Legalizing Marijuana

[Hamshank]

Let's get some politics into this forum!

What do you guys think?
Is it good, is it bad?
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In WA State, where I live, there is a voter initiative to legalize marijuana, initiative 1068 run by Sensible Washington a group of volunteers w/o big funding. However, it looks like it has a 50/50 shot to make the ballot!

Similar efforts are going on in Oregon and in California it already has made the ballot.

Now that it's only a matter of when, even if all of these initiatives somehow fail.


I personally am welcoming legalization in open arms!

In a time of austerity let's cut the spending of throwing people in jail, destroying the live of our fellow citizens with criminal records, start a new industry, open up hemp farming (very important, not talked about enough), tax and regulate. In WA alone the removal of jail costs is estimated to save 300 million a year. That is huge.

[Hammy]

What do you guys think?
Is it good, is it bad?
--

I personally am welcoming legalization in open arms!

I think it's good as long as it's done appropriately.
=>Same age limit for purchase as alcohool, strictly regulated, taxed, etc... And a lot of the cash influx should go into awareness campaigns.

I think some of your arguments are silly though.

cut the spending of throwing people in jail

If people think something shouldn't be outlawed, they should take it up in court, not just bend the rules. It costs money to send people in jail, but the law must be upheld.

removal of jail costs is estimated to save 300 million a year

Same argument, but most of these jail incarcerations are for drug dealers anyways. They won't stop their illegal activities because they've lost their niche. They'll just find something else.

start a new industry, open up hemp farming (very important, not talked about enough), tax and regulate

Yes, but again people need to be aware. Don't let this turn into the tobacco industry all over again, because that's a huge failure from the government.


I probably won't smoke anyways, but I think people should have the choice.

[TheBearPaw]

Do it!

[screw_ball69]

I'm a Canadian from British Columbia, I think my stance on this is obvious.
Jokes aside I would like to see it fully legalized for medical purposes, for recreational uses I could care less since people are going to do it anyways and around here you only geet nailed if your a dealer.

[//MavericK\\]

I say it's ok but with one little caveat.

The sale of Marijuana plants and derivatives should be regulated by the states and taxed up the wazoo, just like Tobacco.

That crap is bad for you.

[screw_ball69]

That crap is bad for you.

Please explain, I have yet to see evidence of this

[JohnUcrazy]

I agree it should be legalized but with restrictions. If its confined only to medical purposes and through businesses like regulated "cafes" rather than having it everywhere. I do believe the war on drugs is a waste of time, and is ruining lives at the same time. Why waste time and effort of bringing a swat team to raid a guy that has "some" marijuana. (Link - Warning, it can be a little...disturbing...)

[DemolitionSquid]

There are only two reasons marijuana is illegal.

1. Marijuana is illegal yet cigarettes are sold everywhere is because its much easier for people to farm their own weed than make their own cancer sticks, and thus its harder to gain tax revenue from the mary jane. If Marijuana took as much effort to produce as tobacco you can bet it'd have been legalized a long time ago and be taxed up the wazoo like cigarettes are now.

2. Marijuana, unlike cigarettes, impairs your judgment and reaction time. While you shouldn't smoke cigarettes while you drive, its still possible and you remain relatively alert. Smoking weed however causes actual real-time effects beyond addiction like lethargy, and it can simply lead to more accidents due to inattention/distraction. Again, if marijuana didn't have the obvious side-effects (which are in fact the reason people smoke it in the first place) it would have been legalized long long ago.

[Hammy]

1) It's also easy to make your own beer, but people don't bother with that... Look at what's estimated in california with legalization.
2) Alcohol also impairs your judgment and reaction time. I've never heard of weed tests that are as practical as alcohol tests, but I'm sure there must be a quick way to assess if a person is under the influence of drugs that a cop could do.

I don't really buy those two reasons.

[DemolitionSquid]

1) It's also easy to make your own beer, but people don't bother with that... Look at what's estimated in california with legalization.
2) Alcohol also impairs your judgment and reaction time. I've never heard of weed tests that are as practical as alcohol tests, but I'm sure there must be a quick way to assess if a person is under the influence of drugs that a cop could do.

I don't really buy those two reasons.

It doesn't matter if you "buy" them, they're the truth.

Not many people make their own beer because beer is usually produced in much larger quantities than marijuana. Simply, the cost of beer comes mostly from processing and shipping it all over in 6 packs. Packaging is a large cost for most companies. Any average Joe in his basement can sell his weed in Ziplock baggies locally pretty cheaply.

Alcohol isn't legal. Its "restricted" to those over 18 or 21. The difference is fairly large. Because almost no one makes their own beer its limited to liquor stores and bars. Which makes it easier to limit who gets to consume it, and how much. The same couldn't be said about street corner green.