Defendant claimed 8 pounds of pot was for personal use

well I HAVEN'T felt the ill effects yet..

cnn must have misinformation because all of you pro-pot smomers think it is good for you.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/06/12/pot...

for the truly dim....
Lemming:

The act of following the crowd into an investment that will inevitably head for disaster.

source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/L...

Have you ever seen how the Mayan peoples use Peyote (Mescaline) in a responsible way to see inside themselves and to view the world unclouded by outside influence? In a similar, yet less effective way, Marijuana lets the user see right through people and their true motives. Now we can't really allow people to be influenced by their own unmolested view of the world can we? Just think of the position that would place our government in. I think you can see the government’s motivation in not legalizing this substance. We can't have the country's population running around and thinking for themselves can we Lemming?

Way to go CRAFTY!

"”Government Agencies - Using unconstitutional civil forfeiture laws the government has been able to use the presence of Pot to steal billions of dollars of private property from the People. Drug laws have been an excuse to circumvent our constitutional right and justify wire tap laws, the erosion of protection from illegal searches, key recovery encryption, and domestic spying…………Way to go CRAFTY!

CRAFTY presents the true crux of this situation in an intelligent, logical form. Most people are LEMMINGS from a campaign that is almost 80 years old now. It is very fortunate that the Gazette provides a means for posters to contact other posters. I challenge ANYONE here to debate me in a public forum on this topic. You bring your views and facts, I will bring mine. I hope that CRAFTY would be my ally in such a debate. Lemmings invited to participate-of course.
Just take a look at spelling and grammar usage in the Lemming responses compared to CRAFTY! Clearly CRAFTY is the more informed and most likely intelligent one here. I don't want to hear about any aid CRAFTY may have used to check his work. The fact of the matter is that he is either very intelligent, or at least intelligent enough to recognize the spell check feature embedded into the Gazette site. We need to bring this topic and many more topics of concern out in the open and have reasonable debate to correct where our government is going wrong. After all…take a look at how many responses this story garnered. Then take a close look at the majority opinion. The result speaks for itself. I was taught that majority ruled in this country-clearly it DOES NOT!
So MANY Lemmings, woefully too few cliffs for them to run off!

THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO CONFORM TO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE; THE CITIZENRY SHOULD NOT CONFORM TO THE WILL OF A GOVERNMENT THAT IS CLEARLY OUT OF CONTROL!

You guys still dont get it. Its illegal, you can make all the stupid arguements to legalize it all you want, it still doesnt matter. Its illegal and the police did their job. Plain and simple.

it was either f....the police, or "fight the power" by public enemry

What did that one rap song say about the police?

That's right. The action is at this one:

http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2008/apr...

oops wrong blog

you say potsmoking wont affect your kids. so the johnson boy was busted and the other johnson man was just a guy with same last name or his father????

Government Agencies - Using unconstitutional civil forfeiture laws the government has been able to use the presence of Pot to steal billions of dollars of private property from the People. Drug laws have been an excuse to circumvent our constitutional right and justify wire tap laws, the erosion of protection from illegal searches, key recovery encryption, and domestic spying. If you take a politically unpopular position like this one I'm taking now, the government can plant drugs on you and put you away.

Pot Dealers - If Pot were legalized then people making money off of selling Pot illegally would be out of business. Pot prices would drop to $10 a bale. Crime relating to illegal Pot money would vanish.

Wood Industry - Hemp would become the primary source of fiber for paper products as well as a new source for building materials. We wouldn't have to cut down every big tree in the world.

Private Prisons - If Pot were legalized the private prison industry would be hurt. They would no longer jail Pot smokers. It could free up space for violent criminals.

Trial Lawyers - Normal people caught with a joint spend billions each year on lawyers to get them off of criminal charges after getting caught with a joint. Lawyers get rich off of the Marijuana laws. If Marijuana were legal this money could be spent sending your kids to college.

Mental Hospitals - There's a big industry treating people for problems they don't have. If you have insurance, you're crazy until the insurance coverage runs out. If you smoke Pot then you have mental problems. If Pot were legal some of these people would have to get real jobs. We should start treating people who are addicted to 12 step programs.

Political Cowards - Politicians like to pose with police as somebody who is "against drugs" promising to lock up all the pot smokers and throw away the key. These people need an artificial issue to be against so they don't have to face real issues like how to protect the public from crooked lawyers and crooked judges. Political cowards cross all party lines when it comes to pot and includes President Clinton.

Others - These groups could also be hurt by legalizing Pot. Car body shops would get less alcohol related wrecks to fix. Hospitals would get less alcohol related business as would alcohol treatment centers and funeral homes. It could hurt cemeteries and tombstone makers as well.

Who opposes legalizing Marijuana and why
There are many types of people who oppose legalizing Marijuana for a variety of reasons. Many of these groups have some very strange reasons and selfish interests. Many are just ignorant of the facts. Here's some of the opposition:

The Uninformed - People who believe the misinformation that Pot is harmful to society.

The Government - Pot has been illegal for so long that no politicians have the political courage to tell the truth about Pot. The ones that do tell the truth are defeated by their opponents that paint them as a druggie. Many of these anti-drug politicians are funded by the Alcohol lobby.

