Could Legalizing Pot Save California From Budget Issues?

fallonthecity
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 10:54 am: [report]

Both.  I don’t see the harm.

Humble Bee
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 10:56 am: [report]

Definitely Legit.
People will continue to feed their habbit no matter the cost. Look at cigarettes, they keep increasing the cost, but sales haven’t gone down because people rather buy a pack than the gallon of milk. If California really wants to get out of debt, this is the best solution. I still argue that alcohol is way more dangerous than pot. Its just like alcohol, it may have different effects on certain people, but like they say at the end of a beer commercial “use responsibly” I’m all about making our own decisions.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:00 am: [report]

They spend too much money trying to eradicate it’s use, through police enforcement, DEA spending, prison sentences, court costs, on the flip side you could tax and regulate it much like any other commodity bringing in tax dollars, as well as making it safer (PCP and opium mixes are bad).

joyy
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:01 am: [report]

The lack of legalization doesn’t keep people from smoking, it just creates an enormous, illegal, untaxed market.  Besides, pot is a lot less dangerous/addictive than many other substances, especially alcohol.  Legalize it.

Riley
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:04 am: [report]

“rolled out today”  oooohh nice!

Legalize it all, regulate and tax it all heavily just like everything else.  People are going to get their hands on drugs anyway, might as well make the drugs a bit safer to buy use.

GreenAura
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:14 am: [report]

Marijuana is a $4 Billion per year industry.  The government spends approx. $140 million per year to charge, prosecute, and house all of the “criminals” that broke marijuana laws. Pot is no more dangerous than alcohol, and far less of a burden on the medical community than cigarettes.  Ask Amsterdam how horrible its been since they legalized.  Legalize, tax it, and let people toke it up.  People are all worried that pot leads to other drugs. To anyone who says pot is a gateway drug, I say this:  People who have naturally addictive personalities are going to use anything as a gateway drug. But most people are probably content with just a little pot now and again.  Give me a room full of heroin addicts and ask them to raise their hands if they ever smoked pot.  Probably several would.  Now ask if they ever drank a glass of milk. I guarantee every hand would raise.  There is your gateway right there.  Milk, it does a body good (until you crave something more) haha.

cheerluv09
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:15 am: [report]

I am tired of hearing about California’s budget woes.  California got itself in its current predicament by passing Proposition 13 thirty years ago.  Furthermore, Californians have passed all sorts of programs without reliable means to pay for them.  They cannot raise taxes without two-thirds majority.  In addition, no one is willing to pay for higher taxes.  NO, to the legalization of Marijuana as what will be next?

wildspirit
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:23 am: [report]

Make it legal.  Why??  Because alcohol is legal, for starters.  We all know how alcohol abuse claims lives and ruins families, etc. 

Medically, marijuana has shown great promise in the areas of pain management, alzheimers, glaucoma, and is now showing even promise in treating autism/mercury poisoning in vaccine injured children.  Additionally, marijuana is what is called a “super-neurotransmitter” which helps articulate the speech centers in the human brain.

In Holland, they don’t have a drug problem.  They legalized pot years ago and decriminalized it.  How about the Government in this country employ an effective method; giving people a choice. Billions of our tax dollars every year go into fighting this so called war on drugs.  Why not legalize it and put a tax on it?  Establish zones in cities and urban areas where its legal. This fight has gone on long enough.

Prohibition in the 20’s left this country with organized crime.  Look what has happened now, a disaster in domestic policy.  We the people have rights and freedoms.  As long as no one is harmed, I don’t see this as criminal behavior.

lcollins
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:26 am: [report]

It is beyond me why they think cigarettes and alcohol are perfectly fine to sell when it kills people. Yet, pot is illegal for no good reason when the only bad thing that will happen is the munchies. Have rules that go along with the legalization of pot just like with everything else.

joyy
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:29 am: [report]

@lcollins - actually, there is respiratory damage that occurs with smoking pot (not the only way to imbibe, for sure), but that’s inherent to anything you light on fire for the purpose of inhaling the smoke.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:32 am: [report]

@wildspirit: The first laws against it were city ordinances in places where large African American populations called home, such as New Orleans. It was meant to keep African Americans away from white people, specifically women. These same policies were instituted with great success in San Francisco in the 1870’s (Opium Den Ordinance) because lawmakers thought the large populations of lonely Chinese men were going to lead white women into sexual slavery.

