Poll: legalizing marijuana

[brewer12345]

When will it be taxed?

For years I have heard that MJ tax would be a boon to the states. Will current MJ smokers in CO, WA, AZ, CA etc be prepared to fork over an additional $50/oz tax?

Will Med/MJ be taxed the same as Rec/MJ?

These issues are all being worked out in CO as we speak. Add in the complication that the state will also allow the cultivation of up to 6 plants in a secured area. I can already see the massive sales of lockable self contained hydroponic setups.

Many municipalities in CO have already voted to ban recreational weed dispensaries, smoking clubs, etc. A lot remains to be seen.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I suspect a great many jobs depend on it being illegal. Just watch a few episodes of 'Cops' to see the wasted manpower. Most offenders never see any prison time but they still must be processed through the legal system (more jobs).

Sure, that's another reason - it's a huge industry, not just the cops but also the lawyers. And of course the prisons. Privatized prisons are utterly shameful. And now we actually have those corporations lobbying to keep activities illegal and to lengthen prison sentences (I believe David Simon talks about this in his speech too, linked in post #163 above).

But I think I've figured out a far simpler reason why marijuana remains illegal. Politicians simply do not do anything unless lobbyists tell them to do it - and of course bribe them to do it, using campaign contributions. I suppose NORML has some lobbyists, but I doubt their pockets are very deep.

Most of the money in MJ is made by the traffickers, and I doubt they have any real incentive, perhaps even a disincentive, to legalize. The parallel with Prohibition (of alcohol) and the big crime syndicates that flourished then (Al Capone, etc) is obvious.

 

[Birdie Num Nums]

For one who has worked in the criminal justice field, from my 30-plus years of experience, before I ER'd, no one I knew (including prosecutors, defense counsel, judges) ever had any incentive or desire to keep MJ illegal. There were enough other more serious crimes being committed daily to keep them all busy. Too busy. (DWLS cases took up more time for many, anyway. Simple MJ possession cases usually seemed ancillary to other crimes/infractions being committed during the same incident.)

If you have not researched the history of how MJ became illegal and a Schedule I substance, Google, consider the history of alcohol prohibition, Nixon's fixation on demonizing war protestors, and then legislators' historic fear of not being re-elected if they suggest the MJ prohibition law be changed. All that is on the verge of a major shift due, I believe, to a younger generation gaining and exercising more political power--a generation with real life experience (including me) who have not been fooled by past propaganda about the MJ boogey-man.

 

[RustyShackleford]

... a generation with real life experience (including me) who have not been fooled by past propaganda about the MJ boogey-man.

True. In a summer program for "gifted" (gotta love that term) children in high school, I was earnestly told that marijuana consumption would cause me to grow breasts (I suppose there IS a little evidence that it reduces testosterone, not sure that'd be such a bad thing these days) and that it would make me unable to control my bowels (whatever the #2 version of "incontinence" is called).

Evidently the folks who made up this BS did not learn "the story of the boy who cried wolf".

 

[Gumby]

True. In a summer program for "gifted" (gotta love that term) children in high school, I was earnestly told that marijuana consumption would cause me to grow breasts (I suppose there IS a little evidence that it reduces testosterone, not sure that'd be such a bad thing these days) and that it would make me unable to control my bowels (whatever the #2 version of "incontinence" is called).

Evidently the folks who made up this BS did not learn "the story of the boy who cried wolf".

You obviously didn't watch the movie:\

Reefer Madness Trailer Great marijuana movie - YouTube

 

[BLS53]

Given the social and health problems we have with alcohol and tobacco, why add one more substance to the mix?

The laws surrounding the use of alcohol and tobacco, have moreless reduced them to an at home activity. Using them elsewhere, has potential legal consequences. Is society willing to spend the money to enforce laws along the same line, if marijuana is legalized? Is there a cost effective field test for marijuana, similar to the breathalyzer for DUI?

