600,000 people, disproportionately people of color, were arrested for possession of marijuana in 2017.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) February 28, 2019
It is time to decriminalize marijuana, expunge past marijuana convictions and end the failed war on drugs.
February 28, 2019
"It is time to decriminalize marijuana, expunge past marijuana convictions and end the failed war on drugs."
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127 comments:
I would think that marijuana constituted a tiny part of the war on drugs, so that's a mighty big leap in that last clause.
And I also suspect that a ton of those marijuana possession convictions were the easy-to-prosecute part of an overall crime where the other charges were dropped/plead down. So overall arrests and the demographics targeted in said arrests aren't going to go down much.
A very Trumpian stance.
Stoners don't vote
I agree with Bernie.
I just wish Bernie would extend that faith in freedom to more subjects.
But he wants to get rich, make everyone poor, and let them get high.
Great. Cuz when you decriminalize pot, drug crimes will end.
The War on Drugs is a failure. Time to do something radical. Decriminalize all drugs - all drugs - and sell them at Walgreens.
Bernie continued:
and this will free up adequate resources for the government to arrest all citizens who oppose socialism.
Sorry Bernie. You don't go far enough anymore. AOC wants to pay people to smoke it.
Bernie's not wrong in this instance. Trump should have beat him to the punch on this because it's farming a very specific and defined vote.
And, these days, stoners (whatever that means) do vote.
Stoners DO vote.
Not a bad idea for adults. If adult hippies wanna live their lives in a chemically-induced fog, go ahead.
Big problem for kids though. Teens are still developing. Not a good to fry your brains early.
Bernie - who is basically a clueless 78-year old kid who never had a job, never worked an honorable day in his life, and never grew up, doesn't care about the long term effects of dope on kids.
I don't disagree. I know a bunch of old stuffers in the R party want to keep it illegal - as if it stops people from using it - but I think it's time to make it a controlled legal substance.
It looks like the attention grabber is a fizzle. According to WAPO:
Joined by four fellow candidates for the presidency, Sen. Cory Booker is reintroducing legislation that would legalize marijuana and expunge convictions for possessing the drug.
“It’s not enough to simply decriminalize marijuana,” Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, said in a statement announcing the new version of his Marijuana Justice Act. “We must expunge the records of those who have served their time. The end we seek is not just legalization, it’s justice.”
Booker’s bill, which was first introduced in 2017 but never brought up for a vote, will be co-sponsored by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Ca.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
All of them had co-sponsored the 2017 bill, too, as had Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), who is considering his own run for the presidency. Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), who traveled to Iowa last week, is also co-sponsoring the new bill.
So it only relates to pot and is the same policy they have previously advocated and sought to enact.
Battlespace prep. Bernie wants to expand the pool of people who believe in his economic prescriptions.
I wonder how many of the 600,000 people arrested for marijuana were also in possession of an illegal gun, stolen goods or were riding in a stolen car? How many were also DUI? How many were carrying marijuana while committing an assault? How many were violating their parole conditions?
I hate statistics and politicians.
Percentage of people arrested for drug law violations who are Black or Latino: 46.9% (despite making up just 31.5% of the U.S. population)
SNOPES would rate that Bernie's statement) as a big porkie, if a Republican said it.
Marijuana still affects the brain (as many studies show.) Affects it badly.
And DUI is DUI, and I still consider high on pot as DUI.
If they want to consider it legal.. tax it like cigarettes. God knows how it affects the lungs and CNS over years. Bet it is just as bad as cigarettes. Tax it.
Minors? About 60 years ago, when I was a minor, it was easier to get pot than alcohol. I suspect that it would be the same if it were legalized.
Bernie: "It is time to decriminalize marijuana, expunge past marijuana convictions and end the failed war on drugs."
Meth, Heroin and Opiates for everyone!
Can I sue my state for false advertising?
They keep telling me Weed is legal, but it's not.
The Times (London) February 24 2019
Mark Howarth
Cannabis use linked to brutal teen violence
Legal overhaul urged after Alesha murder
'Campaigners have called for a crackdown on cannabis after linking the drug to some of Scotland’s most notorious teenage killers in the wake of the conviction of a 16-year-old boy for the murder of Alesha MacPhail.
Aaron Campbell crept into the six-year-old’s family home on Bute in the early hours and took her from her bed. He raped and suffocated her then abandoned her body, which was found in woods with 117 injuries.
