Well this is turning into a regular old politics chat. I like you Racerboy, your posts have had a big effect on me in the short time I have been here. Sorry we disagree about this.
As for "your side", I am not even sure what it is. Why does everyone have to be on one side? Am I not allowed to have my opinion?
I do think joe blow selling weed will go to selling crack. He is probably selling weed because it is less risky than selling/possessing crack and easier to get ahold of because he can cultivate it himself. If not crack, something else like robbery or another high profit illicit business. Gangsters, like cannabis, will always exist.
People aren't selling weed to break "unjust laws" because they think cannabis should be a free plant. This is complete horse shit. They are selling weed because of profit margins. If they wanted weed to be free they would be giving it away and not selling it. And they would pay for their grows with fundraisers. People in prison for weed sales aren't in there because they thought the plant should be free, they are in there because they wanted to get wealthy off selling an illicit product.
Sure, now that they are in prison they will want it legal. I sure as fuck would want it legal if I was in prison for selling it, who wouldn't?
And yes, if you take a risk and it ends up burning your ass, guess what? You deserve it. Thats why its called taking a risk. It allows the rest of them that didn't get caught to make more money. My dad got caught with 10 pounds, my brother got caught selling meth. They both went to prison because they took a risk.
Look in my local paper and you find 1-3 shit jobs that 1000 people are competing for. Why would some one that is making thousands a week want to work a 9-5, $7.25 job after cannabis is legal?
I think medical marijuana is a good thing. I am no longer in pain and neither is the man I caregive for. Sure I enjoy cannabis use. I would use it even if it was illegal for me to. That is a risk I am willing to take. I am sorry the system gets abused. Its like the welfare system, not everyone needs it but it is set up for those that do.