Religion - Anything fun is sin and of the Devil. Churches might lose members as people figure out that God can't be that stupid.

Moralizers - The morally superior who enjoy looking down their noses at the less fortunate and get a sadistic thrill in putting people in jail.

People who do no Drugs - These people who don't drink, don't smoke, in some cases don't even drink coffee. They just don't understand why anyone would want to smoke anything or do any drug. From their perspective the world would be better off if no one did anything.

The Alcohol Lobby - Legalizing Pot would seriously cut into the sales of Beer. Pot would become the recreational drug of choice because it is safer than Beer.

The Tobacco Lobby - Pot has the ability in some people to help them break the addiction of nicotine. Pot smoking could actually reduce the number of tobacco addicts.

Law Enforcement - There are a lot of people who make a living fighting Pot who would have to go get a real job if Pot were legalized. Police departments get a lot of funding to fight Marijuana and those funds could be returned to the taxpayer if Pot were made legal. Cops would have to chase robbers, rapists, and murderers.

so you are saying we are 2 potheads that don't drink and drive and keep our pot at home. how could this be ? i thought all pot heads smoked while driving and drinking. i wonder how they afford cars with no jobs ? or even afford pot when they live in their parents basements ? i guess the MYTH is broken.

the surprised officer may have been pigbrain, justsaynotomath! LOL

I've had similar situations but the officers were not as blatantly obtuse when they discovered I was not "wanted" and hadn't been drinking and, of course, I didn't have any pot in plain view. (I NEVER have ANY in my vehicle.) So the officers just waved me off in a friendly "get that light taken care of tomorrow" sort of way....

*sigh*

i got pulled over a few months back for a headlight being out. i drive a car that has a computer on the dash that tells you the light is out (it had just gone out that day). it has been more then 10 years since i was pulled over last. the officer was surprised to see i had had nothing to drink even at 11pm and i was aware of the light because of the computer telling me so. anyways i was very disturbed by the fact that he was disappointed to see i was sober and just coming from a friends house on my way home. i know he thought i was coming from a bar and it would be a hefty pay day for the police department. he even said to me "you have no tickets on your record". next time don't waste my time please. there are plenty of real crimes and drunk drivers in janesville to keep the police busy. as soon as i got home i had to smoke one just to get over being pulled over : )

Obviously the war on drugs has been a huge failure. The solution is: You stop the demand (treatment and recovery) and you stop the supply.
Try to live life without psychoactive substances. I know it is hard, but it can be done.

Thekid- all of us should be thanking you for taking the time and effort to educate these ignorant folks! and i'm going to have one for ya in about 10 minutes here :) come arrest me, i'm in the privacy of my house!

Keep on saving the world pigbrain, just don't violate my rights when doing so. Excellent post ms_sassy_wi.

obviously, it depends on the officer. An officer, with a personal belief system that a person in possession of pot should be put away for life, will go to greater extents to make the "discovery" and an officer, with a personal belief system that a person in possession of pot is not harming anyone, but just has a taillight out, is not driving recklessly or speeding will give a warning to the driver that the taillight is out. Should be simple, but obviously LE either has an attitude that they are there to "shake the bad guys down" or they are there to make the community safer by using realistic and precautionary measures.

It's not so much about "law" as it is about personal agendas...sad, but true.

Not exactly. We know what one another is up to. Weapons, OWI's, warrants. These are what I classify as actively pursuing, however...
Patrol involves looking for anything that's illegal, so if pot is illegal and we see it, well, I guess you can say we're actively pursuing it. So leave it at home and fix your broken taillight...it seems to keep coming around to that.

"Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you"

Wow, this is almost painfull. pigbrain, absolutely the police have the right to stop vehicles for equipment violations but don't tell people "Local LE is not the ones actively pursuing potheads" because that's one of the reasons you are making traffic stops for minor equipment violations. You are hoping to find pot or whatever in plain view. Then at the end of your shift you can tell all your brothers in blue how you made a big bust because you caught some poor kid with an ounce of pot and a pot pipe. WOOHOO!

You are right, if police have mere knowledge of a subject possessing something, it would be unconstitutional for us to stop them and search (4th Amendment). However, if during the course of a legal traffic stop a substance is observed, then it's good to go. That's the point.
You are correct, you can tell us to get bent if we ask to search your car for no reason. But the point I made was about pot being discovered in plain view during a legal stop.

I understand your opinion of what some would call a pretext stop, but I'm sorry to say, it's legal for us to stop a vehicle for an equipment violation.

pigbrain, NO ONE HAS TO TALK TO YOU whether you are dispatched or otherwise. You said in this blog that you don't infringe on people's rights. If you are forcing someone to talk to you then you are infringing on their rights. If you are infringing on peoples rights by making them talk to you then you possibly infringe on some of their other rights. That is the point I was making. Next, PC to investigate what? That was also my point. You are digging for other offenses when you make a traffic stop for minor equipment violations. Just tell the truth, Local LE IS actively pursuing potheads!