He denied being the killer but it emerged during his trial that he had tried to buy cannabis at about the time Alesha went missing. He later told police he had been “really stoned”.
The murder of Alesha is the latest in a series of infamous killings by Scottish boys with marijuana habits. Each has unleashed a frenzy of catastrophic violence shortly after smoking the drug.'
'...US researcher Alex Berenson — author of the recently published book Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness and Violence — began investigating the trend after his wife, a forensic psychiatrist, noticed a correlation between heavy marijuana use and crime among her patients. He began to list cases of extreme and often inexplicable violence, seeking details of the drug habits of those in the dock.
Berenson claims comparisons can be drawn between the shocking crimes of Campbell, Mitchell and McIntosh and outrages in the US: Dillen Murray, 16, from Florida, beat his friend to death as they smoked pot, while 15-year-old Matthew Borges, from Massachusetts, decapitated a classmate after they met up to smoke on a riverbank.
He said: “This has been hiding in plain sight for a very long time. It is not always clear in these cases whether the users were psychotic [and] they were all very young to have developed full-blown schizophrenia. The common thread is the savagery.
“There is no question that people who use cannabis as teens are significantly more likely to develop psychotic disorders. National crime and health authorities everywhere should be looking at this problem.”'
"...It emerged during Campbell’s trial that the drug is widely available to teenagers on [the isle of] Bute. He was a regular cannabis smoker and used to buy it from the murdered girl’s father..."
Decriminalize has always seemed like a bogus concept to me.
Don't Decriminalize mj, legalize it.
We now have experience from several states. There is no longer any reason for it to be illegal in any quantity or level.
I am ok with some licensing, restricting sale to minors and such. Also taxation and purity laws perhaps.
Not sure exactly what regulation should look like but I could live with some.
John Henry
You don't go to prison for possessing marijuana for the most part- you go to prison for distribution or for the charges that were technically dropped against you for which you were guilty but not easily proven- in other words, you take the plea for the crime you are caught red-handed to avoid a trial on those you might beat in court. I promise you this- if you distribute in Colorado without a state license, Colorado will send you to prison, too.
I would decriminalize all the drugs, but it won't change the prison population all that much, or its demographic composition. People get locked up for property and/or violent crimes, and that won't change much because even with legalization, some people will have to steal and rob to buy the legal stuff.
About 60 years ago, when I was a minor, it was easier to get pot than alcohol.
I've made this point as well, albeit related to 35 years ago.
I suspect that it would be the same if it were legalized.
This may be slightly true because it's easier to conceal. But I suspect it's mostly wrong because businesses have an economic interest in following the law which doesn't exist for the black market.
Paul, are there any studies linking mj to impaired driving?
I don't count studies where alcohol was also involved.
I mean studied where they gave someone measuref amounts of mj and tested their driving on a controlled course.
I am aware of 3 that did this. 2 sponsored by usnhtsa/dot no negative effects.
A 3rd by one of the Australian governments. Ditto.
Your turn, have you seen any showing negative impact?
John Henry
Good intentions from yesteryear liberals, progressives, and conservatives.
That said, combusted, ingested marijuana should carry the same warning labels as tobacco. Also, as some have commented, the offenses of drug consumption, distribution, and primary or incidental crimes are separable. And, yes, there is a difference between risk profiles for teenagers and adults, whether it is alcohol, marijuana, or any other acutely psychoactive substance.
I'm all for ending the FDA. Open up the markets!
Yancey and others are correct.
Drug convictions are mostly plea deals. You've got 5 crimes you're being accused of and your lawyer works out a plea deal.
I remember hearing we were going to take down those evil cartels in Mexico if we just legalized marijuana. How's that going?
Let me set you straight. The cartels are worse today, they've just switched drugs.
And if you legalized drugs, they'll find another vice. Prostitution? Let's legalize that too! Pedophilia? How far are you willing to take this ridiculous argument?
Save us from ourselves. Outlaw pot again before we all go insane.
600,000 people, disproportionately people of color, were arrested for possession of marijuana in 2017.
I'd assume those were mostly state charges, not federal?
I'll give Sanders this - he's put his power where his mouth is, cosponsoring the 2018 bill for that very thing, and I believe he'll do it again.
(Ref above - YES. Legalize prostitution, because adults having sex for money is none of your goddamn business.