I don't really care either way, as long as I'm not forced to be around it. But legalization seems to carry a lot of unanswered social problems with it.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Given the social and health problems we have with alcohol and tobacco, why add one more substance to the mix?

I kinda thought that in our supposedly free country, you needed a good reason to tell people they CAN'T do something. I don't think your reason qualifies.

 

[BLS53]

I kinda thought that in our supposedly free country, you needed a good reason to tell people they CAN'T do something. I don't think your reason qualifies.

Then you guys need to make a better effort educating the voters that marijuana is harmless. Many of us have our qualms.

 

[utrecht]

Yes, there is a field test to determine if someone is high on marijuana or other substances. It's not scientific though. It's open to interpretation by the tester.

As for, cops and / or prosecutors wanting to keep marijuana illegal due to jobs or any other reason, that's ridiculous. Every cop I know, including myself, would rather it be made legal so we don't have to waste our time with it anymore. I've seen small amounts of marijuana get accidentally spilled out into the breeze to be blown away more times than I can count.

 

[Lazarus]

Then you guys need to make a better effort educating the voters that marijuana is harmless. Many of us have our qualms.

It does not have to be harmless to be legal.

 

[boatfishandnature]

Never used it, myself, but legalizing it would have a huge benefit in depriving drug dealers from the huge profits they get from intermediating these transaction in what has become a very big business. As Mexico chases their drug dealers, they are likely to move to Central American countries that are even less prepared to deal with this expensive law enforcement effort, having both the U.S. and the source countries legalize pot seems like the only reasonable way to go.
That would still leave the issue of hard drugs ( few sensible people would argue for legalizing those ), but I understand that marijuana represents almost 2/3 of the revenues of the drug trade.

 

[Mulligan]

Yes, there is a field test to determine if someone is high on marijuana or other substances. It's not scientific though. It's open to interpretation by the tester.

As for, cops and / or prosecutors wanting to keep marijuana illegal due to jobs or any other reason, that's ridiculous. Every cop I know, including myself, would rather it be made legal so we don't have to waste our time with it anymore. I've seen small amounts of marijuana get accidentally spilled out into the breeze to be blown away more times than I can count.

I was curious, since you deal in this area, and most of us on this forum are law abiding citizens I assume. Are their really many people doing "hard time" for weed outside of the ones getting caught with trash bags full of the stuff? I, of course, do not want stoned out potheads driving on highway any more than a drunk. But, part of me doesn't want to waste resources and tax payer money on incarcerating low level drug users or small time dealers either. Since I can't seem to get off the fence, I would be fine with a good public flogging and then have them sent on their way to recuperate at home on their own dime with no criminal record.... In my neck of the woods, I never read about stoned people robbing banks, stealing copper, and home invasions...it's the Meth heads.

 

[HFWR]

Then you guys need to make a better effort educating the voters that marijuana is harmless. Many of us have our qualms.

The onus should be on those supporting criminalization; i.e there should be compelling evidence for keeping it illegal. Otherwise, the default should be freedom from interference in the lives of consenting adults...

 

[brewer12345]

The onus should be on those supporting criminalization; i.e there should be compelling evidence for keeping it illegal. Otherwise, the default should be freedom from interference in the lives of consenting adults...

+1.

 

[Nodak]

Just ran across this interesting test.
Stoned Drivers Hit Test Course In Washington To Evaluate Marijuana DUI Limits (VIDEO)

 

[Nodak]

The onus should be on those supporting criminalization; i.e there should be compelling evidence for keeping it illegal. Otherwise, the default should be freedom from interference in the lives of consenting adults...

+2.

 

[RustyShackleford]

The onus should be on those supporting criminalization; i.e there should be compelling evidence for keeping it illegal. Otherwise, the default should be freedom from interference in the lives of consenting adults...

+3

Then you guys need to make a better effort educating the voters that marijuana is harmless. Many of us have our qualms.

