Police Arrest American Man Openly Smoking Marijuana On Walking Street

[dingdongrb]

In most of Canada these days, the cop would ask you to put it out, and wouldn't even take it away, fine or frisk you.

People insulting others who enjoy the occasional puff are just curmudgeons.

Hear Hear. Same in the UK.

Look at the joy

..and in many US cities they would ask you for your medical marijuana permit, which you would kindly show as many have, and then they would go on their merry way as you continued toking on your bud purchased from the local marijuana dispensary.

[transam]

Perhaps you should look a bit deeper into why cannabis is illegal in most countries in the world and booze is not. There obviously is a reason.

There's no obvious reason. It's tradition. Alcohol is by far the worst of the 2 drugs.

Sorry chum, don't cut my post in half. The second bit is the good bit.

OK, so you want me to comment on the second bit too....

Alcohol causes a lot aggression so it really does affect people sitting nearby.

There are so many positive uses for cannabis that we are missing out on due to draconian laws. We're seeing a similar thing happening with drugs such as pseudoephidrine, just because some people abuse them. It's the very best nasal/sinus decongestant available bar none.

Compare alcohol, where abuse is extremely widespread and even considered acceptable by a large percentage of the population.

It's a lot easier to die from an overdose of alcohol than smoking too much pot.

Sorry, you still haven't addressed my second part, or you have twisted it a bit.

ANYBODY smoking pot, a drug, in public, is also drugging those around him who are breathing air, BUT if the guy was drinking a ( as in one ) beer it has NO effect on others around him. Unless it's Real Ale then he could let one rip eh.

[Pi Sek]

Perhaps you should look a bit deeper into why cannabis is illegal in most countries in the world and booze is not. There obviously is a reason.

Yes, it is called 'racism'.

It helps if one knows modern history.

I know the history you are talking about. But the racism issue was the emotional card being played. The real reason was, of course, money. In this case it was about stopping the hemp trade when development of plastics started. And the plastics in question are still more harmful to the environment and more expensive to produce than the hemp they were brought in to replace. I don't know if the plastics are better quality than hemp now, but they weren't at the time.

The reasons I suspect you are talking about are, according to US Congress at the time were that:

- marijouana is the reason a black man can look a white man inthe eye;

- Mexicans, Indians and blacks used marijouana to lure white children away from their respectable lives;

- marijouana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes

[Pi Sek]

Sorry, you still haven't addressed my second part, or you have twisted it a bit.

ANYBODY smoking pot, a drug, in public, is also drugging those around him who are breathing air, BUT if the guy was drinking a ( as in one ) beer it has NO effect on others around him. Unless it's Real Ale then he could let one rip eh.

Smoking anything in public is being phased out, or it will be over a relatively short period of time. Smoking pot in public is as irresponsible as walking around with a can of Special Brew. Doing it for show or what?

[tropo]

Sorry, you still haven't addressed my second part, or you have twisted it a bit.

ANYBODY smoking pot, a drug, in public, is also drugging those around him who are breathing air, BUT if the guy was drinking a ( as in one ) beer it has NO effect on others around him. Unless it's Real Ale then he could let one rip eh.

As was mentioned above, smoking in public places is being phased out in all civilised countries.

Please give a good reason why cannabis is worse for people than alcohol? It certainly causes less public disturbance.

Americans are very stressed out people due to the fast pace of life, that's why it is so popular over there.

Edited February 12, 2011 by tropo

[Steely Dan]

It's amazing how many "redneck" opinions are being offered. From people cursing the offender to crying for long prison terms. This is scary evidence of how well so many people have been indoctrinated by their governments and authority figures to believe that marijuana is the "Devil's Weed".

I would bet dollars to doughnuts that there is more than one of those people, who are screaming for harsh treatment of the smoker, who have got behind the wheel of a car knowing that they've had too much to drink and shouldn't be driving, which is obviously a much worse and more dangerous offense than some tourist smoking a cannabis cigarette. However, alcohol is legal but cannabis isn't, so he put him in jail. Unbelievable! Even though there is vast evidence showing that alcohol is physically, mentally, and socially MUCH MORE damaging than cannabis, great numbers of people blindly accept the bullsh*t laws we have.

I humbly refer people to my profile quotation and observe that the two biggest killer drugs by far are the two legal (and taxed) ones, tobacco and alcohol.

[transam]

Sorry, you still haven't addressed my second part, or you have twisted it a bit.

