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18
27
True False
Debate Score:45
Arguments:31
Total Votes:49
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 True (13)
 
 False (18)

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Spoonerism(831) pic



Marijuana will never be legal as long as most pot-smokers are apathetic airheads.

*Most politicians would change their ways if they were facing a strong grass-roots movement for legalization, and this is where pot-smokers' lack of political involvement does the most damage. As Malcolm X once said, if every black person in the country would countribute a small sum to an Afro-American lobbying group, "Washington's worst 'nigger-hater' would leap up: 'Well, how are you? Come on in here!'" According to federal drug surveys about 11 million Americans smoke marijuana at least once a month--or are willing to tell a government pollster that they do--and over 4 million get high at least three times a week.  About 150,000 to 200,000 are committed enough stoners to buy "High Times" or "Cannabis Culture" magazines. *

Steven Wishnia

True

Side Score: 18
VS.

False

Side Score: 27
1 point

Most Americans = apathetic airheads

Marijuana Smokers = microcosm of America - (old - (old with glaucoma) + religious right)

link now these are the people who vote most of the time, from 2004 because last election was an anomaly.

So yes, most pot-smokers are apathetic airheads. No more so than the general population though, it just so happens the groups most likely to either not approve of marijuana, or simply not care, are the same people far more likely to vote.

Side: True
1 point

I could not agree more. I'm glad you made this point. Political activism is more or less dead. I was impressed to see the grassroots efforts for Obama, but since the election, that's dropped off entirely.

Although I would say that the pot-smoking community may be more prone to apathy than the rest. I think most are too comfortable with the current laws and too hopeless that they can bring change.

Side: True
0 points

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Side: True
3 points

I'm pretty sure your title gives away which side you'd be on if you actually were going to argue this, but from someone who supports the legalization of marijuana and doesn't smoke pot regularly (not at all, even) I can tell you that there are numerous avtivist groups lobbying for the legalization who are committed enough to make a difference (see the recent massachusetts ballot question, my home state! woo, repreSENT!) I plan on being an active member of the SSDP (students for a sensible drug policy) group when I get to college in a few weeks, and for every pot-smoker who is too lazy to give a shit, there are at least 3 who are either active smokers themselves but make time for campaigning, or non-smokers who believe that the criminalization of marijuana is a dumb practice that is based on faulty logic and should be done away with as soon as possible.

Don't miss the forest for the trees; or in this case, the plant for the leaves.

Side: True
1 point

The title comes from the title of Wishnia's essay on the topic. I generally wait a little bit before posting my response to debates I've made.

In this case, I myself am an avid smoker. I completely support legalization, but the only two things I've done towards this cause are to contribute money to NORML and to write my congressman. That's the extent of my involvement, and among my friends who smoke, I'm fairly certain I'm the only one who's even gotten that far.

Although I wish it weren't the case, I think Wishnia's statement is not far off. I'm quite glad to see that the both of the responses have contradicted it, I want there to be more activism in this regard. As the great Bob Marley once said, "Get up, stand up. Stand up for your rights."

Side: True
1 point

just for the record, I got confused by the title and immediately switched my response to false after I realized what it meant. So people aren't confused.

Side: False

None of the smokers I know are apathetic airheads. We're all quite motivated on the frontier of marijuana legalization.

Side: False
2 points

Glad to hear it. In what ways are yall active? Do you contribute money? Write congressmen? Are you members of NORML?

Side: False

We don't contribute money, being very young and very poor, but I and most of my friends are members of NORML and go to rallies, write congressmen, et cetera.

Side: False
2 points

Apathetic, yes. I wouldn't go so far as to label all cannabis consumers as air heads but apathy never made anyone look like an intelligent, informed activist. This is a grassroots effort and there are a lot of people who are very vocal and driven reformists. It is disappointing however, that out of all the tens of millions of marijuana smokers, only a tiny fraction are..., what, motivated?, passionate?, angry? enough to get involved in their own liberation.

How many more lives need to be destroyed before all responsible cannabis consumers stand up and demand an end to marijuana prohibition?

Side: False
2 points

Seriously! More than half of the marijuana smokers I know are highly philosophical, highly motivated people; and, if you were wondering, California is considering legalizing for economic reasons. And, when it comes down to it, it’s so easy to get marijuana, it might as well be legal. Like sex or alcohol/cigarettes for minors, marijuana is so easy to get, the government would be better off legalizing to regulate and protect.

