Why Marijuana Should Not Be Decriminalized Right Now

You do realize that Democrats have gone after marijuana users harder than Republicans, right?

 

The reason decriminalization has worked for Portugal is because it frees up funds that would normally be used to jail people for use on other things like addiction treatment. Now, people caught with possession of pot go to rehab, and addicts can break their habits more effectively.

As for Prohibition, a lot has been written about that.

As a result of prohibition, the advancements of industrialization within the alcohol industry were essentially reversed. This was achieved by large scale alcohol producers being shut down for the most part and individual citizens taking it upon themselves to produce alcohol illegally. This process reversed the efficiency of mass producing and retailing alcoholic beverages. Closing manufacturing plants and taverns resulted in economic reversal. The Eighteenth Amendment originally did not have this effect on the industry due to its failure to define what an “intoxicating” beverage was. The Volstead Act’s definition of 0.5% or more alcohol by volume constituting “intoxicating” shut down the brewers who had expected to still be able to produce beer of moderate strength.
As the saloon began to die out, public drinking lost much of its macho connotation, resulting in increased social acceptance of women drinking in the semi-public environment of the speakeasies. This new norm established women as a notable new target demographic for alcohol marketeers, who sought to expand their clientele.
And in the year before the Volstead Act became law, it was estimated by the 1930 Prohibition Commissioner, that the average drinking American spent $17 per year on alcoholic beverages. By 1930, because enforcement diminished the supply, this had increased to $35 per year (there was no inflation in this period), resulting in an illegal alcohol beverage industry that made an average of $3 billion per year in illegal untaxed income.
Heavy drinkers and alcoholics were among the most affected parties during prohibition. Those who were determined to find liquor could still do so, but those who saw their drinking habits as destructive typically had difficulty in finding the help they sought. The self-help societies had withered away along with the alcohol industry and in 1935 a new self-help group was founded: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).[80]
Prohibition had a notable effect on the alcohol brewing industry in the United States. When Prohibition ended, only half the breweries that previously existed reopened. Wine historians also note Prohibition destroyed what was a fledgling wine industry in the United States. Productive wine quality grape vines were replaced by lower quality vines growing thicker skinned grapes that could be more easily transported. Much of the institutional knowledge was also lost as winemakers either emigrated to other wine producing countries or left the business altogether. Distilled spirits became more popular during Prohibition, and because of its higher alcohol content in comparison to fermented wine and beer, mixing and watering down the hard alcohol also became common

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States#Other_impacts

More than anything, Prohibition massively increased organized crime.

For a guy who moaned for an entire thread about the allowance of public nudity, you seem to be very anti-freedom of choice when it comes to drugs.

 

Good points. But weed should not be a "crime" anymore. Prostitution should also be legalized.

 

So true. So true.

 

Saint!
Wondered what happened to you.

Who are these libertarians you supposedly represent?
I'm a registered Libertarian and I support the legalization, not decriminalization of marijuana for recreational as well as medical use.

I've seen you use derogatory terms describing people who smoke marijuana and voice concerns which border on paranoid when talking about living in a society that tolerates people who engage in non-violent activities you find morally flawed.

I don't smoke marijuana or do any drugs other then alcohol (occassionally) and over the counter medicines (Aleve, Excedrin etc.).
My children don't do any drugs including alcohol, tobacco etc.

Do we scare you too?
Because we don't want to impose our morality on others in their own homes?

Just curious . . .

 

Lol, totally missed that. SaintMike, Libertarian?

 

So you don't care about real life studies done by countries over several decades?

 

Yeah, ironic how SMDT is marching in lockstep with Barack Obama on this issue, while calling everyone and their dog a "leftist". This is the same SMDT who recently started a thread advocating for homosexuals running naked through the streets. Face it, SaintMichaeldefendthem, you're a leftist. A big government, authoritarian leftist. I suggest you do some soul searching, and figure out who you are, before posting again.

 

the dea has, but I think it's time to put the dea on the cuts that face the cliff

the drug war has harmed more lives then the drugs themselves ever could


.

 

Yes, the DEA has. The DEA is an arm of the federal government. The DEA takes it's orders from the President. The current President, a Democrat named Barack Obama, has had more marijuana dispensaries raided than President Bush.

 

A proper and justified response to a federal raid on a state-legal marijuana dispensary is state police and/or state guard defense of that dispensary against the illegal federal violence. Too bad the states aren't really serious about the 10th amendment. Yet...

 

[

[This is not directed at you, bro...]

Ya can never predict which side, Left or Right, will end up being the more intrusive for any given area that they obsess over. It's not surprising to see the Left want to show their federal muscle by hammering any sign of state level independence and life. Nor is their hypocrisy over this or any other issue very surprising. Saying one thing while doing the opposite is pretty much standard fare these days - for them and the Right both.

In the end, both the Left and the Right are really about controlling our lives. They just want to do it in different ways. The Right likes to try to convince the nation that they are for smaller, less intrusive government while they attend to their own particular regulatory agendas. Thanks to their version of Mommy-knows-best we have a failed war on drugs, a brain-dead gestapo called the DEA, and a helluva lot of people in jails and prisons that shouldn't be. Oh, and thanks also to the small govt Right for the DHS and the prospect of having 30,000 insect-sized spy drones flitting about the US in the next decade, presumably looking for terrorists, but probably capturing more 17 year olds smoking pot. Throw those criminal terrorists in the slammer! "By God we're for law and order around here!"

