Vote for Pot? Can't Decide

[TromboneAl]

I can't decide whether to vote for the legalization of pot in California.

For me, the important issue is cutting down on neighborhood grow houses.

On one hand, if cultivation is made legal for commercial growers, the price should drop precipitously and it would no longer be worth it to turn a house into a grow house.

OTOH, the law would allow people to grow it in their house "for personal use."

OTOH, the feds say they will still enforce the national anti-pot laws, making it unlikely that RJ Reynolds will start growing large fields of dope.

What do you think?

 

[MasterBlaster]

It should get much cheaper once the industrial farming and distribution start.

Why don't you smoke a couple, and then decide.

 

[IBWino]

I'm inclined to vote no. In any case, I don't think the feds will allow it to stand. I also tend believe the argument that pot is a gateway drug. Maybe I'm naive, but I just don't think legalizing pot sends the right message to our youth.

 

[ziggy29]

I'm conflicted about this. My tendency, though, is to think it should be treated very similarly to alcohol.

 

[Khan]

Vote YES or be consistent and vote to ban alcohol and tobacco.

 

[FIREd]

If people can grow it legally, wouldn't they grow it openly in their backyard hence rendering grow houses obsolete? I don't know if it makes a difference to you or not.

Personally, I don't think pot is any more dangerous than alcohol, so I am not opposed to legalization. I'd vote YES.

 

[haha]

If I had the opportunity I would definitely vote yes, and not because I want to use it, I don't.

Prohibition is wrecking our society, wrecking America, contributing to a vast overgrowth of police power, involving the armed forces in activities far removed from war waging (which may be part of the reason they are no good at that anymore).

As far as neighborhood grow houses, dealing and criminality, it would stop most of it dead. What do you care if your neighbor has a few plants and a grow light? Do you care if he makes beer or wine?

For that matter, what business of any of us is it if someone else wants to purchase and use marijuana?

It's more nanny state becomes police state.

Ha

 

[Sarah in SC]

Vote Yes! O0
For the reasons already mentioned.

 

[aaronc879]

I think the benefits of legalizing it out way the negatives. The only thing i'd be concerned about is having more "impaired" drivers on the road. However, the level of impairment is less with marijuana than with alcohol. For example: A drunk driver will drive thru a stop sign without even slowing down possibly causing serious injury or death. A driver high on pot will stop at the stop sign and wait for it to turn green. Who's more dangerous.

 

[ziggy29]

A driver high on pot will stop at the stop sign and wait for it to turn green. Who's more dangerous.

A driver high on pot will be hitting every drive-thru on the way home...

 

[IBWino]

If people can grow it legally, wouldn't they grow it openly in their backyard hence rendering grow houses obsolete? I don't know if it makes a difference to you or not.

This is another issue that I have. The odor of maturing pot plants can be quite noxious. If both of my neighbors decide to grow some, it could make spending time outside on my deck/patio intolerable.

 

[ziggy29]

This is another issue that I have. The odor of maturing pot plants can be quite noxious. If both of my neighbors decide to grow some, it could make spending time outside on my deck/patio intolerable.

Does this proposed initiative allow for "local control" whereby the growing options can be limited or restricted by local ordinance? It could be a potential deal-breaker if not.

 

[Purron]

Here's an interesting pro and con discussion:

Legalize Marijuana for Tax Revenue - BusinessWeek

 

[FUEGO]

I'd vote legalize. Seems like too much money spent on often ineffective efforts to criminalize usage. And I have a hard time reconciling our drastically different legal treatment of alcohol and marijuana. After the repeal of prohibition of alcohol, it seems like legalized but regulated is an acceptable path to follow versus outright prohibition and criminalization.

 

[HFWR]

Though I have a harder time reconciling the legalization of harder drugs than I do with the legalization of marijuana, in truth we aren't really stopping much of anyone from using, but we are creating large criminal enterprises, and the resulting police/military/prison complex.

Now, could someone pass the Oreos...

 

[Katsmeow]

Vote YES or be consistent and vote to ban alcohol and tobacco.

Personally, I think it should be legal regulated as is alcohol. I do thing pot and alcohol should be treated consistently.

