(WEED) Are you for it? Are you against it?

I don't have any particular views on weed however I do feel that being able to backhand b****slap any attorney at any time should be legalized across the US.

 

In this day and age with all of the evidence that we have available, there are simply no compelling arguments for the continued prohibition of mar1juana. Personally, I prefer the term "regulation" rather than "legalization" since I want a structure similar to what we have for alcohol and tobacco as opposed to what we have for Mountain Dew.

 

I was against it in my youth, but as I grew older I realized how misinformed and misled I had been and when I examined the facts it was a no-brainer.


Also I agree whole-heartedly with moon's statement about regulation on an equal basis.

 

Keeping it illegal promotes more "crime" (and the behavior associated with it which is really more destructive) than legalizing it. It's less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.

 

Legalize it and tax the hell out of it.

 

maybe they should just decriminalize it first and see how it pans out from there. make anything more than an ounce on you at one time a misdemeanor or something.

EDIT-before anyone comes with a sarcastic remark, i mean anything from 1 to 2 ounces a misdemeanor. anything more than 2 or 3 ounces on you at one time should still be illegal.

 

Unfortunately, this kind of strategy keeps all of the harms of a prohibited market, including violence, adulterated products, no constraints on providing to minors, and all of the financial costs of the drug war except arrests of small time possessors. At the same time, you don't get to take advantage of all of the benefits of a regulated market, the biggest of which is tax revenues to offset the societal costs of drug use in our society.

IOW, decriminalization is the worst of both worlds.

 

The OP asks, "Should mar1juana be legalized across the US ? or do you feel it will just slow the country down ??.....". The two conditions aren't mutually exclusive. Personally I'd prefer a more nuanced poll. The two options provide (excluding the alcoholic non sequitur) are "I smoke pot regularly" and "Pot equals crack and heroin". There is a pretty wide spectrum of answers which fit between those two.

IMO, if you generate the poll with a clearly defined viewpoint, you should avoid trying to articulate the other side's answers for them. It just ends up looking like a caricature.

 

Its already decriminalized in many parts of the country. One ounce and under is a misdemeanor in California, but its really up to the police officer on how to handle mar1juana possession. Some cops go ahead and give you a misdemeanor for possession, while others might just confiscate the weed and let you off with some kind of warning.

 

I'm confused....are you saying that alcohol and tobacco aren't legal per se but are regulated? Is there a difference? I want the same thing, for the record.

Personally, I think all drugs should be legal, but to be more specific, I think they should be regulated like tobacco and alcohol currently are.

Legalization, taxation, regulation, education.

 

They're not legal for people under 21 and 18.

 

Legalize it, benefits the economy,lowers crime rates, has no harmful effects.

 

The only reason I point out such a semantic difference is the result of the perception that each term generates in people's minds. Prohibitionists have historically used the term "legalization" or "legalizer" as a pejorative, saying that my position is that drugs should be available in vending machines. Of course, this is a straw man, but it is far easier to use a different word (regulate) than to try to explain to someone the nuances in the positioning of the term "legalize."

 

Decriminalize, regulate on the national level, tax on the national and state level.

 

Sure, we're the scum of the earth... until you need a good one.

 

I think its similar to police. People fear others who potentially have power over them. For a non-lawyer all that law voodoo can be very capricious and unpredictable.

 

People should be able to pray to whomever they want to pray. Should be able to have guns in their house. Should be able to raise their kids however they want. Should be able to say what they want to say and assemble where they want to assemble. And they should be able to smoke and drink whatever they choose. Obviously there should be some restrictions. No toking and then taking the car out for a spin on the freeway.

If cigarettes and alcohol are legal, so should mar1juana. Legalize it, tax it, and regulate it. The War on Drugs is a joke. Governments would save so much money by legalizing mar1juana. It would force the commerce above board and choke off drug trade in gangs and across the Mexcian border. A ton of people (most poor and African American) would avoid going to jail for weed-based offenses.

I'm glad California is having the vote this year. I thought it would be at least another decade before a state would tackle this topic. I'm mighty curious if it passes how Obama and the Feds will respond to counties that are producing mar1juana legally by their own local laws but against federal law.

 

Great post.

The feds and the state of California have already been clashing over weed, hopefully America gets smart soon.