DEA is looking to drop marijuana down to a schedule 2 or 3 drug

[PrairieGhost]

Incrementalism? Go ask an 80 year old person what they think about marijuana use. Then ask a 70 year old, a 60 year old, on down to 20 years old. You will get different answers. Why? Incrementalism.

gst I noticed your bias again. You said:

But there are people on here that want to legalize recreational use so they can smoke a bowl with their old college buddy and not have to get whacked by the cops for doing it.

Go down to your high school and find out how many kids use marijuana. Watch how many go to college. I know the stigma is hippies, college, pot. However, my real world experience talking to people is that the less education the more marijuana use. Same with alcohol, and same with cigarettes. You could cut alcohol use nearly in half if you made kids take a human physiology/medical class, because they would learn alcohol use greatly increases impotence and at an earlier age. Of course I see the attitude of some young women and think they are not going to have a family without alcohol for the guy.

 

[Walleye_Chaser]

The over crowding of the jails/prisons is becoming a real issue. It just isn't fair to me that people need to be in hiding for using this harmless substance in the privacy in their own homes, and worry about getting arrested and possibly losing their job. And Yes I think that companies should be able to test people AT WORK for being high, that isn't acceptable. But you cannot honestly tell me if I smoke a joint at 10pm Friday night that I'm will not be at 100% Monday morning. It's hypocracy. It more likely I'd still be hung over.

 

[lunkerslayer]

Let's see how many ailments we can come up with that medical MJ can be used for treatment.
Can be prescribed to help.in the relief of migraines.

 

[gst]

Wake up! It's already there. It's everywhere. It's 100x easier for kids to get than booze. You can't stop it, so get out of the way with your 1960's ideaology. You've clearly been brainwashed by those videos from way back in the day. You can't win this one. You speak as if marijuana is as bad as heroin. You've got no clue, yet your dead set on your ways. Ways that have been instilled into you, because somebody said so. Your opinions are your opinions, and you have the right to them, no matter how silly they sound I guess. It's the devil! good lawd!

No shit it is already there dumbass. So lets make it in Kandy form and gummi bears too and have it laying around at home like a pack of cigarettes.

I know I will likely not "win" this one because people do not care what kind of society we leave our kids any more.

Thanks for making that example.

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The over crowding of the jails/prisons is becoming a real issue. It just isn't fair to me that people need to be in hiding for using this harmless substance in the privacy in their own homes, and worry about getting arrested and possibly losing their job. And Yes I think that companies should be able to test people AT WORK for being high, that isn't acceptable. But you cannot honestly tell me if I snort a line at 10pm Friday night that I'm will not be at 100% Monday morning. It's hypocracy. It more likely I'd still be hung over.

So then by using this argument, lets legalize recreational cocaine.

 

[Pinecone]

well ####, I'd hate to be somebody that drank and smoked:;:rockit

 

[arrowdem]

this is by far one of the worst pot threads we have had, people come in say their opinion, thats all fine and dandy, GST gets on the internet writes down 16 different links write a GD novel about the same shit he just wrote in his last post. long and short GST thinks pot will cause the end of the world in one way or another whether it be our youth getting high all day every day or it will be a gateway drug and every person that has ever tried pot is going to start losing their teeth because the next obvious step was getting hooked on crank...
oh GST i bet if you found an article on how the world is going to end tomorrow you would have a 16 page novel on how we all need to get right with God before our 24 hour period is up.. you are ridiculous and by far the most pessimistic, radical person on this site....

now please respond with 10 more copy and pasted articles from the internet and 14 paragraphs on how everything i just wrote was wrong and the end of the world is upon us...

 

[Lycanthrope]

What is really scary IMO is privatized prisons, its a new form of government sponsored slavery... Would really like to see that trend reversed, unfortunately they are pumping money into our political system so it will be hard to eliminate now.

