California bill seeks to legalize marijuana
By Jim Sanders
The Sacramento Bee

Smoke weed — help the state?

Marijuana would be sold and taxed openly in California to adults 21 and older if legislation proposed Monday is signed into law.

Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, said his bill could generate big bucks for a cash-starved state while freeing law enforcement agencies to focus on worse crimes.

"I think there's a mentality throughout the state and the country that this isn't the highest priority – and that maybe we should start to reassess," he said.

Critics counter that it makes no sense for a Legislature so concerned about health that it has restricted use of trans fats in restaurants to legalize the smoking of a potentially harmful drug.

"I think substance abuse is just ruining our society," said Assemblyman Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley. "I can't support that."

"I think it's a slippery slope," Assemblyman Tom Berryhill, R-Modesto, said of easing pot laws. "We'll do everything we can to defeat it."

Medical use of marijuana already is legal in California, but the new legislation would go a step further by allowing recreational use.

Assembly Bill 390 would charge cannabis wholesalers $5,000 initially and $2,500 annually for the right to distribute weed.

Retail outlets would pay fees of $50 per ounce of cannabis to generate revenue for drug education programs statewide.

The bill would prohibit cannabis near schools. It also would ban smoking it in public places or growing it in public view.

Before California could sell marijuana openly, however, it would have to persuade the federal government to alter its prohibition on pot.



So, what do you think? Is this good idea, or a bad one? I agree it could easily be legal and would bring in lots of money to the government, open up new jobs, stop crowding jails and prisons and also help the police to focus on the more dangerous issues.


http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/918711.html

Start small California; legalize it for medicinal purposes first and see how that goes. Take it slowly and maybe it'll have a better outcome. What ticks me off here though, is that weed will be legal and gay marriage won't be

What's humorous is that even if the State of California legalizes recreational marijuana it is still illegal on the Federal level.

So that means if you bought some weed and paid state taxes on it, likely high taxas, you could still get busted for possession by the DEA and sent to jail.


Though I have not once in my life experimented with marijuana, I think it is ridiculous that it is illegal.

Originally posted by Belial

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I agree it could easily be legal and would bring in lots of money to the government, open up new jobs, stop crowding jails and prisons and also help the police to focus on the more dangerous issues.

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I also agree with this assessment. However, I do not see marijuana legalization on a larger scale anytime soon because marijuana is just on of those scapegoat issues politicians like to utilize.

wait, so if a federal cop caught someone, they'd still get arrested? then what's the point

I'm really torn on this issue. I'm very much against drug use. Although I lump tobacco and alcohol into the category of "drugs" in general so don't assume I only mean illegal drugs here. I don't think any of this stuff should be used. That's not really the point though since even when these things are made to be illegal they are still used.



I honestly can't see a great reason to keep it illegal. It would save the government millions in the "drug war" they are fighting. It would also be taxable which could bring in some much needed revenue for California. I also think putting people in jail for being in possesion or using marijuana is ridiculous.

Again, I'm torn on the issue. I am a firm believer in people having the right to make decisions on issues like these. I just have trouble supporting legislationg that would allow people to become less productive members of society. I doubt there is anyone that could convince me that marijuana actually makes the average person more productive.

Like I said... I'm torn...

Originally posted by ziggy

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wait, so if a federal cop caught someone, they'd still get arrested? then what's the point

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In my opinion, the point of this is all mere symbolism and perhaps to make some sort of point. I do not follow California politics, but I have my doubts this measure will pass.

Originally posted by geeogree

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Again, I'm torn on the issue. I am a firm believer in people having the right to make decisions on issues like these. I just have trouble supporting legislationg that would allow people to become less productive members of society. I doubt there is anyone that could convince me that marijuana actually makes the average person more productive.

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If anything it has the opposite effect on productivity from my limited observations, as in it goes to the wayside. However, it may make a few people more creative or whatever.

I am a firm believer in the right of a person to ruin their life, so long as does not interfere with me.

It is certainly not a black and white issue.

Originally posted by FuturePastTense

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I am a firm believer in the right of a person to ruin their life, so long as does not interfere with me.

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I agree, except that when people ruin their lives, they tend to end up on welfare, government assistance etc. and we end up paying for their screw ups.

Originally posted by geeogree

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I agree, except that when people ruin their lives, they tend to end up on welfare, government assistance etc. and we end up paying for their screw ups.

