New Bill to decrim pot in the US

[Eomer]

Legislators aim to snuff out penalties for pot use - CNN.com

I'm not familiar enough with the US political process to say much about this, but I'm sure it will die a quick and ugly death.

[Nakilos]

It will die a painfully fast death, but it is pointless. It's a complete waste of resources arresting people who smoke weed, and pot addicts just are not the same as other drug addicts.

Pretty much want to drive a railroad spike into my eye every time I see "what about the children" arguments, like kids are going to smoke weed, every girl will suddenly become pregnant and apply for welfare and people will start stealing for weed. Potheads are too lazy to steal for their weed, but any other drug, it's an absolute concern.

[Hatorade]

Legalize and tax all drugs. The idiots will overdose the drug lords will lose all their power etc etc.

[Tolanin]

Originally Posted by Eomer

Legislators aim to snuff out penalties for pot use - CNN.com

I'm not familiar enough with the US political process to say much about this, but I'm sure it will die a quick and ugly death.

its more a state issue than anything... feds could make it legal and it wouldnt change much at all. Way it works in the US is the feds wants a law so they pass it, but then they dont have any control over the local or state cops so they beg the states to tow the line on the law and the state decides what level of enforcement they are gonna do and what the exact penalties will be. I guess doing this could open it up to remove the incentives from the feds to the states for enforcing it which might motivate a few states to legalize and it would remove the penalties for interstate trafficking.

[Ancalagon]

Originally Posted by Tolanin

its more a state issue than anything... feds could make it legal and it wouldnt change much at all. Way it works in the US is the feds wants a law so they pass it, but then they dont have any control over the local or state cops so they beg the states to tow the line on the law and the state decides what level of enforcement they are gonna do and what the exact penalties will be. I guess doing this could open it up to remove the incentives from the feds to the states for enforcing it which might motivate a few states to legalize and it would remove the penalties for interstate trafficking.

Disclaimer: I don't smoke weed.

The federal government shouldn't be involved in making drugs illegal for Constitutional reasons. At least when they wanted to make alcohol illegal they had the intellectual honesty to pursue a Constitutional Amendment (18th). While it would be a Very Good Thing (tm) for this legislation to pass (though I can't imagine that happening, and I REALLY can't imagine our brilliant president signing it into law), the philosophy undergirding it is less than encouraging. It could just be a matter of months until a similar bill, or one even more restrictive, is passed. But again, even a bit of a reprieve from the madness that is the drug war is very welcome.

[Tallyn]

Originally Posted by Ancalagon

The federal government shouldn't be involved in making drugs illegal for Constitutional reasons. At least when they wanted to make alcohol illegal they had the intellectual honesty to pursue a Constitutional Amendment (18th).

Damn straight. I was surprised that no one pitched a bigger fit when the federal government overruled California's medical marijuana legislation and arrested people for growing (state-licensed) weed in their home gardens for their own consumption. The feds justified themselves through the interstate commerce clause despite that there no interstate anything or even any commerce involved.

[ValkyrieIsAboutToDie]

Restrict max possession to an 1/8th (wtf is this 100 grams bullshit? Only dealers and Cypress Hill run around daily with that much herb), tax the fuck out of it, and be done with it.

For the billionth time.

[Tripamang]

I know this is a lost cause but I hope it passes. The big obstacle standing in the way of Canada legalizing (like 80% of the population wants) is the US drug policy. We bring up the bills to decrim/legalize and the US has a hissy fit and threatens border closures.

These days with the amount of oil we sell to the US I figure we'd be saying fuck off or we'd turn off the tap.. but hey we're a civilized nation.

Drugs being illegal puts funds and power in the hands of unsavory individuals, by legalizing we take their power away and put it into the hands of legitimate business men and women plus taxes There is a bajillion reasons to legalize, I don't think there is any argument that doesn't fall flat on it's face about keeping it criminalized.

[Araxen]

They should have brought this up after Obama got elected. It would have more of a chance of not being veto'd if it somehow by a miracle actually got to his desk to sign. Bush will veto this immediately.

[kegkilla]

Originally Posted by Araxen

They should have brought this up after Obama got elected. It would have more of a chance of not being veto'd if it somehow by a miracle actually got to his desk to sign. Bush will veto this immediately.

you think obama is interested in perpetuating the stereotype that blacks love to get high?


i'd rather it stay illegal. legalizing weed would be too much of a moral victory for the dumbfuck potheads who go around pretending "pot has no negative side effects!" while they work their minimum wage job and continue to get nowhere in life.

[Digits]

There is so much money to be made in legalized and taxed marijuana that is blows my fucking mind that it's not being embraced with record deficits in place. We have tens of millions of people who want to buy a relatively harmless product (oh no, a low chance of cancer after a few million bowls) that we could tax the shit out of and no one wants to touch it because someone defined pot as immoral a half century ago.

Christ, fucking Republicans. This whole spiel is another fantastic thing about Obama getting into the white house. He won't push for legalization, but he has supported decriminalization in the past which means I would not be shocked if he gave 'unofficial' orders to the feds to stop busting small time offenders. I'd also like to point out that I feel under a Democratic Congress and Presidency that MJs legality would become a state issue as opposed to a national issue. California already has decriminalized it for medical purposes, and you can be prescribed pot for having stress, and I see that as the trend to follow for the years to come.

[The Ancient]

Originally Posted by kegkilla

you think obama is interested in perpetuating the stereotype that blacks love to get high?

This is weed, not crack.

[kegkilla]

Originally Posted by The Ancient

This is weed, not crack.

in the eyes of the average American, its close enough.

[Brutul Tarew Marr]

Originally Posted by Digits

I'd also like to point out that I feel under a Democratic Congress and Presidency that MJs legality would become a state issue as opposed to a national issue. California already has decriminalized it for medical purposes, and you can be prescribed pot for having stress, and I see that as the trend to follow for the years to come.

I've never known the democrats to do anything that would decrease the power of the federal government.

[GrobbeeTrull2.0]

Originally Posted by kegkilla

you think obama is interested in perpetuating the stereotype that blacks love to get high?


i'd rather it stay illegal. legalizing weed would be too much of a moral victory for the dumbfuck potheads who go around pretending "pot has no negative side effects!" while they work their minimum wage job and continue to get nowhere in life.

Atlantic City. Cocaine. Wat?