So it is in the news. California is in such a financial rut that the state government has added a vote to legalize weed and tax it to the ballot for the upcoming election. Of course the public is torn on wether or not it is a good idea. I am from Texas but live in L.A. now. I cannot believe that this state has the richest peolpe in the world living here yet it is the brokest state in the U.S. I for one am not a pot head but I think that it is a great idea to leagalize and tax weed. you are never going to get rid of it completely so why not make some money off it. Any one else agree or disagree? Personally I thing weed is no different than alcohol in fact it might even be a safer habit than getting wrecked and driving
People in my opinion seem to act in a more civilazed way when they are stoned than when they re drunk , and to be honest i really dont think weed is such a big deal, i have countless friends who have been smoking weed for years and they are respected persons in theirs job and the society. I used to smoke a couple times a month but i quit together with the cigs (dont know why but weed always make me crave cigarretes so…) some time ago. I am happy without cigs (very) so theres no more weed for me and i can perfectly live without it , but i sure miss the relaxing feeling sometimes 
I agree weed is much less harmful than alcohol and not really that big of a deal. I too know people, some upper class that smoke it on a regular and are awesome people. They just enjoy a nice buzz now and again same as people who drink to get drunk do. Only difference is weed doesn’t make you a complete idiot when you indulge like alcohol does. Besides it is never going away they might as well tax it
I think everything should be decriminalized, but the problem with justifying pot legalization from the standpoint of taxation is that it’s the easiest of all euphoriants to DIY. I know there are some people who are planning on growing their own tobacco to get around this current fraud, but unless you have your own farm, you can’t grown it in sufficient quantity, and curing etc. is just too much of a pain to justify quantity. It will be very interesting to see how other states deal with having people in prison for doing something that’s perfectly legal in another state. I remember back when a lot of people were in jail for violating local statutes against gambling, and then economic forces proved irresistable. In any case, I think Bob Dylan was right in arguing that–given the current economic and political climate–everybody must get stoned. Just so I would not feel so all alone.
I think its weird that many of the same people that are pushing for tobacco to be completely prohibited are for legalization of pot. Isn’t that some sort of disconnect?
Following the money usually resolves such disconnects.
I was thinking the same thing Nachman…the evil satan plant makes people poo-poo themselves, but smoking weed is a-okay! I’ve nothing against weed, but they’ll probably tax it to such exorbitant levels that the illegal market will remain, I’m sure, just what a crappy double standard…
Trust me, I work in this kind of field and I can tell you with extremely high degree of certainty that illegality of most drugs has no bearing on the consumption. It only keeps a lot of otherwise unproductive police officers, parole officers, prison guards and the justice system needlesly employed and draining of our tax dollars and denies treatment to those who really need it. Just about everything (except maybe the anesthetic gasses and ketamine, few other exceptions as well) should be available over the counter at a “drug store” right next to the booze and cigarettes section. Then it should be taxed, enough to generate HUGE revenues, but not enough to raise the price so as to encourage a black market. Trust me, the legal drugs available now from prescription (like Oxy-Contin and Adderall) are EXTREMELY intoxicating and so easy to get from a loose prescribing doctor it’s not even funny. For every skid row junkie shooting heroin there are about 10 housewives and businessmen hopped up on that which their doc prescribes them. Sadly, it’s that easy, and it’s 100% legal. All you have to do is go around saying how flat, depressed you are, that you can’t concentrate and how much your back hurts. So many docs give this stuff out like candy that it won’t take long to get yourself flying higher than a moonshot. It’s not that docs are stupid. These meds have a role in helping a lot of people. The healthcare system usually has a genuine desire to help you, they pretty much take it on faith that “I have ADD” or “I have chronic pain”. And even testing for these things is so vague that someone either can fake it really well, or have enough naturally occurring arthritis after age 30-40 that you can get just about anything. So someone who is malicious and deliberately misrepresents their symptoms can very easily slip through and get what they want if they know what to say or how to behave because ultimately, your doctor is NOT a police officer and it is not their role to “bust” you. Sad… sad… sad… Sad! Should be OTC. All of it. And taxed so I wouldn’t have to be! Good for CA!!!
It is worse than a crime for government to persecute those involved in the cultivation and use of any G-d given plant. We should stand with the pro MJ faction, and they should stand with us, the tobacco faction. rant mode=on I am becoming sick of our government. Just sick of their agendas and political jockeying, that’s all it ever seems to amount to these days, jockeying for position, behind a bunch of lies. My sentiments cross all party lines. I am not an anarchist, I just hate being controlled and watched, manipulated, over-taxed, and lied to, under the premises of freedom and liberty. rant mode=off I very much hope that California passes this, it would be a landmark move against government interference in personal affairs.
