• DPMC Moderators: thegreenhand | tryptakid
  • Drug Policy & Media Coverage Welcome Guest
    View threads about
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Drug Busts Megathread Video Megathread

Rand Paul: Obama, Bush ‘lucky’ they weren’t arrested for smoking pot as kids

23536

23536

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Dec 16, 2010
Messages
7,725
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...-they-werent-arrested-for-smoking-pot-as-kids

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Sunday that President Obama and former President George W. Bush “got lucky” by not being arrested for smoking marijuana as young adults.

Arguing against mandatory minimum sentencing for pot use, Paul said that a marijuana-related arrest for either Obama or Bush could have ruined their lives.

“Look, the last two presidents could conceivably have been put in jail for their drug use,” said Paul on “Fox News Sunday.”
“Look what would have happened. It would have ruined their lives. They got lucky. But a lot of poor kids, particularly in the inner city, don’t get lucky. They don’t have good attorneys. They go to jail for these things. And I think it’s a big mistake.”

Paul said he was not in favor of using marijuana, because it makes people less productive. But he said he doesn’t support punishing people who use the drug with jail time.

“I don’t want to encourage people to do it. I think even marijuana is a bad thing to do,” said Paul. “I think it takes away your incentive to work and show up and do the things you should be doing. I don’t think it’s a good idea. I don’t want to promote that.

“But I also don’t want to put people in jail who make a mistake. There are a lot of young people who do this and then later on, in their 20’s, they grow up, they get married, and they quit doing things like this. I don’t want to put them in jail for the rest of their lives.”

Earlier this week Paul introduced a bill with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) that would relax the mandatory minimum sentences handed out to marijuana offenders who do not pose a violent threat to the public. The bill has gained the support of some influential conservatives, including anti-tax activist Grover Norquist.

cont. http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...-they-werent-arrested-for-smoking-pot-as-kids
 
Bush and Obama did more than smoke weed. Why not drop the mandatory minimum sentences for that cocaina too?
 
^ very true.
But I really like what Paul is saying.
To nitpick a bit, though, when it says
Paul said he was not in favor of using marijuana, because it makes people less productive.
Click to expand...
I want to do a little vomit in my mouth.
I am incredibly productive when I am stoned out of my mind. I wrote most of my thesis and dissertation while high as a kite.
Without the energy and creativity that cannabis gave me, I might not have finished.
Paul almost understood that we should leave people alone and let them have the freedom to find happiness in their own way, but not quite. Or maybe he understands, but has to say this shit to not sound like a liberal hippy druggie.
 
I don't think it is correct to make a blanket statement that "use of cannabis makes every user less productive", but I would find it hard to argue against a more carefully worded "widespread use of cannabis lowers the overall productivity of our society". Yes, there are people for whom being stoned increases their productivity in some fields, but I think that this segment of the population is a very small minority.

With that being said, I also don't think "maximizing productivity" is/should be the ultimate goal of most people's lives, or of society in general. I think "maximizing happiness/enjoyment of life for as many people as possible" is a more appropriate goal, and I don't think widespread cannabis use works against that goal at all.
 
slimvictor said:
I want to do a little vomit in my mouth.
Click to expand...

I think they were saying that to put a negative spin on Bush and Obama, that they weren't productive presidents, more so than a mass generalization of marijuana users.

Their criticisms of Bush and Obama would seem off if they were in support of marijuana users, so I'm not too terribly offended by what they said.

Some people get really productive from methamphetamine, others become severely unproductive. Same can go for marijuana, so you can't really generalize a group of drug users.
 
^ I'm not sure I understand completely, but the stats on productivity seem to be on a per capita basis in the sense that they count the total hours worked, adding together the hours worked of all employees in the country. In which case, USA's per capita consumption of cannabis is almost three times that of the Netherlands', despite it ranking lower in productivity. But the productivity rating doesn't include those who are unemployed, so this whole thing could possibly be thrown out the window.
 
Captain.Heroin said:
I think they were saying that to put a negative spin on Bush and Obama, that they weren't productive presidents, more so than a mass generalization of marijuana users.

Their criticisms of Bush and Obama would seem off if they were in support of marijuana users, so I'm not too terribly offended by what they said.

Some people get really productive from methamphetamine, others become severely unproductive. Same can go for marijuana, so you can't really generalize a group of drug users.
Click to expand...

I agree somewhat. Its a political thing being in favor of legalized drug use is still scene as a political liability. Being on the less crazy drug war train makes you a sane person saying good things about drugs makies you a crazy hippy weed addict. Politics but I like it beggers cant be choosers and all theat jazz.
 
I think it's great that he's speaking up. I don't know. What do you guys expect him to say? Marijuana is great for the creative juices and is, in fact, a great motivator? He's saying what he has to say to get heard by people who don't understand.
 
^ Yeah, I guess if he walked to the podium in a hemp poncho smelling of patchouli it wouldn't go down well.
 
I think that Venrack was saying (if I may be so bold) that change can only come from the inside (i.e. right-wing/conservative/wealthy/establishment types).
Those who seem too obviously to be on the outside (hippies, gang bangers, rockers, etc. ) don't have credibility with the masses, so what they say about drugs doesn't count. It can't really change things.
If a white, conservative politician is pro-legalization, it helps our cause a lot more than if the bass player in a rock band is pro-legalization.
 
Well, thank you venrak. Sorry, I thought you were being sarcastic. :p

Definitely agree with you slim victor! Sometimes I think you guys are too harsh on progress! This is such a big leap forward. Stay positive. Progress takes time. :)
 
there's no way in hell this guy ever becomes president. Two reasons:

1) He wants to make all abortions murders.
2) He wants to allow businesses to discriminate by race.
 
His view about potheads is a little twisted. But other then that, I'm glad he is taking the same approach as his father when it comes to drugs.
 
Venrak said:
^ I'm not sure I understand completely, but the stats on productivity seem to be on a per capita basis in the sense that they count the total hours worked, adding together the hours worked of all employees in the country. In which case, USA's per capita consumption of cannabis is almost three times that of the Netherlands', despite it ranking lower in productivity. But the productivity rating doesn't include those who are unemployed, so this whole thing could possibly be thrown out the window.
Click to expand...

There are good amount of people who work but get paid cash everyday, so their not on a pay roll or anything. I would say those stats are incorrect.
 
23536 said:
there's no way in hell this guy ever becomes president. Two reasons:

1) He wants to make all abortions murders.
2) He wants to allow businesses to discriminate by race.
Click to expand...

I agree with him that private businesses should be allowed to hire/not hire who they want for whatever reason, if businesses actually chose to discriminate by race they would be destroyed by the media anyway.

And he's right about Obama/Bush getting lucky too, same goes for that spineless cunt David Cameron
 
Pretty_Diamonds said:
Well, thank you venrak. Sorry, I thought you were being sarcastic. :p

Definitely agree with you slim victor! Sometimes I think you guys are too harsh on progress! This is such a big leap forward. Stay positive. Progress takes time. :)
Click to expand...

No worries :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top