Time to legalize Pot

[Pottapaug1938]

My son ran for State Representative, last fall, against an entrenched incumbent and her Republican challenger. "Pottapaug Jr." ran a shoestring campaign and didn't get many votes; but he said that his main goal was to influence the other candidates; and at a debate he got the others to come out in favor of legalizing marijuana. Junior stopped using the stuff himself, long ago (as did I); but his position is much the same as the one in this article. Take the financial incentive out of the illegal drug trade, he pointed out, and a lot of the crime and violence that results from the trade will vanish.

[Number Six]

Decriminalize and regulate, yes, but not legalize.

I've never touched the stuff or any other illegal substance for that matter. As I have family and friends in 12 step programs for alcohol and drug use recovery, I can imagine what things would be like if it were legalized.

Was stopped out of state because of an expired sticker yesterday, though I am up to date on all vehicle requirements. The cop said he thought I might have a pipe inside, etc., and would I consent to a search. Initially I was adamant, and intimidated back, but finally consented and of course there was nothing illegal; another cop trying to justify his overpaid job.

[Pottapaug1938]

Decriminalize and regulate, yes, but not legalize.

I've never touched the stuff or any other illegal substance for that matter. As I have family and friends in 12 step programs for alcohol and drug use recovery, I can imagine what things would be like if it were legalized.

Was stopped out of state because of an expired sticker yesterday, though I am up to date on all vehicle requirements. The cop said he thought I might have a pipe inside, etc., and would I consent to a search. Initially I was adamant, and intimidated back, but finally consented and of course there was nothing illegal; another cop trying to justify his overpaid job.

The problem is that if you decriminalize but not legalize, the illegal drug trade will still exist, along with the crime, the violence, the enrichment of people who don't deserve it, and the enticement of vulnerable newbies to "try this free sample" by the pushers who see a new source of cash for themselves. The article, not to mention the full report, goes into this in greater detail. Think, too, of the aftereffects of the end of Prohibition -- who, for example, continued to patronize bootleggers selling stuff of dubious provenance and quality when the real stuff was cheaper and available legally? On a gut level, I don't like the idea of legalization, either; but I have to wonder if the evils of legalization will be lesser than the evils we have now. I'm slowly beginning to realize that they will be the lesser of the two.

[JamesVincent]

I too have never touched the stuff and never will. I quit drinking years ago, wish quitting smoking was as easy but anyhoo. Ive followed a lot of the debates about legalization and thought about it and it seems to me that it might do more good then harm. Having had potheads for friends over the years I noticed that one of the biggest things that get some people started is they think their getting away with something illegal. Its kinda a kick at the Man for them to smoke up and get high. Legalizing it would do one of 2 things: make it not the kick it was or make them do something else. Where I grew up it was mostly alcohol and not too much weed. It would also remove the criminal element from the distribution of it and make it more accessible and have a better quality. If absolutely nothing else, it would help control; the amount of courts time and jail space used for minor violations and make it easier for law enforcement to go after the harder, more dangerous substance dealers by freeing the resources they have devoted to weed.

[Judge Roy Bean]

Not having studied the issue at any length, I would suggest we make it legal to grow, harvest and process but require retailers to be licensed to collect Federal taxes at the retail level (in addition to normal state and local sales taxes). If the additional tax weren't onerous, the black market would go away.

Consumer/users who could prove they bought from a licensed retail source wouldn't face prosecution.

It would crush the do-it-yourself hydroponic garden equipment market though!

[Pottapaug1938]

"We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of the culture."

BTW, did the pastor really say that about Creationism?

He did, indeed. It's quoted in Charles P. Pierce's book "Idiot America", in the course of discussiong the attempt by the Dover, PA school board to introduce creationism, in the guise of "intelligent design". The book is well worth reading.

[Doktor Avalanche]

"We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of the culture."

I remember this: Kitzmiller v. Dover - the ACLU was all over it.

[Pottapaug1938]

"We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of the culture."

I remember this: Kitzmiller v. Dover - the ACLU was all over it.

Luckily for us all. I hate to think what would have happened had they not lent their support to the effort to stop the Dover school board....

[Mr. Mephistopheles]

"We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of the culture."

I remember this: Kitzmiller v. Dover - the ACLU was all over it.

No dude, you meant to write the "ebil librul ACLU".

[Imalawman]

Hey kids! How many of you remember reading about Prohibition and how well that worked out in baning alcohol in the USA?

Liquor still flowed, criminals got rich, police agencies were corrupted, and violence soared, especially in the cities.