ANYBODY smoking pot, a drug, in public, is also drugging those around him who are breathing air, BUT if the guy was drinking a ( as in one ) beer it has NO effect on others around him. Unless it's Real Ale then he could let one rip eh.

As was mentioned above, smoking in public places is being phased out in all civilised countries.

Please give a good reason why cannabis is worse for people than alcohol? It certainly causes less public disturbance.

Americans are very stressed out people due to the fast pace of life, that's why it is so popular over there.

Think you are still missing my point. The guy was smoking dope, IN PUBLIC, so those around him were inhaling dope. A can of beer would have been his trip/kick and his alone.

[dingdongrb]

Sorry, you still haven't addressed my second part, or you have twisted it a bit.

ANYBODY smoking pot, a drug, in public, is also drugging those around him who are breathing air, BUT if the guy was drinking a ( as in one ) beer it has NO effect on others around him. Unless it's Real Ale then he could let one rip eh.

As was mentioned above, smoking in public places is being phased out in all civilised countries.

Please give a good reason why cannabis is worse for people than alcohol? It certainly causes less public disturbance.

Americans are very stressed out people due to the fast pace of life, that's why it is so popular over there.

Think you are still missing my point. The guy was smoking dope, IN PUBLIC, so those around him were inhaling dope. A can of beer would have been his trip/kick and his alone.

Most bar fights as well as party fights as well as domestic abuse tend to occur when one is drinking, not smoking pot..... I have been in numerous bars where <deleted> drinking next to me does affect me and my health... (My knuckles get pretty bloody when I smack them against the side of someone's face that has too much to drink and seems to want to instigate something due to their thoughts of having superhuman alcohol power.)

Edited February 12, 2011 by dingdongrb

[transam]

Sorry, you still haven't addressed my second part, or you have twisted it a bit.

ANYBODY smoking pot, a drug, in public, is also drugging those around him who are breathing air, BUT if the guy was drinking a ( as in one ) beer it has NO effect on others around him. Unless it's Real Ale then he could let one rip eh.

As was mentioned above, smoking in public places is being phased out in all civilised countries.

Please give a good reason why cannabis is worse for people than alcohol? It certainly causes less public disturbance.

Americans are very stressed out people due to the fast pace of life, that's why it is so popular over there.

Think you are still missing my point. The guy was smoking dope, IN PUBLIC, so those around him were inhaling dope. A can of beer would have been his trip/kick and his alone.

Most bar fights as well as party fights as well as domestic abuse tend to occur when one is drinking, not smoking pot..... I have been in numerous bars where <deleted> drinking next to me does affect me and my health... (My knuckles get pretty bloody when I smack them against the side of someone's face that has too much to drink and seems to want to instigate something due to their thoughts of having superhuman alcohol power.)

For sure but the topic was/is about a guy getting nicked for smoking dope in public and those around him having to smoke it.

[dingdongrb]

Most bar fights as well as party fights as well as domestic abuse tend to occur when one is drinking, not smoking pot..... I have been in numerous bars where <deleted> drinking next to me does affect me and my health... (My knuckles get pretty bloody when I smack them against the side of someone's face that has too much to drink and seems to want to instigate something due to their thoughts of having superhuman alcohol power.)

For sure but the topic was/is about a guy getting nicked for smoking dope in public and those around him having to smoke it.

Funny, I didn't read anywhere that anyone was even around him...... until the police showed up.

[transam]

Most bar fights as well as party fights as well as domestic abuse tend to occur when one is drinking, not smoking pot..... I have been in numerous bars where <deleted> drinking next to me does affect me and my health... (My knuckles get pretty bloody when I smack them against the side of someone's face that has too much to drink and seems to want to instigate something due to their thoughts of having superhuman alcohol power.)

For sure but the topic was/is about a guy getting nicked for smoking dope in public and those around him having to smoke it.

Funny, I didn't read anywhere that anyone was even around him...... until the police showed up.

If he was walking down a street he is in public. Thats why he got nicked, but l will not argue the point.

[tropo]

Sorry, you still haven't addressed my second part, or you have twisted it a bit.

ANYBODY smoking pot, a drug, in public, is also drugging those around him who are breathing air, BUT if the guy was drinking a ( as in one ) beer it has NO effect on others around him. Unless it's Real Ale then he could let one rip eh.

As was mentioned above, smoking in public places is being phased out in all civilised countries.

Please give a good reason why cannabis is worse for people than alcohol? It certainly causes less public disturbance.

Americans are very stressed out people due to the fast pace of life, that's why it is so popular over there.

