thing we need is another fake conservative who acts like America has a bottomless wallet...

[Dalarna3]

Paulites will love this.

[Facupay]

Americans are free to carry any kind of guns they want but consuming marihuana is too dangerous and should be illegal.

[Enemy of the State]

Republicans. For small government, except when they're not. Which is all the time.

[John ''True Grit'' Wayne]

Americans are free to carry any kind of guns they want but consuming marihuana is too dangerous and should be illegal.

Guns and marihuana should never mix though.

High amounts of cannabis use in one country, low in another. Differences in Schizophrenia? Very little. Rate of schizophrenia per capita preindustrial revolution low, post industrial revolution high but has been in decline since off the top of my head...the 1920's I think. Cannabis use has been on an increase with exponential increases in the last few decades with little difference in schizophrenia rates apart from that pesky decline.

Lets talk about the currant strains of very high cannabis that is being grown and manipulated by growers.The 1920s stuff is not what is around now.Skunk can induce skitzo behaviour.Its more like lsd now in some strains.

[boofhead]

Guns and marihuana should never mix though.

Absolutely. A gun-toting pot smoker might be bedazzled by the metallic splendour of the instrument and fail to commit a massacre.

[Denny Crane!]

Guns and marihuana should never mix though.


Lets talk about the currant strains of very high cannabis that is being grown and manipulated by growers.The 1920s stuff is not what is around now.Skunk can induce skitzo behaviour.Its more like lsd now in some strains.

Lets talk about the fact that no one was really using cannabis to any great degree then and schizophrenia was on the decline, lets talk about the fact that it is still in decline despite more potent THC mixes.

Lets talk about the difference between Schizophrenia, psychosis and whether it is short term or long term as an event.

Oh and FYI it isn't like LSD just because it has higher levels of THC, THC effects on the physiology of the body can also be mitigated by the proportion and level of CBD in the strain which most people completely fail to understand and just think "AHA THC BIG CANNABIS BAD" but like anything the actual subject is somewhat more complex than that and I won't pretend to have a total understanding much like the subject I am about to give a brief overview of. Brain chemistry and drugs.

Common psychedelics like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, mescaline, dimethyltryptamine, 4-methyl-2,5-dimethoxyamphetamine have profound effects on serotonin levels and specifically production in the brain through the 5HT-2A receptor, a serotonin receptor of the brain. And some drugs which stimulate serotonin levels in the brain have been blamed for impaired serotinin production and later problems with depression, anxiety and even similiarities with schizophrenic symptoms but these I must stress are almost as heavily contested as the links between cannabis and schizophrenic events.

Cannabis on the other hand works by activating different receptors in the brain CB1 and CB2 I believe. and unlike the other Serotonergic can't produce the severe effects that result in complete sensory disruption but produce mild changes in brain chemistry. In small doses they have been shown to increase serotonin levels but not production and yes in large abusive amounts in the long term to disrupt serotinin production but I mean big whoop, a drug is abused in really heavy amounts causes problems. It just so happens that is the case with every single drug...ever.

But whilst that may have implications with depression it still does not indicate links between long term psychosis or schizophrenia and cannabis. Increasing amounts of THC is not a clear indicator of anything without substantive evidence and a clear understanding of how all the relative compounds interact with each other and brain chemistry.

[HissingNewt]

Considering Romney is Mormon, he almost certainly disapproves of tobacco and alcohol just as much.

[Hakomar]

I can envision a thread in the Political Mudpit called "The Marijuana Debate That Will Happen Whether You Like It Or Not".
On a more on-topic note I can see why Romney might want to fight Marijuana from a religious perspective, as it were, but I personally find no morally or medically compelling argument for the ban on marijuana above alchohol or smoking.

[Condottiere 40K]

Marijuana would just cut into the recreational drug pie if it were too available.

[liamb109]

While the lesser of many evils, Marijuana is neither harmless nor that good a thing. People are allowed personal opinions, politicians are people, not lizards. You can either let him have an opinion on Marijuana or you can do exactly what you fight against and say he can't have that opinion because you want your weed.

[Copperknickers II]

People are allowed personal opinions, politicians are people, not lizards.

That in itself is a personal opinion.

I'm slightly confused however: is Obama promising to push for legalisation if he wins?

[frozenprince]

That in itself is a personal opinion.

I'm slightly confused however: is Obama promising to push for legalisation if he wins?

Nope. Just Mitt cowtowing to the Party line. Again.

"No big government, except for drugs, abortion, same-sex marriage, and education."

[Fernandez_1492]

That in itself is a personal opinion.

I'm slightly confused however: is Obama promising to push for legalisation if he wins?

Ive heard rumors. Obama might try and legalize it. But states can still make it illegal rigt?


Im surpised the dems havnt tried to make mota legal, and then taxing the out of it.

[Turkeys!]

While the lesser of many evils, Marijuana is neither harmless nor that good a thing. People are allowed personal opinions, politicians are people, not lizards. You can either let him have an opinion on Marijuana or you can do exactly what you fight against and say he can't have that opinion because you want your weed.

I choose the second option. To arms!