Will Wilkinson - Latest Comments in Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

Still in the Closet — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:39:29 -0000

In a room with the window shades pulled tight, the doors locked, and the wallets emptied. :-)

Sorry. Couldn't resist. Also, I strongly recommend you find something else to occasionally do. Seriously. I've known many educated professionals who liked to occasionally snort blow. I can think of none who can say, "And then I decided to try coke and it was a great decision." I can think of many who can say, "And that's when I lost my job" or "packing up and moving to Florida at 2 a.m. seemed like a good idea" or "I'll never meet another like her," etc, etc. It's a very insidious substance.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

bside — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:18:48 -0000

I don't smoke pot. It makes me nervous. I'm a short haired, well-educated knowledge worker. I'm kind to children and animals. I'm socially engaged and donate to charity. I occasionally like to do cocaine with my friends. Where do I start my movement?

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

RichT — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:05:20 -0000

Actually quite often when mature, educated professionals choose to smoke, they choose high quality herb and not Mexican schwag. Like when you choose to drink wine... I doubt you're drinking Nightrain or any other two dollar bottle of MD 20/20

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

uknowbetter — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:35:57 -0000

Abortion...it's for the children.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

Anon — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:35:48 -0000

I think there would be an age limit, but I don't think that would work as it doesn't work well with alcohol and tobacco.

And I think we should address underlying causes, but legalisation won't do that. Rehabilitation and education might do that, but legalisation should only come after these things and not before, as if it comes before it will only exacerbate these problems.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

He. — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:11:52 -0000

They would never say "I still smoke pot, and I like it".

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

He. — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:46:08 -0000

"Just like Clinton, Bush"

And look what happened. ;)

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

Anon — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:38:55 -0000

Agreed. The worst thing about marijuana is stupid stoner culture. Tie-dye and being lazy aren't going to convince anyone to change the drug laws. It helps to have more educated, ambitious, "square" folks like yourself being open about their recreational chemical choices.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

TGGP — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:55:29 -0000

If you use drugs, then you are not loyal to the establishment and its norms. You are prevented from getting into high positions.
Just like Clinton, Bush & Obama.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

He. — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:42:54 -0000

Some children suffer. It's the price of freedom. Get over it.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

anonymouse — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:28:50 -0000

I think that the libertarians, such as Will, would disagree with you on the proper role of government, and the libertarian assumption is exactly that people should "do whatever they want", at least so long as it's not harmful to others. Your "think of the children" argument also seems spurious. Who says that drugs won't be age-limited in the same way as alcohol and tobacco? In any case, I don't think a long sentence in the state penitentiary would do much for the "hopelessness, apathy, frustration, and lack of social cohesion" of a young black man arrested on a drug charge. And that's really one of the points of the drug legalization movement: that even if the government wants to prevent whatever evils drugs may cause, it would do best to address the underlying social problems and the direct harm of drugs, rather than have a blanket prohibition that causes as much harm as good, and often does so in a very discriminatory manner.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

Anon — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:33:46 -0000

I don't smoke pot... but if pot were legalised then surely over a generation there would be an increase in use. And an increase in use while not being that harmful medically (although the effects on the brain are debated) I think leads to generally socially undesirable results- especially among the young who are the most vulnerable.

While some of us might think its ok for anyone to do whatever they want, aren't there still some secular values that the State can legitimately encourage? Like environmentalism, citizenship, education etc etc? If we accept that the government has the right to regulate and control for the better good- which is what everyone in Europe is demanding is done with the banks, then maybe it is ok for the government to do the same with drugs. Especially among the young who are the most vulnerable.

Heavy drinking is endemic amongst the under 18s anyway, and has alot of undesirable effects in the wider social sphere, and most people think we should encourage moderation. So it is legitimate for a government to think of ways to encourage moderation. Surely this should mean we must be even more cautious to allow yet another drug to flow around more freely, as the combined effects of alcohol and marijuana amongst the young might lead to even more strange social side effects and undesirable traits- I'm keeping these vague as I think these are difficult to categorise.

While alot of people here might seem happy with life, if alot of studies suggest that high drug use in the under 25s is often symptomatic of hopelessness, apathy, frustration, lack of social cohesion etc etc then surely these are the issues we should be looking at? If drug use is higher in poorer communities, or amongst 'disaffected' black youth, or amongst the uneducated this might show that drug use itself is an indication of something else we might want to eliminate.

And even if one person or several claim they smoke pot because they like it and are healthy, wealthy and wise citizens, that is not really a sound basis for policy when alot of others might not be in their position?