Unlike "all vices are basically pedophilia lulz", dope and sex are adults making their own decisions for themselves.
Argue better without relying on "but it's VICE and that means it's BAD", which is mere tautological assumption.)
are there any studies linking mj to impaired driving?
There are a fair number of well-reported public transportation disasters where mj was involved. What hey had in common was a failure to do something that you learn in the first few minutes of training. Like slowing down and stopping when you reach the end of the line, or slowing for a curve on an elevated line.
Al Capone and Mickey Cohen were in prison for income tax evasion.
People are afraid to testify against gang members for their violent crimes. But putting them away for drug possession is easy.
Possession of drugs is a proxy crime.
Sanders is an incredibly ignorant old man.
The feds should have less power and the War on Drugs have them(selves) more power.
The feds have no power to compel states to remove state-level crimes. Therefore, Bernie's idea is facially unconstitutional. Surprise!
Opioids are perfectly legal.
How's that going?
The War on Drugs is a failure. Time to do something radical. Decriminalize all drugs - all drugs - and sell them at Walgreens.
Portugal decrimilized** posession and use (fines, no arrests) and they have the lowest drug death rate in Europe. But as you can see in this thread, the years of government propaganda - for The Children™ - were quite effective and many people seem to be afraid of their fellow citizens and what those citizens might do, or might not do, unless they are arrested or threatened with arrest. For something.
You don't go to prison for possessing marijuana for the most part-
I don't see anyone making a claim about that I see someone making a claim about 600,000 people going to jail and having arrest records when they were arrested for pot posession.
even with legalization, some people will have to steal and rob to buy the legal stuff.
People had to steal to buy booze after alcohol prohibition ended. /s
** "Today, Portuguese authorities don't arrest anyone found holding what's considered less than a 10-day supply of an illicit drug — a gram of heroin, ecstasy, or amphetamine, two grams of cocaine, or 25 grams of cannabis. Instead, drug offenders receive a citation and are ordered to appear before so- called "dissuasion panels" made up of legal, social, and psychological experts. Most cases are simply suspended. Individuals who repeatedly come before the panels may be prescribed treatment, ranging from motivational counseling to opiate substitution therapy."
Reality Check: The Government will NEVER legalize a drug that is in high demand by self-medicator humans . It is the key element in the TAXATION MONOPOLY GAME the rulers call Governance.
That good old marxist Bernie means that he will double down on tracking down and jailing all distributors of Marijuna that are NOT licensed and controlled tax collectors for the STATE.
The other famous Government Taxation Tools are Gasolene, Alcohol, ( and the Government guys' eternal secret cut of all Heroin sales). In the recent past pre-refridgeration the big tools were Salt and Pepper and other spices. All of these are in high demand but are small enough to be controlled in their production and in their transport and sale.
... gave them(selves)...
Damned auto-un-correct.
Hey, I've got a great idea: Let's send young dopers to a university for the criminal arts (otherwise known as prison) where they'll be thoroughly schooled by genuinely bad men and then released back into society with a felony record that will prevent them from ever working a straight job. What could possibly go wrong?
I don't know what he has against that band that he has to call them failed. I thought the song An Ocean In Between The Waves was really good.
Prohibition of alcohol failed.
Prohibition of marijuana is failing and has nearly failed.
Prohibition of opiods is failing.
But Dumbocrats think that gun control will work.
[snort]
Wah-wah.
In CA, illegal pot sales are doing better than ever since legal pot faces high taxes and other hurdles to licensing/growing/distribution/etc. There's the beauty of your gov't 'controlling production', Bernie. It not only perpetuates the black market, it increases it.
Agree with the Bern on this one.
Agreeing with Bernie makes me itchy.
Why not? The day immediately thereafter, the lawsuits will start. Within a few years we will be blasted with regular TRUTH commercials against smoking weed. With Muppets!
are there any studies linking mj to impaired driving?
I know first-hand that I shouldn't be driving while high, and I'm an excellent driver.
AllenS said...
Bernie: "It is time to decriminalize marijuana, expunge past marijuana convictions and end the failed war on drugs."
Meth, Heroin and Opiates for everyone!
vs. throw people in jail and take their stuff.
Straw men are stupid. Don't live in fallacy.
People who don't think the government should throw people in jail for consensual activity don't necessarily think drugs are good for you. We think there are better ways to deal with the problem.
"...dope and sex are adults making their own decisions for themselves."