Think you are still missing my point. The guy was smoking dope, IN PUBLIC, so those around him were inhaling dope. A can of beer would have been his trip/kick and his alone.

I am not missing your point. I just don't think it has merit. In my whole life I've never got stoned by being in the same room as a dope smoker...even less so outdoors in fresh air.

I'm still waiting for you to come up with a valid reason why alcohol should be accepted and dope outlawed. You said they must have some good reason (that's a pretty weak assumption based on the fact that authorities always draft laws which are fair and make sense) - so what do you think they are? If drugs were outlawed for causing people harm, not a drop of alcohol would ever be sold.

[transam]

Sorry, you still haven't addressed my second part, or you have twisted it a bit.

ANYBODY smoking pot, a drug, in public, is also drugging those around him who are breathing air, BUT if the guy was drinking a ( as in one ) beer it has NO effect on others around him. Unless it's Real Ale then he could let one rip eh.

As was mentioned above, smoking in public places is being phased out in all civilised countries.

Please give a good reason why cannabis is worse for people than alcohol? It certainly causes less public disturbance.

Americans are very stressed out people due to the fast pace of life, that's why it is so popular over there.

Think you are still missing my point. The guy was smoking dope, IN PUBLIC, so those around him were inhaling dope. A can of beer would have been his trip/kick and his alone.

I am not missing your point. I just don't think it has merit. In my whole life I've never got stoned by being in the same room as a dope smoker...even less so outdoors in fresh air.

I'm still waiting for you to come up with a valid reason why alcohol should be accepted and dope outlawed. You said they must have some good reason (that's a pretty weak assumption based on the fact that authorities always draft laws which are fair and make sense) - so what do you think they are? If drugs were outlawed for causing people harm, not a drop of alcohol would ever be sold.

You THINK the dope smoker isn't affecting you but it is. Beer affects the individual, nobody else.

[TAWP]

[dingdongrb]

You THINK the dope smoker isn't affecting you but it is. Beer affects the individual, nobody else.

Tell that to my mother who was abused by my father way too many times to count after a night of drinking.

[Pi Sek]

I'm still waiting for you to come up with a valid reason why alcohol should be accepted and dope outlawed.

I'm afraid I've got two:

- dope stays in your blood and affects your brain for around 3 days, which means it has real reprecussions for those who drive;

- people who smoke dope are in danger of becoming/remaining extremely lazy.

You THINK the dope smoker isn't affecting you but it is. Beer affects the individual, nobody else.

As was pointed out above rather poignantly, that's not true. Driving, violence, antisocial behaviour...

[transam]

I'm still waiting for you to come up with a valid reason why alcohol should be accepted and dope outlawed.

I'm afraid I've got two:

- dope stays in your blood and affects your brain for around 3 days, which means it has real reprecussions for those who drive;

- people who smoke dope are in danger of becoming/remaining extremely lazy.

You THINK the dope smoker isn't affecting you but it is. Beer affects the individual, nobody else.

As was pointed out above rather poignantly, that's not true. Driving, violence, antisocial behaviour...

My point is still being missed regarding the guy smoking dope in public. Those around him are inhaling the drug, infact they are forced to inhale it unless they are wearing a gas mask. If this same guy was getting his buzz walking down the street with a tin of beer NOBODY will ingest the alcohol, only him.

[Pi Sek]

I'm still waiting for you to come up with a valid reason why alcohol should be accepted and dope outlawed.

I'm afraid I've got two:

- dope stays in your blood and affects your brain for around 3 days, which means it has real reprecussions for those who drive;

- people who smoke dope are in danger of becoming/remaining extremely lazy.

You THINK the dope smoker isn't affecting you but it is. Beer affects the individual, nobody else.

As was pointed out above rather poignantly, that's not true. Driving, violence, antisocial behaviour...

My point is still being missed regarding the guy smoking dope in public. Those around him are inhaling the drug, infact they are forced to inhale it unless they are wearing a gas mask. If this same guy was getting his buzz walking down the street with a tin of beer NOBODY will ingest the alcohol, only him.

Yes, I get your point and it is valid - as valid as complaining about people smoking cigarettes when they are walking on the street.

Your gripe seems to be that the person in question should be arrested for smoking in public, not necessarily for smoking dope in public. Smoking dope is less dangerous to your health than smoking cigarettes, that's a fairly well-known truth.

As pointed out above, smoking in public is being phased out. In many places you are not allowed to smoke outside building entrances, enclosed spaces, etc. Maybe one day we will see a true ban on smoking in public places, but I doubt it given the political punching power of the tobacco companies.

