precursor to legalization?

[figtree]

i feel the government is setting up for legalization, they are hitting growers hard in ca and i think they are clearing the path for government control and/or commercial control of the product and taxes. legalization right now would be great, but if they wipe clean most of the growers they elevate their profits and taxes exponentialy. you dont see alot of tobacco growers because its mainly controlled. same with alcohol, although there are hobbyists in both cases which would translate to marijuana as well. what do you all think? i think within 3 years in ca marijuana will be legalised. it would save our economy.

 

[newbieneedshelp]

Well a bill is in place now for CA to be voted for in 2010 and other states are following that trend. If CA does legalize it then once the earning report is made public every other state will follow. Its to much revenue for states to pass up. Once the states support it the federal gov will have no choice.

 

[CaveChest]

....and then Australia will catch on!
Whoooooopieeee the world might stand a chance!

 

[erkelsgoo420]

Don't hold ur breath ull just turn purple like some nug

 

[GrowTech]

FBO.gov has been requesting bids for companies/individuals willing to grow cannabis, and roll cannabis cigarettes for them. 100% truth. Look it up

 

[Dan Halen]

FBO.gov has been requesting bids for companies/individuals willing to grow cannabis, and roll cannabis cigarettes for them. 100% truth. Look it up

Yeah they are. Did you read it though? It's the DEA running it. Atleast to me, it sounds like they're trying to learn more to about current growers, and dealers so they can crack down.

As great as it would be for it to be legal, I doubt it will ever happen. There are way too many people who make way too much money with the way things are.

It's like Clive Owen said in that movie Shoot 'em up, "Never trust the people who stand to profit. They're the bad guys plain and simple."

And right now, no one stands to profit more from the current laws than the government.

 

[ford442]

i think it may be a signal that we are seeing true facts about pot come up everyday lately in the major media - maybe this will keep states from looking foolish when they come to their senses before the others..

 

[alforra]

excellent point with the media ford.. Do you guys ever remember a time the media has talked in a good or even decent light about marijuana? All of a sudden the major news channels are doing week long documentaries on MARIJUANA NATION.. MARIJUANA SAVE OUR ASS CASH CROP.. shit even national geographic got in on it.. I really feel like these documentaries are out there for the purpose of transitioning us into legalization... educating people on the truths.. FINALLY! and as for the California busts.. I'm sure there are good people that get tied up in that.. and I genuinely feel sorry for them, but a lot of the guerilla growing done in the North Cali is ran by gun toating gangster wannabe bitches that'll blast a hiker for stumbling into their plot.. FUCK THAT! They deserve to be shut the fuck down. The original hippies of Humboldt are not happy about it either.. I say legalize it for so many reasons... one being to take it out of undeserving hands.

 

[macinnis]

question is what the Supreme Court would rule on that in regards to the 10th Ammendment (states rights), because I believe federal law trumps state law (medical marijuana battles)

 

[Dan Halen]

question is what the Supreme Court would rule on that in regards to the 10th Ammendment (states rights), because I believe federal law trumps state law (medical marijuana battles)

Yeah you're right. If the feds wanted to, they could storm into your state, arrest, (or kill, cough, cough, Waco, Texas, Janet Reno, cough, cough murderer, cough), everyone involved with medical or legal marijuana and act like it was nothing!

 

[rjfizzle]

Plus how many of you guys sell your crops? If it was legalized and regulated then you would stand to make no money either. For recreational purposes legalization or decriminalization would be wonderful but as far as legalizing, the government would take over and tax the hell out of it. Who wants that?

 

[Skateforlife6]

Half the time the dea looks the other way at MJ growers unless its commercial. dont you think that if MJ was legal the DEA and other law enforcement would have more time to focus on hard drugs like crack and heroine and other things. Beside i think if everyone smoke a lil weed the world would be calmer. thats the reason for the war the middel east sends all their weed away now there just cranky cuz of a weed shortage.

 

[rjfizzle]

Half the time the dea looks the other way at MJ growers unless its commercial. dont you think that if MJ was legal the DEA and other law enforcement would have more time to focus on hard drugs like crack and heroine and other things. Beside i think if everyone smoke a lil weed the world would be calmer. thats the reason for the war the middel east sends all their weed away now there just cranky cuz of a weed shortage.

If the dea wanted to crack down don't you think they would? Why is it illegal to begin with? In the 1700z it was illegal to NOT grow mj. Now it's a felony.
The government has a 500 million dollar budget for the war on drugs. 400 million goes towards mj and only 100 million goes to the other drugs. There is no reason for it to be illegal otherthan the fact that it's the dea's 'cash crop'

 

[figtree]

there was once a prohibition on alcohol and look at it now, major business, major taxes brought in. and people buy it regularly, not as many people distll or brew their own because of it. again there is always the hobbyist but it wouldn't be so prevalent cuz you can go to the liquor store. or respectively the thc store. added benefit.....happily paying the tax and the pride that we are getting our country back on track financially. doing our part to help. there are alot of us and if it were legal i bet there would be more of us. education is the key..... there is alot of false info out there that needs to be corrected.