I'd agree if they were responsible for their results and their damages. It's the part where my tax dollars pay for the social costs that bothers me.
Marijuana is something some can function with and some cannot. The risk is not realistically knowing the consequences. Legal pot will mean some 16 year old will get in a bad wreck and some 18 year old will fail out of college. Normal things but to a higher degree.
Well why should mj get preference? Not my favorite drug.
"Breadlines Bernie" finally says something I agree with!
To quote several people: "Stoners do vote". They just can't remember why, or when. Maybe also how.
Nostrovia!
I thought Trump was going to legalize marijuana.
The fix is in. Lots of the power elite are invested in companies that will selling, growing, and marketing MJ. This is going to be big business - big Ag-business and lots of retired pols have gotten themselves in on the ground floor.
BTW< whenever you see some White Politician crying about how we need to do policy X for the children - whoops, sorry, - for black folks, you know its a fraud.
Of course, its the stupidest and weakest who will suffer most from legalized MJ, since they are ones that can't handle drugs wisely and get addicted. Oh well. There's $$$ to be made!
Probably the only thing I agree with Bernie on, which makes me think that I'm probably wrong and foolishly so, but I still think it's a good idea until Bernie explains it better and ruins it.
I have to assume that Bernie never asked Maduro, Castro, or Stalin what they thought about this, or he never would have said it.
"disproportionately people of color"
I'm white, but this is what I have for you.
I also have to assume Bernie wants the government to be the only pot producer and seller.
There are two former pols that are all in with the reefer biz: former speaker John Boehner and former underwear model Anthony Wiener. They also have something in common with those names. Weird.
Fernandistein said...
The War on Drugs is a failure. Time to do something radical. Decriminalize all drugs - all drugs - and sell them at Walgreens.
** "Today, Portuguese authorities don't arrest anyone found holding what's considered less than a 10-day supply of an illicit drug — a gram of heroin, ecstasy, or amphetamine, two grams of cocaine, or 25 grams of cannabis.
I am curious as to the cost of a ten day supply of heroin , cocaine, or amphetamines. Can average working guy afford it?
I know many people can be functional addicts. We hear of functional celebrities up until time of death by accidental overdose. Not every addict is a homeless degenerate thief and criminal.
And, would sure be tough to get it at Walgreens, where you need ID to buy Sudaphed.
Blogger Rick said...
About 60 years ago, when I was a minor, it was easier to get pot than alcohol.
I've made this point as well, albeit related to 35 years ago.
I suspect that it would be the same if it were legalized.
This may be slightly true because it's easier to conceal. But I suspect it's mostly wrong because businesses have an economic interest in following the law which doesn't exist for the black market.
2/28/19, 12:14 PM
I base this on the experience with cigarettes in New York, which has high taxes. Estimates are that as much as 75% of cigs sold are black market.
In California, plenty of used needles and passed out addicts in our best tourist attraction cities.
911 emergency spends most time and resources on saving addicts who OD.So common that cities are considering (and may have) making the recovery drug *Naloxone available at locations throughout city.
Heroin not legal but enforcement seems kind of minimal and acceptance of public usage is common.
*A medication called naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose of heroin or some types of painkillers. Paramedics and emergency room doctors have used it for years to save lives.
Dirty old red racist.
Something is missing here, which lends credibility to plea copping as described above. Just how stupid do you have to be to be busted for "mere possession". What does it take? Seriously!
The cost of arrest, pretrial incarceration, prosecution to conviction then prison is how much?
just to take a pothead out? That's a lot of money. Hard to justify putting a stoned "angelic" user up at that cost. Yeah, there's some scalps to be hunted by dickhead prosecution teams, but there's a lot of information gets quashed at trial. Remember Trayvon Martin's crack pipe and burglary tool possessions? How about why he was suspended from school? How many times? Do you even remember his girlfriend testifying that during their phone call that he thought Zimmerman was gonna rape him? Details matter.
And, yes at some levels it may well be Darwinism.
When I read about all the glowing, positive effects pot has, and virtually no negative effects at all, I wonder why they don't insist on mandating it's use.
Back in the 90s I figured that marijuana law liberalization would happen, and would be based on disparate impact, and NOT principles of freedom & self-autonomy.
Years ago, the federal government, and both political parties, abandoned the idea that more freedom is better for the country.
Hmm.