 

[gst]

this is by far one of the worst pot threads we have had, people come in say their opinion, thats all fine and dandy, GST gets on the internet writes down 16 different links write a GD novel about the same shit he just wrote in his last post. long and short GST thinks pot will cause the end of the world in one way or another whether it be our youth getting high all day every day or it will be a gateway drug and every person that has ever tried pot is going to start losing their teeth because the next obvious step was getting hooked on crank...
oh GST i bet if you found an article on how the world is going to end tomorrow you would have a 16 page novel on how we all need to get right with God before our 24 hour period is up.. you are ridiculous and by far the most pessimistic, radical person on this site....

now please respond with 10 more copy and pasted articles from the internet and 14 paragraphs on how everything i just wrote was wrong and the end of the world is upon us...

Holy, a bit over dramatic there. Legalizing pot for recreational use is not the "end of the world" as you claim I think. It is simply an action that will have negatives consequences alongside what people are claiming will be benefits.

And like many other things in society people do not want to accept the consequences of their actions regarding it.

From the beginning all I have said is if you are going to advocate for recreational pot to be made legal, be honest enough own those negatives along with the positives.

If you are alright with a 10 year old kid showing up in the emergency because he ate 10 of his uncles gummi weed candies that were left laying out on the kitchen counter own that.

If you are okay with other negatives own them and be honest about them happening.

Cigarettes and booze are legal and there are undeniable negative effects on society from them. To think or suggest pot will be different is dishonest or blind.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Cigarettes and booze are legal and there are undeniable negative effects on society from them. To think or suggest pot will be different is dishonest or blind.

GST, you should target the ones that are being dishonest or blind . You're flopping around on the ice like a Minnesota goalie trying to draw a penalty, It does nothing for your team's credibility.

 

[espringers]

http://wspa.com/2015/10/30/how-is-colorado-doing-since-marijuana-legalization/

here was the link i referenced. i am not hiding or denying anything. i don't think many others are either. the reason i wanted you to read it was the stats posted in the first comment. they have actual citations to where the stats came from. those stats don't jive with the unreferenced stats you posted earlier.

After just one year, with the legal market barely established, Colorado has already received millions in tax (plus millions in savings from less arrests, prosecutions, and incarcerations).
Including industry fees, Colorado has received $76 million from legal cannabis in 2014 on $700 million in sales. This is millions, probably well over a billion when production and distribution is included, that did not go to fuel a crime-ridden underground market that also sells hard drugs. They only need to lower their tax rate to accelerate this transition of the market from the underground to legitimate businessmen who can be easily monitored, actually check I.D., pay taxes, and follow other regulations.
Cannabis sales continue to shift to the legal market in Colorado:
Monthly Colorado License, Fee, And Tax Income From Recreational And Medical Cannabis

Total Total Rec Total Med
Jan: 3,519,756 2,109,876 1,409,880
Feb: 4,092,575 2,316,234 1,776,341
Mar: 4,980,992 3,187,047 1,793,945
Apr: 5,273,355 3,730,786 1,542,569
May: 5,715,707 3,921,199 1,794,508
Jun: 6,522,085 4,650,861 1,871,224
Jul: 7,407,450 5,658,190 1,749,260
Aug: 7,741,167 5,976,507 1,764,660
Sep: 7,232,870 5,534,084 1,698,786
Oct: 7,642,800 6,222,903 1,419,897
Nov: 7,465,568 5,991,873 1,473,695
Dec: 8,558,141 6,933,785 1,624,356

