Legalization of Marijuana?

[Max selner]

Do you think marijuana should be legalized in the USA? I have created a poll above, can't wait to here your thoughts.

[Dang ol Stoner]

Hey look! The vote's totally unanimous! I think the polling group might be a bit biased; this forum does consist almost exclusively of marijuana users, after all!

[gatsbylife]

Obviously. Most people just don't know the facts about marijuana legalization. I check a few sites but this weed site is my favorite: Marijuana facts

[BillyHill]

Legalization...Finally ???

Well, there is finally a chance for the legalization or decriminalization of grass with the recent events in Colorado and Washington state. But I fear there will be too many stoners getting out of line...and when I say too many it will only take a few and the press will focus on those whack jobs instead of the many others who use it responsibly.

Today as I watched MSNBC morning news show they devoted almost 1/2 hour to talking about legalization. Most of the talk was rambling on about this point and that but they made some good points that we as NORML users will have to watch for. First, there will inevitably be the few who get high and go out and commit crimes of some kind...and the press will publish this on page 1 while burying the lower arrest rates, especially in the African American and Latino communities. They also fretted about how the useage will go way up. Well America consumes more pot than the rest of the world already so that's old news. In all the years I've been living I've seen there are folks who will use drugs and those who won't. Legalization will not necessarily raise useage exponentially, however it will probably increase to some degree. The panel guests also talked about taxation, evasion of taxation, and how big tobacco companies will soon make a play for control of the growing and distribution. One point of interest was how the growers will be forced by the government to account for every seed and stem produced. Employees will be searched as they leave the production facilities to insure nothing is stolen. But the only topic they talked about which made me concerned was what about young people. and by young, I mean under the age of consent. It is a proven fact that smoking anything is not healthy. And developing bodies are harmed by smoking anything, not just weed. It made me think about how complicated this whole mess of legalization is going to be. It's not going to be that you are now free to buy, sell, grow and smoke it. There is so much more to this and no one knows how it's going to play out. The feds will of course be involved and that means chaos, waste, confusion, corruption, fraud, inefficiencies....etc. I wonder if in my lifetime it will be normal to buy a pack of reefers at 7-11, something I have long dreamed of. And how much will a pack of reefers (20 joints) cost. My guess is it's going to be somewhere around $100 to $150, that is if they don't overtax it. How did I arrive at that figure...I don't know but based on good buds these days going for $250 to $300 per ounce, I think this is probably about right. Maybe I'm off base because I do remember in the 1970's an ounce of good weed was only $10, a lbs was $110. By the early 80's it had moved up to $25 per ounce and then quickly soared to $100 per ounce and just kept going from there. And BTW...cigarettes were only 45¢ a pack when I was a teenager. Now the price is ridiculous and mainly due to taxation. Another reason to give up smoking cigarettes.

Now, to place myself in perspective with this, I was a chronic smoker from the age of 15 through 45. I gave it up mainly due to pressure from, of all things, a girlfriend. Then it was a matter of employment as each new job came along, so did the requests for me to pee in the cup. As we all know chronic smokers can take several weeks, even months to clean up, so I have been very careful for the last decade. Now instead of smoking 3-5 joints a day, I may smoke only 3-5 joints a year. Special occassions or if one of my old stoner friends comes around. Still, I do think it should be a personal choice and I do hope that this legalization act moves forward. I hope those of you in Colorado and Washington are paying attention. There's a lot of us old hippies out here who are counting on you to be responsible and not get carried away with this. It can only work if the world sees positive things coming from legalization, not negative.

[heavensent30]

phillip morris

Phillip Morris already has a set up ready for the packaging of marijuana cigarettes. So am thinking there is going to be something tipped towards them as far as growing. I cant remember where I read it and will look into it.
I agree totally with you about a few bad eggs ruineling this for the rest of us.
I also think that there are a lot of people who fake illnesses just to get a hard card then talk about how high they get and use ghetto slang talk about marijuana...giving the rest a bad image...

There is no other muscle relaxents that work as well as marijuana.
I was in a car accident. Ended up with a C2 fracture...broken ribs...closed head injury and severe muscle spasms in my neck and back...
this was 5 years ago...insurance doesn't cover mu but it should considering how much cheaper it is compared to all the doctor visits and complications due to prescription mere...I see nothing wrong with the legalization of it as long as I can continue to grow my own meds...
I recently relocated from Ohio to Michigan...to be compliant with laws...2nd harvest coming up in a few months...happy holidays everyone

[Roofie]

In response to your comments Billy, about so much depending on the good behavour of the people of Washington and Colorado. Read this article. It's a bit out of date with its references to the USA, but it shows what happens to people after a few years legalization in Portugal. I found it quite optimistic.

http://www.time.com/time/health/arti...893946,00.html