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

ride_it_like_you_find_it — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:46:37 -0000

The problem with the present set of policies is the externalities, e.g. the terrible price Mexico is paying for their being such a profit in illegal drugs. In a democracy, the tipping point for a change of policy is, theoretically, when a majority of voters think something should be changed. This makes for a conservative in the sense of inertia biased system. The liberal answer to this has been to change things in the courts. Ideally there should some way to give the externalities a 'vote' in a way that doesn't exist now.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

LJM — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:57:06 -0000

In most of the U.S. and Canada, it's not that difficult to avoid buying marijuana that wasn't handled by the Mexican mafia. Maybe you should ascertain whether or not a person is buying something from bad people before you scold them for buying something from bad people?

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

aretae — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 10:30:12 -0000

Will,

Well done. It is elegantly written, carefully thought, personal, and potentially costly. This makes it courageous, though not quite heroic. I wish you success in your movement.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

Rick — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 21:07:10 -0000

As an employer, and a Libertarian, I have mixed views on this issue.
I am not opposed to the use of pot. I wish it was legalized. But even if it was, I would run random checks for it because I do not like what it does to people (nor do I like what alcohol does, and I keep an eye out for that, too).

It's not that I'm opposed the use, I'm opposed to the behavior and quality of work that occurs because of the use.

If you want to work for me, be sure you use alcohol in moderation, and do NOT smoke pot. If it were legal, I'd still stipulate this. I see no reason to risk the productive value of the work I need done just because someone happens to enjoy a good toke now and then.

I don't see any hypocrisy or dichotomy in my view. As a businessman, I have to look out for what's mine.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

ste4ve — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:55:38 -0000

OK. And when I drink a cup of coffee, I'll think about all the poor, slave-driven peasants who picked the coffee beans. And when I buy a head of lettuce, I'll think about all the pitiful migrant workers. And when I buy a pair of Nikes, I'll think about the sweatshops in Thailand. And when I buy a GM car, I'll think about all those underpaid UAW workers. And then I'll blow my brains out. And it'll be YOUR FAULT.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

dgmartin — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 17:10:38 -0000

And Ms. Howley? Dare we presume that she shares in your indulgence?

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

mike farmer — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 11:07:56 -0000

My name is...uh...wait...it's...uh...wait, I have it right here...it's...uh...Capital One...no...that's my credit card...uh...well, call me Z. I, like, smoke, you know, and...and...it's like...uh...wait...ok, this is the thing. My point is that smoking weed is like...is like...uh...okay, say you have a triangle, and that triangle is, like, one side is like...uh...like the drug cartel, and one side is like...uh...wait, I found my license....uh, what was I going to do with my license?

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

He. — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:50:21 -0000

Let's think about this from the standpoint of the establishment.

Drugs are a good tool for figuring out who is trustworthy. If you use drugs, then you are not loyal to the establishment and its norms. You are prevented from getting into high positions. The more arbitrary and silly the norms, the better they are for measuring trustworthiness. If you are truly trustworthy, then you don't break the rules even if they are stupid.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

Gary — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 05:28:29 -0000

Ever considered using a vaporizer?

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

the colonel — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:58:44 -0000

Hey Another,

I am also a scientist who likes to get stoned, though not a bloody socialist. However, due to our shared humanity and the kindness of a libertarian I do want you to know you're not alone. I know lots of stoned scientists and if I were less of a chickenshit I would start a facebook group called 10,000 stoned scientists.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

uknowbetter — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:30:33 -0000

This sounds good to me. Anything to bankrupt socialists is good in my book.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

uknowbetter — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:29:28 -0000

Every time you pay taxes (whether sales, income, or otherwise) you help to screw over poor people.

You should feel a lot worse about paying taxes than Steve and Will do about smoking pot.

Re: Outing Myself (from the Cannabis Closet)

Susan — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:03:42 -0000

Closet Man, in spite of your Socialist politics I will help you get a smoke-free high. Get on a plane to California, go to one of our ever-helpful weed doctors and tell them the stress from your being a socialist is causing insomnia and headaches (as well it should). He/she will give you a prescription for a liquid THC product that you squirt in your mouth, so your kids won't have to breathe any nasty smoke. ( I havent tried it YET but I'm told it is the purest buzz imaginable.) Then, once you're high, crack open The Road To Serfdom and let the words of Hayek permeate your brain...repeat on a bi-weekly basis and soon you'll be writing six figure checks to Cato and worshiping Will as a god.