How about a simultaneous Federal legalization of marijuana and tobacco?
Tobacco is a much better drug from the point of view of personal and economic productivity.
Serious question. Didn't many opioid users start with pot?
Isn't opioid use a crisis? Lots of people dead.
Google: marijauna schizophrenia
12.7M hits, many quite sobering.
We are about to undertake yet another vast social experiment with no clue what we are doing.
I do not pretend to know what the right answer is, but I do know there are some questions we should talk through, first.
A medication called naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose of heroin
My son is a para-medic in Skagit County. He says the reversal is profound, and immediate. Some of the junkies become upset....like you stole their high!!
Indictments for possession of small amounts of drugs or drug paraphernalia is a colossal wast of taxpayer money and judicial resources.
"disproportionately people of color"
This seems to be his sole justification.
Apparently any crime that disproportionately affects people of color should be legalized.
Apparently any crime that disproportionately affects people of color should be legalized.
@Kevin, does that include black-on-black homicide? Askin’ for a friend.
Legalization Does NOT mean *not* putting people in jail for small time possession. That's "Decriminalization" and has already happened.
Legalization means you're going to have Budweiser type companies advertising MJ and selling it - eventually, at your local grocery store. Why Not? If MJ is the same as Beer and not any worse, then it will be sold like beer.
This will mean large number of MJ addicts, just like we have large numbers of alcoholics. This will have an affect on the healthcare system and also destroy plenty of lives. Of course, the next step will be, if MJ, why not cocaine? Why not heroin?
So, what if the weak and stupid kill themselves? Lets make it easier**
** = this sentence is a reading comp test. Lets see who passes it!
"Serious question. Didn't many opioid users start with pot?"
Nope. Alcohol, and before that, masturbation, and before that, sugar. All bad for you and addictive. It's kinda what we do as a species. I don't do much of anything anymore, but I have to say that prescription opioid painkillers are the best thing I ever tried. In the prescribed dosage or lower, they feel good, remove anxiety, and have only a positive effect on my productivity and drive with no hangover or lingering effects. Close as it comes to the perfect drug, but it depends on dosage. You have to keep it less than the prescribed daily dosage, and it only works once a day. Take one and done.
"Legalization means you're going to have Budweiser type companies advertising MJ and selling it..."
In places like here in NV where it is legal, it's advertised on TV, radio, and billboards just like any other product - sometimes serious, sometimes comical, but open and ubiquitous. Nobody really notices except the people who want it.
Moderation is key.
Every person who drinks is not an alcoholic. Every person who takes a drink does not become an alcoholic.
Most users smoke weed recreationally and function.
In places like here in NV where it is legal, it's advertised on TV, radio, and billboards just like any other product - sometimes serious, sometimes comical, but open and ubiquitous. Nobody really notices except the people who want it.
When Ca legalized it, I called a friend in NV with the surprising news.
Oh, yeah, he said, I can just walk across the street here and buy it.
Rcocean contends: Legalization Does NOT mean *not* putting people in jail for small time possession. That's "Decriminalization" and has already happened.
Here in AZ, possession of a small amount of marijuana or 'paraphernalia' is a class 6 felony.
It's OK if you have a medical MJ card.
"Here in AZ, possession of a small amount of marijuana or 'paraphernalia' is a class 6 felony."
And how many people are in prison because of it? BTW, hiring illegal aliens is against the law too. How many people in Arizona go to prison for it?
Excuse me for being skeptical. Having Beer during prohibition was against the law, yet almost the only people who got arrested were bootleggers and speak easy owners.
Moderation is key.
Every person who drinks is not an alcoholic. Every person who takes a drink does not become an alcoholic.
Most users smoke weed recreationally and function.
Not everyone that drinks gets drunk. Guess what follows?
Hint: it's not--I stop smoking pot when I feel I'm starting to get stoned.
Nevada - i dare say - is a special case. The state has legalized whore houses and is built on gambling. The population of Nevada differs from most of the USA. I have no doubt that you could advertise Heroin and Infanticide and nobody in Las Vegas would object.
Again, People use MJ RIGHT NOW. When the last time anyone got put in jail - just for having MJ?
Its absurd the way people tell you stories of how they were getting stoned on MJ back "60 years ago" and then tell you we must get rid of our "Draconian Laws" regarding MJ.