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You make a good point. In my ideal form of government, which changes from time to time just as with any other reasonable person, I'm all for the government helping out their citizens in need with things such as healthcare and education. However, in regards to healthcare and topics similar, I think that if a person knowingly puts themselves in danger of injury or sickness, such as smoking or being grossly overweight, they are entitled to nothing in the way of society's support.


Alas, that is in my little fantasy world and not the real one.

Originally posted by ziggy

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Start small California; legalize it for medicinal purposes first and see how that goes.

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Fortunately, marijuana is already legal for medicinal purposes. I have a friend with a hurt back who has a "weed card." Where he goes to the local dispensary to buy it.

I've never seen anyone whose life was ruined because of pot. It's usually the addictive drugs such as heroine and methamphetamine that does that.

I read an article about how marijuana use rarely leads to lung cancer (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501729_pf.html).

As the article states, the federal government would have to lift its prohibition on the drug, or at least let individual states choose if they want it legal.

And I mean, come on, Amsterdam functions just fine with the legalization of marijuana... so what are the politicians so scared of? The misconceptions of Reefer Madness?

oh, really? That's good. Also, I just remembered something. Legalizing weed would make it so people don't have to get it from a shady illegal source so crime and possibly death rates would drop

I was talking to a friend of mine about the massive amount of cash that leagali2ed marijuana would be bringing in from taxes alone. I guess there has been studies that say it would be making the government 6 billion dollars a year. That would bring us out of debt in 2-3 years I think.

I'm not really sure how much debt we're in, but 3 years max.

Also, according to a friend there's been studies that say marijuana can cure cancer. Knowing a little about cannabis and its effect on the body, this seem very likely.

Marijuana, according to what I've heard, has a effect on the brain that slows, or stops the maturing of brain cells. Sort of like some kind of stasis. If this is true, I can see this having the same effect on the mutations caused by the presence of cancer cells in the body. I heard there's videos on the web talking about actual studies done on this same subject, also.

If that's not enough of a reason, my friends mom is suffering from MS. Every time she goes to the doctor, more of her brain is dead; She can barely get out of bed, and only does so when the pain is to much to allow her to sleep, or theres crucial shopping to be done. She told me all the narcotics she's been subscribed, no longer have any effect on her, but one hit of bud makes the pain go away almost completely. Her fear is that the drug has personality changing ability's and she dislikes the lack of control she feels when she's taken just a single hit.

So It can cure MS, and maybe Cancer... Why's this drug illeagal again?

uhm... I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers from.

6 billion dollars is like a drop in the bucket. Obama is going to run a multi-trillion dollar DEFICIT (not debt) over the next couple years.... so 6 billion dollars won't even make a dent in the current debt (which is around 10 trillion I do believe).

It -might- do more for California's debt but even there you've got a 40 billion dollar deficit going for them and I'm not sure how much they were able to fix with that.


You're wondering why this drug is illegal yet you've mentioned two very significant things that it does that I would call negative. 1. It stops the maturation of brain cells. I guess that explains why most of the kids in high school that smoked pot were so bloody stupid. I would definitely list this as a bad thing. Why would you want to stop the maturing of brain cells in the body? And I find it highly unlikely that there is a link between nerve cells not maturing and cancer cells not developing. In fact I have not heard of any link to marijuana curing cancer.... please show me it can.... and 2. You mention the personality chaning and lack of control that someone's mom experiences while on the drug. I would see this as a bad too. Do you really want to legalize something that drops inhibition and has personality altering effects? I don't. I think it's a stupid idea if this is true.

Again, no proof that it cures either MS or cancer. Only that it can provide pain relief to an MS sufferer (and probably to a cancer sufferer as well).

I'm not convinced that having it be totally legal to purchase is a good idea overall. To me it just becomes yet another substance, like alcohol and tobacco, that has very few positive aspects to it and more negative. Maybe not from the drug itself as much as the social consequences that might result. Honestly, if there was no welfare system I would be all for this. Let people get high as much as they want just as long as my tax dollars don't have to pay for any negative result of their behavior.

To be honest, there are way stronger and more dangerous drugs out there. Give the wastoids their drug and tax it so the states get more money. I couldn't care less at this point, because there are much more pressing issues to deal with right now.

