>What test are you going to force me to take to consume those herbs? Why do you have any say over what I can consume?
Before you say "I can do anything I want/it's my problem/ freedom comes first", please consider the following:
- There is an asymmetric relationship between a customer and a manufacturer with incredible marketing power.
- You live in a society which invested in you, and although you might not value your life, it actually has value for said society.
- You are not alone, the problem isn't the loner consuming <whatever> but the accumulated effect on society when the behavior is widespread.
- When I'm ill I expect the drugs/treatments I take to either replace my symptoms will less unpleasant symptoms or cure me altogether. The purpose of testing and regulations are for people like me. You can call me a square if you want, but I think my expectations are actually widespread.
- "But we know the effect of <whatever>, I use it all the time, and no problem". Allergic reactions, interactions with other drugs, long term effects, interactions with diseases... So many possibilities...
Do you know how many FDA approved drugs kill people every year due to adverse reactions? How times drug companies have been caught selling FDA approved drugs that they knew to be deadly? How do you justify alcohol and tobacco being legal? Both directly kill millions.
How do you answer the actual question. On what moral principle can one human seek to imprison another human for growing or possessing a simple flower?
Why not outlaw fatty foods like burgers and fries? That's the only thing that directly kills even more people than alcohol and tobacco. Why not arrest people for eating illegally fatty foods? Arrest illicit burger dealers?
If you had grown up in a world where fatty foods were illegal you would tell us all how our desire to eat fatty food is bad for society. You would be right. It is. It's also my right as a human.
Do you know how many FDA approved drugs kill people every year due to adverse reactions? [...]
I don't understand your point. You realize that mistakes or corruption happen, whatever system you have in place, it doesn't mean the system is wrong.
On what moral principle can one human seek to imprison another human for growing or possessing a simple flower?
With that kind of argument you could say such things as "On what moral principle can one human seek to imprison another human because it possesses a piece of metal?" (weapon possession).
The problem is the balance between public interest and individual freedom. My point isn't that outlawing <whatever substance> is the way to go, my point is that you have to put everything in perspective and avoid overly simplistic principles such as "what matters is my individual freedom".
You have to appreciate that your freedom stops where the freedom of others start and that your actions have an impact on society as a whole.
It's not just a childish "I'm free to do whatever you want".
Thanks for admitting that you "don't understand." I'll try a bit more, but you completely failed to refute or even adequately respond to anything I said so I'm not inclined.
How can you not understand that my freedom implies your freedom? How can I be free to live my life if society allows bad people to harm me? The world is not an abstract concept. Your attempt at speaking in riddles may convince you that you're right but it has no bearing on reality.
Calling freedom "childish" does not diminish it. Kings have been telling their subjects for millennia that they're not responsible enough to rule themselves. The fact that you feel this way is not surprising. It's a pessimistic and wrong viewpoint that is hard for many to even see let alone change their thinking on.
Your intellectually dishonest attempt at comparing an actual "simple flower" and a manufactured weapon (not "metal" as you pretend) is entirely specious. Deciding what should be regulated by society is not trivial, the question is how you make your decisions. Do you make your decisions based on maximizing personal freedom or someone's perception of what's beneficial for "society"?
...and this is where I realize this is probably an argument between a Constitutionalist American and a Chinese communist. We will probably have to agree to disagree.
Before you say "I can do anything I want/it's my problem/ freedom comes first", please consider the following:
- There is an asymmetric relationship between a customer and a manufacturer with incredible marketing power.
- You live in a society which invested in you, and although you might not value your life, it actually has value for said society.
- You are not alone, the problem isn't the loner consuming <whatever> but the accumulated effect on society when the behavior is widespread.
- When I'm ill I expect the drugs/treatments I take to either replace my symptoms will less unpleasant symptoms or cure me altogether. The purpose of testing and regulations are for people like me. You can call me a square if you want, but I think my expectations are actually widespread.
- "But we know the effect of <whatever>, I use it all the time, and no problem". Allergic reactions, interactions with other drugs, long term effects, interactions with diseases... So many possibilities...