 

[CaveChest]

A fair argument when comparing legal marijuana to Alcohol is that by having it legal it could easily do more damage to more people from things like Schizophrenia and respiratory damage.

I'm not one to hate on stoner's but i think thats a pretty good reason to keep it illegal from a government point of view....but, now that i think about it if they sold it legally and put taxes on it then the taxed amount could support the public health care (here in Australia anyway).

Still, the only way to find out all the truth's about weed is to look at it like a scientist, test and retest facts and figures to find hard evidence, no opinions no morals simply see how weed effects the body and then once we know the facts about it we can reach a solution.

Don't hate on me for this, i want legal weed, but the government has a few good points as to why it remains illegal.

Despite all this, download the pdf. and read the document
http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/policy/cannabis_commission.html
very very interesting stuff

PEace
J

 

[ford442]

i have thought for a long while now how weed should probably be taxed to bring in revenue, but the other day someone i think on norml radiocast put the idea forward that pot should be priced like a normal agricultural product - so that, then, all of the money that was being funneled into black market hands - possibly right out of our country - instead goes right into ordinary businesses because us stoners now have lots more cash.. we would all go out to eat more, theaters, parks, services.. even prostitutes would benefit..

so, ya, i think we need to address the fact that $40 for 1/8th is the BLACK MARKET price.. why are dispensaries not charging a more reasonable price? that would stop people from using street dealers.. then, in the long run, it should be cheaper than cigarettes at least - i believe tobacco takes way more effort and money to produce commercially.. so.. let me calculate something.. if a pack of cigs costs $5 - that's 25 cents a gram.. $4 an ounce.. most dried herbs do not cost that much.. perhaps weed should match cigs at $5 for a pack of chopped, rolled stuff of varying quality - but nice, manicured buds could still pull in maybe $50/oz? if it were legal people could grow larger crops.. say 100 plants X 1lb each X $800 = $80,000 harvest?? that is pretty insane!! way better than selling other crops that you can grow in your back yard... there.. that's all i'm going to say for now...

 

[ford442]

well - i have to contradict CaveChest just a bit here - i have schizophrenia and i feel that weed helps me feel good.. it always has..
yes, weed has been linked to pulmonary problems, but it is the difference between possibly having a cough when you are 70 from smoking pot or exploding your liver and possibly slamming your car into something early in your life with booze...
from the government's perspective they stand to uphold the value of drugs as a tool for manipulation and international bribery.. also, if our leaders have any ties to organized crime then they are the dealers who stand to lose the most - they will lobby us straight to hell so that prohibition remains in place and the black market continues operating..
i don't see the social concern because the facts are in and we see that, if anything, pot prevents cancer..!! i'm afraid the only reason it remains illegal is ignorance of the facts in the matter...

feel free to tell if you have more logical reasons to show that it is in anyone's interest to keep prohibition going.. i want to know if there is something i am overlooking in the big picture here too...

 

[CaveChest]

thanks Ford

I'm glad to hear weed helps your Schizophrenia, i think thats pretty impressive cause it practically shoots down the largest flaw in weed.
Did you read the PDF at the bottom of my last post?
It is DEFINITELY worth looking at, its 242 pages of why weed should be legal, it covers everything from drug cartels to health risks. It's a bit much to read the entire thing, but just have a quick skim through and look for the things your most interested in.

Also, One of the things it mentions is that driving while high increases your risk of having an accident, i think thats a pretty legit statement.

Peace
J

 

[Punk]

If the dea wanted to crack down don't you think they would? Why is it illegal to begin with? In the 1700z it was illegal to NOT grow mj. Now it's a felony.
The government has a 500 million dollar budget for the war on drugs. 400 million goes towards mj and only 100 million goes to the other drugs. There is no reason for it to be illegal otherthan the fact that it's the dea's 'cash crop'

Sure, the DEA would hate to lose certain funding if there was a total legalization, but, the DEA doesn't create laws, they're simply the enforcers.

 

[figtree]

ok, so now that the feds have eased up their policy regarding medicinal users and suppliers (sanctioned) on oct. 19 so whats the consensus? i still think full legalization is a stones throw away. feds backing off of state laws... example of how a bigger gov. can work... leave the states to account for their laws, back up the states when needed. this country is getting better by the minute! all the anti gov people must hate this. big gov actually doing something correct....i love it!