Officerfriendly1 asked:
"pigbrain, you won't infringe on anyone's rights? Do you remember this statement you made a few months ago? "Citizens Are required to talk to the police when dispatched, it's called a terry stop, or investigative detention, and is not an option. What do you think leads up to an arrest?"
Yes I do. That pertains to a dispatched call, not our hypothetical traffic stop, so your point is.....?
And no, we generally won't write a ticket for a taillight, but it gets our attention and establishes PC to investigate, which is our right and duty, so again, if you don't want our attention, don't stand out with a vehicle infraction, which was the point of my post in the first place. Are we back on topic now?

thanx for the love sweet_79. i really am done with this story after this post. lol. this has been a blast reading both sides. plus it looks like weve officially killed the 'smoking hurts everyone' chat. so thats kewl:) i was tired of seeing that one. yes, its just after 4:20 on a saturday afternoon. is that a responsible time to smoke?? who cares. i am who i am with or without my yoga, my work, my alcohol, my family, or my marijuana, ALL of whom helped me get to where i am today. i love them all. someone said before about 'learning to drink'. that can be done. so can 'learning to smoke'. dub, westside, crafty, fldmn, sweet_79, and whoever else my short term memory may have forgotten;), HAVE LEARNED to smoke responsibly. do you think were the only ones?? no. were not the criminals. as i sit here after a day of work and my second peaceful buzz of the day i just think to myself 'i cant believe feeling like this is against the law,if they only knew.....'

I just had to comment on all these. I've read almost this entire page since lunch and i'm just amazed at how stupid and stuck up some people are. The kid you are my hero, your in love with pot and I just fell in love with you. I agree with every single thing you have said! I am a young working married mother I own my own home and I pay my own bills and almost every night I light one up. I think i've earned it and I think I have every right to do so in my OWN home. I am not hurting anyone, i'm not out there driving or killing people for my drugs. I think some of you have watched a few too many movies or played a couple too many video games. Smoking a little pot every once in a while does no one harm, smoking pot everyday does no one harm. So those "losers" dont dress the way YOU think they should or have jobs like YOU think they should, that means you are above them? NO! This is supposed to be a free country and your obviously a materialistic a$$hole if you think smoking pot is wrong because Willie Nelson has braids and wears a headband, thats all you have. If you've never even tried pot because your so againest it then how can you even post your opinion? I have drank I do drink on occasion and its just not my thing, I am in much better control of myself when smoking then when drinking and I think most pot smokers would agree with me. I am a responsible pot smoker and I know MANY people who are the same. Pot WILL be legal one day, you have to remember that one day it will be my generation in congress, we will be president, we will have the control! Are you scared?

A lot of talk about hypocricy...
Funny how a law breaker wants a law changed so that they can abide by the law...

ive gone 15 days with pot in my house and not smoked(ironically to clean up for an alcohol class:), and i didnt 'suffer'....because there are no physical withdrawals from giving up pot. ive given up alcohol. then i gave up cigarettes. then i gave up caffeine. any time i cant smoke pot my body does not feel close to what it did when i stopped caffeine alone.. again, and possibly the last time....its all about hypocrisy to me. there is no reason you can come up with that will convince me it should be ok to allow people to intoxicate themselves with alcohol or tobacco when they reach a 'responsible' age, and not pot. THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERYTHING. we can debate the pro's/cons of any and all drugs all day long. but no matter how you look at it, the current laws are hypocrisy at its greatest.

thought that would make you laugh. anyway back to it is against the law. so i guess you should suffer for a few days while in vegas

seriously hannah. thanks for your concern, but im not 6. its not the same for me to talk to a stranger as my kid. i can handle myself. take it on my carry on?? that seriously makes me laugh. do you really think they are going to let me carry an illegal drug on an airplane?? if they did, i would not have a problem with these laws and would not have had to converse with the scary stranger. carry on...lol...still laughing........

no you dont get it. youre not intellegient enough to not smoke pot that day and bought from a total stranger!!!!! we teach cjildren to not even talk to stranger and your buying pot from them. what couldnt you put it in your carry on???

EXACTLY HANNAH!! do you get it yet?? why should i be in the city of sin where i can intoxicate myself til im blue in the face with alcohol, or sex, or gambling or who knows what else, but i have to buy a small bag of weed from a stranger in a bathroom so i can relax how i want?? most pot smokers are intelligent, WE DONT WANT TO HAVE TO BUY FROM SOME DUDE IN A JOHN. do you see why im annoyed with these laws and preach about the hypocrisy??

pigbrain, you won't infringe on anyone's rights? Do you remember this statement you made a few months ago? "Citizens Are required to talk to the police when dispatched, it's called a terry stop, or investigative detention, and is not an option. What do you think leads up to an arrest?"

kid buying weed from some stranger in vegas- though you mentioned you were intellegent!!!!!????

perfect point officerfriendly. thats the MAIN reason uncle sam likes it illegal...CONTROL...

pigbrain, you said, "Local LE is not the ones actively pursuing potheads. The overwhelming majority of drug arrests are the result of stoners attracting our attention by their own actions. For example a taillight out, no plate/expired reg, cracked windshield, loud exhaust, poor driving, tint too dark, etc". Common be honest. Do you write citations for a tail light out? The only reason you are stopping for minor traffic violations is to dig for a bigger offense. Local LE IS actively pursuing potheads!

crafty wrote"Pot is a sexual stimulant. It removes a persons inhibitions. You are more likely to agree to have sex when you are stoned. You are also more likely to not use birth control while stoned. "

that is supposed to be a supportive claim to your pot smoking???? you are high. not to mention others you listed

jvilleparkergrad: yer on our team now perfect:)
whocares: its technically not de-criminalized, that would mean residents could grow, but when they state they will no longer prosecute simple marijuana possession, that means they wont make responsible smokers criminals, which in a way IS de-criminalizing it. its not ok to break law because i follow all the others. i dont think a judge would by the story anyways:). i understand the risk i take by being in possession of a plant. i do think its ok to smoke marijuana responsibly and it is OK to disagree with a law and work to change it. thats america. thats what im doing.

crafty- what would heavy use equil???? 3 x a day or just 2???

crafty- the man who just hung himself liked pot- related to his sucide??????????? paranoia etc????????

