I am aware that there is already a thread about marijuana that is quite popular. However, I want to discuss a more specific event that is happening; four specific events, to be more precise. If you think marijuana should remain illegal because it is bad, please refer to this thread here. I would like to discuss what will happen if marijuana is legalized and if the new marijuana laws and restrictions are fair.
Oregon, California, Washington, and Nevada are currently putting marijuana legalization into consideration. Oregon and California are actually putting marijuana legalization to a vote!
As far as I can tell, the current laws and restrictions are as follows:
1. You must be 21 or older to smoke marijuana. 2. Marijuana can not be smoked in public areas. 3. A percentage of profit from marijuana will go to drug and alcohol treatment. *4. Residents over 21 years of age will be aloud possession of up to one ounce of weed. *5. State residents can cultivate small marijuana gardens, and local governments can decide whether or not to allow sales of the drug in their area. ~6. Adults could grow their own marijuana and the sale of all cannabis strains' seeds and starter plants with no license, fee or registration. People who want to cultivate and sell marijuana, or process commercial psychoactive cannabis, would be required to obtain a license from the state.
* Refers to California, but may be similarly implemented by other states decided to legalize marijuana. ~ Refers to Oregon, but may be similarly implemented by other states decided to legalize marijuana.
What do you think? Are these fair terms? How will marijuana effect the market? How will marijuana effect these states? How will marijuana effect the country?
If you do not support the legalization of marijuana due to the belief that marijuana is a harmful substance, please go here.
I smoke and I really just want to say that legalization makes no difference, at least to me, becuase I'm going to smoke whether it is legal or not. All it's going to do is help the country with debt, because of the taxes.
I think those guidelines are fair, but I think the age should be 18 and over instead of 21. I think the same with alcohol. Although, by the time this all goes through and it is legalized, if it is, I will be 21, because I'm almost 18 now.
It sure would have made it so my mom wasn't so PO'ed when she found out. She says its only for "adults"...
Hmmm can be bought at 21? Thats gonna make it a hell of a lot easier for minors to get their hands on. Not that its not easy to get now, but now its just like getting ciggaretes.
It's already as easy to get as cigarettes for minors, if not easier. I mean, for cigarettes, you have to find someone who's 18 and persuade them to go to the liquor store or gas station to get you some. For bud, you just have to know a dealer and give them money in exchange for the bud. That's it. And it's usually somebody you are friends with.
I would like to discuss what will happen if marijuana is legalized and if the new marijuana laws and restrictions are fair.
In general, I think the biggest problem would be to find the right price level. Low enough to be competetive with illicit black market dealers, but high enough so that it's not dirt cheap, and thus encourage very large numbers of users.
1. You must be 21 or older to smoke marijuana.
2. Marijuana can not be smoked in public areas.
These two seem to be pretty much the same as US alcohol laws, so that's a good thing. Make the transition as familiar as possible. Too many restrictions on it would make the reform pointless.
3. A percentage of profit from marijuana will go to drug and alcohol treatment.
I'd advocate a very large proportion. This would be a welcome shift away from enforcement and 'hard' solutions to 'soft' solutions. Since judicial systems in most countries have been striving for decades now to eliminate the drug 'roblem' through 'hard' measures and that's failed, I say much more money should be spent on rehab clinics and the like.
*4. Residents over 21 years of age will be aloud possession of up to one ounce of weed.
I think that's fair. There's really no reason to have much more than that at any one time if you really are using for yourself.
*5. State residents can cultivate small marijuana gardens, and local governments can decide whether or not to allow sales of the drug in their area.
That could be a stumbling block, albeit a small one. If enough reactionary groups get together, I can imnagine they'd be able to stir up enough irrational fear to prevent many people from taking advantage of this.
~6. Adults could grow their own marijuana and the sale of all cannabis strains' seeds and starter plants with no license, fee or registration. People who want to cultivate and sell marijuana, or process commercial psychoactive cannabis, would be required to obtain a license from the state.
Fair enough. Most marijuana is relatively harmless, but some more powerful strains have been known to cause lasting neural damage, but because of its illgality, there has been little scientific research into it, so so me limits on it seem sensible.
