Re: LSD and The Brain

I'm someone who has consistently been fascinated by the way drugs impact the human mind. That being said, I had read articles on this subject prior to you writing this haha. I think that under any sort of scientific observance the positive effects of drugs are something we should focus on more. We seem to just demonize drug users without really diving into what could potentially be helping the users of these drugs. Some people partake in sparse drugs and lead really healthy lives.

I think in general any area of potentially therapy we could uncover through drugs or really anything is a good area to research more. Being someone who has been in and out of multiple types of therapy for a majority of my life if there could be positive impacts it's something that should be explored I think.

Let Be Honest- The Marijuana Industry Is A Money Maker

I may not be one who smokes, but many Americans do. With the legalization of weed being something that was "unthinkable" just a handful of years ago, it's truly crazy to think how times have changed. Marijuana has been legal in Colorado for over two years now! Me being a curious mind, I've been keeping up on the information released about the economic impact that sales of weed and paraphernalia has had in the states in which it was been legalized. WHY IS THIS NOT LEGAL EVERYWHERE?

In 2014 alone the states Colorado made $63 Million dollars in taxes along with another $13 Million in licensing and fees (source). Think about how much money that adds into a states pocket. When all was said and done, in the year 2014 Colorado likely saw $1 Billion dollars put towards Recreational Marijuana, Medical Marijuana, and products needed to use the substance. That is a LOT of money. Think about all the things that any state could use that money for. We could add more money back into the public school system, we could use that money to build roads, we could use that money and put it into our environment and parks department. Millions of dollars.

Not to mention, for anyone against the substance itself, wouldn't you rather have the government stepping in? If you don't trust the run of the mill drug dealer you're likely the type to trust the government. The government regulates both the tobacco and the alcohol industry. Honestly, Weed is far better than alcohol could ever be.

I see no real cons.

Re: Considering Donald Trumping

I had an extension for google chrome that added a ridiculous Donald Trump quote in between his first and last name that I had to turn off to attempt replying to this argument.

While It's nice to keep some sort of optimistic attitude towards Trump due to the possibility he will become president I just don't think for me it can be done. Him being an upper class white man who grew up with a great deal of wealth that was literally handed to him, I just don't see much good coming out of his economic decisions. Business sense can only go so long in a position where you must have good business sense as well as common sense and people skills. I cannot imagine Trump being involved with creating any sort of treaty or talking to other national diplomates.

I just can't get over how funny it will be to the entirety of the planet that we allowed a modern day celebrity to turn around and rule out country.

Now, for the economic reasoning argument, I still think it falls flat. There's simply no way to execute multiple plans of his without taxing the country. Taxes are not something you can avoid. If he isn't planning on raising taxes I just don't see how he can build that wall he's been talking about for example. I watched an interview with him on the news the other day where he even admitted he didn't think he could cut taxes as he originally promised. Maybe that's a sign he's waking up to the reality he may have to handle our country. But, I'm still terrified and I can't become content with the idea of him being our president.

WPA and The War On Drugs

The Works Progress Administration was one of the most innovative New Deal programs that FDR brought about to try to handle the terrifying reality of The Great Depression. This program essentially employed the unemployed to partake in things like building public works projects and construction. This program took many people in need of money to support their families off the streets and gave them a substantial job.

Now how could I possibly relate this to the ongoing "War On Drugs" in America?

The leading reasoning behind a lot of drug trafficking and sales in urban underprivileged neighborhoods has a lot to do with the fact that those people have literally no way of supporting themselves or their families. If we enacting a modern day WPA program in our lower class neighborhoods we would be taking young people of color off the streets and helping them beat the system of institutionalized racism. The public buildings and roadways they would be building would also positively impact the community. It would be a win all around the board for everyone involved. There would be less drug trafficking in these neighborhoods, these run down neighborhoods would be able to have some nicer resources, and this "War On Drugs" may be dulled down somewhat in the eyes of the conservative party.

Our government has spent far more than it should have on trying to halt the exchanging of illegal drugs on our streets. I think building up our society is a far better way to help everyone. We would be putting less people in jail and prison for drugs crimes which would help with the ridiculous overcrowding the war on drugs has caused.

Looking through a news source to try and find an opinion piece was harder than I expected for it to be. The one I stumbled across, however, I was quite happy with. With all this talk of Donald Trump becoming president it's hard to find an opinion by someone who knows him but is still negative. It seems the people who like him just show unwavering support.

So as I was scrolling and I came across an article titled Why Penn Jillette is Terrified of President Trump I was relieved. Someone who was considered an acquaintance had a genuine opinion about Trump that wasn't forced. 

He began by even saying that he enjoyed Trump's straight forward attitude on The Apprentice. Penn was on two seasons of Trump's show and through that time got to know him relatively well. He genuinely admired his business sense.  So that is a plus to the grounds of his argument. He knew the guy and he didn't hate him as a person. It's easier to disapprove of someone you don't like in the first place than someone you actually have some sort of admiration for. 

He believes that his stances on immigration, torture, nuclear weapons, and war is "unforgivable". He, being someone who constantly has made jokes and talked down about Obama would even prefer another 8 years of Obama to any time span of Trump. Penn has stated that "disagrees with Hilary Clinton about everything there is to disagree with a person about" but he still ends that comment with "If it came down to Donald Trump or Hillary, I would put a Hillary Clinton sticker on my fucking car". Which Is an intense mic drop to say the least.

Comedians are the best at critiquing people I feel. They get to the root of the problem. With insults like "Donald Trump, when it comes down to it, fucks up everything. Maybe he'll fuck up his campaign before he fucks out country" I mean it's really intense. This is coming from someone who considered him a FRIEND at one point. Like lord all mighty. 

Clinton to call for eliminating distinction between crack and powder cocaine in drug sentencing

"The War on Drugs" is something I could easily write about for hours. I've watched countless documentaries and read a book or two on the topic and it boggles my mind to think about the fact many people do not know the harsh and unjust reality of "The War on Drugs". One thing that is alarming that most people aren't aware of, is that up until 2010, someone with crack cocaine would receive the same minimum sentence as someone with 100 times more powder cocaine. Why is that so crazy? The only difference between the two substances is that crack has added baking soda, water, and heat. Luckily, back in 2010, Obama passed a law that changed the discrepancy from that 100 to 1 ratio down to an 18 to 1 ratio. This strange sentence gap between the same chemically made up substance is usually attributed to a classist policy creation. Crack is used by people living on the street who are lower class people who are typically people of color. They are much easier to bust than usually white upper class powder cocaine users.

The whole subject of "The War on Drugs" is incredibly interesting and I recommend everyone to read this article and to also do their own research on the topic. Another easily accessible informative source would be the documentary "The House I Live In" which is on Netflix.