Nice TRY????
Is your paranoia showing?
I told only one part of my experiences here, to see the reactions.
Now I fill in the rest of the story, you give me a hard time for that as well? I am actually on your side as far as having marijuana legal, and live where it is legal for medicinal use, so the laws are being changed to accommodate everyone who uses it for personal use.
Wow, your mellowness is showing. Come here and smoke it where it is legal, maybe you will lose some of those paranoid, the-government-is-out-to-get-me feelings!

thekid: So if you obey most laws it's ok to break some?

Nice try Parkergrad.
Pigbrain, I'm sure you have never used the old "Obstruction of Justice" tactic? (you tell a person that, if they lie to you, that's obstruction of justice, when in fact they can just not say anything)

Crafty,
your last paragraph in 11:14 post, that is.

Global Warming is a sham. Anyone who believes in Global Warming is a mindless sheep. They are finding TREES in the ice that is melting off of the polar ice caps. Look it up. The oceans are NOT GETTING ANY WARMER. Al Gore is a liar and moron.

pigbrain i agree that its the feds that are most ignorant about it. thats why citys and countys all over the country are passing ordinances making possession of pot not criminal. because they, like you im sure, KNOW there are more productive ways to use our police force. tell these people pigbrain, yer the copper, tell em you have no need to arrest responsible pot smokers. yer the law, at least tell them there is such a thing as a responsible pot smoker. for every ignorant pot smoker that gets busted because of a broken taillight theres prolly a dozen driving 2 mph over the speed limit in possession of, if not currently buzzed on pot. on a side note....a couple weekends ago i spent last weekend in the vegas, the self professed 'city of sin' i dont drink, but if i wanted to i could have drank 24/7 with only the proper i.d. i also could have chose to gamble my savings away in a couple hands;) i coudnt walk 10 feet without some illegal allien flicking a card for a prostitute. i saw an ad for a 'full auto' gun store. i did score some weed so i could celebrate 4/20:) but i had to buy it off some thug in the bathroom of a casino at 2:00 in the morning. ignorance and hypocrisy....im not the criminal....

Crafty,
Your last paragraph is dead on. One thing I must add, however, is I will not infringe on anyone's rights based upon what my previous customer did. I am very much in tune with my community and deal with many great people as well as the bad guys. I would also never use backwoods, oldschool language as "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way" and the like. That is a stereotype us younger officers must try to overcome due to the way it was done years ago.
Also, the tactics mentioned in you post might be used on TV shows, but to do that where I work is a sure way to get your case thrown out by the DA and your credibility damaged.

thekid3477 and dub190: It has been fun watching you tear me up, even after I said you don't know me :)
I live in Ontario, Canada, where it has been ruled that possession of pot for medicinal and personal use is being decriminalized. Here is one article:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/07/1...
Here, people smoke it all the time, and are not usually bothered by police about it. I expect soon it will be legal for anyone to possess small amounts and it will be legal.
In fact, today there is the annual March for Marijuana in downtown Toronto at noon, and in the past no one has been arrested while smoking pot during this rally.
Too bad the US will continue to suppress that right, as well as other rights that don't interfere with people's liberties, such as gay marriage (has legal force equal to heterosexual marriage). We even have universal health care, which means EVERYONE gets health care free, rich or poor. The taxes aren't higher and companies you work for can give better benefits, like prescription drug coverage and dental coverage, to name a few. Another freedom here is that men and women can go topless in public, because it would be discriminatory to not allow women to do so.
Imagine, a government that REALLY stands for individual's freedoms!
I really have nothing against people who smoke pot when it's legal. I don't smoke it because I have experienced nothing but adverse effects when I had tried it as a young person (these imaginary symptoms that you claim them to be). To me they are real nonetheless, and I don't enjoy it.
The stories I told earlier were from when I lived in the US two years ago. I guess when it is legal, people don't act like such idiots.
I wanted to see how rabid you all get here when I talked about my experiences in the States.
Thanks for the amusement. My Canadian buddies get a laugh out of the what they read here on these blogs!
It is illegal to carry handguns in the city but it's legal to carry bongs :)
Peace out!

People are searched because they don't know when they have a right to refuse, then are searched under the exercise of specific police powers. It isn't entirely unheard of for police officers to allow people to conclude that powers of search are more extensive than they really are.