Seems like they've already been gotten rid of - through non-enforcement. The question is should do we want to treat MJ like Beer on a NATION WIDE level and if so, what other drugs are on the table?
And how many people are in prison because of it? BTW, hiring illegal aliens is against the law too. How many people in Arizona go to prison for it?
Right now, according to a prison official, there are 'about 60 inmates' in our prison for MJ offenses.
My last post. You can never convince some types that they're getting played. Its all "FREEDOM" and damn the consequences.
See California and illegal immigration.
I don't know what the penalty is for hiring illegals but getting into our country illegally is only a misdemeanor. :-( So we never see those cases on the grand jury.
Bernie should contact his Representative and encourage filing of legislation to do as he recommends.
Moderation is key.
Every person who drinks is not an alcoholic. Every person who takes a drink does not become an alcoholic.
Most users smoke weed recreationally and function.
Not everyone that drinks gets drunk. Guess what follows?
Hint: it's not--I stop smoking pot when I feel I'm starting to get stoned.
What? Murder, mayhem, robbery, suicide? What follows?
Nevada - i dare say - is a special case. The state has legalized whore houses and is built on gambling. The population of Nevada differs from most of the USA. I have no doubt that you could advertise Heroin and Infanticide and nobody in Las Vegas would object.
2/28/19, 3:35 PM
Makes sense. Bolsters your argument. ALL people in Nevada are terrible. Only good thing about them is they take the heat off us crazy Californians occasionally.
What? Murder, mayhem, robbery, suicide? What follows?
What follows is, everyone that smokes pot gets stoned. High.
Marijuana advocates tend to dance around the very reason people smoke it.
I hope the rest of the dem candidates jump on pardoning pushers. That will be one more crazy platform log on the fire. Making normals wonder evermoreso why the dems don't care about them,only nuts. Plus, most dope crimes are state crimes.
Marijuana advocates tend to dance around the very reason people smoke it.
To escape the trials and tribulations of life, and irreconcilable acts of choice, for better and worse. Not unlike people who imbibe alcohol to excess, and in general indulge obsessive behaviors that breed dysfunction.
How about,
Step One: remove pot from schedule one
This would allow research into Just how harmless pot is (my guess, not very harmless)
ALL people in Nevada are terrible.
Probably a pot-bellied distribution, and everyone else goes along to get along when it is even remotely tolerable.
Either you are free born or you are not.
Just how harmless pot is (my guess, not very harmless)
The evidence indicates that marijuana is not, depending on how its components are consumed, harmless, may be tolerable, circumstantially, does not demand rejection, does not merit normalization, and may selectively have some favorable medical properties.
Marijuana advocates tend to dance around the very reason people smoke it.
To escape the trials and tribulations of life, and irreconcilable acts of choice, for better and worse. Not unlike people who imbibe alcohol to excess, and in general indulge obsessive behaviors that breed dysfunction.
Dysfunction precedes the obsessive behaviors. Substance abuse is the symptom of the of the dysfunction, not the cause of the dysfunction.
Substance abuse is the symptom of the of the dysfunction, not the cause
It is both a cause and symptom, not limited to the immediate consumer.
What follows is, everyone that smokes pot gets stoned. High.
Marijuana advocates tend to dance around the very reason people smoke it.
Smoke a little, get a little high. Smoke a lot, get a lot high.
Drink a little, get a little high. Drink a lot , get more high.
Moderation. Just as easy to get a little high on weed as on alcohol.
People do drugs to change the way the feel.
Dysfunction precedes the obsessive behaviors. Substance abuse is the symptom of the of the dysfunction, not the cause of the dysfunction.
Makes sense. Same guy gonna drink to excess gonna smoke to excess.
I like pot and think it should be legalized.
Legalization is already in the works in NY. Looks like NY will follow suit with MA and tax and regulate pot to such an extent that the black market will be a serious competitor.
Lefties are in for a disappointment. 30 years after legalization, blacks will still be over 50% of the prison population.
I don't like pot and I think it should be legal.
Bernie is still a total socialist moron.
How many of you smoke pot regularly, or know people who have smoked pot regularly, but never committed any other crimes? How many of those people have ever been arrested? I know it's just anecdotal, but I think we all know that most of those 600,000 people were arrested for something other than just possession.