I personally would like to see a philosophy between those of the Dutch and Singaporean systems - the Dutch system of do what you want behind closed doors, just don't infringe on anyone else; and the Singaporean system of penalising those who infringe on anyone else to any extent whatsoever. I think that would be reasonable, but I would never expect any country to offer that kind of freedom and civil protection at the same time.

[Wavefloater]

Sorry, you still haven't addressed my second part, or you have twisted it a bit.

ANYBODY smoking pot, a drug, in public, is also drugging those around him who are breathing air, BUT if the guy was drinking a ( as in one ) beer it has NO effect on others around him. Unless it's Real Ale then he could let one rip eh.

As was mentioned above, smoking in public places is being phased out in all civilised countries.

Please give a good reason why cannabis is worse for people than alcohol? It certainly causes less public disturbance.

Americans are very stressed out people due to the fast pace of life, that's why it is so popular over there.

Think you are still missing my point. The guy was smoking dope, IN PUBLIC, so those around him were inhaling dope. A can of beer would have been his trip/kick and his alone.

You seem to be grasping desperately to the "smoking in public" straw, but I think you can appreciate that the vast majority of pot is smoked in the comfort and privacy of one's own home, so that argument is an extremely weak one. And besides, aren't we talking about the whole debate of weed being the much less harmful of the two substances? At least, that was the main direction of my post when you decided to counter argue it.

When it comes down to it, you really can't give a good reason why something as socially and physically destructive as alcohol is legal, whereas something much safer and proving to have substantial medical benefits is not. It seems you've been nicely indoctrinated by the powers that be. I know that's something you really don't want to hear, but you've got to understand that those in power have some very non-benevolent goals in mind that are too often fueled by greed. You should do some of your own research and stop accepting what BS the powers that be are feeding you. Cannabis cannot be patented or even really branded like pharmaceutical drugs and spirits can, so its increased popularity becomes a threat to the world of big business (AKA the government). I could on with a list of reasons why cannabis has been made illegal, and none of them are there to protect you and me -- only the already obscenely rich business community.

[transam]

Sorry, you still haven't addressed my second part, or you have twisted it a bit.

ANYBODY smoking pot, a drug, in public, is also drugging those around him who are breathing air, BUT if the guy was drinking a ( as in one ) beer it has NO effect on others around him. Unless it's Real Ale then he could let one rip eh.

As was mentioned above, smoking in public places is being phased out in all civilised countries.

Please give a good reason why cannabis is worse for people than alcohol? It certainly causes less public disturbance.

Americans are very stressed out people due to the fast pace of life, that's why it is so popular over there.

Think you are still missing my point. The guy was smoking dope, IN PUBLIC, so those around him were inhaling dope. A can of beer would have been his trip/kick and his alone.

You seem to be grasping desperately to the "smoking in public" straw, but I think you can appreciate that the vast majority of pot is smoked in the comfort and privacy of one's own home, so that argument is an extremely weak one. And besides, aren't we talking about the whole debate of weed being the much less harmful of the two substances? At least, that was the main direction of my post when you decided to counter argue it.

When it comes down to it, you really can't give a good reason why something as socially and physically destructive as alcohol is legal, whereas something much safer and proving to have substantial medical benefits is not. It seems you've been nicely indoctrinated by the powers that be. I know that's something you really don't want to hear, but you've got to understand that those in power have some very non-benevolent goals in mind that are too often fueled by greed. You should do some of your own research and stop accepting what BS the powers that be are feeding you. Cannabis cannot be patented or even really branded like pharmaceutical drugs and spirits can, so its increased popularity becomes a threat to the world of big business (AKA the government). I could on with a list of reasons why cannabis has been made illegal, and none of them are there to protect you and me -- only the already obscenely rich business community.

I thought the debate was about a guy smoking dope in public. I am a smoker and am very careful l don't annoy someone. Couldn't give a shit what people do for THEIR recreation at home BUT this is about smoking dope IN public which others breath in. Simple really.

[Pi Sek]

I thought the debate was about a guy smoking dope in public. I am a smoker and am very careful l don't annoy someone. Couldn't give a shit what people do for THEIR recreation at home BUT this is about smoking dope IN public which others breath in. Simple really.

Well, I thought there were more than one debate going on.

One was about smoking dope - this is a crime in Thailand and that's why only criminals smoke it.