Crafty: Whew, you obviously spend an awful lot of time on pro-pot websites gleaning blizards of propaganda. Surprised nobody has discovered yet that legal pot can eliminate global warming.
...
I need to correct just one of your bits of misinformation: Dane county did not decriminalize pot. From stopthedrugwar.com:
"The Dane County, Wisconsin, District Attorney's Office will no longer prosecute simple marijuana possession cases involving less than 25 grams (nearly an ounce) of pot. Prosecutors said it wasn't an effort to decriminalize marijuana, merely recognition of limited resources and setting priorities for the office."
That shouldn't surprise anybody who knows Madison - they're so enlightened.
...
If nobody broke pot laws it would cost nothing to enforce them.

Pigbrain - First off thanks for the intended insult. That immediately puts you in a certain established category.
Yeah I'm sure that from your point of view, that is how it looks. From the point of view of thousands of people who are pulled over for one of these reasons, and DECEIVED to the point of giving up their Constitutional rights, you are full of crap.
Don't get me wrong I respect and appreciate my local law enforcement. I do not appreciate Police Officers intentionally trying to confuse people who do not know their rights. Especially teenagers.
Examples:
1. “We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way.” – Often, without being arrested, a version of this statement will be made. The cop is suggesting that if you just admit to him you did something wrong, he will go easy on you. Don’t fall for it. If you take the bait and admit to a crime you will be arrested and your confession will be used against you.

There is no easy way out, and the cops aren’t there to help. The real easy way is to get a lawyer and remain silent.

2. “We would like you to come with us to answer a few questions.” – Welcome to cop fishing! If they had enough to make an arrest, they would have. Instead, they want to put you on the record and trip you up later if you miss any details. There is no benefit to cooperation and don’t think you can outwit them. No, you don’t want to go anywhere. And, no, you aren’t answering any questions.

3. “What do you have to hide?” – This loaded question seeks to impugn anyone who knows their rights and refused to cooperate with police. Remember, you don’t have to justify your decision not to speak with a cop.

4. “You might as well tell us, we already know everything.” – Similar to #3, if the police had evidence of you committing a crime they would be stopping by to arrest you, not to chat.

5. “Why do you need an attorney unless you did something wrong?” – As if you need to justify exercising your rights to a public servant. Don’t even attempt to answer this; it’s another cop trick question.
*******
The main thing to remember when interacting with cops is that, 24-7-365, all they get from the public is (a) lies, and (b) hostility. If, in any given situation, you give every appearance of being calm, rational and reasonably courteous, 999 out of 1,000 cops will do the same.
Being a cop is in some ways a great job–but it’s also, in other ways, one of the crappiest jobs on the planet. Always try to remember that the “customer” just before you, so to speak, may have been the child rapist or the guy who bludgeoned an elderly woman for her pension check.

Since education was just mentioned, I think it's wrong for society to lie to teenagers about smoking marijuana. I find it frustrating when I hear ads from places like "Partnership for a Drug Free America" running commercials against Pot that just aren't true. I don't like it when people warn teens about using "Marijuana and Cocaine" when Pot is almost harmless and Cocaine is a dangerous drug. When people lie to teens about Marijuana then teens assume they are lying about other drugs too and I think they are more likely to do drugs they shouldn't do. So I think it's time to come clean and tell the truth. If teens are going to do drugs, they should have truthful and accurate information. So I have decided to tell it like it is. Best decisions are made when the real facts are presented.

For those parents who are reading this in horror, I am not trying to get kids to smoke Pot. What I am doing here is trying to tell them the truth, and tell you the truth about a widely misunderstood substance. This is an opportunity for everyone to have a better understanding of reality. If you can't handle reality, stop reading this post. There are plenty of other people here that will tell you what you want to hear. I am not one of them.
How bad is Marijuana Really?
As compared to most drugs, Pot is the least dangerous. Pot is not an addictive drug. For those who claim it is, anything is theoretically addictive, and there are some people who can become addicted to spring water. So to put it in perspective, Pot is less addictive than coffee. I have become addicted to coffee myself and have broken the habit. You get mild headaches for a few days. I have never had any symptoms for withdrawal from Pot.

Pot will cause some short term memory loss. It's harder to remember a 10 digit phone number. Beer causes the same memory loss as Pot. The effect is temporary and wears off completely. Pot has no long term affects on the brain. I have been smoking Pot for the last 25 years and I still test as a genius on IQ tests. My mental abilities have increased over the years.

Pot will give you the Munchies. You may eat more than you would normally. If you are on a diet, you should factor this in when deciding to smoke Pot. It could cause you to gain weight.

Pot is a sexual stimulant. It removes a persons inhibitions. You are more likely to agree to have sex when you are stoned. You are also more likely to not use birth control while stoned.
Never drive while doing any drugs or alcohol, or many prescription drugs for that matter. Alcohol causes you to wreck your car. Pot has a much lesser effect on driving than alcohol, but it has some effect. You are more likely to pull out in front of someone or run a red light than lose control of the vehicle. Pot might also cause you to get lost. Don't drive while stoned.

Crafty, Kid, whoever:
I hope the bong resin clears out of your head long enough to absorb what I'm about to tell you:
Local LE is not the ones actively pursuing potheads. The overwhelming majority of drug arrests are the result of stoners attracting our attention by their own actions. For example a taillight out, no plate/expired reg, cracked windshield, loud exhaust, poor driving, tint too dark, etc. Once contact with the driver is established, it's in plain view or obvious by their actions that something is hinky, giving us PC to search.
Only Federal law has a heavy hammer for pot offenders, and they are looking to prosecute big time dealers, not users who get stopped with a bag or two, which generally results in a fine only, barring any unrelated warrants.
If you want to place blame on someone for all the pot related arrests, blame yourselves. It's not cops fault that potheads are easy to spot and catch. Try driving through town without attracting our attention and keep your stuff at home you won't be hassled by the man no more.