If I remember correctly part of the issue that got marijuana banned in the first place was that it competed with both the tobacco and cotton industries.

But yeah, legalize it and get it over with. It's no worse than cigarettes or alcohol. Just don't smoke it around me because the smell makes me sick.

well consider this, if it were legalized, people would be getting it legally, so the money would go to the government and crime rates would lower because less people would be going to dangerous locations to find dealers

Also it might help cut the violence happening in Mexico right now with the drug cartels fighting... at least it would cut a portion of their profits. We'd still have to deal with them in regards to cocain and s***, but it might lessen their thunder a bit.

Originally posted by Elara

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Also it might help cut the violence happening in Mexico right now with the drug cartels fighting... at least it would cut a portion of their profits. We'd still have to deal with them in regards to cocain and s***, but it might lessen their thunder a bit.

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I hate to be a conspiracy theory nut but maybe the drug cartels are the reason why it's still illegal. Not follow me for a second. The drugs cartels make billions on the sale of drugs of all kinds. The "war" on drugs make it look like the government is doing something about it but in the end the cartels are actually the ones financing the "war" themselves with protection money sent to the US government (CIA most likely) which is why they still exist. I mean seriously.... if the US is serious about taking something down do they really do it this half-assed. There have been 150,000 troops in Iraq for 6 years now to fight in a country that has never directly attacked the US.

Maybe I'm grasping for something that is not there. It's possible that it's just really hard to catch drug dealers in foreign countries. When was the last time you heard about a big time drug cartel arrest? Do you remember hearing what happened to that person? I bet it was never reported.

Okay, I'm done my conspiracy theory rant for now.

Liquor is just as bad and that is legal, why not? Seriously though, why are they banning smoking cigs but promoting weed? Tax for cigs has rose over $30 in my state for one carton.

Here's my thoughts, if its a drug and doesn't mess you up mentally and physically it should be legal. Now smoking cigs can mess you up inside but it doesn't impair your motor skills and stuff like weed and liquor do. Smoking cigs is best option on table, ban weed and liquor.

It doesn't matter though, they can ban and sensor whatever they want it will always be around. I'm just conserned with the saftey of others. Breathing in second hand smoke is nothing comparred to driving on a highway full of drunk pot heads with bad motor skills thats the problem.

People say pot isn't harmful well it is... anything that impairs your judgement and motor skills should be banned that's why cigs are best option to go with.

Here's my thoughts... make it legal but have harsher punishments if caught driving with it while influenced. If the person isn't drugged up but has pot in car... let em go. That could be a good route to take.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfWE1T8uTBI

Ron Paul vs. Stephen Baldwin on the issue.

I liked Ron Paul's arguments. They are difficult to argue against.

Ron Paul is pushing me towards the legalizing of Marijuana.

Check your facts Jigsaw, marijuana doesn't have any real effect on motor skills or driving. I've had scarier experiences with people having nicotine withdrawals or smoking in the car while driving than I have had with people who'd smoked pot and drove.

Myth: Marijuana Use is a Major Cause Of Highway Accidents. Like alcohol, marijuana impairs psychomotor function and decreases driving ability. If marijuana use increases, an increase in of traffic fatalities is inevitable.

Fact: There is no compelling evidence that marijuana contributes substantially to traffic accidents and fatalities. At some doses, marijuana affects perception and psychomotor performances- changes which could impair driving ability. However, in driving studies, marijuana produces little or no car-handling impairment- consistently less than produced by low moderate doses of alcohol and many legal medications. In contrast to alcohol, which tends to increase risky driving practices, marijuana tends to make subjects more cautious. Surveys of fatally injured drivers show that when THC is detected in the blood, alcohol is almost always detected as well. For some individuals, marijuana may play a role in bad driving. The overall rate of highway accidents appears not to be significantly affected by marijuana's widespread use in society.

*
Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. “Legalization: Panacea or Pandora’s Box”. New York. (1995):36.

*
Swan, Neil. “A Look at Marijuana’s Harmful Effects.” NIDA Notes. 9.2 (1994): 14.

*
Moskowitz, Herbert and Robert Petersen. Marijuana and Driving: A Review. Rockville: American Council for Drug Education, 1982. 7.

*
Mann, Peggy. Marijuana Alert. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1985. 265.

And, in case we've forgotten: Alcohol and cigarettes can actually kill you. Pot can't.