How about this? How about all you Democrat and Republican control freaks leaving us ordinary citizens the fuk alone! Why don't you instead try doing something constructive for a change - like NOT creating more useless, costly, and offensive bureaucracies with which to muck up our lives and those of our descendents?! In short - go away!!!!

 

Pot has been decriminalized in California for thirty years, but the state hasn't taxed it, even the medical stuff. And with Cal's deficit, that's really stupid. But I bet that changes in the next two years, when they see that Colorado and Washington will have a budget surplus, lower hard drug use, booming tourism, and lower crime rate. California and the federal government really needs the money. Here's a thought....The republicans pass a bill legalizing pot and taxing it to avoid higher taxes on millionaires.

 

Or how about they do both.

 

I heard one comment that the federal raids on California dispensaries are prompted by complaints by local and state law enforcement that have no authority over them at all.

I am disappointed that Obama's administration hasn't completely backed off of marijuana enforcement, but that said, I have heard compeling discussions as to the pitfalls of California's medical marijuana laws- i.e. that it provides very little guidance on what is and what is not allowable- this is one of the problems of legislation by propositions- often they are not well written.

From what I have heard- Colorado's law though is very well written- and they have not been seeing the raids on their dispensaries.

 

Um, not quite. I left the Libertarian party after the 2008 election and swung back solidly Republican. If you look at the OP, it was written over a year ago. So my best guess, not remembering quite what I was thinking at the time is that I mistakingly wrote "we'll" instead of "they'll" accidentally identifying myself as a libertarian when in fact I'm not, even when I wrote the OP.

 

California may have problems with its marijuana laws but those are state issues, not federal. There is no justification for the ongoing federal gov usurpation of powers not delegated to it by its masters (the states) in the compact that they created, the U.S. Constitution. Other than 150+ years of craven obedience to brute force originally brought about by Lincoln, that is. Not much of a justification IMO.

 

Not only has Obama not backed off of the raids, but he's shooting for the moon and has already outpaced 8 years of Bush on these federal raids. But when a president has a cult personality following, he can do whatever he wants and you'll keep voting for him. He's got no downside to pissing you off.

 

Full decriminalization and outright legalization is just a matter of time. And appearantly, that time is almost upon us. America may be slow to realize it's liberty potentials but it is always moving, sometimes at turtle speed, in the direction towards liberty. I predict that in 5-10 years, adults will be able to purchase marijuana over the counter at a liquor store. God bless America. Let freedom ring.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of American voters support the legalization of marijuana, with men and younger voters holding more tolerant public views about use of the drug, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday.

Voters in Colorado and Washington approved recreational use of marijuana last month, making them the first states in the country to do so even though use of the drug is still illegal under federal law.

"With the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes legal in about 20 states, and Washington and Colorado voting this November to legalize the drug for recreational use, American voters seem to have a more favorable opinion about this once-dreaded drug," Quinnipiac pollster Peter Brown said.

The public backs legalization by 51 percent to 44 percent, the poll found, but is divided on the issue by age and gender. <snip>

The Quinnipiac poll also found voters taking a more favorable view of same-sex marriage, supporting it by a narrow margin of 48 percent to 46 percent. <snip>


http://news.yahoo.com/majority-americans-support-legalizing-marijuana-poll-110558089.html


Just five or so years ago, the opponents of marijuana legalization used the fact that they were in the majority to justify their oppression over people who choose to endulge. Now that they are no longer in the majority, do we expect them to conceed to the will of the majority as they expected the others to do back then? I wouldn't hold my breath. Their hypocracy knows no boundries I have come to learn.

 

Meanwhile we'll still be incarcerating more people than any other nation. Why? Because unlike Prohibition of alcohol, the possession of a plant became illegal. Alcohol could be possessed during prohibition but couldn't be bought or sold. The hemp plant isn't a drug but because it's related to cannabis, it still can't be possessed. The government will arrest people for growing a plant as dangerous as cotton. That bright beacon has been wearing a lampshade for quite some time.

 

Washington is taxing pot at 25%, and plans to raise $500 million next year in revenue. That's really sticking it to the liberals, but I doubt they care. Prices are probably still lower, even with the 25% tax, now that it's legal. With the influx of liberal tourism, I think the government will be surprised when the tax brings in a few billion $ instead of just $500 million. Look feds, no deficit!

Our founding fathers are turning in their graves. They had fields of pot, it was mandatory to grow it when they were running this country.

 

Because those same "small government" conseravtives, have a love affair with "large incaceration" movements.

The simple fact is this. They want small government, but they also like to see people punished for bad choices. Conservatives LOVE punishment. ITs what ( in their opinion ) makes people better, and more willing to strive for legal success.

Its the same resaon that conservatives dont want universal health care. Those peopel who smoke, or eat to much, need to be medically punished for their bad choices.

 

There's a lot more talk about incarceration for drug use than it actually happening. The Pothead Left predicates their case on the myth that we're throwing people in prison for years for getting high. The people who serve hard time are the manufacterers, traffickers, and sellers of poison and they should.

 

Incarceration is all about eliminating liberal voters. The cons can't win an election until enough liberals are unable to vote. Conviction of a federal offense means you can't vote. It's also why the cons have enacted voter ID laws in red states. Cons are a slimy bunch.

 

Shrug.

It is one of several issues I disagree with President Obama on.

I look at very few things in a completely black and white way.

If I chose not to vote for candidate simply because I found something I disagree with him or her on, I would never vote for any candidate.

On the scale of what I think is important, this is rather far down on the list. I certainly want a complete end to Prohibiion of Pot but Supreme Court appointees are always at the top of my list, not pot raids.