The Federal Gov't says, "NO!"
Californians said, "YES!...for medical reasons only."

Some of you from the greater Sacramento & Bay Area may have heard of the various "Pot Clubs" in California where patients, with a presciption, can legally obtain & use pot.
This last week, Richard Marino (www.sacbee.com/content/news/courts_legal/story/10717754p-11636236c.html) had his plants cut down & his "club" raided by DEA agents. His son was held at gun-point.

The question is simple:

Why should pot be legal?

I'll start off with saying that pot should be legal...treated no differently than alcohol.

Absolutely yes. It makes you stupid but it's none of the government's business what we smoke or eat or drink or shoot up.

Yes... then we can tax the bejeezus out of it. Pot smokers likely wouldn't mind as it would still be cheaper than the underground ish is now.

-Chris

I'll start off with saying that pot should be legal...treated no differently than alcohol.

I agree 100%.

I believe it could settle a lot of our problems via high tariffs, tax and management.

Just pot (and maybe shrooms) though... the rest should be illegal as far as I’m concerned.

I agree 100%.

I believe it could settle a lot of our problems via high tariffs, tax and management.

Just pot (and maybe shrooms) though... the rest should be illegal as far as I’m concerned.


Werd. You could sell a pack of blunts for $50 bucks and they would go like hotcakes, and given the amount of pot smokers in this country, which is a good 35% over what anyone would guess, it would be quite good for our economy. The fact that alchohol is totally legal and weed isn't is forever going to be a mystery to me. Other than alchohol is a depressant and weed is a psychoactive/depressant/stimulant/magical mystery bush.
Even if it was legal i'd still not smoke it, but for christs sake when are people going to realize that its not worth sending people to jail for?

Yes... then we can tax the bejeezus out of it. Pot smokers likely wouldn't mind as it would still be cheaper than the underground ish is now.

-Chris

The tax revenue argument only works if you assume it is illegal to grow it, but not possess it. Pot is far easier to grow than beer is to brew or liquor is to distill.

Even with minimal incremental tax revenue, the economic affect would be quite large - you would no longer be spending money enforcing the prohibition, you would free up prison space and you would no longer be incarcerating people which hold jobs and pay their taxes.

The only rational argument I've heard in favor of illegal dope is that it is more difficult to prove if a person is under the influence of the stuff when they get pulled over.

this is a topic that does not need to be discussed anymore. Smoke weed if you like and use disearnment.

this is a topic that does not need to be discussed anymore. Smoke weed if you like and use disearnment.

Werd, i think we are all on the same page here - we could bring helladumb out of his carbonite shell and get him to fight it, but....meh, whats the use - salty's back, we have him to keep us occupied and at least it's intelligent useless banter.

Wouldn't be any need for taxes. It's a weed. You can grow it in a pot on your back porch and have enough to smoke for months.

It's a weed. You can grow it in a pot on your back porch and have enough to smoke for months.

Yeah, but if that principle worked then there would be no, say, tomato market. If people are lazy enough NOT to grow their own, then tax 'em! Sadly, i don't think the government would allow people to grow it, because it would cut in on their tax. Just like people who are running vegetable oil cars are getting nabbed for "tax evasion".

Yeah, but if that principle worked then there would be no, say, tomato market. If people are lazy enough NOT to grow their own, then tax 'em! Sadly, i don't think the government would allow people to grow it, because it would cut in on their tax. Just like people who are running vegetable oil cars are getting nabbed for "tax evasion".

Thank you, Constellation, you took the words right out of my mouth.

-Chris

Although I gave up a daily smoking habit about four years ago, I am all for legalization.

But I cant imagine it happening. With the draconian War on Drugs, our govt can subjectively incarcerate a whole butt-load of people. Incarceration is big business... and those bastards have some hefty lobbyists puoshing for more and more jails (where are all the new schools one might ask?)

Furthermore, if pot were legal, law officials would lose their footing when it came to home / car searches, property seizure, and myriad other things.

While these statements might seem outrageous to some, few can argue that it does not deserve to be classified as a Scedule I drug... that is simply rediculous

The worst part about the fact that pot is illegal is the original reason for it being illegal; it was a way for the gov't to pick on minority groups (African Americans in the Jazz movement first, then immegrant Mexican laborors later). Now it's illegal for the same reason we've never had a non-christian president...it just is. What's funny to me is that, even though punishments are higher, cocaine is less illegal than pot because it's still used as an anestethic in eye surgeries. California and a few other states are on the right track in terms of the reefer, but I'm affraid the Governator, BushJr, and the whole GOP-is-cool-again thing will set the cause back...check out www.NORML.org for more good info about pot and how YOU can help the cause hehehe.
BTW, props to Salty for being a pro-pot Republican...

wow, one thing we can all agree on! who'da thunk it possible?

wow, one thing we can all agree on! who'da thunk it possible?