On the other hand, I think you can consistently also favor banning tobacco. The difference I see is that alcohol and pot can be used safely and without harm to people. Tobacco can't be used safely and causes great harm to society. Based upon that, I can certainly justify banning tobacco.

 

[ziggy29]

Tobacco can't be used safely and causes great harm to society. Based upon that, I can certainly justify banning tobacco.

On the other hand, one can safely operate machinery and motor vehicles after having a few cigarettes. Not so after a few drinks or a few joints. I'd prefer that if people want to do this stuff, the main hazard is to themselves and not to other unwilling participants.

 

[calmloki]

It's not legal? When I drove through NoCal coming south from Ashland Oregon last month I was astounded at the number of ads on the radio for grow supplies and varieties of dope for consumption - complete with strains on sale ("leafy blend $.99/gram, or my favorite, Kickazz Kush for..." quoth the DJ).

Of course, consumption is only for the infirm of NoCal. Mighty unhealthy spot, that Northern California. Surprising, given the sporty bike riding population in evidence....

 

[powerplay]

I would vote Yes and then tax it much the way alcohol and tobacco are taxed.

 

[haha]

Personally, I think it should be legal regulated as is alcohol. I do thing pot and alcohol should be treated consistently.

On the other hand, I think you can consistently also favor banning tobacco. The difference I see is that alcohol and pot can be used safely and without harm to people. Tobacco can't be used safely and causes great harm to society. Based upon that, I can certainly justify banning tobacco.

This is absolutely ridiculous. All you are saying is that you and your friends drink, but don't smoke. While plenty people have been maimed or killed by drinking drivers, I haven't read much about smoking drivers being a hazard.

You say, well drink, but don't drive. Sure thing buttercup, but will all your guests stay over after your party? Will everyone take a cab or bus to the bar? There is a reason they are called roadhouses. How about getting home from the NFL or baseball game or racetrack. Ever seen the drivers come flying out of there?

If you want to ban smoking because it hurts the smoker, to be consistent you will need to ban Coca Cola, pies and cakes, butter and meat, and whatever else the government scientists are pointing at this year. And sex- definitely ban sex. It causes dangerous conditions like AIDS, HPV, Herpes and pregnancy.

Ha

 

[FUEGO]

Of course, consumption is only for the infirm of NoCal. Mighty unhealthy spot, that Northern California. Surprising, given the sporty bike riding population in evidence....

Something's going on out there. It may be the pot is hurting people's eyes. I heard the glaucoma incidence rate in NoCal is 23x higher than the US population at large in the US.

 

[TromboneAl]

If people can grow it legally, wouldn't they grow it openly in their backyard hence rendering grow houses obsolete?

I don't think so, because if it's outdoors, someone will steal it (at least with prices the way they are now).

What do you care if your neighbor has a few plants and a grow light?

You're right, and I don't care about that. But it's the 10,000 watt houses that burn down or cause the local transformers to blow that are the issue for me.

Growing dope is essentially legal here in Humboldt County right now. You can grow it if you have a medical marijuana card, meaning that you have some medical condition that needs treating with dope. Anyone can get one of those cards.

The problem is that people grow large amounts to sell. That's illegal, but it's hard to prove. If the cops go up to a house that's using huge amounts of electricity, and smells like a skunk from 100 yards away, the occupant just says "Oh, I have five 215 cards" and the cop has to walk away.

60% of the electric company's calls are to fix problems caused by grow houses (some pay for the juice, others don't).

There's currently a lot of crime related to the houses also, because the product is so lucrative. One of the grow houses on our block was OK. The renter was quiet, and the only problem was the occasional skunk smell. The other house had very unsavory characters.

But, get the price to drop by 90% and those problems go away.

 

[Ronstar]

I would vote to legalize it, and would support sale of pot similar to that of cigarettes with taxes

 

[travelover]

Ironically (or not) I think those that most want to keep it illegal are those involved in the illegal drug trade. Other than the legality issue, it is a piece of cake to grow and process - probably much cheaper than tobacco. Making it legal in the whole USA would destroy the Mexican drug cartels.

 

[Nords]

How much tax revenue would legalized marijuana yield?

How much would California have to raise your taxes to balance the budget?