Fldpan, you live in Minnesota?

we are wasting so much money putting pot smokers in jail. why i or anyone else for that matter can drink and smoke cigarettes in a bar or home and not smoke pot is beyond me. what i do in my house or you in yours is nobodies business. that is the problem with our county and this town is that everyone sticks there nose where it doesnt belong. mind your own damn business and stay out of mine! education is the key. ive smoked pot since 1976 and guess what i continue to be employed and live a damn good life. never robbed or killed anyone just because ive smoked a little weed. its 2008 people time to put this issue to bed. it does way more good than harm. no if you will excuse me it must be 420 somewhere. thanks for listening. peace out!

Whythink, has pot ever hurt you or anyone you know? Your opinion is appreciated, but I disagree with you strongly. Look what fldpan said. You don't believe him?
You said "Visit a prison and ask the inmates about pot. They will admit it is adictive and harmful. Pot does kill." That is just ridiculous. Give me one case where pot killed anyone. I bet 9 out of 10 prisoners will say the exact opposite.
AN Oklahoma man is serving 75 years in prison for growing 5 marijuana plants. Another man in a wheelchair who was using marijuana to control his muscle spasms was sentenced to 10 years in jail. Many nonviolent drug offenders serve longer prison sentences than some murderers, rapists, and thieves, and it costs taxpayers $30,000 dollars a year to keep it illegal. Prohibition also creates a black market. Just as alcohol prohibition created crime and violence during the 1920's, marijuana prohibition does the same. It is said by the DEA that marijuana impairs learning ability, but the study that 'proves' this actually states "Heavy marijuana use may impair learning ability." - Note the words "heavy" and "may"

Crafty

You are SO misinformed. Pot is not something that will benefit this society. This society is already to dependent on drugs (legal and illegal). Alcohol, Tobacco, abuse of prescription drugs have destroyed many families and made many less productive.

Visit a prison and ask the inmates about pot. They will admit it is adictive and harmful. Pot does kill.

I am not some old fart who doesn't drink or smoke but I don't believe this society would benefit from another mind altering drug. I don't like seeing prisons filled with nonviolent pot offenders but just because people ignore the law doesn't mean you give up.
Think if parents acted that way. My 3 year old doesn't like the potty so I will just give up and buy more diapers. OR my 14 year old doesn't really like homework/school so I will just give up and let them stay home.
I don't think pot is a horrible drug, alcohol and tobacco are worse but that is not a reason to legalize another harmful drug. 2 wrongs doesn't make a 3rd wrong a good idea.

PEOPLE please take the time to read the posts below. See if you can find yourself, or your reasoning, in there somewhere.

Government Agencies - Using unconstitutional civil forfeiture laws the government has been able to use the presence of Pot to steal billions of dollars of private property from the People. Drug laws have been an excuse to circumvent our constitutional right and justify wire tap laws, the erosion of protection from illegal searches, key recovery encryption, and domestic spying. If you take a politically unpopular position like this one I'm taking now, the government can plant drugs on you and put you away.

Pot Dealers - If Pot were legalized then people making money off of selling Pot illegally would be out of business. Pot prices would drop to $10 a bale. Crime relating to illegal Pot money would vanish.

Wood Industry - Hemp would become the primary source of fiber for paper products as well as a new source for building materials. We wouldn't have to cut down every big tree in the world.

Private Prisons - If Pot were legalized the private prison industry would be hurt. They would no longer jail Pot smokers. It could free up space for violent criminals.

Trial Lawyers - Normal people caught with a joint spend billions each year on lawyers to get them off of criminal charges after getting caught with a joint. Lawyers get rich off of the Marijuana laws. If Marijuana were legal this money could be spent sending your kids to college.

Mental Hospitals - There's a big industry treating people for problems they don't have. If you have insurance, you're crazy until the insurance coverage runs out. If you smoke Pot then you have mental problems. If Pot were legal some of these people would have to get real jobs. We should start treating people who are addicted to 12 step programs.

Political Cowards - Politicians like to pose with police as somebody who is "against drugs" promising to lock up all the pot smokers and throw away the key. These people need an artificial issue to be against so they don't have to face real issues like how to protect the public from crooked lawyers and crooked judges. Political cowards cross all party lines when it comes to pot and includes President Clinton.

Others - These groups could also be hurt by legalizing Pot. Car body shops would get less alcohol related wrecks to fix. Hospitals would get less alcohol related business as would alcohol treatment centers and funeral homes. It could hurt cemeteries and tombstone makers as well.

Who opposes legalizing Marijuana and why
There are many types of people who oppose legalizing Marijuana for a variety of reasons. Many of these groups have some very strange reasons and selfish interests. Many are just ignorant of the facts. Here's some of the opposition:

The Uninformed - People who believe the misinformation that Pot is harmful to society.