One was about smoking in public, which is harmful to those around them and that's why it's being phased out. Smoking in air-conditioned buildings, outside entrances to public buildings, etc is a crime in Thailand and that's why only criminals do it.

One was about smoking dope in public. Given the guy in question wasn't in an environment illegal to smoke cigarettes, I don't see how passive dope smoking has any bearing on this debate. If it was in a restaurant or office building, that would be another story. We need a test case to set a legal precedent!

[swillowbee]

... a means test should be required for anyone applying for a passport ... some should be denied for not being smart enough ... what an idiot!

[tropo]

I'm afraid I've got two:

- people who smoke dope are in danger of becoming/remaining extremely lazy.

That's funny. Everyone is in danger of becoming/remaining extremely lazy, dope smoker or not. I think the internet and computers is the main reason why nearly everyone gets lazy these days.

Alcoholics are very lazy and the point of this debate wasn't whether drugs are bad, but why should alcohol be given the green light while cannabis remains out in the cold.

[tropo]

... a means test should be required for anyone applying for a passport ... some should be denied for not being smart enough ... what an idiot!

Be careful what you wish for - You may miss the cut yourself.

[Bagwan]

The drug scene doesn't interest me at all. I am brain washed enough t think that anybody needing chemical support to get through their day is a pretty sad sack whose problems are probably self induced. However I am no t persuaded that the smokong of cannabis is more harmful than smoking tobacco and in some case is likely to be beneficial.

My post is in the nature of a query. If somebody is walking directly behind somebody smoking cannabis would a blood/urine test show a positive result? If not would the offence to others be one of being denying the recipient a lung full of air without the normal proportion of oxygen? Or submitting others to a noxious smell?

[Wavefloater]

The drug scene doesn't interest me at all. I am brain washed enough t think that anybody needing chemical support to get through their day is a pretty sad sack whose problems are probably self induced. However I am no t persuaded that the smokong of cannabis is more harmful than smoking tobacco and in some case is likely to be beneficial.

My post is in the nature of a query. If somebody is walking directly behind somebody smoking cannabis would a blood/urine test show a positive result? If not would the offence to others be one of being denying the recipient a lung full of air without the normal proportion of oxygen? Or submitting others to a noxious smell?

I really think if you polled people, the number of times that someone has had the experience of walking behind another person while he or she is smoking ganja would be very very few. And if I was walking behind someone smoking and was concerned about inhaling second-hand cannabis smoke, as soon I smelled its obvious pungent odour, I'd probably just stop for 5 seconds or so to let the smoker get far enough ahead so that I'm no longer in his smoke stream.

But I guess if had been so well indoctrinated, as some of the people who have posted here, to believe all the "Reefer Madness" BS that we've been told, I'd run looking for a cop. After all, such a heinous crime should be punished to fullest extent of the law -- NOT.

Just for fun: The movie Reefer Madness, a US government propaganda movie, was also released under the name of Tell Your Children in the mid-30's. It begins with the following words:

"The motion picture you are about to witness may startle you. It would not have been possible, otherwise, to sufficiently emphasize the frightful toll of the new drug menace which is destroying the youth of America in alarmingly-increasing numbers.

Marihuana is that drug - a violent narcotic - an unspeakable scourge - The Real Public Enemy Number One!

Its first effect is sudden, violent, uncontrollable laughter; then come dangerous hallucinations - space expands - time slows down, almost stands still ....fixed ideas come next, conjuring up monstrous extravagances - followed by emotional disturbances, the total inability to direct thoughts, the loss of all power to resist physical emotions... leading finally to acts of shocking violence... ending often in incurable insanity.

[Pi Sek]

^^

Like I said before - plastics. US Congress was told of the dangers of marijouana by the guy who was developing the plastics business. His main competitor was locally grown hemp, a centuries-old business locally in the US.

He made false medical statements about the effects of marijouana and backed it up with falsified evidence. From his presentation, US Congress decided that marijouana was a serious threat to society (see wavefloater's post above) and the rest (e.g. billions of name-your-currency in persecution and incarceration of pot smokers, billions in research to establish negative effects, and so on) is history.

It is absolute madness that marijouana is a criminal offense, in the US or any other country.

To add a well-known fact... in Holland you may go into a coffeeshop and order a range of marijouana from a menu, 100% legally. They will roll it for you, they will put it in a space cake for you to enjoy with your coffee. They will bag it up and you may consume it at your leisure at home. Regular people in Holland smoke pot in a manner that is socially acceptable and doesn't piss anyone off. Yet, in Holland, the proportion of dope smokers is actually very low compared to other European countries. It's almost as if criminalising a virtually harmless drug actually encourages its use.