And yet people still delude themselves into thinking that a prohibition against drugs will somehow magically work. Never mind that in the past prohibitions in the USA failed, they are sure that somehow it will work this time. The evidence indicates otherwise.

Bonus - today, it also spawn nacro-terrorism and helps destabilize governments south of the border. Winning! NOT!

yeah, but we are MILES away from legalizing pot. I do think it will happen, though. We simply can't afford to police a relatively harmless substance long-term. However, I do think that "harder" drugs need to remain criminal.

[JamesVincent]

Not having studied the issue at any length, I would suggest we make it legal to grow, harvest and process but require retailers to be licensed to collect Federal taxes at the retail level (in addition to normal state and local sales taxes). If the additional tax weren't onerous, the black market would go away.

Consumer/users who could prove they bought from a licensed retail source wouldn't face prosecution.

It would crush the do-it-yourself hydroponic garden equipment market though!

Sounds like a good start.

[Pottapaug1938]

Hey kids! How many of you remember reading about Prohibition and how well that worked out in baning alcohol in the USA?

Liquor still flowed, criminals got rich, police agencies were corrupted, and violence soared, especially in the cities.

And yet people still delude themselves into thinking that a prohibition against drugs will somehow magically work. Never mind that in the past prohibitions in the USA failed, they are sure that somehow it will work this time. The evidence indicates otherwise.

Bonus - today, it also spawn nacro-terrorism and helps destabilize governments south of the border. Winning! NOT!

yeah, but we are MILES away from legalizing pot. I do think it will happen, though. We simply can't afford to police a relatively harmless substance long-term. However, I do think that "harder" drugs need to remain criminal.

The trouble with that is that the illegal drug trade fuels much of the crime and violence that afflicts our society. The illegal trade in pot certainly makes its contribution; but you don't have the addiction issues, with pot, that you do with things like heroin, cocaine, Oxycontin and the like. As long as the illegal drug trade exists, we will continue to spend billions of dollars of scarce tax money on a frequently futile effort to stop the trade, and in incarcerating people for drug-related crimes. Our law enforcement people do an excellent job of trying to stop the trade; but drug addicts have little trouble making the connection for illegal drugs if they want one.

I don't like the idea of making these drugs legal. I don't like it one bit. However, as my son pointed out to me last night, most people would avoid these drugs even if they were legal tomorrow; and the drugs would no longer have the seductive cachet of being illegal, and using them would no longer be an "act of rebellion against The Man" (or some similar idiocy) that we see today. With great reluctance, I'm slowly becoming persuaded that drug prohibition is as much of a failure as was alcohol prohibition. We need to think about ending the prohibition.

[Brandybuck]

Legalize it! Tax it if you want, but no more than tobacco.

[notorial dissent]

With great reluctance, I'm slowly becoming persuaded that drug prohibition is as much of a failure as was alcohol prohibition. We need to think about ending the prohibition.

Well, look how well they both turned out, the main difference being that it has made the drug cartels a whole lot wealthier, by several magnitudes, than it ever made Capone, and they are a whole lot nastier and more pervasive. Yep, worked out real well it did.

yeah, but we are MILES away from legalizing pot. I do think it will happen, though. We simply can't afford to police a relatively harmless substance long-term. However, I do think that "harder" drugs need to remain criminal.

Not so much. There are several states that have already legalized marijuana for all intents and purposes, and it is going to reach the point where the Fed will have to follow suit as they are losing the resources to even to pretend at battling it.

[Randall]

If we're going to legalize illegal drugs can we also de-prescription prescription meds? Why do I need a scribbled on piece of paper to purchase meds that make me well?

[Pottapaug1938]

If we're going to legalize illegal drugs can we also de-prescription prescription meds? Why do I need a scribbled on piece of paper to purchase meds that make me well?

Among other things, that would certainly remove the incentive for spammers to flood my inbox with invitations to buy discounted medication from "Canadian" pharmacies, or things like c!@li$, v11@gr@ or l@v!tr@.

[Pottapaug1938]

I can't resist a somewhat related but off-topic post. Last Thursday, the wife of my Scout troop's Troop Committee Chairman was talking about our June 16 meeting. She reminded the Scouts, "we are having a pot luck dinner that night"; and she followed that up with "so, be sure to bring some pot!"

OOPS......

[Burzmali]

I wonder how many of those tax dollars will be lost to the FDA... THC brownie mix, THC cola, THC chips...

[Brandybuck]

"We can't legalize pot because that would lead to legalizing [insert bogeyman drug here]"

[Pottapaug1938]

"We can't legalize pot because that would lead to legalizing [insert bogeyman drug here]"

Did you know that 100% of heroin users have previously drunk milk?