The Government - Pot has been illegal for so long that no politicians have the political courage to tell the truth about Pot. The ones that do tell the truth are defeated by their opponents that paint them as a druggie. Many of these anti-drug politicians are funded by the Alcohol lobby.

Religion - Anything fun is sin and of the Devil. Churches might lose members as people figure out that God can't be that stupid.

Moralizers - The morally superior who enjoy looking down their noses at the less fortunate and get a sadistic thrill in putting people in jail.

People who do no Drugs - These people who don't drink, don't smoke, in some cases don't even drink coffee. They just don't understand why anyone would want to smoke anything or do any drug. From their perspective the world would be better off if no one did anything.

The Alcohol Lobby - Legalizing Pot would seriously cut into the sales of Beer. Pot would become the recreational drug of choice because it is safer than Beer.

The Tobacco Lobby - Pot has the ability in some people to help them break the addiction of nicotine. Pot smoking could actually reduce the number of tobacco addicts.

Law Enforcement - There are a lot of people who make a living fighting Pot who would have to go get a real job if Pot were legalized. Police departments get a lot of funding to fight Marijuana and those funds could be returned to the taxpayer if Pot were made legal. Cops would have to chase robbers, rapists, and murderers.

Legalizing Marijuana would be a benefit to society. We as a nation would be improved by it. There are several reasons I make this claim. Although Pot has it's problems, it's benefits for outweigh it's consequences.

If Pot were legal, many people would switch from alcohol to Pot. I think that a lot of Alcohol abuse come from the fact that it is the only legal drug and therefore is overused. Alcohol is highly addictive, physically and psychologically destructive, and is a severe drag on society. I think that if Pot were legal that many people would switch to Pot and be much better off. I think one side effect of legalizing Pot would be a major reduction in the abuse of Alcohol and that the number of traffic deaths would drop dramatically.

The only reason Pot isn't legal is because there are a lot of people making money because it's not legal.

Another reason is to save the huge cost in tax dollars wasted in prohibiting Pot and enforcing drug laws that have no benefit to society. If Pot were legal you immediately eliminate the illegal Pot market and get rid of crime associated with Pot money. You could also release from jail all those convicted from Pot related offenses and cut the costs of having to build new prisons to incarcerate normal people. Because of mandatory drug sentencing laws, many states have to release violent offenders to make room for Pot smokers. That's stupid!
Pot has many other uses. Before the lumber industry lobbied Congress to make Pot illegal, Marijuana (known as Hemp) was the primary source of fiber for the production of paper. The United States Constitution is printed on Pot. With today's technologies this fiber can be processed into construction materials that would replace wood products saving our forests and lowering the costs of construction while producing byproducts useful in making fuels to run cars and generate electricity. Hemp is a very hearty plant and would be a good cash crop for our nation's farmers.

When pharmaceutical companies figure out how to make money from marijuana the republican lawmakers will want it to be legal....

Four years ago, I ruptured a disk in my neck, requiring multiple surgeries to essentially rebuild my neck, with at least two more surgeries coming. Some of my vertebrae have eight holes in them.

I get severe muscle spasms in my neck. The pain is constant and gets so intense I almost can't describe it. I've been given an array of narcotics and other drugs, but they help only a bit and often cause severe nausea.

I rarely get a decent night's sleep. I've had to quit my work as a photographer and often can't even go to church because of my condition. My medication alone costs Minnesota taxpayers about $18,000 per year.

One medicine did help: Marijuana. It brought the pain down to a bearable level, helped the nausea and eased the spasms. It made my life tolerable.

But I don't want to be a lawbreaker. That's not who I am. I'm a registered Republican and a born-again Christian. I don't want to make nighttime purchases from criminal drug dealers and risk jail in order to live with a little less agony.

That's why it is so sad to see law enforcement representatives misleading the public about the medical marijuana bill. I want to be on their side. I don't want to be a criminal.

Benthinkin, I find it very hard to believe that someone you know of has had their kids taken away for just smoking pot. Does anyone here know anyone who had their children put into protective services due to marijuana smoking? Not selling.
I don't buy the fact that pot makes people bad parents. They were bad parents in the first place.
Whocares, who told you medicinal heroin is available? "The government could get money by taxing pot and controlling its manufacture and sale in the same way it controls the sale and manufacture of alcohol." Not true. The government makes money off of the paper, plastic, pharmaceutical, textile, fiber, grain, animal feed, and oil companies just for keeping it illegal. Even just hemp, if legalized, would threaten to hurt ALL these industries.
Hannah, I have no idea what you are asking of these "other things". What are these "other things" you refer to?

as for the medical marijuana thing. isnt it funny that heroin and cocaine are available medically, but not marijuana?? more hypocrisy...

all good points whocares. you make more sense than anyone else whos posted ant-pot. ive never said i dont see the other side of the coin. the prob is no anti-potters see our side of the coin. my WHOLE point goes back to this fact: if i as a rational thinking adult have the option to intoxicate myself with alcohol then i should have the option to intoxicate myself with pot ITS NO WORSE ON THE INDIVIDUAL USER THAN LEGAL ALCOHOL. as i pointed out earlier, we smokers dont really want full legalization like alcohol. i can argue for legalization all day. de-criminalize it like dane county has. make it so i as a responsible adult can possess up to an ounce for myself without risking arrest. give me a traffic ticket and confiscate it. just like alcohol selling to minors would be big timez illegal. no public smoking. no schools. NO ANYWHERE BUT MY HOUSE. why is it a crime if i chose to sit in my house and get high, but not if i drive to a bar and get drunk??