I don't think it's harmless. Any more than eating trans-fat is harmless. I think there's compelling evidence that it's less harmful than tobacco (I'm sure almost any honest doctor would back that up) and alcohol (I suspect LEO here would back that up). And as stated before, something doesn't need to be harmless to be legal.

 

[utrecht]

I was curious, since you deal in this area, and most of us on this forum are law abiding citizens I assume. Are their really many people doing "hard time" for weed outside of the ones getting caught with trash bags full of the stuff? I, of course, do not want stoned out potheads driving on highway any more than a drunk. But, part of me doesn't want to waste resources and tax payer money on incarcerating low level drug users or small time dealers either. Since I can't seem to get off the fence, I would be fine with a good public flogging and then have them sent on their way to recuperate at home on their own dime with no criminal record.... In my neck of the woods, I never read about stoned people robbing banks, stealing copper, and home invasions...it's the Meth heads.

In Texas, possession of a normal amount (for personal use) of marijuana is a Class B Misdemeanor. Thats the same as a shoplifting charge of anything less than $500. Nobody is going to do any jail time, let alone prison for that (other than possibly spending the night in jail before being arraigned).

 

[BLS53]

There sure must be a bunch of potheads on this board. I must live in a sheltered environment. 60 years old, and the only place I've seen a joint is in the movies.

I don't think my situation is unique among the general public. And there lies your problem with legalization.

 

[obgyn65]

+1. My views are changing on this issue.

Then you guys need to make a better effort educating the voters that marijuana is harmless. Many of us have our qualms.

 

[BLS53]

Yes, there is a field test to determine if someone is high on marijuana or other substances. It's not scientific though. It's open to interpretation by the tester.

As for, cops and / or prosecutors wanting to keep marijuana illegal due to jobs or any other reason, that's ridiculous. Every cop I know, including myself, would rather it be made legal so we don't have to waste our time with it anymore. I've seen small amounts of marijuana get accidentally spilled out into the breeze to be blown away more times than I can count.

That may be true in large urban areas. However, many small county Sheriffs have built careers around drug arrests, including small amounts of marujuana. And these guys keep getting reelected. I don't think easing marijuana laws would go over well within their constituency. This describes virtually every jurisdiction in the rural midwest and south.

Take away California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington state, and you don't have much of a push towards legalization.

 

[FIREd]

There sure must be a bunch of potheads on this board. I must live in a sheltered environment. 60 years old, and the only place I've seen a joint is in the movies.

I don't think my situation is unique among the general public. And there lies your problem with legalization.

I am no pothead (despite my living in San Francisco!). Still, it's hard to be unaware that some legal substances kill considerably more people than pot does. The vilification of MJ is hard for me to comprehend even if I have no desire to try it.

 

[brewer12345]

There sure must be a bunch of potheads on this board. I must live in a sheltered environment. 60 years old, and the only place I've seen a joint is in the movies.

I don't think my situation is unique among the general public. And there lies your problem with legalization.

I might have touched the stuff twice in my life and haven't been near it in 20 years. I still voted for legalization in my state. I have no interest in the stuff, but the amount of time, money and effort we waste trying to prohibit something that appears to be benign strongly suggests to me that we should stop doing so. I would also be happy to see trafficking and illegal growing on public land stop. One of the places I hunt had a discovery by hunters in the backcountry of a several hundred plant grow going on. I would be pretty scared to stumble on that.

 

[Ronstar]

I voted yes. I don't see it as being different than alcohol. I say legalize and tax it.

 

[utrecht]

I've never smoked marijuana and have no desire to, but it's no worse for you than alcohol so I see no reason for it to be illegal. The world would be a better place if neither alcohol or marijuana had ever been discovered, invented or introduced to society, but the fact of the matter is that they are here and they aren't going anywhere. People who wanted to drink during prohibition still did and people who want to smoke marijuana still do now so you might as well legalize it and tax it.

I say the same thing for gambling as well.