When the federal government legalizes marijuana, it will still be illegal to grow, process or sell it without a license. It will still be illegal to not pay taxes on the proceeds. It will still be illegal to sell it to certain people and under certain circumstances. It will still be illegal to use a firearm to prevent competitors from relieving you of the cash proceeds of your illegal business. In other words, it will still be illegal to do all the things that those 600,000 people were doing that got them arrested.
I was gonna vote my man until I got high
I was gonna get up and find the poll station but then I got high
My head is still messed up and I know why
'Cause I got high,
Legalized pot is not a panacea. It's still a mind altering drug that can - in some cases, ruin lives.
I know people who handle weed fine. I know people who were destroyed by it.
For me, the issue is about the freedom to choose. Keeping it illegal does not make weed go away. imo.
Did he ask the POC if they are in favor of this, or is this another thing that White Libs think that Black people want?
Bernie Supporters Love the Republican Tax Plan
Never get between a pot head and his weed. Never get between a junkie and his fix.
Never get between a boozer and his next drink.
And never tell him his vice should be illegal.
And never tell him his vice should be illegal.
Don't even dare to comment in close proximity to that topic, or be prepared to brave a judgment of ignorance, bigotry, and all manner of foul labels.
Republican Tax Plan
In combination with regulatory relief, emigration reform, and medical market restoration, there is a lot to like with retained capital earnings for workers and investors alike.
The only reason Bernie wants pot legal is becuase it's not. If it was fully legal, he'd want to make it illegal. At the very least he would propose more regulations and taxes on it than any drug warrior. Imagine what he would propose for rules and taxes on the rich growers and sellers of pot. The man is stupider than than anyone I every saw stoned out of their minds, and he's a lot more dangerous. It would be nice to put potheads in charge of the IRS. That place needs to chill a little, and forget a few details, maybe forget where they left the keys, or that something is cooking on the stove in the cafeteria.
Federalism:
I've long recommended the Republicans (at least) say for any state that decriminalizes, the Feds will back off.
I'd settle for ending the war on Sudafed.
I agree with Bernie. Drugs are harmful, but so is prohibition. Will legalization lead to more drug use? Yes of course. It will also lead to less violence, less corruption, less police abuse. I think the net harm will be reduced. Equally, the harm that is done will be more self inflicted than law inflicted.
The problem with legal marijuana in California is that the Democrat politicians, being a few bricks shy of a full load, as a friend in construction used to say, levied all sorts of expensive regulations and taxes on legal marijuana, while the illegal marijuana growers still had all their distribution networks still pretty much in place. If they had waited a few years before putting all sorts of sin taxes on legal marijuana, then the illegal growers might have had difficulty reassembling effective distribution networks. But greed and graft are the hallmarks of California politics under Governor Moonbeam and his successor.
I believe pot users should be ticketed, or BEAT TO A PULP, if they expose bystanders to their marijuana smoke. DON'T EXPOSE ME TO CRAP OF UNKNOWN SAFETY*. I DON'T WANT YOUR GODDAM HIGH. STICK YOUR F-ING JOINT UP YOUR F-ING A$$. Cigarette smokers should be killed for giving me cancer from secondhand smoke. IT IS NOT A JOKE. I'M NOT VOTING FOR THAT DRUNKEN A$$, BEERNIE (BERNIE + BEER = BEERNIE).
*"Paraquat pot": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraquat
Poor Trumpit has gone off the deep end.
“And DUI is DUI, and I still consider high on pot as DUI”
CO, being at the forefront of the pot movement set blood THC levels for DUI up front. Before that, it was the cop saying that you were stoned and you denting it. Now, if the cop thinks that you were stoned, he can ask for a pot lee test, and he f you fail you get a DUI ticket and if you refuse the test, you lose your license due to the implied consent law. Which of course, is identical with how alcohol is treated.
Marijuana is not a harmless drug.
Unmentioned here is the fact that marijuana today is NOT the marijuana that a plurality of the posters on this board grew up with. I smoked marijuana from the ages of 14-19 (1970s). In those days, if one joint per person got you a buzz, you were happy. Selective cultivation has produced a ridiculously stronger drug. I am in favor of de-regulating ALL drugs, but let's not kid ourselves.
Given the way that legalization has proceeded at the state level, looks like the Feds are just giving their friends time to take control of the emerging market. Licenses to grow/package/distribute are being granted to politically connected people. In NYC, you need something starting at $25M to bid on one of the few licenses, besides connections. Once the grift has been played out at the state level, then the Feds will come in to bless it.
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