Bill proposed to legalize pot in CA

[Looneybomber]

http://www.npr.org/templates/s...=1006

Quote »A California state lawmaker is looking at marijuana as a way to boost the state's empty coffers. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, a San Francisco Democrat, introduced a bill this week that would legalize and tax marijuana. Ammiano says legalizing pot would bring in an estimated $1 billion a year for the state. [/quote]How many times have we heard this story before? However, here's the kicker. CA is facing some very tough finacial times and are not making ends meet. Everytime someone introduces legalizing weed in CA, or anywhere for that matter, it never passes. Let's see what happens this time around. With CA getting desperate for money, they may reluctantly pass the bill.

Personally, I am 100% against the use of weed and have never used it before. But thinking about this as an economist, I think it's an excellent move! The amount of revenue gained by the govt. will be phenominal, street price will drop, and quality will go up. IMO, everyone wins. And again, this is coming from a guy that despises the use of weed and other downers (with the exception of alcohol)

[C-Kwik]

So why is it ok to drink alcohol but not use pot?

[smockers83]

But thinking about this as an economist, I think it's an excellent move!

Maybe. Yes, it would raise the needed money to support the Stupid State of California. However, an excellent move would be to de-socialize the state. An excellent move would be to stop wasting money on the state's farmers. That will free up billions of dollars.

It's sad that a state like California, which has a large concentration of wealth as well as population, can't sustain itself. If California can't sustain itself, it either needs to raise income taxes to support it's socialist society or de-socialize and get rid of a bunch of programs.

I would much rather see the Stupid State of California fall and de-socialize rather than have them legalize pot. Mind you, I researched drug legalization and gave a speech about it back in high school, and I was for it. But not so that a state could make ends meet.

[smockers83]

Plus, it could take years in order to establish a pot market and set up distribution points because it will take awhile for the pot market to get away from the way it currently operates.

[Looneybomber]

Maybe. Yes, it would raise the needed money to support the Stupid State of California. However, an excellent move would be to de-socialize the state. An excellent move would be to stop wasting money on the state's farmers. That will free up billions of dollars.

That will be a whole lot harder and take a whole lot longer than legalizing weed. You're talking about revamping a state, which people move to because they like the way things operate, or move away from because they don't like it. Right now it gives people options, but in order to make that state sustainable, a lot of things must change and right now the easiest thing to do is legalizing weed, controling it's distribution and taxing the hell out of it.

So why is it ok to drink alcohol but not use pot?

I despise cigarette smoking too. Smoking in general is disgusting and aweful on the body and as a health advocate, nothing good comes from smoking where-as alcohol use in moderation is healthy.

If the weed is medically needed, eat it, don't smoke it.

[WDRacing]

It really doesn't make sense to have marijuana illegal anymore. The people that don't want it legal don't use it. Um...ok, so don't use it. But stop infringing on everyone else's right to do what they want.

Couple facts;

Marijuana grows faster then any other plant on the entire planet. It can yield 3-4 crops each year, rather then the 1 of almost every other major cultivated crop that currently exists in the US. Each crop can be used for...

Produces it's own synthetic oil. Actually used in WWI and WWII.Can be turned into clothing.Can be turned into Ethanol.Can be grown without THC.

Things often ignored;

Caffeine is more addictive and harmful then marijuana.Alcohol is FAR more addictive and harmful then marijuana.If abused all almost ALL OTC medications are deadly.

I'm not going to stand here and say weed doesn't have any negative side effects. That would be stupid and naive and the people that take that approach actually hurt the very effort they are trying to help.

There are tests that people have taken that show reduced ability to problem solve when stoned. No refuting these tests at all, in fact, I agree with them. But when was the last time you sat at a bar and had to do algebra? When was the last time you got drunk and had to take a timed test that measured your mental capacity to retain short and long term information? So, if you have to work, be sober. If you're going to engineer something...be sober. In short, be responsible. It's not the drug, it's the person.

Those tests when placed along side the marijuana tests are actually more then double in the negative? Well how can that be, alcohol is legal? Wait...alcohol causes more deaths then ANY other illegal drug on the entire schedule? But it's legal? Wait...alcohol has a direct correlation to liver disease, diabetes, kidney disease and the whole gambit of cardiovascular diseases related to high blood pressure. Yet it's legal.

Fact is, there are literally tons of poisons sold to people under the age of 18 everyday. Inhalants kill more people then marijuana does. Using things without responsibility is where the problem lies.

