Talk About Tennis 2.0

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 04, 2022 12:06 am And they'll go. Those people are desperate.

Sadly, yes.

That is one aspect of him that the Dems (how surprising) do not tap into. The fact that he is not always diplomatic, and will talk back.

If the USA were in any way a rational country, where the politicians were really trying to IMPROVE the country as opposed to playing with it, Joe Biden would have an approval rating of 75%.
But, you know...
About time (decriminalize pot).
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As an example. Here, they are still debating the "morality" of legalizing marihuana. While the country implodes because the national budget can't be balanced (we can't just print money like the USA does). So, a loss-loss situation, which could be turned into a win-win overnight.

The issue, to me, is that someone has to fill up all of the for profit prisons. POTUS just cut off part of their revenue stream.

All that said, I've known - and worked with - MANY people who've had big drug problems. For 95% of them, marijuana was the first drug they used with any regularity.
Even if we include alcohol, more than 50% of that 95% started with regular marijuana use, not regular alcohol use.

Part of this is because many of those who were selling marijuana were also selling cocaine, meth, and other drugs. But part of the reason is also because, as with many things in life, as one gets accustomed to the effects of marijuana, there comes a time when one wants MORE of an effect; wants the mind to be MORE altered and reality to be MORE distorted.

So... those who say that marijuana is not a 'gateway drug' are completely out to lunch. While it doesn't lead to other drugs all the time, almost all 'hard drug' users began with marijuana. To me, that is the very definition of a 'gateway drug'.

Marijuana is definitely a gateway drug. The scientific literature established that decades ago.

What we have here are the differences between prevention and who gets incarcerated for marijuana possession, especially in the U.S. and especially in certain types of U.S. states.

If a parent discovers their teen is experimenting with marijuana, early intervention is critical. Prevention and intervention go hand in hand.

But when we look at who gets incarcerated for marijuana possession in the U.S., we're generally talking about adults aged 30 to whatever (adults). And those individuals are disproportionately people of color.

The company I work for has done a lot of work over the years collaborating with courts on something called jail diversion. That's about placing folks who encounter the criminal justice system (for marijuana or some other drug possession) in an appropriate treatment or recovery setting that suits their treatment or recovery needs. And there's a healthy body of evidence to suggest putting these folks in a treatment/service delivery/recovery setting well-suited to their needs can work. Of course, recidivism or relapse can occur. And it does.

But the bottom line is that possession of marijuana with no intention to distribute or sell is not appropriate grounds for incarceration. And the data are pretty clear. White offenders in the U.S. are more likely to be afforded the treatment/service delivery/recovery option while offenders of color in the U.S. are significantly more likely to go straight to jail with no treatment/service delivery/recovery option, except for what's offered in a given jail or prison.

That's what Biden's latest order is about.

Almost every friend of mine 55+ smokes weed, like 80 out of 100 friends. Some are full on stoners, but most use it as one would a glass of wine or a beer. I wouldn't call weed innocuous, though.

Coke is a gateway drug.
Pepsi too.