In a stunning victory for liberty, Obama finally honored one of his campaign promises. The DEA is no longer going to pursue pot smokers in states where medical use of grass is legal. As we all know, the Constitution doesn't give them this authority anyway, but this is a start.
On the other hand, grass ALWAYS leads to stronger drugs. I must confess to smoking a joint or two (can't remember the exact number) before I was forced to use a cholesterol medication.
Rick
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It is indeed big news. I remember when the gov't said it would not honor California's law on medical marijuana and still arrest people. This is indeed great news.
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This is all part of a lib agenda to legalize dope- particularly in California- so that it can be taxed. It is the only "revenue enhancement" program that the lib mind can conjure up.
California has talked repeatedly about taxing dope to rescue its budget from the other ill-conceived lib plans, yes? Well, you cant do that if the feds are breathing down your neck. Puff Obama to the rescue.
Rick -- hope you aren't like our former, "I never inhaled", president. If not, what's the point?
I read somewhere a while back that if pot was legalized in the entire US and taxed like tobacco and alcohol, we could pay-off the national debt in just a couple of years.
Bill3173 -- absolutely correct from a cultural perspective, but from the economic -- let's finally get the price down!
I read somewhere a while back that if pot was legalized in the entire US and taxed like tobacco and alcohol, we could pay-off the national debt in just a couple of years.
atlantainsguy
Except it would increase the number of potheads and the number of potheads in a state is directly proportionate to the size of their deficits as we see in California. You would pick up some revenue from the sale of pot but then they go and vote a big bond issue for the Jim Jones museum in the Bay Area so you end out with a net loss of revenue. We have gotten glimpses of that already in the form of Obama's stimulus package.
, but from the economic -- let's finally get the price down!
Agreed, but there is a small trade-off. Right now dope is "the people's trade." Your average guy can earn some walking-around money... or a semester tuition... selling dope.
If the big tobacco companies take over this biz, those days might be over. Then again, maybe there will be room for small growers... like there is in "organic" veggies, etc.
I don't smoke dope anymore because I don't have a trustworthy supplier. If I did, I'd probably sell as much of it as I smoked. I actually would not smoke it... bad for the lungs... but I'd have a brownie every once in a while. You young kids don't know the joy of having a couple of brownies mid-way through the movie "2001 A Space Odyssey" so that when the "light show" comes on at the end... it is spectacular.
Hey... can you imagine what Winter would post here if he were stoned?
You young kids don't know the joy of having a couple of brownies mid-way through the movie "2001 A Space Odyssey" so that when the "light show" comes on at the end... it is spectacular.
Al3
From someone who wasn't always a neo-con as you so often put it, Fantasia is the better stoner movie IMO.
In answer to your next obvious question, no I dont anymore. Its been easily 20 years. And Ill probably shock you by agreeing with you that marijuana laws are stupid and should be repealed. For different reasons , I personally believe that the government spends way too much money enforcing said laws. Most of my beliefs tie into fiscal conservatism in one way or another, but we know that already.
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The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.
I refuse to partake in illegal drugs. Not because I'm worried about the Man, but because Mexicans are being beheaded by drug cartels. These cartels are now moving into the USA. Very scary stuff.
Until we put up a wall and station the US Army on the border with tanks and shoot-to-kill orders (like the Russians, the Iranians, the Koreans, the Chinese, the Turks, the Monguls and every other country on this planet) illegal drugs will continue to destroy the country to our south from the inside as well as push the violence into our country. But whoa is me, we can't speak about this problem as it is politically incorrect to lib ears.
As usual, you are correct Al3, but I don't like the term "dope". It's too negative. That label is reminiscent of J. Edgar Hoover and "Reefer Madness" hysteria/paranoia from the 1930's. Hash should be put in the same "bowl" as pot, but how do you differentiate that from the "hard" stuff? It will be difficult at best.
In some countries in Europe where all drugs are legal, the hard drug users are given everything for free -- as long as they live in a set part of town. That way, the authorities know who they are, and can keep an extremely close eye on them. That's one of the reasons their crime rate is much lower than ours. I'm not sure if anyone knows how much armed robbery, etc. in the USA is over some addict's next "fix" -- but I'll bet it's really high (no pun intended).
I appreciate your comments about how the status quo helps the "cash society". I also fear that legalization will be nothing more than a massive windfall for big tobacco. Hopefully, the eventual reality will turn-out more like local micro-breweries are to the big national brand name beers.
The only thing I've ever read about detrimental side effects from smoking herb or eating brownies as you suggest -- is short term memory loss. That just goes to illustrate.........damn, lost my train of thought!
Oh, ya -- bobson is also right about the Mexican cartels. But, if tea is legalized and grown here, they will be pretty much out of business. A lot of gang revenue should vanish also. Plus, people will no longer be in jail/prison over selling or using pot -- and that will save us billions. Perhaps we can renovate that space as apartments for the homeless once the neo-cons get back in power and start deregulating financial services again. Lately, there's been a singular lack of Phil Graham for President bumper stickers.
Plus, people will no longer be in jail/prison over selling or using pot -- and that will save us billions. Perhaps we can renovate that space as apartments for the homeless once the neo-cons get back in power and start deregulating financial services again.
Atlantainsguy
Or we could just convert the jails into opium dens. Of course some of the homeless might not be homeless if they layed off the drugs and got a job. Give em some free weed. That will help.
Winter -- no one is suggesting we give free weed to anyone. Legalization should make it a lot cheaper for those who do indulge, but not free. I was talking about hard drug addicts hooked on garbage like heroin or opium, and how some European countries like Switzerland handle that problem. I believe sex can be an addiction too. Any suggestions on how we handle that one?
I enjoy reading post on this board about insurance and the industry as a whole, but when I see this type of thread with marijuana in the title I wonder what has happened to our society. If you believe legalizing a drug that takes you away from reality and causes you to get addicted to it is a good thing, there is something wrong with you. I have been around drugs all my life and I can tell you the road is not good or easy in the long run. I can also say I am tired of paying my tax money in to the Government for those people who receive entilements because they are hooked on marijuana or some other drug that has destroyed them. Of course now they will not or cannot work. What happens next, "my entitlements are not enough to fund my habit, I guess I will have to steal from my neighbor. I have to have my fix". This is upsetting to say the least. What about the family turmoil that happens when someone is addicted to drugs. They all go to pot! The old saying is, "so is the Goverment, so are the people". God have mercy on us all.
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Today is the day of Salvation!
Palerider -- pot is proven not to be addictive. Nor is hashish. The rest of that genre' is, however, and should be avoided by anyone with an IQ larger than their shoe size. The problem for many people is knowing when to stop -- which is when you find something (could be alcohol, sex, shopping, you name it) that's stronger than you are.
I know a lot of people who smoke weed and are just as productive as anyone else in society. Some are doctors, lawyers, and corporate executives. It's high time people start making the distinction between a non-addictive recreational product like weed, and addictive substances such as hard drugs and Rx products like Rush was/is indulging in, or JFK for that matter.
There is something in human nature that makes some people want to occasionally opt-out of reality. For me it was eight years of Bush and the neo-cons.
I don't smoke dope anymore because I don't have a trustworthy supplier.
I find this statement mildly depressing. Not because I endorse the use of mj for any reason, but because I don't like to see people quit anything(only something innocuous of course)
I spend half of my life looking backwards, and the other half feelling guilty. I wouldn't give that up for anything in the world.
New Fed Marijuana Policy
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