Yes marijuana has negative side effects. When you smoke something, you destroy lung tissue. That's just basic chemistry...um duh...black smoke in, resin of smoke coats tissue. Same result when you smoke anything. It also directly effects your memory. I can personally attest to that along side all of the studies that have been done.

Legalizing marijuana will create a very profitable market without even considering the personal use aspect of it. Will it take years to build the infrastructure...maybe. But is that any reason to not do it at all? That line of thinking is the reason we have crap for alternative fueling. They are figuring 1.9 billion annually in CA alone. If it becomes legal nationwide we can almost bail out GM...lol.

Are stoners bad people...in general I don't think so. We have books and seminars devoted to the responsible use of marijuana. We try to influence people to not be pot heads. You see, you have to compare marijuana users to their respectable counter parts. Take the guys that have a few beers after work to relax. Those are the same guys that might smoke a J. Same kind of people, that do the same kind of things. Then you have the pot head that smokes an 1/8 at a time and is so stoned he just wants to watch Family Guy reruns all night and play video games. That guy is compared to the alcoholic that drinks 12 beers by himself either at home or at the bar. When he's at the bar he drives home drunk. When he's home he's usually abusive either mentally or emotionally to the people around him. In terms of actual domestic abuse charges filed annually, it's a number that isn't even comparable. Like 250 million to one...seriously. When you're stoned, you don't wanna fight.

I've been drug free for a long time, but I'm an alcoholic and reformed cocaine addict. I have seen the results of drug abuse and I have read all kinds of books on the various aspects of the human need to consume chemicals in order to achieve an altered state.

I can say with utter conviction that legalizing marijuana isn't going to destroy the world. If anything I believe it will have an extremely positive effect. It's one of the best anti-depressants a person can use, which is something this country can use a good dose of right now.

It will produce millions of jobs nation wide if it is capitalized to it's fullest extent. From oil and fuel, to fabric and pharmacology...marijuana can be grown, taxed and put to good use.

For every negative aspect that can be listed about marijuana, I can name one that is worse from an already legal and popular chemical.

For the record, you can't listen to any study done by the Gov. They are the very people that declared that it made African Americans rape white women. They actually ran the slogan "Weed that kills"...

PPMDWD

[dusred]

I'll bet what the lawmaker was thinking is that everyone uses it anyway why not make it legal and take some of the profit for the state. . . which IMO would be an excellent idea IMO.

I'm not a smoker, I'm not a drinker, I'm not a sniffer. . . but I don't see anything wrong with smoking Pot if it's done responsibly. The same rules should apply for pot as alcohol - you have to be a certain age to use it and if you drive while under it's influence you get your a55 thrown in jail.

Just my .02

PS, the main thing CALI needs to do is secure the borders and throw all the damn illegals OUT and that would solve some of their problems.

[1unar3clipse]

+1 for WD.

Also... it already is legal in CA, mind you it requires a documented medical purpose, and a doctor verified license to obtain and utilize marijuana.

This bill would make it legal and base its sale and regulation like that of cigarettes/alcohol (i.e. no use before 21, no sale to under 21 etc etc) adding the bracket with which to tax its sales and production.

[C-Kwik]

I despise cigarette smoking too. Smoking in general is disgusting and aweful on the body and as a health advocate, nothing good comes from smoking where-as alcohol use in moderation is healthy.

While I agree smoking is not good for a person, your original post implied you didn't care for weed use (not just smoking). You're now being more specific but then you follow it up with this:

If the weed is medically needed, eat it, don't smoke it.

Is that to say that weed should only be consumed for medical purposes? If that's the case, does that mean you only consume alcohol for medical prposes/health benefits? Unlikely. Most people consume alcohol for various other reasons (i.e. taste, to get high, drown their sorrows, etc.). I mean, any bar or club I've been to was full of peole drinking to have fun. Not for better health...

[WDRacing]

I think he just means that we shouldn't smoke anything. As in the process of smoking in general sucks. Which I tend to agree with. I'd rather eat a brownie, or pop a THC pill if it was a legal option

Also, this whole alcohol being healthy thing only refers to 6oz of red wine. That's it...not beer, not Vodka and not more then 6oz's daily.

So using alcohol and healthy in the same sentence really doesn't make much sense. Especially since 99.999999 people don't drink just 6 oz's of red wine. Heck I don't know anyone that drinks 6 oz's of anything...lol.

WD

[szh]

Lets leave religion out of the politics.

And out of this forum too, please!

