Legalizing Marijuana in California

[naz]

Is legalizing marijuana the answer to everyone’s prayers? It seems most Californians cannot live without it because the majority will be helping to pass the latest proposition (19).

http://elections.firedoglake.com/2010/0 ... marijuana/

Medical marijuana use has already spread to 14 other states since California passed its first proposition for medical marijuana use at the beginning of this year. How long will it be before the entire nation (every state) is legalizing marijuana for recreational use? Is this a good idea?

Most people will relate the republicans to big money, oil businesses, etc. The democrats and independents are giving overwhelming support to this new proposition. Why would republics be against it and why are religious communities not outraged like they were with gay marriage? Do religious communities not care and rather have it legalized as well?

[McCulloch]

Legalizing Marijuana in California would be a really bad thing ... for the British Columbia economy.

[JoeyKnothead]

Legalizing Marijuana in California would be a really bad thing ... for the British Columbia economy.

hahahahahahahaha

I've actually had some, and they grow some dang fine weed up yonder.

Legalize now!

[Goat]

Is legalizing marijuana the answer to everyone’s prayers? It seems most Californians cannot live without it because the majority will be helping to pass the latest proposition (19).

http://elections.firedoglake.com/2010/0 ... marijuana/

Medical marijuana use has already spread to 14 other states since California passed its first proposition for medical marijuana use at the beginning of this year. How long will it be before the entire nation (every state) is legalizing marijuana for recreational use? Is this a good idea?

Most people will relate the republicans to big money, oil businesses, etc. The democrats and independents are giving overwhelming support to this new proposition. Why would republics be against it and why are religious communities not outraged like they were with gay marriage? Do religious communities not care and rather have it legalized as well?

I don't know about the religious community, but legalizing all drugs, and producing it locally will cut off a major source of revenue for the 'drug lords' in other countries.

Look what happened to Portugal when they legalized all drugs, .. Drug use when down, drastically. They spent less money supplying needles and drugs to the addicts than they did to law enforcement of the drug laws.

The 'thrill' of the illicit was gone, so less people used it.

[chris_brown207]

I don't know about the religious community, but legalizing all drugs, and producing it locally will cut off a major source of revenue for the 'drug lords' in other countries.

Look what happened to Portugal when they legalized all drugs, .. Drug use when down, drastically. They spent less money supplying needles and drugs to the addicts than they did to law enforcement of the drug laws.

The 'thrill' of the illicit was gone, so less people used it.

I agree, prohibition didn't work for alcohol, I don't know why people will believe it will work for drugs. The only sure thing that you guarantee by outlawing people's vices is that they hide it from public view, and continue on.

You cannot treat something that you shun. I think the Portugal model is one we can all learn from. Simultaneously, the only way to stop the drug lords is to stop the demand. Legalizing drugs will allow them to be produced locally, and will reduce prices, and almost completely deplete demand for drugs outside our borders... solving another problem - violent drug carriers crossing our borders.

Now, the chances of this happening are slim, because incarceration is too profitable an industry for certain groups (including law enforcement). At any one time 1/4 to 1/10 (depending on whom you ask) of our population is serving time. That is a lot of money going into detaining prisoners, the majority of which are drug related. How does that saying go - "it is difficult for someone to understand something when their paycheck is dependent on them not understanding it".

[ChaosBorders]

Now, the chances of this happening are slim because incarceration is too profitable an industry for certain groups (including law enforcement). At any one time 1/4 to 1/10 (depending on whom you ask) of our population is serving time. That is a lot of money going into detaining prisoners, the majority of which are drug related. How does that saying go - "it is difficult for someone to understand something when their paycheck is dependent on them not understanding it".

1/4th to 1/10th...? No. Less than 1% of the population is in jail at any given time. If you add in probation and parole you get up to 3%. When you consider over 90% of those are male, you get almost 6% of males are either locked up or being monitored. The only possible way you get to 1/4 is if you consider the incidence of black men being incarcerated at Some Point in their Life Time. There is no conceivable way you can get to 1/4 of our population 'at any one time'.

[LiamOS]

I've actually had some, and they grow some dang fine weed up yonder.

Too right.

I think it's definitely a step in the right direction from the U.S. for a change.

[TheLibertarian]

I am all in favor of this. The Federal Government has no right to dictate to California its laws on this issue (including coercive measures such as threatening to withhold funding for the highway system it forced upon California in the first), and no government has the right to dictate to individual men what they may or may not consume.