Oh isn’t history great.

lcollins
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:35 am: [report]

Has anyone seen “Super high me”?? I thought it was great and gave a wonderful insight.

thesirensong
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:36 am: [report]

This isn’t really a new idea; I’ve been hearing it since elementary school.  Or is that just a Canada thing? It’s a huge, long process, and the government is reluctant to pass a law legalizing it because the people who agree with it have a hard time being seen as ‘legitimate’.

The studies on the harm of pot have already been done, and the politicians know it.  Worse than alcohol or not, it’s still carrying a nice fat social stigma.

Power to California if they legalize it, but I don’t think it will happen in the time frame people are looking for.

jojo32
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 11:39 am: [report]

I’ve never smoked pot, but I’ve seen people who have.  And it seems to me it alters their consciousness.  Just like alcohol.  While I’m not opposed to legalizing marijuana, I do think the same type of “DUI” laws would need to be present to keep people from smoking and driving.  And before somebody else says it, I know it doesnt keep all people from driving under the influence, but it sure as hell deters me (and lots of others I know).  I’ve seen firsthand the types of penalties that are handed out for DUI offenders.  None for me, thanks.  I’ll get me a designated driver every time.

bumbler
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 12:06 pm: [report]

Yes, legalize pot.  Enforce DUI laws when someone is high and only legalize smoking it in certain areas like cafes in Amsterdam.  This way people aren’t wandering around stoned or toking up on the corner, just like liquor laws. 

Another benefit, while not the majority of their income Mexican drug cartels make a lot of money from pot smuggling.

PinkRanger
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 12:10 pm: [report]

@jojo32: the problem with handing out dui’s to folks that have been smoking though is there isn’t an accurate way to measure a level of “stoned”. It isn’t like alcohol where it builds up in your bloodstream and can be tested for a .08, any tests they have now check for THC in the system that may have been there for hours, and the effects of marijuana don’t impair you all day. So really, that would mean someone could potentially get a dui for having toked up the day prior, and I would definitely call bs on that one.

Riley
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 12:13 pm: [report]

@PinkRanger - I was thinking the same thing.  I suppose it would be left up to a field sobriety test.  Not 100% accurate, but if you don’t have decent hand-eye coordination and can’t walk straight when you are sober; I don’t want you driving a car anyway.

PinkRanger
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 12:19 pm: [report]

@Riley:true, true. but I gotta say, it must be some dank weed if its impairing your driving to the same extent as alcohol. Marijuana can be a pretty subtle substance, I"m pretty sure most people would be able to pass a sobriety test when they’re high. Nothing sobers somebody up like talking to a cop….....lol

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 12:31 pm: [report]

@PinkRanger: The economic climate will dictate what innovations appear next. If it comes to it, the government will ask for a working “Meter” to test the amount of THC in the blood, and some entrepreneur will develop one. I don’t see why it’s so difficult, it works for blood sugar levels.

GreenAura
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 02:24 pm: [report]

Regarding the whole DUI issue: most tokers probably won’t go far anyway. They just had to get to the Carl’s Jr. on the corner for a Famous Star and a piece of cheesecake.  Then its back home quickly to catch the start of the Family Guy marathon.

CheeeeEEEEse
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 03:00 pm: [report]

@GreenAura: Are you familiar with ‘soma’ from Brave New World. It would easily keep us (read some) young people from revolting against our government.

GreenAura
wrote on July 8 2009 @ 03:15 pm: [report]

No, I haven’t read it (yet), so I Wikied it and pulled out this gem “Constant consumption is the bedrock of stability for the World State. Everyone is encouraged to consume the ubiquitous drug, soma, which is probably a historical allusion to a mythical drink of the ancient Aryans. Soma is a hallucinogen that takes users on enjoyable, hangover-free vacations.”  Funny, isn’t there a painkiller called ‘soma’ available for mass consumption?
But that is true about pot, Cheese.  I don’t know a single pothead that ever acted upon an idea that didn’t include food or music.  They will talk a lot about our secret government (hush hush), but are just as easily drawn to more sedate activities. If pot were a chemical, I would say ‘no way’, this is how they want to keep us controlled, but since it occurs naturally on the earth, I see no harm in the occasional consumption.  Besides, food tastes better and movies are funnier.  Got my vote!