Total: 76,152,466 56,233,345 19,919,121
[SOURCE: Colorado Department of Revenue, "Colorado Marijuana Tax Data - State of Colorado Marijuana Taxes, Licenses, and Fees Transfers and Distribution"]
Colorado did not see a statistically significant change in fatal traffic accidents:
2012: 474 (Population: 5.19 million, 0.0091%)
2013: 481 (Population: 5.27 million, 0.0091%)
2014: 488 (Population: 5.36 million, 0.0091%)
[SOURCE: Colorado DOT & "As Reported" to NHTSA by FARS]
Overall crime rate has not increased:
Colorado Overall Average Crimes per 100,000:
2012: 3,482.2
2013: 3,486.8
2014: 3,398.8
[SOURCE: Colorado Bureau of Investigation - 2013,2014 Colorado Reported Statewide Crimes]
Even though cannabis based business are forced to conduct transactions using cash only, violent crime has decreased in Denver with the first year of legal sales:
Compared with 2013, in 2014 Denver violent crime is down overall by 0.7%, with murder down by 24.4%, rape down by 2.5% and robbery down by 3.3%. Property crime (including burglary, larceny, auto theft, theft from motor vehicle and arson) dropped by 2.0%. Overall UCR crime is down 1.8%.
[SOURCE: "PART 1 CRIME IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER BASED ON UCR STANDARDS", denvergov.Org]
Colorado has not experienced the surge in teen use predicted by prohibitionists:
Past Month Colorado High School Cannabis Use
2009: 24.8%
2011: 22.0%
2013: 19.7%
[SOURCE: 2009 and 2012 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results - Colorado High School Survey Summary Table; 2013 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Results - Colorado High School Summary Tables]
Past Month National High School Cannabis Use
2009: 20.8%
2011: 23.1%
2013: 23.4%
[SOURCE: CDC - Trends in the Prevalence of Marijuana, Cocaine, and Other Illegal Drug Use National YRBS: 1991— 2013]
Past Month Colorado Middle School Cannabis Use
2011: 6.0%
2013: 5.1%
[SOURCE:Overview Of The 2011 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey: Middle School; Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Middle School Overview of 2013 Data]
Colorado School Drug Expulsions:
2011-2012: 718
2012-2013: 614
2013-2014: 535
Colorado School Drug Violators Referred to Law Enforcement:
2011-2012: 1,951
2012-2013: 1,921
2012-2013: 1,823
[SOURCE: Colorado Department of Education - 10-Year Trend Data: Colorado State Suspension and Expulsion Incidents]
Colorado School Dropout Rate:
2011-2012: 2.9% (12,256 dropouts reported)
2012-2013: 2.5% (10,664 dropouts reported)
2012-2013: 2.4% (10,546 dropouts reported
[SOURCE: Colorado Department of Education - Dropout Data for 2013-14 - Historical Overview]
In Nov 2012 the people of Colorado voted 55% - 45% in favor of recreational cannabis legalization. An increasing majority say legal cannabis was a good move:
(for - against)
52% - 38% [SOURCE: Majority in Colorado say legal marijuana good. CNN, April, 2014.]
54% - 43% [SOURCE: Quinnipiac University, April 28, 2014.]
54% - 43% [SOURCE: Quinnipiac University, July 21, 2014.]
55% - 41% [SOURCE: Colorado Not Suffering Buyer's Remorse Over Legal Marijuana, Poll Finds. Huffingtonpost, Sep, 2014.]
58% - 38% [SOURCE: Quinnipiac University, Feb 24, 2015.]
62% - 34% [SOURCE: Quinnipiac University, April 14, 2015.]
Add to this (in time if not immediately):
• Less deaths of people involved on all sides of the "war", including law enforcement and bystanders
• Millions saved on law enforcement (arrest, prosecution, incarceration)
• More time for cops to solve real crime
• More room in the jails for actual criminals
• Less exposure to hard drugs for cannabis consumers
• A legal alternative to the objectively more harmful drug alcohol
• The reinstatement of some of our unjustly taken freedoms
• More respect for our legal system, police, and government

 

[jer79]

If Netflix still has it.. there is a really well done documentary called "the union". a lot of it takes place in british Columbia where its almost decriminalized or whatever. members of the "union" are the professional growers, carpenters, electricians, trimmers, the banks willing to look the other way when cash is deposited ,the shops that sell the supplies, etc. to run the grow operations. these people are paid a premium price for their work, and you guessed it , all cash under the table... if I remember they had a estimated figure for how much money is exchanging hands in one town. in this town they think one out of ten houses has a grow op, about 30,000 people I think, and it was huge, I wanna say 50 million. it would be nice to tax that money so that those people are putting something in the cookie jar like every one else is. the only people footing the bill for prosecuting and jailing the few that they do prosecute are taxpayers. when you create a black market that's what happens of course. great show, it showed a lot of the Canadian's views and opinions toward the US policy.