[tropo]

. It's almost as if criminalising a virtually harmless drug actually encourages its use.

This is exactly what happens when drugs are criminalised - useage increases. Profits soar when drugs are made illegal. The more the government "seizes" illegal drugs, the higher the prices go, the greater the incentive to push (market) it. If there isn't much profit in producing it, production plummets.

Edited February 15, 2011 by tropo

[Macmundi]

You can buy weed anywhere in Thailand? As long as you're a farang, the weed dealers know they are safe to sell.

[pkspeaker]

I'll be perfectly honest.. I'm a pot smoker, I can't go more than 10 or 12 days before I'm back on the street to score a new bag, everytime I go dry I try to go as many days as I can w/o it, I always make it to 10, but I prefer I could goto 20 but that never seems to happen, I always breakdown and can no longer control my urge to get stoned again.. I also like that system because if you don't take breaks from it; it starts getting really boring, like a cigerate.. the first 3 days after being off are the best.. for me ganja works pretty good, i'm a mild ADD person so i feel it's beneficial to take a mild-depressant as long as i don't become a total pot head, and i don't like alcohol because i have a sensitive stomach.. me and weed are a perfect match.. my only concern is the damage i might be doing to my lungs, this concerns me quite a bit because i tend to cough alot when i start smoking, sometimes I take it orally because I'm afraid of lung damage but it's so much more enjoyable to smoke it.

on the other hand I have seen people have a bad experience in the past when I gave ganja to someone who never smokes it (or told someone to someone who never smokes where to get it) one time a friend was visiting from south korea where he works and he asked me in advance to get some, i rolled him a fat joint, next day he told me the experience suked, paranoia-freakout..another time it was a friends brother who works in japan, same story, this time i told him where, he would up smoking it in back of a bar and told his brother he wound up being a pain in the ass to some tuktuk driver and described the experince as 'it was terrible' .. more recently a friend was was visiting my place, while rumaging about the kitchen he noticed the bong hidden behind the micrwave, he suggested we smoke, I said ok but i told him to only take a little because of what i had seen happen before, ofcource he didn't listen, smoked a whole bowl and again had a parania-freakout or whatever his weird trip was.. had to sit with him for a few hours until he stopped actling like a jerk..

lets be honest here I never been out with a buddy for beers and seen him freak out like that, sure people get ridiculously drunk and pass out.. but i think what puts weed in in the 'narcotic' category is specifically this paranoia, hallucinogenic effect that some users experience when they smoke weed, especially their first time, or first time in a long time..

I don't think we're going to see the day when ganja is served up at every corner restaurant & bar like boos is, and it probably wouldn't be such a good idea.

Sorry, you still haven't addressed my second part, or you have twisted it a bit.

ANYBODY smoking pot, a drug, in public, is also drugging those around him who are breathing air, BUT if the guy was drinking a ( as in one ) beer it has NO effect on others around him. Unless it's Real Ale then he could let one rip eh.

As was mentioned above, smoking in public places is being phased out in all civilised countries.

Please give a good reason why cannabis is worse for people than alcohol? It certainly causes less public disturbance.

Americans are very stressed out people due to the fast pace of life, that's why it is so popular over there.

Think you are still missing my point. The guy was smoking dope, IN PUBLIC, so those around him were inhaling dope. A can of beer would have been his trip/kick and his alone.

You seem to be grasping desperately to the "smoking in public" straw, but I think you can appreciate that the vast majority of pot is smoked in the comfort and privacy of one's own home, so that argument is an extremely weak one. And besides, aren't we talking about the whole debate of weed being the much less harmful of the two substances? At least, that was the main direction of my post when you decided to counter argue it.

When it comes down to it, you really can't give a good reason why something as socially and physically destructive as alcohol is legal, whereas something much safer and proving to have substantial medical benefits is not. It seems you've been nicely indoctrinated by the powers that be. I know that's something you really don't want to hear, but you've got to understand that those in power have some very non-benevolent goals in mind that are too often fueled by greed. You should do some of your own research and stop accepting what BS the powers that be are feeding you. Cannabis cannot be patented or even really branded like pharmaceutical drugs and spirits can, so its increased popularity becomes a threat to the world of big business (AKA the government). I could on with a list of reasons why cannabis has been made illegal, and none of them are there to protect you and me -- only the already obscenely rich business community.