Weed Ethics Question?

KingoftheSouth

@levander said:

@mattmd2 said:
Agree or not with the rules, they are what they are until they get changed. Rules are rules. Everyone knows the consequences. It's a risk/reward scenario.
Speeding? Risk a ticket, but get there faster
Smoking MJ? Risk a ticket/arrest and get suspended, but feel good for a while

The key is that the players (and anyone else who uses MJ) knows their set of consequences, and right/wrong/indifferent, it is what it is. They consciously took the risk, knowing what would happen if they got caught. I could take the risk and smoke, but I'd lose my job if I got busted. To me, the risk is too great. To them, it must not have been.

The problem with MJ is that SOOO many people do it, and never get caught or in trouble - especially in college where kids aren't randomly screened as with an employer. So, like speeding, everyone does it and few get busted. You almost have to TRY to get caught with MJ - riding around smoking in a car with a headlight out is basically trying.

You’re arguing the old “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time”. Which I think you’d agree has some really odd things to it. But to me is less dumb than “rules are rules”.

To me the worst thing about marijuana laws is what this country is doing with prisons. Prisons are now a for profit industry. They have those work camps in there now where the prisoners make dimes on the dollar for their labor. And the companies contracting with the prisons make really good money. Being able to grab a perfectly functioning human who’s done nothing more than ignore a few rules and he started distributing a few pounds of pot... boy is that money fo the prison industry! The vast majority of our prisoners aren’t in jail because of like armed robbery of a gas station. It’s this drug epidemic. Now heroine and crack, that’s a dicier issue I don’t have any answers for. But these marijuana laws are just ridiculous.

If I end up in prison some how. No way am I going to take one of those prison jobs. They’ll probably let me out earlier because I’m taking up a bed and not making them any money. But I’ve got the luxury of not needing their dimes to get by while I’d be in there. I could fill up my commissary account on my own. A lot of these people who made the decision to sell pot to supplement their income don’t have that luxury.

My man staying super Woke over here.

britishdawg

I think its a classic example of laws taking time to catch up with society. I can't say that I have ever partaken in marijuana, but in this day and age, I don't hold it against people who do. It's so popular that branding people who do it as criminals is crazy. I'd rather our football players didn't do it, but if they do and they do it safely in their own home and don't drive, I really don't care.

With Atlanta decriminalizing Pot, I expect the rest of Georgia to catch up pretty soon. After that, it might take a while, but legalization isn't too far away. Silicon Valley is already investing hundreds of millions into cannabis startups and its going to become a huge industry. Lawmakers are going to have to change their minds because they won't be able to pass up that revenue for too much longer.

When that happens, schools are going to have to let kids do what they want. Until then, I do agree that there should be punishments if players break the law. That being said, we're on the road to legalization and so I think we should reconsider our current student policy. It's by far the harshest in the SEC and I'd rather we handled discipline in a way that didn't lead to mandatory suspensions or even expulsion.

Denmen185

@britishdawg said:
I think its a classic example of laws taking time to catch up with society. I can't say that I have ever partaken in marijuana, but in this day and age, I don't hold it against people who do. It's so popular that branding people who do it as criminals is crazy. I'd rather our football players didn't do it, but if they do and they do it safely in their own home and don't drive, I really don't care.

With Atlanta decriminalizing Pot, I expect the rest of Georgia to catch up pretty soon. After that, it might take a while, but legalization isn't too far away. Silicon Valley is already investing hundreds of millions into cannabis startups and its going to become a huge industry. Lawmakers are going to have to change their minds because they won't be able to pass up that revenue for too much longer.

When that happens, schools are going to have to let kids do what they want. Until then, I do agree that there should be punishments if players break the law. That being said, we're on the road to legalization and so I think we should reconsider our current student policy. It's by far the harshest in the SEC and I'd rather we handled discipline in a way that didn't lead to mandatory suspensions or even expulsion.

Agree with everything except no mention of the age. I also am British so think that 21 is ridiculous but I don't see that changing anytime soon.