The reason why kis should not smoke marijuana is because when you're a kid and you find something cool, you tend to do it more than you should. Video games, porn, drugs, soda, junk food, ect.
It should be illegal for people under the age of 18 to smoke, but if they do, we shouldn't penalize them all that much. Confiscation and a small fine. The age is 21, which should be lowered to 18, but that's a battle for another day.
if there is no punishment on breaking a law, then why would someone care about not doing it?
People should be allowed to make bad decisions. Even though it should be illegal for minors to smoke, it's not a serious offense. Therefore, the punishment should be very minor.
If a mother's son is smoking, then it's her responsibility to make him stop, not the government's. If she can't make him stop, then that is her problem. The government shouldn't be dragged into this problem.
The reason why I say the age limit should be 18 is because 18 is much more fair than 21, and those who do smoke underaged will just have to be careful not to get caught.
I should also add, that even though I sort of contradicted myself in the above post, age limit restrictions help give people an idea of what is and is not appropriate for children. It should be common sense, but it's not.
Well, I'm not about to say that, "I never inhaled", like a former US Pres did. XVerb has a point about being a zero if you smoke. I won't argue that or any other topic that is taboo for families. Let's just talk about whether or not we "think" marijuana should be legalized and if not, this isn't the right forum. NoNameC68 said so on the opening thread.
So, now, from my own personal experience I have found marijuana to be very helpful with chronic pain. From my experience as a caregiver back in the 80's when we first learned of AIDs and it was simply called IDS, for lack of intelligence, AIDs patients benefitted from smoking or chewing cannabis so they could at least eat. Their pain would be just as, if not more than, cancer patients. Doctor's call this "wasting".
I say, ---- yes. And it's about time! I do agree with the person who commented on the "irony" of proceeds benefitting Drug & Rehab cntrs. It was Ernie15, thanks for the laugh but your right.
I know I should have read this page before commenting but I couldn't help myself. Wait just a minute, please, NoNameC68, there is a very good reason why the government selects the age "21" as being legal. It actually is used because the human brain hasn't fully developed until age 21. *Off topic* and please don't spam me, why do you think the military loves juvies? Because they can be more easily manipulated than 21 year-olds. Please, please, leave the legal age alone and allow kids to be kids. If those of us 50-somethings want to grow our beautiful herb gardens we should be allowed to and if anyone comes over my fence to steal it they may be surprised when I fire-up a joint instead of a gun. What a peaceful resolution that would be.
As I said before, when a kid smokes, it should be the family's problem, not the government's. However, I do support the age limit because 18 sounds like a fair age to allow people to buy marijuana. Also, an 18 year old who abuses marijuana will get in more trouble than a 17 year old caught smoking AND a 21 year old abusing marijuana. 18 is a delicate age because nobody wants to hire you for more than minimum wage, insurance companies fuck you up the ass (and they deserve to be butsexed in prison, those bastards), and 18 year olds have the hardest time managing money when it comes to college.
So why not let 18 year olds smoke and drink responsibly? If they are going to abuse their privelages when 18 is the legal smoking/drinking age, then they are going to abuse those substances when the smoking/drinking age is 21. We shouldn't make everyone who is smart suffer.
The brain may be fully developed around the age of 25, but we should be allowed to put whatever we want into our bodies as long as we don't harm other people. That's freedom.
Anyway, 21 may be the legal age to smoke marijuana, but it's not like it will be that big of a problem. People under 21 shouldn't find it too hard to get high. You won't be able to smoke in public regardless of your age, and the police aren't going to find you smoking at home. The only problem with 21 being the legal age is that 18 year olds (and everyone else who is underaged) will have to buy through other people.
I think 21 is a good age for this, but if anyone is caught with this and they are underage, then they should get in a ton of trouble with the law. Since weed is still a drug.
I hope the leagalize it soon. I used to smoke, but due to location and ppl trying to rip you off, I quit. I hate having to go through drug dealers, just like seth rogan was talking about in pinapple express.