 

[Kurtr]

I will take pot smokers seriously when they can at a minimum put this in the right sub forum.......mmmmkay thanks ....bye

 

[Davey Crockett]

I will take pot smokers seriously when they can at a minimum put this in the right sub forum.......mmmmkay thanks ....bye

Don't go confusing pot smokers with advocates of it, If you think that everyone in favor of legalization is a pot smoker you're dead ass wrong. And what is the right sub forum ?

 

[lunkerslayer]

Best sub forum would be family or maybe entertainment in the comedy section. This thread was to bring people together to bring positive light on to a plant that is 1500 different strains and counting. Vote yes for medical MJ, there is not one positive benefit for the consumption of corn whiskey.

 

[Ericb]

Best sub forum would be family or maybe entertainment in the comedy section. This thread was to bring people together to bring positive light on to a plant that is 1500 different strains and counting. Vote yes for medical MJ, there is not one positive benefit for the consumption of corn whiskey.

I'm pretty sure whiskey has helped me stay employed and married several times!

 

[gst]

GST, you should target the ones that are being dishonest or blind . You're flopping around on the ice like a Minnesota goalie trying to draw a penalty, It does nothing for your team's credibility.

If you are not being dishonest or blind you should know without being told right? But then again, maybe no.

espringers, I read that in the link you said to google and mentioned those specific stats as well. Which is right?

I guess when medical people are talking about YOUNG kids coming into ER's at a higher rate with over consumption of pot issues (ie candy pot and gummi bear weed) and law enforcement are talking about issues they see, I simply think people are being disingenous when they wish to insinuate there will be no problems with the legalization of pot.

Espringers given your stats, are you suggesting there will be no serious issue to deal with by legalizing recreation use of pot?

 

[Ericb]

Holy, a bit over dramatic there. Legalizing pot for recreational use is not the "end of the world" as you claim I think. It is simply an action that will have negatives consequences alongside what people are claiming will be benefits.

And like many other things in society people do not want to accept the consequences of their actions regarding it.

From the beginning all I have said is if you are going to advocate for recreational pot to be made legal, be honest enough own those negatives along with the positives.

If you are alright with a 10 year old kid showing up in the emergency because he ate 10 of his uncles gummi weed candies that were left laying out on the kitchen counter own that.

If you are okay with other negatives own them and be honest about them happening.

Cigarettes and booze are legal and there are undeniable negative effects on society from them. To think or suggest pot will be different is dishonest or blind.

I agree but in this case i think the reward out ways the risk. The US has been at war over this for years and lost. Even giving up on fighting Marijuana would save millions let alone taxing it and creating jobs.

I have no interest in smoking pot. I did in school and it wasn't for me. But at that age years ago it was easier to get then booze or cigerets. I am very much for trading tobacco for Marijuana.

 

[Walleye_Chaser]

If parents were to leave out candy pot or gummi bear weed and a child got into it, there should be harsh consequences for those parents. And Jesus don't be high around your small children ever. There needs to accountability with freedom.

 

[Enslow]

gst it seems like you are continuously trying to sell people on how your righteous opinions and beliefs are above others. Nobody is buying what you are selling because of how you place yourself on a soap box. Your method of arguing is not persuasive or effective. Just sayin.

 

[gst]

So enslow, suggesting people be upfront about their position such as Eric B was above is being on a soap box?

Who here would deny that the restrictions that were placed on cigarette advertising aimed at younger kids was a bad thing?

And yet now we are going to legalize a narcotic made in gummi bear candy form and think the very same thing we restricted cigarette ads for won;t happen?

To me that is simply denying common sense.

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If parents were to leave out candy pot or gummi bear weed and a child got into it, there should be harsh consequences for those parents. And Jesus don't be high around your small children ever. There needs to accountability with freedom.

This nation has forgotten how to be accountable and will eventually forget how to be free.

Look to three of the Presidential candidates to see the proof.

If we legalize things that were illegal, then no one has to be responsible or accountable for doing what was once illegal. That is why we will evolve incrementally to legalizing other drugs down the road.

Our societies view on what we as individuals should be held accountable for is changing from what generations before believed.

Who here 25 years ago thought that schools would be defending allowing transgender kids to use whichever bathroom they like?