Colorado. What do you guys think?

Hickenlooper signs proclamation making marijuana legalization official - The Denver Post

I personally think it will be great for our economy. Whats your stance?
Thought this would be an interesting topic here so dont hate me

The silence of my previous post in this thread shows my discontent

The only way it would be good for the economy is if it is legalized nation wide, not just in 2 states.

Yeah.... cigarettes were/are good for the economy....
Only this product should be good for road safety as well...


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics

Well looking at the footage on TV I don't really think the people who are celebrating this NEW law should be looking at in as a victory, just for them anyways. It is the ones who are really sick and truly more of a responsible consumer should be the ones that this is patterned for. Those mountain ganja warriors have other have done little other than smoke tons of the stuff to pass this legislation.

I view it as another right or liberty victory as apposed to turn on, tune in, and drop out.
After the party's over those who partake and still are contributing citizens are the real winners here, you know the ones who WORK hard in their lives and maybe got pulled over and spent the last 3 years in jail for a joint, not to mention the fines and probation.

These parent basement dwellers and 40 year old Nirvana worshippers will still need to GTFO or get a real life.

For the record I've partied and stopped because of life responsibilities and the whole living a double life thing... it's just a wrong thing to do to those who trust you in the work place let alone in your family.

Not my business what people do in the privacy of their own homes or in other private settings. Like alcohol, I don't want pot becoming a public problem, but I figure that alcohol is already one of the most intoxicating drugs out there, and that's legal; so the same kind of measures can be applied to pot as well. Really, I just hope it leads to decriminalization in other states so we don't have to pay for all this law enforcement and incarceration for some kids and their pot. It's like paying for somebody's "8th" every day to keep them in jail.

I agree that having two states, and not the feds, legalize the drugs is not going to help things much, except in those states. Now the high-end pot will be trafficked from those states to other states, while the low-end stuff will still be sold because there's a market for it. I also think "medical" marijuana is a load of shit too. So if they're going to legalize it, make it legal and not have some of these cheesy designations that don't do much.

Personally I'm in favor of decriminalization, and regulation of all drugs.

Yes all.

Why?

Frankly because anyone with an IQ over 70 and some money can get their hands on whatever they want now anyway.

If people are going to use, I'd rather have standards for the drugs.

Imagine how much money can be funneled into rehab clinics, and programs to prevent drug use through education if the DEA was no longer needed in anywhere near it's current capacity.

If all of a sudden you could release tens, maybe hundreds, of thousands of people back into the population who can contribute to society as opposed to leech off of it in jail?

The "War on Drugs" is a miserable failure. Time declare an armistice.

Which in a way is what the Federal Government is now doing, in not reacting to Washington and Colorado.

So what do I think about Colorado. I think they are ahead of the game. I hope more states follow.

Edit: I'm not really even a fan of smoking weed, I don't enjoy it much, but in terms of being harmful, it's so much more benign that alcohol. The fact that it was ever made illegal is truly hypocrisy at it's best.

I think you can get intoxicated to about the same (but different) extent with weed as alcohol, but really the issue is harm reduction.

As said before, people are going to get high if they want to get high. Whether it comes from heroin or from prescription drugs, people will find their fix. The real question is whether it costs more to ban drugs and enforce laws against them, or less to deal with their effects? I'm thinking the former.

Sometimes I feel that if people wish to destroy their own lives, they should be allowed to. The bargain should also be held with the condition that they don't cost the society in costs such as healthcare, etc. unless they choose to come clean or make something more of themselves. It's not a pretty bargain, but maybe worth the secondary effects, especially if the goals of people are the same anyway.

Legalization or decriminalization would also destroy many world-wide criminal elements. Imagine what legalizing some of the harder drugs (heroin, etc.) would do to criminal organizations in Mexico, or even Afghanistan. While I think drugs such as heroin, meth, cocaine, etc. should still be restricted, their costs in terms of lives now are probably higher than the costs of those who would use them.

Of course all this assumes that there are not other motivations for keeping such drugs illegal. Sometimes the purpose of war is to have war: waste resources that would otherwise cause stagnation and deflation.

As a person who suffers from Crohns Disease, and uses Marijuana medicinally I think this is a great thing.

I just want to add, that I work for a Construction company, and I am the head supervisor of our shipping, receiving, and our Shop labor and Maintenance. I work over 45 hours a week and pay my taxes. I own a car and rent a home, I do not use a credit card, and I have no loans or bad credit of any sort.

Not every pothead is a waste of space and a drain on society. I believe every man must work for what he wants, be it weed, lasers, or what have you. And if you are able to hold down a job pay your bills and smoke weed, then no one should be allowed to tell you otherwise.

This is America and we should all be allowed to do what we want as long as it does not interfere with the life or livelihood of others.

Eradicator said:

This is America and we should all be allowed to do what we want as long as it does not interfere with the life or livelihood of others.

Click to expand...

I know lots of other prescription drugs do not allow for driving or the operation of heavy equipment - I would feel better if I can be reassured that there are not "high" drivers out there.

yeah that whole driving while intoxicated (meaning anything not just alch) really freaks me the Eff out. Good point Jerry. And thanks everyone for taking the time to change my mind about the cause and effect of this new law. Really puts things into perspective.

Bionic-Badger said:

Legalization or decriminalization would also destroy many world-wide criminal elements. Imagine what legalizing some of the harder drugs (heroin, etc.) would do to criminal organizations in Mexico, or even Afghanistan. While I think drugs such as heroin, meth, cocaine, etc. should still be restricted, their costs in terms of lives now are probably higher than the costs of those who would use them.

