Marijuana Legalized in Two States

[WanderingFool]

This doesnt affect me yet, but I will say im interested.

I experience pot only once, and it was a mere contact buzz...

Spoiler: funny story

I was at a frat house back when I was in college, second year, and there was a party going on. I and a couple other guys were upstairs in one of the rooms, when, for whatever reason, we all started to get a bit loopy and hungry. So we all went downstairs and got something to eat. While we were down there though, we heard a commotion in the basement. Turns out, someone hide a bit of pot in the woodburning furnace, and someone desided to start it up (it was in the middle of Janurary, so it was as cold as fuck.)

Ended up giving the whole house a sort of contact buzz.

 

[Spakka]

Well sucks to be all the people who are going to get COPD now...


Not to mention the mental health problems.

 

[Bato]

Yes a lot of drug use will harm you, that's true of bloody everything. Responsible use of drugs is a good thing, it helps alleviate anxieties, stress, and depression.

A lot of people think that legalizing it will only have everyone spiral out of control in a drug frenzy which isn't going to happen. Portugal legalized ALL drugs and they became regulated by the Government. Good things happened I mean go look it up [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_policy_of_Portugal]. Ten years later Czech followed suit to much of the same effect.

I mostly want decriminalization to happen so more than half of the money criminal groups make are torn away from them. And normal people aren't sent to American jails which will turn them into criminals. Because all America does is throw a whole bunch of criminals into a hole and pretend they don't exist for a couple decades instead of reeducation.

Well that's my rant for the day, I feel much better.
Cheers people of Escapist

 

[tsb247]

I'm not really a fan of the idea. Along with a few others on this thread, I have seen more of the negative effects of marijuana than I have seen positives. I have seen a good many people who tended to abuse it, and quite frankly, they were not all that pleasant to be around, and they tended to not care about much... at all...

Think of it this way.

Would you want your taxi driver, airline pilot, or a crane operator to abuse the stuff and then go to work? The effects of marijuana aren't always as obvious as the effects of alcohol. As a pilot in training, that's what scares me the most; pilots that can, and probably will smoke. Seriously, that shit should NEVER be tolerated - under ANY circumstances. Period.

 

[Heaven's Guardian]

Marijuana isn't being legalized: federal law supersedes everything states do, and federal agents will be obligated to arrest anyone who tries to sell or smoke it. Unless the federal laws are found to be unconstitutional, which they won't be, considering the Supreme Court makeup, there's going to be a quick injunction issued by the courts and this will all die off in a couple of years. Please don't think that this has changed anything, regardless of your position on marijuana.

 

[lord canti]

This is great news. Now I can only hope that Kentucky will legalize it then I can be happy.

 

[ShaqLevick]

You know it seems that anybody that could take a stance against legalization should logically be

against the use of tobacco and alcohol. That is unless you're just totally opposed to change...

Anyway all I'm saying is that if you want to live in a completely drug free world that's fine.

But if you ask me that party sounds boring so count me out

 

[Racecarlock]

Well, fundamentalist Christians get their wish.

Men who sleep with other men are to be stoned (Lev 20:13).

George carlin everybody!

 

[Zeckt]

It cracks me up when people get upset over this yet drink alcohol which destroys many more lives then pot. Everyone knows at least 2-3 drunks who's lives are controlled by alcohol. Seriously, the hypocrisy is so strong it stings.

 

[GTwander]

It cracks me up when people get upset over this yet drink alcohol which destroys many more lives then pot. Everyone knows at least 2-3 drunks who's lives are controlled by alcohol. Seriously, the hypocrisy is so strong it stings.

It's cultural.

Some parts of the US like Harold/Kumar and Cheech/Chong, while others are still believe the lies spun by early 20th century morality crusades sent out by big industries that can use it to quell their competitors (in this case, the Hearsts and the paper industries). This is the same country that *somehow* made alcohol illegal, and then brought it back less than a decade later because we're sensationalist idiots.

Besides, ask anyone that's anti-pot about how many painkiller meds he's prescribed.
"oh, but they are legal!"
My answer is always "Yeah, so is alcohol, and you can overdose on both. Impossible on pot."
/kettle_black

 

[themind]

Colorado, another reason to be considered the Mile High State...

 

[EmphaFish]

I'm always in two minds about things like this. I totally agree with the government shouldn't be controlling what you do, but imagine what it might do to the culture. There probably should be regulations like with alcohol.Maybe I'm just a doomsayer, but either way I'm not interested in taking part.

 

[Scars Unseen]

Legalization is step one. To effectively end the "war on drugs(well the marijuana aspect of it anyway)", it needs to be regulated and sold in stores like cigarettes so that people can get a safe(insofar as putting a burning sack of leaves in your mouth and inhaling can ever be "safe") reliable product and not worry about getting crap that is laced with who knows what.

 

[chuckman1]

Will be interesting to see what happens it's a good start for more freedom for sure, i dislike the goverment being able to tell you what you can and can't put into your body i feel this should be down to the choice of the individual and as long as they are not being a public nuisance in doing so, let them be and get on with it.

Oh but think of the children!?

Educate them properly on the substances and point out all the effects both negative and positive and let them decide for themselves WHEN THEY ARE ADULTS if they wish to take part in such things.

Personally i think it's a good thing will be interesting to see everyones opinions on the matter though

Also food for thought maybe?, i've never seen 2 stoners fighting, but if i walk up the road on a friday night at 2AM when the bars are kicking out it's a safe bet i will find someone fighting with someone else.

I'd like it if *all* drugs were legalized. However, when there's a major US city that wants to ban *soft drinks* above 16 oz. and pressures new mothers into breastfeeding (both for society's "own good"), then I hold little hope for the Drug Wars to end in the US.

Possibly the best post in the thread 100% truth.
OT- I think this is really good hopefully the influence of sensible laws will spread across the nation (maybe even world) I bet that eventually the use of weed in these states goes down because in other countries with legal marijuana they have lower percent than the US.
I hope they don't pull the "feds bust everyone haha fuck your rights" card.
PS- I'm in Arizona
Maybe we'll get it 4 yrs after California although I say it depends on how many new open minded people move here. Hoping we're a blue state within 8.
People out of state don't know but AZ is changing eventually people like Arpaio will stop winning and we'll get some sensible and stop ignoring rapes in failed attempts to deport undocumented workers.

Went a bit off topic there but basically in Arizona a good portion of people smoke weed despite it being illegal and despite some people feeling they're superior because they don't more non-smokers are starting to see that cannabis is not meth.

 

[likalaruku]

I have 2 unrealistic hopes as a Washingtonian.

*Bill Maher will relocate Real Time to my state.

*Marijuana taxes will somehow reduce parking costs. If that leaves you scratching your head, it's because parking in Nevada is free because their taxes come mostly from casinos.

Well, here's the full text: "The proposed measure would legalize the production, possession, delivery and distribution of marijuana. The initiative would regulate the sale of small amounts of marijuana to people 21 and older. According to reports, marijuana grow farms and food processors would be licensed by the Washington State Liquor Control Board. Additionally, the measure would make it illegal for a motorist to have more than 5 nanograms of THC (an active ingredient of marijuana) per milliliter of blood in their system."

This means that since cops can't arrest you for simply possessing the stuff, many people who were for legalizing actually voted against it because they believe cops will turn their focus on doing twice as many pullovers & intrusions & trying to arrests as many people as possible for going over 5 nanograms or not having a license, because drug busts means money for our business-owned jails.