See, not all right-leaning folks are nuts.

See, not all right-leaning folks are nuts.

Of course they're not. Unfortunately, many who represent them in office are nuts! If a *real* conservative was an option, I would definitely vote for him/her, despite my liberal social tendencies. A real conservative believes in smaller government. Prohibition means bigger government. I think conservative ideals are different than the current "right-leaning" idealogy.

I think it is just a matter of time before dope is decriminalized. The younger generation has not fallen for the propaganda like the older one has.

Although I gave up a daily smoking habit about four years ago...

:sigh: This speaks volumes...

Its too much work to try to make it legal. I would rather just smoke a nice dank blunt illegaly. Plus i dont think the gov would ever legalize it because it makes people to lazy. Thats why you see a lot of cocaine in uper society, because it makes you wanna get **** done and it hypes you up. People who smoke weed just get lazy and lethargic and are not motivated at all to do things when there high. A bunch of high americans would not be good for the economy. But then again your not always a lazy person just because you smoke. Like myself i get all of my important tasks of the day done before i smoke. So i usually end up smokn around 7 at night and just get to relaxe.

:sigh: This speaks volumes...

Salty, you sigh so much I cant get RuPaul out of my head when I read your posts. Plus, there was that Sisqo thong song thing that I never really picked up.

And yes, I did inhale :D

:sigh: This speaks volumes...

Just cause you bought into the idea that "pot is bad, mmmmkay!" doesn't make it so. I agree that it is most likely bad like cigarettes are bad but it does not make you stupid. I will however make you lazy and hungry and by proxy fat! LOL

One of my best friends is a regular smoker, I mean 2-10 times a day regular, and he is the smartest guy I know. Computer wizard. Full engineering scholarship from Lawrence Tech (Very good technical school in the area) and he could run techno circles around anyone when it comes to computer networking and network setup and routing and IP scheme and shizz like that. So I tossed that argument out of my head a long time ago. :D

Plus i dont think the gov would ever legalize it because it makes people to lazy.

What makes you think more people will do dope if it's legal or not? I read somewhere that there were more per capita drinkers during prohibition than there are now...of course that was 10 years ago and "reading something somewhere" is hardly proof of anything. LOL

There are two things that drive people to do things: Money and sex. Weed is illegal because there is a lot of money changing hands due to it's illegal status.

Take this thought for a spin...

If pot was legal, the govt could plant male cannabis plants (basically void of smokeable herb) everywhere.

First, it would considerably help fight ersosion in areas like Malibu.

Second, it is a fantastic source of fiber for textile industries and is ultra cheap to grow / harvest

Lastly (brace yourselves), planting male cannabis plants all throughout cities and countrysides would effectively wipe out smokeable "lots". Why? Male plants pollinate female plants that are within a certian proximity. Once pollinated, a female plant becomes essentially worthless to the grower / smoker. Though this would not wipe out the entire underground black-market supply, it would whittle it down considerably

Dub2W,
Very good ideas, indeed. Pollinated female plants don't make the best smoking material because of the work required to remove the seeds, however, the seeded buds are perfectly suitable for baking. A method many stoners I know prefer. You make an extremely valid point, though. Most younger people want to smoke it for instant gratification and the more intense effects.

Towlie edit: I have no idea what is going on.

Dub2W,
Very good ideas, indeed. Pollinated female plants don't make the best smoking material because of the work required to remove the seeds, however, the seeded buds are perfectly suitable for baking. A method many stoners I know prefer. You make an extremely valid point, though. Most younger people want to smoke it for instant gratification and the more intense effects.

It is best to start such statements with, "I've been told that..." ;)

:D Funny stuff

I vote for legalization. No known deaths and all that just makes it seem silly that it is illegal in the first place. Hopefully some years down the road it will become legal. If alcohol and tobacco are regulated, then marijuana could be also. Given the economice benefits, I think it can happen.

Good thought dub2w...but, to put it as Oaf would, "I've heard that..." even if there's some seeds in the bud, you take them out and sometimes...sometimes...it'll still blow your mind...but Sensimilla does mean 'without seeds'...bottom line it depends on the strain and even a 'cannibus club' can't garantee you get the shiznititybambshnipsnapsnazzy...but that's just 'what I've heard'...

Good thought dub2w...but, to put it as Oaf would, "I've heard that..." even if there's some seeds in the bud, you take them out and sometimes...sometimes...it'll still blow your mind...but Sensimilla does mean 'without seeds'...bottom line it depends on the strain and even a 'cannibus club' can't garantee you get the shiznititybambshnipsnapsnazzy...but that's just 'what I've heard'...

Excellent usage of the "I've been told..." clause. ;)