thekid: Let me try this again: the pro-pot cult is hanging it's entire argument for legalizing pot on whether or not it has medicinal value. Medical heroin is available but people are not allowed to manufacture their own. Dynamite has beneficial uses but people are not allowed to possess it without proper authority. To which your sterotypical reply is: the government just makes these things illegal so they can get bribes from the companies who make the legal stuff. What made you so suggestible to such a paranoid theory?
The government could get money by taxing pot and controlling its manufacture and sale in the same way it controls the sale and manufacture of alcohol. So there's no need to get it from bribes. Weed, like heroin and dynamite, is controlled because casual use by anybody is considered a threat to both the users and others in society whom the government has an obligation to protect.
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Like almost every issue in life there is disagreement over this issue too. But it takes little imagination to understand why people are not allowed to obey just the laws they approve of and break the laws they don't approve of. There would be no law.
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I repeat the bottom line: while you say there is no harm in making weed legal, the rest of us say there is even less harm in making it illegal. There is really nothing else to discuss.

Thekid: So you use pot to be a better person. And when your weed is gone, what kind of a person are you then? You're obviously not an idiot (unlike me), but both you and the rest of the world would be better off if you devoted your enthusiasm, persistence, and intelligence towards more worthy goals. Oh, sorry - more stereotyping. How dumb am I. Oh, well - who cares?

Sativex pot in a pill! Did you see it's a Bayer website? I guess it's okay if the drug companies can make a profit on it.

whocares: as for that link you posted. what was the point?? its a link to sativex and like all prescription drugs it lists every possible side effect. i mentioned this earlier, but got no response to that logic either, but dont you think that PROVES there are benefits to medical marijuana?? if there is such a drug as sativex which is based off of cannabis, i think its safe to say the cannabis itself is a medicine....

whocares: i truly think thats awesome the bible makes you a better person. i understand why people read the bible and go to church. i may not agree with it, but i understand. ive never read the bible, so i can safely say it has nothing to do with me being a better person. believe what you want, and stereotype me how you want, but i didnt use the bible to help me become a better person....i used marijuana....

The remark that smoking pot is a "victimless" crime is way off base.
I've seen the victims when the parents are hauled off to jail, or child protective takes the kids and on and on.
You can argue that this happens because the pot is illegal, but the fact remains that it is the possesion and usage of the pot that causes the government actions, no pot, no crime, no victim.
There are many remarks comparing pot to alcohol... That is great, just go out and get it legalized.
Many people talk about the victims of alcohol abuse due to the health aspects and accidents from DWI etc. That same arguement is good for the vitcims of pot smokers also.

Can too much pot be unhealthy? Of course! But I remember someone dying last year from drinking to much water. I've read about peoples skin turning orange from eating to many carrots. If you are worried about smoking effects then it also can be eaten. Mostly I want to be left alone. I have not found the use of cannabis to cause that many problems. Disagree if you want but I grew up in the house of a drunk. All alcohol has done for me is bring misery.

Hannah said: "your not reading my links either. side effects here you go.
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS:

Dry mouth and throat

Increased heart rate

Bloodshot eyes

Impaired learning, memory, judgment and complex motor skills

Difficulty speaking, listening, thinking, and problem solving

Anxiety or panic attacks

Paranoia in some users

Distorted perception: (sight, sound, time, touch)

LONG-TERM EFFECTS:

Psychological dependence

Asthma

Cancer of the lungs - as with anything smoked

Lowered sperm production & decreased sperm mobility

Immune system damage

There is some evidence of long-term memory damage from “prolonged use”.

sounds so yummy i'll go get high"

hmm i suffer from some of those after i've had a good night out on the town! :)

From the medical community, a list of contraindications, warnings and precautions, and adverse events for medical THC/CBD, see:
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http://www.bayerhealth.com/display.cfm?O...
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The discussion at that webpage is far too long to copy into a post here.
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Pro-potters suggest that pot should be legal because using it doesn't cause anybody any harm. How much harm does making it illegal cause if you obey the law? And who's putting a gun to your head to break the law? I can tell you who's trying to persuade kids to break pot laws. And that's why people are fighting you on this issue - your personal welfare is less important to us than the welfare of our kids and grandkids.
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thekid: The beauty of the Bible is that nobody can prove that it's just fiction and nobody needs to prove that it's not - it's all about Faith in a Being more universally wise and good than any human being. The Bible and Faith are all about learning to put other people ahead of ourselves - the very essence of virtue. The Bible, true or false, helps us to become better people.

thanx for answering my question hannah.;)
ive heard cannabis is referenced in the bible. i was not the one to state that. and even if it is in the bible its irrelevant to me. i know nothing of the bible so i will gladly plead ignorance. as far as im concerned its the best selling novel of all time.....

so noone is answering and avoinding my bible question about pot and all the other things they did back then that were okay then and not now.Yuo must agree cause youre not debating this one. I and I am having somebody who know the bible well look into your statement that you said the bible said "it was okay to smoke pot" I dont have proff yet but i think your misunderstood