We have been discussing the growing support for the legalization of marijuana in the United States. Now, it is being reported that The New York Times will come out on Sunday in favor of legalization — a major endorsement for the movement.
The editors concluded that “the balance falls squarely on the side of national legalization.”
“We considered whether it would be best for Washington to hold back while the states continued experimenting with legalizing medicinal uses of marijuana, reducing penalties, or even simply legalizing all use. Nearly three-quarters of the states have done one of these. But that would leave their citizens vulnerable to the whims of whoever happens to be in the White House and chooses to enforce or not enforce the federal law.”
This is a major development for legalization. However, as we discussed earlier, the greatest factor may be simple economics. Despite what has been alleged to be efforts to slow down the market and supply of legal marijuana (and the Obama Administration’s effort to cut off water to marijuana growers), a huge market has emerged for medical and legal recreational marijuana with the attending tax revenues and investments. Legal marijuana is not just becoming more socially accepted in line with alcohol but it is becoming more profitable. That could be a critical combination.
Source: Politico
Squeeky, thanks for the tip. I’ll give it a try.
“Amount spent annually in the U.S. on the war on drugs: More than $51,000,000,000.”
You think we could come up with better things to do with the money.
Well, since there are sooo many people awake, you might want to tune in Blues Before Sunrise out of Chicago thru a lot of stations. It ‘s 5 hours of old timey music – blues and jazz.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
There is not a substance capable of ingestion that is not subject to irresponsible consumption. We do not prohibit intoxication for the same reason that we do not prosecute obesity. As John noted earlier, the interest of law enforcement relates to behavior.
I have not been made aware of any information suggesting that we should expect higher rates of marijuana abuse than we presently experience with alcohol. And I have a hunch, admittedly based only on anecdotal evidence, that we will not see levels of violence related to marijuana use that even remotely approach those associated with alcohol intoxication.
Grey Lady Down (movie 1978)
always liked that movie title
and from IMDB
A Navy Captain uses his experimental Snark to reach a nuclear submarine stuck on an ocean ledge.
might be where our use of the word ‘snark” comes from.
the numbers of pot users won’t go up much. everyone who is going to smoke already does. just fewer people tied up in the legal system. the number of driving under the influence won’t go up much either (except for consumables), unlike drunks most people that are too high don’t want to drive.
Kudos to the NY Times for joining the party. Albeit a little late.
Blanfien wrote: “I support the legalization of most drugs, since the war on drugs has imprisoned more, killed more, damaged more lives and wasted more money than imaginable.”
What if legalization of most drugs leads to a nation of addicts, the cost of which exponentially exceeds the costs of the war on drugs, itself? How do we know that more people will not ruin their lives or even die? The human cost of alcohol alone is huge. This could be a train wreck. Maybe it’d be better to stop the train, get out and inspect the track before going much farther.
Using your logic, how do you feel about lowing taxes, since taxes have funded imprisonment, killed, damaged more lives and wasted more money than imaginable?
Lloyd, This is not a partisan issue. Obama and Holder have been horrible on cannabis states. Both parties are behind the curve, as is the MSM. Conservatives fight it on religious grounds, liberals fight it because legalization means losses of hundreds of thousands of govt. jobs and billions in tax dollars from law abiding citizens.
Wow. Pretty crazy here tonight. I imagine that there were similar conversations during prohibition.
Reefer Madness!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azf320JDdqU
In the June edition of Annals of the American Thoracic Society, Donald P. Tashkin, MD, emeritus professor of medicine at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, says that light to moderate marijuana use does not cause increased lung cancer risk and that the verdict is not out on heavy use.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/20/marijuana-lung-cancer_n_3474960.html
GOP types want states rights, freedom from government and regulations!!!! But don’t you DARE give people the right to get high…. Amazing….
I support the legalization of most drugs, since the war on drugs has imprisoned more, killed more, damaged more lives and wasted more money than imaginable.
iconoclast wrote: “Turley should toss your asses out of here
because you’re all downgrading the discussion.”
Would that be by your standard or the First Amendment? If you are scrolling past comments, how would you even know it is downgrading?
Alcohol consumption is legal, however, DUI is not. If marijuana use is legalized, enforce the hell out of it in the same way you enforce any DUI. But if one objects to legalizing based on the fear of DUI, then you also have to object to alcohol and prescription drug use. Ever read the disclaimer on some of those drugs? On any given hour, in any given city, there’s someone on prescription drugs who drives into a showroom, runs down pedestrians in front of Starbucks, or drives the wrong way on a freeway. It’s getting so bad, we are now even at risk of having a car come into our living room.
Just remember, it makes you dumber, more likely to forget things and all those things it improves it usually worsens in a couple of years. That said, I’m against criminalizing anything that doesn’t hurt another person. Hurting yourself is no business of governments. Of course you should be permited to grow it too and any state pushing for runaway taxes is a state to be watched and condemned. There is not much discussion on the Federal stance, but this is the bigger issue; its still illegal with the Feds. Of course its the same Feds who gave us 9/11, the Patriot Act, NSA spying and the NDA Act.
Icon:
It’s true that pot makes you impaired, and longer than alcohol. The reason why MADD was against it is some concerns about impaired drivers, and the need for the ability to field test.
Anyone who imbibes shouldn’t drive, whether it’s alcohol, pot, or prescription drugs.
Paulette must be a climate change denier, that is unadulterated random predictions.
Icon:
“BarkinDog- You are so very right. In the late 1980s, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that showed smoking a joint (marijuana cigarette) is three times more carcinogenic than tobacco. Three times.”
I recall that, but don’t know if they did any follow up studies. Medicinal users might have to use other delivery systems. But, you’re right, I wouldn’t be surprised if those who actually smoke pot become the next wave of lung cancer victims.
Paulette:
“Those who have knowledge, don’t predict. Those who predict, don’t have knowledge. ”
Sooooo . . . all those weather forecasts are complete bunk, then? Market forecasts? Anyone who predicts that a drunk driver will cause an accident or get arrested? LOL.
Supak:
“The pattern is clear. If your personal liberties are a major concern of yours, don’t vote for Republicans.”
Well, it’s only clear if you ignore hyper-regulations and government intrusion. Like the campground operator who had to move out of CA because of regulations such as – to park a concessions truck temporarily, he had to drill a hole in the asphalt parking lot and submit a soil sample. Or the lunches that get thrown out for elementary school kids (they contained sandwiches, horrors), forcing them to buy cafeteria food, where chicken nuggets were one of the choices.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving also oppose the legalization of pot. Are they bad people, too? Is anyone who disagrees with you a terrible person? Because that’s your tiresome line.
The will of the people will decide the pot issue. That and the lure of millions of dollars in tax revenue. It sure would be nice if we could at least grow hemp, pot’s basically THC-free cousin. It has so many uses in textiles, cosmetics, and supplements.
Squeeky, I believe it’s why Bimbo bought Hostess and the rights to make Twinkies again.
Legal marijuana is not just becoming more socially accepted in line with alcohol but it is becoming more profitable. That could be a critical combination.
2014 award for understatement of the year.
Hmmm. I feel pretty safe predicting a whole lot more people will abuse pot if it becomes legal. But, America will get to be a scientific guinea pig for the rest of the world. I wonder if the potato chip industry is behind this???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter