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
Blankfien, you make some good points. I have often felt that substance abuse, along with so many other social problems, is less about regulations or enforcement, more about cultural and moral decay. Some of us have no desire to smoke marijuana, for example, simply because it does not fit our notion of lifestyle. In the same way, some us do not live paycheck to paycheck because that would be an insult to our independence. Or we do not go into debt, or roll over for every new fad and fashion, or join subversives who have zero tolerance for everyone but themselves. And we sure as hell do not want to assign our individual sovereignty to the government, which already has far too much control over the hearts and minds of too many.
leejcaroll, drunks can’t get jobs either, and the alcohol is already legal. How does legalizing drugs help an addict get a job? In the eyes of the employer, what’s the difference between a DUI or assault conviction and a drug conviction? I do not want to hire an abuser of any substance. They are unreliable, impetuous, selfish, pig headed, troublesome, “prone to drink and when drunk, shoot” (borrowing from Teddy Roosevelt).
Nick: “Putin is Blago on steroids and w/ nuclear weapons.”
If that were true, the Packers would have played like a bunch second graders against Da Bears… and Blago would have played quaterback.
Well, has anybody thought about what happens when the tort lawsuits start??? Because if it is legal to sell, and enters the stream of commerce, what about the 19 year old who gets addicted to the stuff and flunks out of college??? Or some stoner who gets lung cancer??? Because I predict this is going to happen.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Lloyd brings up some of the people who we have been talking about who cannot get a foot up or be in the mainstream. Those who cannot get jobs because of their records end up on the street:;living off the government or feeling choiceless, stealing from others to get what they need.
Samantha bank robbery has never been legal (unless you own the bank :), while many drugs were and are legal. Yes, ‘what if’ is understandable, but there is much evidence that ‘what is’ is the wrong approach.
It seems to be this puritanical ideal that if you make drugs illegal and punish the doer that it will deter those who want to take them. That’s not happening since we have full prisons and still have a huge demand for drugs. Extreme punishment for recreational drug use leads to people carrying a felony conviction for the rest of their lives. Jobs are more difficult to get, credit is more difficult to obtain, voting is curtailed, renting a place to stay can be problematic. The after-release punishment list is long and troubling and can be more harmful than the sentence itself.
The war on drugs has not worked and is not working. It’s time for a much different and dramatic approach to drugs….
Blankfien, sure, the current drug situation is bad. No argument there. Lots of things are bad, but we don’t legalize bank robbing. Personally, I don’t care one way or the other about legalizing marijuana use. Im just “what ifing.” That’s what people do. Well, some of us anyway.
Nick, Last I heard the senate judiciary committee voted unanimously on the bill to pass it. Corbett has promised to veto it if it comes to h is desk.
But then they had to take a vacation because, who cares if their constituents are suffering?
A new poll released by Franklin & Marshall College found that 84% of Pennsylvania voters are in favor of legalizing marijuana. The poll was released just one day after Republicans in the Senate decided not to bring a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in the state to a vote before the summer recess begins…..The poll was released as Republican leaders in the Pennsylvania Senate failed to bring Senate Bill 1182, the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act, to a vote before the summer recess.
The bill was sent to the floor of the Senate for a vote after unanimously clearing the Senate Law & Justice Committee last week on a 9-0 vote.
http://www.thedailychronic.net/2014/34151/84-support-medical-marijuana-in-pennsylvania-as-senate-takes-summer-vacation-instead-of-action-on-legalization-bill/
So even when they do the right thing they can’t be counted on to do the right thing.
Samantha, you conjure up ‘what ifs’ but it’s obvious that the current drug situation is harmful to the taxpayer, the recreational drug user, the system at large. Even Mexico saw the light in 2009:
‘Mexico enacted a controversial law on Thursday decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs while encouraging government-financed treatment for drug dependency free of charge.’
Pharma creates addictive drugs all the time that are at least under the supervision of a doctor and pharmacists. While they still get in the hands of those not prescribed, isn’t it better to have them legal than illegal? These current US draconian laws and sentences make the situation worse. Want to stop the illegal drug trade? Make drugs legal. At least then there is some oversight and tax dollars could pay for rehabs. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. The drug war is insane…..
And yes, Nick, both parties are to blame, but the ‘freedom from government’ GOP are the most hypocritical.
Samantha, No, we’ll have the reforms you desire when we get rid of the duopoly and start firing mortar rounds onto K Street lobby offices.
Samantha, You probably have a good grasp on how corrupt Chicago politicians are. Well, Russia is Chicago w/ millions of square miles of territory. And, Putin is Blago on steroids and w/ nuclear weapons.
Nick, I guess we cannot expect food reform until our bureaucrats get greedier.
Nick, you make sense. So, Russia has outlawed GMOs because monsanto and cohorts wouldn’t pay up enough?
Samantha, All this lawsuit means is McDonalds didn’t give the required kickbacks to Putin.
Russia obviously cares more about the health of its people than the US.
Russia taking McDonald’s to court, threatens countrywide shutdown
http://www.naturalnews.com/046191_McDonalds_Russia_food_safety.html
A lot of granpas out there who smoke get tired of all the criticism. Let me die in peace , they say. So, for all you smoking granpas out there, I have some ammunition for you from Bob Marley and The Wailers:
Warning – The surgeon general warns
Cigarette smoking is dangerous… Dangerous
Hazard to your health
Does that mean anything to you?
Then legalize marijuana
Right here in Jamaica yeah
Dem say it cure glaucoma yeah
I’m an a de bush doctor yeah
So there’ll be no more
Smokin’ and feeling tense
When I see dem a com
I don’t have to jump no fence
Legalize marijuana
Down here in jamaica yeah
Only cure for asthma yeah
I man a de minister yeah
So there’ll be no more
Police brutality
No more disrespect for humanity
Legalize marijuana yeah
Down here in jamaica yeah
It can build up a failing economy yeah
Eliminate the slavish mentality
So there’ll be no more
Illegal humiliation
And no more police
Interrogation
Legalize marijuana
Down here in sweet jamaica
Only cure for glaucoma
I’m an a de bush doctor yeah
And there’ll be no more need
To smoke and hide
When you know you’re takin’
A legal ride
Legalize marijuana
Down here in Jamaica
It’s the only cure for glaucoma
I’m an a de minister…
-end-
Play this and join up with the Youth Movement on the pot thing and then you can take some of the heat off for your suicide behavior that is sure to cause your death and perhaps those who smoke second hand around you. Ya, join up with Scotty and push for legalization of pot. Smoke crack if ya gottem.
The New York Times needs to look over its own gravesites. Here are some figures from a NYC anti tobacco forum:
Deaths in New York from Smoking:
Adults who die each year from their own smoking 23,600
Kids now under 18 and alive in New York who will ultimately die prematurely from smoking 280,000
—
Of course these figures are encouraging if you have a strategy of keeping the population over age 50 down. Aging population is a problem Too many granpas out there. So one of the best ways to get kids to smoke is to make it seem so OK. Smoke em if ya gottem. Oh, and watch all those TCM movies about WWII and watch Gene Kelley smoking and coming home from war all glorious. War is good, smoke em if ya gottem. Yah, John Wayne in the movie The Green Berets. Women aren’t ugly if they smoke and stink, and cough when you are trying to have some sex with em. Put up with that Junior because you can get a buzz on. Go to war. Be a hero. Smoke em if ya gottem.
Went in dumb, come out dumb too. New York Times. All The News That’s Fit To Print.
Appleton said: “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.”
So, marijuana abuse is okay as long as it doesn’t exceed alcohol abuse?
If tobacco use is discouraged, why set a stage for marijuana use?
As for a hunch, any thoughts on social issues related to marijuana use, compared to alcohol intoxication? Are we adding passive deadbeats to the mix of violent deadbeats?
Employer drug testing is huge. Millions of people do not use marijuana because they want to keep their jobs. Will these people revert to marijuana use that was routine for them before testing? With legalization, employers couldn’t test for marijuana anymore then they can test for alcohol now.
RTC, The money to be made on cannabis incarcerations is in Federal Prisons, not state. The BOP currently contracts w/ 14 private prisons, accounting for a small fraction of total incarcerations. I agree private prisons have a vested interest in keeping cannabis illegal, just not that they are #1 on the list.
SWM, That Christie just won’t go away! I think we need the first Italian president before the first female prez.
leej, What’s the status of that Pa. legislation?