Some valid points here
I hope they pass it too. The idea of marijuana being illegal is insane to me. I think that all drugs should be legal (controled yes! illegal no). Even drugs that I would say don’t even think about taking that it’s incredibly terrible and you’ll probably end up with no teeth and pimping yourselve out before you get killed for being the most annoying asshole that ever walked gods green earth. For two reasons cost to benefit. Law is the most ineffective way to deal with what comes down to a healthcare issue. Plus we’re “adults” let us make our own choices terrible or not (like we do anyways). Back to marijuna though I really see it as probably the most harmless drug possable. Alchool is worse. I would be unsafe in a kitchen if drunk, when I’ve been high as a kite in a kitchen the wrost thing that happens is I have to obsesse over what time I put what in what oven a little more then normal I certainly won’t cut anyones finger off. Another strange property of weed is it seems to be self limiting in the sense that the people it effects the most negativly seem to like it the least. Some people it helps myself included I’am a nut job rapid cycling bi polar person (often I won’t sleep for a day or two because my mind keeps thinking about useless stuff [like the ins and outs of corduroy pants]) pot and nicotine are the only two things that level me off with out having worse side effects (fuck Lithium, well for me. if it helps you rock on). Three great pro legalization things I’ve read (wish I rememebered more details about them) one was from a former police officer from seatle. His pro pot legalization arguement was to ask other police officers when was the last time they got in a physical fight with someone that they were arresting for marijuana, then to ask them when was the last time they were attacked by a drunk. Again I wish I had more information I read another pro legalization article where a doctor talked about how little harm he had seen in marijauna smokers then said he wouldn’t recomend smoking pot to anyone but then stated he also thought everyone should read more books and learn another language and compared pot to not reading more or learning a new language. The last point I read many years ago still a teenager then, the punishment for a crime should never be more socialy damaging then the crime itself. Then it went on to explain how much more harm having marijuana as an scheduled drug and the arrest involved damaged society then the drug itself. Sorry about the ranting. I hope it makes sense as I’am having one of the times that I’ve not been sleeping a lot and feeling extremely manic (wu-who) which should tell you I’ve not been smoking herb lately.
@nicola037 I don’t think I would call someome “malicious” who says what they need to say to get medication from their doctor, given that the government patronizingly requires adults to get “permission slips” from medical doctors before we can buy what we want. I WOULD call the law malicious, however. Attempting to control what I put into my body is like attempting to control what I read: you’re trying to control my mind, and I won’t play that game.
Is there a set date for the vote?
This has always been an interesting debate. To bob’s point about asking cops about fights with stoned people, I would ask cops when the last time they came upon a car accident fatality that involved a stoned driver and then the last time they came upon a DUI crash scene with fatalities. I am willing to bet the answer would be zero for stoned accidents and many for DUI. In fact, a friend of mine would always tell this joke about driving under the influence: A drunk driver will run a stop sign, but a stoned driver will sit at the intersection and wait for the stop sign to turn green. LOL
I think these are statistics I heard on a recent documentary: Over 700,000 people were incarcerated related to Marijana in 2001. 85% of them for possession, the remaining balance for sale/manufacture. No wonder our prison system is overcrowded. Legalize it.
LEGALIZE IT!!! Ps:Go to YOUTUBE and search for Rick Simpson and then tell me your opinion!!! Best wishes to all of you, Holonmax
to LHB What I mean by malicious is knowingly deceiving a physician by misrepresenting your symptoms or lying just to get these medications. Trust me, the role of these meds is greatly misunderstood, and those who seek opioids or stimulants are a very, very, very malicious bunch. They want to abuse them and are pushy, deceptive, manipulative or just plain evil, and or worse yet, because they want their insurance to pay for them, then they turn around and sell these medications for cash. When you go and lie to get these medications for purposes for which they were not intended, it is malicious. And the story about the poor old person dying of something denied pain meds and having to lie to get them are a bunch of trash. That hasn’t been the case in about 15 years. Now the opposite problem is happening… over-prescription. If most drugs werel OTC, regulated and taxed like tobacco and alcohol, the world would be a better place.
everyone i know in here in california already has a doctors card to buy weed as it is … a friend used to deal it but there was no point anymore as everyone has a card these days … the pot shops sell it for the same price without any of the risks of dealing it … i think here making out like bandits to be honest . also dont expect to see cafes like holland over here in california as the smoking laws apply to marijuana as well also expect to see the taxes raised all the time if it does become legal every time the state needs money which is always … then groups like marijuana freekids … marijuana free california MADS mother against stoned driving to pop up all wanting a cut of the tax money … studies coming out that marijauna is just as bad as cigarettes and on and on … why is it when there is a debate on any forum about marijauana it always turns into its not as bad as alcohol debate ?
By all means I hope and pray they legalize it. Then my next challenge will be convincing my wife to move to California, or at the very least vacation there SEVERAL times per annum. Since I live in PA even if CA legalizes it, it’ll be about another 150 years until PA gets on board. This commonwealth has a nasty habit of lingering in the Dark Ages. Seriously though, it’s about time it were legalized. It was criminalized thanks in GREAT part to William Randolph Hearst and his racist propaganda campaign of outright lies to protect his precious paper mill industry from cheaper superior hemp paper. It’s legalization is a decade or two overdue. I won’t hold my breath though. This country has a tendency to screw up every good idea that comes it’s way. Cali may make a step in the right direction, then the federal government will step in and completely ruin everything and turn a good idea into a complete mess. I have lost any and all faith in Washington ever doing what is smart, just, or right.
I would like to see it legalized. Even after seeing the old film “Reefer Madness” a few times.