Side: False
Spoonerism(831) Disputed
2 points

Most of the smokers I know are motivated too, but not to the end of making marijuana legal. They're motivated in their day-to-day lives. They work hard, keep clean houses, etc. And they're philosophical in terms of sitting around and having an intense debate about issues that matter. But when it comes down to it, of all the smokers I know, only one besides myself has actually fought in any way for reform of marijuana laws.

Side: True
2 points

The fact that several people have said false while zero have said true (yet, give it time and some right-winger will come by and say weed is stealin' our jorbs) combined with a complete lack of statistics that support your argument in the original post makes me think that perhaps you're just bigoted against the drug, like many Americans (which is, don't tell anyone, the real reason why marijuana is still illegal).

Side: False
Spoonerism(831) Disputed
2 points

Don't be ridiculous. I love marijuana. But it doesn't cloud my mind to not see some truth to what is being said.

Excerpts from the original essay (published in "Under the Influence: The Disinformation Guide to the War on Drugs"):

According to federal drug surveys, about 11 million Americans smoke marijuana at least once a month...Out of these people, NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, had a little more than 10,000 members in late 2003. The Marijuana Policy Project had around 13,500. The Drug Policy Alliance had 10,500....In contrast, the National Rifle Association has 4 million members.

The average stoner might turn out for festival-style protests like the Bostom Freedom Rally and the Seattle Hempfest, which draw tens of thousands of people every year, but strictly political rallies---that is, ones where you're there to make a point and can't smoke--are lucky to get 100. Compare this to the 'beer parades' of 1932, the anti-Prohibition rallies that drew 15,000 people in Detroit and over 100,000 in New York. They were not about getting drunk. They were relatively sober, if festive affairs where people held up signs that read 'We Want Beer and We Will Pay the Tax,' and charts explained how a tax on alcohol could help get the country out of the Depression.

Side: True
mbarrieau(26) Disputed
1 point

You may be right, at least a bit, but I wouldn't call all smokers apathetic airheads. And lack of participation by smokers isn't the biggest obstacle to marijuana legalization. There may be some truth to some of his points, but the overall statement is wrong.

Side: False
therandomtal(20) Disputed
1 point

I think the very fact that 11 million Americans smoke weed, yet it's not legal, makes many of us wonder how much progress will be made at any sort of political rally. After all, people have been fighting for this cause since my mother was a child. That's why I'm not in NORML, because I honestly don't see anything happening about it; America has a vendetta against pot.

Not to mention, pot has a very high number of people who casually sell, as compared to other drugs. Lots of people hook their friends up without being "dealers", but this makes them reluctant to openly support groups which will directly tie them to pot.

Side: False

When I was sober I was an apathetic airhead. I had no aspirations for college, or anything outside of marrying my girlfriend and raising braindead children on 2x minimum wage.

Then I started smoking pot, and now I'm intensely interested in and motivated for college, and have gotten one of what I hope to be several degrees in the future. My 2.48 high school GPA turned into a 3.7 college GPA, only a 3.7 because my first semester was before I'd started smoking.

Instead of smoking all day and doing nothing, I smoke as a reward for getting things done. Write an essay, smoke a bowl. Read a chapter, smoke a bowl. Works out.

Side: False
1 point

well, i'd have to say i disagree with this statement.

not all people who get high for recreational uses are "apathetic airheads" as you put it.

i smoke, and i, for one, am not apathetic in any way.

i have a VERY strong opinion about pretty much everything.

i show alot of emotion.

and i am intrested in hearing what most people have to say.

nor am i an airhead.

i make straight A's, and am a very intellegant individual, when i need to be.

that's not to say i don't have fun, obviously,

but being my argument is one of an experienced smoker,

i'd have to say this isn't a very strong, or researched, opinion.

Side: False
1 point

One day it will be legal. look at alcohol its legal now. At one time is was illegal. Change could be good.

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Side: False
1 point

Even without a strong grass roots movement to legalize, your forgetting the single most powerful force in the country, capitalism. at some point it would have been inevitable that someone would realize how much money there was to be made through legalization and sale. Once their lobbyists went to work, legalization would be almost guaranteed.

Side: False
1 point

it is completely wrong because there has been times i smoke and im just fine and just sayin wake the fuck up ppl they are gonna legalize it

Side: False