WingColors

Whoo... with the track record California has going this year I wonder how long before they try to secede from the union!

This would set a great precedent for the rest of the US. If we could get rid of the drug war we could save something like 70billion a year and depopulate our prisons massively. I don't see it happening quickly, but I'm all for one less stupid government program eating up money and manpower.

For this to work, it probably needs strict punishments around misbehavior under the influence. Get caught driving, lose your license or worse. There will of course be a period and segment of people who can't control themselves and muck things up, but the potential for positive is very high.

Not that I know all of the pros and cons of the issue, but you are saying that you think the pros do outweight the cons in this respect correct?

Absolutely.

Decriminalizing would be a big step as it is, and I think would benefit all around. bBt allowing it to be sold where alcohol is will be an economic boost, and surely it will be taxed as well, another boost to the state budget.

Marijuana will be taxed through a system of stamps and licenses--a $5 stamp will be required for the sale of an eighth ounce of marijuana and a $50 annual license will be required for the growth of one marijuana plant. To protect participants and encourage participation in the system, such licenses and stamps will be available anonymously in stores where marijuana is sold.

Decriminalizing marijuana and taxing the hell out of it would make a metric ton of money that states and the federal government could use to do some real good in the country. Like more nuclear reactors and wind farms to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources. Or hell, anything else that our country needs to do.

I think if people abused it then they'd just end up stoned and at their house lounging around all day, all the while paying through the nose to do so. Doesn't seem that harmful unless you put a dollar figure up against lost productivity.

This would lower unemployment by creating a legit industry as opposed to all the people growing in their parent's basements.

I'm really curious as well to the cultural impact of such a move. Does weed stay "cool" if it's legal?

Was weed ever really cool? Nowadays it seems more like the "mountain dew" to the group that is the antithesis of the adhd/extreme sports crowd.

I mean it isn't 'cool' per se, but I'm sure you understand my meaning. Then again less and less rappers are rapping about it so maybe that is a sign of the times. And yes, I use rap to measure the popularity of a substance in pop culture.

I do think that overall, decriminalizing and making it an attainable commodity would curb a lot of the deviant behavior usually associated with it due to the lack of a need for an underground industry to support it.

You WOULD still have the issue of access to minors but you have the same deal with Alcohol as well so I don't think it would be any worse than that issue.

If it did pass, I would like to see the state free people serving non-violent prison terms for possession and expunge their records on those charges.

I DO see it making California TONS of money in tax income and making other surrounding states quite envious, perhaps spurring on national demand for the decriminalization of marijuana.

I think I agree with this initiative even though some people could abuse it. I never saw much a difference between drunk or stoned people, except some drunk people get violent. I can say I have never witnessed much violence in a stoned person.

I see California's population doubling if this passes.

I think if people abused it then they'd just end up stoned and at their house lounging around all day, all the while paying through the nose to do so.

I very much agree here. In my opinion, heavy potheads are way more harmless than heavy alcoholics.

Then again less and less rappers are rapping about it so maybe that is a sign of the times.

I just don't think it's "new" anymore. In the early-mid 90's, rap still was fairly new so it was a little "cooler" to talk about. Now it seems like a standard so there's not much else to talk about.

I see California's population doubling if this passes.

I'd move there if it passes. No, I'm not a pothead. I've long been a supporter of legalizing marijuana. I think that while a lot of people, mostly kids, start smoking marijuana because it's thought of as "rebelling", most people I know that smoke up are people who do it because they like it and have been doing it for a long time.

If done right, California can make a lot of money off of this while decreasing crime etc.

If the federal government were smart, they would legalize it and not only would they be making that much more money, they'd also be saving that huge amount of money they use on the war on drugs, as someone mentioned above.

Marijuana isn't so much "cool" anymore. It's more of the norm now. If you smoke weed, it's not a huge deal. I remember when I was in high school, if you smoked pot you were labeled and people looked at you differently. Now it's not such a big deal.

How interesting. I'd be stoked if it got on the ballot. I don't see weed as something that's worse than alcohol, that's for sure. When was the last time you heard about an "angry pothead" vs. an "angry drunk" (all the time)?

As far as access to it ... I have friends who have a Rx card and in all honesty it's not that hard to get one. All you need is $150 and an excuse. One of my friends brought evidence from her doctor of a sciatic nerve (in the back) and the doctor didn't even look at it. As far as the Feds (DEA) going in and raiding the dispensaries because stupid people don't follow the state rules and sell them out of the back, that's a whole other matter. As long as people follow the rules, at least in Metro LA, I don't see consumption going up that much... It's already so prevalent here.

...I guess the exception would be the "underage," though. I can see that changing a bunch.

Marijuana is not a dangerous drug, for the most part. However, with all this talk about kids only using it to rebel, I wonder what they will turn to if it is legalized. Cocaine? Let's face it, marijuana is a stepping stone to other drugs for some users. Someone who has tried marijuana is certainly more likely to try a more addictive drug. How many people do you know that went straight to harder drugs without ever having tried pot? While marijuana isn't very menacing in its own right, it gives people a high and leaves many with the desire to experiment further. Maybe only 10% of people who smoke pot will go on to use other drugs, but when you increase pot usage through legalization, that 10% grows as well. That's not a good thing in my opinion, and if you've ever had a drug addict friend or family member and experienced that first hand, chances are you will agree. Is the risk of others seeking out other drugs a big enough point to limit everyone's marijuana usage? I honestly don't know.

Your argument might be valid if alcohol was not legal and freely available just about everywhere.

Let's face it, marijuana is a stepping stone to other drugs for some users.

Super Glue, Sharpies, Paint Thinner, etc... can all be considered stepping stone, abused substances. Should those be illegal substances worthy of prison time too?