Z

[WDRacing]

I have no answer, but I know MJ is bad for the soul. Wine is good for the soul because Jesus Christ turned water into wine. What kind of man would Christ have become if he smoked MJ--a good or a stoned example of christiandom?

Unless you want and second and much longer vacation please don't ruin what is an otherwise excellent thread. Especially when what you say is absolutely asinine. Unless you can prove that it tears the head off of everyone's soul, then STFU.

Go back to the G forum. Politics isn't your forte.

[dusred]

WD and Z. . . maybe you could clean up the thread?

[1unar3clipse]

If California legalizes Marijuana, the feds will have a field day arresting people smoking it, on a whim.

Thats funny seeing as dispensaries currently exist in CA that are NOT run by the federal government that have yet to receive the shut-down order, or a cease and desist.

The feds only raid dispensaries that stray from the code of ethics and the laws set in place for medical marijuana patients/caregivers.

I have no answer, but I know MJ is bad for the soul.

Tell that to the people that come into a dispensary to obtain a tool to lessen the stress and pain from terminal cancers, cataracts, AIDS, and other misc diseases.

[C-Kwik]

I think he just means that we shouldn't smoke anything. As in the process of smoking in general sucks. Which I tend to agree with. I'd rather eat a brownie, or pop a THC pill if it was a legal option

I'm not so sure man. He said he was against its use 100%. And when he clarified it another step, he gave a conditional response with reference to medicinal use.

In a way, I am intentionally baiting him in hopes to a spur a more in depth discussion.

I'm with you on the edibles. It's slower, but easier to take in. And who doesn't love brownies anyways?

[Jacko3]

Unless you want and second and much longer vacation please don't ruin what is an otherwise excellent thread. Especially when what you say is absolutely asinine. Unless you can prove that it tears the head off of everyone's soul, then STFU.

Go back to the G forum. Politics isn't your forte.

WDRacing:

You just broke and crushed my heart with those strong words But, I still love you like a brother anyways.

This is all I can prove http://blogs.usatoday.com/bett....html

I shall try to STFU as you wished However, I personally think MJ is still bad for the soul. (you really crushed my heart)

[WDRacing]

WD and Z. . . maybe you could clean up the thread?

Cleaned

[Looneybomber]

I'm not so sure man. He said he was against its use 100%. And when he clarified it another step, he gave a conditional response with reference to medicinal use.

In a way, I am intentionally baiting him in hopes to a spur a more in depth discussion.

I'm with you on the edibles. It's slower, but easier to take in. And who doesn't love brownies anyways?

I should clarify. I'm 100% against it's traditional use - as in inhaled. I'm completely against smoking of any kind unless there is an odd-ball scenario when the benefits of smoking outweight the consequences. (are there any?).

Right now, marijuana is only legal for medicinal purposes, so if needed for health, eat it. One of the uses if to increase the appetite of anorexic's, so what better way of combating anorexia than making magic brownies?

Although I'd still rather see people not use weed due how anti-productive people are when using it. They just want to relax, where-as someone who's using an amphetamine is highly active and very productive...though sometimes violent and a danger to others and themselves, but that's a different topic.

Side note: Type-A personalities have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke than type-B's.

Also, this whole alcohol being healthy thing only refers to 6oz of red wine. That's it...not beer, not Vodka and not more then 6oz's daily.

Not true. Alcohol helps with cholesterol, but red wine has extra "goodness" in it that beer and vodka don't. So to say alcohol in other forms isn't healthy is not true.

"Moderate consumption of alcohol does NOT in itself lower cholesterol levels, LDL or overall. Rather, it increases levels of HDL, the “good” cholesterol, which helps wash out all the extra cholesterol in the blood. All alcohol contains substances that inhibit the platelets in the blood from sticking together, which can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by preventing the formation of blood clots in the arteries. Additionally, red wine contains antioxidants and flavonoids, which further protect the heart. Red wine has been shown to have a greater effect on the prevention of heart disease than any other type of alcohol. It’s assumed that this is the cause for the “French Paradox”: In France, the consumption of red wine is much greater than what it is in the United States, and the death rate from heart disease in France is half of what it is in the United States."http://www.essortment.com/fami...o.htm

[Jacko3]

By the way, smooking MJ causes second hand smoke to be released in the environment. And, second hand smoke may cause depression. I don't wann be depressed. I wanna be happy.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/h...N.htm

[WDRacing]

By the way, smooking MJ causes second hand smoke to be released in the environment. And, second hand smoke may cause depression. I don't wann be depressed. I wanna be happy.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/h...N.htm

Thats cigerette smoke you retard. If you got some second hand smoke from a marijuana source you'd definitly NOT be depressed.