Of course all this assumes that there are not other motivations for keeping such drugs illegal. Sometimes the purpose of war is to have war: waste resources that would otherwise cause stagnation and deflation.

Click to expand...

I have seen that the criminal elements will not go away...
When cigarettes went up in price the enterprising criminal
elements smuggled cheap cigarettes into Canada and made
a killing underselling the main stream legal sellers that were
locked into their selling prices.
The criminal element was created by that increase in price.

If pot is legalized it will not deter the criminal element they
will just adjust their strategy... the prior "illegal pot" will still
be available but for less since the criminal element will not
be paying the exorbitant taxes that will inevitably be applied
to the "legal" pot just like they do for cigarettes and alcohol.


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics

Meatball said:

I know lots of other prescription drugs do not allow for driving or the operation of heavy equipment - I would feel better if I can be reassured that there are not "high" drivers out there.

Click to expand...

All I have to say to that is that alcohol is legal but it is still illegal to drink and drive, and in the places where weed is legal it is the same for weed, DUI laws are just fine the way they are.

If your logic is that if its legal there will be more DUI accidents and that's why weed should be illegal, then under that logic your saying all prescription drugs and alcohol and anything else that effects your state of mind should be made illegal because it is possible for someone to get in an accident under the influence.

And when it comes to how much they would affect your driving, or what I would call "how f***ed up you are" weed doesn't even compare to things like alcohol, prescription drugs, and even over the counter drugs like cough medicines.

Meatball said:

I know lots of other prescription drugs do not allow for driving or the operation of heavy equipment - I would feel better if I can be reassured that there are not "high" drivers out there.

Click to expand...

That's not really possible as things stand. Whether drugs are legalized, or not.

Impaired driving, reckless driving of any kind are already illegal.

If there was some kind of a 15-30 second test a driver had to take before being able to pull the car, that would confirm his reflex, and mental capacity to drive, that would be great, but other issues would come up.

lasersbee said:

I have seen that the criminal elements will not go away...
When cigarettes went up in price the enterprising criminal
elements smuggled cheap cigarettes into Canada and made
a killing underselling the main stream legal sellers that were
locked into their selling prices.
The criminal element was created by that increase in price.

If pot is legalized it will not deter the criminal element they
will just adjust their strategy... the prior "illegal pot" will still
be available but for less since the criminal element will not
be paying the exorbitant taxes that will inevitably be applied
to the "legal" pot just like they do for cigarettes and alcohol.

Click to expand...

Of course criminal elements will always exist, and always adapt.

Consider that what we have now in the US is effectively a prohibition.

Looking at the history of the Alcohol prohibition in the 1920's, this was also the time when what we think of as the Mafia was effectively created, to meet the enormous demand.

Are there still illegal activities where booze is concerned? Absolutely.

There are tons of fake spirits out there, and what is effectively moonshine.

Still, I feel a whole lot better purchasing my vodka, cognac, and beer in a licensed liquor store, versus some alleyway.

It's really a question of economics. If large companies were to get in on this, the efficiency brought to the process would drive out all but the most determined criminals. There just wouldn't be enough of a profit in it for them.

Edit:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/13/world/europe/spain-cocaine-breast-implant/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Chances are if the idiots who did this, waited for the woman to heal a little longer, and coached her better, the drugs would now be in spain. To produce revenue for the scum to further hurt people and profit.

No...

All I said is that I would like some reassurance on the matter. You are putting words in my mouth. If there is a little label on the side of the package, and if doctors are instruction their patients not to operate a motor for 2-3 hours after smoking the stuff, I would feel better.

I never said anything about the legality of weed...

Eradicator said:

All I have to say to that is that alcohol is legal but it is still illegal to drink and drive, and in the places where weed is legal it is the same for weed, DUI laws are just fine the way they are.

If your logic is that if its legal there will be more DUI accidents and that's why weed should be illegal, then under that logic your saying all prescription drugs and alcohol and anything else that effects your state of mind should be made illegal because it is possible for someone to get in an accident under the influence.

And when it comes to how much they would affect your driving, or what I would call "how f***ed up you are" weed doesn't even compare to things like alcohol, prescription drugs, and even over the counter drugs like cough medicines.

Click to expand...

Eradicator said:

All I have to say to that is that alcohol is legal but it is still illegal to drink and drive, and in the places where weed is legal it is the same for weed, DUI laws are just fine the way they are.

If your logic is that if its legal there will be more DUI accidents and that's why weed should be illegal, then under that logic your saying all prescription drugs and alcohol and anything else that effects your state of mind should be made illegal because it is possible for someone to get in an accident under the influence.

And when it comes to how much they would affect your driving, or what I would call "how f***ed up you are" weed doesn't even compare to things like alcohol, prescription drugs, and even over the counter drugs like cough medicines.

Click to expand...

To me this is the problem with legalizing marijuana. There is no test to determine if someone is currently under the influence of marijuana/THC.

When it's made legal lots of people will try it who are not used to it.
Some of these people will drive while under the influence of it.
Some of those people will get into accidents, gauranteed.

How do we test to see that they are *currently* under the influence? There needs to be a way to do this quickly and easily. There are people who would be incapable of driving while under the influence of marijuana and the first time one of these people crash into a van full of children people against legalization are going to scream "I told you so!".

I am for the legalization of marijauna but this is a problem that needs solved. Also, will employers still be able to fire/not hire someone for a positive marijuana test in Colorado?

I am for the legalization of most drugs but I feel it needs to be a slow evolution or people won't handle it well.