You really have NO idea what you are talking about. You have no experience and no actual knowledge of how the drug THC interacts with the brains chemistry. Do me a favor, read more, type less.

[WDRacing]

Dustin, you're talking about the daily use of a very addictive substance. The good that may come from drinking a small amount of alcohol everyday is far outweighed by it's history of abuse and it's severe negative impact on the body if consumed in the manner that 99.9 people do everyday.

The amount of people that drink alcohol for health is probably less then the amount of active Nico users online at any given moment...lol. Does it have 1 good thing...yes. But it's got 1 million bad things.

[Jacko3]

Thats cigerette smoke you retard. If you got some second hand smoke from a marijuana source you'd definitly NOT be depressed.

You really have NO idea what you are talking about. You have no experience and no actual knowledge of how the drug THC interacts with the brains chemistry. Do me a favor, read more, type less.

I love being a retard Best of all, I love being an idiot---makes me very happy.

Did I get your blood boiling? Maybe I wanna see it drive you nuts.

But is there anything on this planet that is a by-product of complete and/or incomplete combustion, that delivers good things all the time? If reciprocating engines and cigarettes produce harmful CO and C02 compounds from complete/incomplete combustion, I don't see why it would be any different when one lights up and smokes Mary J, given that Mary J is still primarily made up of the fundamental building blocks of life, which are, Oxygen, Carbon, and Hydrogen atoms.

Any thoughts on these before i run back into my retard room?

You are gonna prove to me that Mary J ain't made up of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen, and by so saying that no harmful compunds of incomplete combustion are produced, which ultimately harm unsuspecting users and by-standers.

WDRacing, wanna play with the bunny? Bunny wanna be your friend. I love this bunny.


Modified by Jacko3 at 10:03 AM 3/6/2009

[Jacko3]

Dustin, you're talking about the daily use of a very addictive substance. The good that may come from drinking a small amount of alcohol everyday is far outweighed by it's history of abuse and it's severe negative impact on the body if consumed in the manner that 99.9 people do everyday.

The amount of people that drink alcohol for health is probably less then the amount of active Nico users online at any given moment...lol. Does it have 1 good thing...yes. But it's got 1 million bad things.

Wanna tell us who these 99.9 people who drink alcohol, really are?

[WDRacing]

Don't post in this thread anymore or I'll ban you. No, I'm not kidding.

An argument against legalizing marijuana because it's bad for the environment is stupid. We might as well outlaw campfires next.

DO NOT POST IN THIS THREAD. EVEN IF PEOPLE QUOTE YOU, ATTACK AND BASH YOU.

Don't like it? To friggin bad...

That's the outcome of getting under my skin...like it? Take your bunny and GTFO.

[Jacko3]

I'm on vacation now...seeya in 2 weeks.

[smockers83]

I think the two of you need to read the rules page for Politics before anything more happens.

I'll be in the mean time.

[smockers83]

2) Debate your position. If you are incapable of debating or someone has proven you wrong, do not resort to name calling nor other childish behavior

3) Realize others will have different stances and priorities than you do. It is the way of the world and should simply be accepted that something important to you may not be important to others.

4) Personal attacks means you lose.....and may result in a ban

7) Flaming, bashing or trolling. A good rule of thumb here is, "if you don't have anything nice / constructive to say, don't say anything." NICO prides itself on being a safe place for all people (newbies and veterans) to learn and share a common interest.

[WDRacing]

I know the rules man...but I'm not going to sit back and watch an otherwise great thread turn into crap. We have far to many people posting in here that shouldn't. It detracts from great threads. Like you'rs about finance...I had to quit reading it because Armelius makes me wanna commit murder.

Well not on my watch...not anymore. Stupid belongs in GC, not in here where adults can atleast try to have a decent conversation. If I can change, anyone can.

WD

[breadbox]

Okay jacko and your point is?

If pointless posts had minimum mandatory sentencing you'd be down for a while.

[smockers83]

I know, I know. I'm making my case for Jacko to stay because I like him in my economics ones haha.

It was more for him than anyone else.

Armelius is kind of ruining my threads, but in a way it's good, it brings out more knowledge from me. I'm starting to get tired of him, but I'll probably just start ignoring him or something. Or maybe you could clean up my threads? Sometimes I think he's Bob. He operates the same way Bob did.

The reason I am doing them is because much of politics is tied into economics. These threads can then be referenced upon when needed to understand things as they come up in the future.